Keep in mind that if she understands the concept, it is definitely not necessary for her to complete every single page of every lesson. We are using MUS Algebra 1 as well. If my DD understands the new concept and she completes a Lesson Practice with 100% accuracy, then I have her move on to a Review. If she does that successfully, I have her take the test and then we move on. Every other lesson or so I'll throw an extra review page at her just for practice. I'll say this too. The first 1/2 of MUS Alg 1 was very slow for her, but she is now finding her groove with it and moving along more easily. I would not rush in an urgency to get it done. I would make sure that she's fully understanding the concepts. That, ultimately, is most important.

This is how I've always felt about accreditation! ;)

I am aware that some Universities may balk at Christian context, which is one of my reasons for adding secular material as well. Having said that, two of her top choices are Christian Universities and the other, UGA, doesn't have anything specific on their website. These colleges routinely accept students from private Christian school and homeschoolers. I do want to have my bases covered though. ;) One other question. Knowing that the NCAA changes their mind about things like I change my clothing.... There are two private homeschool "hybrid" schools here that I happen to know are in the NCAA database as accepted schools. One has courses listed with NCAA and 2 does NOT. Does anyone think it may be beneficial to seek accreditation though either of these schools. With one, she would have to attend 3 days a week with homework, with 2, I could get her transcripts accredited independently. Neither of these are online options like K12 or the like. I guess what I'm asking is, is seeking accreditation beneficial or hurtful....if anyone knows.

I too have a question. My DD's sport, Equestrian, is an "emerging" sport with NCAA. It is currently governed by NCEA and they adhere strictly to NCAA guidelines and qualifications. Because she wants to pursue a Div 1 team, I have been planning to treat her High School years to meet all NCAA guidelines. I have been using Sonlight and Apologia and it has recently occurred to me that since these are considered Christian Educational Material, it may not be accepted. Now I'm wondering if I should look at changing her textbooks to fully secular or at a minimum adding secular textbooks to our resources. Sonlight has worked VERY well for us thus far and I don't really want to change it. Unfortunately at this juncture BookShark doesn't go through high school.

Interesting. My 3rd grader also bombed this section on the ITBS along with 1 other section that I can't recall. Like you, I'd like to know what's going on, but we minion parents can't be trusted with the actual test (I'm not a registered proctor) How are we supposed to help them if we can't see what the issue is. I've considered giving my DD a different standardized test that I can administer here at home so I can get a better idea of what the struggle is. I do have a few friends that are teachers and ITBS proctors, so I plan to reach out to them for some more information.

Thanks. That had been my original plan but upon speaking with an adviser, she recommended what I posted above. (we will be using a different service for accreditation purposes) I believe I'm going to stick to my original. We are in GA and we don't HAVE to seek accreditation, but the colleges here make it more difficult when applying if you don't have accreditation. (higher SAT scores and portfolio as opposed to just a transcript) GA will NOT give accreditation for Geometry in Saxon unless it's the separate Geometry course. It's not something I necessarily agree with, but I don't see that changing in the foreseeable future. This is all new to me as my oldest is only in 5th grade, so while I don't have to have concrete plans yet, I want to make sure I"m on the right path for her.

I have used a hybrid school for my crew for the past 4 years. Next year we will not be returning, but will keep it as an option for the future. First you should know that hybrid schools are extremely popular among the homeschool set here, we have no less than 12 options in a 30 mile radius. I say that because I really felt/feel pressured to have my kids in one of these settings. For us, I felt that the 2 day IN CLASS courses were fabulous and my kids greatly benefited from them. However, the school didn't do any book work in class, but they wanted it all completed. My kids essentially had to complete 5 days worth of work in 3 days. In addition to that, there were a lot of projects assigned that the school wanted done independently that we could have been able to dive into more if we did it together as a family. For instance, we are working on a family tree project. That's fantastic, but the school wants 3 project boards, 1 for each kid. Well, my children all have the same lineage, so they are essentially producing the same thing. We could dig much deeper into our heritage if we weren't producing this project in triplicate. Lastly my frustration has been that 2 of my children are accelerated in some, but not all areas. The school has worked with that, but there aren't a lot of options, so my children are both working independently in math b/c the school can't accommodate them. Of course math is in the middle of the day, so my kids both just sit there and work on their own assignments while the others participate in class. Mine are able to participate in some instruction but for the most part, it's remedial to them so therefore boring. Having said that, despite the frustrations, our hybrid school has been a HUGE blessing for us. There is certainly a possibility that my kids will return when they are older and our class options are different (it changes 7th -12th grade)

My 11 1/2 y/o 5th grader will be finishing up Saxon 7/6 soon. She has scored 95 or above on MOST tests. There were a few that she scored slightly below 90/95 and it was because she didn't focus so we revisited the concepts to ensure she understood them. My plan was to move her into Alg 1/2 with 8/7 as a back up if it's too overwhelming. Having said that, in GA we must have a separate Geometry curric for accreditation purposes (which we will be seeking, I"m not thrilled, but she's college bound so there ya go) I do wonder if I should explore other options for her and when. She'll be 6th grade next year, so by 7th I expect I will be tracking her Math for HS credit. Saxon has clearly worked very well for her as she can fly through a book in 1 semester but she doesn't love the spiral and gets very frustrated when she comes to a problem that's so easy she can complete it in her sleep. I could continue with Saxon, but I'd still have to have her take a separate Geometry course which I suspect would be relatively easy for her. I am not sure how much work the accreditation services expect to see from a student, if they want/need ALL work/problems or just the tests. I'm just not sure how to proceed from here with her Math courses and could use a little guidance. Thanks. ETA: I posted this in the HS forum b/c I'm mostly curious about math for HS credits, and I need to update my siggy. ;)

We use dry erase markers daily. I really like The Board Dudes with the attached eraser. The package doesn't say low odor, but they are. I find they they last longer and write more clearly than the others that I've used. I have found that the Expo markers are some of the worst, they dry out quickly and the ink isn't as dark and clear. The Board Dudes also have a better price tag. http://www.amazon.com/Board-Dudes-Magnetic-Assorted-4560VA-12/dp/B005GPFWG6/ref=sr_1_3?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1360856258&sr=1-3&keywords=the+board+dudes+markers http://www.amazon.com/Board-Dudes-Double-Sided-Magnetic-14002UA-24/dp/B0028N6QTG/ref=sr_1_4?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1360856258&sr=1-4&keywords=the+board+dudes+markers

I can tell you what I do and maybe that will help you. I am not required to keep a portfolio, but I require it for myself. I LOVE 3 ring binders. I get Avery with the clear pocket front b/c they hold up better and we can use them for several years. We have fun decorating a piece of card stock to personalize. I also greatly prefer the composition notebooks over the spiral b/c I feel they hold up better. Having said we do use some spiral notebooks with 3 hole punch to be kept in the binders. I stock up on the high quality notebooks & other supplies during the clearance events after regular school starts. *Lang Arts ~ 3 ring binder with tabs for writing & grammar. All of their notes and assignments they are working on is kept in there. *History ~ 3 ring binder and spiral. My older kids (4th and 5th) are given questions for each chapter, questions and answers are written in the spiral. Other history work is kept in the 3 ring binder. *Math ~ 3 ring binder and spiral. I use Saxon for my older girls. Daily work and timed math drills are filed in the binder. Tests are completed in a spiral. When we finish a book, the regular work is tossed and the spiral is filed in their portfolio. *Spelling ~ All spelling tests are completed in a composition notebook. I keep a chart of their scores in our year end portfolios and toss the rest. *Science ~ This year we are using Christian Kids Explore Physics CKE Chemistry. I printed the notebook and placed all of that material in a 3 ring binder. I also have the older girls write the vocabulary words in ...you guessed it...a spiral notebook. That said, we don't always get things in those notebooks like we should. Our first year was a hot mess. I now use the plastic file boxes, one for each child with hanging folders for each subject. All new work is placed in the back. I may or may not have a giant stack of work on top of each one that needs to be filed accordingly. :blush:

Michele ~ I can't remember if I mentioned this before for Science or not, but I LOVE DIVE. (linked up thread) Since mine are younger than yours, I have only used it for Saxon Math, but it is so helpful for us. I'm not sure what we'll be using for HS, but DIVE is definitely on our list. Dr. Shormann also has a k-12 plan on his website that you may find helpful. http://www.diveintomath.com/course-schedules/

We too are considering CC for next year. At the informational meeting, the director recommended starting out with the Foundations Guide, Time Line Cards (though I'm not sure exactly which ones) a map and if possible the flashcards.

Here is a more recent list, I have no idea how accurate it is. http://www.corpun.com/counuss.htm

Here is a link to a map and other info on the legality of corporal punishment in schools. I do not know how accurate the information is. According to this site, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas have the highest rates. All of the states in the south allow corporal punishment, but it definitely occurs elsewhere as well. http://www.corpun.com/counuss.htm