Kilroy Was Here

Because I have many things on my mind, but none of them quite a full post, I present one of my favorite things in the entire world. Bullet points.

• There's been a lot - a lot - of discussion lately on the WTM boards about giftedness. One takeaway message has been "if your child is gifted, you'll just know it." Without getting into too much detail, I don't think that's true. For various reasons, my peers have always been highly intelligent people. I think there were one or two people in elementary school that could be said to possess average intelligence, but I don't remember much about elementary school. I graduated from high school with 98 other girls, all of them highly intelligent and yes, dare I say it, all of them at least moderately gifted. I firmly believe this. I followed that up with a university experience where, again, "normal" was well above average. When someone stands out in groups like these, you know they're scary-smart. All of that said, my yardstick is different. No, I don't know what is and is not normal. I know what gifted looks like. To me, gifted is normal. Sometimes you don't just know. That's all I have to say on that matter.

• I've figured out the solution to each of my previous dilemmas. We'll finish the All About Spelling series with EG, but then concentrate on application in writing; FB is going to start in the Spelling Workout series, because I don't think I can add another teacher intensive subject unless it's vitally necessary; and although I really like BFSU (or what I've read so far; I haven't finished it yet), I don't think I'll be using it with FB. As I stated in the previous post, I think it might just be the ticket for PC, since she's effectively going to have two years of pre-K before her official K year, thanks to that November birthday.

• Since I've resolved those issues, I naturally have turned my mind to another: revisiting the question of choosing a modern foreign language for EG to study. I still have it narrowed to Chinese or German, but I'm torn between the two. I can see a real value and utility in each. Our resources locally for studying each are approximately the same. My mind is locked in a stalemate between the two.

• I've made real progress on my list of things to do by 1 July. I'm not ready to actually strike any of them completed, but I feel like things are a bit more under control. I need to add five new books to the art appreciation plans, but they are typed. The music appreciation plans are in a good second version. I'm 98% sure I've finalized the kindergarten supplemental history books. I tried very hard to break the AoPS texts into daily chunks. And I've got a good preliminary list for science reading!

• I purchased the last of the actual curricula for 2010-2011 last week and it should all be here by tomorrow. I specified curricula because, of course, there are still plenty of books to be purchased, as well as music for music appreciation. What actual curricula is there? I purchased The Complete Writer: Writing With Ease Workbook 1, The Story of the World, Volume 1: Ancient Times and the pdf activity book, RightStart's A to B Add-On kit, My Printing Book and Spelling Workout A for FB. EG's curricula for next year are MCT LA Level 3 (Voyage level), Life of Fred: Advanced Algebra and the corresponding Home Companion, Art of Problem Solving's Introduction to Counting & Probability as well as Introduction to Number Theory, and Galore Park's Latin Prep 1. The rest of her stuff is either real books or online endeavors.
So far, I'm really excited by the Latin Prep books, especially. Essay Voyage looks intimidating from a "how do I break this down into daily lessons?" viewpoint, but the material looks great.

• I've made a renewed commitment to my own oft-neglected bedtime, which includes actually rising with my alarm. Let me tell you, my body is not too sure about this plan. I've had more time to read, though, and I am far more productive between 7:30 & 11:30 am than I am 7:30 & 11:30 pm. I have a strong feeling that I've been working on a significant sleep deficit, though, so the more I'm careful to go to bed by 11 pm & get up at 7 am with the alarm, the more I want to go to bed even earlier! Maybe I'll be all caught up in a week or two.