Homeschool Thread---you can debate, but BE NICE!!

[disneymom3]

Just to say that I can be as boring as any classroom teacher! You just ask my son who thinks I am evilness incarnate right now for making him do so many story problems AND giving the lecture that all math problems in "real life" are story problems so he had best just suckitup and do them!

Oh, honey, I hear ya!! My DD is quite sure I am living solely to torture her by making her write a report right now. She is quite certain that I am the worst mom in the entire world and I never really did love her! She wouldn't voice these thoughts as that would be a major respect infringement and she wants to play Math Blaster after this, but hey, I can read body language! Oh yeah, and then there was the, "But I don't WANT to choose an arctic animal for my report! Arctic animals are BORING." Somedays, everything is boring and then some days it is, "NO, don't stop reading....please!"

ETA: I just want to point out that IMO this is a different kind of boring than having to sit through day after day of class in which only two children recognize the site words you are supposed to already know and you are already reading chapter books. That and learning how to count beans when you have already discovered that if there are 25 cars in each lane waiting to get into the parking lot, that is 100 cars that have to enter before you.

 

[pamlet]

My husband has to learn with music or the tv on--drives me bonkers. I am still not convinced it is possible to learn that way. LOL! Of course it is--but I would sit and watch the tv instead of doing my work if I did that. He writes his software programs on with headphones so that I'll believe he really is working. LOL.

OHHHH I think it's that math/programming mind thing. My husband and older son both have to have all sorts of noise going. Hubby has headphones too... but it's my older son that I am totally amazed at... he'll be programming, IMing, have an MP3 playing AND Foxnews all at the same time and can carry on conversations about it all. He's an EXTREME multi-tasker.

I have to have TOTAL silence... hahahahaha. That's why I get up to do my "thinking work" at 4:30 - 5:00 am.. only time it's quiet in the house!

 

[disneymom3]

Aunt Polly--your response was very well written.

Regarding the requirements--if homeschool requirements need to be the same then all schools would have to be the same. And like several other elements of running a state--education is left to the state to decide on how to run it. Homeschooling falls under this umbrella as it is just another way to have your child educated.

Well said, Lisa.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

OHHHH I think it's that math/programming mind thing. My husband and older son both have to have all sorts of noise going. Hubby has headphones too... but it's my older son that I am totally amazed at... he'll be programming, IMing, have an MP3 playing AND Foxnews all at the same time and can carry on conversations about it all. He's an EXTREME multi-tasker.

I have to have TOTAL silence... hahahahaha. That's why I get up to do my "thinking work" at 4:30 - 5:00 am.. only time it's quiet in the house!

I'll give you the programming, but I am a math braniac--went all the way to AP Calculus and got a 5 on the exam (After showing up crying b/c my then-step-father was a serious butthead that morning)....and took Calc 2 b/c I wanted to in College. I got a B--but only b/c I had had enough towards the end (shame on me) and sorority life got in the way and I just decided I wasn't going to take Calc 3...so chose to stop learning. Must have been the lack of some good tunes and a set of headphones LOL. (Disclaimer: not so much that I'd fail a test or anything--just didn't give 100% anymore.

I still needed quiet unless I was hashing out a problem with a peer...then talking would be acceptable.

 

[Crankyshank]

Now that's pretty impressive, Jenny. I can name a lot of them, but I miss a bunch too
Lisa, Alexander was great because he conquered most of the known world at the time. He's considered one of the greatest military commanders in history. I also had to do a paper on him in high school.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Now that's pretty impressive, Jenny. I can name a lot of them, but I miss a bunch too
Lisa, Alexander was great because he conquered most of the known world at the time. He's considered one of the greatest military commanders in history. I also had to do a paper on him in high school.

Well how about that--I can't remember how to differentiate an equation either . My dad tried to show me last month and I wanted to bop him one

 

[disneymom3]

Now that's pretty impressive, Jenny. I can name a lot of them, but I miss a bunch too
Lisa, Alexander was great because he conquered most of the known world at the time. He's considered one of the greatest military commanders in history. I also had to do a paper on him in high school.

Hey, we are just learning about him in history. You beat me to this answer. We use The Story of The World by Susan Wise Bauer and I can get all three of my kids interested so that is a huge perk. You should have heard the 3 yo explaining to his dad the story of Cyrus the Great. I was just cracking up and then DH turns to me and says, "Does he know what he is talking about? Did this really happen?" Then I really lost it!

Alexander's big thing was also to name towns that he conquered after himself so you end up with many variations of Alexander in many different countries.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Hey, we are just learning about him in history. You beat me to this answer. We use The Story of The World by Susan Wise Bauer and I can get all three of my kids interested so that is a huge perk. You should have heard the 3 yo explaining to his dad the story of Cyrus the Great. I was just cracking up and then DH turns to me and says, "Does he know what he is talking about? Did this really happen?" Then I really lost it!

Alexander's big thing was also to name towns that he conquered after himself so you end up with many variations of Alexander in many different countries.

It's all coming back to me now!!!! I am one of those people who learns something and forgets--but once you mention a few things....I know exactly what you are talking about. I love Jeopardy--they give the answer and I can figure out the question

 

[meandtheguys2]

Hey, we are just learning about him in history. You beat me to this answer. We use The Story of The World by Susan Wise Bauer and I can get all three of my kids interested so that is a huge perk. You should have heard the 3 yo explaining to his dad the story of Cyrus the Great. I was just cracking up and then DH turns to me and says, "Does he know what he is talking about? Did this really happen?" Then I really lost it!

Alexander's big thing was also to name towns that he conquered after himself so you end up with many variations of Alexander in many different countries.

Do you do all Classical? We are going to do The Well-trained Mind next year. I have been waiting for my little guy so I didn't have to do the four year sequence twice. (Sad, Huh?!)

eta: I think we are going to continue french rather than switch to latin. All 3 have done well with it, and have been able to do ASL too. I don't think Latin would go over so well!

 

[Crankyshank]

disneymom3 -
When you study classical history, do you add things like mythology and art history in the mix? I'm just being nosy. I loved hearing about Gilgamesh, Ishtar, Marduk, and seeing pictures of Ishtar's Gate. I think that's why I remember a lot about Alexander.

 

[Epcotkids]

We have been homeschooling for 6 years now and still love it. We have so much flexibility! Went home for my mom's surgeries; go to Disney in SEPTEMBER, (very low crowds); my husband and I go in the spring (by ourselves!); going to the NE for my sisters 50th and so on. True, I know there are families who cause concern, but a family who chooses to home educate for the right reason is going to MAKE SURE their children meet state requirements and most of us, aim to exceed them.

We have set pretty high standards for our kids, academically, socially and in behavior, and they have exceeded our expectations. Other than my stated “two cents"; "disneymom" answered many of your questions with accuracy. Way to go Disneymom!

Oh, if your notice the user name of Epcotkids; that is because Epcot is my children’s favorite park, they even love to learn while at Disneyworld!

 

[meandtheguys2]

Oh, if your notice the user name of Epcotkids; that is because Epcot is my children’s favorite park, they even love to learn while at Disneyworld!

You are ahead of us then! Mine just want to trade pins! The thought of learning on vacation is alien to them!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We have been homeschooling for 6 years now and still love it. We have so much flexibility! Went home for my mom's surgeries; go to Disney in SEPTEMBER, (very low crowds); my husband and I go in the spring (by ourselves!); going to the NE for my sisters 50th and so on. True, I know there are families who cause concern, but a family who chooses to home educate for the right reason is going to MAKE SURE their children meet state requirements and most of us, aim to exceed them.

We have set pretty high standards for our kids, academically, socially and in behavior, and they have exceeded our expectations. Other than my stated “two cents"; "disneymom" answered many of your questions with accuracy. Way to go Disneymom!

Oh, if your notice the user name of Epcotkids; that is because Epcot is my children’s favorite park, they even love to learn while at Disneyworld!

Welcome to the Dis! I too like planning things "around" school breaks instead of during them

 

[disneymom3]

Regarding the Classical education--I am not fully committed to it, honestly. First of all, the sequence doesn't work for me. I have three kids and the boys would be two years apart in school. No way am I doing three different programs for every topic every year. I would be waaaay to confused!! (meandtheguys2, we are clearly of the same mindset here!) So, we are all doing the first year right now--ancient to early Rome or wherever it ends. (Maybe late Rome?) We are also all doing the same science. The three year old obviously doesn't get too much out of this stuff and honestly I don't care. His job is to learn to share, drink out of a cup without a lid, say please and excuse me and use scissors and crayons with varying degrees of success! As we go along he will get more out of it and clearly the kids have different requirements of them all along the way. The 3 Rs I know I will have to teach separately and that works great.

As far as what we do--we mainly cover SOTW in our co-op. We have 20 kids in three classes--preschool to 3rd/4th grade right now. I was very skeptical of teaching the preschoolers about Ancient Greece etc, but as I mentioned in my earlier post, the three year old is apparently picking some of it up so it seems to be working. We do a lot of hands on stuff for the little kids and some for the older kids as well in addtion to written reports and combining SOTW with Galloping the Globe for geography. In addition to the work at co-op our family reads tons of books about whatever we are studying. My kids are way into the Adventures Of Odysseus on tape right now. I think it is pretty gruesome, but they like it. We also have been reading about the Labors of Hercules. I also have a video from the library right now about towns in Ancient Rome, but I found myself alone in the room when we were supposed to be watching it so I guess it wasn't a big hit! Then we also tie in what we are learning in history to where it fits into the Bible. We have not tied in art at this point. I have to confess I am NOT good at unit studies. For the last 6 weeks we have been learning about the orchestra and classical music. We also don't follow the same science as is recommended in TWTM.

 

[pamlet]

I'll give you the programming, but I am a math braniac--went all the way to AP Calculus and got a 5 on the exam (After showing up crying b/c my then-step-father was a serious butthead that morning)....and took Calc 2 b/c I wanted to in College. I got a B--but only b/c I had had enough towards the end (shame on me) and sorority life got in the way and I just decided I wasn't going to take Calc 3...so chose to stop learning. Must have been the lack of some good tunes and a set of headphones LOL. (Disclaimer: not so much that I'd fail a test or anything--just didn't give 100% anymore.

I still needed quiet unless I was hashing out a problem with a peer...then talking would be acceptable.

Laugh - maybe it isn't the math then... Math's never been my strength - I had to work VERY hard at it... got B's - but still had to THINK.. laugh.. I didn't have to work as hard at other things. Even now I am SO thankful my husband's doing the math.

 

[jrydberg]

When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer.

On a side note, the last place you would've ever found me doing any work at college was in the library. Too darn quiet to work in there!

 

[Epcotkids]

Don't get me wrong... they do thier share of trading pins and "just for fun" stuff too. But I have two teenagers and and the other two are 9 and 12, so Future World and the World Showcase are really great. In fact, we usually end every day at Epcot to avoid over load and allow them to take thier time going through the buildings and countries.

It is really kind of selfish at this point, but after 6 years, I don't think I could go back to that ridgid shool year calander. I have worked in all four levels of education, and although I enjoyed my students very much, you can't bet the feeling of accomplishment when educating your own, and seeing the thrill when they "get a concept". Or, the chalenge of working through tough things. Homeschooling for us is a PLUS!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer.

On a side note, the last place you would've ever found me doing any work at college was in the library. Too darn quiet to work in there!

No library for me unless it was research!

 

[sha_lyn]

We love using Story of the World as out history spine. One of the great thigns about HS'ing is we were able to spend as much time on ancient Egypt at DD wanted to. She is really facinated by it. To end our study of Ancient Egypt we are going to see the exhibit at the Carlos museum. We went a few yrs ago for DS but most of it was over her head then. Unfortunately for us part of the exhibit was sent back to Egypt. Turns out a mummy that the museum had purchase was Ramesses the I. I believe it was the discovery channel (might have been travel channel) that aired a special about it not too long ago.

 

[ginabug]

I started HS my 11 dd the second week in 3rd grade. The teacher was pregnant with twins and was mean and nasty to the kids. I could not reason with her any better, when I spoke to the principle he said"Ican't beleive that, she sits in the front row of my church every sunday". Kindergarten and first grade was equally troubling. Children who were "active" were set in the hall ways. I didn't know where to start four years ago and was a bit scared but now, I'm grateful I took the steps to figure out all the ins and outs to HS. We love it... we are in FL and enrolled in a private school, they mail me the entire curriculum, grade books,attendance reports and everything I need. They are there to answer questions and each month an attendance and grade report is due. I fax it in. We teach, practice and then test. If she hasn't gotten the skill down, we do it over again. Now that's true learning. If she was in public school, they would go on anyway.