Dd13 is finishing Saxon 8/7 very soon, and I am conflicted on what to do next. I have not read Art Reeds book, but I have thoroughly read his newsletters from 2010-present. Her last 3 test scores were all at 75%, with a few tests to go. Mr. Reed states the last 5 tests must be 80% or above to move on. I would say her errors are 50/50 silly mistakes to not complete understanding. Not double checking and sloppy work are definitely her MO, but that might be typical for her age. Her most recent assignments are definitely showing improvement in understanding. If she gets above 80% on the remaining tests, would that be enough for you to feel comfortable to move on? Or would you say, eeehh, better review through it again and do Algebra 1/2...putting her in Algebra 1 as a freshman. . I am also tempted to have her re-take the placement test and final Alg 1/2 test from the Saxon website, even though Mr. Reed advises against it. What do think about that? I really do appreciate your advice. I want her to succeed at math...whether it is repeating pre-algebra, or moving on. What I also don't want is to waste a year in reviewing concepts that it looks like are still covered again in Algebra 1, kwim, and be too boring. :confused: Please help.

Oh my gosh! (wretch) Thanks for the vanilla extract instructions (wretch), but I have to leave now before I get sick. :tongue_smilie:My gag reflex is so sensitive, I can't swallow most meds. Oi!:lol:

Breakfast was toast and coffee. Lunch will be burritos, that sounds good to me too. Dinner will be a crockpot dish of coconut curry chicken. I am thankful for healthy kids. A friend of mine's child was just diagnosed with epilepsy. I am not thankful for the weather. The rain is here and hasn't stopped since Sunday or Monday, and we really didn't get a summer to speak of. Very depressing actually. My wish is that I can get caught up on corrections, laundry, and get my last batch of salsa verde made and put away....the tomatillos are sitting on the counter, staring at me and they need to go away.

I don't mean to break up the party:001_smile:, but I have always wanted to make homemade vanilla and this thread reminded me that I need to get going on it if I am to have it ready for Christmas. Is there a super website that describes the process and supplies, and where do you get the best deal on whole vanilla beans? Again, sorry for intruding on the baby party.

I don't mind hearing it in plant names (horticulture major), but looking at the books and listening to the audio CDs...it's like nails on a chalkboard. I can't do it...and you can't make me!:banghead: With that said, we did attempt to start spanish this week with dd13 and the blankity blank software it not working. Paid hundreds for it. Now I am going to have to spend time on the phone with tech support.:confused: Probably wouldn't have happened if I had been a good little WTM momma and chose Latin. Poo. Other than that I think we are pulling off WTM for our 2nd year...Oh but I did switch olders to IEW and they like it much better than WTM.

Bumping. I posted it late, so maybe not many people saw my humble request?:001_smile:

The symptoms your son is experiencing are exactly the symptoms I have experienced, as well as my husband. I usually end up on prednisone about once a year as treatment for pneumonia, and my husband has an extreme poison oak allergy that is treated with predinisone also. It doesn't take a high dose to have these symptoms. It makes you totally hyper and makes your appetite insatiable, but it does really make a huge positive impact on your recovery from whatever the health issue is. Benedryl makes most people drowsy, so it may counter act the hyperness at night so your dc can sleep better. If my dc had another night like yours, I might try the Benedryl just so he (and everyone else) can get some quality sleep. In the mean time, hang in there. Try to 'structure' the hyperness into productive things...I always get an amazing amount of chores done on about day 3 of my predinisone treatments. :001_smile: I actually get a little giddy when the dr. prescribes it knowing I will actually get something done as soon as I feel better, which with prednisone, doesn't take long.:lol: Now I sound like a junkie.:tongue_smilie:

My older kids keep busy taking notes during the lesson and doing research papers later, but my ds/dd8 get bored just listening to the content. They loved coloring pages from The Crusades coloring book last year when we did Vol.2 but I am really not sure which ones would be a good fit for Vol.3. We live 2 hrs away from a store that carries a decent selection, so your input is greatly appreciated before ordering from RR.

Thank you for your very thoughtful and very insightful response. You have presented your case in such a clear way, that I am again inspired to keep up our diagraming study. Dd13 writes very well, and most of her writing isn' flat, rather it swings to the other end of the spectrum to sometimes be so 'flowery' that it gets a little hard to follow. I think I will bravely(no TM to fall back on:tongue_smilie:) try to have her diagram some of the sentences from some of her literature that she loves, to see if that doesn't make diagraming more edible. The sentences in R&S 8 are great for intruction, however they are also boring. THanks again for taking the time to answer my questions.

What do you think of diagramming at this level? Is is still necessary? We are working through R&S 8, and some of the diagrams are starting to look like oak trees.:tongue_smilie: Would it be really short changing dd13 if I gave her the shape of the diagram, and she filled it in? I only would do this for the most complicated ones of course.

Thank you for all your information. I will see if I can get a hold of that book and do some reading at the website you recommended. I haven't really done much investigating into this as a serious problem, other than dismissing it as "how God made her". I read the book by Tobias called The Way They Learn about different learning methods and how to figure out the best teaching method based on some personality traits...she was Abstract Random. I am wondering now if there are links to her speach issues as well (bi-lateral lisp). Well, I know what I will be doing this evening...research.

Do you think the eye dr. or regular pediatrician would give initial diagnosis? I would assume they would then refer to a specialist. She has an eye dr. appt later this week.

I wished it could be fixed that way...I think it is really her personality. Messy is okay with her. Not the typical type A first born mentality of perfectionism or tidyness. It isn't just her school work, but her room, etc. I just keep telling myself that I just have to keep training, training, training...someday she will leave the house and she can live in her mess if she so chooses...but I will train her otherwise and be able to look back knowing I did my part. Doesn't make doing math with her any easier now. Just keep swimming....

This is all very helpful. I knew that if I asked someone who had btdt, I would get good info. Since it does pick up a bit in later lessons...I will just save my money...go through the instruction...but require more from her in her writing assignments in other subjects like lit and history. Do you think it is necessary to do SWI-C before doing elegant essay? Or could she start right off with that next year after completing B and the US History based writing?

The hill of neatness feels like Mt. Everest with our dd13. Thankfully, the writing is better...but the math...oh, mercy. Graph paper cannot harness the madness. I even had my husband do the math corrections once this week, and they ended up in a "principal-student conference" in the garage, and her returning in tears. I have resisted the rewards incentives, but I think I will have to get it going...and make the stakes high. You are not alone.

I got SWI-B for my 6th and 8th graders, as the catalog suggests especially for 8th graders new to IEW. We have just finished lesson 4, and it seems too easy for the 8th grader...though is perfect for the 6th grader...Hallelujah! Anyway, I am not sure if I should have her finish it out or get the SWI-C. Our plan is to do one lesson SWI-B per week, which so far is working nicely, then do the US History based writing book. My question is, should I have dd13 stick with SWI-B? Is there that great a difference btwn SWI-B and C, that C would be too difficult for a IEW newbie? Any other ideas? Thanks in advance for your advice.

Soft start tomorrow with math, english, and intro to IEW for first 2 wks. Will start full load after labor day when I get the rest of our materials. This is the start of our 3rd year...and they are now excited to do school at home. Finally.:001_smile:

If I had gone with my original plan in my op, we would be in a mess. Thanks to you fine folks, I have a better plan, and we will hopefully get in some of the History Based Writing AFTER we get through the SWI. Thanks for your help.

Also posted in Logic Stage Forum: So I purchased the TWSS DVDs, SWI-B for dd13 and ds11, and the US History based writing Lesson, Vol.1. I realize I could have done without the History based writing...but thats what they love to write about so I got it. I noticed in this book that the daily lessons do not go in order of Unit 1, Unit 2, etc. It jumps around. So would it work to follow the lesson plans of the History Lessons, and jump around on the SWI-B DVD to match the unit the lesson applies to? Or, is it all important to do the SWI-B DVD program in the order its in. period.? Its an expensive program, and I don't want to screw it up and have it be one more thing we dont finish because we did it wrong in the beginning and have to backtrack to get it right. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks. __________________ Wife of 14 years to a handsome law man. Dd13- Ds11- Ds/dd8 twins-

So I purchased the TWSS DVDs, SWI-B for dd13 and ds11, and the US History based writing Lesson, Vol.1. I realize I could have done without the History based writing...but thats what they love to write about so I got it. I noticed in this book that the daily lessons do not go in order of Unit 1, Unit 2, etc. It jumps around. So would it work to follow the lesson plans of the History Lessons, and jump around on the SWI-B DVD to match the unit the lesson applies to? Or, is it all important to do the SWI-B DVD program in the order its in. period.? Its an expensive program, and I don't want to screw it up and have it be one more thing we dont finish because we did it wrong in the beginning and have to backtrack to get it right. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.

I am considering having dd13 use the lapbook journal for Apologia Physical Science by Knowledge Box Central. I was wondering if anyone has used it and thought it was a good use of time/financial resources. Also wondering if it is too childish. Any comments helpful. Thanks.

My oldest 2 dc have both had one, and we only had a few minor problems. My dd towards the end of her treatment, formed a nasty coldsore right where the herbst was hitting her cheek in her mouth. It got so bad they had to take the herbst out a week early, but the ortho said it was fairly common and it healed in a few days. My ds grinds his teeth when he sleeps and broke his several (like 5) times...this is typical for boys they told me...and they fixed it every time for free. So, I guess our experience wasn't uneventful, but nothing out of the ordinary either. Their bites are fixed now. I am sure that my younger 2 dc will have the same treatment and I have no anxiety at all about it. I only wished they had the herbst when I had to have ortho work instead of headgear. The humiliation!:lol:

We have used the Teacher CDs and love them. You really need the book, and it matters what edition you get. The Teacher CDs support 3rd edition. This is how we use ours...but others should chime in on how they use theirs too. I first have my child read the new lesson, then hop on the computer and watch the lesson taught by the tutor/teacher. I have them follow along with the lesson practice problems, then the kids do the mixed practice section as their assignment. When they are done, I correct it, then they rework all the corrections. If they STILL get it wrong...and I have deemed that they have used due diligence in trying to figure it out (like asking dad for help, looking back to the orignal lesson, etc.)...then I let them go to the problem on the computer and watch the teacher work it out. This has seemed to work pretty good. If there is a particular concept that is just not sinking in, and my explanation isn't helping either, then we supplement with the math tutorials at www.khanacademy.org. The reason I would chose the Teacher CDs over the DIVE, is that the teacher CDs have every single practice problem as well as the test problems. The DIVE CDs dont have near as much support, I was told they dont have practice problems for the new concept and that they only have the solutions for every other problem. The Teacher CDs and the DIVE are almost the same exact price, around $50 ea. I hope this is helpful.

Thank you so much for all your thoughtful comments. They are very appreciated. If anyone else would like to comment, please keep them coming...