It's been a long time since I have used this forum but I wanted to see from those who have also taught their children to read using this program how you felt kindergarten was going. 

My dd has been reading (thanks much to this program) since she was 1.5.  She is 5 now and reads at a 4-5 grade level.  Aside from the challenges of feeding her monster reading habit we have now encountered a fit problem at school.  We have recently been admonished for not practicing our sight words which all her classmates are working on.  I figured it was something we did every day by reading books and playing games but apparently I am supposed to be drilling dd.  This is clearly not a serious problem but something about it bugs me.  It's as if I am supposed to hold dd at the kindergarten reading level drilling her on words she already knows while the others catch up.  Maybe I am being to sensitive.

Have any of you found fit problems in school once your early reader starts up?  How have you met with those challenges and do you have any tips on solutions?
TIA for any advice.

anyone?

hey, i'm just wondering if anyone who has used soft way to mozart has any tips to starting out.  my dd is 2 and loves playing the games (for what she can grasp).  i'm not sure if i should start by just scaffolding and then break into the lesson plan (found on the forum) or if there is another way someone has found successful. 
anyone have direction?

thanks,
octavia

nirupa, can you tell me about some of your/ your son's favorite stories? 

hey daddude,
huge thanks for the PPT(s).  those are a great way to start teaching.  you have done amazing things which i plan now to spend the rest of nap time mining (oh please let them sleep for another hour!!). 

what were your presentations like?  slides?  discussions?  i guess i'm trying to figure out if i just let the situations arise to discuss or begin modeling them as i would reading or math.  my husband and i do believe that as parents we set the precedence (if we act accordingly, etc.) but still... how does a toddler know that? 

**(please don't take offense anyone to any religious comments here.  i mean no harm and i respect every background i just don't walk one particular path and i humbly acknowledge my ignorance on the topic! i post with only the best of intentions)**

just wanted to see how people are teaching morals and ethics.  we are not a bible based family but i like the idea of the bible as a form of teaching 'right' from 'wrong'.  it presents morals/ethics in a unique story, is backed up in practice and families and communities are involved in the process of understanding and teaching.  so... for those who maybe aren't using scripture as a model, how are you presenting ethics and morals.  how do you 'teach' them and are you folding them into your lesson plans (i have seen daddude say he adds them into his lesson plans.  maybe if you read this you can expand on that?)  or are you just teaching them as they present themselves?  for those who are teaching using scriptures do you have suggestions of ways that a non-bible family might translate them?  can other faiths chime in here? 

i think Little House is perfect for any kid but it seems funny that there aren't more books like the Little House series from a boy's perspective.  it would seems like the perfect subject matter for them. if anyone knows about any i would love to check them out. 

tomie has other books that make for good beginner books too that are centered around more war time america for a boy's view.  he's a local author here so i've read more tomie books than i know what to do with!  our whole library is filled with them.  he does seem to mix a great sense of history into each book.

after a quick amazon check this book looks kind of cool...
http://www.amazon.com/Abernathy-Boys-L-J-Hunt/dp/0064409538/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265067840&sr=1-5
and the other suggested readings might fit the bill.

would anyone else spend a million dollars at amazon (i know, i know...local booksellers are better)? aiy. if only i could win the lottery.

I' ve enjoyed www.goanimate.com, Pivot (freeware) http://www.snapfiles.com/GeT/sTiCkFiGuRe.html is stick figures...some people have done fab stuff with Pivot!

OMG the GoAnimate site is so cool!  i will MAKE it educational just to get to play with it.  thanks for the great link! 

and jenniferjoy... i'm sorry, i giggled a little at your husbands plea for spiderman.  i thought i was really cute.  i would have the same reaction as you (well, one less proactive perhaps) though.  i think it is really cool you are trying to make it work. 

a little while ago i discovered the books by N.E. Bode who wrote Mr. Magorium's Magic Emporium (book is nothing like movie).  there is also The Nobodies, The Somebodies and The Anybodies.  sort of harry potter but less length.  my daughter and i have always read chapter books and these were just small enough to keep her attention and interest but seemed like an awesome read for someone who is just getting into The Magic Tree House stage (which i've also discovered and love too).

can i suggest you take a little pressure off of yourself? 

i just had my baby 6mo ago and was in the same place as you... with a 2 year old and some nice heat to make ankles feel nice and puffy    and all i can say is that you two only have so many weeks left to just take it easy.  things are going to be a little different after the baby comes too.  make or buy some play dough.  do some water 'painting'.  walk through a mall or library.  visit sesamestreet.org.  scoop dried pasta or buttons.  take some pressure off of yourself and plan fun things.  your little girl will not lose her intelligence or her love to learn if you take a few weeks off.  maybe encourage a play date with some good friends/grandmothers that allows you to take a nap?

maybe part of your need to plan things is a sign of nesting??  it was that way for me.  i got really itchy to get things in order for my 2 year old right at the end and felt really badly that i hadn't done something structured in some time.  in the end of that week #2 came right along. 

remember if you keep yourself light and happy and at ease your two year old will take your lead right into life with a sibling.  so put your feet up, breath deeply and read some good picture books.

good luck.   

i'm not sure if i'm in the right overall topic or if this question has been posted before but i'm noticing a strange trend in my daughter. 

she's 2.5 and has been an amazing learner.  she's a sponge and usually really excited about it.  for christmas i got her a scholastic computer game for reading, math and logic for preschoolers.  she's been reading level 1 reader books for a bit now and adept at most online preschool games. physcially she has figured out the mouse and clicking most times. 

my concern is that now that we are playing some of the computer games she gets really tired or at least acts that way.  she starts to sigh, puts her head down, rubs her eyes, won't answer questions i know she knows, etc.  i've always been big on making sure we keep any and all learning fun so i suggest we leave the game and she cries that she wants more.  i've never seen her act this way.  i'm almost tempted to start morning nap up again (lord help me in suggesting that one! :P) but i was sort of wondering if anyone else had seen these types of things in their children.  is it maybe some sort of growth thing?  have i barked up the wrong learning tree? 

i'm sure the answer would be to decrease the screen time and go back to floor time i just marvel at this one instance of behavior that doesn't fit her nature. 

thanks.

maybe try yoga (in our house the word has kind a loose definition). 
it started with playing while mommy did stretches and grew into copying mommy and now she can do things on her own. 
i have two good books... baby yoga- it's more mommy yoga with baby around you and itsy bitsy yoga- which are kind of like circle time activities that encourage movement. 

i wouldn't say that we follow yoga to a T but i think it's the movement that counts. 

also, i second the balance beam from a previous poster.  it was surpising how many things my little girl came up with to play on it. 

oh... i do have another book- proud parents guide to raising athletic, balanced and coordinated kids.  a serious title for just a great collection of games. all pretty easy to modify for indoor use and starts off with young ages.

we've just moved to a cold climate and man, it is so different!  not only the amount of time indoors but also the amount of dedication you have to have to go outdoors.  i have to really make sure we REALLY want to go out before i start the epic process of snowsuits.  i have to keep reminding myself that we wanted to move here! LOL

not to be totally boring but i'm returning to the system after some time off and i have to tell you once again how pleased i am.  the updates and additions just from my time off make this a value beyond my expectations.  huge thanks! 

hey questers,
sorry about the tardiness of my reply... husband's away and things can get a little nuts!

i've tried a couple of times to upload the file but i think it's too big.  i've tried a couple of different ways but still to no avail.  sorry about that.  i did notice that itunes carries quite a few albums.  i have the sleep system and the healing system and it is the healing system that i like the best. 

i would say whatever you choose you should just watch your baby for a few days.  watch that there are no signs of unreasonable grumpiness or anxiety.  i think it could just be a lot on the baby's subconsious though i don't think there is an actual harm that can come from listening to the tracks... other than disturbed sleep. 

please feel free to contact Patricia Wynne.  she's the therapist out of southern california that i used and she is so enthusiastic about dr thompson's work that i know she would be happy to answer questions or even find someone closer to you that would help you out.  here is her contact: http://www.find-a-therapist.com/Provider/Patricia-Wynne-MA.aspx  she also has a brief explanation on her use of the music. 

sorry i couldn't be of more help.  it is so interesting and such a fairly new 'science'.  let us know what else you find out or how you think your child reacted to it. 

all the best.