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Momto4inSoCal

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Everything posted by Momto4inSoCal

  1. I check e-bay, amazon and/or craigslist. I like ebay because you can see completed listings vs for sale listings. Just because people list things at a certain price doesn't mean people are buying it. I base my price off of that. If I want it to sell fast I will list it a little lower than those prices. If there are only a few listings and I don't care how long it takes to sell I can list it a little higher. Otherwise I just stay within the normal range.
  2. I'm trying to decide on a plan for language and there are so many different curriculums. We also plan on adding spanish at some point so I'm trying to get a realistic idea of how long it will take to learn latin and follow a path that others have followed successfully. My goal is to have my children understand ancient text before they are done with high school. So if you or your children have learned enough latin to read ancient text how many years did it take and which curriculum got you to that point?
  3. I finished The Schoolmaster by Roger Ascham. It was written in the 1500's. Roger Ascham was a professor at St Johns Colleges, Cambridge. He taught Greek and was the Chief Orator in Latin writing all of the letters the school sent out in Latin. Once again as in Ratio Studiorum I am really understanding what "Latin Centered Education" means. I think this book has finally solidified my desire to teach latin to my kids with the goal of reading documents in their original language. This author gave quite a few tips on different authors to read in both Greek and Latin based on what your goals are in teaching them. I have no experience with Latin so I will have to just go by what our curriculum has planned for us but at least I have somewhat of an idea what these different authors are known for (orations, poetry, prose). I am not sure what I will read next. I am thinking I will read a fun easy book to give my brain a break lol. It's funny I felt like I had a handle on my education philosophy and what my goals were and the more I read and expand my education the more I realize I really didn't understand my education philosophy at all. There are so many opposing views and different ideas. It's hard to know which one is right. Btw, does anyone else find that the more you read the longer your reading list gets? I have 3 books I'm in the middle of, 5 books on hold at the library and an ever growing list on amazon. This thread has definitely rekindled my love for reading.
  4. Just wanted to update that I've invited the younger girls she gets along with over a few times and it's gone great. I had a revelation last night when we were at our dance team practice. One of our friends had brought her teenage daughter who has down syndrome with her and Mia sat with her for over and hour playing and showing her the razor scooter she had and how it worked. She asked me later why none of the kids were playing with the girl. She said even though she talked a little different you could still figure out how to talk to her. Seeing the way my daughter sat with the girl and accepted her where she was at really spoke to me. I realized I need to accept my daughter for who she is and not try and put expectations on her (like playing with kids her age) that she is not interested in or doesn't care about. I am so worried about her fitting in with the other girls in our homeschool groups but she doesn't care at all about that stuff. My daughter has been such a struggle but has taught me so much. We are still going to look into getting another evaluation but I just wanted to post in case anyone reads this later and is struggling also.
  5. We are in it this year. There are good points and bad points like everything and you have to figure out if it will work for your family. CC will say that 6th grade and under you only do memory work for history and science and that is the Classical way so if you go by that then yes it is your curriculum. We use it at a supplement to our history and science. We do our own stuff at home. The essentials covers grammar and writing. When I first looked at the grammar I thought it would be too much for my kids but they've learned a lot. We also do analytical grammar on our weeks off. Cc is only 24 weeks so we still have another 12 weeks to do our own thing. I think we could do the memory work just fine at home and get the same academic benifits but they really like being part of a group. It's really pricey compared to other co ops but the co ops I've seen have no academic purpose. If you like the memory work but don't want to be part of the group get the cd. A lot of people do the memory work at home.
  6. I purchased it but I remember doing something last year so it wouldn't start until sept. Did anyone do that? Do I need to email them? I don't want it to start right now.
  7. Definitely don't go by the title :) lots of people skip reading for a few weeks then jump back on or read a book over a few weeks. Some people read more than 1 book a week. Most people use the group to share what we are reading and our reviews of the books and to have a specific group for reading. If you want to have a facebook group or a seperate group for reading the well trained mind books I would be willing to join that too though.
  8. I finished ratio studiorum and I think I am going to go back and write out what a school day at the jesuit school would look like. I'm just trying to picture how a day it would play out and if there's anything I can really glean from it. I know it was based in University of Paris' education model which wasn't exactly classical but it seems pretty close to classical. Students were really immersed in Latin, they spoke only Latin on class, wrote their papers in Latin, studied grammar with Latin. We plan on studying Latin but no where near that level. They seemed to spend a lot of time in Cisnero's Orations. I downloaded the book (translated) on google books to look through it. I don't know how much I will miss reading a translation since traslating it seemed to be a large part of their school.
  9. I've been considering going through the list as well. I've read a few of them already. I post on the book a week thread. It's really a great thread and seeing so many people reading (no matter what they are reading) has really encouraged me to keep pushing. I aim for at least one book a week. I am also reading on the history of classical education so I will probably do one book from the list one week then a book on classical education the other week.
  10. I use google drive for all of my homeschool stuff. I have folders with subjects and I keep downloads I've purchased in the appropriate subject. I also have a scheduling folder and I keep a google spreadsheet for each child with grades listed at the top and subjects down the side. It's more idea's of what I would like to happen. Starting Jan I go through and decide if I am going to stick with my choices or change anything. That way by May/June I can start ordering. I love having everything in one place. I even have my girls type their papers on google docs and I keep them in a folder. I can access all of my info from anywhere which is really nice.
  11. I sort of think along the lines of the bolded statement. I have these two books on my ever growing list to read: Left Back: A Century of Battles over School Reform American Education: A HistoryI'm hoping they answer some of my questions over the last hundred years of change in the American school system. Well I'm almost all the way through Ratio Studiorum and it really is quite different from any description of NeoClassical education. It's interesting that the grammar phase seems to literally mean you learn grammar. The most noticeably lacking is the strong emphasis on Latin. While most neoclassical books suggest learning latin isn't until much older and there is no mention of translating ancient works in any of the books I've read and the suggestion generally seems to be to teach it when they are older. The Jesuits seemed to really immerse the children in it. I can't see how starting in 7th grade using henle or any other curriculum would achieve the level or knowledge about the latin language that the students of Jesuits had. The lack of science instruction until they are older is interesting. I have read that traditionally it wasn't taught to young children but I've always wondered if there was just less information about science to teach. I'm always questioning what the core knowledge is and how much certain skills pushed by our current educational system really are necessary. It's well documented that we have a decline in reading and writing abilities and ultimately you only have so many hours in a day to teach students. The more of other subject you add the more you have to start cutting and dropping things from education. The Jesuits system actually seems much more streamlined and simple while at the same time rigorous. As a side note I was shocked in the introduction to find out that Voltaire was educated by the Jesuits. I read Candide over the summer and afterwards I was interested in finding out more about Voltaire. He did not agree with the Jesuits or Catholics. I wonder how much he credits them for refining his abilities. Obviously he was talented but even people born with talent need cultivation and training.
  12. This is what I do. I currently have my 4th and 5th graders plan through high school. I know it will probably change and I do go through and change things on it or add things to the bottom that I feel will be helpful to add in at some point. It feels like a security net for me. I have a vision, goals and things to aim for with our school. I started it about a year ago. Before that I would just go year by year but I realized it would be helpful to try and put together a whole picture of what I was trying to accomplish. Anyway, I spend way to much time researching curriculum. I also love learning about different philosophies regarding education.
  13. Well my book to finish for the week, The House of Seven Gables, has a green cover. I am also back to reading on education and my goal is to fully understand the history of education (classical and it's offshoots) and to understand some of progressive education. The first book I am reading is from the Jesuits. It's called Ratio Studiorum. I am only on the introduction but I was blow away by reading that Voltaire was trained by the Jesuits. I read Candide over the summer and really enjoyed it. I researched the author a little bit afterwards and found out he was an Atheist who would write with the goal of turning people away from the church teachings. Despite my personal opinion on his views he was an amazing writer. I can't imagine how the church felt about their pupil though.
  14. Thanks! I was able to find Quintilian's Institutes of Oratory for free on google books! I actually have this book on my list of books to read but as I've been going through all of these books it bothered me that I'm learning about different interpretations rather than learning what the original version is. I would like to learn what the history of classical education and how we have arrived at the place we are at in regards to Neo-Classical education. I understand that there have been many changes and there probably isn't a "true" version of classical education so that is why I've decided the only way to really understand it is to learn the history and learn when and why the changes have taken place. At that point I can re-evaluate the books I have read and my feeling on them and continue down my list. Thank you! This is really helpful! I think of all the books I've read Climbing Parnassus was the most helpful and he did talk about Greek and Latin being center to the classical education. I've also read (not sure where, I really need to be better about taking notes) that the Jesuits had a big part in keeping classical education alive through the ages but I didn't understand what their form of education looked like. I've recently read Abolition of Man which peaked my interest in the reforms that were taking place at C.S. Lewis time and that brought me to progressive education reform. Ultimately though I'm trying to understand what feels like a lot of pieces of a picture and I would like to be able to put all the pieces together if that makes any sense.
  15. I've read The Well Trained Mind, Climbing Parnassus, The Core, Dorothy Sayer Lost Tools of Learning and I've listened to all of the free audio clips from Circe institute. I feel like I have a basic understanding of the modern interpretation of Classical Education but I would like to understand the Medieval model and the Ancient Greek model. I can't really seem to find books that talk about that, most books seem to focus on the Neo-Classical model. I'm a whole to parts learner so I really want the whole picture.
  16. Late to this thread I will have to go back and read the rest of it but I've read 2 books since I last posted. The first I thought would be a nice easy read after I had read The Bluest Eye but it wasn't quite the break I thought it would be. I picked my free book from amazon prime The Light of the Fireflies and while it was a quick and easy read it's subject matter was a little disturbing. I think I'm going to have to read the comments next time I pick one of the free books. I also read Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Marquez . Someone here mentioned A Hundred Years of Solitude and it reminded me that I liked that book quite a bit so I grabbed this book hoping I would like it just as much. It's a book that deals with love, demon possession, addiction and a neglected little girl. Honestly I think I need a break from books that deal with kids being abused. I can only handle so much and for some reason I keep picking books that deal with it. I think as a mom is makes it really hard to read things about abused children. Anyway I'm onto House of Seven Gables since I had it on hand. I'm about half way through. It's a Nathaniel Hawthorne book. So far I've really enjoyed it. The descriptiveness of his writing, the dark melancholy picture of an old house that has quite a history. I don't know what it is with me and books written in the 1800's. I really enjoy anything from that era. I think it's the way the authors tend to write beautiful descriptions giving pictures that are probably more romantic that real life. It feel like a life that is slower than our quick paced lives of today.
  17. Mosdos press has a lot what you want included. It has a reading book that goes through stories and literary elements. It also has a workbook that covers vocabulary, graphic organizers and mini writing assignments. The selections are from real books not made up short stories and it includes comprehension questions. You could order a grade up if you feel she can handle it. Their is a big jump in that series from 5th to 6th grade. You would still need to add grammar. There are a lot of stand alone grammar curriculum to pick from: Fix It- short fairly independent Growing with grammar Analytical Grammar (or jr) what we went with Winston Grammar Easy Grammar
  18. My kids both share an account. It's worked fine for us. It's been one of the best curriculum choices I've made. It gets done daily, my kids get it and retain the information and I have time to spend with my twins. We're going with MARR.
  19. I have an account to notebookingpages.com and it has tons of artist. I print out 3 of the kids favorite prints from an artist I've picked and put them up in random spots throughout the house. I tell them a few facts and the name of the artist but overall it's more for exposure. It's been an easy way to add in artist without really adding anything.
  20. This is exactly what we are dealing with. Mia still likes to carry her stuffed bunny around and have it play with her and has no interest is sitting around talking. She will run around and play tag and other games but it seems like kids her age are into facetime and lots of preteen stuff.
  21. I can't find her assessment so I am going to have to request another copy of it but I did want to check what he tested for as far as intelligence. At the time (this was done 2 1/2 years ago) I had 18 m twins and was dealing with the school keeping her in for recess/lunch daily and I thought she was behind academically so it never even occured to me she could be gifted. I didn't ask about the intelligence part, I was just upset that the school seemed to be failing her in another area. Dealing with twins really pushed her to the back burner unfortunately and I probably didn't push as much as I should have or ask the question that should have been asked. At this point I know she is advanced and she picks up things quickly and without much effort but I haven't looked into testing for giftedness. I might look into it now just so I can understand her a little. She has two little girls that are in 2nd grade (2 years younger) that she does seem to connect with. I haven't really pursued those friendships for her due to the age gap but I might start making more of an effort.
  22. We use Analytical Grammar. It's supposed to be for 6th grade and up but my 4th grader has no problem with it. We also started WWS also geared for 6th grade and up but its been fine. The other curriculum I've looked at is lightening literature which is 7th and up but if your dd is at 7th grade level she should be able to handle it.
  23. I think it's valid but generally not possible. I have a lot of friends who stay at home although I did notice a big drop off of SAHM when all their kids reached school age. I never really had all my kids in school. My kids went to public school but I had my twins a month after my younger dd started school and my 1 month of freedom was spent on bedrest. Then I pulled them out 2 years later. I had not planned on returning to work even when I thought they would all go to public school. Honestly the better off we are financially the more I realized how dependent we are in dh. My salary if I were to go back to work wouldn't even be half of his. I wouldn't say we couldn't use more money (can anyone say that?) . We vacation yearly but I would love to have yearly Europe vacations, we are all clothed but it would be nice to shop at Nordstroms rather than Marshalls but ultimately that's not a reason for me to work. I feel what I can provide being home with my children can't be bought. If our financially situation changed of course we would reevaluate. I've often though it's funny how as woman we fought so hard for the right to work and now we have to fight if we want to stay home.
  24. The NP wasn't aware of the sensory issues other than her chewing on her hair constantly which she has since stopped. She isn't recieve any services for her ADHD. Since homeschooling seemed to rectify the academic aspect we sort of stopped there like the problem was solved but really it's not. She's 9 turning 10 in 2 weeks. I just keep hoping her getting older will solve the problem but I feel like the gap between her and kids her age is just getting wider. She had a melt down today which she does about once a week and she has to go lie down and cry by herself because she just can't calm down. Something will set her off and it really can be anything and she just loses control of her emotions. I think I will look to get another evaluation. I need to find ways to work with her and help her and I can't do that unless I know for sure what I'm dealing with. So would you guys suggest another NP or an OT? Are there specific test I can ask for?
  25. My daughter was diagnosed with adhd in 1st grade. She had a full evaluation from a neurophysiologist who said he saw bo signs of autism or dyslexia but did have adhd. He also said she was very intelligent and was confused about why the school she was in was telling me she was at the bottom of her class. I pulled her from public school to homeschool her that year. She went from being behind in school to being a full year ahead now. I am happy with that progress but I feel socially/emotionally we are failing somewhere. She is extremely sensitive with noise, clothing, lights. She will only wear sweatpants since everything else bothers her. She went to a Christmas party for her dance group and she had crawled under a table and fell asleep because she said the vibrations, noise and lights were overwhelming. She has pretty much no friends. She just acts very young for her age. I don't really know if something else is going on or if there's some other way to help her.
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