Keeping Busy

W just got back from a trip to Washington DC with one of his best friends and his family.  He had a blast and took a lot of pictures.  His friend founded an animal charity and was in DC to be on a local news broadcast.  W really enjoyed being in the TV studio and getting to watch how everything works.  They got to see the White House and the Washington Monument as well.

Parkour has been going really well.  W is in a weekly class with other teens (and some younger kids).  He has a lot of fun and loves the whole idea of what parkour is.  It's his 2nd or 3rd year going.  Speaking of teens, a bunch of homeschooled teens are starting to get together every week at a different venue.  Last week they hung out for hours at Dave & Buster's and they went to an indoor trampoline place this week  A few weeks ago they did a fundraiser/Halloween party for the animal charity at a local roller skating rink/arcade.  I love that there are so many NY teenagers homeschooling.  W has a really great group of friends.

B, W, and I went to a high school open house last week.  W has no intention of attending high school, but he wanted to satisfy his curiosity about what it was.  We went to the morning open house - while school was in session - to get a good idea of the school day.  He had no shyness asking questions about their math curriculum (lol) and they seemed pretty surprised at his interest.  Then we went on a tour of the building.  Less than half-way through W was ready to leave.  The kids were loud and show-offy in the hallways when they changed classes, the classrooms were small and dark, and he found out the day is really long (7:20am to after 4pm).  He was totally unimpressed and it solidified his decision to continue homeschooling.  I think the only thing he liked was that they have a personal chef who provides a really varied menu and salad bar for the kids.  We finished the morning having a wonderful brunch at IHOP.

J met up with her choreographer and assisted him at a dance studio in New Jersey for 2 days last weekend.  She's so happy to be going to college in NYC so she can continue to assist-teach and still see all her friends (and us!) whenever she wants.  She also landed a part-time job in a retail store near her dorm!  It's her first retail job and they gave her the hours she asked for.  K did not like the Upper East Side salon, and subsequently got a new job at a salon the West Village.  She is so much happier here and I'm proud of her for not settling and for staying on the lookout for something more ideal.

Summer is Here

W's CAT-E results came back and he got 97 out of 100 correct, which put him in the 99th percentile.  He couldn't believe it and I'm so proud of him.  He fretted over this test all year, but I knew he'd do fine.  All he needed was the directions read to him.  He told me that this time around he felt more confident that he was answering properly since he was sure about what was being asked.  I wish I'd known that for the 5th grade test.  Now he can relax for another 2 years since the next test will be at the end of 9th grade.  All paperwork was sent in at the end of June and we already got the packet for the 2014-2015 school year.  I'm really looking forward to W's 8th grade.  I'm treating it as practice for high school.  I'll be keeping more detailed records and practicing writing a transcript and course descriptions.  I've been reading so much about it already.  My favorite resource so far has been the books and website of Lee Binz (The Homescholar).

In other news, J graduated from high school last week!  The beautiful ceremony was held in Lincoln Center.  She looked gorgeous and so does that (arts & regents endorsed) diploma.  It feels like only yesterday we were celebrating that she got into the school.  Have 4 years really gone by already?  Thank you, LaGuardia Arts, for everything.

A few days before graduation, she had her senior prom.  The venue was the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square.  She wore a light blue gown with silver stones and jewels on one side of the front.  She wore sparkly silver flats instead of heels (smart, imo), spent the day getting groomed with a mani-pedi, professional makeup, and got her hair done by none other than her sister (K) at the cosmetology school.  She, her date, and a few friends had a white stretch limo take them into Manhattan in style.

J has also been so busy dancing.  She is preparing for Nationals with her amazing new studio.  It's coming up soon and we can't wait.  She is also working with a big choreographer who has just gotten her another dance job with a gold record singer.  They'll be performing locally in August.

Now summer has really begun.  I plan on living fully every day and savoring every moment (I tend to rush summer to get to autumn - my favorite season).  By the end of summer, K will be working full-time in her dream profession and really starting her adult life.  And J will be getting ready to live in Manhattan for college.  I know it's only 20 minutes away, but it's a huge independent step.  And when did W get taller than me?  He's becoming more and more independent every day and in the blink of an eye, he will be off to college, too.  This, right now, really is the best time of my life, with my husband and children here every day.  I'm truly grateful and plan on making it count.

My Fidgety Kid

WHERE was this article when J was little??  This is one of the main reasons we started homeschooling.  She was fidgety and chatty and the teachers wanted her on Ritalin.  I could scream now thinking about it.  J was bubbly and happy and eager and curious and full of life before she started school.   Schools killed her love of learning, killed her self-esteem, and turned her into just a sad shell of who she was - all by the time she was 6 years old.  Thank God for homeschooling.  I'm so glad I got her out of there before any more damage was done.  I'm glad I listened to my gut instead of teachers who thought they were experts on my kid.  I'm so glad she got to have a rich, full, happy childhood which included a whole lot of running outside in the sunshine.  And most importantly I'm so glad that, after only a few months of homeschooling, I got my bubbly, happy, eager, curious, full of life daughter back (and yes, she's still like that!).  

WHY CHILDREN FIDGET: And what we can do about it

Angela Hanscom - Thursday, June 05, 2014

A perfect stranger pours her heart out to me over the phone. She complains that her six-year-old son is unable to sit still in the classroom. The school wants to test him for ADHD (attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder). This sounds familiar, I think to myself. As a pediatric occupational therapist, I’ve noticed that this is a fairly common problem today.

The mother goes on to explain how her son comes home every day with a yellow smiley face. The rest of his class goes home with green smiley faces for good behavior. Every day this child is reminded that his behavior is unacceptable, simply because he can’t sit still for long periods of time.

The mother starts crying. “He is starting to say things like, ‘I hate myself’ and ‘I’m no good at anything.’” This young boy’s self-esteem is plummeting all because he needs to move more often.

Over the past decade, more and more children are being coded as having attention issues and possibly ADHD. A local elementary teacher tells me that at least eight of her twenty-two students have trouble paying attention on a good day. At the same time, children are expected to sit for longer periods of time. In fact, even kindergarteners are being asked to sit for thirty minutes during circle time at some schools.

The problem: children are constantly in an upright position these days. It is rare to find children rolling down hills, climbing trees, and spinning in circles just for fun. Merry-go-rounds and teeter-totters are a thing of the past. Recess times have shortened due to increasing educational demands, and children rarely play outdoors due to parental fears, liability issues, and the hectic schedules of modern-day society. Lets face it: Children are not nearly moving enough, and it is really starting to become a problem.

I recently observed a fifth grade classroom as a favor to a teacher. I quietly went in and took a seat towards the back of the classroom. The teacher was reading a book to the children and it was towards the end of the day. I’ve never seen anything like it. Kids were tilting back their chairs back at extreme angles, others were rocking their bodies back and forth, a few were chewing on the ends of their pencils, and one child was hitting a water bottle against her forehead in a rhythmic pattern.

This was not a special needs classroom, but a typical classroom at a popular art-integrated charter school. My first thought was that the children might have been fidgeting because it was the end of the day and they were simply tired. Even though this may have been part of the problem, there was certainly another underlying reason.

We quickly learned after further testing, that most of the children in the classroom had poor core strength and balance. In fact, we tested a few other classrooms and found that when compared to children from the early 1980s, only one out of twelve children had normal strength and balance. Only one! Oh my goodness, I thought to myself. These children need to move!

Ironically, many children are walking around with an underdeveloped vestibular (balance) system today--due to restricted movement. In order to develop a strong balance system, children need to move their body in all directions, for hours at a time. Just like with exercising, they need to do this more than just once-a-week in order to reap the benefits. Therefore, having soccer practice once or twice a week is likely not enough movement for the child to develop a strong sensory system.

Children are going to class with bodies that are less prepared to learn than ever before. With sensory systems not quite working right, they are asked to sit and pay attention. Children naturally start fidgeting in order to get the movement their body so desperately needs and is not getting enough of to “turn their brain on.” What happens when the children start fidgeting? We ask them to sit still and pay attention; therefore, their brain goes back to “sleep.”

Fidgeting is a real problem. It is a strong indicator that children are not getting enough movement throughout the day. We need to fix the underlying issue. Recess times need to be extended and kids should be playing outside as soon as they get home from school. Twenty minutes of movement a day is not enough! They need hours of play outdoors in order to establish a healthy sensory system and to support higher-level attention and learning in the classroom.

         In order for children to learn, they need to be able to pay attention. In order to pay attention, we need to let them move.

Yearly Recap and the New Plans

On a message board recently, a question came up that asked what was not negotiable in your homeschool, besides the 3 Rs.  In my house, it's not an option to have strong interests that are not encouraged, facilitated, and pursued in all ways possible.  I think this is so important.  Nothing is ever dismissed.  How else can you know what you're good at?  For example:

K likes fashion and to sew - so she got a sewing machine, fabric, and lessons.  She likes party planning, so she found an internship for a year doing just that.  She likes doing hair, so she got to do all the hair for J's dance competitions, sought out the best cosmetology school in NY, and will be graduating in September.

J likes to sing.  So for a few years she was taking private lessons and performing songs at dance competitions (where she even won a regional title for singing).  She loves dancing.  So, B and I made sure she has had every opportunity available - competition team, private lessons, outside and master classes, conventions, admittance into the best performing arts high school, and her dream conservatory, which she's starting in a few months.

W loves computers.  So he does tons of research on what the best keyboards, headsets, mice, and programs are, and he's learned how to use Best Buy and online purchasing to his advantage.  He likes martial arts, so he's tried karate, then switched to MMA, where he goes 3 times a week.  He likes engineering projects and making YouTube tutorials and juggling and Myachi, and magic and claymation and Manga.  We have helped him pursue all of these interests.  He's met a ton of real Myachi masters and demonstrated with them, he's taken claymation and Manga drawing classes, and he is self taught with the projects and tutorials.  

I think they've had such great lives - lives I would have given anything to have as a child.  In reading some John Taylor Gatto (again) I really wish I found him right after my kids were born.  One thing that would have got me thinking about homeschooling from the beginning was this quote, "...schooling itself is a highly questionable practice.  It's possible to derive some value from it, but the damage is always, I think, much greater than any value that's possible.  In many, many instances, there is no value offered.  It's simply a confinement exercise." Powerful words that resonate with my own schooling experience.  And now that both K and J have finished their high schooling at ("excellent") public schools - well, J has 1 more week - I have to agree even more.  No matter what kind of school it is, it's a HUGE waste of time.  K got nothing out of hers, except a few more friends and she learned some cool computer programs working on the yearbook.  J got nothing out of hers except a few more friends and the fantastic dance education - which thankfully took up half her school day.  The academics in school are a joke unless your child is REALLY into them, and even so, they're full of ridiculous busywork, tedium, classroom disruptions and poor school management, and unfortunately many children like that usually have to deal with added negative social consequences.  

Here's a quote by Pat Farenga, "The only difference between a good student and a bad student is that a good student is careful not to forget what he studied until after the test." He also stated that "John (Holt) noted that a child choosing to attend school is in a far different relationship to that school than all the students who are there solely because of their age...If a child knows they can leave school at any time with their parents' support, it makes their choices easier and helps build bonds of trust and communication."  I found this to be true.  My girls, as much as they found school annoying and tedious, were there by their own choice, going in with a way different mindset than their peers. 

W is choosing to homeschool for high school and I'm so glad.  He will start college (or whatever he chooses) with such a different outlook on his future than I did (and that most of his peers will).  These next 5 years of homeschooling are looking to be some of the best ever.  Now that I finally got a new job (I'll be working weekday mornings and weekends) W and I can "do the town" once again and hopefully, way more often.  There is so much out there for teens and he wants to do it all.  This summer is going to kick it all off.  

W took the California Achievement Test for 7th grade last week.  He was so nervous, but I knew he'd be fine.  When he took it two years ago, he did ok - way above the required 33rd percentile, but not as well as I know he could have.  At that time  I just handed him the test and said GO.  But that was a month before he was evaluated for a learning disability. When he got his Visual Processing Disorder/dyslexia diagnosis he also got a list of recommended accommodations for a classroom and for test-taking.  Alas, it was too late for that year.  So, this time around I made sure to use some of those accommodations.   I read everything out loud to him to make sure he fully understood all directions.  But even with my reading I have a feeling he got some wrong in the language and reading sections.  He crinkled up his face at the vocabulary section, but seemed confident with punctuation/capitalization, comprehension, and mechanics.  He flew through both math sections.  He even laughed at it and asked me if I was sure this was the right grade.  I reminded him that he did this math more than a year ago.  He said I must be a really great teacher since he could do a lot of the problems in his head.  Then he said it was definitely the Times Tales and Saxon.  He still recalls the Times Tales pictures when multiplying.  I also swear by all the drill and mastery of the basic math we'd done over the years.  He'd still like to stick with Life of Fred for now.

We're going to start working on a lot more reading to help him with vocabulary and spelling.  He will read some things out loud to me and some things silently.  We'll do more narrations and discussions and use these readings as a base for some writing.  We'll bring back novels, too, shooting for at least 3 per year.  I want him to appreciate a good story like he used to when we did Ambleside Online.  He grew so attached to stories when we took our time with them, that he had a hard time getting rid of the books when we were done with them.  I also have Painless Vocabulary, Painless Grammar, and Daily Sparks Spelling & Grammar to throw in here and there.

All in all, it's been a great school year.  My kids have all achieved their immediate goals (K- top cosmetology school while working at an awe$ome job, J - graduating top performing arts high school and starting performing arts conservatory on scholarship, and W - overcoming reading issues/excelling in math and pursuing all interests).  I couldn't ask for better.

Here's what's on the agenda for the summer through 8th grade.  I think we actually have a real plan now, lol:

Math:  W really wants to do Life of Fred (Beginning Algebra into Advanced Algebra) for 8th grade.  We're using it now over the summer a few days a week. We also have Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1 and Saxon Algebra 1/2 on hand along with Algebra for Dummies, Painless Algebra, and No Fear Algebra (leftovers from his sisters).  They're always good to have for extra problems and different ways of explaining certain concepts.

English:  I have so much leftover from my girls that it's silly to buy anything new.  We'll be using a mixed bag of Wordsmith Apprentice, Jump In, Daily Sparks Spelling & Grammar, Daily Sparks Vocabulary, Painless Vocabulary, Painless Grammar, Simply Grammar, and Basic Series Grammar & Usage.  It's a lot, but W likes to switch things up every so often.  Nothing really builds on previous lessons, so it should work fine.

Literature:  I'm sticking with Shel Silverstein poetry since W loves it and it helps with his reading.  We'll also try to read at least 3 novels with narrations and discussions.  I have so many on my shelf - we'll just choose what sounds good.

Science:  We'll finish Apologia General Science over the summer - we really just do the great experiments and base the lesson off of those.  For 8th grade I'll either get Apologia Physical Science (again mainly for the experiments) or use the Holt Science & Technology Series Physical Science since I already have that one on hand.  W doesn't care for it, though.  I'll see how the Apologia goes over the summer.  If it's a real big hit I'll get the next one.  He gets writing in with the lab reports, as well.

Geography:  We're happy with Runkle's and will continue it through 8th grade.  We're also starting Our Great Restaurant Adventure this summer where we'll go to a different ethnic restaurant every 2 weeks, then study that country for the 2 weeks until the next one.  We're going alphabetically and starting with Afghan cuisine next Wednesday.  Can't wait!

History:  We'll finish K12 Human Odyssey 1 (Ancients) hopefully sometime in the fall and move on to Volume 2.  We also have The Complete Book of World History which is a fun and concise supplement.

Spanish:  Getting Started with Spanish is by far the best book for W.  He does this completely independently.  It's a spiral program that builds on the previous lessons.  He reads, translates, and conjugates in every lesson.  Love this.

Miscellaneous:  Summer Bridge Gr. 7-8 and Summer Express Gr. 7-8 are great for a variety of subject work any time of year.  Spectrum Gr. 8 Test Prep for basic skills, and Artistic Pursuits Junior High Book One for art, but W isn't really into this.  I'll try it again over the summer.

Religion:  CCD once a week and will make his Confirmation in the spring.

P.E.:  Mixed Martial Arts 3 days a week (4-5 classes) doing Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu jitsu.

I'll put everything in my sidebar in case anyone wants to check out what we do.

December 2013

Ahhh, December.  As I say every year, there is nothing better than Christmas in NYC.  W and I did our usual round of Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree and FAO Schwarz.  We saw a few store windows, too, but he wasn't so into that this year.  All 5 of us and my mom met up in Manhattan one night, had a nice dinner at a small cafe/diner, and walked over (through the Lincoln Center grounds, which were beautifully decked out for Christmastime) to LaGuardia High School's production of Grease.  As usual, the school show was out of this world.  So many of J's friends were in it and even B and I knew a lot of the kids.  The entire 8-show run in the 1150-seat concert hall was completely sold out.  J didn't audition for this show.  I kinda wish she did, not only for the cool experience it would have been, but also because a particular famous parent whose child was in the show, took a bunch of the cast out for a big celebration.  Sigh.  J really couldn't care less about things like that - but I would have loved to hear all about it, lol.

B and I once again got to see J in all 3 hours of her afternoon dance classes at school for "Parent Observation Day".  That day she had 90 minutes of classical ballet and 90 minutes of Horton modern.  The kids did their usual combinations and at the end they practiced for the big Senior Dance Showcase which they'll be performing in at the end of January.  All the dancers are truly amazing.

J stretching at school

This month, J also:

• has been in rehearsals for the big Rising Stars school talent show which is the first or second weekend in February
• was personally asked to be a dancer on a (somewhat famous) hip hop choreographer's video demo reel
• took a theater jazz class with Lane Napper.  She was his guest that day (they have mutual friends) and he even singled J out to demonstrate a certain combination for the class
• has been busy working on all new choreography for the upcoming dance competition season.  She is doing 2 solos and 3 group numbers this year.  

W is doing great with academics.  I think we have finally found the perfect weekly schedule (until it's not perfect anymore, lol).  But really, he even mentioned to me how good it was.  I know we are constantly changing our order and frequency of things, but the content pretty much remains the same.  PreAlgebra and Tom Sawyer are moving along very nicely.  Science (chemical & physical changes) and History (Ancient Egypt) are also sinking in well.  We have stayed on track and he's taking it all pretty seriously.  It could be because he's almost 13 and more mature now, but also because he has expressed interest in trying public high school.  He said he wants to see what all the hype is about.  We have already looked at a few options for him and are most happy with a small, local school that has excellent ratings and reviews.  After we did the research, a friend of his came back to CCD class (after 2 years) and it turns out that she goes to that school (it's a secondary school that include middle grades).  B and her mom spoke at length and she has nothing but good things to say about it (her 10th grader goes there, too).  So, I'll take that as a sign that we're choosing correctly.  Whether or not he changes his mind is fine with me.  But for now, he is happily getting his work done.

W has recently decided that he's just that not into scouting anymore.  He really wanted to be and gave it a good shot, but he won't be going back.  He'd rather keep his main focus on his MMA training.  This month he tested for his first stripe.  In this gym, after 4 stripes he can test for a blue "belt" (which is actually black and blue shorts - he wears black and white ones now).  In Muay Thai, there technically isn't a color ranking system like they have in other martial arts.  The stripes and colors are most likely so the gym can keep track of who's where.  But still, it was so exciting to watch.  Everything he did looked so difficult and with him being the youngest in the group, I was so nervous for him.  At the end he did get his stripe - and the recognition of having the best technique out of everyone.  What a proud moment for W!

W (w/mouth guard in) after getting his MMA stripe

October 2013

Autumn in Queens

7th Grade is shaping up nicely.  We have a nice rhythm going and W even complimented me on it this week, lol.  I'm happy to announce we have completed Saxon Math 7/6 and have begun Saxon Algebra 1/2.  I'm glad we took our time with 7/6.  I feel it made a difference.  We are also scrapping Apologia science.  I tried, I really did.  I enjoy the reading and the experiments, but W is fading fast.  He's not liking science anymore and that's not cool.  Also, the YE aspect that I vowed to overlook has started to become blatantly obvious and I can't function that way.  Science is supposed to be fun and interesting, and it's not.  We are switching to Holt Physical Science.  It's a big text and we'll use it for 7th and 8th grades.  It comes with a student text and both a parent guide and chapter resources CD Rom.  Since W doesn't like online academics, I'm not going to bother with the "interactive online edition" which is an extra $50.  We'll use the CD Roms, though.  If we like this program, Holt has Biology, Chemistry, and Physics for high school as well.  They come with labs, worksheets, videos, CD Rom companion, etc., so everything we need is there.  Well, that's the beauty of homeschooling - we can change what we don't like.

Ready to gut this thing

Lately, W has been teaching himself more and more things on his computer and about computers in general.  He created a new and better Minecraft server and more than half a dozen other kids are on it with him.  Being the owner and moderator has put him in a leadership position and he takes it seriously.  When he explains to me what he does and how he does it, it's like he's speaking another language.  I love that he's so passionate about it.  W is also attempting to build his own gaming computer.  He's been researching, making lists, and amassing various parts here and there.  I think it's an awesome project to undertake.  He knows it will probably take a long time but he's determined to get it done.  His other new passion is the mixed martial arts he's been going to classes for.  He goes 4 days a week now.  In just over a month, his agility and strength have grown incredibly.  He uses a wall calendar to write down and keep track of his classes and also to schedule in more cardio (skateboarding, jogging, and jumping rope).  His determination, creativity, and independence have skyrocketed just in the last few months.

I remember J being the same way at this age.  In many families twelve is a very hard age to be and to deal with.  As homeschoolers, I find it to be an exciting age where I get small glimpses of who they will be as an adult.  12 is when J's passion for dance started to soar and it's when she got the idea to attend a performing arts high school.  12 seems to be when my kids start really exhibiting the confidence, maturity, and drive to follow their dreams and become something awesome.

Speaking of J, she is having a great senior year so far.  She:

J's Jack-O-Lantern

• is now working with an agency and is getting paid performance gigs
• finished choreography on her new competition solo for this season
• auditioned for her school talent show (her school only allows the best talent in their shows, so we'll see what happens)
• is taking her SATs next week
• narrowed her college choices down to 9  
• already went through one audition (several dance colleges and conservatories come to her school to audition kids)
• will be assisting in her school's dance auditions again (these are in Nov and Dec)
• was part of THIS  (that's her in the photo "Fateful Woman").  It was on display at the Studio Museum in Harlem.

The Girls

What a great week.  Ever since J left her dance studio, so many great things have happened.  First, she was chosen to dance in her school's gospel show.  It is such a huge honor to be chosen for ANY performance at this school.  This is no ordinary high school.  Second, she was so excited to get to work the school's open house.  She sold sweatshirts and greeted the accepted 8th & 9th graders with an overly-cheerful, "Welcome to LaGuardia!!".  She had a blast.  Third, she has been acing her choreography class at school.  The dance chairperson loves everything she choreographs.  J's grades have been well into the 90s for all dances.  This week, the assignment was to go to the school's art gallery, choose a piece, interview the artist, and choreograph a dance based on the art piece.   J did really well with this.  And finally, J will be dancing in a new music video.  This is an awesome opportunity for her.  She's in rehearsals for the next few weeks and it's being shot sometime in April.  She's looking forward to the all-day shoot along with the hair, makeup, and costuming!

J's solo 2012

It is times like this when I know her guardian angel has stepped in.  It was the right time for her to part with the studio in order to be able to move forward in her life.

K in Florida

K just got home from Florida on Monday.  She spent a week down in Fort Lauderdale and Miami.  She had a great time on the beach, at different clubs, and being with 3 of her friends all week.  It's weird to think of her as a grown-up.  She booked and planned everything herself -no help from me at all.  She worked tons of extra hours during the weeks prior to her trip so she'd have plenty of spending money.  She said she had the best time.

I miss being young.

Doin' It Our Way

W is 12 years old today!  When I started this blog he was 3.  I can't believe how fast that went.

So, academics are fun once again.  I decided that we don't need to do things the way anyone else does them.  We have our own awesome way of learning and we love it.

Saxon Math:  W does the mental math problems before each lesson as fast as he can.  Then we go over the new lesson.  I use a 1.5'x2' dry-erase board with lots of colored markers.  W then does all the practice and regular problems on the dry-erase board.  He zips through the whole lesson so fast this way.  He doesn't even bother writing in the workbook - we just check off the page.  He's mastered the word problem, too.  I love Saxon.

Sequential Spelling:  This is perfect to use a dry-erase board with.  I write all the spelling words out, using a different color for the inside root sound.  He reads them all and then takes a spelling test - again right on the dry-erase board.  His handwriting is neat and I don't think he's spelled any words wrong yet.  In the workbook, he does the exercise that goes with that day's list.  This program is noticeably helping with W's reading.  Love this, too.

Hake Grammar & Writing:   There hasn't been any significant writing with this book yet, so we just fly through a chapter verbally.  I point to each exercise and he tells me the answers.  Without the tedium of writing things down, he is enjoying and retaining almost all of it so far.  I love Hake since it's set up the same way as Saxon Math is.  It has the same repetitive vibe to it that W does well with.  Heavier writing assignments will certainly be written out when they come up.

The Story of Mankind:  This is just fun to read aloud together.  He writes key terms, names, and events down on the dry-erase board.  I believe writing things down helps you remember them.  Then he narrates back the whole chapter.  He remembers everything, in order, and makes his own connections.  Whatever we read about in history we like to watch a documentary, do a project, and/or go to a museum to see things up close and get a better understanding.

Apologia General Science:  We're trying to make this a lot more interactive and interesting.  I'm using it as a readaloud and W (just like with history) writes down key terms, names, dates, etc.  We spend a lot of time doing the experiment and this involves more writing, drawing conclusions, and opening ourselves up to further investigation.  Again we'll use documentaries and field trips with the lessons.

We have other workbooks we use here and there, too.  These are more for variety, though, and include art, Spanish, vocabulary, poetry, editing, and puzzles.  He's starting a few computer programming courses as well.  I'm feeling so good about his academics.  We're in a good flow and we're both enjoying ourselves and getting things done quickly.

I did some reading on the Common Core and how everyone is up in a panic about it.  It pretty much looks like what we've been doing as homeschoolers anyway.  I mean, it's natural for our lessons (and lives) to contain a lot of critical reading/thinking, conceptual understandings, broadened worldviews, cogent reasoning, use of evidence, mathematical understanding and coherence, mathematical reasoning, and thinking statistically.  There's nothing in our way, like endless testing, nor do we need to do any accommodating for a classroom of kids - with all the varying abilities, needs, learning rates, and achievement levels.  I honestly believe homeschoolers may have the advantage here.  In NYC the 7th grade tests at the public schools that are needed for entry to most public high schools will soon conform to Common Core.  The SATs will as well.  I'm not worried at all.

J has decided to part ways with her dance studio.  It was a good 8.5-year run.  She learned a lot, experienced a lot, won a lot, and had a lot of fun.  She'll miss teaching her babies, but the world holds a lot more out there for her. First and foremost is focusing on her studies at school.  History, Science, English, & Math are key right now.  She is also in the advanced tap class, learning to choreograph, and taking tons of ballet and modern in her 15 hours of dance at school each week.  She is working on a project with another girl (and a new one with a boy) before and after school for her choreography class.  Her Junior Project is coming up soon, too, where she has to choreograph and perform an original dance worth half her grade.  Summer can now be filled with dance intensives and advanced classes, and she will start going on auditions and making career choices in senior year.  She went out on a high note, though, as last week she competed in NJ and came away with 6 High Platinum awards (the highest) and several overalls.  One High Platinum was for her new solo she choreographed completely by herself (just as she did last year).  Competitions are always great and it's so fun having a high award to validate all your hard work, but she's ready for the next stage of life.  I can't be more proud of her dedication and the fact that she knows exactly what she wants and is taking the steps to get there.  

Some New Things

W started going to a media lab in a museum once a week for stop-motion animation instruction.  It's for 6th-9th graders, there's a couple of instructors, and the kids get to use the equipment.  He likes it so far and I'm glad he's making movies again.  He is making them at home, too, using some new clay, the video camera he got for Christmas, and some free software he downloaded on his computer.  I love coming across these kinds of educational and fun opportunities around town.  

I went to the Scholastic Store the other day to get W a couple of bridge workbooks (we love these and the Scholastic ones are wonderful).  I found a 6th-7th grade one and a 7th-8th grade one.  I also grabbed a couple of books for W to read:  War Horse & Farm Boy (which is the sequel to War Horse).  W loved the movie, so I figured he'd try reading the book.  Scholastic gave me a FIFTY PERCENT educator discount on the workbooks and a 25% discount on the novels.  I couldn't believe it.  I am so going back there for more stuff soon.

I'm not crazy about Story of the World at all.  It's boring.  We started using The Story of Mankind instead (from our Ambleside stash) and we like it a whole lot more.  We just read it together and he narrates.  It's fun to use the chapters as starting points for further study, too.  We're also getting a bit tired of Apologia.  It's ok and the experiments are great, but we're just falling asleep reading it.  I think it would be better if we use our own books/websites/documentaries/trips that pertain to each subject in order from the Apologia book and do the corresponding experiments.  So we'll still be using the book and experiment supplies mainly because I really hate wasting money.  We do love Sequential Spelling (although I'm also thinking about trying All About Spelling since it's much more multi-sensory).  I've pulled out a few of our Basic Series books as well.  These are for the "middle grades".  The pages look terrible, but the activities are actually fun and thorough.  We have one for World Geography, one for Government-Economics-&-Citizenship, and one for Map Skills.

I was doing some research on the Common Core curriculum that NY state will now be using in all the public elementary and middle schools. It seems a lot more advanced than what they used to use.  The tests that W will have to take at a school in 7th grade will be using this new format.  I checked out some samples and I really think that many kids are going to have a hard time with this.  The ELA part is not so bad.  It uses a lot of critical thinking skills rather than black & white answers.  That's what W and I have been doing since he was in 2nd grade via the CM method, Ambleside books and creative narrations.  The 7th grade math samples looked a bit overwhelming.  It's not that they are particularly difficult, but they take so many steps to get the answer.  The 6th grade samples looked a lot more reasonable and pretty much align with where W is right now.  If we keep on the way we are with math, W should do ok on the test next year.  I don't like this kind of stressful testing at all, but if W chooses public high school, he needs these grades.  I swear, as I discover more and more of the amazing things NYC has for teens, and what a wonderful education W would get outside school walls, I truly wonder why we would even consider anything else.

Academics:
Math:  Adding & subtracting mixed numbers, Review of ratio, percent, fractions, average, perimeter, GCF.
English:  Helping verbs, Sequential Spelling, Independent reading (War Horse)
Social Studies:  Story of Mankind chapter 1, Hemispheres, Continents, Oceans
Science:  Review of scientists (names, years, beliefs, findings, etc) from Ancient Egypt to the Renaissance.

February

We've incorporated some of the big, yellow, 6th-grade Complete Curriculum book into our week.  One thing we're using it for is some gentle math review.  After months of only Saxon, this is like a little reprieve from the plain pages.  The yellow book is a bit more colorful and the problems are nicely spread out on the page.  This week we spent some time reviewing fractions:  equivalent, reducing, adding, subtracting, multiplying, & dividing.  In Saxon, he's up to percent & ratio.

The big, yellow book was also used for the reading comprehension section.  W read some passages and answered questions.  This is keeping him on his toes and is a nice break from narrating.  The other thing we focused on this week was reading aloud.  Since his acting class started in full force this past weekend, he wants to be confident in his reading skills - especially in front of others.  So, we found the old Aesop's Fables book (Milo Winter) and he read to me.  The trick was to use a story-telling tone and create the voices and personalities for each character.  His first attempt was choppy - he skipped words, stumbled through it, and nothing made sense.  Then I remembered the blue overlay.  Once he read the words through the blue colored plastic, it was close to perfect.  He only hesitated at 1 or 2 large, unfamiliar words.  He decided to bring it to the acting class and use it with his scripts.  Thankfully, he's not shy about things like that.

The acting class was fantastic.  He got there a little early and decided to go up to the instructor he had for the  past trial four weeks to tell her he has dyslexia.  I guess he just wanted to get it out in the open so no one would wonder why he reads so stumbly for his age.  She listened to him and then told him she had dyslexia too.  She said that words get all mixed up and she reads slowly.  W was so happy someone actually understood.  I got all teary-eyed when I heard this.  He'll be fine.

We got Sequential Spelling the other day.  We're starting with the first book like the website says since it doesn't correspond with grade level.  I like the multi-sensory way it's done.  I might go pick up another dry erase board and markers - but crayons/colored pencils/markers and white looseleaf work fine, too.  It looks like a good program and I've heard a lot of great things about it.  He seems to like it so far, too.  The daily spelling tests and various writing assignments in the Student Workbook are just what he needs.

I keep reading and researching everything I can about dyslexia and visual processing disorder and one thing that stood out to me was that these kids need a break every 15 minutes or so while doing academic work.  I haven't been doing that, so I guess it explains W's eye-rubbing and yawning and glazed look sometimes.  I certainly will be taking short breaks with him from now on, though.  The article suggest he get up and walk around during the break. This is another reason I believe homeschooling through high school would be so much better for him.  I keep going back and forth.  He still has no idea what he'd rather do.  Like I said, I'll go through the motions of applying to everything and whatever he's accepted to, he can decide then.  

J started tap classes at her high school and is in the advanced group.  Yay!  Being in advanced anything in this school means a lot.  She's also in a choreography class this semester.  Soon they start their Junior Projects.  These are student choreographed numbers that the kids perform and count as a huge part of their grade.  I can't wait to see these.  At the dance studio, she is still teaching and keeping busy getting ready for all the competitions coming up.  As one of the teachers, she went with the studio owner to another dance teacher convention.  She spent a whole day at various classes that teach how to teach.

K's internship is more than she could have imagined it would be.  It's a small office and she fits right in.  They even invited her out with them for after-work drinks (no she won't be drinking, lol).  She is already corresponding with clients, tagging along on face-to-face meetings, writing dozens of promo spots for social media sites, and she landed 3 new clients for them on her first attempt!  Needless to say they are impressed with her - she got claps and congratulations from everyone there.  She loves being in Manhattan 3 days a week, too.  

This Week 12/10-12/16

We had a nice week.  Christmas is almost here.  I'm done shopping, I'm sending out my cards in a day or 2, and I've been watching more Christmas movies than ever.   Now I have to magically find about 3 hours to wrap everything.

Here's the academic wrap-up:

Science is so much more fun now.  We did another experiment this week that showed the movement of atoms, this time using hot and cold water.  The drop of food coloring in hot water colored the water quickly, while the drop in cold water just kinda stayed there.  Doing these experiments while reading about what's happening is clicking well with W.  I've always wanted to be creative enough to come up with cool experiments to do that actually correspond with what we were learning.  Now I'm happy to say that someone else thought of it for me, lol.

SOTW went well.  W read the introduction silently.  He narrated back what he remembered and then I asked him the review questions in the activity book.  He still has excellent comprehension - whether it's me reading to him or if he reads independently.  Also, this seems like a good book for him to do written narrations with. We're still feeling it out, but I like it so far.  Next week we'll check out the activities that go with each chapter.

We're on Lesson 16 in Saxon Math and it's still review.  That's good, though.  I'm all about review.  IMO, it's the only way math concepts stick.

W is doing great with the Hake Grammar & Writing.  We have covered types of sentences (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory), subject & predicate (and simple subject, simple predicate, nouns, & verbs), and fragment & run-on sentences.  He gets it.  All the skills he learned from paragraph editing have carried over and he doesn't forget a thing.  This and the dyslexia workbook are improving his reading and writing so much.   The handwriting, well, it's ok.  It was actually better when he was 7, lol.  I think his thinking is that he knows he can write and focusing on being neat has become way less important than understanding the work.  Now I just ask for legible.  :) 

He started a new season of show choir this weekend, too.  They're doing lots of classic rock n roll stuff again - which W loves.  Eventually I'll see if he'd like to take private lessons there.  The other 5 kids in the choir do.  They are all 11-13 years old (one is a 9 y/o little brother) and are starting to prepare for performing arts high school auditions.  Still not sure what W wants to do.

Sweet Charity at LaGuardia High School was unbelievable, as usual.  That morning I watched J's dance classes at the school.  K and W took the train in with me since we were seeing the show that night.  They went for a nice lunch and then to FAO Schwarz while I was at the school with J.  The dancers there are beautiful.  It's amazing what they learn.  This year besides ballet and modern, they had a semester of jazz.  In January, jazz will be replaced by tap.  J is looking forward to that.  I met up with them around 4:30 in Columbus Circle.  I love how gorgeous the area is over there.  The Time Warner Bldg with the shops is always crazy decorated.  Outside, all the trees are completely wrapped in small, white lights.  Across the street is this awesome craft market.  There must be 100 booths with thousands of handmade items - from flattened glass wine-bottle art to beef jerky to jewelry to fur hats, they have it all.

Photo by Markets of New York City

Writing, Schedules, & J

Ever since the storm, we've cut back on our field trips and have been spending more time on academics.  W is doing wonderfully with Saxon Math.  I still can't believe I didn't try it sooner.  As far as reading, it seems that persistence, a varied choice of resources, and one-on-one interaction is working wonders. We're using the dyslexia workbook, paragraph editing, the 6th-7th grade bridge book, websites, and tons of hands-on and life-skills learning experiences.  Reading is everywhere in everything and W has firmly refused to be an outsider looking in.

W has also started writing essays.  Up to now, his writing has been made up of simple narrations, lists, and workbook stuff.  Orally narrating back what we read together was (is) also a part of learning to write creatively.  This week I decided to go for more.  W's first essay was about why he thinks he should get a new laptop for Christmas.  Apart from some basic technical stuff, it was very good.  He hand-wrote that one.  The second essay he did this week was a more involved narration on a bio of Thomas Edison.  This one was typed out.  Again, some spelling and sentence structure need some work, but overall it was a great essay.  He seems to naturally know how to be continuous and creative with a defined beginning, middle, and end.  So, do I need to bust out the writing workbooks?  Do I need to teach him the 5-point essay?  He's doing great on his own.  J was never taught the mechanics of writing and she consistently gets As on papers.  I think I'll go with my gut on this one and let him develop his own writing style.  

I have also come up with a new schedule for science and social studies.  I've decided to just follow the Worldbook layout for 6th grade (like my IHIP says anyway) but we'll alternate science and social studies every 2-3 weeks.  We had just spent a few weeks on classification of living things and basic ecology.  Next week is social studies and we'll take a few weeks learning about some continents, countries and cultures.  Then, the next couple of weeks will be all about microbes, algae, and fungi (then 2 weeks on Native American culture, then 3 weeks on the Human Body, and so on until June).  We'll be using text books, workbooks, documentaries, field trips, websites, projects, etc.  I plan on making this as fun and interesting as possible.  We'll see how it goes.

I think for 7th grade I'd like to try Apologia Science.  Although I do prefer a more secular approach, I like how the series is set up.  We'll try their General Science and if we like it, we may use the rest of the years as well.  Since W is still unsure about public high school, I'm making sure to get all my ducks in a row just in case he opts out.

We went into Manhattan on Thursday to go to FAO Schwarz.  W loves that store.  We don't go to buy toys, it's just so fun to wander around and experience everything.  W hung out with the Myachi guy for a while, learning new tricks and getting some cool advice.  I love that the creators of this toy are the ones in the store demonstrating it for everyone.  After she got out of school, J walked over to FAO to meet us.  We hit the second floor of the store together (she loves it, too) and then we went for lunch at TGI Fridays.  This weekend J had 2 birthday parties:  a sweet 16 in Staten Island and a celebration in Bryant Park with ice skating.  She is working the dance auditions again tomorrow at her school.  The dance director said she did a great job last weekend and should return this weekend - and then 2 more weekends in December.  J enjoys it a lot.  She said all the 8th graders look so little and that she feels like it was just yesterday when she was auditioning. At the studio, she's still learning some new choreography for the season.  They're doing a brief version of The Nutcracker in a couple of weeks, too (J is the Arabian dancer).

I'm so excited for the holidays.

Settling In & Keeping Busy

We've been having a nice quiet few weeks, spending a bit more time on academics and getting ready for all the holidays.  I have a whole list of Halloween stuff to do around Queens.  There are a bunch of festivals, parades, haunted houses, performances, and craft workshops going on.  Now I just need to work some of these in around everyone's busy schedule.  I bought 3 nice-sized pumpkins last week and all 3 kids carved their own masterpiece.  They helped each other and had so much fun together.  K made a Cheshire cat, J made Jack Skellington, and W made a happy jack-o-lantern face.  It was so nice to witness. Oh, and I'm glad I got a few pics because they went moldy after only a week (the pumpkins, not the kids).

W is back at both CCD and Youth Choir.  Both groups joined forces this past weekend and W sang at a festival at the church where he has CCD.  He had his first solo part in a song and he sang with a microphone in front of hundreds of people!  Singing may actually turn out to be his "thing".  I'll take him as far with it as he'd like to go.  This should be interesting.

He has been doing great with Saxon 76, really enjoys Channel One News and Prince Caspian, and seems to be cultivating a brand new love of science after starting Science Essentials.  I'm hoping this continues because we can do so many cool things with science.  Experiments, nature study, and field trips are high on my list.  We also started a new book called "Read & Understand Poetry".  We have been studying poetry since W was in first grade, but this book really gets you into the poems.  There are various questions and writing prompts that go with the poem.  He answered all the questions thoughtfully and correctly and he's getting some good writing practice in, too.  He gets it - he can read a poem and know and feel the meaning behind it.  But the big surprise hit of the week was the paragraph editing book.  What a wonderful and fun way to cover reading, spelling, vocabulary, and grammar.  He has really taken to it.  We always did this kind of editing in his Spelling Skills book and this has the same idea and uses the same symbols, but with many more.  Correcting mistakes is something he's very good at.  It's laid out with a set of 4 separate paragraphs that stay on one informative topic. He does one paragraph per day.

J is doing well in high school again this year.  She loves it so much.  She has such school pride - one of her friends is now a regular on Homeland and another friend is on The Voice (2 other LaGuardia HS alum are also on the show this season).  She's trying to be as involved in the school as she can.  She's auditioning for several things and will be working the dance auditions this year for incoming students.  In other dance news, she will be going to another dance teacher event this weekend with the studio owner and 2 other teachers-in-training, is heavy into choreography for the new season, getting ready for next month's competition, working on her new solo she's choreographing, and coming up with weekly lesson plans and choreo for the 3 classes she teaches on Saturdays.  She is incredibly busy and handles everything so responsibly.

K is enjoying her second year of college so far.  She's still figuring out what exactly she'd like to do when she graduates, but she's got plenty of time.  She has a few ideas on how she'd like her life to play out:  college and trade school, work as much as possible before marriage and kids, then work from home while raising kids.  It sounds like a great plan to me.  I know she can do whatever she sets her mind to.  I have to say I'm so grateful to be blessed with kids that always make me proud.

September is in Full Swing

I'm feeling pretty good about the start of this school year.  I have resigned myself to the fact that we just do not follow any particular homeschool style or method.  We just do what we do, taking a little from everything.  We are unschoolers, we are classical, and we follow Charlotte mason.  As long as it continues to be effective and everyone's happy, then who really cares about labels?

W and I are both still happy with the daily plan we decided on.  Now that we've been implementing it for over a week, I can say it's working well.  We have 4-5 daily activities and then W picks another 2 things to do out of a list of about ten.  The mornings are a lot more efficient and enjoyable when W has input and choices.  J was the same way.

This week's math was a review of multiplication and division, going over words like:  factor, dividend, divisor, addend, sum, product, difference, and quotient.  Then he did a bunch of examples using the 4 basic functions in all different ways (with decimals, money signs, fraction bars, and parentheses).  He prefers to work out his math problems using graph paper.  I think it's great - it keeps everything lined up and he zips through it more quickly than with regular notebook paper.  He then read a one-page story out loud each day to me.  He used his blue colored overlay and can now read aloud very smoothly with hardly any stumbles.  Then we did the discussion questions on the bottom of the page.  And the daily CNN Student News site has been interesting and fun so far.

We read the introduction and first chapter of Age of Fable, a chapter of Minn of the Mississippi, a chapter of Physics Lab in the Home, and a chapter of The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe.  He did a lesson in his dyslexia workbook, Spelling Skills, & in Simply Grammar.  He started youth choir on Saturday and CCD starts in a couple of weeks.

I still have no idea if W wants to start school next year, in 2-3 years, or if at all.  I am remaining completely open to whatever he decides.  No stress.  No matter what he wants to do, I know it will be wonderful for him.  I have dozens of links saved and I've researched almost everything I could find about all the "good" schools and also about homeschooling high school.  So I'm ready (and he will be ready) no matter what.

J's junior year of high school is going really well so far.  She has all her academics (math, English, history, science) and lunch in the first 5 periods of the day and her 4 dance classes are in the afternoon.  Dance is made up of double periods of ballet and modern and this year she's also doing theater jazz, tap, and a choreography workshop.  At her dance studio she's taking lyrical ballet, tap, pointe, Pilates, contemporary, and a jumps & turns technique class. New competition season choreo will include hip-hop, musical theater, and jazz as well.  I love a new dance season.

A New School Year

K started her sophomore year of college on Monday.  Her first day of school always makes me teary and emotional.  She has a clearer idea as to what she wants to do with her life and she's on the right track.  I'm so proud of her.  She has a great work ethic and is determined to succeed.

J starts school next Thursday.  I told her that Junior year of high school is going to be the toughest one yet.  Besides her regular high school classes (4 academic, 4 dance), there's the SATs, her Junior dance project, school performances, a Sunday afternoon theater jazz & tap workshop in Manhattan, and also a full load at her dance studio.  She will be teaching and choreographing on Saturdays as well as having around 8 hours a week of technique classes and choreo.  We're going to Nationals next summer, so we're carefully choosing our Regional competitions this year.  I'm excited for another school and dance year!

W is enjoying what's left of summer.  He's outside playing every day with his friends on the block and going to the playground for some soccer and basketball.  We are doing pretty well with academics, too.  He's still doing math drills, the dyslexia workbook, listening to some Narnia (almost done with LWW!), and we've started some AO Yr 4 books.  We're stepping into academics slowly and should be ready to go full-force next week.  I'm still waiting for his evaluation report.  I guess this is what goes along with it being free.  But after spending a couple of hours researching more things about dyslexia yesterday, I've figured out that W has "visual dyslexia" or "dyseidetic dyslexia".  This is different from "dysphonemic" or "auditory dyslexia".  So technically, this means I don't really need to be doing any type of phonics work with him.  The workbook I have touches on everything, and since he likes it and I'm seeing a great deal of progress in him, we're going to continue with it anyway.

I can smell Fall in the air!

American Folk Art Museum

We met up with the homeschool group again this week for another one of those child-led museum explorations.  This time we hit the American Folk Art Museum. I have never been here before, so it was a trip I looked forward to.  It's really small (one floor) and they didn't have a museum map, so each child picked a gallery and a piece to discuss with the others.  We moms left them to it, standing in a center area between all 3 galleries to keep an eye on them.  The idea of 10-12 year-olds looking at artwork and discussing it together without being guided sounds like it could never work, but you'd be surprised. I certainly was.  Once again, they took the responsibility seriously and rose to the occasion.  

An hour or so later, we were lucky enough to get a tour from one of the workers there.  She was great.  She brought us to several pieces of artwork and told us all about their history, artist, and meaning.  The tour was fun and interesting, but I do think the kids get more out of these trips when they have to come up with their own ideas.

Check out the dancers in the subway the other day:

More 5th Grade Stuff

For the remainder of 5th grade, W will be doing the following:

• Language Arts - Simply Grammar, Spelling Skills 5
• Writing - Journaling, oral & written narrations, Writing Strands
• Spelling - Spelling Skills 5
• Independent Reading - His choice
• Math - Typical 5th-grade standards (various 5th Grade workbooks & test-prep books, Khan Academy)
• History - Colonial America & the American Revolution (books, websites, projects, timelines, documentaries, field trips/classes)
• Geography - Mapwork related to colonial times, states & capitals, countries & capitals, oceans (atlases, flash cards, websites, workbooks)
• Social Studies - US Government, Presidential Elections, CNN Student News (books, websites, documentaries)
• Science - Weather, plants, cells, basic physics (books, websites, experiments, documentaries, field trips/classes, nature study/journaling)
• Health - Nutrition & fitness (smart shopping, exercising, documentaries)
• Spanish - DK Language Learner  (I just bought this.  I'll let you know how it is)
• PE - Karate 4-5 classes/week, Free play

W is considering enrolling in this accelerated secondary school which goes from 7th-12th grades.  I'm not very keen on middle school at all, but it's his choice, and it's one of the very few schools I actually approve of.  They give an admissions test next year and W will be taking it.  He may not want to actually go when the time comes, but at least he'll have taken the necessary steps to have that option right up to the last minute.  It's my job to make sure all doors are open for him if he does choose to go there.  He also will be taking the California Achievement Test (CAT-E) in a couple of months.

So, based on that, we are also doing some test-prep.  There are test samples online and I just bought a couple of prep books for him to practice with.  I promise this will not make our daily academics any longer.  We still spend about 2-3 hours on the academic stuff each morning.  Afternoons are still always free to pursue interests and just be a kid.  I'm not going to stress over these tests.  I know they hardly scratch the surface of what my son knows and understands.  W has never really taken a test before, so he's a bit nervous, but is eager for the experience and to see what it's all about.  I'm sure he'll be fine.

Weekly Report 1/1-1/7

Happy New Year!  Celebration was at my house this year with the family and one of J's friends.  Lots of food and Dick Clark!  K and the boyf  went to this swanky, ritzy party in Long Island.  Boyf's whole family was there and they all took limos there and home.  K had an unbelievable time and looked beautiful in a long-sleeved, open-backed, blue velvet short dress with tan clutch & tan wedge heels.  She was stunning.  K's doing great at her job and school starts up for her again in a couple of weeks.  J's been crazy busy with dance.  Competition season starts next month.  Next weekend we're off to Atlantic City for a big dance convention.  She's getting together a bunch of info for summer dance intensives here in NYC.  She's not sure what she wants to do yet.  School is still going great (she got another A+ on an English paper, btw) and she just loves every second of it.  It goes by so fast, though.

W and I went to our usual weekly winter haunt again - the uber-cool homeschooler get-together at the pool hall in the West Village.  Pool, foosball, table shuffleboard, and ping-pong were on the agenda for him that day.  Some of the moms and I chatted while making these pretty paper star crafts.  I'm not really the crafty type, but mine came out pretty good!

W is almost ready for his yellow belt in karate.  He got a stripe added to his belt this week.  Test at the end of the month!  He got contact lenses this week and now he doesn't have to worry about his glasses sliding down or flying off.

We were scheduled for a trip this week to Wall Street for a class on the History of Money, but W came down with a sore throat, cough, & fever.  He's feeling better now.  He has responded very well to the relaxed academics and seems to be retaining a lot more.  He even came to me at 9:30pm one night to "do work".  We're moving really quickly through math, his reading is still at or above grade level (have we passed the typical dyslexic plateau level?), and he's picking up 5th-grade grammar very easily.  Science and History have been in the forms of readings & questions, documentaries, field trips, and projects/experiments.  It's fun and stress-free, just the way we like it.

This week's academics included:
Prime & composite numbers, Factoring, Greatest common factor, Equivalent fractions, Reducing fractions, Proofreading paragraphs, Prefixes, Dictionary pronunciations, The Giraffe, Pelly, & Me (Dahl), The history of money (Money Sense).