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chelsmm

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Posts posted by chelsmm

  1. This is such a disappointment.  We listen to loads of audiobooks.  We are in the middle of a few right now, and it will be really annoying if they disappear.  Any idea how that will work?  If we are right in the middle of a long book, and it is stored to my device, will it just disappear on 9/20? If that's the case, I'm unsubscribing.  :(

     

    It's only our third month, I think, with scribd.  I was so excited to find it.

  2. We are using Pandia Press's Chemistry as well.  We have used their life science as well.  We tried Mr. Q for earth science and didn't love it.  So we are back to Pandia.  My kids like it, and I find it really easy to execute.  We are supplementing with library books just because the kids are really excited about chemistry this year.  They are 3rd and 4th grade.

     

     

  3. My kids are the same ages and they definitely are starting to dislike their school work.  Some things they love- like science.  But math and LA...not so much.  This year I'm going to make a huge effort to make it more fun.  I know that not everything we have to do in life is fun, but one of the reasons I'm home schooling is so that we don't have to spend our time unhappy.  We have the freedom to learn in ways that are more fun for us.

     

    So, my kids like game.  I happen to dislike them, but eh, I'll do games.  My kids love watching DVDs, and we almost never watch DVDs, so I'm adding in some educational stuff on DVD.  I'm going to do poetry teas because the few times we have done them they have loved it.  Sure, we will still do AAS, Singapore math, and our other "not so fun" stuff.  But I'll get the HIG for Singapore and actually DO some of the activities.  :)  My kids are doing really well in math without the activities, but it's just not fun.  So I'll do them sometimes.

     

     

    That's my plan anyways...

     

  4. Monica,

    I'd love to see your lesson plans for The Most Wonderful Writing Lessons Ever.  I recently bought this book.  I haven't done any writing instruction with my kids, and I plan on using this and Jot it Down this year. They will be 3rd and 4th grade, but I think they will actually like JID, and I bought it a couple years ago, so I might as well give it a try!

     

    Thanks, Chelsea.

  5. Hi,

    I was looking into Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, etc, and I came across Scribd.  It looks awesome!  Anyone know if I can use multiple devices for one account?  I have two kids, and it would be great if all three of us could each use our own ipad for listening or reading.  It's ok if we all have access to the same library.  I'm not looking to have different libraries for each ipad.

     

    Thanks, Chelsea.

  6. Thanks for all of the input.  Yes, we are definitely on the go a lot.  I'm hesitant to cut anything out.  OT obviously can't go.  Art- this is my dd's passion right now.  She also gets to do this class without her brother, which is really important.  Almost all of their activities (including girl scouts because I'm the leader) are done together, and she needs this time away from him.  Soccer- this is new.  She just asked to do it this fall, and that's ok because it will likely cut into judo time for the season.  Judo is required 3x/week because they are both on the special team of role models, which is training them to be assistant teachers.  It's great for both of them for so many reasons.  Physical activity is a high priority for me, and I want us to be active daily.  Then there is home school nature class. They aren't learning anything I can't teach them, but it's an important break for me and it's good for them to learn from someone else, I think.  Plus it's weekly time with kids, and that's important.  Trampoline time could certainly go, but it's a great social opportunity for the kids and for me.  And it's SO good for DS who has core weakness!  I know I'm justifying all of our activities!  I even want to add more!

     

    I think at heart I'm an unschooler.  Or something like that.  We don't school year round, however we have done science in the summer.  Or at least started it.  that worked well.  They love science, and I consider it extra at this point beacuse we are exposed to so much science in our daily lives by our own choices, so it's ok if it doesn't get done.  So I might try to do some of our science this summer.  I like the idea of blocks of the year- science in the summer and fall and maybe something else in the winter and spring.  I also consider history extra because again, we do a lot of learning about history just for fun. 

     

    There is just so much to learn, and it's all so exciting that it's hard to narrow it down!

     

    Fables might be hard for DS.  I think I will look at some of the other programs mentioned, look at Jot it down again, and try some of fables (the free part) over the summer to see how he likes it.  He's very strong with language, so I think he could do it with the proper accomodations for writing/typing. 

     

    Thanks again for all of the thoughts. 

  7. I know this will vary greatly, but I'm having a hard time figure out how we will fit it all in.  And maybe we just won't, and it will be ok.  I have two children.  DD will be 10.  She will do her work easily most of the time.  She needs a little help here and there, but she can also do some things on her own.  DS will be 8.  He needs a lot of help.  ADHD, NLD, dysgraphia. He does read pretty well. 

     

    I'd like to do...

     

    math every day - different levels of singapore for each child

    CAP fables together or possibly Jot it Down since I own that and they've never done any formal writing.

    AAS 4x/week- different levels for each child

    KWOT- this they can each do on their own once I help them get online. Could do at the same time as the other child is working on math with me.

    science- REAL science chemistry- 2x/week, I think, together

    history- ?

    art- Meet the Masters- twice a week would be ideal. presentation one day, project another.

    music- I'd love to give each child a piano lesson once a week as well as composer studies occasionally

    PE- we've got this covered with judo, swimming, health talks as they come up, and trampolining

    Spanish- I'd love to do Elementary Spanish, but we hardly ever find the time.

     

    Here are the reasons we can't seem to get it all done...

     

    Monday- we are free to do school all day until judo at 3:30

    Tuesday- DD art class 10-11:30 ten min drive away, trampoline home school time 12-2, then judo at 4:00

    Wednesday- OT for ds at 9:30. DD and I have 45 min together and can do her math or spelling. we do half day and then meet friends at the park at 1pm.  judo at 4:00

    Thursday- home school nature study class 12-4. We spend 2 hours in the car total getting to and from class.  We usually listen to audiobooks (literature).

    Friday- every other Friday I have to work so we only do a little school work.

     

    We also love field trips and have memberships to two local zoos, the science museum, and the fine art museum.  We enjoy a weekly trampoline time on Tuesday and our park day on Wednesday.  We listen to a lot of audio books in the car. 

     

    Last year we managed to do spelling, reading, handwriting for ds, and math every day.  That's about it.  And that was tough.

     

    I worry that my kids aren't getting as much as they would in school sometimes.  But then I see all of the amazing things they do get (like their nature class and field trips where they aren't rushed along), and I know we are better off home schooling.  But it's so hard to fit it all in! 

     

    They also both do scouts.  :)

     

    And DD will do soccer in the fall, once a week practice and games on the weekend. 

     

    Any thoughts?  thanks!

     

    Edited to add Jot it Down.

     

  8. I have a 3rd grader and a 4th, so we will combine a lot.  Here's the 4th grade plan-

     

    LA-    CAP fables

              The Sentence Family

              AAS 4

              keyboarding WOT (her handwriting is perfect, no need to work on that)

     

    Math- Singapore 4A/4B

              Beast 3B

     

    Science- REAL science Chemistry

                   weekly home school nature class

                   memberships to the local zoos and the science museum

     

    History- SOTW Middle Ages

     

    Art- Meet the Masters and field trips to the MFA

     

    Music- composer studies when we get to them, piano lessons when we get to them

     

    P.E.- judo 3x/week, swimming, weekly home school time at trampoline gym

     

     

     

     

     

     

    • Like 1
  9. Oh, I like the look of CAP fables.  I was just looking through the sample lessons.  One question- is everything included?  There was one part in lesson one where it says "the teacher will read to you about lions".  Then the child is to write down the sentence that was dictated.  But there wasn't anything about lions...so I'm a little confused.  Am I suppose to find or make up a sentence or two about lions? 

     

    Otherwise I think this might work.  I think we could make it fun.

  10. 2015-2016 will be our third year of home schooling.  So far we have done very little writing.  DD is going to be 10 and DS will be 8 for this school year.  She is a strong reader and enjoys writing short stories on her own.  DS is probably a little above grade level for reading, but he's not confident yet and won't try chapter books on his own yet.  He has a very hard time with penmenship.  He goes to OT for that and for impulse control and some other stuff.  He was diagnosed with ADHD and NLD.  We have not done any writing with him.  He loves audiobooks.  His vocabulary is fantastic.  His comprehension is great.  And he expresses himself verbally very well.  We are working on some typing for both kids, but for him, it's likely that he'll need to dictate any writing for next year. We have done grammar using The Sentence Family, so they have a decent grasp on basic grammar.

     

    What should I do for writing?  Any ideas?

     

    Thanks, Chelsea.

  11. Great, thanks.

    My dd is just finishing third grade, and my son is just finishing second. We are going to work through the list this summer. Some of the books will be easy for dd, but enough are long enough that she will be challenged. Ds will get confidence from the picture books, and the longer ones we will listen to or I will read aloud.

  12. I was thinking my kids might ilke the challenge of the MENSA reading list this summer.  Is there a time limit for this?  I didn't see anywhere on the website where it said it had to be completed within a certain amount of time to get the certificate and shirt.  But I don't want to tell my kids they can earn a certificate and shirt if they won't be eligible if they take "too long".  I think it will take quite some time at least a year for DS to get through the k-3 list.

     

    Thanks, Chelsea

    • Like 1
  13. What worked well-

     

    AAS- it's quick and all set up for me to teach, and they learn well from it even if they don't love it.

    Singapore and Beast- we flip back and forth depending on our mood. 

    Being relaxed about what they are "getting done" or "not getting done".  My kids are thriving and learning and happy.  We didn't do a lot of sit down paperwork, but they are doing so well.  I need to keep remembering that!

     

    What I'm going to change-

     

    Science is going to start over the summer.  The kids love it, and we don't seem to make it happen during the year. Chemistry from REAL science.

    Meet the Masters- I am probably going to start that over the summer too.  Same thing, they will love it, and we don't make time for art.

    Composer study/music appreciation will happen along with art.  Very relaxed. Just listening and reading books.

    Spanish- Salsa over the summer and pick up with Elementary Spanish again in the fall.  We totally let this slide this year because we had so many out of the house comittments.

     

    Writing- we haven't done any writing yet.  We will attempt Jot it Down.  I've had it for a year, and we haven't started it yet....

     

    I think that's it so far. 

    • Like 1
  14. Thank you!  I just downloaded Chemistry.  My kids requested chemistry for next year, and I wasn't sure what to use.  We really enjoyed Life, but we did Mr. Q for Earth science this year (and really didn't do much with it- nothing against Mr. Q, I love it in theory, but it's not at easy to use for us).  I just looked over the first half of Chemistry, and I really like it.  And it was $33!

    • Like 1
  15. i like Primal Pit Paste.  It's fine, but doesn't stop sweating, obviously.  We just took a vacation to Florida, and I used Secret Clinical strength beacuse I just didn't want to have wet arm pits in all the photos.  Now that we are back home, I'm kind of sad to switch back to my pit paste.  I loved not smelling like anything and not sweating all over my shirts. 

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