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Progressive Homeschool
Welcome! We practice science-intensive evidence-based education.

Dark, hidden, black-box math - its a good thing!

Friday, January 27, 2006
Ok, I admit that when I was in high school I wanted to be in all the clubs (just to say I did and it was a contest between me and my best friend - from what I vaguely remember, that was so long ago!). I joined just about everything. Science, Pente, Latin, Spanish, French, German, etc. I also joined Math club because 1) it was a club, and 2) I thought it would be good to buck up my math skills (also had several friends in it).

Anyways, the first thing the Math Club advisor does is give me a timed math test, a sheet filled with simple arithmetic and I realized that I was not going to like it. That sheet was so intimidating! I kept up with the club and went to competitions but those reminded me too much of swim team (on which I LIVED in high school and that was just a bit much) so I was not a long term Math Club member :-/.

I find myself now working with Q on sheets of math practice that are just as intimidating (but not timed!)

big math BEFORE


She has additional challenges that make it even more overwhelming than for me so we came up with a solution that is working for us, it might work for you!

Its simply a matter of cutting a small window out of a sheet of black construction paper and using that to mask the other problems. Now she powers through pages that took all day of agony before.

small math AFTER


This might seem like a gimmick but it works, Q doesnt feel like I am pulling the wool over her eyes, she knows that she was being distracted and she could not manage it. This way we both assert control!

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10:57 AM :: 2 comments

nika :: permalink
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Snow Constructions

Tuesday, January 24, 2006
We got almost a foot of snow and it was the wet sort, perfect for making things like forts! Q made a start, perhaps it will get a few more walls before the thaw comes or the plow guy thinks it needs to be plowed.

snow fort - 1


Tools

snow fort - 4


snow fort - 3


Details

snow fort - 2

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9:34 AM :: 0 comments

nika :: permalink
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Winter Piano Recital

Monday, January 23, 2006
Sunday was Q's biannual piano recital. She enjoyed it very much, KD did also, sat very still and then got to play in the nursery! I have a bit of pictorial from the day. Our recitals are held in the Unitarian Universalist church in North Brookfield, MA.

Enjoy!

Outside the church.

Outside church


Windows at the back of the church.

windows


The nave.

Nave


Q waiting for her turn.

Q smiling


Q playing her two pieces.

Q playing


There was also a reception after but I felt odd taking pics of people without asking their permission!

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10:15 AM :: 0 comments

nika :: permalink
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Electrical Excitement

Sunday, January 22, 2006
We had a bit too much excitement on Saturday. Just after our supper chicken was put on to bake, the power went out. Sometimes our power flickers and comes back but Saturday it was out. Q and I went down to the road and saw that a huge tree had fallen on our power line. For the next 8 hours we went without power, our poor chicken had to be pitched, and Q's dad helped the police keep traffic from passing under the tree.

At 12 midnight the power came back on and the whole house sprang into bright light! We had to get up and turn them all off.

We are so very happy to have the power back!

Here are a few scenes from all of the excitement.

A picture, in the dark, of the downed tree.

tree-1-jpg


We lit many candles to try to get some light so that the 2 year old wasnt too upset by it all.

candles-1


candles-2


Flash is a good thing. KD was running around in the dark, chasing cats.


KD-1-jpg


Q comforted Fiesty and other cats.


q-1


The aftermath!

broken-tree-1-jpg


broken-tree-2-jpg


The tree was very large. As you can see where the stump is, the tree next to it was how big the fallen one was.

broken-tree-3-jpg

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11:30 AM :: 0 comments

nika :: permalink
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