And we have found homeschool groups to be very clique-ish. You have to fit their mold. Some the cool kids are the sporty kids. Some everything goes well until middle school-much like regular school. I sort of discovered that some of the problems kids run into is about the age they are and the influence they have and who influences them. We ran into a lot of momma drama in that respect. We are actually going to not be involved in a co-op this year and focus on things my boys are interested in and let their friendships come from them. 4H, boy scouts, cub scouts, and karate and probably soccer. I found that once I quit wasting all my time, energy, and money into finding the right "homeschool" community....that we were able to afford things my kids actually asked to try and while they may not come out with 20 friends from karate or soccer--they have quite a few and they are friends b/c they have similar interests or they really like my kids instead of being friends b/c my kid was the closest thing to what they were looking for at a homeschool co-op or group. I think a lot of kids who become friends in a homeschool group or co-op would not have been friends outside of the group, kwim? We have very rarely found strong, solid friendship that would sustain outside of the homeschool group or co-op. We have had better luck finding those life-long type of friends when we just pursue what interests our kids instead of pursuing the perfect homeschool group to fit our kids. I hope I am making sense. After 6 years and 2 preteens to teens homeschooling, I wish we would have spent less $$ and time on groups and more $$ and time on family and the kids interests that would have naturally spawned friendships. Some of my kids' best friends now came from 4H archery, shooting sports, cub and boy scouts, American Heritage Girls (even though we didn't last at it-the friendships did). Out of our homeschool group that we were a part of for 6 years--I can name only 1 friend that my oldest has that is a true life-long friend. I also tried to create groups and meetups and what not to find the perfect fit for us and that elusive perfect homeschool socialization--but now that I am on the other side with kids in school and kids at home--I see that their true friends came from us just pursuing their interests and there they found really good friends and most were not homeschoolers.

Did you try boy scouts or cub scouts? Boy scouts is very different from cub scouts. It has not been arts and crafty at all. With your son's age, I think you mean cub scouts. Some people love cub scouts and don't like boy scouts. Some trudge through cub scouts and love boy scouts. I personally like cub about the Bear stage and Webelos when they are preparing to be boy scouts. It is very different in boy scouts. It is boy led and boy leadership. He would be around older boys in boy scouts. You have to have finished 5th grade or be 11 to join boy scouts so it might be something you want to look into again. 4H has lots of things to offer. Photography, animal care, cooking, and just so much more...my daughter went this year to 4H University at our state university and had a great experience. :) It has competitions and fairs. Lots of fun things to try. We have done 4H for a few years and finding a good group is essential. We actually found the public school groups were much more put together and reliable. The all homeschool groups were not as organized and were flaky.

Thank you so much for linking this review!!!

Yeah, I can see the dilemma of receiving a product and giving bad reviews...you won't receive more free products. We use a charter school so if I am purchasing curricula, then it is for a specific need. Often, the reviews I read on blogs do not go into what is actually offered with the programs just how it fit their kids. I do try the review sites but if it is something new often only people getting it free have seen it. I searched high and low for accurate reviews for Spelling you see this year before convention. I have a dyslexic son and really wanted to hear more about it, but when googling Spelling You See review--all I came up with were the free reviews. And almost all the reviews were only for the lowest of low levels--like beginning reading. His grade has moved past spelling with the charter, but he still needs work on it. I need something meant to help kids that have struggles in spelling but isn't babyish. The reviews I found were all for levels A-D at the highest. I looked at those levels at convention and thought my 3rd grader could do higher, but I had seen reviews of older kids than him 4th and 5th grade level reviewing level C? I did buy it, but it got me thinking on how hard it is to find reviews that really delve into using something for longer than a week or maybe 2 weeks. We haven't used it yet. I am going to start Spelling You See F this year with my dyslexic 7th grader, but when it isn't free...It isn't exactly cheap for what you get. At least to me, it seemed a bit pricey. I do find it a lot harder to find review posts in forums than on blogs. I don't know if maybe I just don't have the knack for knowing how to search within the forums. I also noticed a pattern over reading through all the review crew posts that they mostly bounced all over the place with curricula--maybe b/c they receive it for free...I don't know...but started to read through the reviews for an entire review crew blog and they wrote almost the exact same thing on every language arts review and every math review. Everything was going to be the thing to get their kids on track and it did sound like the honeymoon stage. And when searching even though I am assuming they got to keep the product, they never continue it out through the whole year or finish it completely as they have a new math or language art to review in another month. So I just felt like whatever I read from those type of reviews were just there to keep them getting free products and to get other homeschoolers to only see the honeymoon phase. abba12-I would love to read your reviews when you are finished. I think I am going to write out some on things we have used through the years too. I think that is what I really want to find when I google Spelling You See reviews. I want to see an end of year review where the person stuck it out and can tell everything they loved or hated and didn't just move on the next month to the next free spelling program they received that they again loved.

Does anyone else feel like it is hard to find good reviews of items? Every time I search, I find reviews from people given the item and the review is always favorable. Sometimes it might say this or that not favorable but overall they are all positive reviews. And often times some are used with much older kids than the grade it is intended for as well. None of the free item reviews ever say, "No, I would not spend my money on this product." Does anyone buy things and post reviews on how they worked in their homeschooling? I would like to see some reviews without the little disclaimer at the bottom that they were given the product in exchange for an honest review. I can't wrap my head around how there is never a curriculum that someone wouldn't have purchased on their own and something that didn't work for at least a few of the families that were given it for free. I would love a blog link up with real, honest reviews sometime instead of searching through reviews where the family is gifted the item and the review seems to always be positive. Does anyone else feel like the reviews you can find where a big group was given the curriculum are not as good as a review if the person had spent their money on the curriculum?

We are using it for summer review and to fill in gaps. We especially need it in the math department. I do love the math fact drills! It does remind me some of Study Island in certain ways. I don't know whether it could be used for an all encompassing curriculum. I think it is more a tool to help kids. If you watch the video, the guy talks about how much 1 on 1 tutoring at night helped his kids and that is the focus of Moby Max to be that 1:1 tutor like a parent at night helping with homework. I think it is a pretty good summer filler to keep up skills and maybe fill in any gaps your student may have. We wouldn't use it as a full curriculum. The standards are based off of common core.

It becomes a very expensive history course. The older guides especially have the economy package running upwards of $300+ to $500 depending on your choices. Some have extra packages to study specific things like state study, signers, Shakespeare, and such. My original plan was to add a lot to HOD to make it work for us. I actually only purchased HOD's economy package for WG for history and religion. I spent $450. For the cost, it is a very expensive history and religion course. I probably got back about 50% of that when I sold it practically brand new. I don't see the cost going under $300 for history/Bible in the high school guides. I think CTC is the last one that is $198. The rest are $300+. So that would be one consideration if you are planning to just use history. Also, there are no packages that do not include Bible with the History so you will be buying Bible and History if you purchase their cheapest package. If you just want history, buying the individual books and guide, and notebooking pages would cost almost the same as the economy package. The history also takes upwards of 3-4 boxes of the guides the further you get into the guides. So it actually has you doing a lot of things for the notebooking pages within those boxes. If you sub out more complex assignments and get rid of the busy work, you are paying a lot for a reading list for history and books. At least that is how I would see it long term. From CTC-MTMM (4 guides), you would pay $1100+ for history and Bible. That is a pretty pricey budget for 2 courses.

But that was the original posters question...does it ever truly ramp up to the amount of essays, compare/contrast, persuasive argument, narrative that goes across the board in most high school curriculum? WG did not have all of that through the subjects. It was more narration. That was her question. It is just more of what they have been doing since CTC. As for college prep, it would not give us the Carnegie units required and a major pay for high school transcript provider (record keeping service) questioned me when I turned in our scope/sequence with list of courses and materials used with HOD WG. I am not naming the homeschool record keeping service b/c I did not follow up since my oldest had went to high school at that point, but at the time I turned in her course list/description/materials used...I received an email requesting more information and more proof that it would be credit worthy. The notebooking pages were not going to cut it for proof of material learned. 1 project and 1 research paper were not going to be sufficient. I pretty much was told it would not be credit worthy from the transcript provider. At the high school level, they were going to need more to show knowledge and ability. I had pretty much sent the introduction from the guide. I did not follow through b/c we had enrolled in local school a week after sending in the email listing her courses for 9th grade. If we would not have enrolled, I would have had to change several things and add papers/essay/research to HOD and resubmit that plan and hope they would then say it was credit worthy. It was a provider that allowed you to use your own material as long as it could be deemed credit worthy in more than just hours spent on the material.

No, we did not do EIW. I had already decided that HOD's English path would not work for us. It was not on the level that she had come from with K12's 9th grade English 1. dd who was 8th grade at the time had been enrolled in all 9th grade k12 courses and was on the high school platform when we left and were going back to HOD. I can compare the assignments required in all subjects for k12's 9th grade high school as well as public high school. We have done enough of HOD's programs that while everyone does focus on how much it jumps and how you need to not miss guides for skills and what not.--the only skills I saw repetitively were being able to work longer, read more books, and do more boxes each year. I did not see that some of the choices were grade level choices. My children had completed music studies in k12's middle school studying the composer's and writing papers on them as well and researching. To jump from that level of thinking to an elementary style lapbook was insane. I think it is the way that most people say use Teaching Textbooks a grade or 2 higher. I would say use HOD at the youngest age range. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone wanting a college-prep education. I do think there is a difference between being able to get accepted at a college and having a college-prep education. The two are not the same thing and if you read the answers to questions posed about HOD's high school, you will see that often the answer is about credit hours and her child being accepted to the college of his choice. I think most people feel peace when reading those answers, but as anyone who has gotten to the high school stage of the game knows...not every college has the same standards, not all high school diplomas are the same, and doing the bare minimum can get you into college. Will it get you where you are wanting to go long term is a completely different question? I would say WG is about what my children were doing in 6th grade. My younger dd did World History A, Physical Science 8, French 1, Intermediate Language A (which had more composition and vocabulary (latin roots) than WG), Fundamentals of Geometry and Algebra, Music 1 (with a music study), and PE (with a health unit). I could see that WG was probably the equivalent of what she had gotten in 6th grade k12 except 6th grade k12 had them do a huge science fair research project--http://www.k12.com/courses/scope-sequence/physical-science-calms1099, they had to write essays comparing/contrasting and more over World History each unit as well as a research paper in one of the units-- http://www.k12.com/courses/scope-sequence/intermediate-world-history-a-calms1105 , the math probably would only be equivalent of the lower math book HOD recommends but considering this was 6th grade-- http://www.k12.com/courses/scope-sequence/math-6-fundamentals-geometry-algebra-calms139 , they studied the great composers as well as learning to read and write music--again with several essays on the composers and a research paper--, the spanish used in HOD would not be the equivalent of middle school foreign language even for a 1/4 credit, In language arts and literature, she was reading and analyzing many works of literature and writing essays as well as doing a composition each unit-- http://www.k12.com/courses/scope-sequence/intermediate-english-a-calms1565 ... Anyway, just reading the scope and sequence of a typical k12 6th-8th grade course will show that it is the equivalent or higher of the skills used in the WG guide. I think a lot of homeschoolers remember high school as multiple choice tests and regurgitating answers. It is not that way now even for the regular classes. It is a lot of critical thinking, socratic discussion, debate, and essays to back up your opinions and knowledge from the material. I don't think homeschool suppliers are changing for this shift in learning methods. I don't think it is a problem that is just reflective in HOD's high school skills--I think it is across the board with homeschool publishers in a lot of ways. I would really encourage parents to get a course description book from your local high school and take a look at what they are really asking of this student to earn credits. It is much more like what I had for college courses than what my high school looked like at all. I know having had a student go back for high school and seeing what high school actually looks like for college-prep now has been very eye-opening.

I have used LHFHG, BLHFHG, BHFHG, PHFHG, CTC, MTMM, and WG. We have not completed all of them but have used them in our 6 years of homeschooling. You can see from my signature that we now do virtual school and my children returned to high school as well. You have a very valid point. No, I do not think they are challenging in many ways. I do think they fulfill the hours requirements for credits. That is their main basis for high school credit worthiness in my opinion. My older students went from doing the younger guides through CTC to switching to K12 in 6th and 7th grade respectively for my girls. They had done 5th and 6th with CTC as 10 and 11 yr olds. Our first year in k12 really kicked their tails academically in language arts, composition, and writing. Math was also very hard as the 7th grader jumped into an intense Pre-Algebra and the 6th grader jumped into Fundamentals of Geometry and Algebra. Science was so much more rigorous. History utilized outlines and timelines to write essays and papers as well. We did K12 for a year and a 1/2 and then withdrew mid-7th grade and mid-8th grade. I purchased MTMM and WG for the girls at that time. We had started WG and MTMM when my oldest asked to return to high school in 9th grade. She has been in all honors/ Pre-AP/AP classes mainly based off her last k12 report card and test scores from mid-8th grade. I have seen her work for all the classes that are equivalent to the credits in WG-World Geography, Physical Science, English 1, and Algebra. I would say that she spent much less time on busy work and had many more projects, socratic discussions, and papers than with WG. She had 4-90 min. classes a semester both semesters for 8 credits. I found that her days with WG were redundant and the work was very similar for each unit and the methodology used in younger guides of learning new skills and mastering them instead of increasing challenge through the year holds true. I do feel the guides have a basic pattern starting around CTC that just increases in time required to finish the subjects with each subsequent guide. It seemed that the general pattern was the same and that only the amount of work and boxes had increased with each guide. She had been working on WG and was set to start another day with it the day she asked to tour the local high school. She could have easily glided through WG at the house instead of going back to school and being challenged in honors classes. In hindsight, I had already had my doubts about WG for high school as it seemed a lot of just busy work to fill in hours for credits. Which you are required to have so many hours to equal a credit in many places, but hours alone do not make a course credit worthy. I know that WG's courses would not have been college prep track worthy even back in the days that I went to high school. Most high schools have levels for each course. Levels for the students that need remedial courses, levels for the average students, levels for the college-prep student, levels for the gifted students. I would say HOD's courses would have been average-general diploma courses. Since every one's students will be striving for different goals and different futures, I can only say that for my student who wishes to go to University and study Veterinary Science that it would not have met our goals in the long run to give her the transcript that she required for that goal. I know the science and math path are confusing and jump from one publisher to another in the guides that are written so far for HOD high school. The science is definitely the minimum that you could do for high school in quality for the credit. The math is just a book. There is no schedule or guidance other than get the math book each day and do some math. Since my student needs heavy math and science, I do not feel either of those subjects were credit worthy for our goals. In fact, even when the plan was to do WG for high school with our oldest, we were using MFW's plans for Saxon Algebra 1 and Apologia Physical Science as I had already decided that what was in WG was not going to meet our long-term goals for college prep math and science to get dd into the college of her choice in the major of her choice. I think that is what makes an all-in-one high school guide hard to make fit all students. All high schoolers do not take or need the same course of study. Different students will need different courses to meet their needs. ETA-I agree with gratitude on her points she made. We went from using CTC to K12 then back to MTMM and WG and I really couldn't see a huge difference in critical thinking or skills. I just saw more busy work and more boxes to complete in the later guides.

I am not familiar with the TX schools, but will tell you virtual academy's are normally more strict and rigid. The Prep School is most likely a private school utilizing k12 to gain more funds for a private brick and mortar school. At least, that is the way it is in my state. The virtual academy is public school online and the laboratory school is a private school that provides k12 for free to students in the state but they have more freedom on choosing how to implement k12 and on what they require for admission. In our state, I have tried both virtual academy and lab school and like the lab school much better.

Scholastic $ deals has some great resources. Search genre. Here is one I found--http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/24-ready-to-go-genre-book-reports

The only ones that are for young people are 6th and 7th grade. Romeo and Juliet is a Signet Classic book and is the full version. This is the one k12 ships to students-http://www.amazon.com/Romeo-Juliet-Publisher-Classics-Revised/dp/B004NWJCLE/ref=pd_cp_14_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=11WXEND2KWV6QC01FSF7

I was one who bought it the first year and patiently waited. I did not twiddle my thumbs though and was able to plan on homeschool helper and another online planner. In August or early September they did send the free year to me. I have had access to it for a year and piddle with it every few months. It is not as good as other planners and you can only print an assignment report-there is no other printing capability. I have never used all the meal planning and such b/c my main reason for purchasing was for the homeschool planner and reports. I just logged on a minute ago and it hasn't changed any all year. I actually have never went through all the trouble of getting all our information into it and scheduling well with it b/c I can't print any thing for my records. And since I need printed records (attendance, report cards, transcripts), it isn't worth my time. I do think it does not have a very great function for copying lessons plans or generating lesson plans in order such as page # patterns or such. I know homeschool tracker was better in that department. I do love having their printed planner to tote with me and I buy one yearly. I will not purchase their online planner after this year unless they get more printable reports for record keeping. The newer version is better, but why release it with only being able to print assignments. You can't even print your meal plans or such. And since I got my free subscription for the year, it has not updated with any new printable reports. It has stayed the same all year long. I like that it has meal planning and more, but I feel it is incomplete b/c it doesn't fit my needs for a homeschool record keeper which is what I really need over a meal planner. There are apps for meal planners and recipe keepers. It almost has seemed from the beginning that they were more focused on that side of the planner than the academic planner. I was able to create a shortcut to the web site login on my nook. It is not a mobile app at all. It is more like a shortcut icon that takes you to a mobile version of the web site. I think if they actually work on getting more functions such as record keeping reports and well any reports besides just assignments that it is not terrible. I would not pay $65 a year for it even then though. I found paying about $5 for homeschool helper and downloading a meal planning app much better. And I don't have to pay that yearly.

My 2nd grader can do the math completely independent with K-12 most days. He keeps a dry erase board handy while doing problems in the lesson. We do not write down and go back. That would drive me bonkers. He does the problems as he goes. Now when he was in k and 1st, I did stand and read the lessons and go through it with him completely. Now I go through it only when it calls for something from the learning guide. I have done k, 1, 2, 4, 5, Fundamentals of Geometry and Algebra, Pre-Algebra, and Algebra 1. It is a solid math program. My oldest dd went back to school this last year and placed in Honors Algebra. We chose to have her do Algebra again with the honors for her high school transcript. We do use a charter, but as long as he can pass the assessments...we do not force doing it a particular method unless it helps him to do it differently. He is very good at mental math having started with their program in kindergarten. I do see similarities between it and Singapore math. There is definitely a mental math element to it at certain points. :) In k, 1, 2 grades, there is a consumable workbook. In grades 3 and up, it is a hardback book.

I will forewarn you that the provision to opt out of state testing normally applies to neighborhood schools and if you enroll in a charter school you often times are by agreeing to their terms and rules for free curriculum in essence signing a contract that says you will state test. If you opt out, they do not have to let you re-enroll the next year. This is something we ran into this year.

We have used k12 for 3 years now. I have 4 children so we have done k, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8th grade with them. We have used 2 different charters. The charter will make or break your experience. I can show you what we receive with the charter from a blog post I wrote recently. It is not nearly all online at all for the younger years. Science is completely online, but the rest has books. http://ourtidbitsoflearning.blogspot.com/2015/03/k12-and-charter-schoolswhat-does-it.html What have I loved and hated? Well it depends on the charter...We have done a virtual charter academy and a lab school. The VCA was much more strict and more public school minded. The lab school has been low key-books sent, classes worked, teachers available...but not so much test prep and insane scheduling. I don't know what you will get with your options, but the books really are good. 1st is fairly typical. You are still working on phonics-advanced phonics. Spelling is not too painful. Literature and Comprehension is not about reading but about learning how to analyze what you have read. It is I believe a lot of Aesop's fables type story tales for 1st. Science is a broad overview with fun experiments. History is really SOTW 1 but online and sprinkled with read aloud stories. I love the history. Music is horrid before middle school and very babyish. Art, however, can be fun. Vocabulary is completely online and my kiddo enjoyed it. Math is not horrible but not great either. They send lots of manipulatives for math and sometimes jump from concept to concept. Overall though, 1st grade was fun and my child enjoyed it. Fifth grade is the last year before it shifts to middle school. It is the last year k12 has spelling in the language arts. The literature is always very good and there are many novel study options that you choose the novels from a list. The vocabulary is a typical public school text. Grammar is GUM Grammar and I loved it. Composition is all online instruction. I am not very fond of their composition courses. Science is really good and all online. It is the last year that it is an overview of science. In middle school, it is content studied. 6th-Earth Science, 7th-Life Science, 8th Physical Science. The history for 5th is American History through the Civil War. It is Hakim's. Music is Music Ace 1 and Art is artist studies. Eighth grade is the last year before high school. You have Literary Analysis and Composition 1, Physical Science, Algebra 1, World History B, GUM grammar, Vocabulary from Classical Roots C, and Composition. It is challenging and to be honest almost like 9th grade. My oldest daughter went back to public school this year and it has all been review as k12's 8th grade courses are essentially 9th grade content. Some of the novel studies are -Anne Frank, To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, The Yearling, A Tale of Two Cities, Lord of the Flies. K12 does give accountability. Most times though you are required to complete state testing if you are receiving it for free. That is really the only thing that I strongly dislike. The pros outweigh the cons for us. I would not do the VCA again b/c they were very intense about test prep year round and study island. I do not miss study island and our lab school does not require it. I would find out in advance what testing you would be required to take and if you can find someone in real life who is taking classes through the school you would be and ask what they like and dislike.

We use k12 and our subjects are: Literature-5 days a week Composition-2 days a week Vocabulary from Classical Roots A-3 days a week GUM Grammar-3 days a week Fundamentals of Geometry and Algebra-5 days a week Earth Science-4 days a week US History (after civil war to present day)-5 days a week Piano Lessons-weekly with practice daily

My dd in school right now will take the PSAT in Fall and the ACT in Spring. I am hoping it will be before it is totally changed. I have thought about trying for the ACT this Spring. Does anyone know when the changes go into effect? She finished Honors Algebra in school which was integrated math so had huge chunks of algebra, geometry, algebra 2 and maybe some trig concepts. I think she would do fine on the "old" ACT.

In GA, 3rd grade is a pass/fail year for the state testing. In case, you didn't know. So if he is 3rd grade and did poorly on spring testing, they could hold him back a year. 3rd and 5th are pass/fail based on state testing in GA. My oldest just went back for high school this year and I do second having test scores with you...preferably the IOWA test or sometimes called the ITBS. They have to accept the ITBS scores if you have them. This is actually a good time b/c of semester break to start after the holidays. I will warn you during state testing years that pretty much after Christmas break it is all test-prep. I would tour the school with your student prior to enrolling. I would ask to look at books and take pictures of the books. This is not unusual. At open house, several parents whipped out their phones to snap pics of the books b/c you don't get to take them home at all. We did invest in books to match the school books. With Ebay, it isn't hard to get an at home set. Her math curricula did not have a book at all. Do not be shocked by no book classes. Expect to be able to log in and have access from any computer and have to print modules. Expect to have to reteach math. Expect to have to learn the common core math in order to reteach it at home. Do a different math at home as well so that your child does not lose math knowledge. We spent this semester doing Saxon Algebra 1 Dive CD's (watching lessons only) that went with the Honors Algebra topics that dd was studying with common core math. This was the only way that she kept her A in the class. Expect to take the good with the bad. It isn't going to be all good and it isn't going to be all bad. My child needed to go back and I can see so clearly now that she should have went back 2 years ago. I encourage you to look at your child and really feel out if this is the right move for this child. I don't think you can go wrong if you feel that this child needs to go to school.

My gifted/pre-ap/AP honors student is struggling with the Dragonfly ACT test (practice ACT). She is acing her classes with all A's. She is in all honors/pre-ap/AP courses. On this "practice" ACT test at the beginning of school she got a 27%. Mid-way point (right now) she got a 32%. It isn't b/c she isn't smart. It is b/c the test is specifically written and you do have to learn to take the test. I figure by this time next year she will get a really great score. She also struggled at first with the AR tests until in her words, "I figured out what they wanted me to answer." This is a gifted language arts student. I don't really think there will be a way around this in 5 years. Test-prep will be a must. I think it is a must even if your student is using cc materials. Until she went back to school, I also thought it would be optional and wouldn't change the ACT/SAT much. However, the practice ACT's have shown me differently.

There is a new form that has to be filed yearly showing that you didn't make that amount of money for a homeschool group. And by getting an EIN you are becoming a 501 7C (social groups) which is not the same as a non-profit. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/k1024.pdf Page 11. It is form 990 and you file and e-postcard http://www.irs.gov/uac/e-file-for-Charities-and-Non-Profits If you aren't doing it and haven't been since 2012 then you are at risk for audit.

This is just me, but does the rest of your group realize they can plan things? I will tell you from experience that when you start to make things too formal....well you normally wind up with one leader anyway and the "president" dynamic says I am in charge. The whole board thing on homeschool things pretty much goes the same way. You get 4 or 5 moms that run the show and start making lots of rules. I don't know that I would want to deal with that either with monthly mandatory meetings for a board for this group (treasurer, vp, pres...the whole 9 yards). It sounds like it was pretty informal and that this one mom just took on everything. Before I changed the entire dynamic of the group, I would send out a message saying that anyone can plan but keeping it without a treasurer keeps it out of the spotlight for needing to file with the IRS and needing to get a 501 ©. If you haven't thought about that, a treasurer wouldn't want to just take peoples money and checks. You would get into needing a bank account. It gets to be a hassle. I know. I started a group solely for the purpose of my youngest having a kindergarten graduation. Once it is a formal group with a name and taking money, you really need a bank account and a 501© status. You have to have an IEN # from the IRS to get a bank account for a non-profit and you have to file a form every year showing that you didn't make a profit. These are just some of the logistics of being a more "formal" group than a meetup.

Is it a testing year? Do these kids have IEPs? My guess is that if they are struggling readers and may have other diagnosis that their actual testing will be read aloud to them per a 504 or an IEP. Thus, they need to work on the comprehension of stories to pass a state mandated test? Just a guess off the top of my head. Here reading doesn't necessarily mean the act of reading as a subject. It encompasses Literature analysis. The physical instruction of reading is over by 1st grade. These are just guesses off the top of my head. I would guess it is more important for them to be able to answer comprehension questions on testing than for them to greatly improve reading skills. You may want to offer reading tutoring as a side way to help the kids and make money. I would guess most parents think that the kids are doing something much different than what they are in the extra class for struggling readers. As far as within the system, I would guess that being able to test well is more important than being able to read well. However, I have a dyslexic student and no amount of phonics is ever going to cement all those rules or make him a terribly fluent reader at grade level so it is important to just work with him, correct his mistakes, read over him as he reads, and help him to work on answering literary analysis questions. Otherwise, he would still be doing 1st/2nd grade phonics as a 6th grader. I would expect any extra reading help if he was in school would encompass ways to make his grades better which might not necessarily be to improve his reading but to improve his test taking skills based off of what he has read. We do go the extra mile and help him with Verticy materials, but he does need the "test-prep" given in the manner that he will test as well. I guess the biggest question is what is the purpose of this "extra" class. While it is called reading lab, the goal may not necessarily be to improve the physical act of reading, but to improve these students ability to process what they read through comprehension questions. That would be the first question that I asked was what was the goal of the lab. It may simply be to bring up their reading grade which is most likely based off of a test. ETA-read through all the posts and you confirmed it. They won't be reading the test so your reading lab is really a test prep lab. Sorry. :( If I had the time and energy and maybe needed some extra income, I would target parents to get extra tutoring on reading specifically and see if you could advertise to your students that if they come an extra 20 min. early or stay 20 min. late that they will receive extra "reading" help from a reading tutor. If you don't need the money and have 20 extra min., offer it for free.

Having a child that has needed immediate medical attention....They NEED the number to get insurance approval prior to administering service. If your child has a SERIOUS injury they can not proceed even if you have signed a consent form without contacting your insurance company. It isn't for the school to have unnecessary info on you. The school keeps those med forms on hand to give to emergency personnel. I hate to say this but it can mean the difference in life or death in extreme medical emergencies. Just food for thought.