Thanks...you are right about knowing the areas of strength and weaknesses. When reviewing the scores for both boys they basically just reflect what I already know. Technically we only have to test every other year, but just for my sake I'm doing it every year. There is always a chance we may have to send them back to ps.

Yea, just had to add that!:tongue_smilie:

Well I have to say he's a good listener for someone else...with me? not so much!:lol:

For anyone interested, this is for my ds11 (5th grader). We took the SAT test recently and I just got our scores back last week. This year I had him doing MM grade 4 because I felt we were behind. I basically gave him the material and had him do it on his own with very little "teaching" from me. His results for taking the 5th grade SAT test were really good..scoring avg. to above avg. in the different sections. Also, we did no reviewing before taking the test. *confirmation

for one more year anyway:001_smile: We have to take the SAT tests under our cover school. Last year (our first to hs) my dyslexic ds, then 9, royally messed up...by not answering the questions:001_huh:. I had a friend that proctored and she peeked at his test and it was mostly blank pages. He just couldn't read them; or read them fast enough. The test wasn't timed so he had plenty of time, but when he saw the other kids finishing he just quit. SO..for this year's test I had requested that the test be read to him in a private setting. The cover school easily complied to my request. Well he did SO MUCH better:hurray:. I was really scared to open it up but pleasantly surprised when I did. There were still some weak areas..math and spelling to be exact (that I already knew) but everything else was really good. I'm so proud of him. The proctor commented to me how well he listened. We barely did any science this year and he did well on it too. Also, I didn't spend any time at all trying to prepare the boys before taking the test. I don't like putting too much emphasis on these tests, but it sure does take a load off on the ole' teacher when the outcome is good. Oh, and ds11 did really well too.

Hey Elizabeth, your seminar was really good. One quick question...what do you recommend for better fluency?

Thanks ladies..I love reading these!!

Thanks Wendy for your prospective. One of mine keeps saying he wants to go back to ps but I haven't given in to him...ALTHOUGH some days it's tempting:001_huh:. I was thinking the other day how hard it would be to homeschool without the internet..it would be for me anyway.

Thanks Chris, this really helps a lot. I appreciate your honesty. My ds9 is dyslexic so I worry about providing the proper learning environment and helping him acquire the skills he will need in life.

For the families that have adult hsed children, I would like your thoughts on your "journey". How have your children adapted to life/college? What are the things you wish you had done/hadn't done? I'm ending our second year and I would just like to hear about more long-term experiences. Most of the time I feel ok about things, but today I'm feeling overwhelmed and wondering if I can do this long-term. I want to hear your regrets/successes and anything in between.

A few times I have felt like some educators totally dismiss anything I have to say because how could I possibly know anything about helping my son because I'm not "educated" or specially trained. Really, I feel I know more than many teachers do about dyslexia just by reading one book.

I'm the same way...not a literature person. I avoided the advanced classes in school just because I didn't want to read all the books. I regret that now. I'm not exactly sure what your asking since you don't want a list of books but one thing I'm looking into is the Robinson Curriculum. It may not be what your looking for but basically the whole Language Arts is based on literary classics. Just my .02! Oh and also, we are listening to Robinson Crusoe right now. I will probably have them read it again later. Cheryl

Yes, the whole timed tests stuff drives me nuts. I just want my kid to read...I don't care if he read X # words per minute. If he knows he's being timed, he does much worse.

We are using both as well. I need to order more LOF books in the elementary series since ds finished apples fairly quickly. He struggles with reading so his brother would read the story to him. I never asked him to do so since they both enjoy it so much. Ds11 has struggled somewhat with the fractions book. So I will probably just have him do it again. We do MM daily for about an hour-hour 1/2. I have ds11 work as much independently as possible. He can usually do it alone. It is written to the child. With ds10, I just go over the instructions and he works the problems. He hates math but I think he will benefit from using MM.

I went with A & P for the same reasons already posted. Ds10 doesn't like all the writing but we keep at it. He is 10 and perfectly capable of doing a lesson a day...but we are only in book A. If lessons get much longer as we go along I will probably break them into two days.

Hello and welcome, One thing I've been using is Apples and Pears spelling...although I can't say at this point how much it has helped because we haven't been into that long. But it gets rave reviews on this board. They also have a reading program that I have not used. I have Recipe for Reading which is Orton-Gillingham based but he we have taken a break from it and phonics in general and have just been working on fluency which is his biggest problem. I can tell from his reading which is slow and laborious that we haven't been reviewing them so I need to get back on it. It's a really inexpensive and easy to use program. But I will also add that what works for family and may be the best thing since sliced bread will not work for another. :001_smile: And you will find this board very helpful as I have. I don't post very often but READ a lot and gather boat loads of good info. Good luck!

Does anyone know of an exhaustive vocabulary list (other than in RC) that covers a range of classic books?

I can see the day when Pre-K will become mandatory. I believe it's so popular with parents because it's one less just a year they to pay for daycare...not to start that debate:001_huh:. Before hsing I was a substitute teacher for a short while. That's a real eye-opener! I subbed in a public pre-k class one day and it just broke my heart to see those little ones cooped up in a classroom all day. The only time they left the room was for lunch or bathroom. One of the aids had been scolded earlier for letting one of the kids sit in her lap. There wasn't a lot of organized instruction which at that age was fine, but most of the day was keeping them corraled here and there in the room. Everything had to be cleaned after use, kids had to be keep so many inches apart during naptime, etc. Lots of wasted energy imo. I just wonder if the kids exploded when they finally got home.

This is interesting to me..will you be doing this at your home?

I'm self diagnosed and my mom thinks so too thinking back on how I was growing up. I could stay in my room for hours doing everything else BUT my homework. I'm still that way. I really need to be doing my taxes but where am I at? here!!:glare: But at this stage in my life I feel it's just something I have to learn to deal with although medication looks attractive at times. :001_smile: I've been pleased with HOD and plan on sticking with it...I'm forcing myself not to jump around too much. It ain't broke so I ain't fixin!:tongue_smilie:I like that I don't have to plan and just check the box and know it's done for the day. There a lot of days where we get the minimum done and sometimes I feel like we're "flying by the seat of our pants". We use MM and I think it's a good program. The boys will learn what they need to know from it..but I've also been noticing that TT works well for dyslexics (ds10)...so I'm trying to subdue that urge for the time being. Lately I've added Apples and Pears spelling and LOF as a supplement. If I could be halfway between OCD and where I'm at now I would be at a happy medium!!

Another thing I have to consider is I would have to have a c-sec. So that does concern me as well. I tend to have big babies:001_huh:. Also how did you handle breast-feeding..if you did, did you do that in front of the older kids..boys I mean? I quit letting the boys "see" me a few years ago. I guess that's kind of weird to think about, but one thing I didn't like about breast feeding was always having to leave to a private area.

I don't post very often (mostly lurk) but thought I would post this. I'm still feeling like I'm not done having kids. Our boys are 11 and 10 and they ask frequently about having a little brother or sister. Dh will be 40 next month and I will be 38 this summer..:tongue_smilie:!! But I don't feel that old...not that 38 is old but older for having kids anyway. I know the boys don't realize what it would be like to have a baby but I know they would be great big brothers. I know at this point it would be like we would be "starting all over" and essentially have a second family again. And I do have to honestly ask myself if I'm up for it. It is nice to go somewhere and not have to worry about a toddler...but at the same time I realize now how fast that time goes by. BTW..twins runs in my family on both sides and I've also heard that the chances are greater the older you are. So what are some of the challenges you have faced basically starting all over again that you didn't expect to have? What are some blessings/positives? What is harder or easier than you thought or did you even think about it.

We are using Preparing this year and I have been very pleased with the program..although it looks like I will be finishing it up going into the next school year:tongue_smilie:but that's my fault. From what you've listed I think you will enjoy it. My kids are close in age as yours and the only thing they do different is math and I have ds11 do more reading. And I have decided to use an outside spelling program but my kiddos spelling is horrid:001_huh: to say the least.

I'm learning all this myself...but from what I gather they are different approaches. Barton and Wilson follow alot of rules whereas DB or the synthetic phonics is more pattern based with lots of repitition. Maybe someone else will give more detail. I just recently started using Apples and Pears spelling and will be ordering one of the reading programs in the next week or two.

I think it goes both ways with men and women cheating...but probably more dominant with men. I will share this... My sister's ex went into a major mid-life crisis and fits all all the criteria of a narssacist. We also believe he is a sex addict. She has come to realize all this through counseling. He is extremely controling, manipulative and lives in his own reality and there is no way to deal with him. Once his affair came out, she was willing to try to work it out for a brief period. Luckily she quickly came to her senses. But anyway, he moved out for a little while so they could work on things. The saw a counselor and they both had to write what they each wanted from the other. One of the criteria for him was for her to work on her weight. After they had been apart for a couple weeks he asked her what size she has gotten to...because now he knew what it was like to be with a size 7. He even tried to get my sister to guess what size his mistress was!!! And let me just tell this man feel off the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.:lol::lol::lol: I really believe I would have hurt that man if I had been there to hear that. She literally thought she was going crazy from living with him. She and her 3 kids have been living with us since last May:tongue_smilie:. It's been a little challenging but not bad. She's finally found somewhere to live and hopefully get back on her feet.