I think you are on the right track with Megawords. Spelling is always better done in a systematic and intensive way. I love LLATL, and all things Beechick. The method is quite effective. I think you are going to have a great year!

We did and we felt like it was a huge mistake. We should have started earlier! We needed a lot more critical thinking and advanced reasoning practice. So with younger children, we are building this into our program from the get-go.

>>I recommend a book by Joyce Herzog called, "Learning in Spite of >>Labels." It's a very common sense book packed full of ideas to help >>make learning enjoyable AND effective. I recommend this book to >>anyone who homeschools...not just those with LD students. I'm so sorry you are having difficulties. I would stand by my book suggestion. This book contains the practical help you asked for when you posted today. I will be praying for you.

Great suggestion! Thank you...I always forget about Critical Thinking Company even though I use several of their products!:tongue_smilie: I appreciate your reply.

Hi everyone, I am considering the idea of using a text for Algebra called, "Elementary Algebra for College Students," by Allen Angel for my middle school student. The clarity of teaching in this book is excellent. However, the word problems are all more adult in nature - mortgage rates, health insurance issues, global economy, etc... Does anyone know of a resource that has word problems only...on a variety of Algebra I and II topics? My thought is to just replace the book's problems with problems that are more appropriate for my student. He'll be thirteen when he uses the text. Thanks for any suggestions!

Adventures in Phonics at Christian Liberty Press. Simple worksheets that teach the rules and phonograms. They are not babyish, but the pages are interesting with pictures...but you have to find the word in a short list of three to five words, and write the word under the picture. (Sneaky huh? That way they have pictures, but they have to read too!) LOL I would start in the K level, but they are probably somewhere in the middle of the book. (K starts with letter sounds, and moves through three letter words and into more difficult words at the back of the book. I wouldn't have them do all the exercises on the page. We usually picked out a few words a day to write, and we would do the rest orally. It is systematic and intensive...with tons of review. Very inexpensive. You can combine these worksheets with any basal reader. We used both Christian Liberty Press and ABeka readers. But in your case, I would major on the worksheets for a time to break their guessing habits. Then once they have better phonics skills, then move into a simple reader.

I understand. Been there/done that. My oldest was like this. He has amblyopia...had to wear an eye patch with glasses that blurred his good eye so we could strengthen his bad eye. School was awfully hard. Then my second child had difficulty reading. He was, ultimately, diagnosed with auditory processing disorder. Tears, frustration were everyday visitors for a time until I made some changes. We got the idea of twenty minute lessons from Charlotte Mason. This single idea revolutionized my homeschool. The stress disappeared within weeks. The tears stopped and interestingly, educational retention increased. From K-3rd grade we keep subjects to twenty minutes. In late 3rd and 4th, as is appropriate to the child I'm working with, we increase the time to 30 minutes, 5th grade - 40 minutes, 6th grade 50 minutes and 7th grade and up 60 minutes a subject. (Actually by the time my kids are in high school they are fairly independent and are known to spend a couple of hours on math a day, work on research projects till their finished, etc... So the time requirements slip away and are replaced by self direction and motivation. But, for 3rd grade I'd start with 20 minutes and then s l o w l y wean her into 30 minutes...with the goal of having her up to 30 minutes by December. I timed a Saxon lesson once to see how long it would take to do all components of the program. Meeting book, scripted lesson, both sides of the worksheet and the fact sheet. 90 minutes. Most nine year olds do not have the attention capability of 90 minutes. No wonder there were tears! I decided to teach my child, rather than the program. We dumped everything but one side of the worksheet and the fact sheets. On the advice of several teacher friends, we did not time the fact sheets. Rather, I provided a motivation to get it done quickly. "When you are done with that fact sheet, whether it takes you one minute or fifteen, we will _________(do something fun)." Sometimes, I would have to sit by to "cheer," them on from problem to problem. "6 + 8, You can do it!" It worked well. I've used this method with all of my children since. (That was twelve years ago.) We do something like this: 1. I read the scripted lesson myself and decide if my student needs the hands on component. If he/she does, then I teach it carefully on one day and do the worksheet the next day. 2. We begin each lesson by finding the date on the calendar or creating a fun graph. We sing skip count songs, etc... Plan this in advance. 5 minutes. 3. We do one side of the lesson worksheet only. If my student needs additional help in mastering a concept, we save the problems for review day (Friday). 10 minutes 4. Math fact practice usually only took a few minutes with a bit of positive motivation. I also think putting the timer away helped open his mind to do the facts faster. The timer paralyzed him. Your daughter is your youngest child. Enjoy her. Allow her to be young. But set firm, but loving and positive boundaries. Try to think in positive terms how to train her not to whine/complain/cry. Negative consequences aren't nearly as effective. (But they do have their place, of course.) I would also encourage you, (if you haven't done so already), to examine curriculum, means and methods to see if there are components of your program that are causing difficulties. We all have to do hard things, of course. But when you have a disability, such as a weak eye, or auditory processing issues, or whatever...the frustration level is already high. The question becomes, "How can I best teach this child, in way that blesses her and helps her in her personal journey?" My goal is to strengthen skills, yet teach my children that they can do anything if they try. Then I persevere to teach them to try by being positive. That may mean sticking with the curriculum she doesn't like...but maybe we can complete it in a different manner or give a postive motivation, adjust our expectation to be more reasonable, etc... I recommend a book by Joyce Herzog called, "Learning in Spite of Labels." It's a very common sense book packed full of ideas to help make learning enjoyable AND effective. I recommend this book to anyone who homeschools...not just those with LD students. I hope this helps.

I am just learning about MEP and I'm wondering how to get the access code? Could someone help me with that? Thanks!

I agree with those who have encouraged you not to rush her. Have you had her learning issues addressed? If you haven't taken her for diagnostic testing, I would encourage you to do so. Otherwise, her education will be hit or miss. My oldest two sons have had LD's. The longer you wait to diagnose and treat, the harder it is to remediate and it definitely takes a toll on the child's precious heart and mind. The public school is bound by law to offer special education testing. It probably won't be as thorough as a private evaluation, but it does offer helpful information. The more you know, the more you can help her. But you may also start by visiting your pediatrician. Even if she is placed back into school, if testing has been done, an Individualed Educational Plan can (and will) be put into place so that she can have the accommodations and therapies (if appropriate) she needs to succeed in life. The National Center for Learning Disabilities has a checklist of common symptoms that may be helpful. You may also visit my blog and click on Auditory Processing Disorder at the top of the page. There are a couple of links there that might be helpful to you.

Okay...I have to ask, what is MEP? We used BCM and it was a bomb for my 11 year old. Total waste of time. (I agree that is IS better than Saxon at the same grade level however.) I think it was the age level. We used it successfully with his two older brothers...but they completed the course when they were in the 8th grade. We ended up with Christian Light Education Sunrise Math and it has done an incredible job with this child. My 12 year old just finished the 6th grade level and covered all the same topics as Lials. (Minus Pythagoreum Theorem) It hit on many algebraic skills. That said we've decided to use Glencoe Applications and Concepts Course 3 for the upcoming year which is mastery based, followed by Glencoe Algebra I. I really had a hard time deciding though. He is well prepared for Algebra I already, but we decided a year with larger numbers and and more difficult problems would prepare him better for SAT thinking. Anyway...I'm wondering what MEP is? I'm always on the lookout for a quality math tool. So much of what is commonly available to homeschoolers is incomplete or needs quite a bit of tweaking. :confused: It can be exhausting!

4 apples = 20 apples ---------------------------- 2 oranges= x oranges Solve the proportion. This proportion is set up properly because all the apples have to be in the numerator portion, while all oranges have to be in the denominator. Apples to apples and oranges to oranges, straight across. Then cross multiply. 4x = 20(2) 4x = 40 Then divide by 4 on both sides, to free up the x, so (4x/4 = 40/4) x = 10 Setting the proportion up from a word problem is the hardest part. You just have to get all the parts aligned so that they are apples to apples and oranges to oranges. Labeling the numbers is extremely helpful. And take a lot of time to practice this skill. If he doesn't get this, he will stumble in Algebra big time. Is BCM - Lials Basic College Math? I think Christian Light Education Sunrise Math does a better job of teaching concepts (with all the baby steps) to young people. There is also this little memory trick when you are looking for pieces of a number. You can change this up quite a few ways, but you always solve it the same way. is......% __ = ___ (Do you see it? is/of = %/100) of.....100 Example: 4/8 = %/100 (You can see this better if you can write the fraction clearly over a line) Cross multiply: 8x = 4 x 100 8x=400 8x/8 =400/8 (divide by 8 on both sides) x = 50 So 4/8 = 50% I hope this helps. Ah phooey, the formatting won't stay put. I've fixed it as best I can!

I couldn't afford the training classes either. But I was able to read SWR, use the W.I.S.E. Guide to begin creating my own teacher's book and was up and running within two weeks. You don't need the videos...you can make it work. Just take it one step at a time. The page that helped me the most was here. It is a step by step guide to prepare Mom for teaching SWR.

Kathy, I'm in Florida and come from a family of teachers. You can bet it was covered in public school. Teachers do teach the standards, if they are doing their job. That said, just because it was covered, does not mean it was mastered by the student. In homeschooling, we tackle these skills by reading aloud and discussing as we go. I know of no other better way, especially at this age. I wrote an article about literature for Heart of the Matter last year. It delves a little deeper into what we do. We are always reading something aloud, but we usually dig more deeply in two books a year. Most recently, my oldest students and I did Animal Farm, while my daughter and I did Charlotte's Web at bedtime. Our goal is to become familiar with literary analysis terms, look for the hidden message in a book, and grow in vocab and language use. Literature is my absolute favorite time of the day! I would encourage you to use a very simple tool. I have Teaching the Classics on my shelf. (Just the book...not the CD set) The book is all you need. Take a day or two, read through it and then you will be all set to teach literature.

We've BTDT. We've covered our mattresses and pillows. We wash our bedding frequently. Curtains/window dressings are washed every two weeks. Blinds are dusted every few days. We use the highest allergen rated air conditioning filters we can afford and change them every three weeks. But the single best thing we ever did for our allergies was get rid of our carpeting. Once it was gone, so were 75% of our allergy symptoms. (Seriously) We sweep the entire house once a day.

I just graduated my son from our high school/home school program. I will say this - I was terrified of high school, but I knew that because the Lord called me to homeschool, He would bring it to pass. So I trodded on, and day to day, the education of my son was accomplished. It was not easy - in fact, it was very hard work. (For both of us) Would I go back and do it differently? Not a chance. Homeschooling him through high school was one of the greatest blessings of my life.

In my opinion, college is an industry. It has been marketed relentlessly and over time employers have begun to expect it from prospective employees. It is very common now to expect at least a two year degree to be a secretary or a customer service rep. (Which is totally unnecessary...a high school student should be able to graduate high school with the needed skills.) Apprenticeships have gone by the wayside for the most part, with vocational training being offered at community colleges. The sad part of all of this is that the community colleges are requiring "pre-requisite courses," that are unnecessary, cost a lot of money and a lot of vocationally minded people will have trouble passing. Our educational system is terribly broken, and it is getting worse from year to year.

What level of Saxon math are you using? We use Saxon 1 in kindergarten, Saxon 2 in first grade, Saxon 3 in second grade. We also do not do the scripted lessons unless our child doesn't get it with my explanation. (Sometimes I just use the worksheet...other times I will pull out manipulatives after scanning the lesson myself.) We don't do the meeting book and we only do one side of the worksheet. It has worked extremely well. There is much freedom if you make the tool work for you. Math takes us about 20 minutes a day in K through mid 3rd grade. Short and sweet...I got the 20 minute idea from Charlotte Mason about 11 years ago and I've used it with all of my children. If your child already knows the concepts, skip to something he doesn't know. (Even if that means moving up a level.) Remember, curriculum is a tool. It's up to you to choose how to use it.:001_smile:

Yep, it could definitely be a UTI, kidney issue, cancer, etc... She needs tests... A medical condition is not always consistent. Sometimes the pain is worse than at other times. This is the only way the cat can tell you something is wrong. (I worked as a vet assistant and this was something that owners mentioned quite a bit. The vet then always ran urine tests to rule out medical issues.) My mother's cat did this and it turns out she had bladder cancer.

Spell to Write and Read is a great curriculum that does the same job as All About Spelling, without spelling tiles. Many people are afraid of it because there is a slight learning curve. It took me two weeks to learn it. I read the manual, began my own spelling notebook and was up and running very quickly. I have happily used it with all of my children after overcoming my fear of it. Actually, it is the only program that has helped my son to spell. It is very reasonable. Everything I needed was about $100.00 and is K-12th grade. It is very no-nonsense and extremely effective. I like the idea of tiles, but in reality, marking the words with a consistent system is just as effective. I am currently using it with a 2nd grader, a 7th grader and an 11th grader. http://www.swrtraining.com/id23.html Spell to Write and Read is designed for the teacher to set the pace. You can teach as many (or as few) words as is appropriate for your student.

What is the website? I'm interested in anything that will help with math review! :001_smile: Thanks for your help!

This could be a couple of things. I would not assume any laziness quite yet. (I've been there and done that.) Instead, I would assume something is wrong and play detective. Some investigating is necessary. I have two thoughts... 1. It could possibly be a processing issue. My son has Auditory Processing Disorder and this is one of his symptoms. But he also had issues in spelling. (Could not spell to save his life...always below grade level in spelling only.) He was at grade level in everything else until the information became more abstract in high school. Math is very abstract. The more abstract the information, the harder it is to retrieve needed information in the "file cabinet," of the brain. It takes a long time to find the needed information and when I give him a clue, then he can access the framework a bit easier. The problem is that I won't always be there. So we began a ton of accommodations when he was younger and he is currently undergoing further evaluation for a formal IEP which will follow him into college. His symptoms have always been very subtle...and this is the danger of auditory processing. Many folks with processing issues are labeled as under-achievers...aka "lazy." But, they are often high IQ and have an incredible work ethic in things they can grasp (hands on, experiments, projects, etc...) If you feel that this may be an issue, do not delay in seeking an evaluation. I would make an appointment with his pediatrician for guidance or contact your local school. By law, they must provide special ed testing. Some links on learning disorders and auditory processing disorder: http://helpguide.org/mental/learning_disabilities.htm http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/ears/central_auditory.html http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/auditory.htm 2. The other issue is a bit easier to figure out. If your son has absolutely no other symptoms...and you have read the above websites and you do not feel that processing is an issue, it may be that your curriculum is not working for this child. Does SM provide ample review on one concept before another is introduced? Some children need to master one concept before they build on it. I am not familiar with SM, so I am not sure if this is an issue or not. But I thought I'd throw it out there. Maybe he needs to go at a slower pace. Maybe he needs additional review...more hands on, another type of instruction, etc... After you've thought about all of this, I would then also evaluate his little heart. Is there a character issue? An emotional one? Is he fearful of making a mistake? If so, why? That sort of thing... Dig deeply and you'll find your answers. Gosh, I wish parenting were easier! :tongue_smilie:

I think it's mostly that they are creation based. Not as challenging? I would definitely question that statement. Apologia are math based and some levels, such as Biology are college level material.

The student book and the teacher's manual are enough. You said you are switching from BJU. Just remember that Easy Grammar is only grammar. You will need to choose a tool that will cover basic composition in the 4th grade. One of my favorite resources are the Write Source handbooks which cover all aspects of writing for all gendres. http://www.thewritesource.com/books/handbooks/writers_express/

Hi Greta, Apologia Biology is college level biology...and it is VERY wordy. We had a much better general biology education with ABeka Biology. Very straightforward. You mentioned that your son has trouble with multi-step directions. Could he be experiencing a processing disorder of some kind? He's behind in Algebra...works for hours...it's hard for him. Algebra is abstract, MUCH harder to process than zoology, for instance...which your son can see. Just something to consider.... Many times, learning challenges come in groups. If you have one, you have a higher likelihood of having another... Another thought on biology/zoology - You might want to check out the Zoology Coloring Book which is high school/college level. There is also a Biology coloring book and many other topics as well. Paired with library resources and some labs these coloring books offer a full credit course.

My son is in a similar situation. (CAPD) I would recommend Tiner's materials. IPC was written to fulfill Texas State Standards, so I'm comfortable that all the "basics," are there. For APD kids, it seems they need a framework on which to hang abstract information. The history seems to give them that framework. I've always been fascinated how my son's brain works. When we've used a Tiner book, the information "sticks." My son can recall months...even years later all that he read. I can't say a standard textbook has ever done that for him. (We've used ABeka and Apologia...and I believe quite a bit of our time was wasted.) We've always used Apologia for labs though. You can't beat them. I encourage you to pick up a used Apologia text for that purpose. Perhaps over the summer just do a lab a couple times a week. Have him complete the labsheets available at DonnaYoung.org. Then in the fall, have him begin the bookwork in Tiner's materials.