Legos Playmobil Wedgits Wooden blocks Lincoln Logs Wooden train tracks/trains/various tunnels & stations Crane Puzzles Costumes/dress up stuff Play kitchen Sensory table Gosh, I guess we are builders around here!:)

Have you seen the new BBC Robin Hood series? Fantastic!! Designed for family hour on the BBC too, so there is absolutely zero that is offensive, I mean, not even a swear word. Very high quality acting and production as well, being that it is BBC. Our library carries them (although we bought them after watching it as we fell in love with the series). Seriously, its worth checking out - everyone I have recommended it to loves it!!

For us at least, the testing was done in a lot of different places. The Occupational Therapist was the one who tested for SPD. The Vision Therapist was the one who tested for dyslexia & other developmental tracking/eye problems. We haven't been tested for auditory processing problems, but I think from reading other posts here that a different type of therapist does that. Personally, I would start by trying to find an OT, they can usually test for SPD, ADHD and recommend others who can do additional testing if they feel it is necessary. :grouphug: I'm sorry! I hope it gets better for you! If it is any consolation, getting the referral/evaluation done was the hardest part and a long wait, and after that we got into therapy very quickly!

I frequently substitute out the sugar in a recipe for applesauce, or molasses. I know real maple syrup is another substitute. Most organic foods use evaporated cane juice, but I haven't been able to find any in the store. Sometimes I use raw sugar. Substituting seems to work well for us and most people can't tell sweetness wise because there is still some form of sugar (like fructose) there, just not necessarily high processed sugar.

:iagree: And FWIW, so does our Harvard-educated pediatrician, widely-known to be one of the best in the business.

If you know dc has a diagnosed fine motor delay, but no other obvious cognitive contra-indicators would you go ahead with academic work with some writing accomodations? I'm thinking of next year, when we start WWE & FLL, so this maybe premature, since ds is doing much better and is getting OT for fine motor skills, and there is a decent chance his handwriting skills will be on grade level next year. But...if they are not, would it be reasonable to skip (or minimize) the copywork and just continue with teaching printing at his skill level (with HWOT) for handwriting? He can narrate, memorize and comprehend things just fine, but his fingers actually have neurological delays due to SPD. Could we go ahead with the narration/grammar parts of WWE & FLL and just have me write the parts that need to be written or something? How have those of you who dealt with fine motor delays handled this issue? I don't really want to hold him back curriculum-wise just because he can't physically write when he could gain so much from the narration and memorization!

If you know dc has a diagnosed fine motor delay, but no other obvious cognitive contra-indicators would you go ahead with academic work with some writing accomodations? I'm thinking of next year, when we start WWE & FLL, so this maybe premature, since ds is doing much better and is getting OT for fine motor skills, and there is a decent chance his handwriting skills will be on grade level next year. But...if they are not, would it be reasonable to skip (or minimize) the copywork and just continue with teaching printing at his skill level (with HWOT) for handwriting? He can narrate, memorize and comprehend things just fine, but his fingers actually have neurological delays. Could we go ahead with the narration/grammar parts of WWE & FLL and just have me write the parts that need to be written or something? How have those of you who dealt with fine motor delays handled this issue? I don't really want to hold him back curriculum-wise just because he can't physically write when he could gain so much from the narration and memorization!

I actually can't remember the last time he lined things up, but I remember noticing he did it a lot when he was 2. It was just things like cars, trucks and planes though and sometimes blocks when he was building a track with them, so it may or may not mean anything. He has no other spectrum indicators though (DH is a licensed mental health professional so we have been very proactive in looking for signs). He definitely has SPD, which I think can mimic a lot of other diagnoses as well.

Can I ask about the lining up toys in straight lines and formations? What does that signify? My ds did that for years. We start therapy this week for SPD.

Hoping I can piggyback on this thread: does the child need to be reading well to start FLL or does it not make a difference?

Yay Carmen! So happy for you!

I am going to *politely* disagree with this statement. I graduated with a degree in history a little more than 5 years ago from a major university and other than the 100 level intro/survey courses, we never used textbooks. Class texts were much more likely to be primary sources or secondary sources of journal articles and books written by scholars on a specific topic of history. There may be many good reasons to use textbooks for homeschooling history, but I wouldn't suggest college use to be among them. Just my humble experience in case anyone found that to be a primary reason they were interested in using history textbooks :).

I'm using Wheelock's because it was what I used in college and already had it on hand, but I do like the format. I have the newer 6th edition, so there are exercises right in the textbook.

I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard good things about Ray's Arithmetic. If my understanding is correct, they come at math concepts from a story problem pov. HTH!

Can you use AAS with a child who doesn't read yet? I thought I read that it wasn't good for teaching a child to read... We are thinking about switching to Phonics Road next year, but since we were waiting a year, I thought I'd try something else to get him reading while we waited for the writing ability to catch up :tongue_smilie:. So much for the best laid plans...

Sorry, but a big part of our decision to redshirt ds (well maybe not so applicable since we homeschool) is because of the increasingly inappropriate expectations placed on children in our school district. First grade curriculum is now kindergarten curriculum. All the play kitchens & art supplies have been removed from the classrooms and recess is given only twice a week. I have nothing against academics, but not every child (and certainly not ds) is ready for three uninterrupted hours of seat work everyday starting at age 5 so that they can pass a state test when they reach 4th grade. If schools and everyone else want us to stop redshirting, then they need to make their expectations a little more age appropriate. Taking upper level curriculum and shoving it down a few levels does not improve the quality of education, or a rigorous education make! Given the way the schools are, it is no wonder that parents would want to give their kids an extra year of experience & maturity before having to face all that pressure!!

Thanks for all the responses. I guess my question is more along the lines of how do you know when resistance really means they are not developmentally ready? We have been doing lessons for 9 weeks now, so I would think that is a pretty good time to get into a routine, and I am not getting nearly as much resistance towards anything else we do so I'm thinking in this case maybe it means he really isn't ready. I think the moveable alphabet is a fantastic idea! Ds loves to spell things out with the HWOT wood blocks, I'm sure he'd like to do that with an alphabet too. Its the sounding out that just kills him. He tries and when he doesn't get it right away or he mixes up b and d he freaks out and says he is not good at reading and doesn't want anything to do with it.

We have a very small amount budgeted per paycheck for books/curriculum, and I also watch a friend's child while she works once a week. Those funds go to curriculum too. My bigger purchases like a whole program wait until tax return time or the months we have an "extra" check since we get paid every 2 weeks and end up with a couple of those a year. Looking forward to everyone's tips!

I feel like a complete WTM failure. As I read it, the only thing the WTM advises during K is teaching your child to read and everything else can go by the wayside. Yet the only thing my ds hates is learning to read! He actually chose a NAP today over a reading lesson. That's how much he hates it! He loves science. He loves math. He tolerates handwriting. He cannot stand learning to read. It's not even that he can't read, he just WON'T. I told him he could be done today if he read one word off of the white board, he glanced at it and said "gas" without even sounding it out. I know he can do this. He said he would do the SSRW songs and games, but the waterworks come on whenever PP comes out. Should I just chuck the whole reading thing for a few months or even a year? Will he be really behind if we start phonics lessons at 6? I'm worried he will never want to read at all and it will impact him forever. I know we shouldn't compare, but here it seems like everyone's kids start reading at 3 & 4!! We have a very language-centered home, and ds loves to listen to books. He frequently writes has me write down poems and stories he creates. He just has no desire whatsoever to read himself! It has gotten so pathetic that when I read ancedotes about all children wanting to learn to read I find myself laughing at the authors!! Has anyone had kids like this? How did it turn out? Please tell me your dc now like reading!!

See reply below please.

Anyone else? I've been trying to post a longer post and the forum keeps saying memory exceeded? Are only short posts getting through?

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Testing post!

:iagree:Love the WTM history, love everything else about LCC.

I know there are a billion threads on this right now, but I have such a quandary about this vaccine. Ds has been blood tested and is HIGHLY allergic to eggs, nearly off the charts. What are those of you with egg allergy kids doing about the H1N1 vaccine? Normally, I would just blow off the seasonal flu vaccine for him, but all the news about pediatric deaths has me reconsidering this one. I feel darned if I do and darned if I don't and I have no idea how best to protect my kids in this situation.