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Posts Tagged ‘Guidance’

How do I get my daughters school to start a gifted and talented program?

December 21st, 2012 5 comments

My daughter has tested twice, both in 1st grade and 2nd and passed both times for the gifted and talented program at a school in another state. The school here doesn’t have a GT program to offer her. She’s getting really bored in school and getting in trouble for talking etc… how can I get her new school to start a GT program so she is more challenged? Or is there anything I can do at home to help her?

I speak from experience as a former "gifted child" as well as being the aunt of an extremely bright 3rd grader and the mother of an extremely bright preschooler. Based on my experience, I have to say, it will be nearly impossible to get your gifted daughter’s school to provide additional services for her.

This country’s public schools are dancing as fast as they can to serve the average kids and the kids who are falling behind, and unfortunately the pervasive attitude (in most school districts — not EVERY school district) is that the gifted kids will "take care of themselves."

Of course, this is not the case — gifted kids need just as much direction and guidance as any other kids, and entirely too many of them get bored, which can lead to destructive habits and attitudes regarding school and the work ethic.

Fortunately, there’s plenty of stuff you can do with her at home to enrich her learning and enjoyment.

Check out www.hoagiesgifted.org and www.nacg.org for resources. You may also find that your home state has programs for gifted children. But be aware that anything sponsored by the state or federal government is likely to be limited in scope. Nurturing our brightest young minds is just not something our government is particularly good at.

You could also check out homeschooling websites like www.homeschooldiner.com. Homeschooling websites can give you dozens of links to free educational materials that are available on the web, in every subject you can think of. You don’t have to be a homeschooler to use these materials. It’s amazing what you can find for free on the web.

Also, check your local paper and community bulletin boards for information about local museums, nature centers, theaters, farms, zoos, etc. You might be surprised at the kinds of resources that you have nearby. Enrichment doesn’t have to cost a lot, either. Many museums offer a free or reduced-entry-fee day on a regular basis. Libraries and churches often offer concerts of many different types of music for little or no cost.

Educational enrichment doesn’t have to mean "academics" all the time — check the Parks & Rec departments in your town and neighboring towns to see what kind of sports classes or teams they offer. If you like crafts, you and she could learn a new crafting skill together, like embroidery or knitting or wood carving.

Even doing everyday stuff together, like cooking, will teach life skills, math, following directions, reading comprehension. You just have to know how to present it.

And of course, your town library is invaluable. Not only does it provide free books, music, and movies, but it’s a meeting place for your community. I find out about lots of cool — often free-of-charge — stuff to do with my daughter by hanging out at the library on a regular basis.

Good luck!

What is the best type of embroidery machine to use?

December 5th, 2012 1 comment

I am willing to buy one, but I’m not sure which one i would like to buy. Any suggestions?? I dont care what price range it is either.

I can’t tell you the ‘best’ one to use but I can offer you some guidance, of sorts.

You need to also think about what kind of designs you intend to do. Can you use the small 4×4 stitching area or can you afford a couple of hundred more to move on up to a 5×7 stitching area? Personally, I wish I’d waited and saved to get the 5×7 stitching area for my first machine.

Ok, after you ‘ve decided what size stitching area you want You’ll need to decide which machine.
Before deciding on a machine, you need to determine what you plan to do with it. Will it be a work horse that never stops, or do you think it may be something you tire of quickly? ( Honestly, machine embroidery is ADDICTING so I don’t see that second option happening.)
Ok, when you’ve narrowed down to a couple of machines you think you’d like, look at what you’ll need to use them. For example. I bought my brother embroidery machine blindly having no clue what I’d need. After it was delivered, I found out that to transfer designs from my computer to the machine, I’d have to have a ped basic and design card.
Some machines use a flash drive, some need cd’s, others still use floppy disks, and some can hook directly up to your computer. You need to find out what you’ll need before you buy the machine.
After you find a machine you want you’ll also have to buy supplies. You’ll need all of these things before even stitching your 1st project.

Thread – lots and lots of thread (i recommend anna bove collections)
an assortment of embroidery needles (depending on your fabric and stabilizer, you could need a different size needle for each project)
Stabilizers – everyone has their favorites and you will too. To start I’d recommend a good water soluble stabilizer, a light mesh stabilizer, and a heavier stabilizer.

Before getting anything – even the machine – I’d recommend joining and online forum. You can join for free at www.sewforum.com or you can join a subscription site like www.artisticthreadworks.com. I learned sooooo much from the people at artisticthreadworks that I would recommend you join before buying the machine. The people there will answer any question.
I also recommend www.nitasplace.com. The forum is less busy – more advanced stitchers i guess – but they will ALWAYS stop to answer a question.

I know I didn’t directly answer your question, but I didnt want you to think it was as easy as just picking up a machine. If you have any questions, you’re welcome to email me at jdlindseyembroidery@yahoo.com