I've purchased a few books to help me along as I investigate these issues with DS 12 (and DD8). Admittedly, they set my mind to spinning as there is so much info. out there. The lines between "typical behavior and normal kiddo stuff" and "these are issues that should be evaluated" are blurred for me. :) Any recommendations on how to find a reputable, homeschool friendly neuropsych? Pediatrician recommendation and church family are my starting points and perhaps the best way to go. :coolgleamA:

Thanks everyone. Good ideas and food for thought here. Why coffee? :) How do I give him harder school work? I had hoped to enroll him in some online classes but honestly backed down due to worries over the distractibility. I don't want to overwhelm him and its scary to risk a $500 class (was looking at the WTM Academy writing and also Latin .... ). I'm not sure what harder would look like if he's "on level" in math and other subjects. I steer clear of anything that is "busy" for him as he questions pointless and useless assignments. He'd prefer to "just do it orally" or skip it because he already gets it. Even in math I'm not REALLY sure .... He DOES focus better there (so many silly little careless errors though). We use Math Mammoth and I'm trying to cut out how much I ask of him without sacrificing mastery. What kind of place or person would I go to for a complete evaluation? Is there a name for what kind of evaluation I would want? Should I post the same questions on the learning challenges board or just enjoy reading over there? I do think (and have dipped my toe in the water in posting about this kiddo in the past) he is SO SMART and CAPABLE if only these issues weren't bogging him down. Our relationship is MUCH better since DH and I have backed down on some of our hard line tactics (they were motivated by love and concern and it took us a good while to figure out we were making things WORSE!).

DS12 is a GREAT kid. :coolgleamA: His distractibility challenges have gotten NO better over the years. I have to ride him constantly and FAR more than any of my other children and in all areas of life EXCEPT his obsession with all things Lego. He is a boy. I understand this. But, I know lots of boys (have 3 of my own, gobs of boys in my life in the form of nephews and buddies to my kids :) ) and THIS boy has a tough time with focus. He is distracted by his own BRAIN. I could put him in an empty, sound proof room and he'd still not get through a modest to do list in a reasonable amount of time. He is always off in his own world OR chatting about it (he's a talker). He is staring into space. He wanders. A lot. He goes down to put 1 thing away and forgets to come back. He leaves to use the bathroom and forgets to come back. He loses stuff, puts his clothes on backwards (still!! after all these years :) ), drops things, forgets, etc. An absent minded professor type .... He says he is always BURSTING with ideas that need to get out and it makes him feel "stressed and overwhelmed". Loves to create: write, build, design (games, Lego, gadgets) Says that classical music RELAXES him and helps him to focus (why is this?) He LOVES the trampoline (the small, rebounder) and it relaxes him. He jumps and thinks. A lot. Based on lots of things I have read (books, websites) I think he has significant challenges with Executive Skills and that he is a Right Brain kid (still reading on this one). He may have A.D.D. as he certainly fits the checklists I've done (not sure how accurate or truly helpful those are). I don't know that a diagnosis matters but I want to know how to HELP him get on top of the inability to focus and stay on task. It's truly affecting his life and our family with no improvement over the years. We have had him tested twice at a place called H.E.L.P. (Help Eliminate Learning Problems); once at age 8 and once at age 11. At age 8 his scores in 12 areas of cognitive development were fascinatingly asynchronous (unusual they said) in that according to their assessment he was processing like a college student in some areas and at the lowest possible place in others. We considered the program (a "brain training" type of program) but we were unable to make it work logistically. Now, we have options due to Skype/Facetime and other resources. His results to the same test at age 11 were better though his "weak" areas remained lowest (though they were up in the "normal" range for his age). We didn't feel that his scores warranted spending $3500 on the program YET (though it isn't off the table as it *could* really help him ... it's such a huge financial risk when his scores are normal now). It's so hard to convey what he is like in writing. It's a drain on his life and our relationship. HARD tactics always blow up. We have to tread gently and seek to be joyful and loving toward him while gently helping. If we confront with a hard line consequence he implodes as a person (panics, feels utterly overwhelmed and in despair, has even wanted to leave this earth :( ). We have learned that he doesn't need some "kick in the pants" like some kiddos do as he isn't choosing to be lazy or disobedient. I believe he is genuinely unable to focus or stay on task UNLESS he is doing his thing: Lego, writing, designing, thinking (he is so creative and is literally bursting with inspiration all.the.time and he says it sometimes HURTS because he has so many ideas he needs to get out). I don't know what to ask. Should we put him through some sort of cognitive therapy to help his thinking/brain/executive function/??? Can Dianne Craft materials help here? I am FASCINATED by the stuff on her site but would literally have to buy it outright as I can't find it via friend or library here. It looks like, based on samples and articles on her site, that her work is very much like the work done at the H.E.L.P. place and would be far less expensive (though require ME to learn and facilitate). Supplements or nutrition? We aren't awful but we aren't Paleo either. We take Fermented Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Blend and D3 (when it isn't summer). I have seen NO GROWTH in this area with time and maturity. It bothers him. He feels like he doesn't know what to do about it ..... feels like he's failing at times. Feels worthless and hopeless. Maybe I need to keep with my gentle parenting and incessant reminding (argh!) and hope for the best? I'd like to see growth though and an increase in his ability to stay on task. He DOES manage to stay on task with math but I don't require him to spend more than 45m -1h on math daily (and it's USUALLY about 45m) in two blocks with a trampoline break in between.

Only my youngest uses HOD. We have tried DiTHR and it wasn't a good fit for us (though I have the highest respect and regard for Carrie Austin). We absolutely LOVE Christian Light Reading beginning with 4th grade.

Erin, THANKS! My Rainbow Resource order was prepared just this week and I'd asked my hubby to give me the green light so I could process it this weekend. I can add CtGE to the order for a song! I'm really excited to give CtGE a go and I think I will be able to use WWE and WS alongside in a very natural, organic, low stress manner. I have strongly considered CtGE in the past but felt afraid to leave R&S. :) The timing of your post is a God send. Thank-you.

Erin, Thanks a million for sharing your review of CtGE. While I find R&S super effective and thorough it's the TIME it takes to teach 3 kids .... and IF I'm pressed or preoccupied then someone's English gets dropped. You can bet I'm hopping over to peek at CtGE again. How I wish they'd reformat those books though. :coolgleamA: ETA: Erin, do you find that a person can use these at their grade level? Are the re-spellings a problem in Level 3? How much time per lesson and how many days per week? If there are 100 Lessons then am I right in thinking I could plan to use CtGE 3x per week for 30 weeks? That would be about perfect for what I'm trying to achieve here as I want room for other writing twice a week (old school Writing Strands and a bit of WTM style with content). Oh, thanks for sharing this!

I believe that my 8 and 10yo need a more in depth understanding of Place Value . Currently, they are using CLE as their main math program and I do *some* supplementing with MM on occasion. Would WATCHING Math-U-See videos help with this? I have found in past sampling of MUS that the way Steve Demme lays out place value was VERY helpful (well, I have found all the MUS samples I've watched to be helpful). However, I don't want to use MUS or switch math programs. I just believe that spending a bit of time on place value would be helpful and I'm not sure the right way to go about it. :bigear:

Can I walk through this with DD8 and DS10 and consider grammar and writing covered for awhile? In other words, do I have to teach grammar separately or will we get enough within TC? My kids have had some grammar but not a thorough treatment.

Did my best to peruse my posts and edit a couple of things. I don't think I've ever posted a picture. Phew! But, I had to delete my beloved avatar. BUMMER! Now I'm a faceless, colorless, blah.

Hi happycc, We didn't do Grammer Cracker but I'm pondering Time Capsule. I adore Amy. She is personable, professional, and organized. My son loved the two courses he took. Time Capsule is a bigger time commitment for writing than I want this fall so that has given me pause. 45m a day for the work and an hour on Webinar day with a Friday evening or Saturday morning due date is a pace I'm not sure we can commit to. I need to decide ASAP as my plans for fall are coming together and writing is a high priority for 6th grade.

Thank-you all for sharing with me how AG fleshes out in the day to day! Sounds quite workable for our goals and now I know how to schedule it. :)

Thanks for the feedback. I think my son using Fable is producing better thinking and work due to talking through it. I'll have to test out giving him more independence though. Now that we have a few lessons under our belt he may do just fine. :) Man, I didn't think of having him work in a notebook so I could reuse the student book. Rats, rats, rats! I like CAP W&R so much I may TRY it with the oldest in Narr 2. It is only 11 lessons. :)

I am using Fable with my 10 yo and so far we like it! It has been 100% teacher intensive in that I've not been able to walk away for any length of time (maybe a few minutes while he writes an amplification or summary but sometimes he needs me to talk through it). I'm thinking about Narrative 2 and Chreia for my rising 6th grader but the LAST thing I can handle is a writing course that is 100% teacher dependent. There is simply not enough of my time to go around this crew. Semi-independent, open/go, written to the student type of curriculum seems to yield better results because we get to it. W&R is so engaging and I want to use it. Please let me know if you think it can be used in a semi-independent fashion with older students (as in, would you hand it over and let them go for it?). I may have to let this one go or use it with only one student this year (my middle guy would win as he's already using Fable).

Will you please share how much time you and your student spend per day or week in Season One? Is it 100% teacher intensive or am I able to work through the lesson and release my student to complete the assignment independently? Are the R&R sheets independent? Thanks!

Hmmm. I have been checking off and on for a few weeks. When did you buy yours?

Amazon doesn't have Narrative II Teacher Edition. Rainbow doesn't have any part of Narrative II. As far as I can tell I can only order it from CAP at this time. I am happy to do so though. It is such a fun, easy to use program.

I am also interested. I tried posting a question on the FB page about placement criteria for the writing classes. Since I am not a FB savvy lady I don't know if I posted it correctly. Waiting .....

I am so sorry :crying: . You have my deepest sympathy over your beloved's passing …

Thanks Ivey. :)

Okay, one more question. RR has a Homeschool Edition and then the Revised versions of the Teacher's Manual and Student Book. UGH. In reading the explanations I'm not seeing the difference between these. Do I want the revised Teacher's Manual or the Homeschool Edition? Any idea on the differences? ETA: It looks like the Homeschool Edition is the original? Same price. Same format?

Thanks so much! :coolgleamA:

Can we use a composition book in lieu of the SR book? Based upon what I read on Rainbow Resource the daily spelling lists are worked through in an unusual order to prevent kids from seeing the previous day's work. Will I be able to figure out how to set this up in a comp book or should I buy the student response books? I'd like to NOT spend the money if I can avoid it but WILL if it greatly simplifies my life. FWIW, I'm not interested in the "extra" busywork activities included in the revised SS version. I want to use the old school list method sans busywork.

Hits: Math Mammoth Classical Conversations HOD Little Hands to Heaven (okay, this isn't logic stage but it WAS a hit here ….) Brimwood Press Attuneup Writing Classes Reading Aloud for our pleasure Misses: IEW SWI-A (writing stunk this year; epic fail except for the few weeks we used Attuneup.) Rod & Staff English 5

Love this post! ;)

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