seemesew
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Posts posted by seemesew
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Language arts tgab level 4
Art tgab
Spelling tgab and dyslexia tutor
Math tgab level 5
History Sonlight C with 5th grade readers & Little school of smiths Adventure to a new world
Science Gods design Heaven & Earth
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I would drive my kids at least one way if they went to public school (actually some do and that is what I'm doing).
Breakfast and lunch are free here (though it is super unhealthy)
At our elementary school there are fundraisers at least twice a month.
FroYo Friday to support teachers classrooms which is $5 each month (kids are looked down on and feel bad if they don't get it).
All field trips cost the normal price no discounts so anywhere from $8-$12 for each one and there are several a year
New backpacks
School supplies
Classroom snacks
Teacher gifts (so at least 5) for Christmas, Mothers/Fathers Day and Teacher appreciation day.
Random events that are usually around $5 per person
Thanksgiving meal for family at school during lunch $5 per person
All in all I spend quite a bit of money with my kids in public school! I think it actually is a bit more expensive for me than homeschooling. If you throw in my added stress from all that schools require, driving, always having at least one kid I have to pick up for sickness or something, homeschooling wins 😉
ETA: I didn't even include sports fees because I figured either way we'd do them. However, there are other fees in each class like lab fees, band fees, ect. Depending on what kids get in their schedule.
Also I'm not including my salary IF I were working because I've always had at least 1 or two that would require daycare if I worked which would cost more than anything I would bring in. Even now I'd need half day of daycare if all my kids were in school.
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Why don't you start a park group? Where you meet at the park kids play and moms chat! Its super simple and low key, we did one for years and really loved it! Your kids are young so the other thing I'd do is just invite a couple other moms over with their kids and let them play while you chat.
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I'd look at the Good and the Beautiful math! My daughters are loving it and its fun without being too much at the same time. Its also spiral so it reviews a good amount.
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I had the same question and found this video really helpful! https://youtu.be/Nc35fU8q46Y?si=uvKi7JMqwypogMpI
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9 hours ago, MiddleCourt said:
My oldest was an early and intuitive reader. I was given the good advice to fill in phonics gaps with spelling. I think that’s perfectly acceptable! Like PP said, read good books and do spelling and I think that will be perfectly fine for a 7 yr old.
That's what I was thinking too, that spelling would reinforce or teach what she doesn't know.
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My youngest is an amazing reader! We have done The good and the beautiful and she has flown through their reading booster cards so much so that she's finished all of them in 1st grade. She reads the Boxcar children fluently AND even gives each character different voices with the correct expressions. She is reading American Girl books and many others and isn't even 7 yet.
I am just wondering if I should drop any reading curriculum so we can focus on spelling next year. She doesn't want to sit and do a reading curriculum and gets so upset! I don't blame her she knows most of it and what she doesn't she picks up on quickly. I would like to drop a few things, and tgab is possibly one of them, so I have more time for other things. Unlike my older boys she doesn't seem to need the same things and get frustrated because she wants to be writing or doing copy work but we are spending time practicing advanced phonics and she doesn't want to, she wants to read and write (but we do need to work on writing/spelling because she is very much her grade level in those).
Give me peace of mind that she will be okay if we drop reading curriculum/phonics, even if its only for a year or two? She turns 7 soon and will be in second grade next year.
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On 2/23/2024 at 8:45 PM, Ting Tang said:
Thank you all so much. I just feel like I’m not living up to my own educational standards. As the kids get older, and my husband needs more help, I don’t feel I can do what I feel I should. Our hodge podge approach was good in the sense this year we’re reading some good books, but we’re not doing a ton of writing. Or I forget to do their vintage speller. But I do feel if all I had to do was teach them, it’d still feel impossible. Yet nobody wants to go to school. I guess they like it more than me, lol.
Have you considered letting go of what you think they NEED to do? You are reading good books so why does the writing matter to you? (rhetorical question here), I grew up doing very little school, and while its not a path I've chosen in my homeschool, it also wasn't a bad way! We owned our own business and us kids worked a few hours a day at it and read lots of books. all of my siblings are successful, some own their own businesses and do very well, some have college degrees, some have certificates for certain studies, but all are succeeding at whatever they have chosen. Yeah we were all behind in math and writing but we caught up with what we wanted for our goals really fast.
I'm not saying this to persuade you to unschool but consider what owning a business and having your kids help in it IS teaching them! You don't have to feel bad that they aren't doing things like you think should be done. There are many ways to homeschool and none are better than another but some fit others more.
I guess what I am saying is, consider if what you feel is missing in your homeschool really matters to you or if there are other things that matter more.
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Have you thought of doing Thinkwell? I've heard some great things about it.
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1 hour ago, Ting Tang said:
I suspect he is on the spectrum, but he was also lead poisoned in utero. He can write good sentences, but when asked to write an imitation of a fairy tale, he was so stressed because he didn’t understand or remember the story that his sentences were gibberish in written form. He also has comprehension difficulties, though some readings go better than others. I’ve tried to research a bit, but I feel ill equipped regardless of the diagnosis he may get. I do wonder if he should be in a public school for that reason, as much as I dislike the idea. Homeschooling four just gets harder and harder for me each year. I have felt like quitting, truth be told. It’s too much. I’ll look at the supplements! Thank you very much.
I understand it is overwhelming! I have 7 kids (5bio 2 foster) and homeschooling is hard with all their different struggles. I will say my experience with public school and therapies hasn't been great and even the ones getting it aren't doing much better because the schools are so over run. I've had better luck finding private places.
As far as reading and comprehending maybe see if your local Masonic lodge has a reading program by the Scottish learning Rite, it's often free and the tutors are trained in being able to help.
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59 minutes ago, Ting Tang said:
Thank you so much for sharing! That is awesome that your oldest did so well, especially given that was his instruction.
I feel like MB could be good for this particular child. I am still concerned about learning difficulties and am hoping I am not doing a disservice. This is a crazy story, but I had reached out to our special education office, and the psychologist I'd spoken with since passed away in a fire. He did give me a referral, but it will be pricey. He doesn't want to go back to school, but I am wondering if his issues are beyond my capacity. 😞 And I wonder if I should send him back.
Do you mean reading struggles, or math, or processing information in general?
Have you had him tested for adhd or anything? I ask because my son is autistic but is very high functioning and getting him on the right meds has made a HUGE difference! My youngest son also has ADD (the non hyperactive) and struggles with attention so much I thought he had dyslexia but it was in fact not being able to focus enough to learn. We started him on the supplement from On Task Naturally and it has made night and day difference in him and he finally started to read and is at or above grade level now! All this to say getting the help he needs either in therapy or meds can make a significant difference.
Ps On task is not mlm just a small company. https://ontasknaturally.com/shop/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAzc2tBhA6EiwArv-i6f9iN_c5f0KGoeyesAHYi44g86PG60WQhgpIkigkg0ZV6hVAfEmBmhoCOSUQAvD_BwE
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18 hours ago, Ting Tang said:
Well, with MP there is a classical writing sequence, history, and grammar is paired with Latin. They have nice curriculum manuals, but everything depends on the previous year. It’s really hard to step back into. 😞 I think Master Books history/geography looks fun. They have an applied engineering course that looks interesting. Language arts may not be intense, but it might be good for my struggler. I also think about TGTB sometimes, but I read too many bad reviews despite liking the ELA in samples.
TGAB is wonderful! My oldest scored a 94% on the SAT with English being quite high and the only language arts instruction he got was from tgab.
OP. MB isn't bad and I actually think it could be a good option for some kids. their math is the only math my 16 year-old liked. I like their Gods Design science quite a bit. I have also considered Americas story because I like it! I think Language arts through literature might get boring because its the same thing every week and each day is about the same my kids hated that but its about the only negative I can really think of. I probably wouldn't get the pre packaged option because there are things I like better on the same levels not offered in the premade but basically I think it can be great for some kids.
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On 1/16/2024 at 11:30 PM, Nm. said:
That’s perfect! Is it the beginners one or regular?
The regular one! There are some simple experiments too, which is nice.
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On 1/13/2024 at 7:21 AM, Nm. said:
JessinTx’s comment about notebooking pages reminded me of journals if you need something to show for it/ if you think she’d like it. My oldest doesn’t care for it, but both my girls and one of my boys love them. I prefer the core journals- they are more flexible and can have topics change frequently. The topical ones are nice here and there. For example DD10 has an endangered animals one since last year. She won’t finish it for probably a couple years. It’s usually a lot of research/writing in the topical ones. I don’t mind her taking her time on it though.
dd10 is enjoying Kitty Doodle core journal this year :
I had forgotten about those books. Maybe I'll check them out.
I did start Masterbooks and I'm quite liking it! We are using it as a spine and then I found a bunch if books on the topic at the library. The way I'm doing it takes 30 minutes for 2 lessons and we are enjoying it! The language is more simple and holds my kids attention better, and mine since its so short. Its early to say but for the 6 lessons we've done I'm enjoying it. Its kind of like doing their own thing but with some guidance of the spine and filing it out with books they choose.
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On 1/12/2024 at 7:43 PM, JessinTX said:
You could also maybe look at Blossom & Root. It essentially is a booklist, and then some videos and experiments or craft projects to choose from, but even has a section that is labeled "for the minimalist" which is just some basic reading on the topic, and maybe that's all you do some weeks. Along with a video or two.
Or maybe you assign additional reading from the "Book Basket section" (just more books on the same topic) as independent reading for your 7th and maybe 4th grader.
And on weeks you have just a little more bandwidth and/or your kids are really into a topic, you pick a project or experiment. But you have a few (I think there are usually at least 3 choices) already thought up and supplies listed.
She has different topics listed by grade- up to 5th grade, but honestly I think you can use any of them for any grade. The main difference might be in the notebooking pages, and the older the kid the more of the reading they would be doing on their own as opposed to reading aloud.
Just an idea...
I haven't looked at blossom and root! I like that way you explained it so I'm going to check it out for next year. that sounds really doable and more of what I want.
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On 12/29/2023 at 6:29 PM, Ting Tang said:
See, I am not a Biblical scholar, so when I come across materials, I don't always know exactly what they mean. We are raising them as Christian and prefer a wholesome approach. But certain topics in a curriculum would concern me. I think they should learn about the human body and their develpment. I don't really want to talk about abortion and porn. Maybe that makes me bad, lol. That wasn't part of my sex ed.
TGAb doesn't cover abortion in my memory ( I did do the older version though so maybe it has changed) but there is a section of Q & A where you don't read to your kids, you only read it if they ask those questions and it states you may believe differently and that they are simply answering the way they would for their beliefs. Again, I would read through the sample pages they have the whole curriculum there so you can see for yourself, they know this is a sensitive topic and not everyone feels the same way about it.
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I used this with my older kids and found it was a good beginning course for that subject. Also, you can view the whole thing in the sample section so you can easily see if you think it has an "ick" factor for yourself. It fell inline with my beliefs and what I wanted my kids to know. does it cover every tiny detail? probably not but it did a good basic job and led the way for many more questions when we finished. I was more than pleased! my boys were 12,14 and 16 at the time.
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25 minutes ago, Nm. said:
For nothing… create a booklist for the 7th grader and have her read through it. I PMd the link to mine to give you an idea… it’s a combination of interest led and SCM nature study. I order a couple from each list at a time and he just reads it.
for my children who like experiments we have some science kits, microscopes, and there are tons of science kits at the library we occasionally get.
Thank you! I'll look at your list! That's probably the way I should do it and it is the way I'd enjoy doing science at this point. I'm so ready for something different!
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20 minutes ago, Brittany1116 said:
If you need it just to check a box, go with MB. It is best for the 4th, will be light for 7th (require the challenge questions at that age), and largely over the head of the 1st. Apologia will probably make you dread science unless it's a topic everyone is obsessed with, which is unlikely.
That's what I'm afraid of with Apologia 🥴 I guess I'm down to MB or nothing since everything else looks way too hard for me right now.
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36 minutes ago, Nm. said:
it’s okay to just do interest led books for science through grade 8. My DH is a teacher and recommends that over curriculum any day for history and science. I have similar ages and that is what we’re doing for 7th. His science and history are pretty light this year and it’s perfect because we are working on harder math and English. He spends his free time drawing, juggling, playing complicated board games and building intricate Lego buildings.
So if I had to choose between those two options… it’d be “nothing” is better than something. Since you described how stressed you are- I’d simplify things down to the absolute basics until that stress is gone. There’s only so much time in a day. A lot of what we try to formally teach them is unnecessary & could just be time spent doing life. Also I like to remember the 10,000 hour rule (though it’s not perfect). What skill do they want to master and take with them?
Very good points! I'm so ready to do nothing 😩 I feel torn though because my 7th grader is a foster child and I do feel like I need something to show that she's doing science. And my 4th grader is begging to do science "experiments", Maybe I could just do an experiment a week or something 🤔 but having a book and reading is a nice idea so I dont have to come up with stuff on my own.
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I am trying to decide what to do for science with my 1st, 4th, and 7th graders. We've been using the good and the beautiful but we are ready for a change after a few years of it, plus we've done some of their units 2x. I'm looking at Apologia Chemistry and Gods Design for Life currently since I found them cheap used.
I like that Apologia has a lot of experiments and my kids would enjoy that part immensely, but it also looks really overwhelming and I'm not sure I want to read the text because it is SO long! We are also used to unit studies so a year of 1 topic looks kind of... boring? I like that there are quizzes for each lesson for my 7th grader as well and there are lots of fun components.
For Gods design it looks so much easier to navigate and is more like unit studies with 3 units in each year. The text is also shorter to read, and it looks like most lessons have something hands on to do but not quite as much as Apologia. there are also quizzes and a younger book I could get for my little one that looks cute and easy to use with it. I do wonder if its "enough" but at the same time something is better than nothing...right?
A few other things is that I am super busy and stressed with 7 kids; one is graduated, one is 11th grade, two are in public school, I'm homeschooling four of the 7, and two are foster kids. I'm going about 5 or 6 different directions each day, so I need something simple that I will actually do and my kids will enjoy. Out of those two which do you think would fit my situation better?
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Oh another free resource is Easy Peasy online Learn to read program! It has lots of reading and spelling based off of the Phonics pathways book and is really helpful 😊
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Abeka has a handbook for reading that is pretty good. Also phonics Pathways is basically everything you need too.
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My husband is a highschool teacher and my homeschooled son is now attending public highschool as well. the most important thing you can do is to teach your child to talk to their teachers! we have ours ask about assignments. what he can do to fix his grades, help him remember his homework and just be responsible. that is the biggest thing actually caring that your child does the work.
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Is Sonlight a good program?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I have only used Sonlights history and literature but I really love it! Its feel so relaxed and the stories are the best part! Like others have said don't be a slave to to whatever you use, let it be a tool!