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fortheboys

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About fortheboys

  • Birthday 03/09/1980

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  • Biography
    I am a sahm-homeschooling mama of two wonderful boys!
  • Location
    Idaho
  • Interests
    Hobbies...what does that mean?
  • Occupation
    Loving my boys!
  1. My DH is bi-polar. It was so so so so hard until he realized that there was a real problem, that it wasn't because he is just a jerk by nature. THEN, he met with a doctor that took the time to really evaluate his medication. We are finally at the right medicine and things are much better. I hope that things go well for you, whatever you decide you need to do.
  2. I have 2 sons, 5 and 6. So we have been "doing" homeschool since October. And to confess I have been flying by the seat of my pants, trying to figure out what works for us. Thus far not a whole lot of figuring has occured, but here is what I do know: Neither DS like to color, cut and paste, arts and crafts, or anything often thought of as "creative." DS6 has been identified as a highly gifted child and is irritating the snot out of me, because I can't figure him out. One day he is all fired up about something, for instance mummies. The next day all he wants to do is eat popcorn and play nintendo ds (which is another topic all together, to be honest the nintendos were my idea...stupid, stupid, stupid!) DS 6 is assesing his way through Saxon, I was hoping to have him placed by the beginning of the next semester, but it didn't happen. DS 5 is a pretty typical, wonderfully easy, little boy. His attention span is nill, and he is wiggly. HE is really enjoying learning to read and is progressing well through it. His fine motor skills are not great (maybe why he doesn't like to color, he dislikes it the very most). So here is my question: Since I really had no plan last semester not a whole lot got done. I was wondering how any of you schedule, organize or put together a semester of learning. How do you determine what subjects "go" where and the like. Does that make sense? Here is what we are using: for both: Explode the Code (at the appropriate level) Saxon math (DS 5 in level 1 and DS 6, I dunno yet) STOW vol 1 Handwriting without tears (at the appropriate level, rather gently) LOTS of readalouds some narration DS 5 Along with Explode the Code is doing Phonics Pathways BOB books and easy readers DS 6 Easy Grammar EPS Just Write! (I may not use this at all) VERY VERY LITTLE copy work Lots and lots of reading Spelling (we are working through the Dolch/Fry list) Things I would like to add in some form or another: ART SCIENCE JOURNALING FORIEGN LANGUAGE (probably spanish) From start to finish our school day takes about 3.5 hours with a few breaks thrown in. It is important to me to keep a short school day. I am also a full time student, so I need a little time during the day to do my own school work. Any advice on how to put it together and make a semester plan (with some flexibility)? Thanks.
  3. Thank you. This was what I needed to hear, when I needed to hear it. Thank you.
  4. We use it. BUT, we get it from the academy that we use. It is pretty fun. The boys really like it. I am not sure that I would spend the money on it though.
  5. What curric do you use for your gifted/accelerated child? I have a ds6, who is considered highly gifted, I am putting things together to really start school in Jan. I was just curious what you use. Thanks
  6. I would agree. I have researched and studied and researched a bit more. And I find that I am continually at a loss for what materials to use. What kinds of curric can anyone suggest that I look into. I am using what I have access to (we work with our states distance education academy). Things that don't work for him-MathUSee and RightStart Math-DS just does not enjoy math manipulatives, and thus far the vast majority of math that I ask him to do he just does it in his head (he has been known though to use pencil and paper, and every once in a while counting bears!). In the beginning he really wanted to do journaling and spelling, now HE IS NOT INTERESTED! He will do it halfway if I ask him to, but not to his ability. He IS very interested in different dog breeds so we might do a library visit just for that! About screen time, I need to get a handle on that. We do restrict it quite a bit, but not as much as we need to. I will have to talk it over with DH and see what he and I can come up with. I appreciate everyone taking the time to reply. Any advice is greatly appreciated, sometimes I feel so overwhelmed I just want to give in, and sometimes I just feel great about the whole thing! Depends on the day I guess.
  7. Here is the cliffs notes version of our story, the questions to follow: I homeschooled DS6 as an 4yr old. He taught himself to read prior to that. I knew he was smart...gifted even. I got OVERWHELMED, put him into ps for "real" kinder. He did fine, tests scores all off the chart etc, etc... Started him in the first grade, it was horrible. He would cry everyday when he got home, his teacher was not very kind or sympathetic to him. After the beginning of the year tests, the administration pulled him out of his classroom EVERYDAY for a week and a half for additional testing and then subsequently identified him as a highly gifted student. (I am sure that this sounds like a very familiar story to many of you, please bear with me.) So after much thought, and some prayer, my DH and I decided to bring him and his brother back home for school. BUT, now he doesn't want to learn anything, he wants to play nintendo, or computer games and watch cartoons. He will do the work that I ask him to do, but not with the quality that I know he is capable of. He will read, if I make him. To be honest, we have not quite hit our stride we are still sorting out curric. We are going to be using Saxon math, as soon as I can place him, we use ETC, and we are starting Daily Grammar, his spelling list comes from the dolch/fry list. We are also using STOW and Just Write from EPS. I have meant to add some memorization, copywork and journaling but I haven't figured out how to work it all in. So my question, how to I rekindle his love of learning? It was there, how do I get it back. I think that he views his giftedness as a bad thing, so he isn't excited. Any advice?
  8. Both of my sons are going great with ETC. We love them. Fro my DS5 we do a page or two a day and then a page or two from phonics pathways. It works for us!
  9. It was so painful for him because it was so so so easy. But, I have been told that the first part of Saxon 1 is pretty easy, but that it gets more and more challenging the further you get into it. We started taking assesments today...we will keep plugging along through the assesments until we find were we should be.
  10. I just got in the mail Saxon 1 and Saxon 2. I have a DS5 and a DS6. Both boys are adding and memorizing their facts just fine. I got both books (and their accompanying stuff) because I think that DS5 should be part of the way through Saxon 1 and DS 6 should be a ways through Saxon 1 and soon into Saxon 2. My plan is to give them the assesments in the book and see where the end up. Is that a good idea? I could also just start my DS5 at the beginning of Saxon 1 and only give the assesments to DS6 (who before I brought him home from ps was working through Saxon 1...it was PAINFUL for him). So any advice on how to decide where to place each boy specifically? I am really excited to get going with Saxon.
  11. Well currently there are no laws regarding hsing. Hs'ers don't have to answer to anyone, or take any testing. The academy that we are in is a state charter school. I chose it for our first year of hsing so that I could get some help from the contact teacher if I needed, so we will have to do the state testing. However, if you didn't want to enroll in the academy (it is called IDEA or Idaho Distance Education Academy if you wanna look for it on the web) you wouldn't have to. Idaho is a great state to hs in, no regulations of any kind. (I guess that could also be seen as a bad thing). As for a potential move here...I would highly recommend it. It is an amazing place to live. The recreational options are great, the pace of life is great, BUT there is also some "culture" if you want it. I love it here!
  12. Hows that for a FANTASTIC thread title. It isn't quite that bad...but well it is something. I ordered the entire Shurley english set for my first grader from our states distance academy. I called them today to see where my order was...and THEY CANCELLED IT! They cancelled it because Shurley has significantly raised their prices and the academy is no longer going to use them. SO, I am left with no direction (my contact teacher is administering testing...so I can't get her!) I don't know what to use now. DS is very bright, reading at a much higher grade level. I really feel like I need to get him going on a strong grammar/english program. The academy does use Houghton Mifflin, which I will start researching. We don't have a ton of our own money to use for curric and would much rather use the money allotted to us by the academy. They also have Wordly Wise, Sequential Spelling (which we don't need, we are working through the Fry/Dolch sight words as our spelling list...it is easy for him but I think that it is valuable), and that is really all that is available to us. They have many other english titles but they are for upper elementary grades. Any advice on what I should do? I really want to build a firm mechanical foundation, he's got the reading down. Thanks thanks thanks! They also offer: Scott Pearson...and McGraw Hill
  13. This is absolutely the program that I am involved in here in Idaho. We are given an allotment to use to buy curric we have a contact teacher, but ultimately I am the boss I make the calls. IT IS GREAT!!!
  14. Does anyone know of good Christmas unit studies that I might find online...that are FREE!? Christ based is awesome, but I would also be interested in things like "gingerbread men" "Christmas around the world," and other fun Christmastimey things.
  15. :iagree:BOISE BOISE BOISE BOISE!!!! I live a bit outside of Boise. Idaho is a fantastic state to live in. Four fantastic mild seasons, mountains to camp and hike in, lakes to fish and play in...it is simply AWESOME! (if you ask me anyway!!!)
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