Laura Cook
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Posts posted by Laura Cook
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Congratulations! I remember how good it felt to get to the end with my oldest! And now I'm back in the OPGTR trenches with my youngest...
I'm still working through it with my other two also. I am happy to be done with one, and can't wait to be done with the other two! Unfortunately it is going to be quite awhile before we get there.
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May I ask, what would you say his reading level is, now that he's finished?
If that's too personal, I apologize.
I would say he is pretty solid at a 3rd grade level. I think the end of OPGTR moves really fast but he was tired of the lessons and bent on finishing it so we went through it quickly. Honestly, I'm not really sure where to go from here! The plan right now is to just read and then read some more! I am hoping that as we work through the rest of the AAS levels that it will help his reading as well.
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We are both so happy! It was a hard slog through those last few lessons, but he did it!! I'm so proud of him.
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Last year when we did SOTW1, I had to really break it down into smaller chunks for awhile. I would take a look at the questions in the activity guide and then in the text mark the end of the paragraph that had the answer to the question in. Then when I would reach the place I marked in the text I would ask the question. If they didn't know I would re read. Eventually we worked up to me reading a page and then asking all the questions that pertained to that page. Then we did the whole section. Most of the time now they can answer the questions after I read a whole section, but we sometimes still have problems and I have to go back and break it down again. My oldest is the only one that did WWE last year and we had to do the same thing with it. Sometimes we even had to just set it aside for a couple weeks when he got too frustrated. Right now he has the last three weeks of WWE 1 to do and then we will move on to WWE 2.
I was really frustrated at first because it seemed like it should be easy. I read old threads on here and I think I even posted asking for advice. I came away with the idea of breaking it down into smaller chunks and building up. And it really helped! Sorry for writing a book!
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We started July 8th, after a six week break, so this is week 4 already! We have started all subjects but science, which we plan to start tomorrow. Everything else is going fairly well. I added a Monday weekly meeting with each kid one on one. The kids seem to like it. I just give them each a brief overview of what we want to accomplish for the week. I help them each set 3 goals for the week pertaining to school, attitude and fun. We discuss the previous weeks goals. Then they get to ask me any questions they have or talk to me about anything they want. I have been pleasantly surprised with how serious they take it! I feel like we are off to a good start!
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Thanks for all the responses! I think we are going to finish up AAS 2 and then decide where to go. I will see if we can get through it a little faster. I am also going to take a closer look at the samples of R&S.
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We are grilling out steaks. Also having new potatoes and green beans from my parent's garden, baked beans from a can for DH (blech), and probably a salad. Chocolate chip ice cream for dessert. Nothing too special!
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Okay thanks! I will just go through them and see where he might fit!
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My oldest just finished Step 16 in AAS 2. I am considering a switch to something that he might be able to do a little more independently. He is a natural speller and, though we like AAS, it just feels like overkill. What level in R&S would you suggest we begin with? Do they have placement tests? I'm not seeing them! Thanks!
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We already had our first day of school last Monday but I am planning a surprise day off on the day the local schools start. I'm hoping my DH will take a vacation day so he can be with us. We are going to give the kids each a schultute with some fun stuff in at breakfast. Then we are going to do "school pictures". After that I'm not sure! A visit to the local science/discovery center would be fun, lunch out somewhere, then probably to the grandparent's house to spend the rest of the day swimming. Nothing too exciting!
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Do you balance the work load over the course of a week or do you front load your week so that at the end of the week you have fewer subjects to do? What do you find works best for you? This last year we front loaded our weeks most of the time, but this year with my middle kid adding more subjects I am worried that our days will be super long. But I really like the idea of the week getting lighter as we go! I can't decide. Probably should step away from the planning for awhile, that might help! LOL Thanks!
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I have a question for those who were once Christian but are now atheist. How have your views/opinions of sin changed? I have always had a hard time with the concept of sin. I am asking as a former Christian, now agnostic leaning strongly towards atheism. I have no one IRL to discuss this with, without the you know what hitting the fan!
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This is our list for the summer so far. I am sure we won't do everything on it, but I think we will do alot of it! I made a list because I really don't want this summer to pass by in a blur like some of the previous summers. I want to savor it and I want the kids to as well! So here is our list:
Out and About
- go skating
- go bowling
- go to the zoo
- go paint pottery
- hike at nature center
- visit a lake and bring a picnic
- go to a drive-in movie
- go to the park
- visit the farmer's market
- pick blueberries
- go camping
- the kid's baseball and t-ball games 2 nights a week
At Home
- plant a container garden
- all 3 kids learn to tie their shoes!!
- picnics in the yard
- make popsicles
- make ice cream
- bike riding
- learn to ride a bike without training wheels
- catch fireflies
- bonfire to roast hot dogs and marshmallows
- sponge bombs for water play
- water + the play kitchen/dishes=hours of fun
- blow bubbles
- have sleepovers at cousins/aunts and uncles/grandparents
- have cousins sleep over at our house
- play Red Light, Green Light
- play Freeze Tag or Flashlight Tag
- discover a couple new outdoor group games
- fly kites
- tie dye t shirts
- make mosaic stepping stones
- board games
- make flubber
- make playdough
- build forts
- help dad wash the car
- stargazing
- any cool art projects I find
- build a low balance beam
- add to our nature shelves
- play catch
- water fight with water guns
At Grandma and Grandpa's
- sandbox
- swimming
- help in the garden
- fireworks
3R's Laid Back
- math 3x per week
- handwriting 3x per week
- reading - daily
- read alouds - daily and outside if possible
- go skating
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I'll share mine! I have it mostly finalized.
WWE 2
FLL 2
AAS - finish 2 from this year, finish 3, start 4 maybe
HWOT - finish 3, start 4
MM - finish 2A from this year, finish 2B, start 3A
SOTW 2 w/activity guide
Elemental Science Earth Space and Astronomy
Literature - making my own list of readers for him and read alouds
Art/Music - Harmony Fine Arts, Home Art Studio, piano or guitar lessons (I want piano, he wants guitar)
Trying to decide if we want to do Latin. If yes then we will just do a fun intro this year with SSL.
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I hope that was helpful to you!
That was very helpful, thank you!
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This is my curriculum! I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Oh good! My thoughts are sort of scattered right now so I hope my questions make sense! There are a couple of things that I am having a hard time figuring out from just the sample on your site and the Amazon booklist.
1. I'm having a hard time distinquishing which books are for history/science and which are for the literature. Even though I'm guessing they are
all tied together. Do some of the obviously history themed books get read as a part of history or as a part of literature?
2. Are the copywork and narration cards meant to take the place of using something like WWE? We use WWE and I want to continue using it.
3. Are the narration cards ever used for the history or science? We have been using SOTW 1 this year and I have been asking them the
questions from the activity guide but we haven't really done too many narrations to go along. We have also been using Elemental Science:
Biology for the Grammar Stage and we have been doing the narrations that go with each section we read.
I just wanted to say that I really love how the art follows along with the history. I like the memory work as well, we have been using FLL and what is there isn't enough for us. I can't think of any other questions at the moment! Thanks!
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First time I've heard of this.
I think that it is pretty new. This was put together by a member of these forums, but her name escapes me at the moment!
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I always ask half price or less. This is what my local Homeschool Store does for used books, too.
I would start at 1/4-1/2 of the new price for all items that are complete, plus figure out how much all of it will cost to ship and add that to the price. (Just put it all in a box with any needed packing materials, weigh it, and go on www.usps.com to find out how much it will cost to send it via media mail within the US.) You can always lower your price, if that doesn't work. You might do a search here and on www.homeschoolclassifieds.com to find out how much others have charged for similar items and price accordingly.
Thank you both for your replies! I was thinking about the same for pricing. And klmama thanks for the info about shipping, that was what I was the most clueless about!!
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Has anyone used Build Your Library? Or is anyone planning on using it this next school year? I am specifically looking at Grade 2. I am liking the looks of it and have read the reviews linked on the site but was wondering if anyone else can tell me if they liked/disliked it and why. Thanks!
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For example I have AAR Level 1 I want to sell. We only used part of it. The teacher's manual is in good condition except for some wear on the edges of the cover, the readers and student cards are all in good shape. The only thing someone would need to use it is the student workbook. I want to make some money on it, but still sell it for a fair price because it IS used. And then do I set it as postage paid or figure the postage out when someone wants it? I have never sold anything before so I'm clueless!!
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We are doing earth science/astronomy this next year and these will be perfect! We all love watching science videos! Thank you so much!
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I had preeclampsia with our oldest and he was delivered 8 weeks early. I also had been diagnosed with IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) with no known cause and so he was pretty small, only 2 lb 14 oz. his lungs weren't developed enough so he had to have help breathing for the first several weeks. His bilirubin was too high and he was under the special lights for a couple of weeks. He also had a transfusion at one point, though at the moment I can't remember why. We weren't able to hold him until he had been in the NICU for a week. After the first 3 weeks he was breathing on his own and no longer had to be under the bili lights. He stayed in the incubator for a little longer. After another 3 weeks he had put on enough weight and could regulate his own body temperature to pass all of their tests and we brought him home! He is still on the small side but otherwise very healthy.
My son hasn't had any lasting affects from his time in the NICU but I was surprised to discover that I did. I have a really hard time being in that hospital now. The atmosphere and the scent of their antibacterial soap triggers the same feelings of anxiety and helplessness I felt while he was in the NICU. I hope that the woman at your church has a good support network and someone she can talk to.
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With my youngest we waited until I was about 5 months along before we told our families. We gave each set of grandparents a card with the ultrasound picture that said Merry Christmas and here is the best gift, a new granddaughter! My side of the family was thrilled and thought it was the best surprise ever. We gave the card to my MIL, she opened it and then handed it to one of my SIL and walked out of the room without saying a word. Everyone else on DH's side of the family was happy for us, but MIL never said a word. To this day I don't know what her problem was.
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Has anyone done Mr. Q's ESA? Or looked into it much? I like the format better, reading from their book instead of an encyclopedia, but the worksheets at the end are a no go for us. My kids would not like them at all, they like the narration in ES. Which I suppose we could still do. I am afraid that no matter what we use it will have to be tweaked to suit us!
Favorite Austumn/Halloween books?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
One of my kid's favorites is The Bones of Fred McFee by Eve Bunting. They found it at the library a couple weeks ago and then ended up begging me to buy it. It's just a touch scary and they love it!