LOL, this is my big brother to a T!!!!! He's very smart by the way. :001_smile: But you always have to take time to have a real conversation with him because he needs time to think. But when he speaks he's usually very much worth listening to!!! I had a vivid memory of going somewhere with him when he was just able to drive and the car wouldn't start on the way home. He just sat there and thought. He probably had a diagram in the engine flashing through his head and was trying to solve the problem himself. He would have sat there for a long time! Fortunately, he had his sister who thinks more quickly (but not as deeply!) there to suggest that we just call Mom and Dad! Now that he's older he also thinks he must have a processing issue, too, interesting. He's a really neat person and I'm sure you are too!

Another good one is 'What Really Happened in the Middle Ages?" Just to confuse you a bit more! We're starting middle ages after the New Year and will be adding in that and 'Famous Men.' Haven't seen the others but these 2 are good! I'm not using either of them for the spine, though.

Hum, I guess you'd call us classical (with the older dc studying Latin) with a Charlotte Mason flair (especially the younger dc). :001_smile:

:iagree: Sounds to me like your ds is doing well! I'm currently teaching my 4th dc to read and only one of them was 'fluent' at 6. One of them was very delayed, has some dyslexic and processing issues we've had to deal with and your ds doesn't sound like that at all. Real, honest to goodness fluency doesn't often come anyway until 8 or 9 in my opinion. It sounds to me like your ds is doing great!!!!

You've all got me excited again! Hope my copy shows up soon!

My older dc (one of them started as a 9th grader) just finished Core 100 and have done it mostly independently. They really enjoyed it and I was very pleased with the core!

Congratulations on your good progress!!!! Definitely a reason to celebrate!

Be encouraged if your 1st grader is progressing!!!! :001_smile: My 10yo ds is FINALLY reading at a 2nd grade level. And one major thing that I had to cope with was guilt reinforced by every random person who suggested that it was something I was doing wrong. Even innocently but painfully added to by my older dc who I had already taught to read! We've discovered a number of special challenges that this intelligent ds has to work around and although it's been a long discouraging road, he's learning. Try to relax, be patient, and just enjoy the ride! And I would try to be very careful that your frusturation that this dc is different doesn't come across to the dc. They're an individual and it's OK! I have a brilliant older brother and one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me was that they didn't assume that I would be like him. That my own giftings and abilities were just as valuable as his.

I used the Rod and Staff preschool workbooks with my last 3yo. You could even just buy some coloring books or very early learner workbooks at Walmart if he's not ready for something formal. I started the school day with the 3 yos 'school time' first and it made him much more content to then let me teach other dc. Just to encourage you as you persevere that they WILL get used to the routine and things will go more smoothly eventually after they learn what's expected of them!!!

I couldn't resist ordering after reading this thread since I've been waiting for it to come out! Even though we're moving overseas and I won't be able to hs after Oct. I'll probably still be afterschooling one dc who needs some extra help, though, so I've justified it that I'll keep on using it with him. All that good 'brain training' will be good for him!

I don't know if Pathway Readers are in the library or not. I ordered mine from http://www.rodandstaffbooks.com/list/Pathway_Readers/?gclid=CIr3-9rk1JcCFQquGgodDWDWDQ They're very inexpensive!!! Here is the site just for Pathway http://pathwayreaders.com/gr1_e.htm These are not 'Dick and Jane' type readers in that they're phonics based, but they are the only thing I've found that really builds upon itself.

Something similar in concept might be a set of readers since they build on vocabulary. My ds who's struggled in reading has taken off with Pathway Readers. He likes the stories, has progressed heaps and gained a lot of confidence about reading, and is comforted to not have new vocab. thrown at him every other word. Maybe that's what she likes about Reading Pathways? I've actually pulled out Phonics Pathways and do about 1/2 a page reivew every day from the 2nd 1/2 of the book along with readers.

The Memoria Press ones are good but they're not very thick. I like the ones by Kim Garcia sold at lulu.com. They're good, have interesting readings along the way, and are definitely the most bang for your buck (thick book) of what I know out there!

I agree with those who suggest world history. Good opportunity!!!!!

Just want to say that I feel your pain! My ds who's now 10 was just like that. I kept at it with him gently and tried to break it up as much as I could but he just had short bursts for his attention span and was a very physically active little boy. He is dyslexic, too, so I really couldn't push him faster than his attention span developed (and because of that your ds is learning faster than mine did at 5). A classroom situation would have been a nightmare for him! He's had progressive jumps in his abilities to focus since then. There was a BIG one at 7, for example. And I think that's actually quite common for boys! So, I would hang in there and do your best to make it interesting but don't feel bad at all if you need to back off some at times while you wait for him to grow. I agree that checking his eyes is a good idea just to be safe, too, though!

I noticed yesterday that my dd in Algebra I has forgotten some of her multiplication facts! Time to pull out Calculadder again. Someone else mentioned the CD-Rom of this and it's one of the best investments I've ever made!!! Instead of panic when I realize their math facts have slipped I just hand them daily review worksheets and they're back up to speed very soon.

Thanks!!!!! I really appreciate the advice and help!

Thanks! Where did you get your solutions manual?????

I was going to mention Memoria Press, too. I like tons of things from Queen's but I agree with you about the copywork books. It depends what age of dc you're talking about but I also REALLY like the books by Kimberly Garcia at: http://www.classicalreadingandwriting.com/ . There's one she's put together for beginners at lulu.com based on McGuffey's Primer also that's free to download.

Has anyone used the Math Without Borders DVD's and Forester's Algebra I? I'm wondering how teacher intensive this is? I read that every other problem has the solution in the back of Forester's but is this the only help with answers the teacher has???? Any feedback will be appreciated!!!!

I have used Alpha Omega Science before for elementary. It was hard for me because I was overseas and couldn't get the 'around the house' stuff for the experiments. I would use them again if we went back to workbooks, however. I actually clicked on this thread to recommend them before I knew that's what you're looking at. Personally, I prefer Apologia elemen. or Real Science 4 Kids, but for something workbooky and easy to use Alpha Omega is very good! Overall these boards aren't into workbooks, I think, so could be why the bad review. :001_smile:

I have a dd using it currently and plan to use with with my 2nd one next year. I can't say that my dd loves it (she's not a math person!) but it's going well and I think is a good program.

We shelved EHE and did some of the World Book readings but not all. All of the other books were fantastic! There's a tremendous exotic flavor to the core and I think was one of my olders dc's favorites!!! And plenty of new information and things to think about by just reading the books. So my vote is absolutely don't abandon it, just tweak!

Very cute! Very honestly? I'd rather think about Kohl's than Algebra any day!

Nice blog!