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chaya

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Everything posted by chaya

  1. I'm planning to use bravewriter with my kids next year. I have a question about arrow/boomerang. for the older kids (8th gr) would you still read aloud? If you have two kids on very different levels would you attempt to use the same book if you're reading aloud? I'm thinking I will be spending my entire day reading if I'm going to be reading different books to each. (10 yo is a former struggling reader who is finally catching up, 13 yo is a very strong reader, well above 'grade level'). I like the way arrow looks, and I think my 10yo will do well with it, but am not so sure about my older son. I'm not sure if I should go with boomerang for him, that would mean two different books. I will try one backissue and see, but I'm also curious to hear about others experiences. thanks :)
  2. I just love Trumpet of the Swan. It might be one of my favorite books of all time. I like Charlottes Web too, but not as much. I think Swan is a more beautiful story and more powerfully written. I like the way Texasmama said it, precious and haunting.
  3. love love love this I'm going to start my list tonight. my cabinets are gross right now and I'm sure theres dust under the sofa. oooh this is going to be fun
  4. I dont usually share the scores with the kids. However, this year, before I had a chance to file it ds (13) saw it. He was pretty upset with one of the math scores (he usually scores ridiculously high and this year it was a lot lower) and came to talk to me about it. I was happy he did because I knew why he scored poorly...he was in a rush to speed through even though I tried to discourage that, and he insisted on doing all the math mentally, another thing I tried to discourage. from my standpoint, this was not about the math but about test taking skills, so in the end I think he learned something from seeing the way his poor habits translated to a lower score.
  5. our dog was doing that too, he's not as big but he's not small (around 50 lb) and my little ones are well, little. we did the cross your arms and turn around/ignore and when he has all four paws on the ground we reward with loads of attention. it got about 90 percent better but still happened often enough. I signed up for some private sessions at our local pet smart and the trainer we got was AWESOME (one of the ones with extensive training who needed some extra cash) . we continued the same technique but added the can of pennies for when he jumped up on the small kids (he didnt care that they were turning around, he'd just continue until they started giggling so thats when I'd shake the can). the trainer also helped with some minor other issues but the big thing was he helped me see that my posture was so crucial to dog training. this is our first pet, so I was kinda clueless.
  6. in general, I'd say recognizing and filling my own needs. specifically, right now I'm trying to get good sleep, food and exercise daily. quiet time and social time too. time for my marriage. I'd like a manicure one of these days too :)
  7. I'm so happy you posted this! I was feeling as though I'm the only one who has a kid who prefers saxon, and like the only mother to make this mistake. I'm glad we're all back to what works :001_smile:
  8. so we went back to saxon. ds used saxon from 56 through 87, and for some reason I switched to foersters. probably because after all my reading, it seemed like a better curriculum. and *I* thought it was. but after 5 months of ds not really retaining much (and he's generally a pretty decent math student) I admitted that this experiment had failed and went back to saxon. first day ds says to me "I didnt know saxon had an algebra curriculum - WHY did we switch???" He is happy as a bug back in his saxon groove. I guess we can put him on the list of kids who like saxon math.
  9. I totally agree. My teen boy would rather sit on his bum and read all day than do any hard physical work. he'd even rather do math and writing. BUT when I do manage to motivate him to get out and work in the garden or clean out the gutters, he comes in exhausted...for twenty minutes. and then his mind is good and clear, his mood is good, and peace reigns. for a little while anyway. I wish I had a steady supply of work for him to do. but to answer the original question, we do a lighter school schedule in the summer since I homeschool only 2/5 of my kids. Math is priority, but I have them doing 30 min instead of 45, I dont require reading (they read anyway but I dont assign any related work and they select all books in the summer). I'm a stickler for daily news/current events but they love that and its just part of our day anyway, low key and natural so it doesnt feel like work at all. I cut back on our religious studies too, requiring only prayer and a quickie bible lesson (5-10 min).
  10. I've done really well with eBay, mostly just math curricula. I know what I'm looking for and message the seller a million questions so everything's in writing incase they send me the wrong book. Also stay away from any seller with low starting bid but high shipping. If the item needs to be returned, you will not be refunded shipping fees which often makes it not worth shipping the item back for refund. And when you really want to win the auction, use auctionsniper
  11. has anyone started doing this with older kids? I anticipate loads of eye rolling and resistance from my older boys (ages 13,10). I think my younger two will be all about it though (7 and 4). I want to get off on the right foot, so I'm thinking of setting it up 'for the younger kids' and inviting the older ones to join if they feel like it (they hate to miss snacks so they probably will), with the only requirement being that they leave any negative comments (in english or body language) in their rooms.
  12. yes, I am planning to hs him in 8th and sit for the regents at the local public school.
  13. I'm a bit confused here. what do you mean by 8th regents algebra? is it not the same exam that the 9th graders take? ds was on track to take the regents in 8th when he was still in school (through fifth grade), his grades were pretty high in math. his study skills stink though. everything came very intuitively and easily for him so he never had to develop study skills (I see that this is a big problem). likewise, he is used to doing math in his head, I have no idea how he does it but even throughout prealgebra he never had to write anything down in order to come up with the correct answer. so now, we're butting heads about showing his work and following the steps, he likes to just think it out to find the answer and thats great and all, until you have some serious algebra to do. this, I know, is a parenting issue, that no curriculum can solve for me. after talking to dh last night, I think I am going to stop worrying so much about our timeline. if he isnt ready for the regents next year so be it, and he just wont be in the accelerated math class if he goes to High School. worse things have happened.
  14. well, good to know that he's typical :) I agree, he hasnt really learned the material if he cant remember it for a chapter test. the problem here (at least part of the problem) is that when I teach it, he seems to grasp it, he can do the practice problems no sweat, and then a couple of weeks later he doesnt remember it. maybe he needs more practice, and maybe he needs a better teacher? maybe its my own shortcoming that I dont see what he doesnt understand, when he's getting the answers right.
  15. ds (13) is currently using Foersters for algebra. up until now he's been using saxon (we started hs'ing in fifth grade and used saxon through 8/7, decided to skip alg 1/2 because he did really well with 8/7). he liked saxon as much as a kid who doesnt like math would like any curriculum I guess. after reading up on so many different curricula for algebra I went with Foersters because *I* didnt like saxon and I needed to brush up on my algebra (its been a looong while). so Foersters is good for me, less so for him. I'm not sure if its the curriculum or its him though. he makes careless errors and gets frustrated. he forgets concepts from previous chapters and shuts down. he's a defiant type of kid, and a perfectionist. he's also used to having all schoolwork come really easily with minimal effort so he doesnt like to push himself. we are moving so slowly because once he works for a concept he is done for the day. by the time we get to chapter tests, we have to go back and review because he forgets how to apply what he's learned. he has expressed interest in going to High School, and since we are in NY that would mean he needs to take Regents exams. most of the strong students take the algebra regents in eighth grade, so I'd like him to be ready to take it next year (June 2015). I figured we'd start early and go slow but at this rate, I am really concerned. Common Core regents don't help my nerves any, no one is quite sure what the exams will look like yet. I'm not really sure what the issue is, a parenting thing, a personality thing, a maturity thing or a curriculum thing. Whatever it is, its making me nuts. Any thoughts/comments/advice greatly appreciated
  16. thank you! I'm off to amazon :) we already have shel silverstein's books, and loads of dr seuss, and I'm real excited about some of these suggestions
  17. I'm in need of some suggestions for engaging poetry for my kids. I want to start something like brave writer poetry teatime. My homeschoolers are boys, ages 10 and 13, but my younger kids will be around this summer so I'd like to include them too (ds is 7 and dd is 4). what kind of poems do your kids love/enjoy/tolerate? any favorite poets to look for? thanks :)
  18. thanks for the responses. I'm a bit (!) insecure if you cant tell. I lean towards letting things be in many areas of parenting, I find that oftentimes problems iron themselves out, or better yet, the kids often find their own solutions. but with math...well...like I said, my gut was telling me I had to enforce this a bit more strongly. thank you all for the guidance, I really like the SESS mantra. kinda keeps things light. this has become a MAJOR power struggle between us here, I just may introduce SESS tomorrow. and will perhaps throw in an incentive for good measure (he complains about 'the extra work' of writing stuff down, gosh this kid is sooo lazy! but thats another thread..)
  19. my ds(12) just started algebra. here's my trouble, he's got a strong intuitive math sense. so up until now he's been doing almost everything in his head. honestly, I have no idea how he can do it all, I dont understand his mental math tricks but he gets the right answers consistently so I never really insisted on his writing everything down. so now we're getting into some problems where he's being asked to, for example , write an equation or expression showing how much money the plumber would make if he worked x hours at $50 per hour, or things like that . ds sees no point in writing it down, he sees no point in creating the equation. he prefers to go right to the end of the question where he has to figure out 'how much did the plumber make' or whatever, and he can figure that out in his head without the equation. my gut is telling me that he needs to know how to write the equation. that there is value in being able to create that equation. that he will need it later on. but then again, I have no idea if that's actually true. part of me is saying to let it be for now, and when he sees that he needs to learn this, we can go back and learn it. part of me is saying to slow down all together and that maybe he is not ready for algebra. I do want him to complete algebra by june of 2015 because he may want to go to high school and I'd like him to be on track with regents and all (we are in NY). so we do have a bit of extra time, but still, I get anxious. any advice from the hive? thanks
  20. deleted and moved to the hs board. sorry
  21. I wear the same thing to all weddings I've been to (aside from the times I've been in the bridal party) whether it is 'casual' or not, winter or summer. black dress, either sheer hose (summer/spring) or black tights(fall/winter), black heels. some jewelry. but I'm in Long Island, NY and people I know fall into one of three categories: those who wear black, those who can rock the trends, those who attempt to rock the trends and fail.
  22. they work on the sofa mostly. or on their beds. or at the kitchen table. or at the museum, the park, the woods, or the beach. they work in the library at the pizza shop, at friends houses, in the garage and in the backyard. pretty much, the world is their desk. but arent you breaking the law or something, keeping them out of school?
  23. on the pearson site it lists this: at that price I dont think its the same thing as the teachers manual. Teaching Guide price: $6.47 isbn10: 0201818817 isbn13: 9780201818819 notes: â€
  24. I ordered the solutions manual, so I'm good there. was just wondering what the benefit of the teachers manual or guide might be.
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