I would vote "Yes, too much". My oldest daughter did GS in the 6th grade, I will wait for my younger to do it in 7th. It is more in-depth than what you think when you just look at it. If you give test or do the "Own Your Own Questions" there is alot of application of the information not just rote learning. Plus, the next year, Physical Science, has been a tough struggle this year for my oldest...things I never had in Physics in high school and some information that I teach in a Senior level college course. So, I would not push it. The material will be much easier with a little more maturity. Virginia

Despite what you have heard about eggs, they are good for us. Buy those from grassfed/freerange chickens. One good breakfast recipe, chop up veggies (asparagus, red/green bell pepper, onions) and saute, then mix in eggs to scramble. Watch the fruits that you eat initially as some such as bananas are extremely high in sugars. Good ones to start with are berries particularly blueberries, Granny Smith apples, pears. I did this diet extreme....no/limited carbs, nothing with vinegar, yeast, MSG, any type of sugars (anything ending in "ose") for nine months. Lost a lot of weight and it is true your tastes change. There are lots of great websites with good recipes and suggestions....I was trying to think of some of the ones that had recipes that I used, but my mind is blank right now...maybe wholeapproach.com. Its tough at first, but you get used to it. Good luck. Virginia

I'm fairly new to posting on the board, although I have been reading it for awhile. We are in North-Central Mississippi about 20 minutes west of Starkville. Hey Dawn, good to see you on here. I have not noticed any of your other posts. We made it back the hills. Are ya'll still in the Delta? Virginia

Thanks for posting this information! Homeschooling SLP

As I stated above the Xylitol works well. My oldest daughter was cavity prone, then started chewing gum with xylitol. We have not had cavities in 7 or 8 years. We recently moved and began seeing a new dentist, who is the president of our states dental association, he actually recommended it also without knowing we used it. As far as the flouride, rinse may work well and be great, but as far as giving flouride pills, I would check out the info about other health issues associated with too much flouride in the body. You can google it and find out lots of negative side effects of flouride. Homeschooling SLP

Chewing gum with xylitol. Xylitol which is the sweetner is actually well documented to improve the enamel on your teeth. Xylitol is a natural sweetner that does not elevate blood sugar. Homeschooling SLP

Here is the recipe I grew up eating and it is my absolute favorite dish..... Cook brown rice about half done, mix with ground beef, onion, and a can of large can of diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stuff and bake. About 10 to 15 minutes before removing the bell peppers, cover the tops with ketchup and put back in the oven. Virginia

Thanks everyone for the great tips and information. I really appreciate it; it has solved my dilemma. A slower pace would be best for us, therefore, we will stick with Henle I next year and do half next year and the other half the next. It is so good to hear this type of information from people who have been there rather than having to attempt something and spin your wheels.:auto: Pat, YES!! to your offer. I would love to have a copy of the study guide for Lesson 6. I take anything that makes Latin clearer and easier to understand! You can e-mail me at your convenience directly at mvnw2002@yahoo.com. Thanks. Carrie, I will check on the Seton answers. Thanks for that input. I feel so much better about this move to Henle I now. I think we can handle the Catholic and gory (for some reason my older child is really into the Roman gory stuff). Such a relief to have that dilemma solved.:) Virginia

I have two dds, one who will be Grade 6 and one who will be Grade 8 next year. Both will have completed Latina Christiana II. After some dilemma and posts on the K-8th board from which I found out that Henle I starts with some review of what was learned in LC II, I had determined that both dds would begin Henle I next year and basically do Henle 1/2 next year finishing it the next. I was relieved to have that decision made. Then, I read some of the recent posts on the High School Forum about Wheelock and how much better it is organized....Aaagghhh! Now, I am uncertain again. Specific questions for my situation...Given the ages/grades of my dds and the fact that Wheelock is a college text, is it too much for them? Would the choice of Henle be an easier move or does Wheelock's first text begin "at the beginning"? Latin has been VERY difficult for us in that I have never had Latin or any other foreign language before, so momma has had difficulty guiding them through even with LC. I want us to continue but not get in over our heads before we are ready. Opinions please. HomeschoolingSLP

Thanks for the input. Latin has been a struggle with us, so if the guides really do aid in how to study Henle I, they would be worth it. I just wanted to hear that from someone who had actually seen them for theirself. Moving to Henle scares me anyway, so any help will be worth the money. Thanks. Homeschooling SLP

We have used both Shurley Grammar and my oldest this year (7th grade) did Rod and Staff. So, I can speak from having used both. I loved, loved, loved Shurley Grammar for the most part. As stated in a previous post, SG solidifies the rules of grammar, helps the children parse out the sentence which is a wonderful aid in understanding grammar, in my opinion, more so that diagramming could ever do. I also like the synonymns/antonymns which if used correctly can be great for vocabulary development. Unlike many here, I like the writing also. I agree with others that the writing is lacking in many areas, but what it does do as it does with grammar is simplify and solidify the rules of how to construct paragraphs, essays, and reports. In my experience with my children as well as in teaching professionally reading and writing skills, the more you can simplyfy something and lay it out in a systematic fashion, the easy children will learn and RETAIN....and this SG definitely does. Now, does SG have its cons? Definitely yes. It is too repetitive from year to year and lacks in some of its workbook activites. Knowing now what I know I would not have used it every year through grade 6 with my oldest. I would have skipped some years and stopped in grade 5 and moved on to something else. We moved to Rod and Staff 7 after SG grade 6...whew, what a jump. I think my younger will do better moving from grade 5 SG to Grade 6 R&S. Those are my plans for her for next year. R&S is very thorough and in the writing does deal more with the details and embellishments of writing which is where we need to go next. It also gives more workbook activities which we needed. Although R&S is difficult, the things that make it easier for my older child this year is what she learned in SG...parsing. Because she can parse a sentence she can diagram it and pick out objectives in the workbook type activities. Without the parsing, I think children would learn the parts grammar, but never "GET" how it all works together. So, to sum things up based on my own experience with these two programs, both have pros and cons, but can complement each other. I am so grateful to have used SG. I would just do it few years...skipping some years and stopping at Grade 5, then move on to something else. Homeschooling SLP

If we have completed Latina Christiana I & II and plan to move into Henle I next year, are the Henle Latin Guides going to be helpful? Are they worth the money? Opinions please. Homeschooling SLP

We used Shurley. Each year gives a good bit of repetiion of the previous year. The Shurley 1 starts with categorization skills which is really a kindergarten level skill and then moves more into grammar. Depending on the maturity of your children, you really have two options: Begin both this fall in Shurley I or wait until the year after. My youngest came out of the PS after first grade having had no grammar. We did Shurley I but skipped the categorization and then moved on to Shurley. If I had known that there was so much repetition, I would have started her with Shurley 2. Homeschooling SLP

I am a Speech-Language Pathologist by training. The best language curriculum is free, not a bought curriculum. Just as stated in an earlier post. Children learn language by hearing language. So talk, talk to her about everything she sees, everything she does, everything you do. Read, read, read....the same books over and over until she "reads" them back to you. Have her answer simple questions about what you just read or what she just saw on TV. Sing songs, learn finger plays and simple rhymes. Rhyme everything...this is an important phonological skill which will play largely into pre-reading and pre-spelling skills. Play sound games such as ...tell me all the words you can that start with the /f/ sound. Count and do simple verbal/visual adding..."Look, I have one cookie and you have one cookie. If we put them together, how many cookies do we have." Play "I Spy" looking for things of different colors, different shapes, different functions. Color, trace, and play in the sand, shaving cream, etc making shapes, numbers and letters. Following a developmental skill checklist is a great suggestion. For further info on language and speech development in children you can check out www.asha.org (log in as a consumer or non-professional, I can't remember exactly how it is listed) and type in a search for info you want. You will also want to check out articles or lists on phonemic (phonological) awareness skills as these are the underlying developmental skills for good reading and spelling. So, as I tell lots of parents...have fun, play, and talk until you feel your jaw will drop...great language will come...that includes spelling and reading skills too! Homeschooling SLP

Thanks for the advice from all. I did not know exactly where Henle I picked up, so knowing that it begins with some review of what has previously been learned in Latina Christiana will definitely aid in the decision. Homeschooling SLP

Hi everyone. I am new to posting, but have been reading the threads off and on for some time. I have 2 dds, on who will be in the 6th grade next year and one you will be in the 8th. Both are finishing Latina Christiana II this year. This has been a four year struggle for us to go from Prima Latina to Latina Christiana II. Now, the delimna..where to next? Is there a good next step that would bridge them to Henle Latin I later on? I don't want something that will be really weighty for my 8th grader as she will have a heavily loaded year already. Thanks so much for any advice!

Forgot this...another program that is out there is Interactive Metronome. I have had no experience with this program and have been leary because there has been no research, just anecdotal. I checked their website a few months back though and they were in the process of conducting research with an outside group. You may want to look into that. I am not sure about their specific website address, but if you google Interactive Metronome it will come up. Homeschooling SLP

With auditory processing disorders, you see such varied and atypical patterns in speech and language dependent upon the specific auditory deficits. Many children with auditory processing deficits don't stick out as having language impairments, so as you describe with your son they do seem mild. Sometimes it involves things receptively like processing commands, auditory reasoning, remembering the sequence of sounds or words, being able to process when there is background noise, and a delay in vocabulary. Expressively, it is very common to exhibit halting speech often with poor expressive vocabulary and in speech some may exhibit a different intonation and stress pattern to their speech Some of these kids have areas of very high or normal strengths interspersed with deficits. As I stated in the previous e-mail, the best way to determine those specific deficts is a good diagnostic evaluation. You have done part of it, but the specific language evaluation and recommendations would be given by the speech-language pathologist not the audiologist. From this then you can best determine the specific skills that you need to address rather than trudging onward hit and miss. You can work on "language", but unless you are targeting the specific deficits, you won't see an improvement in the weaknesses. This is not something you can treat as a whole and see changes in the parts, but rather needs treatment of the parts to complete the whole. Fastforward is used alot with auditory processing and research does show that intensive use of the program shows improvements in receptive language skills. It does not target expressive language, nor does Earobics. Given the information you just provided, I don't think Earobics would be an option for you as it targets sound sequencing patterns. Since he reads and spells well this is not an issue with him. Fastforward can be very expensive and most of their research has been generated through their own work, not outside. Before jumping on that bandwagon, I would first seek the full speech-language evaluation, primarily because it may be that what it is designed for does not match the needs of your child. Now, there are some other websites that carry workbooks with specific skills targeted in them...some are www.linguasystem.com, www.superduper.com , but again before spending money (some of these workbooks are rather expensive) I would do my homework and get the full evaluation. You can then go from there. As far as computer programs that really work well with expressive language deficits, there are none. Hope this helps. I know this can be a very overwhelming task in searching and finding what works best for a child. Homeschooling SLP

If there is a speech-language pathologist available, you need a complete assessment with specific recommendations for treatment. They can design you a specific home-based program to target the specific deficit areas. You must treat each of the deficit areas in order to remediate the whole. So a very thorough assessment is important. The Visualizing/Verbalizing is great aid for learning, but it is not a program designed to remediate the language problem itself. If you tackle the language issues along with that then you are not just teaching to her stronger skill (visual abilities) but also remediating the weaker skill. This weaker skill is necessary for reading, spelling, writing and grammar. Without these you will be stopped in your tracks. Homeschooling SLP

I am interested to know the credentials of the person completing your CAPD evaluation. If it was an audiologist, which is the certified individual who should perform this, then you should receive a complete report explaining the results and providing recommendations. One recommendation that should be made is for an FM system. These are used very frequently to eliminate issues with background noise. It is a system where the speaker has a microphone that sends a signal directly to the receiver which is worn by the child. This way they do not pick up the background noise but hear the speaker directly. You have half the evaluation completed, but most children with auditory processing problems have related language issues. Therefore, to complete this evaluation, you need to see a Speech-Language Pathologist. They should administer such tests as Test of Auditory Perceptions (TAPS), Clinical Evalaution of Language Fundamentals (CELF), some type of receptive and expressive naming tests (there are several out there), and if there are issues with reading and spelling, some tests of phonemic awareness. From these specific deficits can be identified that the speech-pathologist can direct treatment for remediation. There should be things that they recommend to you for improvement at home...for instance if there are issues with reading and spelling, they may direct you to a spelling and reading program that initiates with phonemic awareness exercises before moving into a phonics program such as Lindamood-Bell's Phonemic Awareness program. There are some good computer programs designed to help Auditory Processing Issues...Earobics and FastForward. FastForward is more expensive and is overseen by a therapist; you can buy Earobics for your computer at home. I am a certified Speech-Language Pathologist and have taught in Communicative Disorders at a major university for over eight years...just so you will know where I am coming from. Homeschooling SLP

At the end of each chapter in the Activity Book there are many suggestions both historical non-fiction or geography related and non-fiction. There are also grade levels listed beside each and a short synopsis so that you can best select what fits your child.

Auditory Processing Evaluations are completed by a combination of Speech-Language Patholgoists and Audiologists. The first step is to see an audiologist for a complete audiological evaluation which will assess hearing acuity (this is a requirement before continuing with the processing evalaution). If hearing acuity is normal, the child is the scheduled for a future auditory processing evaluation. The audiologist performs this in a sound booth. Typically, on another date the speech-pathologist will complete further testing which is somewhat different that the audiolgoist's and provides different information. The two professions should provide you with a detailed report with specific recommendations for remediation. Age 7 is now considered the age at which a child becomes eligible for the evaluation, so with your daughter at age 9 she would be eligible. She may have learned to compensate in some ways but helping her and yourself identify her specific deficits will only further advance her in compensating. There are also specific therapeutic strategies that can improve the skills, as well as, such devices as FM systems which the audiologist may or may not recommend dependent on what deficits are identified.

I am a homeschooling mom but professionally am a speech-language pathologist. Susan Barton's program is great. It is expensive, but it will work. For those who don't know all of the theory of reading and spelling, and disorders thereof, this program is exceptionally well laid out...Very systematic so that anyone can just follow it.

I am a speech-language pathologist and also homeschool. Your post caught my attention. One of my specialty areas is dyslexia. My suggestions, as already above...vision testing, then schedule an appoint with a speech-language pathologist who does testing for language and reading disorders. They should administer an assessment of phonemic awareness skills which are the underlying skills for the development of both reading and spelling. This should be followed by an assessment of his decoding abilities both in real words and in non-sense words (non-sense words are very important). A hearing screening should also be performed by the SLP and if problems are present you should see an audiologist for a full audiological evaluation. If there are deficits in phonemic awareness further auditory processing assessment should be completed (part of this is done by the SLP and part by the audiologist). Based on these results specific recommendations can be given to you for home carryover. Any program you are using for spelling should reinforce your reading program. You should choose an Orton-Gillingham based method. You can google that and come up with several. One great spelling progam can be viewed at www.learningbydesign.com (expensive but is a one-time buy for all of your school years). Another great option although this is expensive is Susan Barton's Spelling and Reading (maybe reading and spelling??). You can google that and watch a video. My children were beyond the spelling and reading early years when we started homeschooling and I have had limited opportunity to review lots of homeschool spelling/reading programs out there, but I don't see one's that are really complete...so as you review look for the words Orton-Gillingham. I believe the "Phonics Road to ...? Spelling or English" something like that is a Orton-Gillingham based program. Good luck!