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Mimicoto

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Everything posted by Mimicoto

  1. Thanks for that perspective, Acadia. That may be the case in these tests as well...different yardstick.... My DS attends twice weekly enrichment classes - which includes History, Spanish, PE, Drama, Writing....so it is a good program. We do our own studies on the other days ( 2 x a week cuts into basics a bit, to be honest). I wish we had family nearby - we don't. We are recent arrivals to the US, having been here for 5 years now....DH is from France; I am Canadian....our families are too far away to be of any practical assistance.... Yes - self employment is much easier without a family...but we are blessed to have our children...we met late, married late and needed to get started on a family right away....so on top of everything else, I'm in my 50s! Kinda funny really...
  2. Thanks Calming Tea....I'm just realizing as well that their refusal to accept a child that needs more attention at the moment might have a lot to do with the fact that one of the 'big' local private schools with multiple campuses in a 20 minute radius announced that it is closing at the end of this year. ALL of the schools have had a massive influx of applicants, and if the school we applied to is 'fine' for enrollment this year, they likely don't want to load their Grade 4 class with a child the will take more resources than an 'already trained' newcomer next year. Sad but true...
  3. This exchange is so helpful - I literally cannot thank you enough for the time and head-space you've given me today.... Barb - this is great. Concrete helps. Having timers to move us through the day would help, as would blocking of 'sacred' times that are dedicated to study. Right now it is way too easy for me to get pulled onto something else - usually some sort of work emergency. DH will need to be trained. I have tried to put 'set' time blocks for 'work', but our work flow is non-traditional and we're usually working across multiple time zones, which can make scheduling complicated. It helps me to see that physical list.....a lot less complicated than what my brain imagined it would be! We know .....and it has been a serious struggle for us :-(((....we are making good progress, but cash flow is sporadic and we very often don't know how long we'll need to make the money last. There is enough to support our family, but very little left over.....paying other employees is not in the cards yet. We've managed to keep our heads above water, but just barely.....This past year I was finally able to outsource our bookkeeping and tax prep, and that was a huge milestone. We've been close to broke more times than I care to remember, but it is getting better. DH hires people on a project basis, but that's not day to day and has zero impact on my workload....except adds to it as I look after their contracts, payments etc.. When he comes back next week (and after he works through the jet lag and exhaustion) we are taking a good hard look at all of this. We 'should' be looking at a very good 2016, but in this field nothing is certain until the cash hits your bank account. We have had so many projects evaporate in front of our eyes, and things get cancelled literally a week before they were set to begin....after having spent literally years fostering our involvement in it. Not an easy position to manage in. 'Doing something else' is not an option right now either.....at least what we are doing is keeping things afloat....it does generate healthy numbers, but we are filling in for a decade of investment.... The tutor would be a short term solution to free some time and energy to effectively find solutions to the other pieces of the puzzle while at the same time getting the kids to a point where they have options if we need to exercise them. This is the place I have been in for the past 8-10 years....we added homeschool to the mix 2 years ago. I have been near breakdown too many times - we know it is too much, but can't find a way out just yet. While I didn't articulate it well (if at all), part of my freak-out was realizing that even 'if' we were to put the kids in school, they (especially DS) would likely be floundering. I was counting on him having school as an option so I could get some breathing space and put myself (and all of us) in a healthier place. So my goal for both of them (as an underlying theme of the course correction our lives need) is to get them up to or very near 'Grade Level' by the beginning of the next school year. I think that 8 months is a reasonable amount of time to work with and gives a realistic window in which to put them on a more solid footing. Preparing the kids academically will give us all more options...and put them in a place where admission to Private School (or even public school - schools here are excellent) is not too much of a stretch for them. Right now, again for DS, it really would be....at least that's the way I see it.
  4. :001_smile: Barb, you've made me feel like I'm making progress. I needed that! :001_smile: I will give it some thought this evening and try to articulate it. It is a process I need to go through regardless so DH and I can look for concrete ways to readjust our current set-up....and I'll need / want to have a clear set of issues and objectives in hand when I eventually meet with a therapist. I'm not so much looking to work out personal issues (BTDT!!) as I am looking for support in implementing longer term change. My top concern right now is how to kind of put HSing on a sustainable kind of autopilot for a month (??) to give me/us enough breathing space to make calm, well-considered choices and implement same. My first shot would be: 1) Lay out a basic, non-negotiable, bare-bones study plan for both kids for the next month....3 Rs (I've already done this - it's just not getting done.....help??) 2) Lay out a fixed weekly schedule that blocks out their school obligations and outside commitments (also done in draft, just not implemented or driven down to the troops ;-)) 3) Withdraw from DDs current charter and HS independently for XX period of time OR enroll in the ISP program mentioned above for the balance of the school year (seriously open to your opinions here...she has an older friend on her riding team who is a student there....both student and parents love the program, but they are NOT HSers). 4) Find a math tutor for DS....not to give him extra help as such, but to put a structure into place and make HIM accountable to somebody other than me. I welcome thoughts on all fronts... especially #3...HSing has transformed my relationship with DD, and not sure that changing things right now is worth the potential price of temporary convenience....but I may be over thinking... :bigear:
  5. Well said - the encouragement is so welcome! Your EF sounds like my son's EF...on one hand I'm rather happy to be staying in the situation (it is the same as the one you describe) as she is such an amazing resource to work with. She is our #1 cheerleader. Both kids are currently in this type of program, but DD is with a well-known virtual charter that is a lot more bureaucratic - although we still choose our own resources. The Independent Studies program I'm considering switching my daughter to for the next few months is a bit different in that she would work with a teacher and meet with them weekly. I would not assign or mark her work - although I could still help her. I would see it as a short term way of sharing the responsibility for her studies with someone else. I had the same thought about topics being presented differently....I 'know' for a fact that my son is not doing math at an 'early grade 2 level' which is what the evaluator told me. I work with him daily and know what he is capable of - and where we are working in our books. I also know that he is really quick at mental math and cannot understand why he should have to show his work on a word problem, or 'make a number sentence'. He's a real guy.....'you asked me a question, I gave you the answer....where is the problem here?' ;-)) We tried TT last year, and it was really a bust for both of my kids. They had big retention problem and were unable to apply the concepts covered in TT to other situations. We've devoted a lot of time to solidifying math facts etc this year, but again, lack of consistency is our enemy....he needs to be drilling math and doing a math lesson every single day, and that's not happening. When we ARE consistent he makes great progress...so that's where it is falling down IMO...
  6. I am reading through this thread and thinking about where to go right now, and I am still left with the question....how to adapt, scale back, enlist the kids...and 'keep it going' through the foggy, muddled thinking and fatigue that is my general state. Yes, I agree completely about the irrelevance of the testing, the uneven progress, the 'rightness' of homeschooling...ultimately, I love homeschooling as much as my children do, and I want to keep going, but I'm not sure how I personally am to weather this current storm. I look around myself and don't know where to start. I am left feeling swamped from the get go and the strategy of every day is just to somehow get to the end of that day in one piece. Often this means that schooling is minimal, and the kids know when I'm unfocused and an 'easy target'....they don't do all that they should do without guidance and some help, and when I'm wiped out and stressed it doesn't take much resistance on their part or inattention or distraction on my part for me to just let things slide. Do that too many days in a row and you have the situation we're in. ;-)) That's where the notion of getting help with the children comes in....I need to 1) catch my breath, and 2) re-engineer our home and our homeschool systems so there is not so much on my shoulders.
  7. Thank you every single one of you for your thoughtful, compassionate and well-considered responses....and for wading through that huge post! Yikes!!! :mellow: Very comforting and helpful....I have more good options to consider now... :grouphug: Life is big for your family too....hope you find the posts here helpful also. What revealed my Canadian roots? Verbosity? Superlatives? I'm really curious! :laugh: This is really helpful - you've given me a good idea.... To a person, everyone wants to continue homeschooling....we all believe it's right for our family in many respects BECAUSE we are aware of what is working and positive. So maybe we can all brainstorm together about HOW we can continue to homeschool through this intense season of our lives? This is a good strategy....much less pressure that way.... I don't think it's a question of too much - but one additional challenge is that each child is part of a homeschool charter. My son's has really been a blessing and we joined simply because of the social aspect they provide for him. They are easy to work with and accept him where he's at, he attends classes there twice a week that he loves (and needs as he is an extrovert in a family of introverts). It has also allowed him to participate in the school's theatrical production, which has been very meaningful to him. My daughter's Charter is a royal pain, and my first order of business this week is to withdraw. We joined there as she needed some outside classes that stretched our budget too far. We gave up the outside classes as her interests developed elsewhere....but in the interim we've had to meet requirements that don't align with our interests or time...and the admin is significant. That would allow us to just concentrate on essentials... Thank you for the encouragement!!! I love this post, and you are absolutely right....the writing issues and concerns about their developmental appropriateness for our son were big drivers when we left school initially....and you're bang on about the math. With some structure and discipline and a bit of outside help, we can get on top of that.
  8. My DH suggested something similar....he can't stand the feel of a regular pen or - heaven forbid, a pencil! - dragging on paper. Both he and DS have sensory processing issues so you may be on to something there! Will give it a go!
  9. I feel like I got the mother of all homeschool wake up calls this week. My head is spinning and I'm really worried about whether we can or should continue homeschooling...I will do my best to be lucid and get to the point as quickly as I can, but I've not slept much as yesterday was pretty upsetting. This is our second year homeschooling - dd nearly 12, ds 8.5 y.o. DS is a very social child and it had become apparent to DH and I that he might do better in a 'traditional' setting, even though we love having him at home. We found a lovely, small private school locally and went through the process of touring, feeling it out and then finally having him assessed to see if he could join in the 3rd grade class mid year. The assessment was a huge eye-opener, and not in a good way... Reading was off the charts excellent (he's a voracious reader of everything and anything), but...he performed very, very poorly on math and writing. Like a full grade behind poorly. In fairness, he's never really done a test before and likely just skipped stuff that he didn't 'get' right away....and he performed poorly on tasks he usually does well at home....but still...I was told in no uncertain terms that he was much too far behind to join the class....and in some areas, behind the 2nd grade...despite the fact that he is a very bright, mature, inquisitive, polite, gentle boy....The principle wasn't even confident he'd be ready by next fall. We knew he would be 'behind' (I understand the term is arbitrary and doesn't mean much when one is educating an individual child or measuring against one institutions particular yardstick) but didn't expect it to that degree. Last year was very tough going - he was an extremely reluctant writer and resisted any kind of seat work as his school experience up until then had not been positive for him....so we took it slowly, and it has helped. He has made progress across the board relative to his own skill level, but he is lagging....the assessment was a huge disappointment since we'd been so very proud of the progress he has made.... And the sad, sad truth is that I am responsible. Much of the blame for his delay falls on my shoulders because I have been so completely overloaded by everything else going on in our lives that to be brutally honest, there is a major consistency problem and a structure problem in our homeschool. It is affecting both of our children - my DD to a lesser degree, but it is affecting her still.... I think I've been blind to it because things have just been sliding gradually, but persistently...and I've been too utterly overwhelmed to grasp to what degree things are just not getting done.... Now, my son is not able to get something he really, really needs - to belong to a group of his peers, and be in a structured environment - because I have failed him...I feel incredibly guilty. It is breaking my heart. I am exhausted and burned out, and likely depressed. This state is related to lingering financial issues, DHs truly insane work and travel schedule, and the simple fact that I am left to look after pretty much everything - including all parenting, running our business, personal finances, homeschooling, house, home, cooking, shopping, pets....everything. I posted here about it last year http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/550581-rough-first-hs-year-suggestionshelp-for-year-2/#entry6334705 It hasn't gotten better since then - to be honest, it has gotten worse. Currently, we're half way through the school year, but just 25% of the way through some of our key materials. Not great on the heels of a fairly unproductive first year. My own stress and 'mental health situation' for lack of a better term, has been brewing for quite a few years now....we've had major challenges, and homeschooling was maybe not the best idea in light of everything we had on our plate, but homeschool we did. And now I'm seeing clear evidence of how my over-loaded-ness is affecting my kids academically, and I think I need to be honest about it and take action. It may be time for a course correction. Here is what I am thinking. First, I will be making a call to get some professional help for myself. I believe my current state is circumstantial, but I could sure use some support - and an advocate - to help me untangle things and guide me to a healthier place. I have been at or in a state of burnout at least twice per year for the past 10 years due to huge stress and major life events...no joke. I need some time to recover....I am at a low spot. My gut is that for the next 6 months, we may need to make serious changes to our homeschool as I simply can't keep it going. On the home front, the house has slowly become a disaster, I'm having a really hard time keeping home and business admin on the rails, we're reduced to the freezer section of Costco and Trader Joes for meals (I used to cook a lot, but can't seem to get on top of the planning, shopping, cooking cycle any more). Basically I have too much on me, and am only getting about 10-15% of everything done.....as a high achieving Type A gal, this in itself is incredibly stressful. Basically, I am no longer able to keep my kids moving forward academically... so I am thinking about enrolling DD in an independent studies program offered locally that would have her reporting to a teacher once per week. The teacher would assign and grade her work. We would lose control over curriculum. DD would also have some study support in ELA and Math 1-2 times per week. Not at all my ideal, but it would keep me from holding her back any longer. She needs to flexibility in her studies as she training and competing in show jumping. She is a good independent worker so will be alright, although she will be really sad to not be working with mom. DS, well I think it is time to bring in a tutor to work with him on Math and ELA....it would be pointless and harmful to put him into a public school situation at this point. He is ready to advance, just needs consistency and structure that I'm not able to provide right now. My goal would be for both of my children to be at 'Grade Level' by fall of 2016. This would open up the possibility of a return to school for DS, if that's what is desired and 'best' for everyone, and prepare my daughter adequately for entry into Grade 7 studies and looming high school....I want to keep their options open in the event that Homeschool isn't possible, practical or healthy for our family long term. They are both very bright children and I would be devastated if my failure to recognize my limitations prevents them from being ready for their own future. Homeschooling could still be part of that - I believe in it, but one has to actually 'do' it for it to be the right path. This approach would allow us to still do some of the 'fun' homeschool stuff together at a very relaxed pace - literature, CM Style language study, reading, history - but still get the kids working up to their potential in those core areas of Math and ELA....and would give me time to recover and time for DH and I to make some changes and decisions about how our home, business and lives need to be run in order for all of us to be well and healthy. His work shows no signs of changing - if anything, 2016 will be even more demanding. On a positive note (because there IS still much positive!), our time homeschooling has brought wonderful benefits as well. My relationship with our children is miles ahead of where it used to be. We've learned so much about them and they've . Our DD has had the time and energy to discover and nurture a driving passion and talent. Both children have had more access to their father, who would otherwise not see them much. DS has overcome a complete aversion to writing anything down, has developed surprisingly impressive reading skills and new friendships with other children in a new town. We have also seen his maturity and confidence grow considerably. DH and I are on the same page and have an incredibly strong relationship, despite (or perhaps because of) the truly Herculean efforts our chosen paths have demanded. I am grateful for any and all feedback from any of you kind and patient enough to read through....hopefully awaiting your good vibes and thoughts about my plans...
  10. I'm with edeemarie...I LOVE the Barefoot Ragamuffin Curricula. I researched the heck out of everything under the sun last year and kept coming back to this. I have Wayfarers, 2 of the Quark books, ELTL and RLTL. In the interest of full disclosure, I only consistently use ELTL at the moment.....but that has more to do with my own scheduling issues and life happening than anything else. The ONLY thing I don't like about Wayfarers is that if one gets off track with history (like we did last year - hanging around in ancient Rome for too long) it makes it hard to move forward at the same rhythm as the book. So I guess the comment would be that we have found it hard to accommodate rabbit trails as Wayfarers marches along through history at a steady pace...which I suppose would be true of any 'fixed' schedule curricula. Aside from that, I absolutely love everything that comes from BRC....be sure to check out the incredible freebies on offer as well. ALL of the picture study pictures are free; incredibly rich and comprehensive reading lists across all subjects and learning stages also free; there are others to be sure.... Oh, and can I also add that Kathy Jo herself is an amazing resource. She responds very quickly to questions in the BRC Yahoo Group and is flexible and accommodating, often making tweaks to her products to suit the needs and requests of users. Can't say enough good things about her and her family's work! :hurray:
  11. Can I multi-like this post abba12??? :laugh: Being new to HSing (and having had my confidence very badly shaken by my DSs experience this week), seeing the writing process broken down into its component parts is incredibly helpful. DS composes verbal essays (and sometimes multi-chapter books over a period of days!), so he's definitely got that part of it down! :lol:
  12. How exciting to hear how this has worked for your family longer term! I too am so charmed by it that I have a hard time considering anything else. BTW my children also use it one year behind. I just posted a question asking about exactly what you have done - adding a beefier writing component to it for both DCs
  13. I have been using ELTL this year with my 8 yo DS, and have really been enjoying it....it is a beautiful program. As I posted on the other 3rd grade writing thread (apologies - I don't know how to reference it, or link it....) it has helped immensely in getting him over his aversion to writing. However, I can see a need (and a readiness) in him to begin producing some original writing. He is an avid reader with a great vocabulary....and weak mechanical writing skills that could use work. He would benefit from more writing practice (meaning the physical act of writing, not composition just yet....) I have been eyeing Treasured Conversations for quite some time and am wondering if it would be a workable complement to ELTL....or would it be too much? Also - DD is in 6th Grade. She is a decent writer, but could use a bit more structure in learning to outline, take notes etc - independent of frameworks provided in her writing class....would TC be helpful in her case as well?
  14. I don't have any advice, but I so needed to read this thread tonight....for reasons that are too long to get into here and not relevant) to the topic), my 8 yo DS did an academic assessment this week that included expectations for 3rd graders that seem to be common in public and private schools - much writing, including writing a 5 sentence paragraph. He performed miserably below expectations (known only to DH and I)....devastating for as we have been soooooo proud of the tremendous progress he has made this year. It was a really big deal that he wrote a very decent letter to Santa this year - it is the largest amount of work he's ever produced. Apparently not in alignment with what the institution in question expects from 3rd graders. DS was the 'allergic to a pencil' type until just this year...taking a slow gentle, CM type approach with literature-based study, copywork and narration has gotten him over an abject refusal to even put pencil to paper that lasted until this past fall. He is a voracious reader, loves words and is a heck of a narrator. Comments on this thread give me hope that, if we stay the course, this will translate to written output at the right time.
  15. We are currently using Levels 2 & 4 with my children and really love it. Like Holly, we really enjoy that the lessons are comprehensive and that there is no busy work. It has gotten both of my children interested in classic lit, and it doesn't 'feel' like textbook LA in the least. I would agree with Holly's comment though, about the lack of reminders for Memory Work....embarrassed to say that half-way through the year, I've just realized that we should be working on that memory work! I'm new to this style of study (and relatively new to homeschooling) so I can be forgiven I hope! Of the many many pieces of curricula I have purchased, ELTL (and everything else I've purchased from Kathy Jo) are the only ones about which I have no regrets. Really wonderful, thorough, high-quality programs that are literally a pleasure to work with. Elfknitter - which level are you considering? If you go to Barefoot Ragamuffics Curricula there is an FAQ section on 'which level of ELTL' should I use?
  16. Pen, that's a great question to ask! Yes - this is definitely DDs choice....she is really focused and has definite goals and planned milestones of her own making. When she is not at the barn or 'doing school', she watches (and re-watches!) the televised Grand Prix....she knows who is who, and keeps tabs on the younger, up and coming riders. She reads articles, analyzes courses and rider choices, etc. And when she's not doing that, she spends time on a 3-D interactive riding and horse-care game. This is all her. This is her passion and she is simply very gifted....although she's ridden Western for fun (summer camps and the like) since she was 6 or 7, she began riding English just 8-9 months ago and is already in the big field with the more advanced riders. Folks are generally dumbfounded by her progress. But she's humble - her trainer is an amazing woman who is as demanding about issues of character as she is about technique. DD is with the older girls at the barn (14-16 yo's) who have been trained by the same woman, and have gently taken DD under their wings. They are sweet with her and are good and fair mentors. We are blessed. The 'ramping up' of her training program and show prep has been relatively gradual - about a 2-3 month process I'd say - and we spent a lot of time discussing what activities would have to be sacrificed to make room (both in terms of time and money) to take this on. This in itself was an excellent learning experience for her, and I'm really proud of the maturity she showed in her choice-making. So far it is working out really well!
  17. OP chiming in briefly - incredibly busy right now, but wanted to let all of you know how much your suggestions, observations and experience have helped us transition our homeschool in light of DDs evolving commitment to her sport. I hope to be back soon with a more detailed response, but please know that each of you have helped me to gain confidence and RELAX into this surprising - and exciting! - reality. Your sharing has given me the confidence that it CAN be done...and in a way that suits my child and our family. We've already made some changes that have made a big difference in the quality of our days....DD is much more efficient and has TIME to do what needs to be done. She has impressed me big time with her commitment on all fronts. To LinaJ....we definitely are not loving the restrictions of the charter school. It was a choice we made at the beginning of the year and made sense at the time. Things have changed dramatically since then and I dearly hope we can withdraw by March. More to follow - thank you everybody!!
  18. Wonderful, encouraging advice from absolutely everyone! Thank you so very much! :hurray: I have read and re-read each of your responses multiple times already and this is helping me not only to formulate a workable plan, but to gain some clarity on what is important to us as a family and as a homeschool. I'm also realizing that a large part of my panic over planning and adjusting has had to do with the fact that the demands on her time were not on the radar at the beginning of the year. We expected that she would take one (or maybe 2) riding lessons per week for a total outside time commitment of about 3 hours or so, and planned accordingly. Based on this, we enrolled DD in several outside classes that have fairly heavy work loads and presentation requirements every 4-6 weeks. With riding and related activities taking up 15+ hours a week (before competition begins) this has left all of us stretched thin and DD exhausted. It's also left us with very little with her, and that is critically important to us. I now see this need to adjust DDs studies as an amazing opportunity to get out in front of things with a structure that is better suited to our evolving reality. I'll be back with a more considered reply - and probably a few more questions and a multiquote if I can pull it off - but did want to let you all know how helpful your sharing has been. :iagree: jjeepa, we have set up to school year round already and I think it will have been an excellent choice. May I ask, do you homeschool under a Charter or ISP? If so, are you able to school year round with their support?
  19. Thanks JenneinAZ! We are in CA, so we have quite a bit of latitude :thumbup1: ETA: I just noticed from your siggie that you're in CA also :001_smile: Thoughts....should I cross-post this to the General Ed Board?
  20. Our 11 yo DD has been riding regularly since the age of 6. This is definitely her passion - we are not a horse family, this comes entirely from her and she has been persistent and dedicated. Over the past year she has become involved at a 'serious' riding academy, has been taken under the wing of an elite trainer and is being fast-tracked for competition – the ‘barn’ has very high hopes for her and are investing a lot of time and resources in her training and development as an equestrian (we pay for about 1/3 of the time she actually gets). There is a cadre of girls like her (most of them older, but they were in her shoes just a few years ago) who work hard at the barn, train and compete diligently and consistently go on to very high levels of competition – there is definitely an establisedh track to develop and promote the talent there and she is on it. DD already works around the barn to help out - exercising horses, building jumps, pitching in as needed to help lessons run etc. in exchange for the extra time. She will begin serious competition in February and her coach anticipates she’ll be ready for state championships by the end of the season. We are ready to accommodate this, but it means that the study schedule we had set up at the beginning of the year (including numerous outsourced classes) will not work going forward. I’d like to get changes in place before we finish winter break. …which means I’ve got some juggling to do. We believe in her - one of the main reasons we chose to homeschool was to help our children discover their passions and support their pursuit of same. And now it is happening. And so we need to adjust to this new, unexpected reality. As well, this is just our 2nd year of homeschooling so we’re still just getting our footing. We lean more towards Classical / CM in our approach…textbooks and pre-fab curriculum make my heart drop with a sick thud. DD is enrolled in an HS Charter, but even that feels constrictive and I think we’re going to let it go, at least until we see where things are when high school gets a bit closer. As a family, we're not really 'inside-the-lines' people :001_smile: DD is a good student and, for the most part, is a responsible, mature child (she's just 11 after all). She works well independently and will essentially do as she is asked where studies are concerned. She is very bright but not what I would call super-ambitious or especially curious with her book studies….but she does like to do a good job….she takes pride in her work and likes to do well. She does a TON of free-reading, is very creative artistically. She's a strong writer. She IS very ambitious, disciplined and committed to riding. She is humble with her trainer, kind to other riders, learns quickly and is constantly trying to improve. We have been blessed with a really great kid. In my mind, I've been trying to boil down my questions to something manageable and answerable...what is it that I really want to know? What help do I need to ask the boards for? In a nutshell, I suppose it's this....how much wiggle room do I have with my Middle Schooler? Ideally I would like her to have the time, space and absence of pressure to start her first season of competing on the best footing possible while still getting adequate rest and continuing to ‘keep up’ academically and be sure she's ready to take on high school....while still leaving doors open if her interest shifts or if other changes happen? Not to mention ensuring she has time to be a kid and to stay plugged in and connected to our very tight family..... How do I do this? How can I best organize her (and our) time to ensure she continues to have an excellent education while seeing where the riding takes her in 7th and 8th Grade? I also HS our 8 yo DS and run the family business, so time is definitely a factor. I have lots left to say, but at this point I’d love any initial input and would welcome questions that would make the task of shuffling DDs studies a bit easier. Thanks in advance....
  21. Thank you attaboygirl! Really helpful :-). Will take a closer look and may be back with questions. I am right there with you vis a vis pronunciation. My kids correct mine all the time, even though (I'm told) I speak French well. BTW I see you are using Wayfarers.....we are using it to and just love it! I have several pieces of Barefoot Ragamuffin curricula and have been so pleased. If ever you do find a suitable online option for your DD id be all ears - that's what I'd hoped to find, but it seems near impossible. Another forum member mentioned The Potter's School - her DS is enrolled in an online advanced French course there. I'm not able to link just now but will do so later if you're interested. Slache - I looked at Easy French....it looks great but sadly it won't work for us because of the accent, which (from what I heard on the sample lessons) is much closer to a French Canadian accent than a European accent. It is very different from ours and would definitely be confusing for the kids... They are native speakers so what I really need is help to keep that going plus equip them with brass tacks such as grammar etc. Really too bad as it looks like a lovely program. ETA : I just did a quick search on Amazon.ca and they offer CLE products at a much lower price! We have friends and family there and arrangements could be made! I'm on the hunt 😀😀
  22. I would be really interested in knowing more about these programs.....we are a bilingual home - DH is French, I am an anglophone who falls into the pretty-fluent-ish category, and both DCs (Grade 6 and Grade 3) are bilingual. Until just last year, both DCs were in a private, French-American school. Since beginning homeschooling in 2014, we've not been able to find a solution for French instruction and CLE sounds promising....it sounds fairly all-in-one. Although I've been able to read through the materials on their Web-site, I'm unclear as to what materials we need for a 'complete' curriculum and how I should place the kids within the program. Any suggestions? I'd ask DH to help me figure it out, but he is up to his earlobes in work right now and while he is a huge supporter, he has not been able to contribute to the homeschool effort to any degree. Thanks for any further guidance you might provide!
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