Hi all-- I have a just-turned 5yo ds with an Aspergers dx. He is hyperlexic--learned to read at 2, is an excellent decoder, reads with fluency but has trouble with comprehension. He can read at a 2nd and 3rd grade level, but his comprehension is below average for K. Do you guys know of any reading programs that are specifically geared toward kids on the spectrum, programs that teach reading comprehension to early decoders and are good for kids who are over-literal? Thanks!

YES! This is exactly the kind of guidance I need. Love the pyramid idea--giving her an idea of the sophistication of the culture.

I am "summer schooling" as a test run for full-time homeschooling next fall. We are focusing on math and history and for the latter, we are doing a condensed ancient history unit: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome (with a few other things thrown in). I feel like I have a solid handle on everything except Egypt in terms of major themes--esp. since the latter two empires had such a direct influence on western culture. So things like politics, art/architecture, literature, logic, science etc. are major ideas. So my question is, when teaching 3/4th graders--what are the major themes you want them to learn from a study of ancient egypt--what are the things, beyond the details, that you want them to take away and retain? I feel like my own knowledge is a mishmash of kingdoms, pharaohs, mummies and pyramids.... We are using the SOTW book/audiobook and I have the History of Ancient times books for Egypt, Greece and Rome.

My PC-using friends love homeschool tracker plus--and it looks great but doesn't run on a Mac. I know I can get a virtual-pc type program but it seems impossible that there isn't a great program out there that runs native on a mac!

I have been afterschooling my dd(age 8) for the past year--but have decided to do a test-run of full-on HS-ing over the summer. If it works, I may pull her out of school and homeschool full time. She has a full 3 months off--so my plan was to do the following: Singapore math 3A SOTW- vol. 1, with major focus on Egypt, Greece, and Rome Singapore Science MCT Island Series Also considering doing Spelling Power--but does this seem like too much for a newbie?

Thank you all-- My daughter is 8. She's currently in the 2nd grade at a private school. We love the vibe of the school, love the families and the kids, but are really unhappy with the curriculum. So, basically, the school has become a $15,000 socialization experience and it's really not worth making such a huge financial sacrifice if she's not getting a top-notch education. I guess it has just taken a while for us to be honest with ourselves in terms of her education. But here we are. Right now, she sees friends mostly at school--she's also on a swim team so she hangs out with kids there. I think if we were to homeschool, I would have her do more activities--maybe girl scouts or another sport? And I would be more proactive about scheduling playdates--to be honest, right now, I let her hang out with friends at school and use our time at home for family activities/enrichment, etc. We also have a 4yo son, but he's a whole different story--he was recently dx'd with Aspergers so we are working through that. He's currently at a montessori preschool--and it's been fantastic for him, so though HS may be an option in the future (esp. since he is hyperlexic and has incredible math skills), right now the social component/being around other kids is absolutely crucial for him. I suspect there are many resources in our area that I have yet to discover--we are near Princeton so I am hoping to mine that area as well!

Hi all, I've been lurking on the forums for a while, thinking about whether to take the homeschooling plunge and I think I am getting closer as my frustration with dd's school grows. I think my plan is to afterschool in a more systematic way for the remainder of this year, then use the summer to test-drive it in a full-time way before making a final decision. My greatest concern is that, though I am not happy with her school, my daughter is--she's very happy there, has lots of friends, etc. She's a very social kid and I am afraid of isolating her. I know there are tons of resources that provide chances for home schooled kids to socialize--but I guess I am still figuring this all out. I am interested in hearing more about the journey you made--as you finally took the plunge--besides getting the academic stuff in place, how did you plan for the social component? I would love to find a co-op in my area (Bucks Co., PA) and am looking into what's around. Look forward to chatting more with all of you as I embark on this exciting journey!