I'm going to give it a try, if he seems bored or confused I'll stop and/or switch to something else!

Thank you very much, I'll contact him to get his opinion.

Would having prior letter recognition confuse them? My ds knows all is letters, and I'm concerned that it would confuse him. Did your dc know his/her letters before starting the program?

Ds's test results are back. He was off the charts in LA, but average in math. I decided I wanted to change the math we'be been using -everyday mathematics 4th grade- for saxon, so I checked the placement test, and based on the results, he should go into saxon 76 ! We're not even finished with this year's math!!! I don't understand how he can test average on the Iowa test, but go up 2 grade levels in saxon :confused: Should we start at 7/6 like the results suggested? Dh believes he should start with 54. I'm thinking 65 would be a good compromise, what do you think? :bigear:

Ds's test results are back. He was off the charts in LA, but average in math. I decided I wanted to change the math we'be been using -everyday mathematics 4th grade- for saxon, so I checked the placement test, and based on the results, he should go into the 76 math! We're not even finished with this year's math!!! I don't understand how he can test average on the Iowa test, but go up 2 grade levels in saxon :confused: Should we start at 7/6 like the results suggested? Dh believes he should start with 54. I'm thinking 65 would be a good compromise, what do you think?

Have you used 100 EZ lessons for your dc? How did it work for you? Did you supplement with any other reading program? Did your dc get confused by the "funny" letters?

Yes, I'm trying to teach my 2 year old how to read. He'll be 3 in August, and he knows all his letters, and is starting to form words with our fridge letters. He is also asking me to teach him to read, but I don't know how!! My 9yo is gifted in the LA area. He started reading when he was 2, the difference is, he just showed me one day that he could do it, so I didn't have to use any programs, just our normal books, he would bring me a book and start reading it, I just helped him with the words he found difficult. I'm hoping this program helps the little one :001_smile:

Can you use 100 EZ lessons and other books, or should you wait to introduce other books after finishing the book? I've read that some people supplement with the bob books. How is this possible if the two belong to different companies? Thanks!!

I understand this, and he was given a reading assessment, and of course his reading material is carefully chosen, to assure its appropriateness. Also, we have not skipped material that I feel is necessary for him to learn, hence his boredom with spelling and grammar. We only have this problem with language arts, we're ok with everything else. We have some stuff desgned for higher grades, and some for lower. Right now I'm just not sure about how to proceed because he is no longer being challenged by the language arts programs we are using. I don't want to cut out material because he is "skipping grades," however, I'm not sure I can find a program that teaches him 5th grade at more advanced level, so he can feel challenged. It is easy to find material for students in higher grades who have fallen behind, but I'm not aware of anything for students who are in my dc place. Does that make sense? When he feels challenged he is interested in the material but the minute he feels the material is no longer challenging him, he starts to get frustrated and it shows in his performance....help!!!

He is a natural speller, and his writing is excellent, he is a great essayist. Comparing his writing to the writing of other children, he writes at about an 8th grade level. He also reads independently...whatever happens to fall in his hands, he read the Percy Jackson series twice, and was going for a third when I told him to move for something else, he then proceeded to volunteer to read something else at the same time!! Is it advisable to just get him something to suit his need to be challenged? Can I just skip material to fulfill his need? The grammar he is doing is for 5th grade, he is doing SWO E, and that is because I'm FORCING him to work on each lesson, and won't allow him to do more than 1 lesson per day! What programs do you recommend? :001_huh:

My ds just turned 9 is flying through swo and houghton mifflin grammar, placed at a 4th grade reading level in kindergarten (I never tested him again), great with punctuation, capitalization, and so on and so forth. He skipped a grade, so he's going into 5th grade. Should I try to simplify our school load by finding a program that incorporates as many subjects as possible so we can avoid drilling to master each topic while teaching him at the "grade level" he is in? Or should I just let him go as fast as he wants with the different programs we have for each subject? Is there a curriculum that incorporates everything? :confused: I feel like a fish out of water because when we decided to have him skip a grade we thought we were done flying through curricula! What would you do?

That thread helped,, and the explanation given here did too; now I get it!! We actually use everyday mathematics, and like it, but I think we'll be switching to saxon for next year. Either way it's nice to be able to name the approach of the program we use by using the correct term :)

Please forgive my ignorance, but what exactly are you referring to when you talk about the spiral approach of a program? :confused:

I never realized there was much more busywork with ps textbooks than with hs ones, I guess that is because the only hs math I ever saw was saxon, and ds HATED it :D. We use SOTW and love the way it is presented, and he loves history. I don't mind secular vs nonsecular, we live our religion, so including it in our schoolwork is icing on the cake, but not necessary. I'm just concerned about jeopardizing my children's education to save a few bucks, or simply due to my own ignorance in picking out the "best" curricula for us. The thing is, I didn't grow up in the US, so my only experience with ps are the two years of high school I did (junior and senior) upon my arrival to learn the language and obtain my diploma. I need some light...Oh my! I want good programs for math and English, minus the unnecessary drills, and group projects. Any ideas? :confused:

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I've read different posts about X curriculum being a certain way because it was designed for a classroom setting. I use public school textbooks for math and grammar (without teacher's manuals), and they have worked okay so far, though we're looking for something else. What are the differences, if any, between the curricula used in the different settings? Is there a difference in pace, amount of material? Have we been missing out? I would like to know now that we're thinking about switching grammar and math. Thanks!

What about Pathway Readers? Do you think it could help? I know is reading comprehension oriented...to some degree...what do you think??

I would like to find a program for language arts that is literature oriented. Ds flies through SWO, and the simple grammar lessons in English (Houghton Mifflin), and loves reading. He just turned 9, and we are finishing up the 4th grade, but he reads at a high school level, and has an excellent reading comprehension. I don't want to quit teaching him the things he's flying through, but I don't see the need to drill him on those subjects, or to teach them separately. I'm thinking a literature/reading based curriculum would help him get what he needs, without boring him to death by drilling him. Do you think Pathway Reading would work for him? Thanks!!!

I want something that can incorporate his love for reading, while simplifying the use of books for grammar, spelling, literature...you get the idea. I understand that there is no perfect curriculum out there, but the less books I can use, the better! I don't want to flat out quit teaching him the things he's flying through, but I don't see the need to drill him on those subjects. I'm thinking a literature based curriculum would help him get what he needs, without boring him to death by drilling him....was that clear enough? I hope it was, I'm not communicating well today, lol!! Oh, and I wasn't able to see the samples either!!

I would like to find a program for language arts that is literature oriented. Ds flies through SWO, and the simple grammar lessons in English (Houghton Mifflin), and loves reading. I think it would be easier if we could incorporate different subjects into one, and get everything done at the same time. He just turned 9, and we are finishing up the 4th grade, but he reads at a high school level. Any suggestions?

So, my ds, 7 yo, has been reading since he was 3, learned his numbers, alphabet, and such simultaneously in both, English and Spanish. He went to public school for K and 1st, but was always in trouble for "disrupting" his class, the teacher informed me that he was always wanting to play, instead of sitting quietly and still waiting for everyone in his class to finish their exercises. They were learning their alphabet, and he already knew how to write paragraphs, so he was bored. He was kept out of the TAG (Talented And Gifted) program due to his behavior. He was tested for reading, and was reading at a 4-5th grade level (whatever that means) in the beginning of 1st grade. So, I decided to pull him out of school to homeschool him. We are using 3rd grade textbooks for grammar and science, and a combination of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade books for math, along with spelling workout C. He is also reading on the side, just to keep busy, he recently finished the "Percy Jackson" series, and is currently working on the "Chronicles of Narnia." I don't think I'm pushing him, besides trying to keep him focused (he has severe ADHD) so we can get through, as he seems to be doing fine with the material I give him. My question is, how much is too much? I don't want him to be overwhelmed, and at the same time, I don't want him to be bored for not being challenged!