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Please help me plan 7th grade... for my asynchronous 2e 12 year old.


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I have a son who is Asynchronously gifted.  His IQ is approximately in the 135-140 range, but he sometimes struggles with putting concepts together.  He has mild Aspergers.  

 

He programs in several languages and has read a LOT of pretty high level programming books, taking all the tutorials and doing the quizzes and projects on the way.  He knows several frameworks, and has mastered all kinds of peripheral things such as the use of the Command Line, and so much more.

 

He really wants to start looking at Standford's Free Online Comp Sci courses, but the math is still not there for him yet.  So far he has just about completed Saxon 7/6.  This year I feel like we wasted a lot of time and brain space using a typical (but challenging) school in a box with Calvert.

 

My dream for 7th grade and 8th grade and even 9th grade is just to move him forward so he can focus on his interests and strengths.  HOwever, he still needs to continue such mundane things as learning how to write compositions and research papers and things like that.  So we can't drop the regular school-y stuff altogether either!

 

So here is one plan:

Take AOPS Pre-Algebra course over the summer.  If it goes well continue with the courses through 7th grade.

He;s already signed up to continue Koine Greek with Memoria Press.  That covers Grammar and FOreign Language.  And it's a nice challenge.

 

Here are some questions:

1. Can we drop Formal Science completely for 7th grade?  I mean in 7th, he's not getting any credits and he covered SO MUCH textbook Science this year with Calvert.  He is totally textbook Scienced out....

 

2.  Can you point me to a course that covers the basics of Writing and maybe Literature in as little time, and as efficiently as possible? He has already covered a TON of Writing with Calvert (truly a ton) and just needs to continue that momentum.  However, the last thing he needs is anything dumbed down.  Depth plus Efficiency would be a truly perfect goal here.

 

3.  Can we drop formal history?  For 7th and 8th?  He knows SO MUCH world history from all of his voracious reading and my own history bent over the years. I can't imagine that he's really missing anything.  

 

4.  Can you make a recommendation for the best Word Roots based workbooks with BUILT IN pages of plenty of practice and review?  He's a great visual learner so as long as he writes something enough times, it'll stick like glue.  This will help with SAT's / ACTs

 

Basically, I want him to focus all his energy on Math, Programming/Computers, and Writing with maybe some Lit thrown in, and the Koine Greek because that's his verbal "thing."  I want him to feel like his school time is spent on something useful, challenging and worthy instead of insipid flash cards and tests on basic information likely to be forgotten!!!  I think I almost killed him this year. If his work ethic wasn't so completely awesome, I think he would have burned his books in the grill by now.

 

But, I realize that we are now veering off the beaten path and I need advice.  Thank you so much!

 

 

 

 

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...

 

He programs in several languages and has read a LOT of pretty high level programming books, taking all the tutorials and doing the quizzes and projects on the way.  He knows several frameworks, and has mastered all kinds of peripheral things such as the use of the Command Line, and so much more.

 

He really wants to start looking at Standford's Free Online Comp Sci courses, but the math is still not there for him yet.  So far he has just about completed Saxon 7/6.  This year I feel like we wasted a lot of time and brain space using a typical (but challenging) school in a box with Calvert.

 

...

 

So here is one plan:

Take AOPS Pre-Algebra course over the summer.  If it goes well continue with the courses through 7th grade.

 

...

 

Basically, I want him to focus all his energy on Math, Programming/Computers, and Writing with maybe some Lit thrown in, and the Koine Greek because that's his verbal "thing."  I want him to feel like his school time is spent on something useful, challenging and worthy instead of insipid flash cards and tests on basic information likely to be forgotten!!!  I think I almost killed him this year. If his work ethic wasn't so completely awesome, I think he would have burned his books in the grill by now.

 

...

 

---- MATH

 

Try AOPS prealgebra book before the start of the class, to get the feel. (Also get the solution manual.) (I highly recommend AOPS in general.)

 

Use AOPS Alcumus (you can adjust difficulty of the problems in the Settings).

 

---- PROGRAMMIMG

 

Have him look at AOPS programming classes:

Here is my post about the first course:

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/511832-a-somewhat-indipendent-online-programming-class-that-worked-for-your-child/?p=5597311 .

 

--- AOPS forums

 

Have your son try AOPS forums - he can find all things 'sciency' there, and a lot of posters.

 

One can join the forums without taking the classes.

 

--- Computer Science books

 

If your son is heavily into programming, here is a 'Recommended Informatics (CS) Literature' list :

 

http://olympiads.win.tue.nl/ioi/study/books.html .

 

The first books there are 'a nice and gentle introduction into the world of computers ...' .

 

Some books may be in the library, others may be bought used cheaply on abebooks or amazon.

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Thank you for taking the time!  I don't think he's into much more python.  He's doing IOS programming right now alongside the new Ember Framework for JavaScript.  However, those links to the other books look like some ideas.  I'll forward them to my dh! He already programs at proficiency level in 5 languages. I wish there was a course that he could work on a project to be graded, that involved higher level programming in JavaScript, IOS, Objective C, C, or Lua or LISP...I think he's getting tired of taking tutorials and making games.  :o)  My dh will think of something if I can't find anything cool though.  He knows a little Python.  Maybe that last class would be interesting.  

 

I'll get him onto Alcumus this week.  

 

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CS would count as science in my book. Robotics might be a good topic for him to explore if you'd like to have something a bit more "hands-on" than just progamming.

 

Figuratively Speaking is easy to do once per week to get some lit analysis in.

 

History would he be interested in doing a History of Science course? Maybe reading Joy Hakim's "Story of Science" books? There's also a history of the computer book that my DS loved, but the name of it escapes me and I'm not able to go look through his bookshelves for it now.

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I graduated a 2E, hyper-focused on one subject kind of kid.  Here are a few random thoughts for 7th and beyond.

 

Writing is going to come with maturity.  It's one of those skills where slow and steady wins the race, and you may need to think longer term for getting your ds to where he can write essays or research papers comfortably.  Long term as in by 12th grade.  I never used a writing program, so can't help with any curriculum recommendations other than the book The Lively Art of Writing. It is a thin paper back packed with lots of solid tips for how to tackle and write an essay.  Actually, I do have a curriculum recommendation.  I didn't discover all the MCT materials til my youngest was a junior in high school, but their Academic Writing program looked really good.  The MCT vocabulary work book was a little esoteric for my "just the facts, ma'am" kid.  As for what we really did, well I just assigned topics based on discussions books or interests.  This approach allowed my kids to learn to write "across the curriculum", as in a research paper in science or history was no different or no more difficult than a persuasive essay on a work of literature. 

 

I also never did formal science until 9th grade.  Science content was covered through reading, watching documentaries, attending lectures, going to museums and the like.  Robotics or rocketry or an astronomy club might be fun.

 

It sounds as if you all cover so much through the way you lead your lives that I would also say skip formal history until high school when you will need those credits.  For my 2E kid, I created high school history courses that tied into his very strong interests. 

 

It's been a few years, but I seem to remember the work book Vocabulary for the College Bound Student has a solid section on Latin and Greek based words.  There is also a card game, Rummy Roots, that we had fun with over the years.

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