Karen Edmisten's comments

Not for Homeschoolers - Blog Entry

01 Feb 2007 10:36 AM

Arrgh! More points for Nancy Drew than for MacBeth? My girls do love Nancy Drew, but .... Start your own, Andrea. :-)

What Grade are They In? - Blog Entry

30 Jan 2007 05:58 AM

Yes, we're the same way -- I tell people, "We don't really do 'grade levels' but if they were in school, they'd be ...." It's great to have them learn at their own pace, whether that's "advanced" or "behind" and not have them feel labeled or stifled by that.

Homeschooling Week in Review January 22- January 28, 2007 - Blog Entry

29 Jan 2007 06:36 AM

Love your summaries, Andrea. It's one stop shopping for ideas. :-)

College Classes and the Homeschooler: Auditing Classes - Blog Entry

27 Jan 2007 02:02 PM

Yes, I know some people who do this, and I hope to do the same with mine.

A little Bit of Charlotte Mason - Blog Entry

27 Jan 2007 02:00 PM

We do a lot of CM type stuff here. Another wonderful forum (I help moderate a couple of boards there) is the 4 Real Learning forum. It's full of wonderful ideas and support. And yet another good one is Mater Amabilis.

Homeschooling with a newborn - Blog Entry

27 Jan 2007 08:50 AM

Thanks, ladies. I am green with envy over your library systems! I can only reserve online if the book I want is already checked out. I drool over the possibility of reserving everything I want while online, then breezing into the library to pick it up, but it's not a reality here.

I can, however, renew things online, and that has saved me an infinite number of fines. :-)

Homeschooling while pregnant - Blog Entry

26 Jan 2007 08:41 AM

Thanks, Valorie and Nola! Valorie, I'll second you on the takeout pizza. :-) And, Nola, I would say that with your oldest being only five, you have loads of room to relax (but then, that's just my philosophy.) But, truly, in many states, a five yr. old might still be in preschool, and isn't even legally required to be in school.

The giftedness in our family also runs to the reading end of things, rather than math/science (though my middle daughter might make me eat those words.) Valorie, I agree with your distinction between "bright" and "gifted" ... and with your view that gifted, but very young children, still need room to simply *be* very young.

Giving Your Homeschooled Child the Reins - Blog Entry

25 Jan 2007 06:26 AM

Your kids sound so bright and capable -- can they come plan *my* vacation? :-) I'm with you on the four-star vs. the spiders, though.

Teaching various ages: the challenge - Blog Entry

25 Jan 2007 06:24 AM

You know, Nola, sometimes when they're that young, I just let them do a lot of the same thing ... or, at least let them think they're doing the same thing. :-) If your oldest, at five, is reading obnoxiously fast, you have lots of wiggle room to let her do her own thing. In other words, if you sometimes let her do what her little brother is doing, it won't hurt her academically (because she's already far ahead of the curve), it will drive you less crazy, and it's also good for sibling bonding!

Dealing with Stereotypes about Homeschoolers - Blog Entry

25 Jan 2007 06:19 AM

This kind of thing always saddens me. I'm sad that she was treated rudely, and I'm sad that she sees the others as freaks.

There are so many "kinds" of homeschoolers, and you hit the nail on the head, Andrea, when you pointed out that we needn't slam one another just to make our point, or to try to demonstrate who we are. We need to support each other, whether we wear denim jumpers or T-shirts and jeans. I have friends in all the following categories: denim jumpers/very religious ... denim jumpers/not religious ... T-shirts & jeans/very religious ... T-shirts & jeans/not very religious .... :-) We're all just trying to do the best we can for our children.