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Tsuga

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Everything posted by Tsuga

  1. I believe that it would be helpful to discuss the difference between computation (a part of mathematics) and mathematics qua mathematics. Mathematics is the science of quantity, space and number. Computation is mathematical calculation, or solving problems. Mathematics includes theories about why numbers relation to each other in certain ways, and whether this is an intrinsic property of spatial and temporal relationships, or not. In between mathematical theory and computation lie word problems. While these are problems, they require either explicit or implicit understanding of the theories that underlie the mathematical procedures (a.k.a. computation or calculation skills) that we use to solve the problems. For example, let's take multiplication and time. If I tell my child, "James has six apples at one o'clock p.m. Every hour starting at 2 o'clock p.m., he gets four more apples and no more, and he doesn't give any away or lose any. How many apples does James have by 9:30 p.m.?" Here, the child must understand the concepts of whole and half, and you can see whether the child uses multiplication as a concept (8*4 or 4+4+4...etc.), and then you remember that the temporal repetition must be added (not subtracted from or substituted for) the original quantity. It requires an understanding of the concepts to translate a situation into a computation problem. Then the child can solve the problem. But at some level, there is something other than problem-solving going on. There is implicit or explicit theorizing. Does that make sense? In that respect, word problems require both conceptual, theoretical knowledge (even implicit--some people can do word problems but not explain them, some could explain but get muddled in the details) and computational skill. BUT! And here is the cool part... you could ask someone to only explain how they would figure out the problem, and why they would do that, without actually solving it. This is not a mathematical "problem" in the sense that you are speaking about, right? It would consist of a theory about how quantities and time work. While, in the academic sense, that might be considered a "problem" to solve, I think it is a good example of how you can have math without computation.
  2. Perhaps you can clarify for me, line by line, what her post meant, then. I don't doubt that many agree with her and that she's a kind person. I just think what she wrote came across as very demeaning. I did not say, "Therefore, she's a big meanie-head who hates people." I said that her post was insulting. I don't think that a forum has to condone insulting talk in order to be a safe place for people in a certain sub-culture, be that African-American families, homeschooling families, Buddhist families, whatever. You still don't go around saying, "Oh well white people can't dance, we all know that" or "school, meaning, bullying, low quality...", "un-enlightened silly Christians with their 'god'", etc. At least, not on the message boards I usually frequent. This is demeaning because she questions whether or not OP's friend knows her own child, basically. Maybe school isn't for her. Maybe it doesn't work for her kids or her family. I can totally see that because at the age of the child in question, I would have loved to opt out and do my own thing. But her description is a woefully incomplete, biased, and unfair description of "school". Age-segregated--partially, but not always, and in high-school it's skill segregated and choice segregated (often, this occurs even in middle school, as my stepdaughter is in mostly mixed-age classrooms). Badly-taught--I'm sorry if she had a bad teacher, and mine wasn't the best either, but it's not always bad and sometimes it's all they get. Would you really keep a kid out of an enriching experience just because of 1 hour a week for a month about protection and the birth canal? Bullying--Inasmuch as the workplace is sexual harassment, school is bullying, sure. It's there but that does not define school. It's an issue, rightly so, because we are trying to eliminate it, not because of 100% prevalence. Peer pressure--Happens with any socialization anywhere. Can be positive or negative. While I believe Ellie knows what "peer pressure" means, here she has used it in an exclusively negative way which is both inaccurate and unkind. Peer pressure=social expectations and is how the entire church operates (it is even written in the Bible: don't go alone, two are stronger than one, and there is a reason for that!). It is also how families work, for better or for worse! Low quality of education--This is what gets me. If a homeschooled child drops out and does poorly, they never take the state tests. But nearly all public-school kids take those tests. There is just no way for her to make this claim about school in general, or even public school, compared to homeschooling in the US. While I believe that many homeschoolers are getting a world-class education that they could only get at home, the suggestion that any education received in a public or private school is uniformly or even mostly low-quality is simply false. Effectively, the homeschooling families whose kids take standardized tests compare to involved families across the nation. The problem is that the entire nation is not comprised of relatively affluent (meaning, one person can afford not to have cash income, that is in fact relative affluence, sad to say) involved families. Some children from involved families have better chances with homeschooling. Some have better chances in school. Some change. Not the kind of socializing that will tend to be positive--Again, speak for yourself. My daughter has actually gotten more involved in academics and positive problem-solving since she started school (though we emphasize both at home). Competition does NOT work for all children and some children seem to actively seek out trouble, and I can totally see keeping those kids home for learning. However, this is not to say that homeschooling has negative effects on socialization! Because some kids thrive in a social environment with extrinsic rewards, and some don't. There are schools that are doing amazing things. I may develop a relationship with people over time on a message board but I am not going to stop noticing when people get negative and bash others' choices. My criticism of these two posts does not mean that I dislike her as a person or think that she is a bad person. But I disagree. It does come across as insulting and again, if she doesn't mean it as an insult, then she (or rather, you, since you, Ellie, are probably reading this as well :) ) should really think about how it comes across. It comes across as a list of things that are wrong, mostly inaccurate generalizations, and dismissal of others' choices. If that's not what you meant, be aware that it comes across that way.
  3. I am on a very small screen, sorry! I am truly sorry because I do think that cursing is rude and it was very unkind of me not to double-check. Thank you for pointing that out. I have been thinking of getting my eyes checked because of all the screen time at work. Maybe it's time. :( Though not rude it's still insulting. I didn't learn anything new about reproductive processes or related infections in school--nobody with even a marginally adequate education in biology possibly could. Uterus, birth canal, etc. (now you all will be getting pregnancy test ads) and I won't mention the things that happen to boys, they all know this before they get to school, and it's inevitably the children who don't that end up with an oops! Because some experienced boy tells her "oh no honey it's not that--you would feel uncomfortable if it were, I'm just really close to you right now" (that is what a girl from our church, pulled out from reproductive health, was told... Before she ha her first baby!) or some poor boy who believes the girls, "you don't need to cover it, it's that time of the month." (My high school had the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the state and the largest number of churches per capita in half of the state so I've heard them ALL.) While I can see pulling a child out due to bullying, refusing a child services that they may need (theoretically of course, I am not suggesting this applies to your family in particular) in fear of a hypothetical risk is to me a terrible idea. I am not going to refuse to homeschool because I don't want my kid kept out of college and I'm not going to keep a kid out off private school because I think they'll become a snob, nor will I keep a child out of public school because of bullying. At least, I will not do so until it happens! Many of the issues, while real, are also rare. I wouldn't hesitate to pull a child out in the event of a real event. But letting fear of hypotheticals make your decisions is always a bad choice. It is one thing to defend your choices for your family, but it is entirely another to suggest you know what's right for every family, not least of all because you aren't in them. This is not, as one suggested, a homeschooling thing. It is a personal thing. Some people, homeschooling, public schooling, and otherwise, feel the need to defend their choices by ranking on others and evincing certainty. It smacks of insecurity and fear and it is utterly unconvincing. If that is not Ellie's reasoning and intent she should consider how it comes across to others.
  4. Typed on iPad, sorry for typos. You know, a lot of children I public school are not getting a sh*t education. That's not a humble opinion, it's very rude and it's just plain wrong. Though we have huge disparities in our country, our small children actually do quite well on international tests. It's when social differences start to show up that the US falls behind, and we are still ahead on some subjects, even ahead of Spain, Germany, and some others in a few age groups. That is not sh*t. How incredibly rude. Moreover, although somehow ave a negative school experience, many children have a positive school experience. And I daresay, though many homeschooling families do a good job, many do not. It is not up to me, however, to suggest that their education is "sh*t" even when I do see some kids falling behind. Finally, while a national common set of standards might be anathema to you, it is common in every country that does in fact outperform the US. Why? Because they want to give all kids the same start. You can dismiss it but I looked at the standards, and as conceptual standards, there is really not a whole heck of a lot to whine about. It's benchmarks. That's it. There are many good reasons to homeschool but broad dismissals of educational initiatives, calling the education sh*t, and implying that bullying is the norm among these kids, are not among them. Be specific, don't monger fear, and maybe you will have a "humble opinion". As it is your opinion is anything but.
  5. I think that a lot of homeschooling families have found what works for them and find it amazing that it doesn't work for everyone. The idea is, if it doesn't work for you you're doing something wrong. But my own first was extremely social. So social, that she would wake me up at even a.m. and ask where the other kids were. At the age of two. You really cannot imagine the level of extrovertedness she exhibited (and continues to exhibit) unless you saw it. You might think that perhaps I was lazy, that I wasn't creative enough, not persistent enough to occupy her with fascinating activities 14 hours a day or whatever. If only I would just find a way to arrange unstructured play with children 100% of the time! Then homeschooling could work for us. Right? Wrong. I'd also need to arrange group learning in every subject, since she's highly motivated by competition. She begged to ride the school us every single day two years before she entered public school. Basically, she loves being in really large groups. She loves being part of an institution with a name. She loves assemblies. She likes circle time. She just loves school. She doesn't mind waiting for others in line. She likes it! The highlight of her day is helping others with the easy stuff. Seriously you cannot imagine this kid, if you think homeschooling could work for everyone. She didn't even like private school! "Our class is too small," she told me. "There aren't enough people." Even the little one begs to stay in after care. Until you've met the kid, lived with them, you truly cannot imagine what it's like to have a kid that needs to be part of a group, that needs to interact with other kids all day. Needs, not wants, but needs, or their mind spins. It's like nature deficit disorder, but social deficit disorder. And frankly, I didn't think about this when I was pregnant and planning on homeschooling, but people evolved in groups. My kids come from a long line of agricultural workers. Their genes have been evolving in large societies for as long as people have been drinking milk... Surely if lactose tolerance could have evolved, a favorable attitude and personality adapted to working in and with large groups could have. I'm pretty energetic and we've always done a lot of stuff outside the home, but they love the group. What can I say? I just think that if your kids can handle homeschooling, great. But if a kid doesn't thrive, don't judge. Just like so many other things, people are different. When I realized I'd never homeschool, initially I was sad. Then, after a few years working from home, I realized that I'm more social than I thought, too, and I was becoming a very bitter harpie to live with, being alone all the time. Now I have office space as well. And it's good.
  6. Tough call. The teachers do a lot of these and they also know what they can handle in the classroom. For them, it's better to get too much help than too little, so if this teacher has a child who is just catching up and needs language assistance, I could see her erring on the side of caution. Perhaps try to go at it from her point of view: "I know that there are some reasons to err on the side of caution, but I'd really like to see him working at grade level as much as possible, and I think that there is evidence he can do it. The tutor he has believes he can do it and has a written report. Do you see a solution that would have him moving forward, while still making sure that he's not taking too much individual attention in the classroom? For example, could we have him work on reading at this level, and if you find you need support, I can help in the classroom for those times, until you have a chance to do another evaluation?" That's my suggestion. Perhaps someone else has another one.
  7. Loved it. Bring your own snack food and go to a nearby restaurant for dinner, cereal for breakfast, and sandwiches for lunch make it quite a bit cheaper.
  8. It's always easier at first because the prices are low. Prices rise, people get desperate, and that's when it all goes downhill.
  9. I am deeply suspicious of any program that says "if the word is a two syllable word you use es": Napkins Sweatshirts Carpets Carrots Fingers Etc. Unless the rule is supposed to be: IF the singular has one syllable but the plural has two, THEN, because each syllable must have a vowel in it, we need an "es" at the end instead of just an "s". In that case we have: dash-dashes rush-rushes mass-masses class-classes bus-buses buzz-buzzes beach-beaches In other words, anything that needs you to separate the sh/s/z/ch sound at the end from the pluralizing s, will use an "e" to get that extra sound in there because every syllable needs a vowel. This is because sh/z/s/ch are all from the same sound family and it's really hard to put them together for English speakers. Some languages have sz (I'm talking about you, Slovakian!) but we don't. So we need an "e". But we DON'T need an "e" for laugh-laughs because we can put the "s" right up next to an "f" sound, no problem. We don't need an extra syllable, so we don't need an "e". The rule cannot be that all two-syllable words end in "es" because that is patently false. Edited to clarify.
  10. Well, your family sounds like you have a lot of bright people in it. But for most families, by definition, the kids will be average. So the exceptional stories that you are presenting, while hopeful, really cannot be applied to the majority. Most people will face a stigma and will not have exceptional intelligence to mitigate that. If most people did have such intelligence, it wouldn't be exceptional.
  11. We get it free through the school, but we don't use it. I find that my children don't learn as much in computer games. They learn to respond to a very specific set up but don't get concepts. Too much game learning, too little conceptual development, too little reflection and checking. So, no. They do it at school, though.
  12. Sadly I think meth is just the scourge of rural America right now. :( http://money.cnn.com/interactive/news/meth-lab-map/chartmapie.png The dark part in Washington is Pierce County. It's actually not a bad place but there are a couple of pockets of really weird places where you get a ton of off-the-gridders, not because they love nature, but because they fear people. Plus there's a military base and a lot of creepazoids set up shop near installations because it's a guaranteed source of relatively young people with a stable income. :( And then, of course, there's poverty, and the land is pretty good there, so... meth labs and trailers. On the upside, for you anyway, Skagit looks relatively free of meth labs. Who knew?
  13. I love StephanieZ's suggestion, but more importantly, if at the end of 90 days you are not happy with it, be sure to tell them and just take the money. If they agree to the 150% normal salary, don't feel obligated to stay. You've helped them out here, you earned that money. I would notify them before the 90 days is up, a good four weeks notice if possible, if you do not intend to stay on. Let's say you've decided it's just not working out. Advance notice is the right thing to do. Even if they haven't afforded it to you, you should still do it. That way, if you do decide to take that consulting fee, you can do it guilt and drama free. Don't leave them hanging. (Not that you would.)
  14. I don't think there are a ton of burglaries here, sorry it came out that way. I just meant, it's the US, and there is crime, and burglaries are the worst part for the most part.
  15. I think that like everything some kids are going to get it earlier rather than later. That said, I personally found it telling when I had my own child explain her work for a school project. She could explain addition, maximum, and minimum deftly, but multiplication, although she could do it, had her fumbling. "It's like... you have two numbers, and you put them together, and keep adding... but it's not addition, it's like they just... multiply." It was clear to me that her conceptual understanding of multiplication, not her ability to explain concepts, was lacking. And I know that's my experience. Though I find it hard in general, I am definitely better at explaining arithmetic and algebra than calculus. It's not a question of vocabulary. It is that even though I feel I can explain calculus, my actual conceptual understanding is fuzzy, and when I do computations it is very much memorized. I hate to admit it but it's true. I'm glad your son is getting services. I believe that if it's a language issue, he should be through it very soon. Most of my math profs in college were not native speakers--the best actually spoke English quite poorly, all things considered. But many math concepts don't require advanced English. If your conceptual picture is clear, you can describe them like you describe a picture of a tree, just as easily. They do require you be able to attach words to your thoughts, however, and that is important in all fields, even STEM fields (even pure mathematics). I don't say that snarikly--sometimes it is HARD to attach words to your thoughts. You can't pay someone else to explain it for you: if they could do the math and explain it, they'd get the big bucks, not you. I'm in the camp of, just because they don't do it easily doesn't mean they have to get frustrated. They can get it wrong and come back to it later. There's no reason that a child shouldn't have to work for a long time to get something right, particularly in math. I do believe they need a lot of support. I don't think that giving them conceptual challenges is a bad idea. My own daughter struggles with this but it's good for her. I can see, on the one hand, that a child for whom math comes easy, is not going to want to stop learning concepts because he can't explain the ones he knows. "I know it, I just can't explain it!" But for me, that's like saying that a child who explains that she knows it and who can explain it, should get promoted even though she constantly forgets steps in the computation process and gets answers wrong. You need both skills. Both children are frustrated.
  16. "I know families who decide before the first year of KG that their kid will do 2 years of KG." Interesting. I know one family that did this--and everyone responds to it by saying, "Wow... no, sorry, I didn't mean to say 'wow', that is just really cool that you could do that with the school." "There are ways to do it without stigmatizing the child, especially since so many kids are now old for their class." I think stigma comes from the culture though. You can minimize it but you can't eliminate it. Anyway we are way off topic, my fault, sorry!
  17. I live here and I love it. A lot of midwesterners say the grayness and the culture (very low-key, may seem "chilly" but in my opinion is just not overly fake, take it for what you will), are the main deterrents. There are tons of rec leagues throughout the state. There should easily be something in Mount Vernon, but if there is not, there is definitely a lot in Bellingham. Well, new teacher? High school? Elementary? Sedro Wooley is not too far and they have slightly cheaper property. I don't think an acre is too much to ask. Depends what you're used to. It's pretty rural, so most crime out here is domestic and/or drug related. Here's a map (from the government) about crime statistics that makes it easy to compare, though the data's old. Washington State has low murder rates but higher burglaries--I can only guess that, like most of the world, where your chance of getting shot during a burglary goes down, you're more likely to try it. It's pretty safe, I feel. I'm okay letting my kids play in the yard alone in our little neighborhood near Seattle and most people I know in that area let their little ones walk to school and to the neighbors' houses without worry. http://nationalatlas.gov/mapmaker?AppCmd=CUSTOM&LayerList=Cr02%3B7&visCats=CAT-people,CAT-crime I am convinced, having been on facebook for years, that we are one of the most bugless areas in the entire United States, not to mention North America. Not a lot of fun bugs around here. Everyone else is all posting their bug pictures and I'm like, "This is another slug." I don't know. It's very different to the east coast but it's also very nice. Let me put it this way. We aim to do one cultural activity per week as a field trip, as well as have lessons weekly, and during the summer we do things three times a week, and so far, we've only done two or three things more than once (the Pacific Science Center, which is huge), and we usually have a hard time deciding. Between the fun cultural events in Seattle and Bellingham, the festivals, the fairs, and the outdoor activities, I can honestly say we have to schedule time to stay home. I regularly turn down free events because I have something else going on. It is one of my favorite things about our region. Recently we went to this free celebration at McCaw Hall in Seattle Center: http://www.mccawhall.com/news/detail/mccaw-hall-10th-anniversary-day-of-celebration-offers-entertainment-packed-afternoon Free opera. Free ballet. Free stage time! It was so cool. Sure, that's not happening every year, but something cool is happening all the time if you look. You could seriously do nothing but Seattle Center every single rainy weekend for two years straight and probably see something new every time. But why would you, when just down the road you can rent kayaks year round on Lake Union? Depends on the school. I know one person that does homeschooling through the public schools--it's like they provide part of the STEM curriculum and then you do other stuff but it's all child-motivated and mostly done at home with meet-ups. You'd have to call the school districts and inquire. I think Washington State is pretty homeschooling friendly, provided that by "friendly" you mean, "they regulate us just like everyone else, but they aren't antagonistic". If by "friendly" you mean, "few regulations", then you are moving to the wrong place in general. From Wiki: "Though undocumented, it is generally agreed that Washington State has stricter requirements than most states but that assessment and interpretation of qualifications are usually fairly lax with respect to the requirements." But, this is very Washington. Let people do whatever they want, but make them tell you all about it and tax it if possible. Marijuana, homeschooling, vaccination, guns, etc. We just make negotiation and paperwork about everything endless and tedious so finally everyone gives up except the people who really care and have a lot of time on their hands. It is a very passive-aggressive system that favors the persistent. I love living here. On the other hand, I've lived here my whole life. I like the culture. I like the weather. I don't mind the rain. I like being outdoors and I don't mind just a couple of weeks of snow. I like the mountains and the sea. I think it really depends on the family. Some people are just NOT into getting their feet wet on a hike, and they really feel like a smile should come with every single human interaction (people are friendly and helpful, just not... I dunno... smiley. Reserved, is probably the word). We have the highest fine for littering a cigarette butt in the country. Some people love that. Others hate it! It all depends on your personal value system.
  18. On the one hand, I hate this part of math. I find the words so frustrating. On the other hand, having taken math in college up to lin. algebra and calc II, I have to say... explaining math concepts in words is part of doing math. It is very easy for me to pick up patterns and just do the computations. It is very hard for me to explain them. However, the more I was asked to do explanations, the better I got at it. It's a necessary skill which is possible to teach. So, I hear your frustration but I also think that just because we didn't have it in school, doesn't mean it's not important. "in some cases the questions are so stupid that it seems more like redundant busywork" What is for one child redundant busywork is for another child, the piece of repetition that clicks things into place. Every child is going to have some things that are not helpful and some things that work for them, because there are 20-30 kids in a class. For your kid, this is the stupid part. For another kid, the manipulatives are the stupid part. For still another child, there is no point memorizing math facts because once she gets it she can do all calculations in her head in a fraction of a second. It really just depends.
  19. SKL, you make a good point. It is not impossible. The problem is that there's a much greater stigma for the child who repeats a grade than there is for a child whose mom says, "He just wasn't ready--he's a young five." Options for pre-k are not inaccessible or impossible, no. However, it depends on the area. I'm just comparing the situation in my state (where we do not have a lot of options for early-childhood which are free, and they are very geographically clustered) to the New Zealand situation and explaining why "red shirting" can have meaning here but not there. There is definitely a broad spectrum of differences in opportunity here in the US.
  20. It sounds like what New Zealand is doing is really great. But keep in mind that you have a subsidized and near-universal pre-school and nursery option for working moms, so keeping your kid in the other low-cost, subsidized option is fair game. You can still work. In the US, where nursery care is far from universal, what you have with red-shirting is people who can afford more day care and pre-school or to stay home keeping kids out until they're "ready", and early-entry for the working poor. On a societal level, this gives privileged kids even more of an advantage. Disclaimer: I know most SAHP families aren't rich, but the fact is that a single-parent household (condoms break, people divorce) does not have that option. And when you're looking at half your child care costs disappearing, you're like, "Yeah, he's going to school NOW, and maybe I can get new tires on my car before I cause a 5-car pile-up on the freeway on my way to my job with a tire blow out (there's no public transport there, because poor people shouldn't exist in the minds of some American voters--'Get a job! Get a car!')." It just starts in there and moves forward like the dickens with the unequal access, because kids who are under-performing are often labeled ADD, ADHD, etc. and this affects teachers' attitudes towards them. But you who are in countries with better services for younger children can just rest easy on your conscience, because in your country, you know that it's not an economic choice for anyone involved, since you all have access to the same services before school, in order to make a decision based on your own child's abilities. "Red-shirting" implies an unfair advantage. In the US, it is unfair, because only relatively well-off people can do it (even if someone is a SAHP, they absolutely must live in a relatively low-cost-of-living area and their partner must be healthy and able to work and obtain work in two jobs, or get a middle-class salary with one--they may not be rich but they aren't poor--they have two adults in the home, that's a HUGE advantage in and of itself). In a system in which anyone has the choice to stay out of elementary, and teachers are trained and paid to deal with that, it's not unfair and it probably won't be much of an advantage. So it doesn't apply to the New Zealand case. And I would say the term "red-shirting" wouldn't apply in any municipality or state which did provide universal day care from the ages of 3 - 6, because then it's a choice about transition, not a choice about the most basic services that affect your quality of life.
  21. Yes, I agree completely, and I think my post was not clear enough--I think that if you want someone to teach you, you should definitely get a tutor who has a degree in Russian. Ideally that would be Russian as a Foreign Language, but if they have a degree in Russian as well as speaking fluent English, then that could work. In my experience, teachers of Russian who do not speak English are not the best at teaching grammar primarily because they don't have experience teaching case, gender and number to a foreign learner of the language. That said if you're just looking to make conversation in the absence of funds for a tutor, a native speaker to discuss the weather with, is better than nothing.
  22. "So your wife... you let her work outside the home?" "This woman, she can read?"
  23. With my kids, who are both perfectionists, we emphasize that failure is NECESSARY and if you aren't failing, you aren't trying. If you don't fail often, it doesn't mean you are smart. It means you've had easy tasks up until now. Can't get academic work hard enough? Force them to do something they aren't any good at naturally, like sewing or something. Here's my pep talk: (How many straight-A students never get the Nobel Prize? I know at least one boy who didn't--he just stopped studying biology. :) I repeat at least one chunk of this to myself and my kids daily. There is a lot of talk in sociological and educational literature right now that American kids tend not to be challenged because our culture shies away from failure as a shame. Not so much all kids get a trophy, but we don't talk about failure and how we sometimes do poorly. In the Harvard Business Review and Stanford Social Innovation Review failure is the talk of the day: be more ready to fail, to take risks. That doesn't mean "be a failure" or "accept failure". It means, be ready to try many times. I love the post in which she emphasized that trying is a skill in and of itself. So. True. It's the most important one. I can't tell you what I'd do in your place, as you and your child are a unique pair as are all parents and children, but I do know that if my child were still like that at 10, I would definitely look into more challenges to practice failing, and not only academic. Team sports can be great for this.
  24. I think in the specific context of an unhealthy relationship, questions can be passive-aggressive forms of accusations. I don't believe she meant all questions are aggressions.
  25. My kids both are learning to read in English and German. Protip: just because they get blending and decoding doesn't mean they are ready for reading. For whatever reason, my kids both could sound out a word years before they jumped to reading. It was really irritating! Anyway, back to your question, I think that OPOL is good for this. The person speaking French reads in French and the French reader and helps them sound out in French ("this letter combination makes this sound in French, ask [other person] what it does in English"), and the person speaking English reads in English and helps them sound out in English. One nice thing about French is that they also have a lot of multiple-letter combos for sounds, and they also have multiple sounds depending on letter order. So at least the logic is kind of similar. I've found that with German, it's so straightforward that I almost don't have to give lessons. French is different, though.
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