Nice! I remember match day! It was exciting. My spouse matched to her number 5 or 6 choice I think, but it turned out perfectly! We wouldn't have changed a thing!

I don't think the math of the 70's is much different from that of programs like Math Mammoth (unless you're referring to the set theory stuff of new math of the late 60's? But I don't think you want that!) Math mammoth is solidly on the more traditional pro-algorithm side of the latest 'math wars'...it does focus on the concepts behind the algorithms, but is not the constructivist nonsense of programs like TERC. Anyway, if you like solid math, stick with math mammoth or Singapore. If you like solid math with a more old fashioned style, try something like Saxon or Rod and Staff or CLE. Or find some vintage math book like Rays Arithmetic, though I think it would be awfully hard to maintain interest in that...

My 12 yr old sneakily reads until late. When she first started doing this, I thought there was something wrong when I had trouble rousing her in the morning. The recent compromise is audiobooks with a sleep timer. She typically falls asleep within 15 min of listening (9:30ish), but honestly would still happily sleep until 9:30am.

I'm glad articles are being published about this trend! I find that even when I want to be more free range, my community is not. An elderly lady tells at my 10 yr old every time she goes to the park that she shouldn't be there without me. And the Y insists I sign in kids and walk them to classes instead of dropping them off or letting them walk there.... And I get astounded looks when I mention to other moms that my kids walk to the library or take the city bus... But why shouldn't responsible 10 & 12 yr olds do these things? Fwiw... I do stick close to my 6 yr old foster son who needs more supervision. But... I would totally send my older kids to an adventure playground.

What makes you want to try SM discovering math? We loved SM through 6b, but the DM books were more classroom oriented and somehow not as user friendly as I'd hoped... I would keep going with CLE if it's working. Try Saxon or Teaching Textbooks or one of the online programs if you want more hand-holding.

I've found it's worked well to use a mastery approach to math with a quick daily review. We've used the "math minutes" series. It's not profound or exciting but it takes a few minutes and is a good format to review. It *is* easy... Certainly easier than the corresponding SM scope/sequence that we used, but that's kind of the point... My kids get their challenge from the lesson and the review just keeps old stuff fresh. Also good for test prep...

I know almost nothing about OT. I was kind of under the impression it involved helping people use assistive devices and take care of activities of daily living... But our 6 yr old foster son was just referred for OT for emotional regulation and sensory issues. What would that even look like with kids? He's very independent and has great motor skills. At his best times, he comes across as focused and friendly and polite. Our main concerns are low tolerance for frustration leading to aggression and most recently, a belief that everyone is persecuting him. Can OT address these issues? Can he be taught strategies to avoid escalating anger?

In a way, any time we euthanize a sick pet, we do it for financial reasons... Weighing quality of life and prognosis vs cost of treatment. We euthanized our almost 2 yr old dog last year and I regret waiting so long. We thought surgery and chemotherapy would keep her going for longer. We should have put her down immediately. The additional three months cost $5000 and caused unnecessary suffering. Edited to add --- ack! I didn't realize it was an old thread. Oh well.

I agree - why memorize? Just give your kids a sentence like this: I went _______ the river. Then have them make a list of every word that fits into the blank.... (To, into, over, through, under, around, etc...) Voila! Prepositions! I think learning about grammar is cool, but the important part is knowing how the word class functions, not knowing a list of the words.

What about using a basal reader from a school publishers? Junior great books can be good. Or what about Galore Park SYRWL English 1?

I've been very impressed with Rules of the Game by EPS. I'd probably start with book 2, so you could do book 3 in 8th grade.

I find it's always been okay to see topics at different times or from different angles or presented in different ways. Consider one a preview and the second a review... It's all good!

It's been working really well for my 4th grader. I think she benefits from the one on one, and the direct, gentle spiral.

I do my best to put my blinders on and stick with what is working. My goal is to only change curricula if it isn't working or my child has outgrown the program. If your daughter is learning and progressing with MM, continue on to book 6 without glancing at other programs. If MM 7 comes out, keep chugging along with it. If your daughter hates it and has stopped learning from it, then start looking for alternatives. Traditionally pre-algebra is just a name for middle school level math that comes before an Algebra class... If she's reviewing trickier elementary math like fractions, decimals and percents, and learning about ratios and equations and formulas and exponents and graphing and the Pythagorean theorem, she's doing pre-algebra. MM is solid... I wouldn't change unless there was good reason.

I also get a weird painful-ish muscle cramp sensation right below my ribs sometimes when I bend over... It's worrying only for that minute and then it passes. Let us know if it turns out to be parasitic alien infestation because I may be suffering too.

I have lined up: History - Story of US plus interesting documentaries, films, etc... English - US history DBQs for essay writing and literature with guides aligned with history topics Math - Foerster Algebra Science - Story of science Einstein with a bit of conceptual physics plus lots of activities Geography - Mapping the world with art French & electives - outsourced

My daughter didn't like the story line. Also, it bothered me that the author kept calling determiners adjectives. I suspect he had never actually taken a syntax class.

I really like the Kilgallon books and I think they're awesome at encouraging kids to write more interesting sentences, but I think some parents have felt a little lost with them. They're not always clear in terms of lesson length... you'll need to figure out how much feels right to do. I've used the Sentence Composing for Elementary and I'd probably start there to see if you like the format. I have the Sentence composing for middle school and paragraphs for high school and we'll probably get to those one day.

Do you think the issues are behavioral and part of a power struggle? If so I would check out Books by Ellyn Satter. I've found them sound and balanced. In my own experience, when we have feeding issues, I refuse to make them my struggle. I see my role as providing the healthy kid-friendly food at regular intervals and see the child's role as choosing whether or not to eat it. I've found both my own kids and foster kids will always sort the issues out by themselves and rarely go for more than a meal in protest. I've noticed the same thing with lunches at Head Start. Preschoolers who at home will refuse to eat anything but goldfish crackers, will sit down with their classmates and share a meal. I'm guessing when they're hungry, everyone else is eating, there are no goldfish crackers available, food starts to look more appealing. My disclaimer is that I've never parented a child with an underlying physical or psychiatric problem like anorexia... But among normal kids, even picky eaters will eat healthy food when they are hungry and that is the only option available.

I don't think there's anything just like it - but I'm eager to hear other's ideas! If you like Ellen McHenry because she presents complicated information in an accessible way and doesn't talk down to kids, you might also like: Joy Hakim's Story of Science, Story of US OUP World in Ancient times, etc... Galore Park Latin Prep, religious Ed, English, math, etc... Zaccarro Problem solving, real world algebra Western Lit Survival Kit Horrible history videos Crash Course videos AOPS videos If you like Ellen McHenry because of the cool activities... You might also like History portfolio SOTW activity guide History Odyssey? Connect the thoughts? Caveman chemistry That's all I can come up with right now...

I had lost 10 lbs on a whole-30-esque month o' deprivation in January... I stopped that at the end of January and have not gained it back and have continued to eat lots of veggies and fruit and fewer grains and dairy, disregarding the box of thin mints which was my civic duty on behalf of girl scouting. My total cholesterol also went down from 260 in November to 190 last week.

Did you want a classic or something lighter? Is she particularly mature or more childish in her reading tastes?

My daughter just finished and loved Pride and Prejudice, whipping through it in a few days. She wants to try something else and started in on Emma, but decided she didn't actually want to read a book about a character she didn't like. Does Jane Austen have any other Lizzie Bennet type protagonists?

Rosetta Stone Polish

Check out Crash Course Chemistry and Biology on YouTube. Entertaining and informative!