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Angel Forum All-Star
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Posted: Jan 21 2010 at 11:26am | IP Logged
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Angie, when you say that you give your kids about six years to get stuff done... does that mean you're beginning most high school work in 7th grade? (Around age 12/13)
__________________ Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Angie Mc Board Moderator
Joined: Jan 31 2005 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Jan 21 2010 at 11:40am | IP Logged
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Angel wrote:
Angie, when you say that you give your kids about six years to get stuff done... does that mean you're beginning most high school work in 7th grade? (Around age 12/13) |
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No, and thanks for the chance to clarify. I'm giving them ~ six years (ages 13-18...about 8th grade through 13th ) to be ready and able to get the work done. So one teen may excel at reading advanced lit in 8th grade but not be able to do advanced math until later. Another teen may excel at athletics in 8th grade but not be able to read advanced lit until later. Does that make sense?
Love,
__________________ Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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Angel Forum All-Star
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Posted: Jan 21 2010 at 12:52pm | IP Logged
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Angie Mc wrote:
No, and thanks for the chance to clarify. I'm giving them ~ six years (ages 13-18...about 8th grade through 13th ) to be ready and able to get the work done. So one teen may excel at reading advanced lit in 8th grade but not be able to do advanced math until later. Another teen may excel at athletics in 8th grade but not be able to read advanced lit until later. Does that make sense?
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It makes a lot of sense. Particularly as what seems to count as the "recommended" college prep course load seems like a lot to cram into 4 years... I mean, especially from a homeschooling standpoint, as 120 or 150 hours or whatever is actually 120 or 150 real hours and not 50 minute classes spent goofing off with your friends or doing the homework you were supposed to do the night before. (Not that I would know anything about either of those things personally. )
I guess it's just a matter of translating 5 or 6 years of high school to colleges at the end... seems like so much of what complicates high school is really jumping through hoops.
__________________ Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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MarilynW Forum All-Star
Joined: June 28 2006 Location: N/A
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Posted: Jan 21 2010 at 5:29pm | IP Logged
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Martha wrote:
I'm anxiously awaiting more insight! |
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Martha - I am wanting to contribute to this. But after 3 weeks of sick children and sick mama, my routines and schedules are a rather thrown to the wind and I am feelign so tired and out of it - I will come back to this....
__________________ Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God
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Martha Forum All-Star
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Posted: Jan 21 2010 at 5:35pm | IP Logged
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Angie Mc wrote:
No, and thanks for the chance to clarify. I'm giving them ~ six years (ages 13-18...about 8th grade through 13th |
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but.. but...
my boy is already 15 as of 2 days ago!!! I have 3 years left!!!
where's the little brown bag to breath in!?!?!?
only sorta laughing here...
__________________ Martha
mama to 7 boys & 4 girls
Yes, they're all ours!
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Martha Forum All-Star
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Posted: Jan 21 2010 at 5:38pm | IP Logged
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MarilynW wrote:
Martha - I am wanting to contribute to this. But after 3 weeks of sick children and sick mama, my routines and schedules are a rather thrown to the wind and I am feelign so tired and out of it - I will come back to this.... |
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totally understand! We are just comming off the end of that!
I'm just floating by on a coffee rush.
__________________ Martha
mama to 7 boys & 4 girls
Yes, they're all ours!
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ekbell Forum All-Star
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Posted: Jan 21 2010 at 6:37pm | IP Logged
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Martha wrote:
Okay, shame-faced question here...
For those of you that say they are doing their own schedules...
What, exactly, do you mean by that? If it was just getting it done - I wouldn't have a problem.
It's the grading, correcting, study for quiz/exam, and so forth that is dragging us. He does need me for that. And if I wait until Friday, he is hugely frustrated bc he has made the same mistake for a week and might as well start over. Plus - what about discussions? I can't just ditch all the other kids whenever he decides to do something. Well I guess I could, but I won't and I'm fairly certain you ladies aren't operating like that either?
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My oldest has a few daily items (math and twenty minutes of writing- she may choose to use another assignment to fulfil the daily writing requirement or simply journal) and a weekly checklist.
She knows that I'm not available for more then very quick questions during the younger children's lesson and couch time (read-alouds) during the morning but that I'll make time for her in the afternoon and evening. If I'm doing a task that doesn't need all my attention, we can discuss matters while I'm working (such as when I'm making bread or folding clothes), if I'm doing a task that needs my attention then I'll help her as soon as I'm finished. I'll occasionally remind when it's a good time for us to go over something.
As for correcting, I find that the simplest way to get it done is to set aside time each day to do it, I make notes and then we normally discuss matters later.
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Angie Mc Board Moderator
Joined: Jan 31 2005 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Jan 29 2010 at 11:16am | IP Logged
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Angie Mc wrote:
Because of who I am and how our family runs, I'm mainly a macro-level thinker. I look at the big picture which means I give each of my teens ~ six years to "get stuff done." |
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Six years under my roof and responsibility, that is . We tell our children that it really is up to them what they are going to learn and when they are going to learn it. We highly recommend a straight path preparation for college and help them to see what that looks like and the benefits of it, yet it is up to them if they want to/are able to walk the straight path. We have living examples of adults who weren't academics as young adults who are now, in their 40's, working on doctorate degrees .
On a daily level, we get things done by having a macro approach again. In the morning we work on skills. The rest of the time we build our knowledge base. I explain this a bit here.
We rotate skills based on the interests and needs of the particular child at any given time. As long as we're working on skills in the morning, I feel that we're getting stuff done. For example, the skills we are working on with my 8th grader are, handwriting (he struggles with fine motor skills and wants a more mature cursive,) typing, math, and 5 paragraph essay. He works independently on a free online typing program, a Seton handwriting book for older students (I hope to come back and link), and on Math-U-See. I tutor him on the 5 paragraph essay. So, we tend to combine independent work with one focus for mom. My time spent on this is about 30 minutes a day.
All the rest of our time is ripe for building knowledge! This is where the living books come in...and the liturgical calendar...and the nature study...and the outings...and the movies...and the discussion...and the unit studies...and the science experiments...and the Teaching Company DVDs...and the library, and music/art appreciation, baseball ...and, and, and! Much of this happens naturally in the course of the day. Some of it is arranged by me. Some of it is initiated by the children/young adults. We tend to rotate these activities as well and follow rabbit trails. We can also combine ages and build family relationships via these avenues. We're free to measure mastery in different ways - through essays, discussions, projects, etc. This is where I spend the bulk of my time and energy regarding "academics," tending to our environment, interests, calendar, and materials. Because of this approach, I don't have teacher manuals to follow often, outside deadlines to meet, tests to correct, etc., too often. This is much more doable for me - plays to my stengths and minimizes my weaknesses .
I've been pondering a few other things...but need to run.
Love,
__________________ Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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