You're in my thoughts and prayers today. I am very sorry.

I have 3 boys who completed Rightstart through Lev. E. None of them did the geometry program so I'm not sure if that is what you mean by completing RightStart. My oldest did Singapore 5 and 6 and then Pre-Algebra before Algebra. 2nd ds did CLE 500 and 600 and the AOPS Pre-Algebra and is now doing Foersters Algebra in 8th. My 3rd ds is doing CLE 500 currently and will do 600 next year. I don't see him doing AOPS as he doesn't like to think too far out of the box math-wise. RightStart does a lot of jumping around without much review. It works OK for some kids, but I found that we needed a bit more text work in 5th and 6th grade before moving forward in concepts. I love RightStart for the first 4 grades. It gave them all a great start in mental math. My 2nd ds is like a human calculator which I completely attribute to RS. I think your path after RS really depends on the child. I loved AOPS for the way it teaches Pre-Algebra. To be honest, I found much of it to be more challenging than our current Algebra. Some children could do it earlier than 7th grade; it would have been frustration for us. CLE drove my quick learner nuts, but he needed more practice in working problems for a longer period of time, as the RS worksheets didn't tend to take very long. My 3rd ds needs the repetition that CLE offers and it has helped him to build confidence in his work. I didn't really care for Singapore at all. I think it is the mastery method that I don't like. I do love Singapore's Challenging Word Problem books and had all of my boys work through them concurrently with their regular math. HTH

Thanks all. I just ordered from Seton and saved $44 over where I usually order from. I still hate paying so much for testing, but it is nice to know where my guys are at.

I live in NY and have to test every other year for grades 3-8 and every year in high school. This year all 4 boys need to test and, at $40 each, the test price is going to take a big bite out of my homeschool budget. Is $40 a reasonable price or does anyone know of any specials? I know there are other tests, like the CAT, that cost less, but when I tried it years ago, it seemed almost too simplistic. I figure if I have to buy them I at least want one that is complete. Thanks Michelle

I have been checking this out to use as a personal finance elective. I'm just not sure I can afford to spend the money on it. I hope it goes down more.

I didn't see Muck Boots mentioned. I don't own any (really wish I did), but I have friends who swear by them for their whole family. We live in NYS.

Those are great cheat sheets. Thanks!

Yes, I remember going over the ions with him. I bet he'll kick himself when he sees that. Do you have any insight on determining whether a reaction be result in a gas, solid, or aqueous? I need to make sure he takes notes. It made a world of difference for his younger brother who is doing BJU Earth Science.

Ds is studying chemistry this year with Spectrum ( I should have been reading along with him but haven't). He is having a hard time with the single / double displacement reactions and predicting equations and states. I would be very appreciative if someone could point me to some online help, maybe videos. Here is an example of one he got wrong and I don't exactly know why. (I think it has something to do with NO3. Zn + AgNO3 ------> ? Ds's answer Zn + AgNO3 ------> ZnNO3 + Ag Book ans: Zn0 + 2AgNO3 ------> Zn(NO3)2 + 2Ag0 TIA

I have well water and have been making my own soap for years. I used to make the liquid but now I make a dry homemade laundry soap using my blender to finely grate the soap. My favorite soap to use is Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree Oil soap bar (about $3.50 at Wegman's) . I really don't like the smell it, but since I switched to it, I no longer have any occasional smelly loads of laundry. It acts more as a disinfectant and the dry laundry doesn't smell like tea tree oil. I also use vinegar in my rinse cycle to get any soap residue out. ETA: I do keep a bottle of regular unscented laundry soap for whites. I avoid buying white anything because even with regular detergent, they eventually get dingy. We have a lot of iron in our water.

I am using this text the 2nd time around this year. With 1st ds I had the student book and teacher book to use with the Math W/O Borders videos and schedule. About half-way through the year I broke down and bought the solutions manual as I didn't have the time to figure out the answers. This second time around I bought the test book and decided to use the author's suggested homework assignments from the TM rather than the MWB schedule. I typed up a schedule that spans 45 weeks (ds started in July to get a head start). I like the pace of this schedule, and the author does not have the student work all the problems, but he does have them periodically go back and do problems from previous lessons. HTH

I just got another email today - they extended their sale but with a new priority code - 91743. Wish I had extra $$$ for school shopping.

Sorry to be getting back so late, dh and I have been shopping. I did click it from my email it had a priority code of 92406 and it expires tonight. Hope that helps. There is also the 2DAYSHIP code you can use with it for free 2 day shipping.

I looked at today, and it and it comes up at $120 for the dvd. Looks interesting. I wonder if I could use it along with MFW US1 next year.

I am so glad you started this thread. DS (10th grade ) and I went to the local school today to get his scores. They have never had a homeschooler test there and put the code on with the school. I knew better but let it go this year. Anyway, the counselor just gushed about how great he did and even said that he preformed better than most of the juniors. This is a very small school district. He got a 163. So I thought he did really great till I started reading the posts on the board about all these scores over 200. The counselor gave me the impression that those scores are more like genius levels. It really helps to know that my average ds is not alone. I have said in the past and still say that I am glad for WTM boards because they help me set our sights higher, but I also have to remind myself that academics is not our sole reason for homeschooling.

I got the TM used also. I like having it, but it is not absolutely necessary. I also bought the tests and solutions manual. I like that in the TM there are assignment suggestions. I followed a lot them and wrote out a schedule which ended up being 45 weeks long. It includes the Chapter tests and some quizzes. My 2nd DS started Algebra earlier than his other subjects this year and will hopefully finish by the end of summer break. The solutions manual is definitely the better buy out of the two. I broke down and bought mine when my 1st ds was about halfway through the book. I also like having the tests. I didn't like just using the chapter ones in the book. I did have to buy those both new through Pearson Oasis, but I am hoping I can use this program for all 4 of my boys.

Thanks. I left a message with the counselor so hopefully she gets back to me soon. I didn't know if there was some advantage for such a small school to show more students taking the test. I would really rather have the scores sent to me.

I just picked up ds from the PSAT at our local school and was asking him about everything. He said the counselor had already filled out his form and had a different code written in that was not the homeschool code. He didn't ask her about it. I am assuming the code she entered is the school code and am wondering what difference this will make for a 10th grader? This school is very small, about 20-30 kids per graduating class, so I could call her and ask her directly, but I don't want to be a PITA. Also, they didn't charge me anything for him to take it. This is all very new to me.

Thanks Debbie. I just want to clarify, this is for my 10th grader, he is 15 and will be 16 in March. He is not gifted in math, but he has a very engineering orientated mind.

My 10th grader will hopefully be done with LOF Geometry by December. I need to pick an Algebra 2 program. He did Foerster's with Math Without Borders for Algebra 1, but he didn't feel as though he fully grasped it so he is doing LOF Algebra 1 along with his geometry. I went ahead and bought LOF Algebra 2 because he really likes LOF. The problems are that I don't think it has enough practice for him, the solutions are not worked out enough, and I feel very out of the loop in being able to evaluate his progress with this program. I have decided that if he wants to do LOF Algebra 2 over the summer he can, but we are doing something more traditional for the actual reported course. I would have to buy a different program anyway because his younger brother, who is currently doing great with Foerster's Algebra, doesn't like LOF. Here is what I am considering: I was given SAXON Algebra 2 - 2nd edition. I would be willing to buy a video teacher to accompany it. I have read a lot of the other Alg. 2 discussions on this board and it doesn't seem like a student should jump into Saxon at this level. I almost think that the continual review in this series would be good for him but we should have started it years ago. Foerster's Alg. 2 - I really like his books but there seems to be many mixed reviews on the Alg. 2 book. Lial's Intermediate Alg. (9th ed.) - I have a teachers book coming for me to review. It sounds like many people like this curriculum. The problem is that I keep buying her books and then deciding not to use them. I own BCM and Intro to Algebra. Any thoughts?

I live in NY and used the PASS test back when my oldest was in 3rd and 4th grade. From reading it over, it seems that there is both a percentile ranking both with Hewitt, who I ordered it through, and a national one. This test also has what is called an RIT score which shows the child's performance in relation to each subject. The testing company keeps track of the child's scores to show progress throughout the years. They emphasize that it is used to show that goals are being met and that progress is being made, and you should not be alarmed by just one test score. PASS would is good for children who cannot handle timed tests. I wish I would have used this with my late bloomer back in 3rd grade as he had tears over the IOWA test. If you do decide to order, maybe you should ask them if you could get a practice one, or give the 4th grade test now and use the fifth grade one towards the end of the year. The testing company will send you, not the school, the results so you could just try it. Also, in NY, testing through 8th grade is only mandatory every other year, so you could wait till next year.

My oldest has been working through this book 3 days/week since last January. He really likes geometry, the book, and all the logic, but his proofs are rarely written the same as the answer so I have no idea if he is right or not. He is getting frustrated because when he sees his answers are different he automatically thinks he is wrong. I am sure there is more than one way to prove many things, but I am not able to tell him if he is really right or wrong (I despised geometry in high school). When we go over the answers together, he seems very knowledgeable in the material, but just puts it together differently. I have no idea how to grade this course. Originally, I thought I would have him do all the city problems and count the last one as his grade. Unlike other math books, each city is not more of the same in an obvious way, so many times he hits the last city and does worse because of one or two problems. He does not want to switch curriculum. I offered because next ds, who doesn't like Fred, will do something differently, so I would be buying anyway. We have also watched some Kahn Acd. videos. They are helpful. Anyway, I would love to hear any ideas on grades with geometry. Michelle

Thanks all. I just made up the example and was thinking 5cm. not the constant 5. I guess it is a good thing we don't use significant digits for buying carpet. There is a part of me that really has a hard time letting go of that 100cm^2 just for the sake of sig. digits.

I believe I have a basic understanding of sig. digits, but I am confused about one thing. If I have a measurement of 220 cm (2 sig. digits) and I am multiplying it by 5 cm (1 sig. digit) is the answer 1100 cm (2 sig. digits) or 1000 cm (1 sig. digit)? Thanks, Michelle

My ds did CPO earth science as a tag along with his older brother back in 5th grade. I am planning on earth science again for him this year (8th grade) and was planning to get the BJU 4th edition earth science. I am having a hard time getting past the price of it and am now wondering if it will really have a more in depth scope than CPO or will be about the same but with the added Christian view. Just wondering if anyone has compared the two. Thanks, Michelle