Beircheart
-
Posts
30 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Classifieds
Store
Posts posted by Beircheart
-
-
My son just started college, taking one class over the summer so he could train with his team (gymnast) and is now in full force.
1. How difficult was it to make sure all classes were accredited? Meaning, the online school our son attended last year was fully accredited.
My kids had to suffer with me designing/teaching/grading the whole shebang. Nobody at university seemed to care. They were more concerned with topics covered; so many math credits, so many English credits, foreign language credits, etc. His ACT scores jived nicely with the grades I awarded. One university did admit that they perform deeper investigations, requiring samples of student work, if HS grades are straight As while SAT/ACT scores are below average, and rightfully so.
The NCAA were another matter. It was an awful experience and they were very upfront about being far more rigorous (read that as pig-headed, please) than they are for traditional students. They have their own form for home school classes and each and every class, for all four years, requires its own form. In the end I'd created a novella for them and they still hemmed and hawed. If you have to interact with them, start a good year in advance because they are very hard on home schoolers and refuse to use common sense or to move with any sense of urgency.
2. How hard was it to create a transcript for your child?
For the colleges, as easy as making a table in MS Word. I included year, semester, course title, text books along with ISBNs, brief description, grade, and credits per class.
3. Did your child have a hard time getting accepted into a college?
Got accepted at every college applied to, save one, without reservation. That one college was very frank about being the only large state college available and so out of state students had a hard time due to the thousands of in-state students vying for a spot.
It did help that he did well on his ACT. It also helped that he took a couple of dual credit courses at the local university so he had a collegiate track record. Then again, anything that gives your child a competitive edge will help.
4. How did you keep up with everything? Meaning, what was or is the most efficient way of making sure all is completed as it should be throughout these years.
I didn't have too much difficulty. I kept record of what he took and "cheated" by looking online at local schools (private schools are pretty good about posting on their websites what credits are needed and what year to take what classes). In the end, I made sure his final transcript had all the right classes with right number of credits.
-
We sent our daughter to a wait-listed fine arts academy this year. She lasted 4 weeks and asked to return to home schooling. Hope you have better luck.
-
My 11 year old 5th grader simply CANNOT master his math facts. I'm at a loss.
We've spent five years doing flashcards. Two years of no progress with xtramath, then switched to a one year subscription to Reflex Math. It didn't help either and now we're back to xtramath, I've increased his time to give him 6 seconds to respond and he still misses the majority of them. We've gone through the Five Times Five is Not Ten book. We've skip counted, we've skip counted to music, we've listened to multiplication facts set to music. Nothing sticks. We've taken a break from his math curriculum and just focused on memorizing facts, but after long periods of no progress I felt like we had to just move forward, so I gave him a multiplication chart to use and we picked back up with our curriculum.
He understands the process of multiplication, the recall just isn't there. He has to count up in his head for almost every problem. He can do grade level math, but even with just giving him a laminated multiplication chart to use, he's slllloooow. A math page that should take 15 minutes takes him an hour. He's not goofing off or spacing out- it genuinely just takes him that long to process the numbers, it seems. Math ends up taking us an inordinate amount of time. I'm reluctant to set the timer for 40 minutes and just have him get done what he can do in that time because he would quickly get further behind than what is acceptable for our needs.
It has become such a source of tension that I wish I could just hire someone else to come in and do math with him daily so that I could wash my hands of it, but that's not an option. I know not to compare children, but his struggle is even more apparent and obvious when his little sister started xtramath and within a few months has gotten farther along than he has gotten in several years of work. He sees how easily it comes to her and it just disheartens him more.
I don't know what else to do. Do I just have to accept that this is how he is with math or is there something else out there that I haven't tried?
Maybe you do need to accept that is how he is with math. Don't give up and certainly don't allow it to become a source of misery in both your lives. But, if that is how he is just help him maximize the potential he has. It certainly does not mean higher concepts in math are beyond him.
I'm 50+ with an engineering degree and a math minor. What you describe as your son at math is exactly how I did math and in a lot of instances, still do. No amount of flash cards, games, or memorizing times tables helped me one bit.
Origionally, the numbers were drawn so that you could count angles and endpoints when adding and subtracting. I discovered ways to use the shapes of numbers to count out math problems because Sister Mary Holywater would pitch a fit if I was caught counting on my fingers. I never have seen a link to using the shape of the number to count on, but there must be one somewhere since that's how they started out.
Addendum: I piqued my own curiosity so I found a site: http://www.slideshare.net/ghael0625/origin-of-numbers
-
1
-
-
To my wife: I just read a post about being wistful. Is there someting wrong with me that I don't feel that?
Wife: You mean aside from being a guy? No, you're good.
-
4
-
-
My son tries to do complex problems in his head. What helped him was to mandate he write out all steps, skipping none, and show all work. So 3^4 would be:
3^4 =
3x3x3x3=
9x9=
81
Just so PEMDAS (order of operations rules), become:
(4^2 + (24 / 3 + 3^2)) =
(4^2 + (24 / 3 + 3 x 3)) =
(4^2 + (24 / 3 + 9)) =
(4^2 + (8 + 9)) =
(4^2 + 17) =
4x4+17=
16 + 17 =
33
Tedious? Yes! But it makes problem solving the same as following a cooking recepie. Eventually it becomes habit and the pace really picks up. At least it did for us.
-
One summer, I bought a small book of basic "story problems" to work on over the break. It was a huge help!
-
Take heart! I am still finishing off last years work and am dividing chemistry into chem 1 and chem 2. We do sports. My son does it a LOT! Life is all about trade-offs. More of this nearly always means less of that. Just how it is! More learning time can come to mean less childhood time. They have the rest of their lives to fill in any gaps educationally. Once childhood is over all they can do is look back with either joy or regret. So the questions to ask are 1) are they enjoying their childhood and 2) are they preparing for their adulthood. You say they are learning so there's that answered. What say you to #1?
Besides, being well educated means a lot more than simply knowing a bunch of stuff. Learning how to learn is more important and knowing what it means to be morally sound is more important still.
-
Peter Pan, Robinson Carouso, Treasure Island, are all good books to read to young boys. They'd be a dreadful chore for them to try and read for themselves at that age.
-
We just wrapped up HS Geometry. My take on it is it reinforces Algebra 1 concepts, it teaches deconstruction of complex problems into step-by-step processes, and it trains the mind to logically approach problem solving.
Most of the pain associated with it stemed from proofs. There is a LOT to memorize in order to really do a proof. I hated proofs when I took it in HS. My wife (PhD engineer) hated proofs. My son loved the application parts. He hated what little he did of proofs (we steared fairly clear).
Obviously, my recommendation is to cover the application stuff, focus on building solutions to problems or conducting an investigation into a subject from the ground up asking, "OK. What do I know and where can I go?" (a sort of mathematical Socratic method), and take a very casual approach to proofs. But hey, that's just one man's opinion!
-
1
-
-
Your kids -> Your rules. Just be sure you have well thought out explanations/justifications for why you want things they way you want them.
-
1
-
-
If you are that far out, I perhaps eroneously am assuming you have a bit of land. Boys like projects. Is it feasable to have him build a treehouse or other form of personal retreat for himself/sibs?
-
My daughter and I have ADD without Hyperactivity. In HS mine went undiagnosed. Mine was/is relatively mild and at the time I was a bit of a punk so everyone just chalked it up to bad attitude. For me, I'd physically be reading the words but mentally I was absant so it was like I didn't read them at all. I did come up with a few strategies on my own back then so here is what got me through:
1) I read in lots of short bursts, stopping often to summarize in my head what I had just read. There were days I'd have to stop and sum up every 5 minutes.
2) If I read in long sessions I forced myself to re-read and re-read until I got it. There were days I read the same paragraph 4 or 5 times.
3) I read aloud. I made sure no one else could hear me. This led to other benefits down the road but at the time, yuk!
4) Perhaps the most helpful was that I read summaries such as cliff notes, spark, etc. before I read the material. There were two benefits to this. The first was that I had guide posts to help keep me aware of where I was in the story. The second was, since I went to a brick and morter school, that if I didn't read the material I could skate by as if I did. I know, not really a benefit, unless you are 15 and struggling! And I did freely admit earlier to being a bit of a punk at that time of my life.
5) Maybe it was puberty causing the fluctuations but some days were definately worse than others (though that is still the case and I'm 50 now!). On many occasions I simply had to blow it off entirely because it just wasn't going to happen. So another important strategy I learned was to know when it was time to walk away, be OK with that, and not view it as some sort of failure. Unfortunately that made 5 1/2 necessary.
5 1/2) I had to suck it up and come back again and again until I got through it.
6) I split my time between stuff I had to read and stuff I wanted to read. It really helped to make it through stuff I had no interest at all in reading to have plots and characters elsewhere I actually found engaging.
Now the good news. I now love reading! I enjoy mysteries, classics, poetry, everything (except roomance; probably a guy-thing). It still takes me a month or maybe two to get through a book but, away from time-pressured assigned reading, who gives a hoot!? It is really enjoyable and since it does take a bit more effort for me it is a labour of love. As I grew older and became more self disciplined, less willing to cut myself slack (the Army helped with that!), and developing the attitude of this is who I am so deal with it, things became much easier. When I finally did go to college, I still worked and read very slow but accepted the extra effort as part of being me and did rather well. Sure, the time-pressured requirements were still there and tests were a nightmare since I could never finish them, but even then I had figured out ways to meet the requirements on my own terms. Everyone's situation is different so I would never presume to say since this is how it was for me this must be how it will go for everyone. Still, there is always hope your daughter will settle into her own reading groove in her and God's good time.
As for not enjoying Lit., and I say this in love and compassion, she's young. To be honest, most kids are not into Lit. and I often question its appropriateness for them. It is a chore, not a choice. I dig it now but at 15, 16, 17? Oh Heck No! If the barbarians weren't quaffing ale and brawling, starships weren't blowing each other up, or rogues weren't wenching, I was not interested! On the other hand, seeds were sewn that grew into fruition later down the road.
-
5
-
-
A Seperate Peace is not a bad read for boys. Hatchet is OK too but 1) really isn't a classic and 2) is more on the 6 - 7 grade reading level.
As a side note: I had to read Catcher in the Rye in HS. To this day it rates as one of the worst books I've ever read but many consider it a classic.
-
Doesn't matter if the transcript says it's "Official'. Doesn't matter if it's notarized. Doesn't matter if it's got the right wording saying I certify it's official. Doesn't matter that two colleges accepted our daughter's similar transcript as official. They won't accept my homeschool transcripts as a form of id for my boys to get their driver's permits.
The lady asked, "Well you have to have some sort of approval from the state to homeschool, right?" No, in Minnesota, we do not. We only have to send in a letter of intent. "Well, you must turn in grades somewhere?" No, in MN, if I have a bachelor's degree, I do not have to turn in grades. "Well, someone must approve your curriculum." No, no one approves our curriculum.
Any ideas?
I can't find their SS cards and the ironic thing is, to get SS cards replaced, I need two forms of id and one form they'll accept is a driver's permit or license which I can't get because they don't have their SS card!
Is it possible to get a letter, on official letterhead of course, from whomever you submitted the letter of intent with the simple statement "Jeanne in MN has met all requirements necessary to homeschool <student's name> in the state of MN." I'm sure they have a rubberstamp for something like that.
Also, it may just be as simple as going back and working with a different clerk or demanding to speak to supervisors. Printouts of the state requirements might prove helpful as well.
-
If he was more into physics, maybe Astronomy. If biology was more interesting perhaps A & P. Not meaning to sound condescending, but HS Psychology courses are not near as demanding yet still considered a science.
As for computers: there is often a distinction between computer programming and computer science. Programming is learning a specific language (JAVA, C++, PERL, etc.), its vocabulary, and its syntax. Computer science is more about algorythm logic or computer design and operation (assembly languages, bits, bytes, digital logic, etc.). I can't imagine web design would be considered as meeting a stand alone Science or Tech requirement unless bundlend into either of the other two categories. Just my personal preference, of the two, Computer Programming vs. Computer Science, Programming is far more enjoyable. I'd recommend looking at what local brick and morter schools are offering in computers, how they are classified and if they lean one direction or the other.
Given his acheivements and ambitious schedule, I second the suggestion to get him involved in the decision. Picking up on coffeegal's point of schools requiring 3 or 4 science credits, if it is 3 and he has that coverd, consider programming anyway. Computers are here to stay so knowing how to make them work for you is becomming a must. Even if he doesn't ever code in whatever language he learns, he'll be able to cludge together scripts for applications such as MatLab, LabView, and even make better Excel spreadsheets; all of which are fairly common in industry these days.
-
My two cents is to not give up on Lit. Bear in mind that Lit. isn't about just reading books. That's what Ms. Marple, Harry Potter, and graphic novels (I remember when they were called comic books!) are for. True Lit. says something about humanity; our beauty of character as well as our foibles. Also, much of what civilization is today stems from Lit. serving as the model.
Praise of the characters' strengths or ridicule of ther idiocy is pretty important. If your daughter wants to vent her frustration over the story, unrealistic characters, absolutley wacky author perspectives, or so on, let her. Just insist she back it up with examples and as good or better alternatives: "Well, how would have written Mr. Darcey to behave?" "Well, how about not act like a snobbish jerk!"
I've always thought books are best discussed.
Finally, I would be negligent if I didn't point out that not every assignment in school or in the workplace is enjoyable. That doesn't mean they can go undone. Echoing others who recommeded exploring root causes for the difficulty, I can't say simply avoiding the syptomatic requirement will result in long-term benefits to your daughter. If, in the end, reading really isn't going to get the job done, fall back on audio books as a last resort. As I began with, where Lit. is concerned it is all about the ideas conveyed not slogging through words on a page. That still leaves the question of why getting through those words is such a chore to be answered.
-
1
-
-
You might find more information by searching on Kinetic Books Physics or doing a separate post with that title. There have been a few sporadic postings about this program but I couldn't find any good threads with reviews. One of the reasons it's not very popular here is that the publisher will not sell a Solutions Manual to homeschoolers. This should not be problem if you're taking the course through Kolbe. I believe 8FillstheHeart's son used this program and was pleased with it.
Here's one review that might be helpful.
That was very helpful, thanks! My son is wrapping up 9th grade (yes, we are still at it even at this late date!) and is taking Chem. Initially I was thinking of holding off of Physics intil 12th, perhaps at a community college (thinking out loud here) so he could get Calculs I under his belt and co-consume Calculus II as he is taking a Calculus based Physics course. The review you posted has me rethinking that approach.
Honesty, sometimes planning highschool courses feels more like planning military offensives!
-
I deliberately point out inappropriate language when Peter stumbles upon it. When we were buddy reading James and the Giant Peach, Peter read the word ass and kept right on going, but at the end of the paragraph I made a point of discussing uses and abuses of that word.
I find he is much less likely to start using inappropriate words if I discuss them with him frankly rather than glossing over them and hoping he doesn't notice.
Wendy
Though none of my kids have shown any interest in the Inkheart books, I would like to chime in that we, too, point out unacceptable language and/or situations as they present themselves. In fact, borrowing from Harry Potter, whenever inappropriate language pops up we immediately announce "Scourgify!" (for those who have not read Potter it is semi-synonymous with "Wash your mouth out with soap!") It is really funny to hear my kids, though my moody-broody teen son has since decided he's too cool to continue, burst out with that phrase from the back seat of the car. It has made for good lessons and good memories!
-
2
-
-
Is anyone familiar with Principles of Physics by Perfection Learning? I can't seem to find reviews. Personally, I've never heard of it before but that is what Kolbe Academy uses and Kolbe is my son's HS.
Thanks,
B.
-
Homeschool Mom in AZ, on 12 Jan 2015 - 11:37 AM, said:Dishwashers are designed for people who don't eat and cook 3 meals a day at home. If they were, they'd have faster cycles and far more space.Who hasn't heard this one, "If it is a dish washer, how come we have to wash the dishes before we put them in?"
-
Though not hard core science, my kids love Mythbusters. The show is quirky but the science is typically solid. There are a few episodes with suggestive stuff in them, moderate to frequent BEEEEEEP edits, but overall it is generally kid friendly. Naturally, that is just my opinion.
-
Seems the number one answer, and I'll climb aboard ship, is it doesn't all get done. Here's how I get the most done (BTW this is a male perspective as I am the home parent):
1) I make daily assignment sheets and hand them out first thing in the morning. I don't care if the work gets done by noon or if the kids are up till 2 AM, that's the days work, get it done. Clean rooms (OK, non-biohazard rooms) and chores are understood to be included.
2) The kids are responsible for their own study. My first question has always been (we started home schooling in third grade), "Show me where you looked to find the answer."
3) I don't grade everything. I spot check. Conversations over material supposedly studied tells me if they know it or not in general. The spot checking picks up the slack.
4) I make one sit down meal in the late afternoon. Since my kids are older, their evenings and nights are horrendous! Other meals...they are on their own. I taught them how to cook basics (grilled cheese, hot ham and swiss, pancakes, eggs, bacon, oatmeal). Even when younger we had one "decent" meal with me making PBJs, cereal, coldcuts, and the like filling in the gaps. The slow cooker is my friend and quick casaroles round it all out.
5) My calendar is the next best thing to a decree from heaven. If I didn't write it down, it didn't happen or I was never told. Either make sure I have written it down or keep track of it yourself! Honestly, conversations around here often begin with, "Dad, I need you to get your book out!"
6) Other than school, the squeeky wheel gets oiled. Some days that is marathon laundry, others it is the mail that wasn't squeeking loud enough over the past two weeks.
7) I do not repeat myself.
-
I struggled with the Latin issue for quite some time. Sometimes I would think it should be a cornerstone to my homeschooling and would beat myself up for not incorporating it. Other times, I simply could not justify it. I am currently in the anti-Latin mood and honestly believe that’s where I’ll stay. My problems with it are, while any knowledge is useful and precious, its overall relevance in the modern world has diminished to the point where, in my mind, it simply doesn’t add enough value to justify its inclusion.
Latin was once the language of science. Scholarly papers were written in Latin, symposiums held in Latin, and so on. That simply is not the case any longer. If it were, my kids would have been studying Latin since kindergarten! As it is, the only places I can point to where Latin mastery remains essential is Law, though from discussions I’ve had with lawyers it seems debatable how essential it is there anymore, Theology and Classics. Even in those pursuits Latin is critical only if they be taken on as life callings; at the doctorate levels. In all other pursuits, even acknowledging many terms have Latin origins, the need to study the language in depth is no longer critical. It is hard for me to justify wrestling with a language which less than 1% of vocations require fluency or even proficiency.
The most common reason I hear cited for Latin is its positive impact on vocabulary. I appreciate that as truth, but are the gains really that significant? There are studies showing Latin trained youngsters typically do better on SAT tests. No argument here! I do have to wonder, though, if the difference is due to the language being studied or more to the level of effort students need put into learning it and, still more importantly, the investment in education parents need posses to ensure it happened. To my mind, that is critical! I have no doubt that non-Latin trained youths who worked hard at their studies and who had invested parents holding high expectations and standards also typically score higher than average on these tests.
I personally don’t know any Latin at all, but I still have an ample armament of words in my vocabulary arsenal. My spelling is typically better than most and I have been told that I write rather well, too. All the aforementioned skills were gained in the greatest part from my love of reading. My daughter also has an immense verbal store and she, too, is a voracious reader. My son’s word-bag is much lighter because, I feel, he does not enjoy reading near as much as we and avoids it when he can. My point is, reading is at least an equal if not a greater vocabulary-building exercise than is the study of Latin and when it comes right down to it, I’d rather my kids be well read than possess a smattering of Latin.
The final pro-Latin argument I want to address is the critical thinking nature inherent to the language. Again, there can be no denying that is true. My counter to that, however, is that math, chemistry, physics, and biology all depend on critical thinking and analysis. These courses are intimidating to many and oft are marginally taught. If the same level of effort is put into self-learning and subsequently teaching these as Latin requires, anyone can hold court, so to speak, at a very demanding level in those hard science fields. For those of us who are teaching philosophy, rhetoric, and theology, critical thinking skills are honed there as well. In truth, the ability to critically think, speak, and write should be such a foundation to all class work that what Latin could add to an already brimming cup seems trivial.
In the end I realized, and this is simply my personal perspective as, in truth, has been all the preceding, that my emotional tie to Latin was simply that. It was a romantic sentiment paid in homage to what the language once was. My idealized notion of what it meant to be a well-educated person changed. I grieved. Then, I moved on.
By no means am I belittling Latin or trying to discourage anyone from personally pursuing it or from introducing it to their children. No harm has ever been done in the growth of knowledge! My purpose is not to dissuade but provide an alternative view regarding including Latin in any curriculum for those who may want to exclude it. There are very few leave-it-out perspectives floating around as I discovered from my own investigations. I simply wanted to share one man’s perspective. I want to reassure others who decide to leave it out that just as no harm can be done from including Latin, none will be done by excluding it either.
-
We LOVE the old VIE! It's funny how something that is a terrible fit for one person, is such a great fit for others :)
I'll note that we only use the grammar portion - not really the composition parts.
It really is funny. Kolbe Academy, the mast to which we have pinned my son's high school colors, uses it. Probably why I tried it that second time, upon reflection. My kids actually would laugh at the books’ frequent use of a word they were defining within the definition, knowing that to be a pet peeve of mine. I think they’d point it out just to watch my head explode! Gotta love the little critters!
Still, lots of folks love it and swear it is a fantastic grammar book. I think that's great and appropriate. I thank God we are not all the same. I'm fairly certain I'd get into a fistfight with me pretty quickly!
Creative ways for kids to voice frustration
in The Chat Board
Posted
Part of being 9 is learning what is and is not appropriate in various social contexts. I've no doubt ALL kids use a drastically different vocab hanging out with their friends than they do at home with us stodgy parentals. Even now my eldest, when home from college, is a bit more colorful, though still reserved, in speech with dear old dad (me, btw) that when within earshot of his mother. Aside from pointing this fact of life out, I don't think it sounds like much of an issue: a live-and-learn, experience sort of thing.