Oh good!!! :hurray: So the pages match up up?

I bought the Alpha student set from MUS new (2010 edition) because I couldn't find it used anywhere but bought the teacher set used. The teacher set came in the mail today and is the old 2004 comb-bound edition. Can I use these together still or should I go ahead and purchase the new set from MUS and try to sell the comb-bound version? this is the only thing I hate about buying used online. :(

I am not a crafty person or lets say I go in phases ( can I knit, cross stitch). I have 3 little ones that I am doing K with and we have not approached Art yet. What do others with K'ers use for Art that won't kill me or make a HUGE mess with 3 kids at once???

I found this ebook that is very imformative. It is $19.99 but has recommendations as well as assessments in it. http://www.becomeareadingtutor.com/

How do you find the starting point? He was in PS until 8th grade so I just followed along with what he was suppose to do

So how would I go about finding a starting point??

My 17 year old was just diagnosed with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalcula. He did geometry last year with alot of difficulty and he is retaking Algebra I with alot of difficulty this year. With his new diagnosis: Should I (a) find a starting point of where he is comfortable and good at and work from there? OR (B) Continue with Algebra I but go slow? He has visual-spatial difficulties, slow processing speed and no mental math to speak of.

Reading Tutors out there..... What programs do YOU use to tutor students??

First let me say that I have a BS in computer science not education. Since I have been homeschooling I have found my love for teaching. I love to read and write and would really enjoy helping others to enjoy it too. With that said where would I start? Are there specific curriculums out there to teach from (I have a dyslexic son and looking into Barton) My plan is to tutor children/adults for free for little while to get experience and comfort then charge after a while. I would also like to teach writing but plan on becoming certified to tutor IEW. Any advice from anyone that has tutored for a fee without having an education degree?

It depends on the day as to whether my DH is supportive of homeschooling. One day he is all for it and the next they should be in public school. He says that public school teaches them many more things than just an education but can't really voice what the differences are. He just doesn't want them to be different, I guess. I feel VERY strongly about them being home and I continue to get confirmation from Heavenly Father when I pray about it. My DH is not religious so doesn't have that to go on. He came home today and wants to enforce a no electronic rule on the household (aside from computers for the 2 of us) for the kids for a while until they can start "listening". He says that I am the one saying they are "behind" (not education wise because all the kids are above grade level) so we need to have fewer distractions and work on their listening and speech skills. I need to give him exercises and things to do with them when he gets home. I resent the finger pointing that "I" am doing this but I guess if that is the way he feels I will find some things for him to do with them. I have Dianne Crafts Integration Therapy book so I will have him start there. Any other suggestions?? Talking to him about this stuff (therapies, doctors etc) is like talking to a brick wall. To him no one should "need" a therapist, doctor unless they are dying. People are just people and don't try to change them. I try to explain I am not trying to change them I am trying to learn the best way to teach them and help them so they don't struggle but that falls on deaf ears. Since my 6 year old started OT he has improved a great deal but my husband attributes that to a shooting video game that he starting letting him play. I challenged that theory yesterday so I am assuming that is where the "no electronics" rule is coming in.

My 6 year old DS was diagnosed with a receptive/expressive language disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder within the last 4 months. My 16 year old DS had his diagnoses changed from ADD to LD within the last month. I have had ALL of my 5 children in speech therapy at the school at one time or another. With that said, my husband feels like I am trying to say that all of my kids have issues and that I instead of being a just a part of who they are I am labelling them. He also says that my 6 year old issues are because he isn't in public school. He thinks that he doesn't need any extra speech therapy (he gets 30 mins a week at the local PS but the speech pathologist that was part of the panel for diagnosing him was disgusted and said that he needs 2-3 x a week and yes my DH was there). He says we need to spend more time at home working with the kids instead of sending them out to therapists, etc. Now I am a little angry at the accusation that I am trying to label the kids. I just want to know how to help them. My 9 year old Step daughter was evaluated when she was 3 and received speech services at the public school until last year and now they are testing her for the gifted program. That is the thing he keeps throwing out there, she didn't need speech cause look at her now she is gifted. How do I help him to understand that these diagnosis are not hurting the kids just helping me to work with them?? It is so frustrating to talk to him about this. He refuses to admit or even acknowledge anything any of the doctors have said. We fill out the paper work so of course they are only going off what we said.

I have had a crazy past two months with my two sons. My 17 year old, as some of you might have read, has been diagnosed with an LD instead of ADD as we originally thought many years ago. Now my 6 year old DS has been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder and Mixed Receptive/Expressive Language Disorder. Interestingly, I believe this is EXACTLY what my oldest has although they gave him the diagnosis of Dyslexia, Dyscalcula and Written expression disorder. So with that said, any suggestions for either? My DH wants to put them in school and I don't. I feel very strongly about keeping them at home and he doesn't feel very strongly either way so they stay. My 6 year old is doing OT privately once a week for an hour and has speech therapy 45 mins once a week with his twin sister at the school. They were irate yesterday at the meeting that he was only getting 45 mins once a week. They recommended 2-3 x a week for an hour each. We are using PAL reading, HWOT K and Singapore K for my 6 year old My oldest is having a vision therapy evaluation next week (he had the initial vision test and has great vision). I am working on teaching him cursive, he has a tutor for math. Any other suggestions? What kind of therapy can I get for him at his age? I own Dianne Craft's Biology of Behavior and Brain Integration Therapy and am willing to use these too. Any suggestions for curriculum? I have heard of the orton gillingham. Thanks!

My DS was just diagnosed with Dyslexia. Following advice found here I am having a comprehensive eye exam done this friday to see if he needs vision therapy. What should I expect from this visit? Is vision therapy something "Everyone" can benefit from? It is very expensive for a "just try it they all need it" route. We are pretty late in the game acedemics wise. Thanks

How do I work with this? I started doing the cross crawl exercies from Brain Intergration Therapy book by Dianne Craft. Any other suggestions?

My 17 year old DS was just diagnosed with Reading, Math and Written Expression disorder. He reads fine, phonics and spelling are fine but reading comprehension isn't there. Math issues are word problems and visual spatial issues and Written is creative thinking. He has had issues in the past with crossing the mid-line. He is also a VERY auditory learner. So which would be better to help him Brain Integration Therapy or Visualizing and Verbalizing? It is something I will have to do intensively to help before he wants to go to college. Thanks Cindy

So how do I figure his levels out? He is currently taking his second year of algebra I and have a really tough time. Reading comprehension levels were very low on the testing. He can not narrate anything he reads nor can he understand it.

Background: MY DS is 16 and was in PS with an IEP (diagnosis ADHD) until 7th grade. He came home for 8th and has stayed. He says he never wants to go to PS again. He did well in PS with A's, B's and a few C's here and there but since coming home its like he can't get it.... I thought it was his ADD so I had him retested. Well long story short.... He doesn't have ADD (and YES I will have to get over the fact that I have medicated him for a disorder he does not have!) but a pretty significant LD. He has cognitive processing weakness in verbal reasoning, visual-spatial reasoning, processing speed, and visual-auditory learning. He was diagnoised with a Reading Disorder, Math Disorder and a Disorder of Written Expression. What does all this mean? We had the meeting today and my head is spinning. The doctor suggested a private school that specializes in LD's but its $25k a year and he doesn't want to go to high school. How can I help him learn? I have been struggling for the last 3 years and felt like I have been getting no where and now I know why at least. How do you homeschool a child when you don't even know where to begin? And he will be 17 next month so I am VERY limited on time here! Thanks for listening.

interestingly enough, she (my 4.5 year old) is doing the best out of all of them!

She is a clinical psychologist and licensed as a school psychologist. I don't know which tests she is giving. I know 1 is the woodcock johnson but other than that I don't know. Really I didn't think he was LD I thought his issue was the ADD and anxiety. He refused to take ADD meds for a while and couldn't get any work done. Now it is still a struggle so I am not sure what is working for us!

I have 3 kids (DS, DD, and DD) doing HOP K. We just finished and they are still having a hard time sounding out words. They know how to and can sound out words but most of the time I have to start them off on the word. So lets say, the word is "muck" I say "mmm" and they will say muck but to get them to read the whole thing on their own is very difficult. So I was thinking maybe I went to fast through it or I helped them to much. I also own PAL and was thinking of putting HOP away and doing PAL for a while. Should I start HOP K again (they aren't opposed to it), go on to HOP 1st and go slower or put it away and do PAL for a while? My main goal in K is to get them reading and reading well. Any suggestions would be great. We do read a lot and visit the library once a week already. :)

My DS was tested today for ADD (he has been on meds for ADD for a LONG time but started to say he wasn't ADD so I had him tested again). But he also has anxiety and has been having a truly difficult time learning at home. I thought it was me, or the curriculum, ADD, anything. We went to see his psychologist about the ADD and in talking with her we thought maybe he had an LD as well. He was in PS up until 8th grade with an IEP so I thought they would have caught that. He had the ADD portion of the test (part covered by insurance) today and if there were any signs of LD we would discuss the educational testing (not covered by insurance and $150 an hour) then. She called before he even left the office today (I had conflicting appts and couldn't go with him) and told me that the testing showed he has definite signs of LD and she needs to do the educational portion to tell us more. I am sure he is LD in math but she is testing for reading and writing too. He is having the educational portion done next Tuesday and we have the results meeting for this week’s test and the educational next Wed. So with all that said, where do I go from here? I am a researcher at heart and an avid reader. Give me some websites and some books to read! Am I going to need to change curriculum? I fear his LD is more than just math as he has trouble remembering what he reads and has trouble writing a coherent sentence. Where do you get curriculum for LD or do you modify the curriculum you are already using. ADD I know, LD I don't have a clue. Help me please. :)

I have twin (Boy/Girl) 6 year olds and a 4.5 year old DD doing K this year together and to add to the chaos I have a 16 year old ADD son at home as well. I am very happy with my curriculum choices but I am having a hard time getting anything done other than phonics and math. It is taking me almost 2 hrs for phonics and about 1.5 for Math. My son is about 15 mins with each but my 2 girls just want to go and go. I use HOP for phonics and Singapore Essenitals K for Math. I have a great history and science program I would really like to try but by the time I get through those 2 subjects my brain is exhausted!! Never mind the read alouds, bible study or anything else we could be doing. I need a nap! Also I am trying to throw in HWOT K. Should that be individual as well? How in the world do K teachers do this with upwards of 30 kids in a classroom and keep their sanity? My kids want me RIGHT NOW. So how can I get it done in a day without losing my mind or my head actually spin right off my shoulders from looking in so many different directions?? Thanks Cindy

never mind

I have my children on the Diane Craft Biology of Behavior supplement program. I am following it to but I am looking for a good fish oil supplement that mirrors the kids EFA Blendfor Children by nature's way. She recommends 1000 mgs for adults of a good fish oil, 1300 mg Evening Primrose Oil, and 100 i.u. of Vitamin E. Does anyone know of a supplement with those specs without having to take the 8 capsules of the children's supplement?

That looks great! Thanks!!