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Big Picture Goals for 2018 with your AL?


Gil
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I need some time to think on this. But for anyone who wants a trip down memory lane:

2015 thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/533680-big-picture-goals-for-2015-with-your-al/

2016 thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/580979-big-picture-goals-for-2016-with-your-al/

2017 thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/633798-accelerated-learner-goals-for-2017/

 

Great to see you around here again, Gil!

Edited by Jackie
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Yippee! I reread last yearĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s goals and am happy with where we are with them.

 

As I guessed last year, continued work on anxiety and ADHD continue to be a goal every. damn. year. Including this one.

 

Homeschooling is still in a pretty good groove, and my goal is to not screw that up.

 

DD is doing Destination Imagination for the first time, and IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢m their team leader. My goal is that we both enjoy the experience enough that we do it again when the next season starts in the fall.

 

More gameschooling, I think. I tend to think of the games as an Ă¢â‚¬Å“add onĂ¢â‚¬ when weĂ¢â‚¬â„¢re taking a break, but I think IĂ¢â‚¬â„¢d like to de-formalize some of our schooling for a while.

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I'll play.

 

Peter (8):

- Finish AOPS Prealgebra and move on to AOPS Algebra

- Really nail down the multiplication facts

- Graduate from daily handwriting lessons

- Learn to write a really strong paragraph

- Successfully participate in Math Kangaroo

 

Elliot (6):

- Make the transition to reading real novels (ie Charlotte's Web as opposed to Nate the Great)

- Master multi-digit multiplication and long division

- Start writing strong one-sentence narrations

- Graduate from speech therapy

- Successfully participate in Math Kangaroo

 

Spencer (4):

- Make the jump from emerging reader (Bob books) to real reader (Frog and Toad)

- Learn to swim

- Get evaluated for ADHD (toward the end of the 2018)

- Learn to tell analog time

- Practice emotional regulation and work through the book "What to Do When Your Temper Flares"

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What is gameschooling?  Like Prodigy?  Sounds perfect for my little guy.

 

I have two boys in a good B&M school and I am re-analyzing what they need after school.  The 6 year-old is in kindergarten.  He's very social and loves "school," though he constantly complains that he isn't challenged enough.  After school, we've started Beast Academy 2A, and Prodigy.  With BA, I can monitor his progress, and with Prodigy, he can fly forward at his own pace and is teaching himself new concepts daily.  He can't wait for BA online.   He's also reading chapter books and doing science and engineering kits.

My 11 year old has a full structured day at B&M school, with a teacher who has gifted kids of her own, and she is doing a good job challenging him.  He's an incredibly motivated learner, and I'm moving into an unschooling mode of helping him source resources for whatever he is interested, politics, history, quantum physics...

He pushed back against Beast Academy, but loves Life of Fred.  He got Linear Algebra for Christmas and said he needs the previous book Advanced Algebra to understand some of the more complex math.  (Oops, thought he had it.  Still, it was good to know he was doing the math and not just reading for fun. :-)

We're in a sweet period that he can focus on his interests to his heart's content right now, but the high school situation here is competitive.  So, I am thinking about what he needs to have on his application.  My oldest isn't really interested in any of the after school clubs and all of the "advanced" summer science camps/after school activities were frustratingly simplistic.  He is in 5th grade, and it seems most of the more challenging programs don't start for at least another year.  There is an amazing summer Duke Tips program at the nearby university, but not until the summer after 7th grade.  He enjoyed the university's math circle, but the professor in charge got his PhD and had to leave for a job, and no one has taken his place.  Any ideas you all have are helpful!

 

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Hmm...let's see. One goal is reasonable progress through each of our curricular choices - so, finishing W&R Narrative I and II for the girls by the end of the year, for example.

 

Other things that are not so clearly defined...

 

* DD#1: Finish Code.org's Course 4, work on some projects in Scratch, and make a start on learning Python. She enjoys this stuff, and I'd like to see her make good progress with it, but not push her so that it becomes a chore.

 

* DD#1: Construct multi-paragraph essays in content subjects. She is getting close to this but not quite there yet.

 

* DD#2: Construct a strong paragraph. Right now she writes several loosely related sentences, and each sentence is decent, but they lack cohesion.

 

* DS: Read well (as in, be able to pick up any random picture book and read most of the words without help). He's doing CVC words with no problem right now; this should be doable by the end of the year. BUT, he is young, so if he gets stuck at some point and needs time before more progress, that's okay, too.

 

Also, I'd like to try to figure out how I can incorporate either project-based or problem-based learning into our homeschool. Both of them appeal to me, but I'm having a hard time determining how to make either one fit in with the things we're already doing (which are working well).

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Thanks Jackie for your links :)

 

 

It's looks like that we're going to stick to our last years plans :)

  

 

Academically our plans are not really much deviated from the last year, still focusing on STEAM education

 

Kid's personal goals are:

 

DS8

 

- Write a fiction book

- Finish his poem book

- Create the first animation

 

He is also looking forward to take songwriting lessons, public speaking & debate classes and re-enrol for ninjutsu 

 

 

DS6

 

- Start art school and pottery classes

- Learn 3d drawing, especially cars

- Get a new pet (His bunny died last October and he is still heartbroken   :crying: )

- Become a ninja   :ph34r:

 

except that no one wants to become a ninja anymore  :lol:

 

DS9 also hopes to start the regular tennis tournaments this year, improve his maths and start working on his portfolio for Cambridge :D

DS7 wants to join a club where he can create and assemble fans :confused1: and wants to start writing his own book.

 

Both - they wish to improve a level of their foreign languages and, of course, both of them are looking forward to start traveling more often as from this year.

 

I have started working myself and I need to readjust and settle down with my new schedule. So far it's not so easy as I thought  :huh:

 

Edited by rushhush08
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DD13-continue college classes (probably basically full time next fall), continue competitive cheer, write a second Herpetology class for AthenaĂ¢â‚¬â„¢s, and continue to teach (with the plan of having a rotation of classes).

 

Me-continue tutoring part-time and mentoring college students. And driving. Lots of driving.

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It is cool to look back and read the goals from the past years so I will add one here and have something to look at in 2019.  :001_smile:

 

Dd met or worked toward all her goals from last year.

 

She did not get to do the really cool thing...a tour with a dance show in France for 6 weeks...due to French child labor laws. Kinda sad because the company was going to pay for me to come along to school her. She will have plenty of similar chances as soon as she turns 18 only I won't be able to go along. The other thing in the works the beginning of last year is going well though due to her age, we have limited it's impact on her life for now. She completed her CD project and in 9 months has raised over $7000 for the orphanage in Thailand plus we were able to visit the orphanage in June...a life changing experience. She completed her AP course and did very well on the exam plus completed 6 credits of college courses this fall. She is still working on her novel and writing tunes each week. 

 

Goals for 2019

- Complete 6 credits this spring and at least 6 in the fall and maintain her 4.0 average while keeping a rather busy touring schedule.

- Continue working on her novel. 

- Complete a photography project she has developed for herself and have it edited and ready to publish by Christmas 2018.

- Polish two new classical pieces by March...life gets a little crazy in March.

- Plan and complete at least one of two recording projects she has in the works.

- Meet with people in charge of the programs she is interested in at the universities/conservatories she is considering for after high school.

- Visit Thailand again.

- Be able to speak Irish reasonably well by the time we visit with our friends in Ireland again.

 

 

For Me: Sell our house and move so I can stop working the last couple years of dd's high school allowing her to tour more extensively. She has had to turn down a couple experiences including a tour in Thailand/Vietnam because it fell too close to the almost three weeks she just spent in Boston as part of a Christmas show and I was not able to rearrange my work so she could do it. 

 

 

 

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 And driving. Lots of driving.

That's my life. Lots of driving and a very limited time.

 

Another goal for me this year is to reduce the number of sport activities, especially for DS9. He has 4 different sports and over 18 hours of training per week. This year I feel like I should take the situation in my hands and prioritise a bit earlier for his sake or/and mine :huh:

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GIL!!!!

 

We need an update on the boys!!

 

So, I looked back on our 2017 goals, and it was hit or miss -- mostly because I went back to school.

 

In 2017, Sacha (age 8, turning 9 this month) went to rock band camp, but hasn't yet joined a rock band. He's been getting (free) guitar classes at his charter school, and hasn't really asked to do more. So, I am calling it good. He also attended a musical theatre class, but hasn't pushed to audition for a play. He is going to take another musical theatre class this spring, so perhaps this will encourage him to audition. His Math Kangaroo and Exploratory Latin scores did not improve from the year before. I have posted about him choking on tests in some other threads, so I won't rehash, except to say that I am concerned (my DH thinks Sacha has ADHD). He hasn't done much to improve in Java and hasn't begun learning Python. I may just wait to hand this off to AoPS down the road. He has done some science projects with his father that involved programming (he made a skittle sorter with a Mindstorms robot). He hasn't learned to sail because we didn't send him to sailing camp last year, but may do so this year. He did learn to skateboard (yay!), hasn't broken anything (yet), and is actually pretty good at it (despite being a cautious kid, he has really good balance). Learning to tie his shoes hasn't happened yet, but I ordered some lace up shoes. So, soon!

 

Ronen (age 4.5) managed to accomplish more of the goals I had set out in 2017. He graduated from speech therapy (no more IEP) and swim school (he's actually a really good swimmer). He knows his entire alphabet now, and most of the letter sounds. His number sense has improved, but he still doesn't seem interested in arithmetic. I am hoping to do more gameschooling in the future to grow these skills. I am also hoping to start teaching him to read in 2018.

 

So, homeschooling was not as successful in large part because I accomplished much of what I set out to do in 2017. I volunteered over 100 hours in the ER at UCSD, I finished all of my nursing school pre-reqs (not with a 4.0, but good enough), and I did well enough on the TEAS (nursing school entrance exam). I am still hoping to become an advanced practice nurse; my applications will likely go in next week and I will start in the fall.

 

Where does that leave us for 2018 goals? Well, in limbo, basically. My husband really wants me to forego nursing school and continue homeschooling, so I've given him until the fall to make X amount of money. Otherwise, I am going for it. That will likely mean that Ronen goes to public school for kinder in the fall. Sacha wants to continue homeschooling, but I would have to do a lot of outsourcing. We did a trial of that this fall, and it wasn't uber successful since he is still so young. Even being a mature kid, it is hard to be an autodidact at age 9, and I am not sure if that is really fair to him. 

 

So, goals generally would include:

 

For Sacha, to improve his scores on MK and the ELE, to enjoy his first attempt at the National Mythology Exam (thank you, Rick Riordan), to attend Junior Lifeguard camp, to have fun at CTY Inventions camp this summer (he decided not to apply for Epsilon Camp until next year), to successfully complete his first year at AoPS Academy, to learn to write a decent paragraph, and to learn to tie his dang shoes already!

 

For Ronen, to learn to read, add, and subtract, and to begin some martial arts.

 

For me, to finish Advanced Pathophysiology II and Clinical Pharmacology, to gain admission to nursing school, to continue volunteering (I am transferring to the ICU), to focus more on homeschooling while I have a reduced class load, to spend more time playing games with the boys, and to get healthy (I am having gastric bypass surgery later this month, so my physical health is about to change dramatically). 

 

 

Edited by SeaConquest
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We had our kindergartener in a French immersion program this fall, but that didn't work out well at all, so now we are homeschooling. It's a little frustrating because I'm trying not to feel like we wasted, or worse, the last four months, but...

Anyway, my goals for her are:

1. To help her delight in challenge, to enjoy doing hard things well (and to not assume she can't because other kids her age don't)

2. To help her develop a routine that includes self-care, academic time, helping around the house, and lots of play.

3. To continue learning and applying new math concepts but also memorize basic addition and subtraction facts.

4. To step back and let her read a variety of things so she can discover her tastes.

My four year old is a great, caring kid, who is easily as smart as his sister. He's learning to read and do basic math, but our focus with him is less academic. My goals for him.

1. To get him physically involved in trying a variety of things, further developing his gross and fine motor skills, and increasing his confidence in his ability to succeed on his own.

2. Continue to improve his clarity of speech. His difficulties are age appropriate (difficulty with l and r and th mostly), but he gets frustrated when people don't understand him.

3. Generally encouraging acceptance of personal responsibly. (At an age appropriate level, of course. That one especially makes it sound like my expectations are sky-high.)

My one year old is a great kid, too. Most of my goals with him are ones that come with time:

1. Improve communication, using more words and better understanding volume control. (My older 2 are really good about not shrieking like kids often do, and I'm praying this one will be, too, because I don't do well with shrieking)

2. Continue to improve in understanding of how to use common household objects in non-destructive ways. (Crayons color on paper, not walls. Cans do not need to be removed from the pantry and brought to me. Child proof caps are not a fun challenge to find, open, then dump on the floor.)

3. probably potty train sometime this year. We're not there yet, but I'd prefer sooner to later, of course.

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For DD, a lot of it is "do the next thing," however there are some specific domains I'm thinking through. 

1. Move toward greater independence and organization, part 1. Teach her how to use a planner, collaborate with her on how to allocate her time and work (currently, I allocate her assignments to specific days of the week).

2. Move toward greater independence and organization, part 2.  For history: begin to help her take greater control over her learning.  Help her think through what kinds of output would be interesting, challenging and meaningful to her (currently, I dictate the output). Challenge her to integrate her interest in arts with aforementioned history output.  Help her to "project plan:" brainstorming ideas, identifying needs  / materials / resources / mentors, planning a timeline and deadlines, etc.  Compile a list of potential books and collaborate with her as to which ones she would like to use. 

3. Introduce Dickens.

 

For DS, he's still pretty flighty and distractable. Long term projects are probably an exercise in frustration for both us at this time, but I'd like to identify a series of smaller, more discrete projects that allow him to explore his interests. These will probably come from the realms of engineering and digital media.   

 

Still thinking through this. Thank you for starting the thread. It's really helpful to process externally and see how others are thinking through it!

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Well, out of all of our goals from last year, I think "learn to ride a two wheeler" was the only one accomplished.  :lol:

 

Big Picture Goals for 2018

H (11)

- He has his own goal to get some songs up on Spotify.

- I'd like him to finish his Sci-Fi novel

- Learn to start managing his time and school work himself (This will be a multi year goal)

- Exercise regularly outside of swim season

 

G (7)

- Find a social group/some friends she can get together with on a regular basis

- Continue to nurture her advanced reading and try to understand her complete lack of desire to do so.  :laugh:

- learn to knit

 

M (7)

- He needs to get more comfortable being away from me, so I'm looking into ways I can gently encourage this

- Find him a great art teacher

- learn to tie his shoes

 

In general my goal is to be more consistent with school, and to do so I need to stop spreading myself so thin.  :driving: I want us to get back into a good read aloud routine and also figure out a way to make morning basket work for us.  Personally I want to brush up on my French for a trip to Montreal late 2018/early 2019

 

Oh yeah and eat better, exercise more and save the world.

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I asked DD if she had any academic goals, and she said whatever I wanted to come up with.  :closedeyes: She will be old enough to officially get paid for her aerial gigs this year so she'll be able to say she's a professional aerialist now. 

 

We have a really nice balance of independent and 1:1 work going now. I am gently pushing her into a few online classes this year. But, this has probably been our most successful year, and she's working well above grade level. She's 2e and when she was originally diagnosed in 3rd it wasn't really clear if it was working memory, processing speed, or ADD issues, but she's come sooooo far since then. I had planned to have her re-tested in 9th (so next year) so we could be prepared for accommodations for SAT, ACT, etc. I also had this idea of her doing PSAT because of the opportunities for scholarships for hispanic students.

 

But, she REALLY doesn't want to go to college. This is hard because she is academically gifted, but it's not her love. She's also quite talented with her athleticism/artistry in her aerial dance life, and that's her one true love. She wants to go to circus school, and there are really only 2 options in the US. Otherwise, she'd need to go to Canada, UK, or Spain. No 4-year colleges in the US offer circus as a major and she's not strong enough in related disciplines like dance or theater to enter that way (nor does she want to).

 

So, my goal for this year is to decide whether to have her re-tested and start spending all that time to get her ready for the barrage of standardized testing knowing that with her EF issues it's going to take away so much time from our interesting and rigorous studies. 

 

She might not get into circus school right away but she could stay working with her current troupe professionally. 

 

Sigh. 4 years from now so much could change and I just don't know what to do.

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Oops, we didn't meet any of last year's goals.  :leaving:

 

So here goes:

  • TKD - junior black belts.  I think they have a good chance this year.
  • AHG - 1 girl will cross over and hopefully earn the "level award."  Both will get a good start on the next year/level.
  • Domestic - they will develop good habits and attitudes to help keep the home pleasant and orderly.
  • Cooking - they will cook from a recipe 1x per week.
  • Leadership - they may do some [assistant] teaching at a summer camp (not sure).
  • Continue enjoying good literature, advancing in sports and music, doing well in school, taking care of their health.

 

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I'm not about to look at what I said I would get done last year! This year: 

 

Older boy (age 17).  Goals are straight forward.  I'm focusing on filling in the last remaining gaps before he heads off to MIT.

Research papers in Humanities

Scientific research papers based on experiments

Statistics

Tools: statistical software, citation software, academic database searching 

Executive Function skills: Calendars, scheduling, time management, paper management, etc!!

 

Younger boy (age 14). Trying to straddle the NZ and USA systems as he is uncertain where he will go to university

Typing/ remediation of dysgraphia

Literary analysis

Research papers and citations/footnotes

Higher level literature 

Reading a science textbook for the first time

Learning website design, programming, beginning computer science topics

Working more independently

Taking his first exam (ABRSM music theory) and dealing with pressure/nerves

Executive function skills - see above!

 

Boy, I would love to pull off both of those lists this year!  We will see. 

 

Ruth in NZ

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DS is 2E with ASD and anxiety, just beginning grade 3.

 

Our big picture goals are to work on stamina for both reading and writing.

 

DS also wants to take up horseback riding lessons, which I expect will do some very good things for his self-esteem and his anxiety.

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We had our kindergartener in a French immersion program this fall, but that didn't work out well at all, so now we are homeschooling. It's a little frustrating because I'm trying not to feel like we wasted, or worse, the last four months, but...

Anyway, my goals for her are:

1. To help her delight in challenge, to enjoy doing hard things well (and to not assume she can't because other kids her age don't)

2. To help her develop a routine that includes self-care, academic time, helping around the house, and lots of play.

3. To continue learning and applying new math concepts but also memorize basic addition and subtraction facts.

4. To step back and let her read a variety of things so she can discover her tastes.

My four year old is a great, caring kid, who is easily as smart as his sister. He's learning to read and do basic math, but our focus with him is less academic. My goals for him.

1. To get him physically involved in trying a variety of things, further developing his gross and fine motor skills, and increasing his confidence in his ability to succeed on his own.

2. Continue to improve his clarity of speech. His difficulties are age appropriate (difficulty with l and r and th mostly), but he gets frustrated when people don't understand him.

3. Generally encouraging acceptance of personal responsibly. (At an age appropriate level, of course. That one especially makes it sound like my expectations are sky-high.)

My one year old is a great kid, too. Most of my goals with him are ones that come with time:

1. Improve communication, using more words and better understanding volume control. (My older 2 are really good about not shrieking like kids often do, and I'm praying this one will be, too, because I don't do well with shrieking)

2. Continue to improve in understanding of how to use common household objects in non-destructive ways. (Crayons color on paper, not walls. Cans do not need to be removed from the pantry and brought to me. Child proof caps are not a fun challenge to find, open, then dump on the floor.)

3. probably potty train sometime this year. We're not there yet, but I'd prefer sooner to later, of course.

We are looking at a French immersion program for Kindergarten next year for Dd1. Based on your experience do you have any insights on why this would or wouldn't be a good fit for a HG kid?

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We are looking at a French immersion program for Kindergarten next year for Dd1. Based on your experience do you have any insights on why this would or wouldn't be a good fit for a HG kid?

 

May I share our experience? Gifted DD (now 11) was in French Immersion in grades 1-3. The best thing is that 2 years after she moved on she's still fluent in French. Apart from that, it was not a good fit for her, as the French was taught at the expense of everything else, including math (not to mention science, social studies etc). In other words, all other subjects were almost viewed as other ways to practice French and increase vocabulary. We ended up afterschooling A LOT.

 

HTH.

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I'm not about to look at what I said I would get done last year! This year: 

 

Older boy (age 17).  Goals are straight forward.  I'm focusing on filling in the last remaining gaps before he heads off to MIT.

Research papers in Humanities

Scientific research papers based on experiments

Statistics

Tools: statistical software, citation software, academic database searching 

Executive Function skills: Calendars, scheduling, time management, paper management, etc!!

 

Younger boy (age 14). Trying to straddle the NZ and USA systems as he is uncertain where he will go to university

Typing/ remediation of dysgraphia

Literary analysis

Research papers and citations/footnotes

Higher level literature 

Reading a science textbook for the first time

Learning website design, programming, beginning computer science topics

Working more independently

Taking his first exam (ABRSM music theory) and dealing with pressure/nerves

Executive function skills - see above!

 

Boy, I would love to pull off both of those lists this year!  We will see. 

 

Ruth in NZ

 

??? Has the decision been made?

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We are looking at a French immersion program for Kindergarten next year for Dd1. Based on your experience do you have any insights on why this would or wouldn't be a good fit for a HG kid?

The issues I saw came from a couple of sources, which may or may not be factors at the school you are considering.

 

1. The chaos of novelty: DD's program was in its fourth year. The teachers, particularly the kindergarten teacher who was the first and so seen as the leader of the program, were busy making it up as they went along, trying to figure out how to hit all the state standards, find fluent teachers, create goals for the program, etc. They seemed to not have the mental energy to deal with the 'kink' of differentiating to a significant degree. An established program, or one which recruited from or consulted with an established program, might not have this difficulty.

 

2. The difficulty of immersion itself. My daughter started with a fair amount of French, at least receptive vocabulary, but most kids came in with nothing and that's what it was designed for. Normally the first week or two of Kindergarten is focused on getting kids into a routine, knowing the system so that the rest of the year runs more smoothly. It just takes longer when the kids also have to get used to being spoken to in a foreign language and learn how to follow basic directions in that language. Then, when instruction finally started, it had to go slowly and start at a "babyish" level: a lot of focus on colors, basic shapes, etc. If they had been able to differentiate for those kids who got it and were ready to move on, that would have been fine and very appropriate, but they didn't. Everything was nice, gentle, and slow. Very slow. 

 

We actually are still hoping, against all odds, to get her in a different immersion program that has a very different reputation and seems to be more rigorous and better established. I don't know if it would work any better, but we'd be willing to give it a try.

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Our school is also fairly new, but all the teachers have prior experience in international French schools. A few of them, including the principal, 10+ years. So it doesn't feel completely haphazard.

 

Dd has no prior French, and the program has kids coming from its own preschool, so I don't think the immersion will be too slow for her.

 

My one partial concern is that the French national kindergarten curriculum is itself really gentle. Closer to kindergarten back when I was a kid (and bored to tears!). I don't think I would want her to do this program in English.

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My daughter spent a few months in maternelle at age three when we were in France, and it was great. Academically gentle because that's not where the focus was. Lots of time doing obstacle courses, painting, and singing. I'd totally go for that environment. It sounds like your program has a lot going for it.

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DS will be 5 next month. My goals for him are:

 

1. Complete LOE Foundations

2. Transition from readers to chapter books

3. Move from independently written sentences to short paragraphs & lengthen copywork.

4. Establish a sensory diet. Evaluate for ADHD.

Edited by Expat_Mama_Shelli
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Three of the boys hit almost all of last year's goals.  DS#1 and I need to do better this year.

 

DS#1 (9, turning 10 next month) 

  • Make a friend at our HS enrichment program
  • Get moods under control
  • Finish all the maths we have going right now
  • Write solid paragraphs

DS#2 (8)

  • Be nicer to DS#3
  • Willingly read books at his reading level
  • Improve handwriting
  • Keep doing great at the GT magnet

DS#3 (6)

  • Consistently use words (spoken at a normal volume) to express frustration
  • Improve attention.  It's only been getting worse as he's gotten older and is starting to concern me.
  • Swim all the way across the pool unaided
  • Improve confidence in writing without a model

DS#4 (4)

  • Meet IEP goals: learn to take the stairs one foot per step, one-to-one correspondence with numbers 1-5, recognize own name in print, play with other children, learn 5 color names, participate in group activities at school, understand and use pronouns in speech, improve receptive language
  • Stop biting family members when angry/frustrated
  • Potty train?  It's feeling a little hopeless.

Me 

  • SLEEP.  Go to effing sleep at night.
  • Cut out refined sugar.  One cannot survive on peanut M&Ms alone
  • Read an adult nonfiction book each month corresponding to what the boys are learning in US history.  Maybe one of the major holy books as well.  This seems more attainable than last year's reading goal.
  • Jog an entire mile without stopping/walking
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We didn't do as much writing as I hoped, but DS10 (almost 11) has finished AOPS Prealgebra 1 and is now enrolled in Prealgebra 2. I couldn't sign him up for AMC8, since our location didn't do it this year. I managed to find another one for AMC10 for DD15, but it was too late for DS. One thing that he learned unexpectedly that is a great achievement was learning to swim and dive. After many futile attempts to teach him he just figured it out himself in a week.

 

For the next year the plan  for DS is to continue with AOPS for math, attend a CTY camp (not even so much for academics but for away from mom experience), work on handwriting, and improve general fitness in addition to fencing. I hope to convince him to attend the National Championship, although I don't expect much from it.

 

DD is now mostly taking classes at out local community college, so the plan is to continue with that and AOPS. She is doubling on math this year to do  calculus in 11th to be able to take physics for engineers in 12th. She will also fence.

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It's fun to look back over past years and see how our goals have changed over time. Goals for this year:

 

ds12:

- Make Life rank in boy scouts. I think he's also hoping for Order of the Arrow.

- Preparing for NLE - he's hoping for a gold medal.

- He wants to take an online class related to his interests (ancient Rome & Latin), but doesn't want to be constrained by actually taking Latin as an online class. I have no idea what that means, but we will be looking for something when fall class schedules come out.

*He's also thinking about following older dd to public high school, so we'll be working hard on organization and study skills. He should probably work on taking notes from a lecture and writing essays under time constraints.

 

dd10:

- Increase work load and rigor. We have added in grammar and additional written work this year and may add in Latin next year.

- Attend a ballet summer intensive. She'll be auditioning over the next few weeks.

- Find more opportunities to sing beyond church. We're still looking for a children's choir that will work around her ballet schedule.

 

ds7:

- Math opportunities. Finding a math circle just didn't work with our crazy schedule this year, but we are looking for possible summer camps.

- Schedule complete testing this spring. I'm really struggling with accelerating him as much as he seems to need, so I'd like to get a better handle on where his abilities really are.

- Possibly make some changes to his math curriculum, because I don't feel like he's getting enough challenge. I may wait until I get test results before making any big decisions.

- Look for swim team opportunities for this summer and maybe for year-round in the fall. 

 

I have no goals for teen dd. Or - more honestly - I'm trying not to have any goals for her. (I'm currently rereading How to Raise an Adult to keep myself on track.) She's so driven that I feel I really need to be in the backseat at this point. Her goals for herself currently include:

-prepping for spring music competitions

-applying to summer writing workshops

-going on a French exchange program (definitely not this summer, but maybe the following summer)

-finishing drivers ed so she can get her permit

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The seventh grader is doing the final push before H.S.  After  school he is doing Thinkwell pre-calc.  At school, algebra doesn'st start until 8th, but then his school will  accelerate alg 2, geometry and pre-calc over 2 years (we have not sought advancement.  I want him to repeat all at school).   As to sports, he is ready for the H.S. varsity golf team, and  seems to be on track for a chance at a college  scholarship.  He shoots very low 80s.  Div III, is generally under 80, and Div 1 is low 70's or par. Even w/o a scholarship, he will have a major ec on hand.

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I'm curious how you come up with these goals? Are they whatever you think of when you sit down to type, or do you actually spend time reflecting on these? I'm just curious because a lot of things on my mind lately have been stuff like: Get 4 and 2 yos to use words instead of screaming and hitting, get 8 yo back in speech therapy and hopefully get his handwriting legible, get 6 yo to sit still for longer than 3.5 minutes, figure out how to juggle what everybody needs when everybody thinks they need *ME* RIGHT AWAY. I feel like the hardest part of all this is mainly character/habit training that I know has to be done (maybe regular handwashing, too...) but that I'm a loss as to how to get done (so that it sticks).

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I feel like the hardest part of all this is mainly character/habit training that I know has to be done (maybe regular handwashing, too...) but that I'm a loss as to how to get done (so that it sticks).

 

Gosh, my mother is still working on that for me ;)

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I'm curious how you come up with these goals? Are they whatever you think of when you sit down to type, or do you actually spend time reflecting on these? 

 For us it was easy.  I heard about CTY when the now 7th grader was in 2nd grade,  Only way for that to happen was for me to take over his math education. He qualified for baby CTY at the end of 2nd grade. Qualified for CTY intensive studies at 6th grade.  Now, we are shooting for CTY SET this June.  So far, all practice materials show a weak 700 math (SAT Math Level 1, and SAT), but we have a few months to go.  It is something he is aiming for, and we enjoy working together on the target. 

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I'm curious how you come up with these goals?

I usually have some nebulous goals floating around in my head, and this just forces me to find actual words for them. Mine are often fairly open-ended, overarching kinds of things.

 

I asked DD what her goals were and she looked at me like I had two heads.

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I'm curious how you come up with these goals? Are they whatever you think of when you sit down to type, or do you actually spend time reflecting on these? I'm just curious because a lot of things on my mind lately have been stuff like: Get 4 and 2 yos to use words instead of screaming and hitting, get 8 yo back in speech therapy and hopefully get his handwriting legible, get 6 yo to sit still for longer than 3.5 minutes, figure out how to juggle what everybody needs when everybody thinks they need *ME* RIGHT AWAY. I feel like the hardest part of all this is mainly character/habit training that I know has to be done (maybe regular handwashing, too...) but that I'm a loss as to how to get done (so that it sticks).

 

My goals feel a lot like what you listed.  I thought about them for a few days before posting, but I didn't ask for any input from the boys.  These are things *I* would like them to accomplish this year.

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My goals feel a lot like what you listed.  I thought about them for a few days before posting, but I didn't ask for any input from the boys.  These are things *I* would like them to accomplish this year.

 

Ha ha. And it's posts like mine that make me wonder sometimes why I'm even on an AL forum sometimes. I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around how asynchronous these kids can be (when thinking about algebra and number theory come more easily than handwriting, for example...)

 

I just pulled out our lists that we did in September:

 - My 8 yo wanted to read a long reading list and make it into the advanced Taekwondo class.

 - My 6 yo wanted to do more reading and get a black belt (I wasn't going to argue too much with her over that one).

 - My 4 yo wanted to learn to be a dog and take more gymnastics (she graduated the 4/5 class at just over 3, and we weren't really comfortable putting a 3 yo into the elem age class, so she's been getting a bit bored in the prek class).

 

 

I'd have to think harder about what my goals for the kids actually are. With my oldest being 8 and three younger sisters, I feel like most of my days are either doing the next thing or trying to maintain some semblance of composure and grace without yelling at them (too often...) But I see value in having goals and will have to reflect on this a bit more.  I love reading everyone's posts!

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Ds8 - get a home school routine going and try and work out where exactly he is academically. Practise self regulation. Exercise.

 

DS10 - depends a bit on the school. I would like for him to start school an hour late a couple of days a week so we can do AOPS PA but at the moment they are a bit hard to pin down. I would like an official arrangement but if it comes to it I will just do it anyway if they are no longer extending him in maths.

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We met most of my last year's goals, so that's really nice to see, since I've honestly been feeling like I limped through most of 2017.

 

Goals for 2018:

 

DD almost 9: Reignite her special interest in ancient myth and language, as I feel my struggling, just-get-the-work-done attitude about school this past year has really hurt her love of those subjects.  I need to make it fun again, or I think she won't want to do it any more, and she'll loose something that she loved.  Mostly continue on as we have been in writing and math, but look for more outside activities/competitions she can participate in, as she really enjoys them and finds them motivating.  Also, work with her on helping her set up a candy vending machine "business". 

 

DD7:  Finally get her reading independently.  Honestly, at this point, she's capable.  But it takes her a lot of work, and she thinks that she can't do it.  (We finally figured out this past year that she is compensating for dyslexia, and she has made slow and steady progress since adjusting teaching methods accordingly.)  Also, continue to look for ways in which she can shine out of her siblings' shadows--German has been great for this.  Calligraphy might be a good thing for this, too, as she enjoys handwriting--she has amazing cursive and will finish our full handwriting curriculum in a few months at most.

 

DS5.5: Continue to hang on for dear life as he sets the pace in reading and math, while nudging him forward in handwriting.  Continue to work on developing self-control and consideration for others.  He has made some progress on dealing with his temper, but has a long way to go.  Also, give him more opportunities to do sports.

 

DS3.75: Give him the preschool time he needs to move forward at his own pace for math and violin.  Potty train!  Start phonics at some point.  Don't forget cuddles and picture books.

 

Oldest three together: Participate in a science fair.  Enjoy school.

 

Me: Don't let seasonal depression leach my motivation and our homeschool's fun.

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