I have the link to the website where they released half the questions and I think I will administer the 5th grade test to my rising 5th grader who is just wrapping up SM5B. He was in the NYC public school system and took the 3rd grade tests the very first year they administered the common core-aligned tests (I think the common core is great but the implementation in NY was a disaster because the curriculum was not aligned). Anyway, my DS did very well on those tests, so I wonder how he will do 2 grades-worth later.

Quite a few seem to move directly from 5b onto AOPS pre-algebra. We are using a different prealgebra curriculum but I keep trying to fill in other items we need to master after 5b and before we start it. I think I'm just going to do it. ETA, we used the US version when afterschooling but switched to Standards when we started homeschooling. I prefer, and need, the standards homeschool instructor guide to the US one.

Seconding Evolution of Calpurnia Tate and Momo. Adding a few also not often mentioned ones: Pinnochio, Good Night Mr Tom, Nobody's Boy, Wonder.

I, and especially DS, who truly misses the socialization (and I miss the drive that comes from being motivated from one's peers, versus your mom yelling at you 24/7), would have loved this. As a matter of fact, we toured a Montessori school for DD. It is an amazing thing, with sheep and chickens and a free standing art house :) I contacted the head of school to see if DS could take art there. I did not pursue it any longer because I found a local artist DS can work with every week, and for the reasons that Laura states: I don't want him to feel more of an outsider/left out. Example: head of school takes all the older kids skiing each week, and DS would hear about that, the grade trips, etc. No need to muddle our rural homeschooling emotional situation further ;)

For my imprecise purposes with the 10 year old, this is exactly what I did. It seems though the liberal arts colleges are a bit underrepresented in the grad rankings...

I just need a quick and dirty one, because DS has started to ask what a particular school is "known" for and I frankly cannot answer. He does not have an area of interest so it's not like I can search that particular degree. Oxford is the current interest but it's any university he hears of, like where he did tennis camp. All I know is the MBA and law school rankings, due to DH and self :).

Do people really think this way? I have never come across the term "gifted adult" in real life. And no one that has struck me as gifted. I've met a few interesting, amusing, charming people though. This is perhaps more of a reflection on me, one of those "well, if you have to ask...type things ;)

Scroll down to French in this link. Why don't you email the teacher for more info. She is currently out of office hiking (I emailed my son's placement test and got the auto-response) but she has been very responsive to me. http://debrabell.com/online-classes/course-schedule/

We've decided on a child swap with my sister (we watch theirs for a long weekend, they watch ours). We travel a fair amount (I'm going to Europe twice this summer!) but always with the kids, and the 3 year old limits us a bit. I am not a big adventure person, but I like hiking and such. We live in a very pretty area in NY state and hike or canoe or ski or bike most weekends, again, limited a bit by the baby :) If it were just *me* going, I would do something a bit out of character, like check into a completely silent yoga/meditation type retreat (I don't really do yoga), or a spa or something. DH is not into that. I'd like to keep the flight around 5 hours or less, because it's only 3 nights. My sister is going first and she and her DH are doing some sort of hike in the Grand canyon where you camp in a canyon. DH suggested Napa valley but that is a longer flight than I'd like. I've never been to places like Arizona/Colorado/Montana. This will be in the fall/winter though, so maybe Mexico or Costa Rica would be nice too. We've already done Vegas several times. Do you have a favorite couples' getaway? Tell me!

Has she considered pursuing a family friendly career? I've stressed with one of my children (and will with the other when she is of age) that 1. Keynes' views notwithstanding, modern men and women spend a very large amount of time at work, and so it is important to position oneself to at least have the skills to do something one does not entirely detest and 2. it's important to be able to support oneself financially.

I think the current STEM obsession is a bit out of control. I find myself falling in the same trap, when DS asks for more foreign language classes and yet I sign him up for programming. I think mommymonster gave excellent advice. "There's always law school" worked out very well for me too :)

I just did a detailed search of the boards and you are right, this one is recommended. The only other, ahem, neutral resource I found and already ordered was this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0866533869/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

DS is not gifted, but he is taking a class there this fall. He fulfills the stated class criteria.

I have the lesson plans from the National Constitution Center, but specifically looking for a book. We're going to Philadelphia in September and want to make a Constitution day of it. Many thanks!

Yes, I realized this too late for this summer. Live and learn for the next ;)

I thought i'd have time what with camps and such, neglecting to realize that I have to drive back and forth to said camps and still occupy a 3 year old in the meantime. Is there sleep away tennis camp and where do I sign up? It feels obscene to complain as foreign language, programming, literature are all outsourced. History almost so with SOTW.

Could you share what you used for the scaffolding (love the term!)? DS has not started using AOPS yet, except for a little Alcumus, but I already know we will need more drill here and I do not subscribe to the learn it once remember it forever thing either--While AOPS is almost universally loved, I find it hard to pick among other algebra programs...Thanks!

He reads to me or independently and then orally answers questions. I ask him about words/ phrases whose meaning I don't think he knows and we work through those if any (there is a small vocab section later on in the lesson but I prefer to do right then). We go through the grammar bit. Then I assign some of the exercises and he does them independently. I assign one of the more "research" ones to be completed later. It takes us a couple of sessions to get through a lesson. Eta: I'm not familiar with the lower grade books as we started in 4th. I imagine they are similar?

Roadrunner and Elladarcy, what math would you say RM 6 is, compared to say AOPS pre-A or Singapore 5B? Is it pre-algebra? Just integrated elem math? I don't mind getting this because it's not expensive, and since I went to school in Eastern Europe it's probably similar to my pre-gymnasium math, but I've blocked that out ;) It's just I cannot permit myself one more curriculum as we are becoming mired and I will have mutiny in my hands.

I know for French 2, she is having two sessions bc she prefers smaller classes. The initial, advertised class did not work for us as we had yet another class then, but then she advised me of the other session (which is now on the website). As to working independently vs a class. I cannot compare the two yet, but I will say this: We did SYRWTLF and a reading program myself for 12 months or so, to good result (we still have to finish the little book, but that's because we are being thorough). It as fairly draining for me (ETA: I also work 26 hours a week approx) and he is quickly approaching the point where I can no longer teach him French bc he knows about the same now. I also do not think one learns a language via a once a week class. This semester, each week we are doing the AIM class, a 1 hour session with a tutor that comes with its own homework, and then daily work (on the other 4 days) with me on SYRWTLF and the duolingo and the like.

As do I! (to the bolded). You were either good or trying to be good :) As for the term "gifted", I don;t think there is such a thing, so I've no conflicts about it. I consider my children environmentally enhanced charmingly mediocre. (I am going to copyright that term). We did do the CTY testing because there is a single class we are interested there, and DS did qualify, but still on the EECM spectrum :)

One that hasn't been mentioned is Pinocchio.

Following bc DS will go to high school if he manages to score sufficiently on the entrance exam for a couple we'd be interested in. I would love to spend some extended time (a summer) overseas between now and then but I am still working part time...

It was a bilingual mom here (thanks Cleo) that brought to my attention this class; I wasn't even aware of it. I plan to write a review after the first semester. I love that the goal is to work towards real books like Les Miserables, etc. Anyway, I've found a great tutor (lives in Southern France) via Skype. It costs I think about 28 EUR per session, which is supposed to be 45 min but it's more like an hour. I am happy to share how I found her if you ever see the need.