This question pertains to my 10yo, very science loving kid. He did FLL last year on a charter school team, adored it. We got him the starter Mindstorms NXT kit with the brain from Amazon that comes with basic parts and the software, and the Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Discovery Book with the light green cover to go with it. In the last week he has worked his way through most of the book successfully and spends every waking moment programming and tweaking his robot. I want to get him more books/resources to continue his learning. There are several choices of course. There is the "Inventor's Guide" one, a "Winning Design" one that appears to delve into underlying principals, specifically related to the FLL challenges, a Mayan and then King's Treasure Quest set with a story line, on and on. If your DC is Mindstorm crazy too, what resources have you found the most helpful in furthering the exploration of programming? I can't afford every single book though a lot of them look great. :D

I'm thinking my 2nd grader next year might like RSO Earth and Space. This would be a new program for us. This year we did Elemental Science Bio (grammar). He likes the notebooking aspect, and likes to really dig into a subject for the whole year pretty much (unlike my first child). My searches must not be that great on terms because I'm not finding much and I like a lot of people like RSO. My question then is for the above type of kid if you have one such, is RSO Earth and Space a good option? If you used it, was your year fun? :001_smile: I'm looking at ordering from Rainbow, but I must be in a fog today because I can't figure out all the pieces. There is the one just titled as above for $46, then one that says looseleaf. Is the looseleaf an additional component like student vs teacher or is it just the $46 hole punched for binder? Are the "student pages" just for an additional student or are they not included in the regular set? Lastly, there is the rock and mineral kit. Is this required or just nice to have versus other sets? Yeah, I'm late to the game on planning for next year I think. I had planned to continue BFSU 1 with him (might still) or more Elemental, but then I happened about this and .... most of you know the story. This looks really nice. I downloaded the "try before you buy" samples from the website, and it looks like something that might fit him very well.

Check samples carefully on those books. The "Can you Find Me" series I think is overstated on the age range. My pre-K/K'er in the fall can do the one you listed without problems. Building Thinking Skills Primary is IMHO more K work. It was too easy for my 1st grader this year, and he is my "average" student, not my more advanced one. He did enjoy working with his cubes, etc., just because he loves manipulatives. Mathematical Reasoning A we also do pretty much at pre-K level, though there are a couple of more K concepts in there. These are hyped pretty hard on some boards, but this was a series where my expectations were a bit high apparently for what they were. Just look at samples very carefully and see if they suit your needs.

We have used pre-level 1 books and 3 of the level 1s. I find them secular. I also have an avid science kid though and one book doesn't even last 10 weeks. He could tear through those books in a couple weeks if I let him (he is 10, finishing up 4th grade). I find the lab manual for the student helpful. I have used the print lab manual and the CD containing the combined teacher/lab manuals. My next kid in line has only used pre-level but it is a 10 week course for him. He is much slower to grasp things and is 6.

I have used them for 3 or 4 years now I guess, but not with all children all the time. I use a coffee table with 6 clear bins from IKEA for my toddlers/preschoolers. I load them up with toys or manipulatives. That gives my little people enough to hopefully keep hands busy during school time. My pre-K and now going into K'er next fall also loves hers. She graduated from the coffee table last year when little sister needed it. She has lidded latched sterilite bins, 12 of them, that stack in an IKEA cube setup. I reload hers pretty much each night except a few workbooks where she just moves to the next page each day. She was pretty attached to the velcro numbers and the whole thing at first but now just moves from 1 to 12 consecutively each day. DS age 6 (a 1st grader this year) uses plastic magazine holders from Target, 6 of them. Each of his "subjects" is loosely grouped into one of those holders. He goes through all 6 each day but didn't like the velcro numbers thing. I print out a spreadsheet for him labeled as "box 1" etc instead of subjects along the Y axis and M-F along the X axis. I print out his for the whole week and give him the sheet. He puts an X on each thing as he progresses along. I load his file boxes weekly most of the time unless there is some special thing that he just uses one day (balance for his Singapore math or whatever), in which case I put it next to the box the night before. DS age 10 completely moved from them. He liked the magazine files like my other son for a while but now just wants his weekly assignment sheet and his materials (ONLY those used that week) put in his cube in the Ikea cube room divider. He probably honestly would do better with the magazine files other DS has (oldest DS has ADHD), but doesn't want to go back to that system so just has a clipboard for anything loose, with his assignment sheet for the week clipped on top and works his way through.

I do a lot of the same as the above. In our house, they also see me often reading books for my own pleasure and excited about a trip to the library too, to pick books for myself! I model that reading time is something to covet, and they picked up on that. We are also privileged to have readers in our homeschool park day. I think once the reading fever starts, it grows. The kids eagerly bring books to share with their friends saying, "Have you read this one?!" Even kids not as inclined to read want to get in on that.

They must have moved from here (CA). LOL It's very common here.

Haven't read all the replies but posting this and then reading as the kids let me. 1) Do you or any other adults in your house cycle on roads with car traffic? Yes, my DH is a bike commuter to work (5 miles each way), urban environment. 2) Do you believe that bicyclists have as much right to the road as cars or other vehicles? Yep. 3) Are there many ADULTS riding bikes recreationally where you live? Do you have bike lanes? Yes, lots of bikes. Bike lines vary from none to nice new separated ones along major highways. It just depends. 4) How do you feel about cyclists riding on two-lane, rural roads and slowing down traffic? Should this be legal? Yes, just as legal as an Amish buggy, a slow motor scooter or other modes of transportation. Cars aren't the only way to get around. 5)What about on multi-lane highways with no designated bike lanes? Should they be allowed to ride in the emergency lane or in the slow lane? Yes. Most of our freeways here have parts of them where bikes are allowed if there are not other reasonable ways to get through that area other than the freeway lanes. 6) Have you ever noticed (as I have :tongue_smilie:) that the most annoying cyclists tend to be riding high-end bikes and wearing super high-tech helmets and clothing? It's never the obviously poor guy riding his kid's bike because his car is broken down or his license got suspended, LOL. Not here. It's the teen boys and young men that seem to have a death wish around here, not the cyclists in full gear. And if I go in certain beach areas those young men are still bad cyclists with a death wish and often drunk to boot and weaving in and out of lanes, sidewalks and taking on oncoming traffic. Our regular cyclists are generally pretty decent here.

I use mine daily. It pretty much stays set up. I sew lots, and pressing is essential. Also DH wears button downs and dockers most days to work. I iron those for him weekly, so bare minimum of 5 shirts and 5 pants every week.

Haven't read the entire thread, so might be already mentioned ... most of my college classes were like this, though the professor did lecture too. Having already a beginning knowledge helped a lot on understanding the more in depth lectures. I thought it was a great idea.

OMG - rethinking swim lessons for my kids and definitely not getting in that thing myself ...

She is using one book for two years? That seems pretty reasonable to me at certain levels as there is so much review and so many exercises.

My own DH is like this. He has ADD and truly doesn't remember ever in the past discussing the topic. No idea at all, no recollection, zero. Even on very very important topics in our marriage. Aside from something like the above in the family member, I would agree with walking away or being blunt that you aren't going there any longer.

We grabbed the scientist one and will be going back for more also.

On some cores, the books are the first in a series. You could let them read the book from the core and then sub subsequent books in the series if you don't want to reread them during the school year. Boxcar Children, My Father's Dragon, Dolphin Adventure. Gosh, I know there were more but can't think of them clearly right now.

It's like that all summer here. My parkday group actively tries to find tiny little known parks. All our major ones on our rotation are swamped by bus after bus of summer campers, literally 100 kids on some parks with only 2 swings, one slide, etc. It's dismal all summer long. I don't go to library story time either, any time of the year. Our local one has a story time frequented by a local daycare. No matter how diligent they are (and that can vary but most try) one or two adults are not going to be able to adequately supervise and hush 25 kids in the 2-3 age range in the library. We don't go any longer.

I saw this on another board, and tried it. It appears to work fine though I don't have the books in hand yet! It did go through the order process and deducted fine when code was placed in the coupon area. Use code FREESHIP for free shipping up to $25 on your half.com order of books through 6/4.

We went from WWE4 to WWW4. It is systematic, deliberate, explicit - exactly what my oldest needed. I think honestly you would likely be okay in WWW4. The first part of it goes back and covers paragraphs including topic sentences, detail sentences and so forth, for a few weeks.

Our experience was most like LittleIzumi describes above. I always knew something was odd but people didn't really listen because he was my first child. I just knew that what the child books were telling me to do didn't work with this child. His pediatrician told me she suspected by age 3. He was diagnosed probably around late age 4 or early age 5 with an official diagnosis but not meds until a couple years later (my choice). He as a baby was either on or off, never "quiet alert". He would be super happy, screaming hysterically or sleeping. As a toddler he could defeat most baby protective devices easily, very intelligent, very verbal, and never never stopped moving unless sleeping. He is still that way come to think of it. :lol: We had to watch him like a hawk. I don't know the statistics on this, but had two peds tell me an early warning sign for ADHD or similar is that those kids in high likelihood never had any type of "stranger danger" or shyness or wanting to stick close to a parent/adult. This was certainly true in my oldest's case. He would take off running and never look back to see the parent was following, would run right across the street, climb to the top of things, never fear of anything or any one. We had to medicate when he was old enough, fast enough and still impulsive enough that he was a danger to himself. He had the typical 2yo and 3yo tantrums but exponentially, like they would last 5 or 6 hours of full blown hysteria with no sign of stopping. And he had them until he was like 8. :001_huh:

These would be my recommendations. The top one does explain in basic terms how a machine makes a loop via the top and bottom thread and the needle to answer your child's questions. Then it has beginner projects. The bottom one is what I used to start sewing when I had learned the basics 20 years prior from my grandma and hadn't sewn since. It covers reading a pattern right up to multiple ways to insert a zipper. I still reference it for things I do only infrequently. It is an invaluable resource that you won't likely outgrow as you gain confidence. Your child will outgrow the first one though; thankfully it is inexpensive. Editing to add that once your son outgrows the really simple one above, this one is nice for boys: http://www.amazon.com/Buckles-Bobbins-Beginning-Sewing-Book/dp/097149441X/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1337640366&sr=8-7 This is what my 9yo son went to. It has the patterns inside for them, and it is not completely simple projects at all. My son was put off by some of the books for kids that had pillows and girly pictures even if the projects could be made gender neutral by fabric choice. This book is completely geared towards boys.

I don't pay - we do those tasks together. I used to pay, and they had a worse attitude than no pay but everyone works.

I'm addicted to them too, the sewing ones only thank goodness. We thankfully have a used book store here that carries them (Bookoff) or I'd be broke at full prices for them.

Do you have any parkday groups or homeschool meetups in your area not academically/class related? We have a parkday each week where we meet with other families at the park and just play and chat for a couple hours. The group is smallish, and the kids have become great friends. That, with some arranged play dates, satisfy my kids in addition to church friends and some neighborhood friends. It shouldn't have to cost a fortune in co-op/class fees to have friends.

We like Sid the Science Kid through Netflix. I don't know a lot of the other ones since we don't have regular cable and haven't in decades. ... Now that "Rug Time" song is stuck in my head again though from Sid.

Yes, I took it my last pregnancy thankfully. I had HG all my pregnancies, multiple hospital admissions. I had to take Zofran right up to the day of delivery, stopped it cold, no problems after delivery. For me, it was not the drug rebound effect at all. I just had vomiting if I didn't take it because of the pregnancy itself. That resolved with the delivery. ;)