So, how do I get started doing this with my kid if I am a computer/programming illiterate. I am all for learning along side my kids, but where does someone like me start with a 5th-6th grader?

My youngest is not much of a reader. I recently picked up Mosdos Pearl for her. My initial impressions are that this text will cover more literary analysis than I could cobble together on my own while at the same time working against a picky reader. I am hopeful that after going through these texts my youngest will not struggle as much in a high school literature class. I also like that the text covers more than just story. It includes non fiction, plays, and poetry. It is a well thought out program. My older DD reads all the time. She also writes. I did very little literary analysis with her, and she did a few years of Lightning Literature. Like Angela in Ohio's dd, my DD also scored in the high 700s on the SAT for English without much effort. Math.....she's working on that.

The concise version put out by K12 and the original/regular version are different. The format in the concise version is easier for a student to read independently. It is structured more like a traditional textbook. The concise version took out the many distracting sidebars found in the original/regular version. The concise version also follows K12 teacher/student guidebooks and does not include every chapter found in the original nor in the same order. For the most part, I've found the main point of each chapter in either version to be singular with a lot of background information. It is easy for a student to summarize. Retention is high.

It depends on the situation, but I am brutally honest. If the kid did not do a good job because they're being a slacker, then I let them know about it. But if the kid truly put forth effort and still barely passed, then I congratulate them on their effort. Honesty is the best policy. I don't think it does a kid any good to be praised for un-praise worthy effort.

Homely?! Oh Geez! Should my car be insulted? Actually, this is a good car as cars go. I have the Outback 3.6 R 2013. The gas milage could be better, but I can pass cars no problem. The downside of owning a Subaru is that they don't last long. We have a 2006 Outback top-of-the line bought new and we just spent $$$ on a second turbo replacement. We also did the wheel bearings all the way around just after 60,000 miles. We live on a dirt road and miles of poorly maintained county roads which add to wear. Our Subarus haul surfboards, all our gear and three people just fine. I also use mine for work (2013) hauling mail crates to the post office. I can fit more in the 2013. This car is high off the ground so one can drive over rocks and tree branches. If I lived in town I would get a BMW 5x, the VW Touareg or Mercedes (Maybe on this one. The last Mercedes I had spent too much time in the shop.)

n/m

Sun: Stroke clinic--Freestyle and backstroke. I've definitely improved over the last three weeks since joining masters swim. Mon & Wed.: Masters swim workout 1.25 hrs. each session=1 mile Fri: Lap Swim 1 hr.

Halcyon- I agree with EKS about the concise editions being a better read for kids. This thread might be helpful: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/505212-k12s-american-odyssey-has-anyone-used-this-opinions/

The link American Odyssey Plan is awesome! If the American Odyssey reads anything like the Human Odyssey, I think it would be a better choice for the end of jr. high. I am using A History of US with K12 student pages but not the K12 student text for grade 5. The difference between A History of US and K12's student text is page layout. The K12 text makes the reading less disjointed by eliminating or streamlining the the boxes of extra detail on the page. A link to American Odyssey on Amazon.

Hi~ I was looking for bar model practice for my DD and wanted to share my findings. For Andriod os a.k.a. Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Singapore-Models-Kindle-Tablet-Edition/dp/B00D3L8WRQ/ref=pd_sim_mas_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=16MZZT81Q6Y22571D5QN For iPad os: http://singaporemathblog.com/singaporemathbarmodelsipad/ I haven't used these apps yet. I didn't want to buy another book such as Singapore Challenging Word problems, and I wanted the practice to be fun.

When little, the kids could run around naked and paint themselves with mud. See the stars without the glow of city lights. Someone just gave us a magnificent telescope! Live far enough away to feel isolated in the forest, but close enough to a big city to go to a baseball game. Go to the beach! Surf, boogie board, skim board, and spooner board the sand dunes. Mushroom hunting. Catch piglets (Wild Boar), raise 'em and slaughter 'em. Live in a tent all summer.

I've 10 years on you, so yes you can still learn. I am struggling with freestyle and breathing. I just want to pull too soon. Another inexpensive investment you might consider are a pair of swim fins. I just bought these TYR fins. These short fins help build leg muscles. I use them to keep me more buoyant so I and work on my breathing. Careful though. It is easy to hurt yourself, so go easy if you get a pair. I spent a solid 5 months swimming before joining a masters program. I don't think I would have lasted in the masters program without swimming on my own first. These master workouts (I'm in the slowest group) kick my butt. The benefits of a masters program are a structured workout rather than going lap after lap and coaching. I've improved a lot in the three weeks since I started with the masters swim. The coaching from the deck is invaluable. This is something I can't do on my own since I was never on swim team as a kid. KEEP GOING!

Mon: Spooner boarding down sand dunes with DD. It's fun going down and a workout climbing back up to the top. 1.5hrs. Master swim 1.25hrs. I plan on another Master Swim workout Wed., swim laps on Fri. for 1hr. and a stroke clinic over the weekend for 2hrs., and if I've got the time, I want to do some more spooner boarding with the kid.

The switch from construction to what we do now was a matter of necessity. It was something that evolved rather than a choice. We are not experts at anything, but we know how to work hard.

I work from home helping DH run an online/B & M retail business. Our website.(The website is still a work in progress.) When the bottom dropped out of the construction industry we needed to do something radically different to keep us all afloat. One of the biggest challenges of having us both working from home was the line between work and home became blurred. We never shut the office door or had off hours. We still work 7 days a week, but with a physical location other than home, our house and school run more smoothly. I work mostly at home and he works on site closer to the beach and surfing.

This is a beautiful, but easy piece and right on target for a first year student (9 ). Keep going. Your son plays very well with a lyrical musicality. My DD played a festival last weekend. For us, these festivals are an opportunity to play a concert grand in an auditorium at our local junior college. The kids get ribbons for participation. DD also does Certificate of Merit.

A link to another thread about writing I posted in http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/504595-writing-essays/ Books that were a successful experience with middle school kids: 6+1 Traits of Writing Thinking in Threes Unjournaling Twisting Arms A Writer's Notebook Grammar Lesson & Strategies Teaching Powerful Writing

Thinking in Threes

My DD, also 16, sounds very much like your DD, but my DD doesn't think her legs are too big. I bring my DD food. I get her to drink a dbl instant breakfast (Dr. suggestion). Yes, this behavior is worrisome. My DD is 5'4" and 100 lbs. She is very waif-like with small bones and feet. I keep ice cream in the house just so she gets some fat calories. I wish I had advice. It is a control issue and and image issue.

Entering high school without the "gifted" label should not pose a problem particularly if your student demonstrates his talents in classes. Most high schools will want to know what materials you used and subjects covered in order to place your child in the right high school classes. My DD would have been considered gifted, but the independent charter school we went to did not offer anything for gifted students. It was up to me to challenge her. Her high STAR scores made applying to gifted programs easier.

So I want to ask an Aussie what is with the names of the streets? I send packages to Australia regularly for business. The last address that stuck with was Possums on Parade. The street names are quirky and amusing. Who chooses the names?

Since this is my opinion, I do think it has a lot to do with the character of the mother who may have manipulated a young girl of seven into claiming that she was abused. A thoughtful article that doesn't take sides. If what Dylan says is true, how did Allen get cleared to adopt two children with his current wife? Unfortunately, either Allen or Dylan is not telling the truth and we, the public, will never know which one is telling the truth. Facts that balance Vanity Fair article What Should We Talk About When .....

My personal opinion: I think Dylan is being manipulated by her mother in a spiteful vendetta against Allen. If one looks at Farrow's son Ronan, supposedly Allen's son, he look much more like Frank Sinatra than Woody Allen. The whole thing is very Shakespearian. Farrow actions as a young woman and mother do not present her well. It is worth reading Allen's response on the matter in Variety. I think molestation a very serious offence that does go unreported and young women and men suffer, but in this case it seems there is more at stake than Dylan's happiness. At this point in Dylan's life, wouldn't a mother be more concerned with her daughters life-long well being. This case had its day in court years ago. Dylan's life is clearly separated from Allen's. Shouldn't Dylan be working on building a life of value and moving forward. What's the motivation here?

The biggest challenge is doing school and going to town in the same day. I spend a lot of time in the car. It's 1.5 hrs one way to town, so when I go to town we do as much as we can: Swim team 3x a week, piano, singing, Taekwondo 3x a week, etc. This year I managed to fit in swimming for myself. So we cram all the gear and groceries in the back of the car and go for 8-10 hours at a time. This period of time is short in the scope of things, but the benefits to kids are immeasurable. Social time is time spent doing an activity. Personally, I think social time is a bit overrated. The kids spend time reading or build mad fantasy places in minecraft. We play family games or watch movies. They see other kids at community gatherings or the occasional play-date. For teens this rural living is hard even if they go to "regular" school. Most kids around us don't make it through high school because of the distance. Try getting a teen up at 5am to catch the bus at 5:40am. These kids, including two of mine, wind up in some sort of alternative education setting with low expectations.

Here is a link to a West Marine's wetsuit page. DH surfs the Nor Cal coast and uses a 5mm wetsuit + booties. Does your son also wear a float coat? If so, then maybe the wetsuit can be lighter.