If you are in NY state, HVCC offers German.

I have been considering Derek Owens Physics. Have ready plenty of info here in other threads. But what I would like to know is if the videos are kind of dry. I have only seen a sampling from what is on the YouTube playlists for Physics (Derek Owens channel). Almost every video is just of black board instruction with diagrams and math problems. (I know that it is not conceptual physics and that there is a lot of math in Physics). I noticed that he does not require a textbook either. I was thinking that physics may not seem that interesting and it may get kind of unmotivating if every video is JUST black board instruction. I did see one video on parabolic reflectors that showed actual parabolic reflectors of different types and sizes and that was interesting. I am wondering if it would work for me to assign reading in a conceptual Physics textbook and/or conceptual physics videos before (some) Derek Owens video lessons. I have to confess I DO like the philosophy of conceptual physics. I think it's very important to see the different ways that the concepts apply to real life and to spark more interest. But I do want my son to do the math too (not calculus at this point). So I'm really looking for both!

Thank you for the update. My ds has not had a full evaluation yet. He had a speech eval done before he was 2 and recieved services until he was 3 and tested out. Then we had him retested at the local SUNY (state college) speech and hearing center at age 5. That did not go well for reasons that would make a separate post. But we found he was low in expressive language and something else. They would have done some services with him there but we had such a bad experience with the supervisor (she seemed to be anti-homeschool) that there was no way we were going to use their services. Had him evaluated again a year and half ago (speech) and though he had some low spots it was not enough for services (probably due to insurance rules). To get a full neuropsych eval we have to get on a 6 month waiting list for someone over 2 hours away. There may be a possibility that is in a different state that is closer to us (Stern Center in VT in case anyone here knows of them) but so far they have not responded to my emails with questions. Last night I had him do the Barton screening test and he failed part C... I think he has more trouble with the auditory memory than the discrimination so I've been researching that now. I will look into the Brainware Safari you mentioned. I'm not sure if I should address these auditory issues before starting Nessy or any other reading program or ok to jump into Nessy at the same time. He has done LOE Foundations level A, HOP (old, up through third level-orange), some of AAR level 1, Reading Eggs (which I saw a lot of progress with his reading but then it went to fast at some point and got too hard and also the subscription ran out. Also, I found out after that he said there was a game with killing chickens ? that greatly upset him because we have "pet" egg layer chickens. ?) Anyway- I have always felt like he struggled just enough that I could not decide which program to move on with. But he also has progressed on his own and can read more than those levels if there are pictures or context clues. But the auditory issues affect so much more than reading... it is affecting his relationships both in and out of the home. ? But the speech eval guy didn't seem to think so, which is a sign he would not have been a good match for my ds anyway.

I realize it's not a year and a half later... did you end up purchasing a subscription to Nessy? If so, how did it go? I'm contemplating it now for my 10 yr old struggling reader (possibly dyslexic but has not been evaluated).

The puppet theater thing did not leave the room yet. ? His bedroom is small and shared with his brother (another of the "cons" with this house- we had huge bedrooms in our other house but only two of them) Now we have three tiny bedrooms and one is a guest room- very small. the boys have loftbeds so they have space underneath. They just cleaned up their room nicely so I didn't want to put the puppet theater in there myself. I like your idea for work hard all morning and then it's dad time. I'll see what dad thinks about that! but also in the afternoons we have piano, soccer, evening robotics, 4H... it bogs me down but is less than what some others do. It's not too much for the boys. I just wish we didn't have to run around most days of the week in the fall. the book cases would stay. they are FULL. and not really another room for them. Basement some day if it gets finished. So if it was a dining room anytime soon it would have to be like a library dining room ? Of course I"d get it in my head to open the wall up then, even a window to the kitchen... ha. But then in the back of my mind is that it's technically a bedroom and I wonder if it's going to be needed by one of our parents at some point in the future. A simple doorway cut into that room near that back wall would go right to the bathroom downstairs... I feel like I am "difficult"... I am in the sense that I can't get rid of things! I do have some 5-HTP...

I had that idea too after we moved in... and taking out one or both closets and the wall they are in so that the front hallway was open to that room. But... that is major construction/remodeling for us... I have ideas like that and we never do them. Like in our last house... when we bought it in 1998 I wanted to open it up more. Never happened. and then there are priorities.. we actually need new windows in this house- they are awful. And a garage. I actually have gotten used to not having a garage despite living in the north country. But dh still wants one. And I really do want solartubes in our kitchen/dining area. There is a place in our master bath that is wasted space that the tubes can come down through. Just haven't found someone to come do it. our other idea when we bought the house was that we were going to turn the porch room into a full season room and open it to the kitchen/dining (take out a sliding door) and have our dining area in that area "sunroom" is what some people call it because of all the windows but it's on the north side of the house... not very sunny in there!

Looks great! Where do you keep the books/curriculum, etc? And where do you keep books/curriculum, etc. that you aren't using but are saving for the next child coming up? if you save it... I know some people sell it right away and then buy again for the next child

I measured... the table is 60" long... so I think it would feel too cramped for the chairs at the end. It would only be enough room to slide the chairs out to sit down. I did this tonight! But.. it feels awkward. I think I'll see what my friend thinks when she comes to my house tomorrow. I think it's awkward partly because the rest of the room is not situated yet (I did move out most of the clutter). But also just that it's "change" so it feels weird. I do like having the table near the window to get the good light and because I like to look out the window while sitting there. The friend that is coming over is not coming for the purpose of helping me. She was away for 6 months so we are catching up. She also just sent her two girls to school and has a 2 yr old at home. So she is no longer homeschooling.. I"m sure she might have some advice though- but it won't be the main focus of the visit. (and now I'm embarassed by all the boxes and clutter in the hallway spilling into the kitchen... maybe that will motivate me to get it to the basement before she comes and before my family gets home from their weekend away!)

4H anyone? If you are invovled with 4H you might understand... there is a copy paper box and a plastic tote plus some more loose stuff that is all 4H stuff from both boys.. they used to make project record books that were really like scrapbook binders. they are in the box. but they are like scrapbooks. they spent hours making them and enjoyed looking at them in other years. (our local 4H decided they don't want to look at kids books anymore so now they fill out one piece of paper at the end of the year..). ribbons, projects, lots of stuff. Where to put it? It may have to go to the baement for now. but they will all be upset with me for putting more stuff in the basement that they are trying to clear out.

agreed. stuff just got piled in there when we moved and some of it stuff that needed to be dealt with before we moved but no time... it's depressing really. and I have too many books...

ok- so that cardboard box thing that looks like a puppet theater... my son spent hours and hours on that.. days.. weeks... it has all these flaps and strings that open and close things. There is a jointed flat type puppet that goes in it- forgot what they are called- you pull the string on it and his arms and legs move. He made accessories for him like a coffee cub and hat with rabbit. He rarely works on anything so hard. What do I do with it? The kind of thing he is/was proud of, spent a lot of time on it. He's probably done with it, but not totally. Where should it go?

I want to respond to more individual ideas you ladies posted. But I'm going to go get busy and keep moving the clutter out... and take the cover off the ceiling light because I can't see in there! We need a new light of some sort for the ceiling.. maybe a ceiling fan with lights? or track light?

I don't know how things will be! it's kind of making me anxious I think. He plans to work on "projects" but that is not going to work so well. The boys should actually be helping and involved with some of those projects.. and will be distracting to me because of what he does sometimes... ? not the way I would do it.. things hanging in weird places, painted wrong color, etc. He may be home until January as of now. He is open to helping with school... but.. that may not be so smooth either.. so yeah- having the schoolroom as an option for schoolwork is good..

this question made me laugh because it seems absurd that I have a "Schoolroom" if those boxes aren't in there! LOL I had to give up on that room a while back and a friend had showed me the boxes and I got a bunch on sale. they fit stacked inside some wood crates that I have in the living room... When we first moved in we did a lot of our work on the living room floor. agree. When in our old house, and frustrated with our space, and we were house hunting I would say that I didn't need a school room. What I really hoped for was an open dining room so that we could have a large table for school that didn't need to be cleaned off for dinner every night- I wanted a house with two table/eating areas. Then we'd have a nice size table and dining for company too. But... it's hard to find a house that meets all wishes.. we got privacy, woods, trails in the woods that butts up to a state land forest with pond and stream. we can have chickens now. lots of open clearing/yard where the house is within the woods. a pool (old and about to die, but it's been useable so far). a living room somewhat open to kitchen that I wanted. but... no dining room. only one small dining area that is part of the kitchen space/room. So... I figured that odd downstairs bedroom could be for that second table we needed for school at least. Even thought I could make it into an acceptable dining room for company at one point. (the kitchen table space is not big enough for a big table that more than 6 people can sit at. we keep the leaf out of our table so it seats 4 but when company comes we have sometimes put the leaf in and still have the kids eat in the porch room) the other reason I want a more dedicated school table to work at is the lighting (terrible where our dining table is- it's north facing with porch off back so it feels like a cave. I want solar tubes in there.) and also for posture. Sitting on the couch so much has turned me into mush and given me back trouble. I don't think it's good for the boys either. I don't expect them to do ALL work at the table but some of it so they aren't slumped all day. and it doesn't always work to have them both at the same table together. That is what I want and will try again this year.. but sometimes I need them to be in separate areas. ? they have used the space mostly for gift making. for me or my husband and they don't want us to see. cards, art, sewing, etc. My older, 13, is now totally into model trains and has quite a bit of space in the basement he has taken over (which the younger is jealous of that he gets to have all that space). My younger and my dh took all the legos off the "lego table" in basement last week. It was really a train table with a mound of loose legos. They used to have somewhat of a "lego room" at the old house. Here they had a lego area in the basement. with a rug on the floor and shelves. we have too many legos. but younger doesn't do it as much as older. Younger is a puzzle. He wants to try and copy older brother and like what he likes and yet I don't think that is him- he is different and we haven't figured out what's special to him yet. ? some ideas.. but gravitates towards brother...that is possibly one of the negative aspects of homeschooling... he also doesn't have many same age friends right now. a few were girls and that is now not happening.. others he just doesn't sync with. It's sad. I think I could get him interested in rearranging the "Schoolroom" though. But I think I need to start tonight- do some moving so when he comes home tomorrow he can think outside the box...