Homeschool Chat

[DawnM]

Wow, how did we end up with THREE homeschooling Dawns on this board? I hardly ever run into Dawns, much less homeschool moms!



Dawn

 

[graygables]

Wow, how did we end up with THREE homeschooling Dawns on this board? I hardly ever run into Dawns, much less homeschool moms!



Dawn

I went to school in Germany with *6* Dawns. 3 of us had the same class, so the teacher wound up calling me by my last name, one by her middle name, and the other one was just Dawn. I, personally, am not a fan of my name but that goes back to having "Delta Dawn" belted out poorly, loudly, and in German so many times in my childhood...

ETA: then there were the jokes about the 'crack of dawn' and 'it just dawned on me'. haha. So funny.

Maybe we're hippie chicks and that's why homeschooling appeals...

 

[NHWX]

The girls (6th and 2nd) are pretty easy to teach and deal with. My son is another story. He just turned 6 in November and is extremely smart and articulate. The problem is he's a stubborn little thing and doesn't want to learn the things in the books. He'd rather play the game cube and watch t.v.

...

What do you guys think? Have you had to deal with a stubborn child who doesn't want to do school unless it's his way? How did you balance that with the other kids in the family?

Married to a stubborn man with stubborn sons, I can definitely relate. My suggestion - get something really cool: a new computer game, a new game cube game (Animal Farm, my kids suggest) that you simply can't do without reading. Let your girls ooh and ah over it but explain that it's for your son "when he's old enough (or big enough or ready) to play it." End of argument. Then he'll probably stubbornly learn to read.

My two are much older. I'll frequently tell them "Schooling is not optional. Where you learn is optional."

NHWX

 

[HomeschoolMama]

Married to a stubborn man with stubborn sons, I can definitely relate. My suggestion - get something really cool: a new computer game, a new game cube game (Animal Farm, my kids suggest) that you simply can't do without reading. Let your girls ooh and ah over it but explain that it's for your son "when he's old enough (or big enough or ready) to play it." End of argument. Then he'll probably stubbornly learn to read.

My two are much older. I'll frequently tell them "Schooling is not optional. Where you learn is optional."

NHWX

Good idea! Thanks!

 

[HomeschoolMama]

I went to school in Germany with *6* Dawns. 3 of us had the same class, so the teacher wound up calling me by my last name, one by her middle name, and the other one was just Dawn. I, personally, am not a fan of my name but that goes back to having "Delta Dawn" belted out poorly, loudly, and in German so many times in my childhood...

ETA: then there were the jokes about the 'crack of dawn' and 'it just dawned on me'. haha. So funny.

Maybe we're hippie chicks and that's why homeschooling appeals...

We have 2 Dawns and 2 Donnas in our hs group.

 

[graygables]

I need some advice. My 12yo didn't start reading until she was 8+. She had vision tracking difficulties that took some time to diagnose and treat along with all of the frustrations that go along with not being able to read when everyone around you can. She also has Asperger's, so if it's not within her realm of interest, forget it.

I cannot get this girl to read. Early on, she enjoyed Nancy Drew, but she received one as a gift out of numerical order and that threw her off. I don't get it, but that's the way it is.

She's getting to the point where she simply HAS to be reading some literature and classics. It's not enough to have the story told to you or watch the movie, no matter how true it is to the story. She also has comprehension issues that are tied to her simply not wanting to read, so it doesn't stick. She can even read out loud and have no clue of what she just said.

I hate to have to crack the whip, but as a former English teacher, who had read the complete works of Shakespeare the summer before my 12th birthday, I'm at a loss. Teaching my children to read was always my most terrifying challenge b/c I don't remember learning how to read, I just always could (skipped K and they wanted me to skip 2nd) and I was always an avid reader as a child.

How do I get her to read something she's simply not interested in and sees no value in?

 

[DawnM]

Were they Americans or Germans? I grew up in Kenya, but went to an American school. There were 3 Dawns, but we were all different ages, so it wasn't a problem.

Dawn

I went to school in Germany with *6* Dawns. 3 of us had the same class, so the teacher wound up calling me by my last name, one by her middle name, and the other one was just Dawn. I, personally, am not a fan of my name but that goes back to having "Delta Dawn" belted out poorly, loudly, and in German so many times in my childhood...

ETA: then there were the jokes about the 'crack of dawn' and 'it just dawned on me'. haha. So funny.

Maybe we're hippie chicks and that's why homeschooling appeals...

 

[graygables]

Were they Americans or Germans? I grew up in Kenya, but went to an American school. There were 3 Dawns, but we were all different ages, so it wasn't a problem.

Dawn

They were Americans, it was a DoD school.

 

[wvdislover]

I need some advice. My 12yo didn't start reading until she was 8+. She had vision tracking difficulties that took some time to diagnose and treat along with all of the frustrations that go along with not being able to read when everyone around you can. She also has Asperger's, so if it's not within her realm of interest, forget it.

I cannot get this girl to read. Early on, she enjoyed Nancy Drew, but she received one as a gift out of numerical order and that threw her off. I don't get it, but that's the way it is.

She's getting to the point where she simply HAS to be reading some literature and classics. It's not enough to have the story told to you or watch the movie, no matter how true it is to the story. She also has comprehension issues that are tied to her simply not wanting to read, so it doesn't stick. She can even read out loud and have no clue of what she just said.

I hate to have to crack the whip, but as a former English teacher, who had read the complete works of Shakespeare the summer before my 12th birthday, I'm at a loss. Teaching my children to read was always my most terrifying challenge b/c I don't remember learning how to read, I just always could (skipped K and they wanted me to skip 2nd) and I was always an avid reader as a child.

How do I get her to read something she's simply not interested in and sees no value in?

OK, we REALLY need to get our girls together!!! We've talked about it before, and I've planned to get them e-mailing together, but I guess I need to really get on the ball

It is driving me crazy that I can't get my DD11 (Sarah) to read what I want her to. She would rather read easier readers and comic books. Yes, I know, at least she's reading, but OH MY GOSH!!! Enough already! Why is it so difficult to just sit and read a chapter book, especially one SHE picked out! This Asperger's thing drives me crazy some days. There are some days I just wish she would wake up and just DO her hs work, without having to spend an hour fighting about the fact that it has to be done, regardless of whether she wants to or not. School is not optional! It is 10:15am, and she's still in bed, pretending to be asleep, so she won't have to work (or so she thinks). So, if anyone out there has some advice (that works!) about how to get our Aspie kids reading and working, we will love you forever and ever!!!

 

[graygables]

a bit O/T, but I couldn't remember if I'd "announced" it or not...I was accepted into the WDW College Program, so DDs and I are leaving in 9 days to head toward Florida! We'll be there 5 months, so if you're heading down from mid-Jan to mid-May, try to find me! I'll keep you posted where my work location winds up being.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

a bit O/T, but I couldn't remember if I'd "announced" it or not...I was accepted into the WDW College Program, so DDs and I are leaving in 9 days to head toward Florida! We'll be there 5 months, so if you're heading down from mid-Jan to mid-May, try to find me! I'll keep you posted where my work location winds up being.

How fun!!! Yes keep us posted!! We are going the end of Jan!!! What a blast!!!

I have no idea about the Asperger's thing. My neighbor's son has it and he does act different than his brother. He's not really bad--as in not mean or anything, but I do notice that he pushes her as far as she can go!! I don't know if it's because he has it, or he just knows how to push her buttons. But, if they are playing outside she is constantly getting on to him and saying his name 1000xs over and over. He just acts oblivious. he was going to a special school for a while and seemed to do pretty good. But his dad( they are divorced) pulled him out and put him in their local ps because it was easier for his new wife not to have to drive any farther to get him on their days. I don't know how the ps thing is working out-he was supposed to get a special helper/teacher.

 

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This is the petition to get our own forum. If you're new to this list, please kindly go to: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1889690&referrerid=182988
and add your name. Thanks!!!

 

[DawnM]

What is the WDW college program?

Dawn

a bit O/T, but I couldn't remember if I'd "announced" it or not...I was accepted into the WDW College Program, so DDs and I are leaving in 9 days to head toward Florida! We'll be there 5 months, so if you're heading down from mid-Jan to mid-May, try to find me! I'll keep you posted where my work location winds up being.

 

[graygables]

What is the WDW college program?

Dawn

Guess I should have clarified! I'm in grad school, so I applied for a professional internship at WDW for the Spring semester. Thanks to the mean ol' economy, most of the professional internships were cancelled (I'm guessing upwards of 95% of them) I decided to apply for the College Program instead. It is a paid "internship" and is how Disney hires a great number of its employees. Most of the college-aged kids working around the parks are College Program participants (something like 9,000 of them!) Disney provides them with housing and transportation, they work for minimum wage or a bit more, guaranteed 30 hours per week, from 5-8 months, depending on if it's a regular or an "advantage" season (I'm regular Spring). It's a foot in the door at WDW for those who want it. Both of my older DDs started their Disney careers that way and now it's Mom's turn!

It is an excellent opportunity for anyone who is interested in getting a job at WDW or just to have Disney on the resume. They also offer classes and activities. My older girls had a blast on their programs. I'll be living offsite with my kids, so I'll "miss out" on some of the college "fun" but that's OK with me. I just read on the College Board of people who knew CPers in their 50s, so now I don't feel so old!

There are a number of roles available, mine is merchandise, so I'll be somewhere on property in retail. I won't know my location until January 8th, so I'll be sure to let everyone know where to look for me!

 

[DawnM]

Ah, ok.

My husband actually did his internship with Disney, but it was not the same as you are describing. He got his MA in Business Taxation through USC and worked for Disney's Tax office in Glendale, CA for a year until they decided to outsource to Price Waterhouse. He made more than min. wage thankfully though and he lived at home.

Yours sounds more fun! His was thousands of pages of 7 year old backlog from all Disney subsidiaries to go through and get taxes done! They had such a high turnover rate they had to outsource!

Dawn

Guess I should have clarified! I'm in grad school, so I applied for a professional internship at WDW for the Spring semester. Thanks to the mean ol' economy, most of the professional internships were cancelled (I'm guessing upwards of 95% of them) I decided to apply for the College Program instead. It is a paid "internship" and is how Disney hires a great number of its employees. Most of the college-aged kids working around the parks are College Program participants (something like 9,000 of them!) Disney provides them with housing and transportation, they work for minimum wage or a bit more, guaranteed 30 hours per week, from 5-8 months, depending on if it's a regular or an "advantage" season (I'm regular Spring). It's a foot in the door at WDW for those who want it. Both of my older DDs started their Disney careers that way and now it's Mom's turn!

It is an excellent opportunity for anyone who is interested in getting a job at WDW or just to have Disney on the resume. They also offer classes and activities. My older girls had a blast on their programs. I'll be living offsite with my kids, so I'll "miss out" on some of the college "fun" but that's OK with me. I just read on the College Board of people who knew CPers in their 50s, so now I don't feel so old!

There are a number of roles available, mine is merchandise, so I'll be somewhere on property in retail. I won't know my location until January 8th, so I'll be sure to let everyone know where to look for me!

 

[Mommy2three]

Well I just ordered singapore math, along with the singapore grammer, and science, for both my DS6 in first grade and my DD8 in 2nd grade. My son is currently homeschooled due to issues with the public school at the beginning of the school year, and now i will be pulling my DD out due to them not being able to do their job, and let my daughter get away with not doing her work just because she cries and says its too hard, which its not, because when she comes home, she will sit and do her homework with no problems, its because she knows I won't play into her games and let her get away with it. And time after time I have spoke to DD's teachers, reg classroom teacher, and special ed teacher and the school psychologist to not do that, but I just think they dont want to deal with pulling teeth to get her to do it. She has many psychological issues, adhd, bipolar, schizophrenia, Dissociative identity disorder, odd, ocd, just to name a few and honestly the school is not trained to handle kids with her types of problems. I just hope I'm making the right choice with her by pulling her out. I pulled my DS out and he has thrived and has become a different kid since I have pulled him out. He would spend his days in first grade hiding under the table screaming and crying, and not once was I ever told about this, until right before I had decided to pull him, and that was the final straw for me. My DD is failing in all her subjects, and at the beginning of the school year was thriving, but has gone way down hill, so I am hoping this is the right choice for her as I dont want her to spend a second year in second grade, she spent two years in first grade, and I really think it would damage her self esteem if her brother caught up to her and was in the same grade as her. Any advice? Who here uses singapore math? I would love any reviews that you may have. Next year I am planning on going thru connections academy WI for both of them. The subjects through singapore were surprisingly priced great!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Mommy2three~ I don't use that curriculum, but just wanted to say I think you are doing the right thing. She'll will probably get caught up before May!! I sometimes think people are too timid about teaching their own kids, when in reality they will do better than someone else. Some schools just arent equipped to handle certain problems--like your daughters, yet they would rather have them on the school roll, than be honest and admit they are not helping them. Keep us posted and I am sure someone will tell you all about the Singapore stuff!!

 

[sha_lyn]

We use Singapore math and love it. However IMHO the Singapore Grammar is a bad choice. It uses British spelling and terminology instead of American.
The science it OK.

 

[DawnM]

I still have problems remembering which spelling to use.

I went to an American school, but it was in a former British colony and a lot of the text books we used were British and we had quite a few European students, so the teachers all allowed us to use either spelling in our work and not get counted down for it. Most of us used the British spellings because our text books used them.

I don't find it a huge deal now, but using a British text in the US might be harder.

Dawn

We use Singapore math and love it. However IMHO the Singapore Grammar is a bad choice. It uses British spelling and terminology instead of American.
The science it OK.

 

[crl]

We use Singapore math for K and it's pretty easy for DD. We suplement with Math-U-See which she really enjoys doing.