Not sure what age you are talking about, I am talking about the OP's 4 year old. With an accelerated learner at age 4, you can easily gain back the time in the core subjects. Just jump to the level they are at when you start the subject. However, early exposure to a foreign language cannot be replicated at a later age. That is my whole point. At age 4, the child is keen, but a lot of the material that you might slog through would take only a fraction of the time 2 years later (age 6). Pick and choose carefully, because many children have a limited attention span for seat work at age 4. An to be clear, I am NOT in the better late than early crowd. I just want newbies to think clearly about their goals. This is not a race. A 4 year old does not have to do math workbooks to get to algebra by 4th grade (mine did not). I have seen a lot of newbies fearful to skip anything. With an accelerated learner, you MUST compact. It would have been busy work for my 4 year old to go through the Singapore Math grade 1 curriculum. Bill is right, there is good stuff in MEP and Mequon, but I had my 4 year old only do an occasional puzzle, not the entire program, sequentially, as written. For a 4 year old, my goals were to (1) teach them to read if interested (my older was not, we waited until 5), (2) play with math in everyday life, (3) read to the child and listen to audiobooks, (4) strengthen their small muscles skills in the hand through drawing, dot-to-dots, mazes, etc, (5) expose them to foreign language, (6) teach them good work habits in household chores that then transfer to school work, and (7) let them PLAY. If a child is advanced at a young age, you do not want to just grab older kid's material for them to do. These kids think differently, not just at an advanced level. Do some research on gifted education. Don't implement a standard program a few years ahead. Do something different! Ruth in NZ

Glad you are enjoying it. It is very fun to write up. When it is all done, I might make it available to those students here who are interested in doing a regional science fair project and don't really understand what to do. We have just finished school holidays and got in 5 more samples! I will write it up when I have some time. We have solved the cold problem. I forgot that I bought him a new wet suit a few months ago when the sales were on. And it is a size too big! This means that he can put it on top of the other one. :D He told me he felt like a sausage and could not walk properly. But it and a wool hat did the trick. The main problem now is that he keeps dropping the cup of sand because he can't feel his fingers.:001_huh: Ruth in NZ

You need to make it BIGGER -- possibly write the sentences on a white board. The text is just too small. Also, do it in color like MCT. Blue for nouns, red for verbs. KISS just has you underline one or 2 times. As for Japanese, I would suggest that, unless you plan to hire a tutor, you should brush up on your japanese so you can teach your child. NOW is the time. Get out books from the library and start referring to items in your house in Japanese. Using it through out your day would be better than a 15 minute session at the table. But I am absolutely sure that you could get better advice from others who have BTDT. Ruth in NZ

I agree with Rose. Outlining skills are just a small part of the program. My ds had no trouble with 1 level outlines, so I just had him do 2 level outlines on the examples. The reason why you don't want to skip the outlining in WWS is because the student is outlining an example of the type of writing he will be doing that week. It helps the student see how a published author organized a similar piece of writing. Myself and others have posted bunches of writing examples in the WWS thread on the k-8 writing workshop board that might help you see what WWS teaches. HTH Ruth in NZ

For weekly activities: Swimming: 15 minutes Music lessons: 15 minutes Martial Arts: ds walks Mandarin tutor comes to our house Art class in holidays: walk Shop/home ec: ds walks to train, and takes 30min train trip Other music lessons: ds walks homeschool group: 5 to 20 min drive depending on playground For field trips: We are lucky. The following are a 10 to 30 minute walk or 5 to 10 minute drive: library, museums, movies, botanical garden, zoo, shops, closer pool, beach, train However, all the homeschoolers live out in the burbs. There are just 2 families within 10 minutes drive of me. :tongue_smilie: Ruth in NZ

Oh Spy Car, you *completely* misunderstood me. Yikes. Need to work on my communication skills. My point is about using a *curriculum* for a younger child, not about teaching them mathematical thinking. With my k4, k5, and 1st graders we did mathematical thinking for a few minutes almost every hour (yes, all day long). We just did it in context of our everyday life, but purposefully, not just when I thought about it. For example....How many birds do you think are in the sky? How can you estimate? How far is it to that tree? How can you check? Funny story problems: suppose the farmer had 3 peacocks on his farm, and each peacock had 20 feathers. How many feathers did he have in total? Now supposed he decides to make hats and he takes 2 feather from each bird, how many hat could he make if each hat only had 1 feather? what if the hats had 10 feathers? etc. OR number patterns, what if you count every 4th step you take and I count every 2nd step I take, how would our numbers different if we walk to the tree? What if we walk back? etc. I could go on and on. I think that early exposure is critical to good mathematical thinking, but I do NOT think that sitting at a table with a sequential curriculum is the way to achieve it. At a young age it is all about tailoring the material to your child, and a curriculum designed for the average child but used at a younger age is not going to work as well IMHO as making it up on the fly, designing all problems to the interests and abilities of your child. I also think that teaching a very young child is more effective if done in context. JMHO. Ruth in NZ

I see you are starting Japanese and you have said he likes to memorize. I would suggest you put more time into foreign language at this age than grammar/math/etc. He can make huge strides at age 4 that are much more difficult at a later age. However, any math he does now, he could do in a 1/4 of the time if you wait until he is 6. I started my son in math at 6.5 with a 2nd grade book that he did in 1 month. Then he skipped the 3rd grade book, and we started in earnest in the 4th grade book. If your son is very keen at 4, I would work on developing a mathematical mind, and learning to add and subtract are really only a very small part of that. Estimation, spatial skills, critical thinking are all under represented in most 1st grade curricula. With an accelerated child, you need to think about curricula *differently*, not just how to do it faster. Don't feel like you need to do 1st grade materials at 4. Not all of the 1st grade subjects are worth your time at that age, and some are worth more of your time like foreign language and read alouds. Good luck, Ruth in NZ

Regentrude, I love your approach! Thank you for fleshing it out and listing the consequences for slacking off. I think this could work well for my older when he hits high school. Ruth in NZ

Here is an easy and delicious vegetarian meal. Boil pasta (we use wholemeal) Simmer and reduce a can of tomatoes and a can of white beans Fold in large head of fresh spinach until just wilted Top with feta cheese at the table. 10 minutes to prep. Very yummy. Ruth in NZ

I was wondering the same thing. DC is huge. Ours is held at the local university on Saturdays from 2 to 4. They have multiple classes for different levels of students that run concurrently. Ruth in NZ

I am working on a similar list for my 7th grader. I have had lots of suggestions on this thread on the accelerated learner's board http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=371304 . My final list is on post #31. I would recommend: Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury 1953 To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee 1960 or Travels with Charley, Steinbeck 1960 Ruth in NZ

There has to be a cheap, Saturday class for Mandarin in DC. Here, the Saturday class is really designed for 2nd generation chinese, whose parents speak Mandarin and can help with the homework but who want someone else to organize the approach/program for them. There are non-chinese in these classes, just not many because the parents can't help with the homework so the kids can't keep up. Since you speak Mandarin, you could go with your children to improve your accent and help them at home with the homework over the week. Here, a year's worth of classes cost about $150 per child. They are obviously not a for-profit business, but full of chinese who want to pass on their knowledge to the younger generation. If you have the money, obviously a tutor is the way to go. We have decided to pay more now for a tutor to get the tones correct while they are young (we don't speak mandarin), and then switch them to a cheaper classroom program when they are older. Ruth in NZ

No I haven't! Not sure why I picked that one. Must have been recommended on one of the lists that someone posted. I edited my list to put in the ones you recommended earlier. Thanks! I was also interested in "War with the Newts." Would it be better understood with some background on modern history. Its wiki said it was a satire of the events of the day? I was thinking of putting it on his 8th grade list along with your russian and eastern european suggestions. Also interested in: "Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid," as my ds loves math. Is this accessible? I do need to add some good nonfiction to his reading list. hummmm, I think I will start a new thread. Thanks, Ruth

We will be starting the Cambridge International Exams next year. They have secular science textbooks for 10th grade (IGCSE), 11th grade (AS level), and 12th grade (A levels) for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. They also have Language, Social Sciences, and Arts courses - all secular, put out by either Cambridge University Press or Oxford University Press. They are available on Amazon. Here is the coursebook we will be using for chemistry next year for the 10th grade exam: http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Chemistry-Coursebook-International-Examinations/dp/0521153336/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334995132&sr=8-2 . There is also a workbook, teacher manual, and study guides for most courses. Ruth in NZ

Ok, I know you are going to hate me. Here in NZ, we get $1300 per year from the government to pay for homeschooling supplies and activities for 2 kids. You get more if you have more kids. Ruth in NZ

um. Then don't make him read them. There are sooooo many books out there. Pick something else! I always have a selection for my children to choose from. "Here are 5 good books I have picked out. Let me tell you about each one, and you decide what you want to read next." I hate fairy tales. I really do. Some have stuck with me for my whole life as seriously yucky stories, specificly Hansel and Gretel and the matchstick girl. yuck! Ruth in NZ

Yes, put in Coral Island, and if he likes it then we will look for the next. He often will read more than 1 from an author. I just put the best on the starter list, and that is the only one I will read for our discussions. :001_smile: He has read 2 Henty's, and did not really like them (forgot to put those on my original list too! sigh.) Thanks! Ruth

Yes he is. Problem is, he likes to discuss everything with me. so, boy oh boy will I be busy this year trying to keep up. Yes, he read those. My record keeping is not what it should be!! Thanks again. I am off to research all your suggestions too. ruth

Yes! They will! Now I have to go redo my list! :D Thanks, Ruth

I thought people might be interested in the final list I have drawn up using your suggestions. I have decided to save the suggestions on horror, Russian lit, and 20th c historical fiction for 8th grade. If any of the dystopian books seem inappropriate, please let me know. I will be using 1984, brave new world, handmaiden's tail, and many others for a second dystopian year in 8th. 7th grade reading list (he is not required to read all of these :001_smile:, he likes choice) Early modern: Europe Three Muskateers, Dumas Twenty Years After, Dumas Man in the Iron Mask, Dumas Rob Roy, Scott Mutiny on the Bounty, Nordhoff Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas The Scarlett Pimpernel, Orczy Tale of Two Cities, Dickens Coral Island, Ballantyne Early modern: America The House of the Seven Gables, Hawthorne Autobiography of Ben Franklin Autobiography of Fredrick Douglas Red Badge of Courage, Crane Gone with the Wind, Mitchell Huck Fin, Twain Pudd'nhead Wilson, Twain Innocents Abroad, Twain Late Modern Travels with Charley, Steinbeck Gift of the Magi (and others), O Henry To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee Distopian Iron Heel, London, 1908 Anthem by Ayn Rand, 1937 Walden 2, Skinner, 1948 Farenheit 451, Bradbury, 1953 Chrysalids, Windham, 1955 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? PK Dick, 1968 Running Man, Bachman (King), 1982 House of Scorpian, N Farmer, 2002 Uglies, Westerfield, 2005 Hunger Games, Collins, 2011 Classic Sci Fi Invisible Man, Wells Mysterious Island, Verne The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Heinlein Lost World, Doyle The Star Diaries, Lem A Perfect Vacuum, Lem Thanks so much for everyone's help! Ruth

At the end of level 1 she will be able to: 1. Write a detailed description, slant it if she wants, and focus on the most important elements to what she is describing. 2. Write a chronological narrative in both history and science that is not in the standard 5 paragraph essay format. Be able to choose details that make a cohesive whole from a huge list of many possibilities (this is what a lot of kids struggle with in WWS, it is hard but a very worthwhile exercise). 3. Write a beginning literary analysis 4. Write a beginning research report I have not yet gotten to #3 and #4 yet, so can't give you more details. You need to talk to SaDonna who seems to be the furthest along in the program. I will also tell you, that you could consider Classical Writing Diogenes. It is also written to the student, is much easier to implement than Homer (and requires less of your time), and most importantly to your daughter, has much more hand holding than WWS. It is very rigorous, however. Don't know if that is a plus or minus in your mind. Togo1 is using this and has found it excellent, so perhaps she could give you a sense of how much time is required of the parent. HTH, Ruth in NZ

I looked into it when I went in to discuss a tubal ligation, and the doc told me that they did not find my ovaries or fallopian tubes in either c-section! :001_huh: Apparently my ruptured appendix at age 12 caused a lot of scar tissue. So unless I wanted him to "go digging and possibly nick a kidney", a tubal ligation was out. The problem was that in 2006, my insurance would not cover an essure because it was too new (I am in NZ). I went with a Mirena IUD instead and have been very pleased. It lasts for 5 years and often reduces your period to zero. Ruth in NZ

To everyone who has responded, Oh thanks so much! You have given me much to research. My son always likes choice and now he has plenty! Ruth

Changed and Changed Back, Welcome to the board. Thanks so much for taking the time to help me. Just a couple of questions.... I'm not clear, are these the books from my list for next year that you like? The ones you left out, do you dislike them? And, are you saying Tale of 2 cities is a good or bad choice? I can't tell your opinion here versus above: "Tale of 2 Cities is a much tighter narrative than "Big Dickens" and gives a graphic visceral sense of the horrors of the Terror. The click of knitting needles still gives me the creeps!" Thanks for the other suggestions too! Ruth

:grouphug: to your daughter. First of all, Andrew Putawa of IEW fame has often stated that if a child is crying, you need to model more. He believes that you cannot model too much, that your child will tell you at some point "I'm not a baby, I can do this by myself." And then you let her go off and work independently. Second, although WWS is written to the student and some students are using it independently, this is NOT true for my son and for others on this board. My ds is writing wonderful things independently, but only with my help and guidance both before and after he writes. I have put his writing up to week 22 on the WWS thread on the k-8 writing workshop board, so you can go have a look. Here is a x-post about how I help him at specific points each week. It sounds like you expected WWS to be self-directed. If it makes you feel better, I have not been able to hand WWS to ds(11). What he is being asked to do is difficult, and I agree with a pp that seeing the big picture can be difficult. I find that I need to spend at least 1 hour with ds discussing the assignment each week, spit between 4 specific times during the week: 1) Before he reads the Topos instruction, I spend 15 minutes or more orienting him to the big picture. 2) After he reads it, I spend 15 minutes discussing it with him and thinking about what he has read that uses the Topos. 3) On the day he writes, he plans first, then for 15 minutes I listen to an oral composition and head off any problems that he clearly has. 4) After it is written, I spend 15 minutes discussing revisions with him, or more time depending on how difficult it was for him. I have also had to do a major teaching session when we hit description (like 2 hours over 2 days) when my no-nonsense, no-elaboration child *really* did not get it (explained in detail on post 114 on this thread http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=348864&page=12 ). If you are just handing WWS to your dd, she might just not be able to "get it" yet. The material is difficult and no writing program is ever implemented well IMHO without a coach/guide helping alone the way. HTH Ruth in NZ