mrsanniep
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Posts posted by mrsanniep
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I totally feel for you all. I've been healthy for a little more than 1 week after being sick for 2 weeks. Whatever virus I had worked its way to a sinus infection. After day 14 of headaches and not sleeping well, I finally went to the doctor for antibiotics.
Take care of yourselves! Thank goodness for kind husbands who know what we need!
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I'm using WWW for the first time this year with my 2nd grader. I put him in Level 2, which right now (after 9 days of school) is pretty easy for him. The verdict's still out, but so far it's the only writing program I've found that easily slips into our school schedule. As others have said, it's pretty independent and it gets DONE, which I like. I've also found that just having your kid read a lot (or reading TO them) helps make them better writers in general.
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My 11-year-old son does the following independently (I answer questions, of course!):
Math
Grammar
Spelling (unless there's a pretest or a final test, which I administer)
Science (unless there's an activity that clearly needs an adult's help)
Reading (he reads, does a page in a literature guide, then I grade and we discuss)
Logic exercises
The subjects that require more participation on my part:
History (I read the SOTW with them, then he's off to do his narration by himself)
Art
He'll be starting an online Latin class next week, not sure how much I'll have to do with him yet.
Looking at this breakdown, I think it's safe to say he does a lot independently with me right there to help him if need be.
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Oh yes! That and their insistence on doing schoolwork with pencils that need sharpening.
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Blue Planet
These titles from Disneynature:
Earth
Oceans
African Cats
Crimson Wing
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I had to reiterate to my 8 year old this morning why they were called "flash" cards. Speed, man, speed.
Oh my gosh. YES.
:lol:
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Another thing to consider - the protein that causes the allergic reaction is only found in the whites of the eggs, so you might check with his allergist about whether separating the eggs and serving the yellow part would be acceptable. I never felt that the white was adequately removed from the yellow myself, so never tried this with my son.
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I forgot to mention that we really liked this vegan baking cookbook. We basically used regular butter and milk (although she recommends vegan alternatives) and just used it because the recipes don't contain eggs or use the egg replacer. Pancakes, cookies, muffins, waffles and other baked goods ...
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My youngest used to be allergic to eggs but has outgrown it. We used this egg replacement product when baking with great results.
http://www.ener-g.com/catalog/product/view/id/223/s/egg-replacer/
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Oh, I hear you. My 11 y/o son has given me a few days of "1.5 hours to do one math worksheet." Makes me want to go out of my freaking mind. :)
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What math curriculum do they use at their current school? My suggestion would be that if you're happy with that, they're happy with it, stick with that curriculum if you can find it for sale. Otherwise, I recommend Abeka for traditional math. My son was using this in his Christian school and when we pulled him out several years ago, I continued with it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, yada yada. It's important to stick with a math program that's already working. Assuming it is ... :)
I also recommend Growing with Grammar and Soaring with Spelling. http://www.growingwithgrammar.com
Apologia makes nice and simple Christian science textbooks to use with younger ones. I opted to switch to Prentice Hall Science Explorer with my middle schooler this year, though. http://www.apologia.com
For art, we're liking the projects in the book Art Lab: http://www.amazon.com/Art-Lab-Kids-Adventures-Printmaking/dp/1592537650/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346094344&sr=8-1&keywords=art+lab
But definitely read the WTM book! Susan's recommendations were very helpful when we started homeschooling. Keep it simple. Don't become overwhelmed by the curriculum choices out there. If you're happy with certain curriculum at your kids' school, it might be worth continuing with them as you gain more confidence as a homeschooler.
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We do Building Thinking Skills, too. The answers are in the back. What does the TM have in it? I can't imagine the exercises needing more explanation. We do it 4x a week along with Mind Benders. My kids think they're fun and for me these books are a way of them learning something without realizing they're learning something. I'd hesitate to add any sort of "teaching" to it beyond your explanations and helps when they're doing the work.
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I've probably only purchased 2-3 books that we didn't finish and they were a) inexpensive and b) not core curriculum.
So, to answer your question, I don't feel as though I've wasted money when it comes to curriculum. This has been achieved mainly by sticking to SWB's recommendations the first 1-2 years of homeschooling before exploring other options to address perceived holes. I had to be a homeschooler for a year or two before I really started to know what I wanted in various curriculums and what was overkill. SWB's recommendations in the WTM were invaluable in giving me a stress-free, strong start to homeschooling. I think we tend to want to overdo things when we homeschool ... not sure if it's because of the pressure to do well or to counter the notion that we don't know what we're doing ... but falling into the curriculum trap is very easy, particularly if you rely on forums more than the WTM book.
ETA: Here's an example: After a year of using science spines (the DK Publishing books SWB recommends), I realized we needed more structure, so I did some research and ended up using Apologia science. It worked for several years until I decided I wasn't in love with it beyond the elementary years and wanted to make a change when my oldest started middle school. I'm still using Apologia for my youngest, but we've totally abandoned the DK Publishing stuff she recommends.
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Would you be able to provide a link? I'm so at-the-end-of-my-rope with the unhelpfulness of the Pearson website.
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We'll be working through PH Science Explorer Earth Science book, along with the guided reading and study workbook. I'm happy with both. My question is ... are there prepared tests available somewhere? We don't necessarily need them, but I'd like to know if they're an option.
ETA: I see there's an "Adapted Tests" book, but based on the brief description of it, sounds like it contains read aloud tests for struggling students. I'm having a doozy of a time determining whether there's a workbook out there of regular chapter tests.
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U.S History text I'd recommend: A Child's Story of America by Christian Liberty Press.
We started SOTW 3 this week and I plan to supplement the American history parts with this book.
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I've concluded the only way to solve this problem is to sell the kids by the pound. :)
I vacuum after supper each night (for the most part) and don't allow shoes in the house. It helps some, but I've just learned to embrace (and ignore) a certain level of "kid shrapnel."
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I don't know, sorry! Sharps and flats are introduced in Level 2, but the notes in the songs also occasionally go above and below where you say your kids are at ... Perhaps your best bet is to order them online through amazon.com and return them if they look too easy and try the next level. Or get them used. Each level has a core group of 4 books - Technique, Lesson, Theory and Performance. They cover everything from dynamics to technique (floating wrists, etc.) ... you really just need to be able to look at the books and see where she's at compared to them. Do you have a music store within driving distance? Any place that sells pianos would have these books. Or check the library?
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We're on our second piano teacher and both have used the Faber series (link below). I am also a pianist, perfectly capable of teaching them (but don't want to ... homeschool is enough), and prefer the Faber books over the Alfred series other people might recommend. Faber seems more rigorous. I'd also add scales and chords.
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I'm boring. I just let my boys pick out new Mario folders to hold their completed math sheets and generally don't make a big deal about the first day of school ... maybe I should!
When school ended in June, I bought them the Helm's Deep Lord of the Rings LEGO set. Maybe I'm not as boring as I think ...? :)
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We did 3 pages a day, in addition to Growing with Grammar and Soaring with Spelling and copywork. My son cognitively could have done more ETC each day, but with everything else, 3 pages was the limit if I wanted him to keep his work neat and his best.
You probably won't need the 1/2 levels.
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My parents go on 2 cruises a year and always on Holland America. Yes, you'll need your passports. I think you can arrange cruise packages directly through the cruise line websites. My mom is always talking about this or that email she got from Holland America with a new cruise package deal. She's also arranged cruises through travel agents.
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I think of holiday weddings as tactical manuevers. You invite people at a time when most people can't make it. This means you spend less money on your wedding reception and still bring in the same amount of gifts. Assuming, of course, that people who can't attend still send a gift of some sort.
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It's also worth checking with the owner of the karate studio whether you could swap cleaning services at night with a reduction in tuition. We pay only $100 a month for tae kwon do because I clean the studio 2x a week, which knocked off $125 the monthly tuition (normally it would be $225 a month).
I also agree with those who've suggested you budget for 25 hours, bring in pay for 35 hours and apply that extra money to your medical bills. Then build a nest egg.
Kindle Fire vs. Ipod Touch
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
I voted "other." For what you described, I vote iPad. I like big screens. :)