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Are you able to share what that particular child's issues, particularly with math might be? My oldest (no LD) has done three years with Jann, but I've somehow assumed I wouldn't be able to use Jann for my 2e dd who struggles mightily with math. It would be fantastic to find out I'm wrong about that.

Glad to share, though our situations are very different.

 

My son is ASD, with average cognitive functioning, EF issues, and APD.  He does not have a math LD.  His overall functioning  in all academics is impacted by his ASD and the associated issues.  Math is actually a relative strength for him, though the abstract quality of Algebra has been a struggle.

 

Why Jann works for him:  She teaches at an average pace, speaks slowly (good for someone with APD), explains clearly at the correct level of student functioning, is clear and straightforward in her communication, understands ASD and ADHD, and is willing to do quite a lot of tutoring one on one at no extra charge.  My son has needed the one on one tutoring multiple times, and she is willing and responsive.  IME, she is very invested in student success and remained patient and willing to work with my son even over the summer.  He joined her class mid-year last year in Algebra 1 because I had tried three different curricula and a tutor, and he was still not understanding the concepts.  Jann was able to help him understand Algebra.  

 

In your shoes, I would contact her via email, explain your situation, and ask her opinion.  She will give good advice, and she is very responsive via email.  She allowed my son and me to attend two lectures to help him understand a concept with no expectation that we would join her class.  She allowed him to join the class mid-year and has worked with him in tutoring this summer in order to get up to speed for Geometry at no cost.  In my opinion, she has gone above and beyond what most people would do.  At the minimum, I would expect to pay for summer tutoring since his main issue was not having attended the entire year of Algebra so he missed some instruction.

 

Because I have struggled with my son and math meltdowns since we began homeschooling, and the experience of us struggling through Algebra with math being my weakest subject and him not grasping the material no matter how it was presented, I was completely exhausted and desperate.  I taught him math for six and a half years, and it was never easy.  At times, we both sat on the couch and cried.  I do not think he would succeed with a typical online math class, but since Jann offers extra support and is equipped to work with SN kids, it works for him.  Jann does not present herself as a special ed teacher, but I think she has skills in that area.

 

I have gushed enough, and it remains to be seen how my son handles the Geometry class, but I finally feel like I have help and support in my son's math education.  

 

I hope that helps.  I only remembered about Jann's classes when I posted a thread asking for advice and someone suggested them.  So grateful for that.  :)

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Thanks, OneStep, for writing all of that out concerning the student council groups.  Both groups  sound very active and I am sure your DD has learned a lot from her participation. I am not sure how this compares to the one where we are.

I will let you know if I have questions.  Thanks again!

Welcome.  :)

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That does help, thanks for sharing. I will email Jann and see what she thinks. I think I would be waiting for next year, and would put my dd in her pre-algebra class for her 8th grade year. I'm hoping we can make enough progress this year that she will be ready to tackle that. What I don't know is if I would be able to remove myself from the equation once she started with Jann. That would be great in so many ways if I could, but right now my dd needs me right at her elbow throughout math each and every day.

This is how we were until I passed the torch to Jann.  I have forced myself to pull back, which is made easier by the fact that I am now officially in over my head in math land.  The kids know that they cannot get help after beginning algebra from me even if they want it.  I took Geometry in 1980.  Made a good grade but didn't understand it then and surely do not now.  Good luck getting anything useful from me.

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So great to hear everyone's plans.

 

For S. My dude on the spectrum. He's my most academically strong student, and I'm finally feeling confident with his reading skills, so we are going to put in a bit more content this year. He is excited to do science and wants to do experiments. We shall see how that goes. I'm going to really limit topics so we can focus on reading and study skills for this year. He also is switching to a new violin teacher. I expect that will be an adjustment. His practice increased even more this summer, so we will have to see how the fall goes. He doesn't cope well with "too busy."

 

For T. Evals are done (ADD and a "unique" learning profile but no SLD) meds are a miracle for her, and I think the work last year on phonics, number sense, and arithmetic are paying off. I'm hoping to start making some progress this year on written LA and math. She loves BA, begs to do it, so I'll keep up with that. She needs so much drill, that I'll need to continue MUS. It's hard not to start getting anxious with her, because we need to do so much, and have so little time. But it will all work out in the end.

 

For D. Evals booked for October. His ped is concerned about ASD. I really don't think that is the issue, but he certainly can be a challenge, so it's worth figuring this out. I suspect he has ADD but he is a bit sensory and very anxious. His social skills are excellent, his language is good, and he does not stim, which is why I'm less concerned about ASD. Math is fine, though he is in such a rush, and so distractible and impulsive that we often end up in a yelling match. He seems to be breaking through on reading, but this needs to remain a priority. Fitting him in is a challenge because he cannot work independently, short bursts ae best, but transitions are difficult. Sigh. Deep breaths. He likely will be my main focus this year.

 

M. Starting school. I'm going to keep it simple for her, and work on basic fine motor, prereading skills, and some letters and numbers. I have no idea how this will go. She is more patient and focused than D and T, but shows minimal school readiness. But every now and the she surprises me by what she knows. I'm also getting her assessed for ASD. Again, I don't think so, but she is insanely shy, is really not making any friends her own age (though some of this relates to our current church/music age and sex distribution) and she won't talk in many situations. That being said, there are very few other red flags, but with the family history it makes sense to be proactive.

 

Anyway, here's to an interesting new year.

 

Edited for spelling error

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Is it o.k. that I am having a mild panic attack over keeping up with everything this year?  Moving forward on remediation AND keeping up with Middle School/High School level material is daunting me.  Yikes!  

 

I have already built in a full one week break in October to reassess and tweak and plan.  We will still do extra curriculars and any thing they beg for but essentially that will be our big Fall break while I catch up or tweak or whatever needs to be done.  Knowing we don't have to make it all the way to Thanksgiving without a scheduled break is helping me breathe.  :)

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Is it o.k. that I am having a mild panic attack over keeping up with everything this year?  Moving forward on remediation AND keeping up with Middle School/High School level material is daunting me.  Yikes!  

 

I have already built in a full one week break in October to reassess and tweak and plan.  We will still do extra curriculars and any thing they beg for but essentially that will be our big Fall break while I catch up or tweak or whatever needs to be done.  Knowing we don't have to make it all the way to Thanksgiving without a scheduled break is helping me breathe.   :)

:grouphug:  Yep, that's okay and normal.  It means you care.

 

Two weeks in, I have made changes to our history schedule and dropped an additional lecture which turned out to be dry and boring, plus I tend to overplan.  High school has felt daunting to me, too.  Now that we are in it, I don't think it is too terrible.  My boys are learning to better organize their time (we are still in this process).

 

One of my big struggles at present is teaching the high school English class at co-op.  I have a kid with dyslexia in my class who is really struggling.  I need to start a thread to pick some mamas' brains here because I don't have any experience with dyslexia.

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Is it o.k. that I am having a mild panic attack over keeping up with everything this year?  Moving forward on remediation AND keeping up with Middle School/High School level material is daunting me.  Yikes!  

 

I have already built in a full one week break in October to reassess and tweak and plan.  We will still do extra curriculars and any thing they beg for but essentially that will be our big Fall break while I catch up or tweak or whatever needs to be done.  Knowing we don't have to make it all the way to Thanksgiving without a scheduled break is helping me breathe.   :)

 

 

I am getting more and more Yikes feeling as it gets closer.  I am at the moment taking the opposite approach and just thinking about what we will do tomorrow, rather than thinking about the year.

 

21 hours 55 minutes till start...

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I'm reading the Core Knowledge Grade 1 book from the series "What Your (insert grade) Grader Needs to Know" and I am pretty impressed with how much it agrees with my philosophy on education. I'm working on my planning for my youngest and thinking of structuring our studies in history/ geography, science, visual arts, and music, based on their sequence. If I do I will have to reorganize the Lifepacs to meet this goal. Oyi, now I have to go over the materials side by side to see how I can correlate them. I also bought all the Teaching (core subjects) Through Art books on CD and want to see how we can incorporate them as well. I need to prepare some visual schedules for him, a school planner, day schedule, an incentives display... still lots to do. I am also rearranging the area we use as his school/ creative play room, which also includes my teacher/ office space.

 

I bought my oldest the Core Knowledge book as well and I think we will be looking over it together and picking areas in history and geography he wants to put more focus on, besides his SOS studies on the subject.

 

OK, I'm gone. Stressing to get everything ready before we start!

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I am an idiot.  I deserve the idiot award.  DS's tutor highly recommended I start him on the Reading Detective series from Critical Thinking Company.  I ordered it as soon as we got back from San Antonio, weeks ago.  We have been waiting and waiting for it to arrive.  DS really wants to start.  I looked up my order to track it and figure out what caused the delay....          I ordered an e-book.  All I had to do was down load the stupid thing.  I don't remember ordering an e-book version AT ALL.  I am a complete moron.  I should not be teaching future generations squat.   :tongue_smilie:

 

On the bright side, at least I am starting the download and DS can start today.   :thumbup1:

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I am an idiot.  I deserve the idiot award.  DS's tutor highly recommended I start him on the Reading Detective series from Critical Thinking Company.  I ordered it as soon as we got back from San Antonio, weeks ago.  We have been waiting and waiting for it to arrive.  DS really wants to start.  I looked up my order to track it and figure out what caused the delay....          I ordered an e-book.  All I had to do was down load the stupid thing.  I don't remember ordering an e-book version AT ALL.  I am a complete moron.  I should not be teaching future generations squat.   :tongue_smilie:

 

On the bright side, at least I am starting the download and DS can start today.   :thumbup1:

I will tell you a story to make you feel better which is unrelated to planning.

 

Once I renewed my drivers' license online but forgot about it so I went to the DMV in person to renew it.  They told me it had been renewed online, and then I was up half the night panicking because I thought someone was trying to steal my identity.  The mystery was solved when I decided to look through my financial records and found a notation of the renewal fee paid.  The funniest part was when the lady at the DMV asked if someone else could have renewed it for me, like my husband, trying to be nice.  I laughed so hard.  He forgets to renew his own!

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I am an idiot.  I deserve the idiot award.  DS's tutor highly recommended I start him on the Reading Detective series from Critical Thinking Company.  I ordered it as soon as we got back from San Antonio, weeks ago.  We have been waiting and waiting for it to arrive.  DS really wants to start.  I looked up my order to track it and figure out what caused the delay....          I ordered an e-book.  All I had to do was down load the stupid thing.  I don't remember ordering an e-book version AT ALL.  I am a complete moron.  I should not be teaching future generations squat.   :tongue_smilie:

 

On the bright side, at least I am starting the download and DS can start today.   :thumbup1:

 

If it makes you feel better, I think I did the same thing. Only I haven't even downloaded the book yet! I haven't had time to deal with it at all.

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I am late to the party.  For DS with 3 SLDs, he's outsourced with Apologia Chem and ABeka Spanish.  We are on our 2nd year of algebra and started using Lial's.  What a breath of fresh air!  I.love.it.  For whatever reason, DS never challenges me with math and I am forever thankful for his tender heart.  Last school year, the final 6 weeks of school and math wore me out.  I literally collapsed every day after algebra because I had to hold my emotions together.  DS always makes forward progress with school work and he began to crawl.  I have to trust that if we keep plugging, he'll progress but living that reality became a chore.  I am better now, but I started to go into a dark place, KWIM?

 

SOOO, DS is taking AO Health, using a Spielvogel World History text, and reading The Odyssey.  Grammar and language are covered with IEW Fixit! and a SAT 500 Vocab book.  We are dabbling with Windows to the Word and the World Lit curric put out by EIL.  

 

I make no attempt to direct DS in his off time interests.  He is currently playing with Blender and some Adobe products.  I stay out of that loop unless he wants me to purchase something.

 

EF remains a challenge, and we met with a child psych last Friday that wants to start DS on Strattera.  We are awaiting some lab results that check son's metabolism prior to starting any meds.  For those of you that are inclined, please pray that the LORD will give us and the doctor wisdom and patience as we proceed.  Also, please pray for my DD's health.  She has been riddled with ear infections and now walking pneumonia for the past 5 weeks.  We covet your prayers. 

 

And DD, her handwriting problems seem to have worked themselves out.  All of her subjects are the typical NT stuff.  A friend's DD volunteered to teach P violin over the summer.  After the tutor left for college, I happened across another excellent violin teacher.  DD is currently using the new tutor and is picking up violin lessons fast.  I don't know what to make of that but we are happy if our DD is happy.  She loves violin.  

 

Have a great Thursday all!

 

 

 

 

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If it makes you feel better, I think I did the same thing. Only I haven't even downloaded the book yet! I haven't had time to deal with it at all.

I took my DD to the library and checked out a book on Egypt because I could not remember if we owned it.  Turned the book in late, paid the late fee, and then discovered the same book that we do own, high up on a book shelf.  

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O.k. brief mini-update after 4 days of light school stuff (we will hit the tough stuff next week when my schedule isn't so packed with meetings and dental appointments and establishing new extra curriculars).

 

Things that are working for DD:

  • AGS General Science paired with Trail Guides to World Geography - DD asked to start with Unit 2 of the General Science textbook since it is Earth Science.  It is pairing quite well with our first two weeks of World Geography.  She is finally grasping time zones, has enjoyed the map work, can read the Science text book without much help at all from me, we have had several discussions and so far she seems to be not only learning the material but developing some better study habits thanks to the step by step instruction for the student to follow at the beginning of the AGS text.
  • Mind-Benders for deductive reasoning.  Her tutoring specialist in San Antonio recommended this.  DD and I have enjoyed going through them together and they really do make you think and reanalyze.  
  • Fix-It Grammar, although we had to do quite a bit of review.  She had forgotten a LOT over the summer.  We are taking it slowly.  I had intended to finish book 1 by Christmas but we never got back to it over the summer and she needs some time to review.  I changed our schedule so I am not pushing it. I would rather just slow down a bit.  She loves being able to tackle the first day with me and do the other days pretty independently.  So far, the things from the early part of the book are sticking.  It is just the later lessons that she didn't retain and we are having to review.
  • Violin.  Her first private lesson did not go well but she is watching you tube videos and may skype with a friend I met on WTM.  She really loves the violin.  She got one for her birthday.  It was the only thing she asked for.  She didn't even have a birthday party.  She pulled it out yesterday to practice the few things she learned from her one and only private lesson and had good control over the bow.  
  • Barton review (we start new lessons next week)
  • Drama class
  • Writing her own stories
  • Working on graphic arts techniques (and considering this as a career field)

 

Things that are working for DS:

  • Ancient History on-line but not because he is learning a lot that he didn't know.  He is actually a bit disappointed that he already knows quite a bit of the material so far (I anticipate that will change as the class ramps up).   What the class IS doing is teaching him to meet deadlines that were not Mommy created and to step outside his comfort zone with projects.  He had a panic attack over a mythology family tree but once he calmed down he realized he could just type out the names instead of hand writing them.  He laid them out on the poster board and it worked well.
  • Junior Drama class.  He was so stressed and decided at the last minute he did not want to go.  I coaxed him into going anyway and he LOVED it.  Old friends were there and they came out arm in arm.  He called them his "crew" and was grinning from ear to ear.
  • Recorder.  DS has coordination issues and guitar was not a successful instrument for him.  He had no real interest in piano.  He decided he wanted to learn recorder but he wanted an outside instructor.  I found one but once again he decided he did not want to go.  Since it was the same man that was going to teach DD violin I decided to take him and his recorder along anyway.  While DD has decided not to take formal instruction at this time (for many valid reasons) DS LOVED the lesson.  They goofed around with the sounds, DS improved his finger placement and wind control within minutes and is looking forward to going back. 

   The rest we are tweaking or haven't started yet.  DS starts several things next week and DD and DS and my mom and I will start the Middle Ages next week (We are doing this essentially at the same time but I am working separately with the kids and discussion/projects as a group will be only once or twice a week.  DD and DS are like water and oil so they have to do academics together in very limited fashion).  DD will also be doing some World Lit.  Math and Barton also start next week.  THAT will be the tough week.  The two hardest subjects added in plus additional material and a full schedule of extra curriculars.  Through a weird series of events we ended up with someone else's credit for a Self-Paced Veritas Press 1815 to the Present course that DS also wants to do on his own so he will start that, too.  I am going to try and get him doing Middle Ages first, preferably through Christmas, then add in the other after Christmas.   He can finish the second one over the summer.  He tends to overload on History and I want to make sure he is getting them each down and establishing a healthy routine before adding in the next one.

 

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Also wanted to mention specifically that DS is now at 24 w.p.m. an 98% accuracy. It has been nearly three years of consistent lessons to get here but he is now fast enough and accurate enough to feel comfortable typing in many different scenarios.  I found as a parent that I needed a typing program to help me judge his progress and he needed outside accountability.  I loved TTL4 when he was younger but I must say Touch Type Read and Spell has been great for reinforcing his lessons in Barton. I recommend it.  :)

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Also wanted to mention specifically that DS is now at 24 w.p.m. an 98% accuracy. It has been nearly three years of consistent lessons to get here but he is now fast enough and accurate enough to feel comfortable typing in many different scenarios.  I found as a parent that I needed a typing program to help me judge his progress and he needed outside accountability.  I loved TTL4 when he was younger but I must say Touch Type Read and Spell has been great for reinforcing his lessons in Barton. I recommend it.   :)

Do you think this is a good program for kids without dyslexia?  I've had a terrible time finding a typing program that works for my boys.

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Do you think this is a good program for kids without dyslexia?  I've had a terrible time finding a typing program that works for my boys.

I think it would work.  I think for someone who can read and spell well it would be boring but it would definitely work.  Just ask them to do one lesson a day.  There are, I think, 24 levels and maybe 20-33 modules per level.  If you had them do the whole program, one lesson every weekday, it would take a while.  I don't think DS will end up finishing the program.  His typing has improved enough that once the yearly subscription ends in the spring he will simply stop using it.  But just using it for a year should help quite a bit for your kids. 

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I think it would work.  I think for someone who can read and spell well it would be boring but it would definitely work.  Just ask them to do one lesson a day.  There are, I think, 24 levels and maybe 20-33 modules per level.  If you had them do the whole program, one lesson every weekday, it would take a while.  I don't think DS will end up finishing the program.  His typing has improved enough that once the yearly subscription ends in the spring he will simply stop using it.  But just using it for a year should help quite a bit for your kids. 

Thanks!

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Thanks!

But they really, really, really need to be monitored for proper posture, finger position, hand position, etc. so they don't end up developing bad habits and pain from bad positioning.  Heavily emphasize accuracy.  Above speed by leaps and bounds.  Speed comes MUCH faster if accuracy is emphasized first.  They need to develop proper muscle memory, motor planning, etc. and every time they type with the wrong finger or with poor posture, etc. it just inhibits that process.  

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But they really, really, really need to be monitored for proper posture, finger position, hand position, etc. so they don't end up developing bad habits and pain from bad positioning.  Heavily emphasize accuracy.  Above speed by leaps and bounds.  Speed comes MUCH faster if accuracy is emphasized first.  They need to develop proper muscle memory, motor planning, etc. and every time they type with the wrong finger or with poor posture, etc. it just inhibits that process.  

I so agree!  They have taught themselves to peck away, but it is just a deterrent to proper form.  I am a great and fast typist from a one semester class in 9th grade.

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Once hunt and peck have been established it is actually a great deal harder to learn to type properly.  They need to be on board with all the unlearning that is going to have to happen, and only doing proper typing from now on or it may not be very successful.  They might just do better with hunt and peck.

 

Maybe explain it like learning how to swim.  They are working with a swim coach that teaches them one way to do a particular stroke.  They do that stroke for a couple years and get really good at it.  Then you move.  You get a new coach.  The new coach tells them that they learned that stroke the wrong way.  They cannot swim that stroke any longer because it isn't allowed.  They were taught incorrectly.  Only their muscle memory is established for the old stroke.  That has to be unlearned or brain and muscle connects for the old stroke are going to be competing with establishing the new connections.  Makes it a LOT harder.  

 

If they swim the new stroke only at lessons but swim the old stroke in private, they may never unlearn the incorrect stroke completely and it will take a LOT longer to learn the new stroke.  Much more effort.  Much more frustration.  They are already behind the other kids, even those kids that have not learned any strokes, because they are trying to unlearn already established muscle memory.  If they commit to only using the new stroke, no matter what the circumstances, they will more quickly and efficiently unlearn the old stroke and catch up to or surpass the kids who were just learning the stroke for the first time.

 

But maybe that won't help at all...just thought I would try.  :)

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