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Pegs

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Posts posted by Pegs

  1. We went back to VT today. I know there are limitations to what we can achieve there without having reflexes integrated, but DS was getting headaches from writing and was willing to give it another try in case it helps. I wasn't going to say no to that!

     

    The appointment went well. 100% engagement and cooperation.

    • Like 4
  2. My marine biology enthusiast has done some dissection at home at ages 6 and 7. We did it fairly unschooly style - our housemate would find interesting creatures or fish parts at the market and invite DS to dissect and explore them before she cooked them up for food.

     

    He's never taken a formal course which included dissection, but I don't think he'd have a problem with it.

    • Like 1
  3. For 1st and 2nd, daily copywork always got done. DS had a favourite song which I would play for him while he was writing.

     

    Now at the beginning of 3rd, our daily subjects are:

    - Reading (two chapters which I assign)

    - Writing (we make Jot It Down style mini-books on a different topic each week)

    - Spelling (AAS)

    - Math (Miquon)

     

    Also getting done:

    - History (SOTW plus comprehension questions and mapwork)

    - Science (Mystery Science or Brainpop)

    - Grammar (Practice Island)

    • Like 2
  4. Can you come do morning time at my house, please? This sounds perfect!

     

    Awww, thanks!

     

    We just started last year, with my 2nd grader, and I introduced the four activities all in one go. I'd have had a revolt on my hands if DS had thought I'd just added four subjects to his homeschool day.

    • Like 1
  5. In 1st we just did copywork, with narration occurring across the curriculum.

     

    In 2nd we did MCT's Island level for grammar, minus the writing assignments. Towards the end of 2nd grade we started AAS, and DS zoomed through AAS1 and AAS2, working up to writing 3-5 short sentences (by hand) from dictation.

     

    Now we're at the beginning of 3rd grade, and he can type a short paragraph, and is starting AAS3 on Monday.

     

    I know this is more than you asked for, but I thought it might help you see the possibilities beyond a very low key 1st grade!

    • Like 1
  6. So my 10 year old, very dyslexic student who never reads anything except under extreme duress has now finished a Tom & Ricky book. He read it himself, without me... but he narrated everything that he read in real-time, very excitedly... "they're at the lake!" "oh, there's a light on the island!"

     

    And then...

     

    "I'm starting to like to read!"

     

    AHHHHHH!!!!!!

     

    Excuse me while I pass out!

    How exciting! My DS had a tough start to reading because of undiagnosed vision problems. I still do an internal happy dance every time I see him engrossed in a book.

  7. We did "Stories and Games" for our K year. We both read to each other, and played lots of games.

     

    We also got started with handwriting lessons, as well as doing lots of fun stuff to strengthen DS' core and upper body, so that he wouldn't fatigue so quickly while writing. In addition to letter formation, we also spent time on mazes and dot-to-dots.

     

    Audiobooks are our friends. I read The Hobbit to DS when he was 5, and he loved it so much that he wanted to listen again, immediately. I don't enjoy rereading, so I got him the audiobook instead. He used to play with Lego or playdough while listening. Occasionally I'd print out a colouring sheet related to whatever he was listening to.

  8. I did Pre-AAR first. we did it in 6 months. The Twins have an ID and they go pretty SLOW.

     

    We do AAR together and individually at the same time. I sit in between them. I have a plate of mini -choc chips sitting there. one does the activity while the other does the cards, then we swap. then we do the tiles and take it in turns to read a word. each boy has his own mini whiteboard. then we get to the practice sheets. one does one row then gets a mini choc chip for each word or sentence. then he arranges the choc chips into patterns and slowly eats them while the other does a row of his practice sheet ( sultanas work as well). I mix up the rows so one doesn't just memorize the words his brother just read. It takes us about 2 days per lesson.

     

    They find the cards pretty hard - as in they struggle with sounding out the letters. one twin has some sort of recall problem and cannot remember his letter sounds quickly, BUT they can read the words if they are in sentences.

    Thanks for sharing. I really appreciate it.

    • Like 1
  9. I bought the one kit..... But I photocopied the whole alphabet and laminated them so I would have an extra set - but I am working with twins..... Here (AUS) the basic tiles kit is over $40

    Did you do the AAR pre-reading program with the twins, or are you jumping straight into level 1?

     

    Also, I'm curious about the logistics of teaching two kids at about the same level - do you teach them together, or separately?

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