Needingdirection
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What does/did your Pre-K look like in reality?
Needingdirection replied to happynurse's topic in PreK and K
I only have 1 almost 3 year old, but what is working for us (she is quite visual) is educational tv (leap frog dvds in particular) for when I'm working (with non educational ones sprinkled in), a tablet which she usually uses as a magazine when pooping (sorry if tmi) and more books and educational games than anyone should have done on demand. We play hi ho cherry o and she does her own counting and waits her turn, candy land also. I got her more for her bday. Puzzles-several way easy, some on track, some to do with mommy. We have thinking games like castle logix and the little piggies smart game. I have timberdoodle thinkplay blocks, lego duplo (free play and sets), play dough, skwooshi, etc. I got a game with play dough on clearance where they give the board and she makes the pieces using molds. Kid k'nex. Letter factory flashcards that she pulls out on her own. Mickey mouse memory match. Science kits. Alphabet puzzles. Basically 2 full shelves and then some of hands on type stuff like that. Books I have fiction, non fiction, fairy tales, disney books, picture books, chapter books, look and find books, work books that we don't write in-she just points, easy readers, stories with plus I enjoy too. Over a full shelf. Oh and all the at supply I could think of-paints, ceramics, creations, colored pencils, finger paint, water color, coloring books, construction paper, glue sticks, safety scissors. Oh amd a swing set, balls, magnifying glass for toddlers, bubbles, etc. And then I let her lose making sure she picks up one thing before starting another. She cycles through most everything going in stages. Sometimes she loves being read to, sometimes she likes readers because she can memorize them and read to me. Sometimes we do nothing but swim, sometimes I drag her away from the school shelves crying cuz she wants more and we have to go. She is almost always down for play dough or skwooshi though. I kinda took the: put everything I can think of amd afford in front of her amd follow her lead. She loves school at least ;) (and I think she learns quite a bit too) -
Sounds like what we are doing. I like timberdoodle for most things, but they are light on books. I found a lot of great books by looking around various lists (Mater amabilus, ambleside, mensa for kids, sonlight, etc). Timberdoodle also has a lot of crafty things, but I also got some general art supplies to just let her play with.
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Ok, so your content baby might enjoy a few bins of busy tubs that only come out during school time? I'm thinking maybe a bin of special blocks for school time, maybe a some sensory balls, some board books, etc etc. And I'm pretty sure pint rest will have plenty of ideas for some cheap age appropriate diy type things... And then baby probably still naps? So that would be a really good use able time as well... I agree that read a louds are great! And your responsible 2nd grader does need your help and to have you involved, as does your fifth grader. HOWEVER, your second grader is capable of having a list of some things that she can do on her own...maybe for her evaluate what you can cut and what you can't? For the fifth grader you might want to make a little bit of independent responsibility a goal for her? This is a skill that will carry over to her adult life. Being able to know what needs done and do it-regardless if she wants to be a sahm or a doctor-is going to come in handy for her. I'm not saying by any means to go all or nothing here, but I think she can be responsible for SOME of her own work. If she gets dielstracted, maybe give her a chance to get herself back in track? And then maybe you can put some sort of reward system/natural consequence in place? Perhaps there is a family game night on Fridays for everyone who completed all their weekly school work? Or they can't watch the family movie in the evening until their work is done? And then for the stuff that you decide you still want to do with them (read alouds, 1 on 1 help/teaching) you can do while baby plays with the novelty items?
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I don't play and my daughter is way too young, buuuut I'm not gonna lie, I looked up the app on the Google store and I kinda like the concept. It mentioned things like you gain something for steps walked, certain Pokemon only populate where you would expect like water types at lakes, and there are more where there are more people plus the "pokestops " to buy poke balls and what not are at places like museums, landmarks, etc. A game that encourages people to be around other people (in real life, not just chat or social media), walk and move AND go visit places they may not otherwise have gone. And as I believe it mentioned battling others with the Pokemon, all those kids at the park have an excuse to say hi, introduce themselves and play a game together. I'd argue this is MORE soctal than social media (as it gets you around people) and potentially beneficial on educational and physical exercise levels as well... Edit to add: I actually wouldn't mind seeing video games head MORE in this direction. In theory it feels more like a solution than a problem...mind you, people need to still keep track of their surroundings, etc
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How old are your school aged kids? (And your too little for school ones?) Actually as I'm thinking about it, can you tell me a little more about each kid as well? (Assuming you might be ok with a theoretical, untested plan?) Every kid and family is a little different, so while my daughter loved to be held and worn, maybe your baby is an active crawler that would do better on a blanket with toys... I don't really have experience, but I do have to have something of a cheque since I've been working from home since my daughter was 10 weeks...or I'm willing to give brainstorming with you a try?
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That would be a silver lining for my ex to say: just do what you want! If he did that I'd be quite happy also! But if he wants to make decisions, then I feel he should have to discuss all options openly and me do the same. That just makes sense to me. That is ingenious!! I think I could get my ex's mom on board easier than him. She would Def be sellable on the flexible time idea and I think she wants to keep a good relationship with me so she can visit dd when she is with me and not just when she is with her dad. Except I don't think she has the power pull over him as much as your ex's mom does. I actually think my ex is a LOT like yours. I think he is quite content to appear like super dad, but do nothing. Although not so much in the day to day things. He thinks (or at least when we were together) that if he does 1 big thing each year, that he is super dad. 1 year it might be an amusement park where he gets the kids whatever they want (rides, face painting, etc) or it could be a trip to Disney world. Lots of pictures so he can show his friends and post on Facebook, etc. And then that gives him his bragging rights for the year. If dd doesn't call, then there is no call, he seems quite content with the every other weekend deal, and if I have something going on 1 weekend that's his he usually let's her go and then declines my offer for make up time. This is why I think we are on such good terms: on most things, he just doesn't care one way or the other. It's easy to keep open communication about dd. I'm the event he does ask for her, I try to always say yes as well (like he took them for a week to visit his mom). It just rarely happens. And actually even around xmas he doesn't use the time he's given. He takes her for whatever days that are his per custody agreement that his work gives for holiday time (so 1 weekend at most). No taking additional vacation time to spend time with her. But on homeschooling I know he was against it when we were together. He thought I'd be biting more than I can chew and I was always confident I could do the little years, so jlhis argument was he doesn't want her switching. He wanted either public from the start or homeschool for all the years. It wouldn't be fair to her to drop a homeschool kid in public school. Idk if that would still be his argument, but that was what his argument was before.
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There are a TON of homeschool groups near me. She isn't in school yet, but I've tried sifting though them and I get overwhelmed at all the choices! But aside from that she is very athletic and does swimming and wants to do tball. I'm part of mops and I bring her Moppets where she plays with kids, play dates with other kids from mops, my cousins who live nearby have young children as well, and we go to the park frequently, plus neighbor kids. As a baby/young toddler (ie when we lived where my ex lives) my daughter was SUPER shy and only liked me and her older half sib. Post divorce my former step daughter's mom had bought dd a xmas gift and she threw a fit and struggled to get away, etc to give an example. And if my mom took her to play with young cousins once we first moved back her preference was to hide in mine or my mom's lap. Within 1 year post divorce with all that we've been doing socially: she gave my ex's first wife a hug when we went to her sisters bday party, she will go into rooms where I can't see her to play with kids, she prefers other kids, she will hold out a hand to help kids climb up a playground and takes a semi leadership role (telling kids come on let's go here type stuff), goes to my ex without crying and he made comments by the end of the year about how much easier she is and how she would tell her older sister "come on name". Oh and she will willingly go up to my exs mom (dd calls her "another grandma") and she has commented on her social improvement as well. So I think I'm doing something right socially. I'm not worried about curriculum expense but the paid online curriculums that I've found have been quite hefty (except like time4learning). But regular homeschool curriculums or public online would be the options I can afford. Yes, my first choice is to be sweet, but my mind always has a legal defense on the back burner (I can't even help it anymore. It's just how I think)
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I didn't read through every response, so I'm sorry if this has been said, but sabotage/self sabotage I believe generally originates from a place of insecurity. Kids will dumb themselves down in public school to match their same aged peers for example, or in a marriage most fights originate when 1 person is feeling insecure-their spouse may try to compliment them but the 1 who is feeling insecure in the moment takes it the wrong way and an argument ensues. In dating if you don't feel worthy of being chosen as a "mate" (excuse the wording, I was aiming for gender neutral and better phrasing escaped me) then YOU might ask inappropriate questions off the rip and then when the relationship fails "see, I just don't make enough " or "I'm just not pretty enough" etc. So applying that same concept to homeschooling, I would say you spot it by noticing what the person in question is insecure about and/or what they blame their failures or shortcomings on. If they are consistently saying that they didn't do x this week or you that week because they had to get the house immaculate, then perhaps they feel insecure a bit about their cleaning services? Or if their kid is behind in writing or science or math (and it's not for a disability, etc) and they blame it on "I'm just not a good (insert subject here) teacher. I was bad at it in school, and I just don't know what I'm doing." Stuff like that I'd imagine would be the ways to spot self sabotage because generally we are all our own worst critics. I think?
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Idk what age you are working with, but here is what I've decided to do for preschool: 1st I took an inventory (in a notebook. Format: material/grade/number of lessons or pages etc) Then I wrote down the materials for this year (with pages or number of lessons) on the next notebook pages and divided by subject And then I wrote a week by week goals list (x material and page numbers for that week) And then since it's preschool, I'm going to put everything in front of her and she pick what we do and when and for the most part I will even let her choose to not do something (although from what I've seen when I've let her play while I worked on said lists, I think I've chosen well and am not too worried about her not liking what I've picked). And then I think I'll hang a wall chart of some sort with stickers for her to put on and of she fills the chart then we will have some sort of awesome reward that is to be determined. It's kinda timberdoodle style. They do a weekly list and just divide things out over the number of weeks the school year goes and I really like that format. Edit to add: I pretty much did all that cuz I'm weird and like making lists
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I have preconceived notions about school that I cannot help. It's a reason homeschool has such appeal to me. This is actually the school that I went to growing up and my experience with public school (early years) was I coasted through. I daydreamed all day in class and did my homework (which was how I learned everything cuz no teacher could hold my attention till 7th grade) with solid grades. 7th grade I had a math teacher that taught with games and kinda turned my brain on and I started getting straight a's to the point that in 9th grade my lowest grade of the year was a 95%. I was forced to advanced placement and graduated 3.8 with generally getting all a's and a b (and I did pseo college classes at the college my senior year in that) while doing all homework 5 min before the bell rang. In short: I never learned how to study or work hard via school. I ended up failing out of college. Experience 2: when I was with my ex, we sent my step daughter to public school over where he lives. This kid who used to pick up books and read for no reason despised reading by the end of kindergarten, was regularly in trouble for being the class clown and was later identified as gifted formerly. Reading at a 7th or 8th grade level by 3rd and a grade or 2 above in math as well. My ex's district offers pt, but as far as I can tell mine does not. I've looked into connections. I don't make enough to afford something like oak meadow and asking him to pay would Def not work. But I'd be fine with connections. It's not quite as good as far as being able to fit curriculum to her, but it is an environment I think she could thrive in. Honestly I would be thrilled if he would have an open conversation with me regarding all 3 of those options where we have a logical conversation and discuss things genuinely from a what's best for dd perspective instead of being shut down at the word go. If we have that conversation and she ends up until public school I'd still be happy because he at least discussed it. @tita-there are points in what you've said that make me think my ex is quite similar to yours. And then points where I'm like how did you get him to take her to storytime? Lol. I wouldn't send school work either unless he asked and yeah, whereas some dad's argue homeschool would bar them from being active in school, with the distance, homeschool literally is what would make participation possible. But I don't see my ex wanting to be all too involved. I think maybe pointing out that there would be more flexibility when his mom is in town might help, but idk. He seems so content with the small amount of time he has so I have no clue. We will see. I think posting this was good for me cuz I'm a little more hopeful and much more convinced that I at least need to ask him instead of assuming "no"
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I will Def get it in writing if I can convince him I'm open to that as well (virtual), but it really just depends on him. He tends to not want to talk about alternative anything. Kinda a follow the heard type guy. His arguments are never backed by logic or research. Yeah I Def will ask for K. And hopefully he'll say yes ;) Yeah, I have already decided that if we go the public school route she will not be medicated. I will fight that fiercely, namely because I have seen her attention span in a different environment, and she can learn just fine without it. Him being stubborn and wanting her in public school would NOT be a reason to medicate. And his mom does live out of state and visit at odd times, so that argument might help
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Unsure about our curriculum
Needingdirection replied to mom of 2 boys's topic in General Education Discussion Board
For my daughter's books that I read to her, and generally we both live the choices, I pick and choose from: Ambleside online lists Mater amabilis lists Mensa for kids lists 100 greatest picture books list Build your library lists -
Unsure about our curriculum
Needingdirection replied to mom of 2 boys's topic in General Education Discussion Board
I'm not an experienced homeschooler, but my daughter I suspect is a visual and kinesthetic learner and I'm looking at snap words (child 1st) in the future. But since he is reading, and has been for years, you could also teach the gaps on the fly if you wanted. If you see him struggling with say "ay" endings, teach that sound then give examples of other words that use that rule. I believe that method is actually advocated for in snap words curric as well (I somehow remember tasting it somewhere). For math I would say you know your child best. If he likes manipulatives like math u see has, why not check out if you like the scope and sequence of math programs that use manipulativesome. Then us that to learn what math concept you want to teach. Especially at the younger grades, finding printable work sheets shouldn't be overly difficult. Then after you get through most of the year and have seen him working on it you can pick which way you feel he learned better and plan that for next year. I don't know for bible curric And for science and engineering, it sounds like you already have a handle on it, but in case you still wanted more options, my daughter is loving timberdoodle. I believe the maker is an engineer. You can customize the kits too (which we did cuz I only am in love with their thinking skills and stem portions, but I can usually find enough cool stuff in other areas). Idk if that helps out not, as I'm just figuring things out as well for my preschooler, but so far she loves what I do with her... -
@Rosie thanks for that list! I have it screen shotted;) (state laws are I'll need her evaluated yearly, but I can start documenting more for sure). @tillmalo I'm so happy things worked out for you! Maybe the ex will agree if I push hard enough also. I hope he will :) @ebrindam sorry you are in the same place as I am