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displace

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Posts posted by displace

  1. I have quite a few questions about Bookshark/Sonlight as a history curriculum.  DS is in 5th grade and enjoys history and knows quite a bit.  We used Acellus for 4th grade, which is a video lecture course that covers typical fourth grade topics about American History.  The fifth grade Acellus is a mix of American History from early colonization to modern wars.  I have been using Acellus because I needed a hands off curriculum, which I can likely amend to more hands on as of now.

    DS would prefer a literature based curriculum, and I pull from Book Shark frequently for audiobooks and I'm considering using it for DS.  We're off schedule and will be starting fifth grade social studies in the next few weeks.

    My questions: 1) can we do just the history part of the Book Shark curriculum in 30 min per day, if we're doing 5 days per week?  We will need to read aloud everything so the reading portion will take us longer than other students reading silently to themselves.

    2) If we decided to do the second half of American History with Book Shark (level 4), would that be easy to understand since we didn't do level 3?

    3) Is the curriculum set up such as: read X pages and then answer questions, or is it questions peppered throughout the readings (read a few paragraphs, stop and answer questions, continue)?

    4) Are books read all the way through before the next book or are you reading multiple books at once?  If they are read concurrently, would it be easy to read one at a time and then move on to a different book?

    5) Do students learn typical facts through this program?  Since I use the Book shark lists for some audiobooks, I feel some of the books are great, but we don't discuss them much, and I'm not certain how I feel about learning all of history for the year just with literature.  This is my main concern (after level to choose), is a lot of the stories will not leave a factual impression but at best only a general understanding of only some topics.

    6) Some of the books seem difficult to understand, even at grade level.  DS is bright but he has dyslexia so his reading level is about fifth grade.  

    7) Do you supplement with documentaries or anything else?

    Even if you don't have exact answers, any general thoughts about the history curriculum (good or bad) would be appreciated as I try to decide if we'll switch or not.  

  2. 14 hours ago, Margaret in CO said:

    I like the photo idea--maybe make it into one of those printed books?

    Plus, Walgreens can do these with an app on your phone.  Idk how long it takes to print a book, but some may do it same day or overnight.  

    Is she interested in Americana?  You can take her souvenir shopping at touristy places.  

    • Like 1
  3. 44 minutes ago, HeighHo said:

    Drop the wants and whims doing if it doesn't work out for you.

    1.5 mile to the bus stop...they can walk.  Only time you are needed is if its sleeting and the wind is up.  Most people I know do this to avoid buying outerwear as the school doesn't have a place to store wet raincoats without having them water the textbooks in the locker, but my kids would use their sports or band locker for that. 

    Friend that needs ride:  take him in if he's on your route.  Too many have parents who won't lift a finger, he'll pay that forward later in life. 

    The only thing I take to school if forgotten is something needed for an event that has an audience..and quite likely I"ve driven to school that day as that is more stuff than the bus company allows, so we have learned to check and make sure nothing is left behind.

    Ita with him walking to the bus stop.  Kids here walk about that regularly to school.  Charging per ride by time with chores or money. Not taking others except to and from your exact leaving/arrival locations (they can make their way from there) and only with prior approval.  Stepping up with more chores around the house, etc.  I think higher expectations of responsibility are necessary to shift gratitude.  

    The reality is that extracurriculars are a privilege.  If he can’t help to make it easy for you to allow him to do it, he shouldn’t do it.  

  4. Hugs.  Some hospitals have psych floors and some don’t.  If the hospital you’re going to has one because the therapist recommended it, that’s good.  If there are no beds but they need to be admitted, they will either sit in the ER the whole time or they will get transferred to another hospital with a bed.  If the docs feel your child is a threat to him/herself, they will not release him/her for 72 hours.  You should ask to speak to a hospital worker regarding insurance.  They will help do anything to see what assistance you may qualify for.  

    • Like 1
  5. 3 hours ago, Xuzi said:

    Thank you all for the replies and PM's. I'm going to talk with my therapist about if it would be wise for me to take on a job right now. I'm living in an almost constant state of dread, like I'm watching the world end in slow motion. I need a distraction, but maybe I'm not capable of being a reliable employee just now.

     

    ETA: and I do try to get outdoors a lot, but I can't do that all day.

    Your body and hormones can probably benefit from as little as 15-30 min per day.  No need to make it all day.

    • Like 1
  6. Consider doing what you can to help prevent the depression from worsening or helping it lesson.  The depression cure book gives good suggestions, like getting outside daily, getting exercise daily, etc. 

    A cover letter and recent experience should not prevent you from looking for an entry level job. Those skills can be googled.  Maybe something like a temp agency could be helpful?  You interview with the temp agency only once.  Then they place you into spots that need workers (office or whatever).  Your homeschooling experience is valuable and can be viewed as continual self education and teaching, etc.

    Wishing you the best.  I also agree with volunteering instead if you can afford it.  Consider places you’d love to be at: library, animal shelter, with kids, anyplace.  For hobbies/meeting people: Does your local library have activities or events you never used to have time for?  Ours teaches musical instruments, crafts, computer skills, art, etc.

  7. If she’s interested in healthcare/biology, and good at computers, I’d research along those lines.  There are many medical programming needs, and medical information degrees. Idk about online work, but if she can work in an office, sitting, or part time, would that work with her needs?

    Creating medical charts, analyzing chart data/treatments/patients, science and medical computer “edutainment “ , healthcare informatics.  And plenty of need in basic science and research for programming.

    Creating computer programs is a needed field, but idk specifically about web design.

  8. Personally I’d view it as if DS was at a job and expect the employer to act accordingly to a physical fight in the workplace.  If they cannot “fire” the student, then the attacker should suffer severe repercussions.  You should also expect all day safety for your DS (that takes your DS out of the decision tree).  An employer should never say, “avoid person X so you don’t get bullied/beaten up.”  The employer would be expected to fire the individual (in a school that may mean changing classes or schools).  If the school won’t do that, press charges against the school.  

    • Like 2
  9. If you’re interested in the medical field, there are quite a few careers that are less intensive and cheaper than a masters/college degree, but are lucrative: surgical assistant, ultrasound tech, respiratory therapist, possibly lactation consultant.

    Other fields I’d consider more certification and specific training or specific degree vs general college degree.  Besides wanting flexible and helpful careers, do you have a general path in mind?  That would be my first thought, to take a general career survey to see what may suit you.  There are so many fields, that if you can narrow it down to even a subject, would be helpful.

    • Like 2
  10. 16 hours ago, alisoncooks said:

    I'd lean towards #1, assuming the bad experiences aren't dangerous.

     

    16 hours ago, happysmileylady said:

    Presuming that her bad experience had to do with friend being "rude and cliquish" I would go option three.  Well, I say option three, but it's more like halfway between 1 and 3.  I might say something like "Oh, I thought you said you weren't doing that again?"  But I wouldn't go into any more detail than that.

    This.  The experience will help her with future friend choices.  I found a lot of my teen maturity came from learning what not to do, what I didn’t like, what I wouldn’t accept.  I think the process is important, and sometimes friendships at that age can be difficult.  The friend may not intentionally be aloof, but is otherwise nice.  Your DD may not be confident to express her needs during a situation like that, etc.

    • Like 1
  11. I’ve never seen an indoor pool in Florida, after living there about 30 years.  I’ve seen them farther north for cold weather/gym/exercise purposes.  As others have stated, a screened in porch is very typical, for many reasons, including safety, wildlife, and cleaning.

    • Like 2
  12. Plus you should consider humans use food prep (cooking, cutting, etc), which releases a lot more nutrients than raw foods.  So cooking alone, with a more natural diet, probably changed early humans, afaik.

    • Like 2
  13. 1 hour ago, TechWife said:

    This should go under the heading of “You can’t make this stuff up.” We are supposed to be leaving for France on Monday evening. Hopefully we will have power here at the house so that we can leave on time. But - Hurricane Helene is supposed to make landfall in Ireland on Monday! Surely by the time we are supposed to land on Paris on Tuesday AM, any residual storms on the edge of the storm will have passsed through already and won’t delay our arrival. Right? Right? 

    I think it’s headed to Ireland now.  (One of the 4 current storms in the Atlantic...). Idk if flights will avoid the hurricane paths at their altitudes.  ?

  14. Pain meds will help headache and ear pain.  If you’re sick with congestion you may be getting an ear infection or just lymph node pain nearby.  Most ear infections will get better by themselves but are painful, thus pain meds.  

    Sudafed in addition if you’re miserable and having trouble breathing through your nose, etc.

    • Like 1
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