Thanks for the suggestions. Maybe I should pick and choose some problems from his algebra I book to review. Algebra programs do vary greatly. I may sign him up for the algebra boot camp near the end of the school year if I think he is losing his skills.

My son will be taking geometry this year. I'm looking for suggestions for an Algebra practice book or website so his algebra skills don't get too rusty. I know Harold Jacob's geometry book has algebra practice, but he's taking the math class at a co-op and they won't be using Jacobs or have regular algebra review.

This is an old post, so I don't know if you'll see this, but I hope you don't give up on your daughter's college plans. My son just graduated last week with a bachelor's degree and he's severely dyslexic. He was able to go to college with accommodations - such as speech-to-text software, textbooks on audio, and extra time for tests. Most of his professors were quite understanding when he explained his issues. We had to take him to a neuro-psychologist for an evaluation to qualify for accommodations at the college. It was expensive but worth every penny. When my son reach his mid-teens I felt a lot of responsibility and shame for his lack of reading and writing skills, but much of it was due to his dyslexia - something neither one of us could change. As for Trail Guide to Learning, we used it for three years and absolutely loved it.

I have been homeschooling for fifteen years and my only experience with public school has been in the area of speech therapy. When my verbally apraxic son was eight years old, he stopped making progress in his private speech therapy. Our insurance would not cover more than one visit a week, so we approached the school district for help. It was not a satisfactory experience. They only offered him a 30-minute visit once a week and his IEP set some very modest goals. The speech therapist at the public school had virtually no experience with childhood verbal apraxia and admitted that she saw very few older children for speech therapy. All of the furniture in the room was made for preschoolers. My son was uncomfortable with the idea of going there and so was I. We tightened our belts and paid out of pocket for an extra visit a week with a private therapist that specialized in helping older children, and it made all of the difference in the world. I would be careful about sending a speech-challenged child of your son's age to public school or any other public venue without caring supervision. Elementary age kids can be extremely cruel to kids with speech issues. My son has a thick skin and is very social, but we had to be vigilant to make sure other kids (and even adults) did not make fun of our son's speech. I don't think I would have been comfortable sending my son to public school. Hearing other kids talking normally wouldn't have done anything to correct his speech. As far as socialization is concerned, the best thing to do is to make friends with other families. If your daughter has a strong interest in a certain area, find out if there's a class or club with like-minded kids. I was a shy kid myself and finding people with similar interests helped break down a lot of barriers. Hope this helps.

A few years ago my dh began having panic attacks so frequently that he was afraid to leave the house. Then he started wanting me to stay with him all of the time. Very scary. The best thing he did was to see a psychologist. We found a wonderful older woman with many years of counseling experience, who my husband said was like "talking to your favorite aunt." The book my dh recommends to people experiencing panic attacks is Pass Through Panic by Claire Weekes. I found it in audio book form on the Internet for free through our local library. It's a little outdated, but the basic information is extremely helpful. Dr Weekes guides you through letting the panicky feelings "float" over you and not getting caught up in anxious thoughts of impending doom. My husband also started to practice meditation every evening. Archibald Hart has a tape called "Christian Meditation" that he used to relax. My dh didn't find medication especially helpful. He tried several and complained of not feeling "like himself." One medication actually changed his personality so much that it scared both of us. He still takes one med to help him sleep, but that's it. My dh's frequent panic attacks were brought on by overwork. He was trying to do too many things and please too many people. He had to learn to let some things go, even though they were good things, because he couldn't be all things to all people. Our life is more balanced now and much happier. I hope this helps. Jenn