eternallytired
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Posts posted by eternallytired
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I couldn't find a workbook I liked, either. I didn't want too much practice on each letter, but the one workbook I tried had too little practice, so the kids were frustrated. It said "Beginning Cursive" but seemed to be more like a fast review. I ended up making my own worksheets using this free website. I liked the fact that I could make the font whatever size I wanted (big at the beginning, and smaller as they got better), and I could do just the amount of repetition I thought they needed. I used the general sequence from several cursive books I saw online (you can usually see the table of contents for the workbooks on the RR site).
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Yep, that's why we switched to Beast, too--ODS gets annoyed when a curric makes him do too much repetition and he kept wanting more/harder material. We use Beast as our main curric, but I do like the way that Prodigy keeps all those other concepts from getting rusty. A lot of people seem to use Beast for the problem solving aspect and use a standard curric for their main material, either because they don't want to force the problem solving too much on a kid who gets overwhelmed by the challenge (that would be my DD!) or because they like the integrated review of other programs.
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My 7 yo is absolutely OBSESSED with Prodigy. It's a free online RPG (though you can have more pets/stuff if you pay) where you are a wizard and have to answer a math question to take your turn in battles to complete quests. It's actually pretty good strategy work, too, since you have to figure out what type of creature and spell is best to use in what situation. I love that it cycles through the whole gamut of math stuff, from story problems to comparing fractions to long division, so he's constantly reviewing (or learning) all kinds of things. He adores both the math and the strategy. We're only in BA3C, but since math comes intuitively, he's been able to figure out a lot of extra stuff he's encountered in Prodigy--and it actually slowed him down quite a bit. (Since I let him do some gaming every day, he hasn't been doing as many pages of BA--though he was only doing a book every two months, not every month like yours!)
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Also consider Easter songs--a perfect occasion to sing for joy, and lots of options!
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Mine seemed to go hand-in-hand, with reading slightly ahead and progressing more quickly. All three of mine started trying to write letters shortly after starting to sound things out on their own. The more they got excited about reading, the more letters they wrote. But the reading definitely gained ground faster...though it could be because they were all early readers to one degree or another, so the fine motor was not quite there yet.
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Who would you have screen him for ASD or sensory issues? The pedis keep telling me he's growing and seems bright, so there's no issue. I'm not sure where else to go.
So far in the past 3 years, I've shelled out big bucks to see a pediatric allergist, a pediatric gastroenterologist, and now this sleep study, and all of them smile patronizingly and tell me there is no problem. I actually offered to send him home for a week with the (world-renowned, BTW) gastroenterologist, who said, "All kids wake at night--my grandson wakes at least once or twice a night. It's a phase." Thank you, sir, for helping with my child who has been waking at least five times if not ten for the past four months. (That's when he was about 10 mos.) Yes, it's just like your grandson. ARGH!
The sleep study was NOT the first time in three years that he had STTN. He gradually improved from 12 mos (when I started the supplements) to waking 1-3 times a night by 2 or so, and at 3 would occasionally STTN. Then he got worse. At the sleep study, we brought our own pillow and blankets, our own sound machine and music... Basically they provided a bed--AND I slept in the room. I think that was huge. When he spends the night at my mom's, she sleeps in the room so she doesn't miss him waking, and she says he will occasionally sit up and check if she's really there and then go back to sleep. So maybe this sleeping business is a phase.
I guess I just figured that the toddler years were tough, but he would gradually improve...but instead I feel like he has measurably deteriorated in all areas over the past year. His screaming, his sensitivity, his eating, his sleeping--they're all worse than last year at this time. It's disheartening. I kept telling myself, "Once he's four, things will be easier." But it looks like they won't. And I feel like his issues are really putting a strain on the whole family.
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I've pretty much given up on the medical community, but I'm holding out one last hope that Dr. Hive will pull through for me. I'm looking for anything that can help me effectively parent my soon-to-be-four-year-old. I'll try to give his life summary as briefly as I can in case it's helpful.
- Full term, very fussy at birth but we discovered within days that I was hardly producing milk. He was allergic to several formulas and ended up on Nutramigen, which we had to thicken with oatmeal or it came right back up. Doc also prescribed reflux meds. He was then a super happy, laid-back baby. Everyone commented on how happy and easy he was.
- Started reaching for solids around 6 mos, so we let him have mushed fruits and veggies, graham crackers. About a month later, he started sleeping horribly--waking 5-10 times a night arching and writhing. He went from happy and content to perpetually grumpy and screamy. He continued this pattern for about 6 mos. Had an endoscopy and an allergy test, both of which came out clean. Every doc we saw said it was a phase. I journaled everything I could think to track, and we couldn't find any patterns. We also tried eliminating gluten and dairy for a couple weeks with absolutely no effect.
- Went to a vitamin store in desperation and bought their recommended items--probiotic and digestive enzymes (plant-based). He gradually started sleeping better, progressing only waking a few times at night and sleeping on his own between-time again within a month. He continued to be screamy and grumpy, though, going from playing happily to throwing a fit instantly.
Currently:
- I gradually weaned him off his supplements this year, but I questioned that for a while because he woke increasingly from October-end of Dec, at which point he was waking hourly starting around 11. But we did a sleep study mid-December AND HE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT. They said he has no issues. Suddenly this week he's only waking 2-3 times, but he's crankier than ever.
- He has a consistent bedtime (7 pm) and a calming routine (brush teeth, read, pray, lights out). He's now in his own room because he was waking his brother so much. He doesn't get out of bed, just wakes up and calls me. No bad dreams, no consistent issues. (Sometimes potty, sometimes drink, sometimes blankie on, sometimes a snuggle... Mostly I think he doesn't know why he's up.) He doesn't nap. He's awake by 6 am.
- He's always either shrieking with laughter or screaming with anger--he has pretty much no middle ground when it comes to interacting with others. (He can play calmly on his own, though. And he seems more even-keel when he's slept well.)
- He's also become an increasingly picky eater over the past couple years, to the point where he eats peanut butter toast almost exclusively. I've now got him smelling different foods and choosing one to touch to his tongue at every meal, but that's been an uphill battle.
- He's very sensitive to touch. He always wails as if desperately injured if someone bumps him (and requires a bandaid, which can then NEVER be removed until it's causing a sore of its own), shoves other kids who try to hug him unexpectedly, is very upset about the sensation of having a BM, and he doesn't like to wash his hands or drink from an open cup. If he does the latter, he drinks all he wants in one long gulp and demands to have his mouth wiped instantly. He's even taken to wiping his mouth on his sleeve after each bite of PB toast.
- He's 95th%ile on the growth charts for both height and weight (which shocks me given that I estimated his daily calorie intake to average around 900 calories). He's developmentally on-target, he can be super sweet and charming, and he's generally well-behaved. He even has excellent social skills--he CAN play very nicely with others and have great give-and-take, and he tries to negotiate EVERYTHING (future politician? salesman?) and is sometimes obviously aware of how his voice and facial expression have an effect--but often it's like something overrides those skills and he hits and screams instead. More than anything, he CANNOT handle any change in his world, whether its a new situation, a change in plans, being contradicted/corrected, or even transitioning from one activity to another. These can all spark long screaming fits.
I have asked the last three pediatricians we've had (we moved and then our new guy retired), and all of them pretty much scratched their heads or said he seemed bright and there was no issue. The newest one (saw her late December) kept saying how bright he was and how big he was and suggested preschool or daycare, saying her daughter behaved the same and was much better once someone else was caring for her--it was a parenting issue. She suggested a counselor for my parenting. DH was livid. I was willing to try since perhaps a different technique is needed with this personality, but DH is wary of counselors.
If any of you have had a kid like this and can give me suggestions of resources you found helpful, I will be eternally grateful. I'm tired of being shouted at all day. The other kids are tired of wondering what will set him off (both of them have recently--and separately--voiced a wish that he wasn't in our family, which makes me sad). I know he's little, but he's far more volatile than either of the other two, and I'm not sure how to help him handle his big emotions.
TIA for your input.
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Our dance teacher recommended RevolutionDance.com or DiscountDance.com as having good quality products at reasonable prices. (There's a code for 10% off your first order that I can give you if you find something at the latter.)
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1. Going out and about for the first two days. My flow is so heavy on those days that I have to empty my cup at least once an hour, and this is an enormous improvement over pre-cup periods. I even get up in the middle of the night to do it. Hence, I have to stay close to a toilet, and usually I figure it's not worth the stress to travel.
This. I got the cup because I'd go through a super-plus tampon AND a "heavy" pad in an hour on those first couple days. Now I can at least get an hour...but I avoid anything but brief outings on the first two days if I can help it. I guess that's better than bad cramps, though, so I'll take it. I used to get bad cramps occasionally--ones that would not only feel awful but would trigger diarrhea. That was pretty wretched if they hit unexpectedly while I was out.
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I downloaded a whole bunch of the books when I first started using it because of this very fear!
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I've been pretty happy with what I used for the first two, so I'll probably keep it pretty much the same:
Math - RightStart
Language Arts - Depends on what he's ready for. The older two learned to read pretty organically before this point, and he's looking the same. If so, lots of read-alouds and free-reading.
Spelling - If he's already a solid reader, I'll move on to AAS to solidify phonics for at least a couple levels.
Handwriting - Getty-Dubay again, the first two books
Writing - Probably at least some of IEW's Bible Heroes if he's ready for some writing. The whole year felt like too much, but I think if I spread it out more or condense the concepts...
Science - BFSU plus extra hands-on
History - I'm inventing my own as I go along, using Usborne's encyclopedia as a guide.
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I absolutely adore RightStart, especially level B. The games, the incremental, hands-on building of knowledge... Both of my kids who went through it so far have an awesome grasp of fundamental math concepts. ODS moved on to Beast with no trouble after level C; DD wasn't ready for "hard" yet, so she ended up on Singapore. RS is pricey, though, especially if you buy the whole manipulatives kit and can't find used.
Math Mammoth was too visually overwhelming for my kids, even when I tried covering up some of the page like folks suggested. (The font is pretty small and thus things are pretty packed together.) The price sure is great, though, so if it works for you, have at it!
Singapore's Primary Mathematics books are the same method as Math Mammoth, just with more white space and some puzzles and cartoons inserted. My workbook-y daughter loves them. (And you don't have to get all the different books if you don't want to--you can start with just the workbook and textbook, or also get the Home Instructor Guide if you would like a walk-through of how to introduce concepts.)
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Also consider if he's an introvert or extrovert. My introverted 7 yo has no desire to be on a team sport because there are simply too many people for his liking. (Though he did try two seasons of soccer--of which he enjoyed the post-game snack the most.) On the other hand, he loves swimming, jogging, and riding his bike (got him a bike speedometer which really made him obsessed). He recently salvaged some wood from a fence someone had taken down, and he spent several hours happily hammering and sawing away today. He pours himself into playing his guitar. He is obsessed with Prodigy. He spends hours creating towns or entire continents out of wooden train tracks/Duplos/Legos/wooden blocks. He can get engrossed in Snap Circuits or K'nex Education kits.
Any day it's not thunderstorming, we all walk/bike/jog the .75 miles Grandma's house (and back home again later). I also encourage the kids to play outside for as much of the day as possible. I think the fresh air, sunshine, and exercise are wonderful for everyone, but especially for growing bodies. For him, though, organized sports aren't needed, just energy outlets on his own and lots to engage his creative mind.
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Right Start might be right up his alley. Lots of hands-on and game playing, and very brief, to-the-point worksheets when needed.
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Yep, in RightStart the kids would be taught to add up the tens, then add up the ones and find the total. 20+40=60, 8+3=11, and 60+11=71...so 28+43=71. It's taught that way because you're more likely to need to add numbers mentally like that in real life, when you can't sit down and write up a nice column.
On the other hand, I've noticed my sister's girls coming home from school without having things adequately explained--particularly in math, since curricula often mandate that the child be taught several ways of solving each problem--or simply with misunderstandings of the explanation. If no one has explained it in a way the child understood (and given a good reason for it, for pity's sake--since there IS a good reason!), no wonder the poor kid is confused.
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It has to be somewhat intrinsic. My mom and my sister are the born-organized types; I am not. It's not that my sister and I had different training or what-have-you. I'm not sure if they're just more efficient with their use of time (they seem to be always purposefully on the go, though not harried at all--and instead I flutter from one thing to another, constantly getting sidetracked), better at keeping on top of the little things that add up... I've always been a bit messy. When I was a kid, my mom finally resorted to keeping my bedroom door closed because even if she had me clean it, my room seemed to attract clutter instantly. Even now, I'm pretty good at keeping things CLEAN, but not so much de-cluttered. As for that, my mom and sister are constantly getting rid of things (and sometimes regretting their haste), while I hang onto a lot of stuff thinking I'll get around to using it sometime...
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National Geographic Geography Bee produces a good apps that Alex likes. There are several levels, including a 'masters'. It is called GeoBee.
Eta: the name of the app:)
You may have just made my oldest's year! He had me quizzing him from a Geography Bee Handbook I found in the $1 bin, but he can do an app without me!
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What are you hoping to accomplish by changing things up? If what you've been doing has been working well and your child is happy with it, it's always a bit of a gamble to start switching. If you feel like she needs something different for a time, then knowing what sort of change is needed could be helpful, so folks can better suggest programs.
As far as spelling, AAS is meant to give as much or as little practice as needed. If your child is understanding the concept being taught, you can keep breezing through. As soon as she starts to struggle, you hunker down and spend more time on the concept, rotating through the main words and the additional practice words and dictating the sentences with target words until she gets them. I've found it to be fine so far, though we've only gone mostly through AAS3.
Needing a change is totally understandable, though. I've even changed my method of presentation for a subject or switched to doing it in a different room if I was getting restless with it. I think I'm restless by nature, though... We switch things up often, though I wait until the kids are getting frustrated with a subject before doing anything drastic with curriculum.
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I was trying valiantly to do it the RS way, but my kids naturally were doing it the R-to-L way and were getting confused when I tried to re-orient them. After a couple days of confusion, I just said, "Here's how this book teaches subtraction. [Did a problem the RS way, explaining as I went.] Here's how you are doing problems like this. [Did the same problem R-to-L.] As you can see, both ways work--they both get you the same answer. You may pick which way makes more sense to you as you work through subtraction problems." They understood that there were multiple ways to do the same problem and felt empowered that I wasn't forcing to work in a way that didn't make sense to them. And yes, I have noticed that they naturally do R-to-L on paper but L-to-R mentally.
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Mine learned print first, but once we moved to cursive I made them practice their signature over and over as soon as they knew the individual letters. I think when they are first learning to write it doesn't matter (unless there's going to be a place they will be required to print their name without you being there--but I think most classes/coops don't care how the child writes their name). I do, however, see reason to be able to both print and write their name (many legal forms require both), so whether my kids write completely in cursive or completely in print, I'll ensure they can do their name both ways at least by the time they are of legal age.
(On a funny note, there was a passage as you began the...SAT? ACT? I took both, so I don't remember...that required you to attest that you were who you said you were and would do all the work yourself and take the test honestly, etc. You were supposed to write the whole thing out in cursive and sign underneath. My brother came out of there saying, "I couldn't remember how to write in cursive, so I just wrote as messily as I could. Hopefully they can't tell!" His "signature" is just his name printed hastily/sloppily, not truly cursive.)
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I feel your pain. In our house, I was the one reluctant to try meds. DH has ADHD and was on meds from about first grade until some time in high school, when he learned enough about his strengths and weaknesses to compensate and do well without the meds, so he was enthusiastic about trying them for our oldest. (Before then he was really struggling to get his schoolwork done and getting negative feedback because of it, so the meds really boosted his confidence and helped his performance.) I gave in this spring because poor ODS was taking longer and longer and getting less and less done, and I felt awful about schooling taking so much time (JUST math and one aspect of lang. arts each day took 2-3 hours, and his sister finished the same work in 30-45 minutes) and me having to constantly be on his case. We were both (all) getting frustrated.
I used RightStart, and the conceptual foundation was excellent. The games were great, too, since they were interactive--until DD got too competitive and I had to find ways to turn all the games into Solitaire-style, at which point ODS couldn't focus anymore. (I moved him to Beast Academy because he wanted more of a challenge--but without meds, even that curric would have taken forever.)
As for trouble retaining things--you could try giving options for fun review. My kids LOVE Prodigy (a free, online math-based RPG that naturally cycles through a whole host of topics and adjusts difficulty to each student), and there are lots of other free games to drill various skills. In addition, RightStart has its card games book that you could use to cover pretty much any topic together, and of course there are the daily-review worksheets like folks above mentioned. If it was built into her schedule (and if she had choices), the review wouldn't seem demeaning (not quite the right word) and might even be an enjoyable way of avoiding frustration by keeping the concepts all fresh in her mind.
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Nooo! This looks so cool, but I guess I'm too late because it doesn't give me a chance to order! Noooooooo!
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Very little--I tend to overanalyze every post (of mine) and try to determine my motivations for posting, the likely perception of those viewing/reading, the potential consequences... When I do post, it's usually pics of family get-togethers or occasional "here's a few pics of our lives from the past 3 months" for those far away. My oldest brother lives far away, and the rest of my family ended up moving where we are piecemeal from a different area 1000 miles away, so there are lots of friends and relatives we see once a year if that.
This is the story of my social life in general, though--I sit on the sidelines and mostly keep my mouth shut because I'm too busy agonizing over what I might say or what I already have said. Sigh.
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I feel like I am a curriculum junkie when it comes to math and language arts. (I'm currently housing Jackie's IEW DVDs--which I hadn't purchased on my own because they're painfully expensive, which I am/will be using elements of in a convoluted combination with some BW, MCT, and Killgallon for the next year, at least.) Most of the other subjects I just can't justify the cost at this point; I can give a decent overview of history and science for this age (though I did buy BFSU as a guide) just through my own blundering through encyclopedias plus extra resources I scrounge up. That said...
I don't own any of the monstrously large, cumbersome, and expensive curricula like Sonlight. My sister has one of the cores, and while I looked at it and wanted to be jealous, it just looked too...big. Too many elements to keep up with, keep track of, coordinate...and that enormous binder!
I don't own LoF. The concept appeals to me, but I tried to tempt my kids with the sample chapters online and they thought it was weird. Maybe that would be different now, since they last looked at them something like two years ago. Then again, the last thing I really need is another option for math. Or do I...
If I had more funds, I think I would own vastly more. I see elements in a lot of programs that I like, but very few entire programs work for us--I'm always tweaking things or supplementing or alternating. I, too, have dreams of the home library with multiple levels, a spiral stair to the balcony, and rolling ladders. :drool5: As it is, I spend as much as I feel I can justify...and as much as I can squeeze out of my budget.
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Someone's probably going to slam me for this...is it wise?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
My older two (14 mos apart) were actually working at the same pace initially--when ODS started sounding out words, DD did, too; when ODS wanted to learn more about numbers, DD was right there with him. Last year, however, I decided that I had to separate them for math and language arts. Even though they are very similar in ability, DD is very competitive, and it was frustrating both of them. Also, their strengths and weaknesses are just different enough that they each needed to slow down for different things, which frustrated the other child who didn't need more work on that topic...and isn't that part of why I'm homeschooling? So while it was really easy to teach everything together, it just didn't work practically. Everyone is much happier now that they're doing work independently, though scheduling is a little more hairy. Of course, YMMV.