Xahm
-
Posts
2,108 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Classifieds
Store
Posts posted by Xahm
-
-
Our large extended family has a lot of gifted people so I've seen this play out in lots of different ways. In my generation, now 30-40: Kid (actually 2 of these) challenged and pushed to do the best all her life, burned out and working entry level retail to figure out what she really wants. Kid not challenged at all K-10th who comes to believe things should be easy. When a modest challenge comes, he has no idea how to react, fails, becomes resentful, and starts failing everything. Kid challenged and given great opportunities all her life, now highly successful in chosen field (several of these). Kid never challenged and so very bored. Dropped out ASAP, followed own path that led to financial stability and eventually college, but realizes that many doors closed as the result of poor teenage decisions. And a lot of people in between.
These observations in my family make me determined to balance challenge with the opportunity to try out and even quit a variety of things. A challenging academic career doesn't need to mean taking the advanced slate of classes and getting great grades while participating in the correct extra curriculars. I'm still a bit nervous about how this will play out as my kids get older. There are a lot of hard headed people in my family as well, so laying down good foundations and habits while my kids are young enough to listen to my voice of wisdom has also been a priority.
-
3
-
-
Yeah, we spotted tiny snow flakes this morning and the wind is pretty extreme. It's been sunny and nice, shorts weather here recently, and the kids have their first ever soccer game today. I'm trying to figure out how to dress them.
-
50 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:
Wierd. Was the person very political?
I was told that the (late?) founder of the funeral home was really into local politics and many politicians (small town but state capitol) used this particular funeral home. It still didn't make sense as decoration. My grandfather hated political bickering and viewed most political conversation as bickering.
-
The funeral home (out of state) that my grandfather's service was in recently was decorated with a variety of political campaign memorabilia. One party was over represented, but both main ones were present. It was very odd, to my taste.
-
1
-
-
We free range during the day when there is enough leaf cover to protect from hawks. It still isn't perfect and we've lost a few to determined hawks, but the survivors got more careful. Right now they are still all penned in until the trees leaf out. It's annoying a bit to have to go out right at dusk to lock them in. Any earlier and we are chasing chickens all over the place. Any later and we risk other critter attack.
-
1
-
-
1 minute ago, plansrme said:
You would think that would be the case. I have a friend who is a nurse there who will give me the name of someone who will help once you're admitted. If all else fails, I'll get in touch with her. But there has been a potential update--CHOA and the surgeon's office BOTH told me they are not in network for his student insurance, but I checked the two networks they use and I think they are wrong: one of the networks lists the Egleston location. The locations should all be under one umbrella, I THINK, so I've asked for a review. Fingers crossed/prayers up!
It seems crazy that there would be insurance offered in this area to a minor that doesn't include CHOA. It's pretty much the only game in town! But I know logic and insurance coverage are not directly related.
-
1
-
-
This is for a young but capable first grader. It'll be interesting to see how much he matures between now and then. He's a tag along for science and history. He gets a lot of science, history, civics, and geography in daily life and conversation as well as field trips.
Math: He's really looking forward to doing Beast Academy. I'm holding off starting level 1 until next school year, hoping I can buy them all at once and save a little money that way. Math-wise he could handle level 2 right now, but his concentration and maturity aren't there.
Science: Paying a little attention to older siblings doing Science Mom Chemistry and then Biology, most likely. We are currently doing Earth Science, and it's a favorite
History: Modern American and World History using volumes 7-10 of Hakim's History of US and Volume 4 of Bauer's Story of the World He probably gets more out of the read alouds and tangential conversations than the actual texts, but he usually listens in with the older siblings.
Language Arts: Reading: All About Reading level 4, then just reading aloud with me a little each day. He reads for fun on his own already, and I'm sure that will continue. Handwriting: not sure yet whether he'll want to start cursive or stick with print. Grammar: I'll probably start going through the old First Language Lessons with him and little brother, partly to give him the chance to be the "big one" in a pairing. It's gentle enough the turning-4 year-old can get something out of it. Spelling: All About Spelling levels 1 and 2. We'd be doing level 1 now except I loaned it out.
PE: Probably some soccer and weekly gymnastics or other full-body sport like ninja training.
Music: Church music
Bible: Telling God's Story years 3 and 4, probably
Art: Probably should do something with this.
Extra curriculars: Scouts (Tigers), whatever else comes up
-
This is my second time through third grade, but with a pretty different kid, so I feel like I'm really still figuring it out. He'll be doing some stuff with big sister (who will be 5th) and some with little brother (will be 1st) and some on his own or with me. He's very capable and is taking off in reading, but we're still building writing stamina as well as general maturity (not in a surprising way for his age, though).
Math: BA 4, maybe starting 5?
Science: Science Mom Chemistry and then Biology, most likely. We are currently doing Earth Science, and it's a favorite
History: Modern American and World History using volumes 7-10 of Hakim's History of US and Volume 4 of Bauer's Story of the World
Language Arts: Still working out exactly what to do here. For literature, I'll give him a few options to get his buy-in a little. Probably Mosdos Press, homegrown lit studies from novels, and something else. For spelling, he'll be doing All About Spelling, probably levels 4 and 5. I think we'll go through the MCT Island Level to cover some grammar and sentence structure. If his literature doesn't include daily writing, I'll add in something that keeps him steadily writing several good sentences a day, building good habits and endurance. He'll keep working on handwriting in some way, probably just a little cursive a day.
Foreign Language: We've been slowly doing French for Children Primer A from CAP. I'm hoping to do that a little more consistently next year. It was a bit too tough this year, making it hard to be consistent, but I think it will be just fine next year.
PE: Probably some soccer and weekly gymnastics or other full-body sport like ninja training.
Music: Church music, hopefully bells and piano in addition to choir. All of that will depend on whether the "worrying about Covid is over" strategy works or backfires.
Bible: Telling God's Story years 3 and 4, probably
Art: Probably should do something with this.
Extra curriculars: Scouts (Bears), whatever else comes up
-
It wouldn't surprise me if they have someone whose job it is to help you navigate this. I don't have any idea how to find that person, however. I've always heard great things about them, but there is a giant bureaucracy at this point.
-
This is really early stages planning for me. She will be doing some of this on her own (or with me) and some with brothers who will be 1st and 3rd grades.
Math: BA 5. Probably finishing by March, so looking into AOPS pre algebra or Jousting Armadillos and series. I'll get both and probably give her the option.
Science: Science Mom Chemistry and then Biology, most likely. We are currently doing Earth Science, and it's a favorite
History: Modern American and World History using volumes 7-10 of Hakim's History of US and Volume 4 of Bauer's Story of the World
Language Arts: I'm planning on this being a year to really focus on writing. She'll either be done with or just finishing up All About Spelling level 7, and she's a fantastic reader. I'll give her a few options including Mosdos Press and Junior Great Books and the Mensa List for literature. She'll also probably compete in our area's reading bowl like she did this year, which will mean reading and then studying in minute detail 10 new middle-grades type releases that are nominated for our state's book award. This exposed her (and us) to some surprising new books this past year, so I'm looking forward to that. For grammar and writing, I'm still looking through what we have. It may be Well-Trained Mind stuff, Michael Clay Thompson stuff, or a hodge-podge, but we are going to finish 5th able to write solid paragraphs with ease and have some facility in writing several paragraphs that go together. (goal, anyway)
Foreign Language: We've been slowly doing French for Children Primer A from CAP. I'm hoping to do that a little more consistently next year. Little brother was supposed to be joining in, but it was a bit too hard this year.
PE: Probably some soccer and weekly gymnastics or other full-body sport like ninja training.
Music: Church music, hopefully bells and piano in addition to choir. All of that will depend on whether the "worrying about Covid is over" strategy works or backfires.
Bible: Telling God's Story years 3 and 4, probably
Art: Probably should do something with this.
Extra curriculars: Scouts (Webelos2/AOL and crossing over to BSA), whatever else comes up
-
It can be hard to imagine just how blatant racism is in many places, especially for those of us who haven't personally faced racial discrimination anywhere. Being in Russia opened my eyes to racism and white privilege in a way I just hadn't gotten living in a racially diverse area in the American South. Right after I arrived I saw people yanked off the subway to have their passports checked every day in Moscow. I was terrified as my passport was in some kind of required processing and I was just carrying a photocopy (one way they make sure that every foreigner is required to be in violation of the law at least once a year so they can easily kick you out if they want). They never took me. Only after I had my passport safely in hand and calmed down did I realize that they ONLY took those with darker skin. Not like the US where they'll do "random selection" that gets the folks they are targeting and a handful of others, there they would just openly profile without apology. I saw the same in other situations in other places in Russia as well. Later my Russian friends were baffled that I was surprised by this. To most (not all) of them, racism was simply logical. Of course, my experiences in Russia don't say anything directly about the situation at the Polish border, but I hope they help to illustrate the idea that yes, blatant unabashed racism is the norm in some places around the world.
-
14
-
2
-
10
-
-
I think some of the difficulty has to do with online vs in person communication. For example, fussy babies. I have had 4 babies, so I know a little about babies, and I know that usually, a fussy baby just needs some extra cuddles and mama needs a little extra rest to keep up her energy and patience levels. Other times, it signals that something is very, seriously wrong. If a new mom is asking my advice in person, there's lots of information for me to see. I can see and hear what "fussy" means to this mom. I can ask whether it's always this way or sometimes worse. I've probably seen them before and know what their baseline is. So on and on. I'll still be careful about giving advice and urge them to ask their doctor if they are really worried, but I'll probably end up reassuring them that I think everything is probably fine. If someone online is asking, it no longer matters that usually, everything is fine. I have no other information than the words they have typed. I'm not going to tell them it's fine and not to worry because the stakes are high and I don't have enough to go on. I'll tell them to find help with someone near them, like a doctor or an older mom they know and trust. That doesn't negate my experiences with my own babies or my ability to care for their fussiness, and I'll still share my thoughts if someone is asking "how do you tell the difference between normal fussiness and doctor level fussing?" but I won't interject my thoughts when someone is in crisis, asking advice on what to do right now.
I think health issues are like that, whether physical or mental health. Online, it's best to answer just what was asked and urge them to talk to someone in real life for anything beyond that.
-
2
-
1
-
-
I have two students currently using Beast, and I am confident both would qualify for gifted programs at the local schools (one was id'ed before being homeschooled; the other was never in school). My fourth grader is currently finishing up level 4, working independently with occasional clarification when she gets stuck on an idea. We have taken time off to do some Math Mammoth to allow for more practice with multiplication, and she did a couple of the harder (for her) chapters both online and in the BA books. She also plays Prodigy for fun, but not as often as she used to. Her skills are solid and she now easily makes the intuitive jumps the program depends on. My second grader is well into level 3. He started level 2 as a first grader and I let him move as slowly as he needed to, but he hasn't needed to take time off. We're currently in the perfect squares chapter. He kind of hates the focus on clever tricks in this chapter, but he still shows pride and confidence when he has a concept mastered, so I am happy to make him keep doing it. Learning the "clever tricks" is not the only point of the chapter, though. It also is great for having them develop thinking skills and practice their basic multiplication, addition, and subtraction skills. He has some independent practice of multiplication facts, but that's more because he does online and I want to make sure he doesn't forget how to write his numbers and keeps getting handwriting practice in areas that are easy to him. He plays plenty of Prodigy for fun. Between all these things, he's absorbed his basic math facts well and easily.
I don't know if any of that is relevant to your situation, but it is our experience. I wouldn't expect any curriculum to have the perfect amount of practice for every child, so I'd rather do one that lets me add in practice where needed than overwhelms my children and looks like it will take forever.
-
You could look into Science Mom, which is a series of online videos with a printable set of notes (basically worksheets that help a bit with teaching note-taking). She's got a biology that ran live last semester that is available now, plus a second semester of biology going on right now. You can watch a few for free to see if it's appealing. I think the live sessions are about 150 per semester, with a reduction in price for the "reruns," which can be watched anytime that works for you. It is more aimed at middle school, but that might be appropriate in this situation. They are secular and pretty funny without being little-kid, plus it takes you a little out of the equation if he resists you as teacher.
-
3 hours ago, Katy said:
I am so angry. Why weren’t they running multiple dose trials simultaneously? Why isn’t Moderna being considered instead? How did we get to a point that vaccines have been out for so long and they still don’t have enough data on children?
And most importantly, when is DD going to be safe so we can leave this house?
They are still working on Moderna, and based on my observations of the very small number of kids I know in that study who were heavily exposed to Covid and came through either positive without any symptoms at all (1/3) or consistently negative over multiple tests (2/3), I'm optimistic.
-
3
-
1
-
-
If it's someone I don't know very well, it's always nice to be able to locate extra toilet paper, plunger, and toilet brush in a discreet but easy to find place without having to ask. If I, or my kids, have a problems of a certain variety, I don't want to bother my host with that.
-
7
-
-
8 hours ago, Zenen said:
Dear '2_girls_mommy',
is the schedule you are mentioning found in this bundle from TWTM? (link below):
https://welltrainedmind.com/p/first-grade-science-bundle/
My 6yr old sun has been genuinely enjoying TWTM's English, Writing and Math series. I am hoping this Science Bundle will have the same approach he resonates with.
Thanks !
- Zenen
I hope you'll get a response from 2 girls mommy, but in the meantime, my guess is that she's referring to the schedule found in the book The Well Trained Mind. That book doesn't break things down into daily assignments but gives an overarching schedule for what to study different years and suggestions for how to implement that.
-
1
-
-
1 hour ago, 8filltheheart said:
I think that in truth you might be treading into familial decisions that are sort of a boundry not crossed. I personally think CC offers an incredibly watered down version of a traditional education with nothing classical about it, but plenty of families love it and think it is the absolute best. I have friends who order a box and do every workbook, short answer, textbook in there. I know it would absolutely drive me crazy. But, that security blanket is what gives them the courage to homeschool. Casually discussing different options in a generic way? Fine. But, classifying good/better/best.....not going to go over well, not at all.
FWIW, I have told moms that I am my kids' primary teacher for almost all subjects and have had that taken as an opening to offer me suggestions on how I can offer better options via x,y,z. Insert huge eye roll here. Pass the bean dip and move on is the best polite response I can give. They think they mean well, but yeah, no.
I have gotten better at keeping opinions to myself. One example where I do say something: a mom I see weekly is lamenting that her elementary age kids are in years every day over their cursive work. They started a "school in a box" and joined the accredited program without ever having introduced cursive before. That means these kids are suddenly several years "behind" in a skill and constantly feeling lost. I suggested she simply ignore the required assignments, substitute her own that work for her kids, and if the school fails the kids for that subject, just ignore that, too. She was surprised and pleased to realize that will work just fine. Every week she has complaints about this program. Even though I think she'd be far better off dumping it, I try to stick with positive, general comments like, "that's tough, but it sounds like you have a pretty good handle on how to make it work for y'all "
I really just don't talk to hard core cc parents. Their kids have told me how they are way smarter than public school kids because they have cc, and I've made non committal noises.
-
1
-
-
23 hours ago, WTM said:
I think you can DIY and value expertise at the same time. You choose a textbook for, say, Algebra, because you value the expertise of the author. But then as a parent, you DIY by learning and implementing in with your particular student.
Can a DIY-parent necessarily teach better than an experienced classroom teacher? Probably not, but with the aid of excellent materials (textbooks, lectures, etc), the parent can likely help facilitate a learning experience that might be better for an individual student.
I think the danger comes if / when we idealize or idolize DIY education. It's a means of education but not THE means of education. I guess it's - Rugged Individualism -it's a way of ordering life (or in this case, education) that can become (but maybe shouldn't be) an overarching worldview.
I think it's your last paragraph I'm somewhat concerned about. I want my kids to feel confident in their homeschooled education, but I don't want to make "our way" out to be more than it is. Kids have a way of becoming little zealots because even those that are good-for-age at seeing nuance are still immature. I want my kids to trust their ability to learn and my ability to learn and teach, but I also want to point them to good resources when we don't know things. I also try to encourage them to read things they disagree with and think about them without immediately accepting or rejecting them.
I also, in addition to knowing a lot of diy homeschoolers, know some who feel chained to a particular curriculum. I want to encourage them to trust themselves, but I've been thinking of how to frame that in a way that isn't anti-expert/anti-intellectual.
-
2
-
-
On 1/23/2022 at 11:55 AM, 8filltheheart said:
It honestly doesn't sound much different than a subset that has always existed---the extreme unschoolers, the don't value education as an end toward specific goals, etc type crowd.
FWIW, you must be around different homeschoolers than I am. I am 99.999% around homeschoolers who farm out everything to co-ops (especially CC) or online sources.
CC is actually one of the things I was thinking of as epitomizing trying to find a balance and, in my view, generally failing. On one hand, it requires people to trust the "homeschooling experts" while at the same time championing a tutor who learns alongside the students, not needing to be an expert to lead people to knowledge.
I do know lots of homeschoolers who are basically diy-ing or making small co-ops with other families, partly because those are the ones doing the same other activities we are.
-
I'm not sure exactly how to express this, so please bear with me and I'll try to clarify if this doesn't make sense.
One fear many new homeschool parents face is "how can I do this if I'm not trained to be a teacher/not an expert in all subjects?" We, rightly I think, reassure them that they are experts in their children and can totally do this if they are willing to learn and be flexible. I think this reflects a valuable lesson for our kids, too, that they can be life long learners and can trust themselves to do hard things.
At the same time, there's a worrying tendency in some people that seems to be over represented in the homeschooling community but found in many other places as well. It is a kind of anti-intellectualism and distrust of the expert. If a Dr or scientist says something, it is considered less trustworthy by some. We can do xyz ourselves, so why should we shell out big bucks to someone with fancy initials? We are opting for a different measures of success, so why should we trust anyone in the system, and why should we encourage our children to get the kind of education that earns them those fancy credentials?
To be clear, I'm not blaming homeschooling for this. I'm more looking at it as a possible result of taking the diy attitude of homeschoolers to an extreme. In our location, is somewhat easy to correct for this as we can get classes taught by people with more expertise than a typical teacher would have, but people who live further from a city have a harder time with this. Not to mention classes taught by experts are often expensive and out of reach of those who live close to them.
Is this an issue you think about at all, and if so, do you do anything different in your homeschooling/life as a result?
-
I think I would, if it were my son, talk to him about protecting himself by not being completely alone with a young child. One-on-one stuff should be done in a place where you would expect people to be coming and going, like a living room, kitchen, front yard, etc. Anything that is in a more private location should have a third party. Unless he knows what his aunt is saying, I wouldn't bring that part up. Our church goes through this with the teens who volunteer with kids. When with other teens at church events they are to follow the "rule of three" for physical safety and to protect reputation, and when younger kids are involved rules are stricter and more important. I would just bring it up with my kid that he's the age now for this to be important. Due to the pandemic he hasn't had much opportunity to learn/practice this, but he should be thinking about it when decide what to do and where to be when hanging out with little cousins.
I have had a teen boy babysit my kids ages 4-8. I talked with them beforehand about how they should be staying as a group, which is kind of obvious because how else could he watch them all. I also made sure the 4year old had on pants he could handle himself because I wouldn't want to put a first time babysitter in a really awkward position, and the boy's mom was just down the street if he needed her. They had a blast and want him to babysit again, but we hardly go out these days and so haven't yet.
-
2
-
-
I would take it as intended as a dig, but probably respond "eh, it's unusual for cousins to get to spend enough time together to be close, but I'm so glad they are!"
-
9
-
-
Y'all have me trying to remember why I went with original instead of concise. I think it was just that when I was starting to look them over, I preferred holding a smaller book. I usually have a child on top of me and one snuggled next to me trying to work his way into my lap, so smaller works better.
-
1
-
Talking about the deceased
in The Chat Board
Posted
Thank you for that rabbit hole I'll be returning to later.