Andrew Lost and Little House

We did CC Foundations for 3 years and used the Charlotte Mason Scripture Memory system. I photocopied from the Foundations Guide and put the Q on one side of an index card and the A on the back. (The Memory Cards from CC would be the same thing without the prep work.) We reviewed cards every day while my son ate breakfast. This was we didn't waste time reviewing what he had already mastered and didn't let memorized material slip between the cracks to be forgotten. We spent a max of 20 minutes/day on it (during breaks also), and he learned all the memory work each year. We just treated CC as a separate subject instead of coordinating it with our other studies.

Well, my older child has never had new clothing either. We get hand-me-downs from other families or buy from the thrift store. I don't think it's ever occurred to either of them that they don't get shop and pick out new things.

We *adore* Ellen McHenry's science programs! Ds has one more lesson in the very last program, and he's almost grieving that there won't be another one after he's finished.

SandyKC, the more I read and think about this, the more I realize that auditory memory is probably the biggest issue we have. What made me wonder about auditory problems is that his visual memory is AMAZING. He recalls things with accuracy that he saw once months ago, and he's always really excelled at puzzles and other visual activities. Last year we started playing around with homeschooling, and it became very apparent that he could see something and know it. I actually stopped answering his question "what is this word?" because he had memorized a huge inventory of sight words, and I felt he needed to learn some phonics as well. Meanwhile, we sang the same song about the days of the week every day for 9 months before he learned them. Two days of not singing the song, and he was clueless--didn't even recall it when I sang it for him again. He memorized our phone number in a few days (because he could "read" the numbers), it took 2 months and more than 100 repetitions to learn the name of our street (me saying it and having him repeat it back each time). I honestly think he would have remembered right away if he could have read the word. There are many other examples. At first, I thought he had an extreme learning preference, but now I'm suspecting that it isn't just that he excels at visual learning--he *really* struggles with any auditory input. Would this be more indicative of a memory issue or an auditory issue--or a combination of the two?

Wow! They do have a lot! There's a whole world of resources out there that I never knew about. Do you know how long the sale lasts?

Yes, the auditory memory is definitely a lot of what I'm seeing. Thank you for sharing these resources! Since it sounds like he may be too young for a CAPD evaluation, perhaps we can work on some of this and see whether it's still an issue. I've been at a loss for how to help him improve in this area, and this looks like exactly the guidance I was needing!

We just recently started down this road. I expected to go to an appt and then start treatment but decided to get a 2nd opinion for good measure. 5 opinions later, we found the person who is a good match. Don't be afraid to get more opinions. One key for me was finding someone who was upfront with their long-term plan. (I don't expect them to know exactly how treatment will progress, but I also don't appreciate them keeping me in the dark without even a very vague ballpark of expected course of treatment. Some of the ones I saw would not discuss any possible phase 2 treatment scenarios at all.) I was surprised by how many drs were not used to being questioned. When I politely asked very basic questions or brought up what should be common concerns, 3 of the 5 drs became extremely defensive and then very patronizing. I am not a confrontational person *at all* but I do have some questions when my child is going to be undergoing something this major. I need someone I can dialogue with, and that turned out to be a major factor in finding the right match for us.

I'm suspecting CAPD in my 5 year old. He's always been somewhat delayed with speech and still has some issues (words in the wrong order in sentences, trouble with pronouns, mild pronunciation errors that don't respond to gentle correction, and just very "immature" speech *constantly* using words such as "go-ed" instead of "gone" etc). At this point, he's a little behind in speech but nothing that causes me great concern. He has begun to receive some speech therapy from the public school. Apparently, the teacher noticed issues and referred him, but the speech therapist told me that he has advanced language skills. (I suspect that he is doing better than many of her cases, but there's no question that he's below "normal" in his language---probably hovering near that boundary.) My REAL concern is not his speech but his ability to understand speech and remember what he hears. I am realizing more and more that this is really beyond "normal." I suspect that the speech issues are a symptom of an auditory processing problem. He is quite bright and picks up very well on non-verbal cues. Just recently, I realized that we were having entire conversations and he was answering questions without having the first clue what we were talking about. He's quite the master at gauging what an appropriate response would be when he has no idea what was asked. He's made huge strides in his auditory processing and speech this past year. (Learning to read seemed to "awaken" that part of his brain, and he does not have any issues with phonics though there are a few sounds he cannot distinguish from each other.) He absolutely cannot follow multi-step directions. He cannot hold more than one sentence in his head at a time, so if I make a statement followed by a question--he has no idea what I stated before the question. He doesn't follow conversations. Yet many other common aspects of CAPD are not present. I am concerned that the symptoms he does have will negatively impact his life if we don't address them. My gut feeling is that it's time to seek an evaluation to confirm or rule out CAPD. What do you think? Am I jumping too far ahead? How would I find someone who specializes in this? Does it make sense to do the evaluation now or try some techniques at home to see whether he improves? (And, if so, what would I try? ETA: I should mention that this is not a focus issue. I can get right down at his level and ask him to listen, say a simple sentence, and ask him to repeat it. 50% of the time, he can't. (A year ago, this was 100% of the time even after multiple repetitions.) He can look at me and concentrate with furrowed brow and still not know what I've said sometimes. He *tries* to follow multi-step directions but can't hold them in his head long enough even if he was able to repeat them back to me (which he usually can't). His attention span is unusually long for a child his age.

I'll just speak to the food issue since we have a lot of food issues in our house. At the time we did McHenry's chem programs, I had one child who had anaphylactic allergies to 6 of the top 8 food allergens. My other child was completely dairy and gluten free. Because of this as well as personal preference, I'm not a big fan of food-based activities. We skip them with no problems. McHenry's programs do have a few activities involving food, but most lessons list several hands-on activities designed to teach the same concept. We simply chose the non-food activities. With the video clips and games to reinforce those concepts even further, there really isn't a problem with skipping the food activities.

I've seen a lot of travel pillows (for kids and adults) that will snap or tie onto a seat belt. There are so many free patterns on the internet. I have very basic sewing skills and want to give this a try. Has anyone sewn one of these? What tried-and-true pattern do you recommend? (Ideally, I would love for it to have a removable cover that can be washed. If that complicates matters too much, then I don't mind skipping it though.)

We use the workbook, IP, and CWP. I have several editions of HIG's (mostly Standard but a couple of US ed). I've cracked them open twice in the past 4 years--both times for a very brief time to get ideas for teaching concepts that we're sinking in.

Thank you! It looks like there are more options I need to consider. I'm glad to hear that there isn't any pressing need to do the EXPLORE. Now I can take some time to weigh other options and decide.

We're doing Singapore Math 5 this year, and my plan is to move on to something else for next year. He does not enjoy arithmetic, but loves mathematical reasoning and has done quite a bit of learning on his own in that area. I'm trying to figure out the best next step for us. Obviously, a placement test now won't tell me where he will be at the end of this year. If we need to take the EXPLORE to open up opportunities, I need to be looking into that process now because we have scheduling challenges. If it's unnecessary, then I prefer to skip the EXPLORE because it would involve travel and overnight stay for us. I don't plan to be ds's primary math teacher after this year so I'm looking at other options. Instead of plunging him into algebra (though maybe that is the right step??), I think an online self-paced condensed pre-algebra class would be great. Here's what I've considered: *The Center for Talent Development through NWU has a class that would meet our needs, but it's still pretty expensive IMO. * AOPS (the curriculum I'm leaning toward) has online classes, but they aren't self-paced. I am concerned about pre-algebra being too boring, but algebra being overwhelming. * ALEKS What do you recommend? What else should I be looking at? Any advice about pre-algebra vs algebra placement? There's no rush to decide *unless* we need the EXPLORE, in which case I would need to register him in the next couple of months.

The Your Body Battles series is fantastic! There are several books.

Hmmm . . . my post seemed to get cut off with the link I posted. Here's the rest of what I wanted to say: I made my own Bible study journal using topics and book/chapter notes (*very* plain compared with the bloggers). Wow! Not only has my retention improved (or I can at least quickly find what I need to), but my understanding has deepened as I started piecing together the Bible according to themes. My motivation has improved so much, and I have learned more in the past year than in the previous several years. The great thing is that this works with whatever I'm doing--a sudden insight during prayer, a formal Bible study program, reading through the Bible, whatever. Different things work for different people. I'm very thankful that I found something that works so well for me. The blog is The Red Headed Hostess

I have been so discouraged by my own retention. Honestly, I stopped being motivated to study because I lost any insights/understanding that I gained so quickly. Last year, I happened across this blog:

It sounds like something immune system related. Celiac disease, eosinophilic disorders, or allergies could all cause skin problems as well as reflux/digestive problems. Some bloodwork and a scope would help clarify what's going on.

Oh good! I wasn't finding anything, and it looks like there is a lot here to explore! I appreciate the responses!

My 4th grader started teaching himself piano a couple of months ago and just got beyond the primer level. He's starting to try plunking out original songs on the piano. Is there a basic book or video you recommend for teaching kids music theory? We plan to start piano lessons with an instructor but are waiting a few months before we take that step.

I *think* placed an order with Rainbow Resource Center a couple of days ago. I entered my credit card information, and now my cart there is empty. I was expecting a confirmation email, but I haven't received one (not even in my "junk" folder). Do they send an email confirmation right away? Or just after the order ships? We're getting a late start this year, and I don't want to spend days/weeks waiting for something hasn't actually been ordered.

That helps a great deal! Thank you! I didn't realize it was through the iTunes account, but that makes things much simpler than I was imagining! YAY for simple!

I have an Ipod Touch 1G and am upgrading my computer. I tried searching for information about what I need to do so it will sync with the new computer, but I apparently don't know the terms referring to this process. :P Do I need to restore it to factory settings and then start all over with the new computer? I don't have anything on the Ipod that can't be lost, but it would be ideal if I somehow save it so I don't have to start all over installing apps and such.

My little one sometimes needs to be given a "job" ("painting" the driveway with an old paintbrush dipped in a bucket of water, gathering sticks, etc). And, yes, digging is a popular activity here too.

If the transition just doesn't work, then it might make sense to rule out allergies. My kiddo who did *not* sleep and needed to nurse all the time was in pain due to multiple severe food allergies. There was no family history of food allergies and no eczema or other telltale symptoms. I was at my wit's end before that---far beyond exhausted. Within 2 days of eliminating the allergens, the problem was completely solved.