Dubaibokkie
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Posts posted by Dubaibokkie
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I am looking at the associated Illuminations (Bright Ideas Press) LA, but there are 1) no samples on the site
2) I cannot find a single review specifically for the LA programme
and 3) They don't answer their phone - just goes to messages.
The description on the site seems a bit vague and a bit off putting - almost as if there isn't a "proper" programme, just copy work for some suggested readers.
HELP! Anyone doing MOH, which LA programme would you use for a 7 and 10 year old? TIA
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I am so anxious that all I can feel is fear. I am completely blinded to the truth of what I really believe.
When I feel like this, the only thing that helps me is to read God's Word; anywhere - any page will do; Psalms where David was in a cave and battling; Job where God had forgotten him. There's something about the truth that cuts through all the lies we believe. My faith was so low at one point that I had told God that I had to leave Him, Christianity just wasn't working for me. And you know what? He held me, He never let me go, He was so gentle; he put people in my path that spoke to my heart in a way I could only just know He had sent them. Some I only realised later. I don't know why you are battling; but I know it's such a dreadful place to be. And I would rather die than go back to believing there is no God, or that He doesn't see and hold my every moment. Otherwise what's the point of it all? It sounds like you really need a prayer partner or someone to hold your hand through this, is there someone you can go to? I have prayed for your peace and clarity and hope.
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I'm not against changing things up, but quite honestly, I don't know that different curricula is going to help you in the long run. It seems that you're making this harder on yourself than need be. School with a 10 yo and 6 yo shouldn't be overly time-consuming or burdensome.
I've used SL for 12+ years and might be able to offer some advice, but I need more specifics, e.g. what levels your children have used. I'm also a bit confused about your children's ages. Your son is a 10 yo 6th grader...?
Btw, have you read The Well-Trained Mind?
You are right, Colleen! Dumb, huh? It shouldn't be a big deal.
We have done SL cores A,B and C. DS is going into grade 5, but his classmates would be 10 in grade 6, bit confusing. We started off with B and this year completed A and C simultaneously.
I have read the well-trained mind in bits and pieces. Is there a particular chapter I should go back and re-digest? :blush:
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My plan is this: I'll focus my efforts on history and science towards the older one, and the small one will absorb as she's able. I'll have the little one do a scaled down version of what the older one is doing. I don't have all the kinks worked out just yet, but even now, for example, we are doing SOTW Ancients, and little one insists on having her own map to color even though she has no idea what's going on. The science curriculum I am using, NOEO, says to have the older one do lots more independent/written work, and have the younger one do more oral/ cooperative stuff.
I did this in year one and last year because DD needed to learn to read... well with the curriculum it was not much more expensive to order the whole lot than just the readers - and she liked to have her own books. I did look at NOEO - I can't remember why I decided against it - was it perhaps the blank forms that needed a lot of writing???? I don't know. But you are right, downscaling should be my plan of action :001_smile: Here's the thing - the older one likes the oral/cooperative stuff and the younger likes the independent written work! :glare:
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Thanks, MLW. Hmmm the idea about 4 week blocks of History or Science - I might just use that - it would give more time to delve into the subject. Your LA schedule sounds very good. I am not brave enough to try Latin, but if I did change from SL would have to supplement this so thanks for the ideas. 4 1/2 hours would feel like heaven!
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I wonder if you couldn't start a thread specifically asking if anyone has done SOTW Eastern core with mixed ages and could share plans that incorporate a younger child.
I'm confused about your son's age/grade as well. DS9 is in 4th and will be in 5th next year at age 10. Is your son's birthday soon to roll around, maybe?
At any rate, as far as structuring science, I would personally focus on getting the love flowing as my primary goal. If chemistry experiments interest him (hard to imagine they wouldn't thrill most 10 year old boys :lol:), start there. I can suggest some specific books that DS9 has enjoyed but he is only 9 and beginning 4th grade so another thread specifically for science recommendations might be a good idea, so you can get advice from those who have BTDT with that age, even specifically with boys who don't take a shine to writing.
Thanks, I will do that (another thread on SOTW and SL readers and Science)
Apologies, DS is 10 and going into grade 5 - I keep forgetting. However, had he been in school they would have him in grade 6. (British system)
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Glad to help. What have you used already? Always Sonlight? Where are you in the history cycle right now?
We love Story of the World. It's engaging, has lots of varied activities, can be easily adjusted for different learning styles, and is a cinch to combine ages.
For science, I do inquiry (which is loads easier than it sounds). I don't think there would be anything at all wrong with asking your kids what they would like to study, then collecting some good living books for read-alouds and throwing a few experiment books on the topic to your DS. If space permits, you could stock him with supplies and let him just go at it. If he doesn't like to write, he can just have fun with experiments to start. Then you could do covert oral narrations. I write for my kids a lot. Then maybe he could start a science notebook if his interest is piqued by the experience. My kids have a science lab and a tinkering studio. DS9 loves these little inventor's notebooks. DH has high hopes he'll make us rich one day. :tongue_smilie::lol:
We used SL from the start because it was all laid out on a day to day basis and if I had a rough week, I could just follow the guides without a lot of prep work. We have finished World History year 2 and were going to move to Eastern History since we live in the East now and may be able to travel to some of Arabia and Asia in the next year or so.
SOTW - I looked at it and fancied year 3. Would it be possible with our ages? How could I tie this up with SL readers? I really like their books and buying one year bulk books saves on shipping (expensive fm US to here in bits)
Science - just chatted to DS who is thrilled by your idea - he can choose weekly topics (subject captain) - and experiments which we will then flesh out. Here's my question - shouldn't I be following some kind of structure with a 6th grader? Like starting chemistry or something?
I have to go out now, but am looking forward to any advice on my return
Thanks so much!
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Two cores from SL seems like a lot to keep up with. I've only used it with ds#3 for PreK (really wanted the reading scheduling), but I couldn't keep up here with 2 (or 3) different history, science, and literature plans. Is there a way to tweak it so that you can maybe lessen how much you are reading aloud each week, or even choose one and go with it (maybe your 6 year old dd doesn't really need much in terms of history/science right now more than overhearing what her brother is doing and nature study?).
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I like this and your scheduling ideas and narration block, thank you. I just feel bogged down as where to start. Perhaps I need to change our "core focus" to literature, then and then add on to these? Also, maybe I missed it, but you don't say how you do your language arts or grammar - is this all included when you do your reading? So there's not a lot of written work?
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Write down what your problems are and what you need. Remake what you have and then buy something closer to your checklist the next go around.
Thank you, I think I know now, but I just need to find the right one. I am also terrified of moving away from SL because I haven't seen any other curricula "in person" and some advice I read on this forum also said "choose one and stick to it". I am inherently lazy and afraid of all the groundwork I may have to do with other programmes - what if I blaze and burn?
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The way I see it, you have three interconnected problems: curriculum, attitudes, and scheduling.
About curriculum, you couldn't pay me enough money to do content subjects separately with my kids. :lol: Covering separate historic eras simultaneously would make me :willy_nilly:. It would be hard to feel passionate about what I'm teaching if I spent most of my time feeling scattered. In your shoes, I would strongly consider switching content curriculum (history and science at least) to something you can combine. My kids do all content work together and that, in and of itself, makes school more fun.
You are spot on with everything you say. (Sorry, I don't know how to multiquote!) I know the attitude starts with me. Which curricula would you suggest I look at in doing the combined bits? I like your Subject Captain idea - I would love to get their buy in - I only have 2 kids to school after all.
PS thanks for that link, I had a brief look, it looks really good.
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My best advice to you, though, is to relax a little. If it doesn't all get done, it's not the end of the world. Your kids aren't headed off to a university any time soon, so it's OK to slow down and enjoy yourselves a bit.
I get you Catwoman, but I don't know how to relax! What is the secret formula?:001_smile: I am battling on what to prioritise and can see that I may have to do 2 cores again this year. Which is why I am looking at other curricula; something with less flesh perhaps and more room to do more audiovisual stuff(?). I would like to slow down and enjoy the History and add some crafts; SL doesn't seem to lend itself to this well. I agree with you wholeheartedly on the Science but don't know which one to pick, since we have done 3 of them now - do I go easier or harder? DD isn't really interested in Science.
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Yes, maybe that would help us. Your kids are roughly the same ages as mine, so please let me know how it goes?(we start up FT next week) so we don't have a good schedule down yet. I think to make sure we get those fun things in, I might rotate my schedule. -
We need to start year 3 mid September and I am dreading it. The children don't really enjoy school; year 1 was fine but I felt that in year 2 I was just on a train to tick all the boxes every day. DS10 drags his feet with anything written; DD6 just wants to get it all done asap and ends up "tapping her feet" while waiting for me and DS. I feel like a donkey trainer with a carrot and a stick. We spend so much time doing all the boring stuff that we never get to do the fun things (sometimes we used to finish at 4 or 5). We did start late - I am not good at routine - I think I procrastinated each day just because it was so boring or tedious for me. What am I doing wrong and how can I change my attitude?
Oh, we were doing 2 SL cores - so 4 reading books daily and 2 Science programmes, Rosetta stone French, Singapore Math for DD6, Horizons for DS10 - doing everything daily for 4 days. Should I change to another curriculum so I can combine? We would be doing SL F I think (Eastern History) which would be too advanced for DD. The Science we weren't crazy about either this year - practicals were incidental and I have been looking for a more "experiment based but with no writing" programme with no success - please HELP! :eek: Any ideas welcome!
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My life leaves me feeling abandoned by Him, or worse that he isn't who he says he is,.
I used to feel like this. Then I realised it was because I had a biological Father who wasn't worth his word. When I could separate the two "Dads" it made it easier to accept God as perfect and His word as reliable. It was scary though. Because if He was perfect and my life so horribly wrong... well then it had to say a lot about me.
I think God especially values the screamers. Like Job. They take Him at face value.
JMO
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Fabulous ideas, thanks:hurray:
These are so good I may have a battle keeping DD and DS at their work :)
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Water.....
I used to set up a beach towel with a little dish bin and toy dishes on the floor of the school room. My dd (now 8) would "wash" dishes all morning. Sometimes she would bathe a baby doll.
Good idea! Thanks. May just throw some of ours in there too :D
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When I really need some time, I pull out the giant bin of Little People. That keeps my one year old going for a while. Also, I look the other way when she's happily engaged in coloring all over herself with markers. We have a fairly safe and fenced backyard, so I let her run around out there. She's pretty good buddies with the three year old, too, for which I am grateful.
That sounds like a good option! (The bin of little people - not the marker bit :)) Where would I get these Little People? I checked Amazon and there's nothing with that description.
ETA I am probably being a bit dense - are you talking about the Fisher Price Little People range?
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I know the usual toys - puzzles, blocks, finger paints, big crayons - problem is DD1 is not interested in these and continually raids DD6 toys while we are schooling (her room is next to school room). She especially likes the fiddly small Miss Pocket or beads that end up in her mouth and are a bit hazardous. I want to make her her own baskets with things she can do only during school hours that will keep her busy and not necessarily need a lot of input from me/us. Any ideas? And I was thinking of maybe investigating the Montessori options available since they are educational - anyone used any of these in an HS setting?
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Hi all! New here, not yet homeschooling but starting in August so just getting acquainted with the board. Looking forward to lots of great advice!:001_smile:
Dubaibokkie
MOH and Language Arts - which one would you use?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
Mommyagain, thanks for your reply. From your post I assume that these 3 programmes are included in the Illuminations package? Or does it just suggest that you purchase these separately. I would like to order it all together if possible so we can get going!