Here's the story: Ds10 did all of TT3 and 1/2 of TT4 last year and was able to do at least two lessons a day and make above 90 on everything on his first try. So, yesterday I decided to give him the CLE placement tests starting with level 100; he got a few pages into 300 and has basically stalled out. He's not recalling things that he did in TT and there are things in CLE that he hasn't covered. Is anyone familiar with how they compare? After circling many items that he didn't know how to do, he came to me and said, "Does this '300' mean third grade? How come I don't know this stuff." Then he announced that TT didn't explain things well and he wanted to go back to "book math". I also had my ds12 take the CLE placment tests. He's coming out of a year of virtual public school last year (6th grade) which used K12. The math he did had a lot of breadth and very little depth. Little was required of him and he could just listen to the lesson, pass a 5 or 6 question quiz with an 80, and move on. He's struggling at the 400 level CLE test (doesn't know how to convert fractions to decimals, for example) and was frustrated with the TT7 placement test as well. I'm going to back up and run him through "Key To ...Fractions, Decimals, Percents" and do some Math Mammoth work on specific skills and then go from there. I guess I want to know if CLE would be a better choice for depth of skill so that they will know what they are doing and not feel inadequately trained. :confused::confused:

Another idea to help supplement income when you are able to put a little money towards gas and getting started with this business is to buy nice children's and ladies' clothing cheaply at garage sales and thrift stores (on half-price day) and take them to local consignment stores. I used to own a children's consignment shop and had a lady who made a second income doing this. She washed and neatly hung or folded the clothes and made sure that she only brought me items that were in great shape, in style, and in season. Our town also has a medical mission that provides very low-cost health care.

with photocopies of the first six weeks of IG! So excited that I can start to get my brain in gear while waiting for the backordered stuff. We've never ordered a large, new curriculum before, so this was a big deal around here. :D

I haven't read all the responses, but my 10 year old was still soaking a pull-up nightly and our doctor put him on Desmopressin. It's a medication that suppresses urine production at night. She started us on 1 pill a night and told us to increase the dose every few days until we hit one that works. We're at 2 and having some, although not perfect, success. We try to limit fluids after 7 pm as well. Here's the info we got from our pediatrician: Bedwetting, if not from a physical abnormality, is largely hereditary. The age when older family members stopped bedwetting is usually the age around when it will stop for your kids. Alarms work for about as many children as they don't work for. Same advice about the pills. She told us that if 3 pills didn't do the trick that they weren't going to work for him. So, we do the pills, use pull-ups, have a plastic mattress protector on the bed, and wait. However, I would say that if he can have success for reward over a span of several days, there is likely a psychological/personality aspect. You might have a conversation about the fact that you've noticed that he is able to have some success with small rewards and that you want to find ways to help him be successful. Although I'm not a fan of bribing, reward is a great motivator. You might offer a larger, more coveted reward for longer-term success. If he is willing to try that approach, with the full understanding that there will be no judgement, this could give you a better indication of his control over the situation.

This is one of those, "It couldn't hurt to ask; the worst they can do is say no," situations. Some landlords are willing to lay out a little more cash to get income flowing. Some are also amenable to letting you do repairs or painting at your expense as long as they approve the plans ahead of time. If he won't fix the items, you really want the place, and it's feasible in both time and finances, this might do the trick. If you do the work, sometimes a landlord will supply the materials, reduce the deposit, or reduce the rent a bit. A creative solution might fit the bill for both of you. Good luck!

bump

that pre-teen boys eat 5 or 6 times a day and it's only going to get worse! Your turn . . .

I just wanted to thank everyone so much for the encouragement and links to additional materials/ideas! So helpful!!:001_smile:

I'm also concerned about it being light for the 7th grader. When I was planning and asked him what he wanted to study, here's his list: *NOT American History again. *World History with cultures by region instead of strictly chronological *A main book for facts with lots of other books to read This seemed to fill the bill for him. Plus, he has two great-grandfathers who were missionaries India and Burma and his grandfather was born in Calcutta, so he has connections to the topic. I think I'm going to get the rest of the readers and read-alounds from the older curriculum and have him read those as well. I'm going to supplement the LA with Rod and Staff English and Essentials in Writing. I hope it works out; I'm excited to try!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Much easier!

What's the trick to finding my posts or posts that I've replied to so that I can check back in on them without looking through the whole board?

And I'm no longer a larvae . . . which was creepin' me out just a little with the wiggling and the slime!:tongue_smilie:

I feel like I've just pledged an exclusive club or something! This is actually my 50th post (a little gratuitous, but gets the job done) because it's the middle of the night, and I've completely run out of wisdom about . . . well, just about everything.

What is a nutritionist going to say . . . Looks like you've created a whole new category for the food pyramid. I think we'll call it "What were you thinking?"

I'm another vote for Vocabulary from Classical Roots. I used it with a 6th grader last year and will use it again for 7th. I'm not sure if they have it for younger levels.

I'm going to be combining ds10 and ds12 in SL 5 this year. The older kiddo is 7th grade, on grade level in skills, reading at a high school level, and won't have any problem doing the curriculum as written. The younder kiddo is going into 5th, below grade level in LA, reads about on grade level, and probably should be in 4th grade, but I don't have the heart to do that to him, so we forge on. What have you done to modify the program for a younger sibling when combining? The Instructor Guide is backordered until the end of July, so I don't have a full picture of what our days will look like yet.

I was planning to use R/S for both ds 10 and ds 12 this year, but just looked and the 7th grade program is a textbook and not a workbook. My rising 7th grader is writing resistant (not the creative act of writing, but physical act of putting pencil to paper) and will never go for a textbook. I don't like the format of it either . . . doesn't feel friendly. Is there something similar to RS style but is a workbook for 7th? Thanks!

I'm soooooo excited! I used a virtual public school for my ds12 last year because I just needed someone else to do all the planning due to various circumstances. Well, we're going back to the kind of homeschooling I love--combining subjects, read-alounds, hands-on science, freedom in scheduling. I'm going to use SL 5 as a base. Adding in: Exploration Education Foundations Bible Curriculum Rod and Staff English and Spelling TT for math Looking forward to a great year!

Don't know if it's outsourcing, but using TT for math for all three and giving Essential in Writing a go for the two youngers.

I do a couple of things that have helped with this (it's not 100%); my kids are a little older (10, 12, 17) so YMMV. First of all-- I try not to say "I need you to ____. " This gives the impression that it's something I should have done, but am passing on to them. Instead, I try to say, "It's time for you to ____." I also try to give advance warning that a task is coming. "In five minutes, it's time for you to turn off the computer and clean the litter boxes." Secondly-- I thank them in advance for meeting my expectations. So, I might say, "It's time for you to clean the litter boxes. Thank you for doing it with a good attitude/without screaming/without arguing." There's something about thanking them ahead of time for something they haven't even done yet that deflates the attitude. I may still get some eye rolling because the older ones know that I'm using a tactic on them, but I'm good with whatever works. Oh, a third idea-- Instead of lavishing a lot of praise for doing the things that they should do anyway, I "notice" that they've done something. "I noticed that you put your pajamas in the hamper when you got dressed this morning." It's recognition of effort, and it's reinforcing. A good trick for youngers, that I learned when I was teaching outside the home, is to tell them what you want them to do instead of what you don't want them to do. When you say, "You need to stop screaming," it's a negative message, and the last word their little ears hear is "screaming". Instead, say, "You need to use a voice that is quiet and sounds happy." This gives them a task to start doing instead of something to stop doing, and the last word they hear is "happy". These are not quick fixes; consistency over a period of time is key. AND never let 'em see you sweat! :001_smile:

My eldest dd (20) has been dealing with this since she was about 12 after a strep infection. Her initial outbreak was fairly severe-covered her entire back, arms, much of her legs, and a bit on the face and scalp. Thankfully, hers has never really been itchy or painful, just unsightly and unpleasant to live with. At that time, we ran the gamut of prescription creams and ointments . . . one for general skin, one for the face, and another for the scalp, plus special shampoo. They helped and she always did better when she used them than when she slacked, but she got tired of messing with it. Our other option was pills/shot? but they won't do it for children because of fertility side effects. When it had cleared enough that she was no longer seriously bothered by the appearance, she stopped using the meds and it eventually cleared except for a few small, resistent spots. Over the years, she has had a few flare-ups that seem to correlate with times of high stress. This past summer she was working and prepping for a semester abroad along with taking several summer classes; she had quite a flare. She didn't want to mess with docs, so we got an ointment from the Natural Food Center called Psoriaflora. It has helped as much as any prescrip. cream she's tried, and it gives her good results-reduces thickness, redness, and scaling. Now that life has settled down again, it is looking better.

Thank you all so much for the help and encouragement. I will post when we have reached a decision and let you know how it's going. Somebody should have warned me when she climbed out of the crib at 15 months that we were in for a ride!!:D She's done everything sooner than my plan, so I guess she's going out into the "real world" sooner than I planned as well. She's very much like my younger sister who was a handful and didn't conform at all. When she got out on her own and became independent, she rocked at life and is now quite accomplished. Had to do it her way though. Adrienne

My dds school had a social networking page that the incoming freshman could meet each other on and dd found her roommate this way. They talked and skyped enough ahead of time to know that they would jive and it's been great. They are both messies and both procrastinators. Nirvana!

Our dd is on a full ride at Oklahoma Christian University as a National Merit Finalist. It's a true full ride--tuition, room/board, fees, plus a $1000 Honors stipend to help with study abroad. Combined with her financial aid, she actually realizes about $2000 per semester which she uses for books and living expenses. The scholarship is 5 years and applied to her study abroad this semester so she is in Europe almost for free right now. OC is a Church of Christ school and you may have to learn some doctrine for a class or two that doesn't jive with your thinking. We are not C of C, but it has been okay. You might want to familiarize yourself with their doctrine if you consider it. Some profs are old school and hold tightly to doctrine; many of the younger profs are very flexible and more open-minded. She loves it there-small, friendly campus; professors who are very focused on helping undergraduates find great opportunities. The head of the history department selected one of her freshman papers to present at the national conference of the history honor society. Undergrads usually don't get opportunities like that at large universities. We followed the money, but it has worked out well. Oh, and just this year the Honors students got their own dorm which they are very excited about.