Homeschool Chat

[littlepeppers]

Hi Lori

We live way in South La. Lafourche parish.

I am the only one left here. My clan picked up & move to Fort Worth.
They like TX & I'm sure you will too.

I'm stuck w/ the hurricanes.

Southwest runs some great deals on flights. No need to drive.
$300 gas, $250 on hotels both going to & from DW, $100 food on the way, $200 TV/DVDs/video games so you don't kill you kids on the way, $50 oil change, $50 tire rotation = $950

2 1/2 plane ride, rested parents, no "are we there yet" from the kids, & everyone still alive = priceless ($740 to fly all 4 of us)

Good luck w/ the move.

 

[party-of-five]

Just found this thread and thought I would say hello. I'm so excited to see so many other HS families that share my interest in Disney! We took our first trip in 2007 and now I'm hooked! We're in our 3rd year of homeschooling and LOVE it!!! I love being with my children all day watching them explore their world and learn new things. Sure, a break would be nice every once in a while. DH and I feel that they grow so fast... we'll just enjoy it now and rest later!

 

[disneymom3]

Southwest runs some great deals on flights. No need to drive.
$300 gas, $250 on hotels both going to & from DW, $100 food on the way, $200 TV/DVDs/video games so you don't kill you kids on the way, $50 oil change, $50 tire rotation = $950

2 1/2 plane ride, rested parents, no "are we there yet" from the kids, & everyone still alive = priceless ($740 to fly all 4 of us)

Good luck w/ the move.

Holy smokes girl, you travel expensively!! We got to FL and back from MN for much less than that. Course we have a DVD player in the car and I will admit that helps some but we really don't watch it much. Books on tape or CD are your friends! We have listened to such great books in the car. Plus we get to learn geography as we go--two things we have learned....Most of WY is really boring and that mommy NEVER would have made it in a covered wagon. She would have gone insane long before we reached the mountains AND that CO has a LOT of mountains if you try to traverse them directly. Interstates are a beautiful thing!

I realize that I never came back and gave my other ideas for math games so I have a few minutes today to do that. Mainly they don't have names so sorry about that. I really recommend Peggy Kaye's Games for Math. I know some of my ideas came from her but I don't recall which ones so I am not making any claims to originality here. Just sharing ideas.

With cards and unit blocks/base 10 blocks we play a game to make the idea of carrying/regrouping make sense. Take out the face cards and aces equal one. Everything else is the value shown on the card. Take turns drawing cards and then take the number of unit blocks shown. You can never have more than 9 unit blocks, once you get to 10 you have to trade them in for a ten strip and then whatever leftover unit blocks you keep. Whoever reaches 100 first wins.

I know I mentioned the one where you roll a dice and do multiples of a particular number but I neglected to say that we also do adding and subtracting the same way. So, take the numbers from 1-12 plus or minus whatever number you are working on and put those on a sheet with circles or whatever around them. Not in order but just randomly around the page. Then you roll the dice, add your target number and find the answer covering it with a penny or a bean or whatever you have.

We have another one that is a file folder game with three spinners(got this from a friend) One spinner has only plus and minus and the others have numbers 1-12. Inside the board I made a track like a game board with stickers. Each turn you spin all three dials (I just cut arrows out of card stock and attached them with those little metal brads.) You either add or subtract depending on what you landed on and use the numbers you spin too. One of the hidden gems in this is that it cements the idea that you can add backwards adn forwards but you have to start with the biggest number to subtract.

An active game we play is that I will give the kids a math problem--answers are kept fairly low--and then something they have to do that many times. Jumping jacks, sit ups, cross toe touches etc. So, 2 + 4 they have to do 6 jumping jacks. We do that with spelling too where they spell the word and with each letter they jump or bounce on the yoga ball or whatever we can think of.

Last week we did math outside on the driveway. We took the chalk and I gave everyone a math problem to figure out. They wrote it out and then gave me the answers. Poor DD is working on solving for x and simplifying math sentences so hers were reaching all the way across practically. (For her I cheated and had her book with me!)

I have a kid with sensory integration disorder and looks like some memory issues as well so I have to get creative. If he has to sit in a chair for too long, he pretty much falls apart as it's just not in his nervous system make up to handle it. He spends so much time focused on sitting in the chair that he can't concentrate on his work so we work outside the box as much as I can think of. Somedays I am really boring and we just do workbooks so don't think this is an everyday thing around here!! (Other days it is just too darn nice outside so we don't do anything....shhhhh )

 

[littlepeppers]

Holy smokes girl, you travel expensively!! We got to FL and back from MN for much less than that. Course we have a DVD player in the car and I will admit that helps some but we really don't watch it much. Books on tape or CD are your friends! We have listened to such great books in the car. Plus we get to learn geography as we go--two things we have learned....Most of WY is really boring and that mommy NEVER would have made it in a covered wagon. She would have gone insane long before we reached the mountains AND that CO has a LOT of mountains if you try to traverse them directly. Interstates are a beautiful thing!

I realize that I never came back and gave my other ideas for math games so I have a few minutes today to do that. Mainly they don't have names so sorry about that. I really recommend Peggy Kaye's Games for Math. I know some of my ideas came from her but I don't recall which ones so I am not making any claims to originality here. Just sharing ideas.

With cards and unit blocks/base 10 blocks we play a game to make the idea of carrying/regrouping make sense. Take out the face cards and aces equal one. Everything else is the value shown on the card. Take turns drawing cards and then take the number of unit blocks shown. You can never have more than 9 unit blocks, once you get to 10 you have to trade them in for a ten strip and then whatever leftover unit blocks you keep. Whoever reaches 100 first wins.

I know I mentioned the one where you roll a dice and do multiples of a particular number but I neglected to say that we also do adding and subtracting the same way. So, take the numbers from 1-12 plus or minus whatever number you are working on and put those on a sheet with circles or whatever around them. Not in order but just randomly around the page. Then you roll the dice, add your target number and find the answer covering it with a penny or a bean or whatever you have.

We have another one that is a file folder game with three spinners(got this from a friend) One spinner has only plus and minus and the others have numbers 1-12. Inside the board I made a track like a game board with stickers. Each turn you spin all three dials (I just cut arrows out of card stock and attached them with those little metal brads.) You either add or subtract depending on what you landed on and use the numbers you spin too. One of the hidden gems in this is that it cements the idea that you can add backwards adn forwards but you have to start with the biggest number to subtract.

An active game we play is that I will give the kids a math problem--answers are kept fairly low--and then something they have to do that many times. Jumping jacks, sit ups, cross toe touches etc. So, 2 + 4 they have to do 6 jumping jacks. We do that with spelling too where they spell the word and with each letter they jump or bounce on the yoga ball or whatever we can think of.

Last week we did math outside on the driveway. We took the chalk and I gave everyone a math problem to figure out. They wrote it out and then gave me the answers. Poor DD is working on solving for x and simplifying math sentences so hers were reaching all the way across practically. (For her I cheated and had her book with me!)

I have a kid with sensory integration disorder and looks like some memory issues as well so I have to get creative. If he has to sit in a chair for too long, he pretty much falls apart as it's just not in his nervous system make up to handle it. He spends so much time focused on sitting in the chair that he can't concentrate on his work so we work outside the box as much as I can think of. Somedays I am really boring and we just do workbooks so don't think this is an everyday thing around here!! (Other days it is just too darn nice outside so we don't do anything....shhhhh )

These are the best ideas. We have been doing interactive (jumping, fly swatting, chalk.......) things all year trying to keep him up. We need to do some of these. His present school believes in flash cards & memorizing. He is a wholistic learner. If will not get any of it until he gets all of it, boy but when he does watch out. This is one of the reasons we are homeschooling next year. Traditional class of 30 kids isn't working for him. They suggested that I accept that he is a "C" student.

 

[littlepeppers]

I thought we are going for cheap this time. We are staying at a value resort (kind of nervous about the bus lines). It is $1000 less than our trip last year.

Please give me your $ saving tips. I quit teaching last year, so we are still trying to adjust to our new budget restrictions. We used to waste my check on whatever. Life is better now. Slower now. More whole.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

I thought we are going for cheap this time. We are staying at a value resort (kind of nervous about the bus lines). It is $1000 less than our trip last year.

Please give me your $ saving tips. I quit teaching last year, so we are still trying to adjust to our new budget restrictions. We used to waste my check on whatever. Life is better now. Slower now. More whole.

Hi littlepeppers!!
well, I personally like the value resorts, and we never really waited long for buses---only once or twice at night leaving Epcot. There were just lots of people and had to wait for the second bus as we couldn't fit on the first one. But, they come to the resort every morning like every 15 minutes. sometimes we only waited 10.

I know one thing that really adds up for us-letting us all get drinks instead of water when we eat out. they have really gotten expensive. (I mean regular drinks, not alcoholic). It' s quite ridiculous!!!! And, no appetizers if we are not splitting a meal-we don't need it. And no dessert. They are usually very proud of those desserts!!!! Ummm, let me think. Oh, clothes--I always get the kids most of their clothes at Target, Wal-Mart, JCPenney always has 50% off stuff. Especially their summer stuff, as they are outside sweating and playing in the dirt more. Also, we use our credit card for our business and big purchases, like the kids clothes, Dentist visits, gas --it all goes toward airline miles. Granted ,we charge huge amounts at a time,we are home builders so it really pays for us. The last 3 trips we have gotten 'free' airfare. I know lots of folks here use the Disney Visa--you may want to check into that. Also, check local websites or your local homeschool groups/friends that are selling used hs books---especially the teacher guides.

 

[floydfamily4]

Just wanted to say hello and introduce myself. I am from Houston,TX and currently homeschool my 4 year old twins with 2 other moms and their 4 year olds using the Abeka curriculum. It has been an exciting and wonderful year and we will continue next year. I haven't had much time to read through the 2000 posts so I will just start reading and joining in from here

Take care!

 

[disneymom3]

Money saving at the parks...we always bring snacks for the backpack as well as breakfast items. My kids would much rather have little cereal cups in the hotel room watching tv than have to go out somewhere anyway. We bring cereal boxes--the travel ones--granola bars, trail mix, pop tarts...not the healthiest but it's vacation so I don't worry about that. Then I get individually packaged snacks for daytime. We average one treat a day per person and sometimes not even that. When my boys were smaller, we would split a couple of Mickey bars between the five of us. They all got eaten that way and I always figure we can buy more if we want but once we have them melting everywhere, that's it. We also share drinks--but a bottle of water and take drinks, get the large lemonade instead of the small and all three kids share it and DH share another drink. Works for us.

 

[Corinne Johnson]

I just joined the DisBoards, and feel very blessed to have found a space just for homeschoolers. After our first trip to Disney (about 6 years ago) we started to design unit studies based on each of the exhibits in the park. After four years, we developed a whole series of them. It was more fun than any other curriculum I've ever tried. Does anyone else do anything like this?

 

[lori1043]

awww laaawwdyy-don't get me started on being frugal at WDW-it is a favorite thing!!

We bring our lunches in and it saves sooooo much time and we just plop down somewhere under a tree or a beautiful spot and eat there. No lines, no wait..... and yes we bring snacks too and my family are also not big breakfast people so cereal, grits, oatmeal, little white donuts, and granola bars do us just fine for b/fast.

On another note- we ahve been scouring the Houston metro map and are trying to pin point a region to look for homes. I think we are going to want to be North/north east, like somehweher b/t 249 and 90.

Any help is appreciated! You can PM me if needed. We want out furtrher but not country. We are also thinking Conroe, maybe. All i know is i don't want city traffic. I wanna be able to hit stuffmart withing 10-15 minutes, no/little traffic.

We want a neighborhood/subd where the kids can ride thier bikes and not threaten getting run over.

Thanks-Lori

 

[Corinne Johnson]

Is anyone going on the Ultimate Field Trip in September? We would like to and are trying to save up enough money to go. I think it would be really cool to attend with a huge group of homeschoolers from all over the country.

 

[lori1043]

I just have an issue with not being able to get free dining if you book with the homeschool field trip stuff.

I asked and they said it isn't possible with thier packages.

Lori

 

[disneymom3]

On another note- we ahve been scouring the Houston metro map and are trying to pin point a region to look for homes. I think we are going to want to be North/north east, like somehweher b/t 249 and 90.

Any help is appreciated! You can PM me if needed. We want out furtrher but not country. We are also thinking Conroe, maybe. All i know is i don't want city traffic. I wanna be able to hit stuffmart withing 10-15 minutes, no/little traffic.

We want a neighborhood/subd where the kids can ride thier bikes and not threaten getting run over.

Thanks-Lori

I know someone who is a realtor in the Houston area. email me if you want more info about her. tastfullyj@yahoo.com Sorry can't pm.

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

I thought we are going for cheap this time. We are staying at a value resort (kind of nervous about the bus lines). It is $1000 less than our trip last year.

Please give me your $ saving tips. I quit teaching last year, so we are still trying to adjust to our new budget restrictions. We used to waste my check on whatever. Life is better now. Slower now. More whole.

Our last trip we did moderate with free dining before cruise and a value at 40% off after cruise. As far as buses we did not have much luck in either case. We always needed the bus that took 20-40 minutes to come around! However, buses for other parks would come by 2-3 times while we waited...so next time we are renting a car. (Not to mention standing after long day all the way back to resort.)

Also, this time we are looking at staying at Windsor Hills. It is just as close as some Disney resorts and for same price you get 3 bedrooms, a couple bathrooms, and a kitchen. I figure that should help save on food. Plus most come with free wireless internet, another savings.

After the cruise when we did not have free dining, we booked late (@3:00) lunches. They were cheaper than dinner and we mainly snacked rest of day. ALso, less crowed. Our 3:00 lunch at Garden Grill was the best- characters came around 3 times.

After I trip I discovered this tip on mousesavers, if you ask to not have mickey tray that comes with kids meals- you save $1.50!

Oh, huge mega savings...for @$7 costco.com will ship a case of water to your hotel. Just make sure to include arrival date and reservation number along with hotel address on the ship to information.

Our biggest savings our next trip will be skipping the cruise. We are excited about more nights at Disney. Epcot is our favorite and we have only scratched the surface.

One way I save for the trip is convert our rolled coins and little rebate checks to $2 bills. We use these for tips.

 

[wvdislover]

I just have an issue with not being able to get free dining if you book with the homeschool field trip stuff.

I asked and they said it isn't possible with thier packages.

Lori

I thought you could still get the free dining if you bought a separate 1 day pass, that you can either save or use as an extra day before or after your hs field trip stuff. Try pricing it out--it may still save you some money--their ticket prices are really good! We thought about rescheduling our trip to go with them, but decided we just wanted to be on our own, later in Sept.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Oh my word...were you asking about ways to save money AT disney? sorry!! thought you meant before you go!! HA! Well, I always bring granola bars for breakfast--we usually do early lunches, so we are ok there. Then we have trailmixes and snax in our backpacks-even with the ddp you sometimes have days where they just need more snax between meals, or we use them for bottled waters. And, actually the Ddp does save us $$$. Depending on if your kids are on the child/adult menu check into it. besides you don't have to 'pay' for every meal--it's done before you leave home and you just need money for tips, or drinks if you want them.

Floydfamily... Welcome!! We are neighbors---I am about an hour and a half or so North/Northeast of ya!!!

 

[Corinne Johnson]

We are looking at going in September with the Ultimate Field Trip, and FREE DINING is absolutely part of our package. We are a family of eight and Free food makes a HUGE difference to us. Maybe you were looking to go with a different group? UFT is run by 3D Travel, and they DO offer free dining as part of their trip. You have to stay in a Disney resort, but you don't have to buy any extra park tickets.

 

[littlepeppers]

We are goint Sept 29-Oct 6. We have to go around my hubby's work schedule. I'm hoping for a low attendance, since most will be in school & it is too early for Columbus Day vacations.

Last year we packed poptarts and snack crackers/cookies in our suitcases.

Oct 2nd is my b-day since I will already have a multi-day ticket, I'm getting the Fun B-day Card worth the one day park pass. This should give my kids$75 to spend on junk in the stores. We do splurge on Park Hopper passes. We like going to any park & then hitting our favorite (Wishes) before hitting the hotel. We could watch Wished everynight.

My hubby wants to do the Holloween party again. I thought that is was more crowded than it was during the day.

I love the using of tap w/ the little flavor pack idea. We will have the free dining for most of our trip.

We were hit really bad by Gustav last year (we were in the eye). If we get another one this year, we will have to cancel the trip. Our wind damage deductable is $5300. Lets all pray for an uneventful season.

I love the pay it forward theme from other threads. I think that I'm going to make some little cards to leave notes at Guest Relations for great CMs. It will be a great lesson for my kids. They will enjoy searching for kindness & hopefully not even notice the negative people around us.

 

[lori1043]

We are looking at going in September with the Ultimate Field Trip, and FREE DINING is absolutely part of our package. We are a family of eight and Free food makes a HUGE difference to us. Maybe you were looking to go with a different group? UFT is run by 3D Travel, and they DO offer free dining as part of their trip. You have to stay in a Disney resort, but you don't have to buy any extra park tickets.

That is sooo cool!! I checked with Disney last year about thier homeschool days package and they said you could not get both discounts at all. I called multiple times b/c i wanted to see if someone else would tell me a different story. We always stay on property. We have September booked with free dining, but with our move, we are unsure it will happen. I have another couple months to decide.

Lori

 

[Denine]

First: Money saving ideas for WDW. We take a soft cooler with us and bring pop and water. We buy a gallon of water for .99 and then refill bottles of pop that we generally buy at the airport. We also buy pop at the store and take cans with us. I buy cereal and milk for mornings and then take cereal in baggies for snacking later. I usually have some other snacky stuff too that I put in baggies.

I don't think we are ever going to finish the school year. DD is just poking through everything! It is driving me nuts!