I'm not there when it happens. She spends a lot of time at the studio and sometimes buys snacks from the studio store. She just wants to bring her own snacks from now on, but why do people continue to drill her?

My nephew is struggling with literature in 9th grade (public school). He just does not infer well. Is this developmental? He's a struggling reader, so would voracious reading help this problem? Are there any materials I could get for him? Thank you!

A normally very nice person quizzes dd every time she tries to buy something from a certain store. It's all about making change. "How much should you get? You should know this!" DD is 8 and technically would be in 3rd grade, but she's really more of a 2nd grader for math. She is a gifted dancer and people tend to think she should be gifted in every other area, too. Asynchronous development is not something people are familiar with, even though I've mentioned it several times to this person in particular. DD was having trouble remembering the denominations of coins, so we've been covering it again and again. She does remember that now, but she is still learning to make change. I've had several conversations with this person. She apparently drills all the children about making change. I don't want to create bad blood, but dd is starting to feel funny about the whole thing. What would you say?

We shall switch to SM as soon as my husband's employer-provided health insurance disappears. His very large company has let us know that the costs and hassles of the "Affordable" Care Act will make it unable to continue to offer this valued benefit. Many large companies are giving their employees a chunk of money and telling them to get their own insurance. Sadly, Blue Cross has been discontinuing plans for my self-employed friends like flies, and their new plans include double and triple premiums. I have been recommending SM to EVERYONE because the problems the self-employed are currently experiencing are the tip of the iceberg. I also like the idea of not interacting with or supporting insurance companies, as well as helping other people directly.

I'm bowing out of this discussion, as some seem keenly intent on making obtuse observations in place of a real conversation. If you love CC standards, by all means, teach to them. If, however, you dislike a national curriculum and believe the federal government has NO business in education, don't use CC-aligned curriculum. I won't be brow beaten on this board by anyone. I couldn't care less what others do, but I will not hide my opinion, or change it because someone tells me to. It's sad to see what this board has become.

For the love of Pete, do I really need to say I've seen materials that are aligned with .Common Core standards. It's not understood?

We do not have a right wingish/conservative/republican government. We have a progressive, over-reaching, Democratically-controlled, overspending government. And these are new standards, not materials, as was previously pointed out.

CC math materials are confusing and long winded. I use Singapore and it does focus on one main way to solve a problem. The CC-aligned materials I saw were confusing and I would never use them because of it.

I was referring to teaching materials, not standardized tests. I have seen actual CC math teaching materials. Young children need to be taught one best way to solve a math problem, not five. When foundational skills are solid, feel free to expand.

I never stated they were materials. I realize they are a set of standards. To be excruciatingly clear, I am not interested in following CC standards. I've seen the materials. They are slanted toward extreme environmentalism and go far beyond turning off the lights. You are rude and now on ignore. Explain to me how CC will make any difference at all. Our local schools cannot even remotely produce students who have achieved mastery of the current standards. How does raising the standards all of a sudden produce mastery?

I don't need to watch the video to determine that CC isn't for us. I don't like or use materials that indoctrinate. What I have seen of CC materials is that they are hugely slanted toward the environmentalists (we are taxing the air now), and the math is just stupid. We used to teach one best way to solve a math problem. Now, we present five different solutions and tell the kid to pick the one they like best. No better way to confuse a kid, IMO.

Not that I have seen.

My 2nd and 5th graders use these. They really enjoy them. We are working through five cards a day, with a review of all of them. We will also use MCT.

DS is finishing 5th grade. I'm a planner. I really am drawn to Great Books Academy. I am also drawn to VP's Self Paced Omnibus I. The books covered in Omnibus I seem too rigorous for a 7th grader. Is it crazy to do 7th and 8th at GBA, then switch to VP's SP Omnibus for 9th-12th, possibly using Omnibus 5 & 6 in college? Has anyone done this? A lot can change in a year, but he's not ready for Omnibus.

I second everything everyone else said. We homeschool for one additional reason: homeschooled kids, in my experience, are generally the only ones who look you in the eye when you are having a conversation with them. Public schooled kids, by middle school, make it very clear they aren't interested in you as an adult. I want my kids to converse well with everyone!

I do receive scholarship money from businesses in town, but those donations are also down. The economy!!!

It actually seems a little silly, but I've been camp mom for Camp Invention for three or four years now. It has struggled every year in our area, but last year was great! We had a new director and I thought we were over the hump. But, this year has been a disaster. Half of our alumni didn't register for this year, and I can only assume the economy is a huge part of it. Our deadline is May 17th to find 16 more campers, and it isn't looking good. Camp Invention is rather expensive ($220 for a week), but my son really loves it and this is his last year to participate. I did find a few other camps (Technology and Robotics) at the junior college, but it just seems so hard to give up working for Camp Invention! It is just depressing.

I have no idea what I spend. I don't think I want to know.

Please keep in mind that many people do not use CC to drive their homeschool (in Foundations). We use it to present memory work. We may flesh it out somewhat, but it certainly isn't all we do for science and history. That said, someone else driving the curriculum and agenda are exactly why we won't be moving to Challenge after next year. But for Foundations, I find it helpful to have someone take something off my plate.

I earned a Bachelor of Applied Science degree a million years ago, and my large, average state school didn't offer much in the way of extra curriculars. While my specific classes on flat pattern design had to be held on campus, my first two years of general ed. could have easily been done online. I agree that it really just depends on the area of expertise.

An OB nurse friend of mine is getting her Master's degree completely online (except for clinicals). She is the most amazing nurse I've ever seen (she assisted in the delivery of both my children). She will then qualify to teach. Wouldn't have happened without online education. I'm all for it. If a person isn't motivated and a hard worker, what are they doing in college? While I do see the value of socractic discussion, it can be had online. And, I've sat in plenty of college classes (as a student) with 149 other people. The instructor didn't know everyone by name.

I have a very girly dd. She didn't like LOF Apples because the story was boring. Math Lessons for a Living Education has a very involved story that involves math. It isn't fluffy. Some kids need the hook of a story to bridge the gap and make math interesting and real-world. She's one of them. She is flying through the first book, and loves it. We put Singapore on the shelf for awhile. Technically, she's a second grader. Because she has a late birthday, sometimes I treat her like a first grader. Depends on the subject.

Thank you!

DS wants to go deep into geology. Anything your kids loved? Thanks!

He is not special needs, and his parents were present. He also asked (in front of every single person there) to go home and play his Playstation because he was bored. He had been at my house for about an hour, and they live almost 2 hours away. I have since found out he was profane in front of my children. So, my level of patience has dropped drastically.