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TCoppock

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Everything posted by TCoppock

  1. I've tried being more hands off, but maybe it still isn't enough. He will be taking IEW online starting in Jan. so we will see if that helps. If it works I will try to add more online classes. Unfortunately there are no coops or community colleges anywhere near so online is really all we have. I think there is probably a variety or issues going on right now that it's going to take some trial and error to fix.
  2. It seems like he has trouble getting what is in his head onto paper. He knows the answers but putting them in writing is taking him forever. He cannot type yet, but I will allow him to voice the response into a word program. We have done this successfully with IEW and longer written assignments in the past. I've never considered allowing him to do the same for shorter answer responses. He has always been verbally articulate. Thinking back his written work was fairly articulate as well or at least grade appropriate. It seems now his answers often run parallel to what is being asked but off the mark. (if that makes sense) You can also see his mind wandering on the paper. At first I thought it was a comprehension problem, but he answers the questions correctly when asked. I often say, "Well if that is the answer why did you put something else on your paper?" His response is always IDK. I don't get it. It is like his brain and his hand aren't connected.
  3. I have a hard time accepting he takes so long because when we speak to him he knows the information. It is just getting him to do the written work. My husband and I teeter back and forth on if this is an attitude/laziness issue or something else. It is hard because we have absolutely no other issues with him. He is seriously the best behaved teenager I have ever met. It is only school where we are having problems. We have been getting slower and slower for some time now. You could very well be correct pointing out there could be a learning disability that hasn't been caught. We have only seen the psychiatrist and child psychologist regarding his ADHD.
  4. My son is actually 14 and in 9th grade. We are finishing up BJU Physical Science. (about 3 more weeks to go) Other than the time required, he seems to enjoy it and is definitely learning a lot. He always calls me into the room to rewind the videos to show me something "cool" and LOVES to feed me information he has learned. He just seems to take his sweet time when it comes to any written work. TOG has been a wonderful program for us and worth the investment. The book selections have been a good fit overall and he will often read ahead if allowed. Because my son struggles with The questions can be difficult at times, and I appreciate that, but he is more than capable of answering them. I suppose I can cut the assignment in half and do some orally. I just feel it is a disservice to completely eliminate it. I have no problem stepping back and letting him take the lead, however he would still be required to meet our basic expectations. The above was written last night, but apparently I never hit the post button. This morning we went to the psychiatrist. I explained what was going on and my concerns. He says it could be stress and anxiety related or possibly the medication dose being too low. The dosage was actually decreased 3 months ago by our primary care doctor pending further work up by a pediatric cardiologist. We have seen the cardiologist and received an all clear for now. The psychiatrist still wants to be prudent in increasing the dose but doesn't feel the medication is related. Because my son has had multiple episodes of tachycardia and 3 bouts of chest pain, we also want to be very cautious with medication. Tomorrow we will start a slightly higher dose and see how it goes. This school issue was going on prior to the adjustment in medication so I'm not very optimistic.
  5. He does have ADHD and is medicated for it. Because this is the only area we seem to be having issues, I never considered it as a potential cause. We are actually seeing his psychiatrist tomorrow, so I'm going to question him as well. Like I said, he isn't a bad kid at all. He is just seems to take forever to complete an assignment and he seems almost not to care it does.
  6. My son wants nothing to do with me teaching him, but also doesn't want to attend public school. My husband and I are at our wits end with him. He is getting close to nothing accomplished. Today he completed a single lesson of science and math. THAT'S IT! We spent a total of 7.5 hours and accomplished squat. I've tried being more involved. I've tried being less involved. I've asked if he wanted to change programs, go to a public school, or get a tutor. Nothing seems to change. He wants to go to college, but how is he going to survive college? No professor is going to give him tons of extra time to complete his work. He isn't a bad kid, but his attitude towards school stinks. Has anyone else dealt with this? Any advice on what else to try? We are currently using BJU online for science. He finds it difficult, but is enjoying it at the same time. He has maintained a solid B throughout the course. All that would be fine, except he is taking 3-4 HOURS to complete a day's assignment. For math we use Saxon with the teaching DVD. He teeters between a high B and low A with this. He is good at math, but again it takes him several hours to complete. We use TOG for History, Literature, and Bible. This is his passion. He loves the reading and completes it quickly, but drags his feet and rarely completes the review questions. He definitely comprehends the readings and will go on about what he learned, but forget any written work. Now because of him dragging his feet and taking FOREVER to complete or partially complete assignments we have dropped everything else. I want him to be writing on a regular basis. And I want him to be studying a foreign language. I seriously would be over the moon if we could do this. I just don't know where I can pluck the time from. I'm about to throw the towel in on this.
  7. I voted other. Bath until around 6 or 7. Then I would allow them to choose.
  8. We are looking at houses currently too, and I find it really hard to part with such a large chunk of money unless I have thought it thoroughly through and am certain it's the one. The good ones seem to move really quick and the so-so ones linger on the market forever. My poor brother is having the same issues where he lives and even offering above the asking price isn't helping. I was under the impression the economy was still slow, but the housing market doesn't seem to reflect that.
  9. Here is a link to the Church of Christ. It is non-denominational, and there are several branches with slightly varying beliefs, but this website seems to give the most information overall. http://church-of-christ.org/who.html#music
  10. Sorry things are so stressful. My first suggestions would have been yoga and meditation, but you said you don't really have time for that. How about a warm bath and some tea, or a glass of wine. It might give you a few minutes to relax and collect your thoughts. I like to add scented bath oil. Lavender is suppose to help you relax.
  11. I will pray that God keeps you safe throughout your journey. DS use to be frightened of flying, especially the takeoff and landing. We hold hands during these times and say a prayer asking God to take away our fears and to allow the pilot to safely get us to our destination. It definitely helps. Philippians 4:6-7 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
  12. I have not read other comments here. Your husband is verbally and physically abusing your son. Please stop making excuses for him. Your son probably has problems BECAUSE of your husband. I am furious right now. I would have called the police on my own husband if I found him doing this to my child. Seriously it floors me that you are blaming your child rather than the grown adult in this matter.
  13. Thanks! We love Redwall. We have been slowly acquiring them all, but this will be our first Kindle one.
  14. Thank you. There is so much here to chew on as I try to prepare for our upcoming year.
  15. I didn't take your comments as anything but helpful. It really does help hearing everyone here who has already been through what I am. It is a challenge knowing when to push and when to step back. We definitely want DS to get the most out of his last school years with us no matter what the specifics.
  16. I have a brother who has a genius level IQ, but up until he was probably 35 could not hold down a job. It amazed me that someone so intelligent wasn't able to do something so basic; that was of course until I had DS. DS is leaps and bounds farther than my brother is/was, but he still has a long way to go. Can I ask what specific life skills you feel are most important? We are still working on a lot of DS social skills. This has become extremely hard because at times it is difficult to note what is teenage defiance and what is caused by his condition. We don't allow him to use his condition as an excuse, but we definitely allow for more grace. I think by the time he is college bound we should have taught him: Morning Routine: Wake up, shower, brush hair, eat breakfast, take medicine, brush teeth, etc.<-- We are still working on this Review Daily Schedule (We use Motivated Moms which he is already used to) Cook Budget Plan Meals Make a grocery list Pay Bills Laundry Dishes What else am I missing?
  17. History and Literature are his favorites, and I don't foresee him going into a STEM field. DH and I have discussed removing Geography all together or making it a discussion type of learning tied tightly to history. We travel and DS reads and watches the news, so he has exposure to the basics of geography. Again I can see dropping Rod and Staff to review. DS has a pretty solid grasp there. Is high school level Language arts basically just reading and writing? I know for sure I had a grammar book still in 9th grade. Sorry if it came across that I was just going to move everything blindly to the next level. It was not meant that way. :) We have finally found programs that are working for DS, and it is for that reason that we were planning to stick with them. I am definitely willing to abandon or even revisit programs based on DS needs. That has actually been one of the biggest benefits of homeschooling. I think knowing I'm coming down to the final years is really what might be getting me. I feel like judgement day is nearing, and I must ensure I've sufficiently prepared him. I think we will be ok based on what I'm reading here as long as we continue to work diligently on his core subjects. Thanks
  18. I'm definitely afraid of this. We have always had a longer school day than most, but it was much more relaxed and fluid. I can see where we could drop grammar lessons down to light review. I've never considered dropping vocabulary. It doesn't take but 15 minutes a day. We do look up new words in our reading that he can't figure out using context clues, so counting that as word study might work. Should we make flashcards of the new words, or should we just let it be making he continues to look up the word until he remembers without looking? Some weeks we use IEW with our other subjects. For example, this week we wrote a paper on the heart to help him memorize the parts and processes for science. I would assume doing more of this type of work might work better for high school level than keeping everything separate. Is 7 credits per year the average pace? I can see where prioritizing will be difficult with such a buffet of good options. Is it frowned upon to do multiple courses light rather than few full credits. For instance, if DS wanted to take music and study sketching, but also wants to take PE and something else all in the same year would it be better to spread the classes over 2 years giving him complete credits or is it ok to give 1/2 or 1/4 credits. With his condition he is either fully engrossed in a subject or the novelty wears off quickly. I could see the benefits for him if smaller credits weren't frowned upon. Thank you for pointing this out. It is hard to believe that so much growing up will occur over the high school years.
  19. I have considered only moving one or two subjects to rhetoric level with TOG. That way we are able to ease into the higher level work. My question about that is should I really be giving him high school credit if the work isn't high school level. If I'm dropping the grammar program, would just reinforcing it through writing be enough.
  20. Sometimes it's good to know that just because our children are capable of doing things it isn't necessarily the best thing for them in the long run. I don't want him to look back at his childhood with only memories of school, day in and day out.
  21. At this point I'm taking a bunch of slow deep breaths. DS has always done a large variety of programs, but I can definitely see that as subjects become more complex we need to have more focus on the most important. We will do Algebra 2 next year with Saxon. Physical Science will be started in about 4 weeks, and we will move to Biology probably mid year. DS enjoys Rod and Staff, and it is something he really thrives in so I don't want to cut it out completely. I am considering using the workbook to cut down on time spent, but he still will be doing the IEW, which I feel he needs, and the Literature which he enjoys. I think we can definitely scale back on Geography. The program doesn't seem to be adding much to his learning, and the time could be spent elsewhere. I like the idea of doing a lighter load of subjects over the year to make a complete credit. I am considering dropping to 2 problems a day for Mind Benders. DS will still get the mental exercise the puzzles take, but the time requirement shouldn't be too significant. Also, thank you so much for sharing your sons's schedule.
  22. Although he is 13 now, I agree the amount of time we are schooling is becoming or rather has become excessive. DH and I have discussed holding him back a year, and that still might be something we consider, but I'm not sure many of his problems will improve. He still needs daily reminders to shower, brush his hair, brush his teeth, etc.
  23. Thank you all for your excellent responses. DS is actually 13 now, and will be 14 at the start of our freshman year. (I really need to change my signature line) I'm sure there is a part of me that pushes DS out of fear, but there is also a part of me that sees how bright he is and wants to make sure he is living up to his potential. His struggles do not revolve understanding except where noted, which as you pointed out he may never get. I totally understand that and we just take time to discuss the passages and look at words that might describe what the emotion might be. I have had to make concessions for DS mainly in the form of doing some things oral and allowing him to use text to speech for writing longer reports. I map out subjects in 1 hour intervals, which includes time to gather supplies and get water/use restroom whenever needed. We have been doing double writing because it is probably our weakest area. He is getting stronger, so I could possibly cut down a little here. His favorite subjects have always been literature and history. He has also taken a real interest in his Life Science this year. He isn't sure what he wants to be when he grows up, but he does want to go to university. This is where I think I might be struggling. I am terrified of cutting the wrong thing out. I am trying to cover everything and think I might be burying my son in subjects trying to fill small holes.
  24. I am currently freaking out because our 8th grade work is taking from 9:30A-9:30P +++ I am trying to figure out plans for 9th grade and can't figure out how to fit everything in a day. (We will be continuing to the next level with everything next year) We are currently using the following: Saxon Algebra 1 This take my son about 1 1/2 hours with an A average. Done Daily BJU DL Life Science This takes him about 1 1/2 hours with an A average. Done Daily Rod and Staff This takes about 1 hour 15 with the occasional exercise taking longer, also A average. Done MWF History using TOG This takes about 1 1/2-2 hours, occasionally even LONGER depending on the Accountability and Thinking Questions. I do not grade this, but if I had to place a letter grade it would be an A/B. Done Daily Geography using TOG Takes about 1 1/2- 2 hours TOTAL. Again, this is not graded but probably a B average. Completed between 2 days IEW Writing using SICC-B Takes him no less than 1 hour a day with significant hand holding. He is a B/C student here. Literature using TOG Takes him about 1 hour 15-1 1/2 hours a day He has an A/B average. Bible using TOG This varies greatly depending on the week/year. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes total to an hour a day+. Mind Benders We do this 2 hours a week. He is moving along at a steady pace here. Vocabulary from Classical Roots This takes 15 minutes a day. He makes a solid A here. We've had to cut out: Art Music Latin Foreign language (French) I want to add in the above plus TOG Government and Philosophy Extracurricular Activities My son is very intelligent, but SLOW. He has ADHD and an ASD along with some issues with his fine motor skills. Obviously, the act of writing is slowed down. But he also struggles with organization; he loses his pencils, papers, books multiple times a day. He needs frequent reminders to stop talking and concentrate on the subject at hand. He has trouble if questions ask about what people are thinking/feeling or their motives. I am terrified at this pace he won't make it through university. So I'm wondering, how can I get this all to work. Am I expecting too much from him? Can someone share what a day with their 9th grader looks like broken down into hours?
  25. I will shamefully admit I made this recipe for the first time a week or two ago and enjoyed it. I won't be a regular on the menu, but I will probably make it again sometime in my life. I know there is something I make that requires tomato soup, but I can't figure out what it is flipping through my regular recipe list. I generally cook from scratch, but I see nothing wrong throwing in the occasional convenience meal. 1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken - prepared as directed 1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup 1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream 1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained HEAT oven to 400ºF. PREPARE stuffing as directed on package. MIX remaining ingredients in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with stuffing. BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is done. Enjoy now or cover and refrigerate. To reheat, microwave each serving on HIGH 2 min. or until heated through.
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