Moving forward at their pace is the best thing about homeschooling! Sometime you will hit a topic or skill that you will have to slow down the pace to achieve mastery. That's the way it goes!

Hi Lisa, Don't be so hard on yourself. Just go along and do the work. Maybe it will turn out that your K grade child will wind up doing fine with the older one's level. They are so close in age anyway! I did it the other way around. I focused the group learning on the older child's level (3 grades up) and had the younger one listen in on read aloud's for the older child. Younger one did develop a longer attention span and an ability to listen to read aloud's longer than my older one did. I think this is due to the listening to read aloud's set to the older one's level. You will all be fine!

In my blog post complaining about busy work of Singapore (we switched form MUS) a blog reader commented that it sounds like doing IP would be better than doing the text and the workbook (or just the text). So while I don't do that, some HSers are. I'm still disappointed in Singapore. After all these years of hearing how great it is, and finally switching, I don't think it's anything great. I also feel that the way they gear it to use mental math does not give enough practice of doing operations on paper. DH was not happy to see that in the program. My son took the placement test for Singapore but what set us at the level they said he should do was that MUS didn't do fractions at that grade, or metric system. But what happened then was those things were new to him and then the rest of the math concepts were all review, unchallenging and seemed like busy work. Sigh.

Seems like the Montessori philosophy is not a match with your child. They are also not matching his ability to his work. That school just wants him to do activities X, Y, & Z because a kid his age they think should be doing that. Even if you switch schools now this is the same issue that will come up in Kindergarten if you use a school. The schools have a philosophy and their method and the kids must conform to that pace and do those activities despite if they have mastered the content. Despite if it is 'busy work'. You have hit upon a huge issue that describes why many homeschoolers do choose to homeschool--so we can customize our children's education to their ability, go faster when necessary, slower, and use alternative education methods. I hope you find a good fit. Good luck with your quest.

I agree with the idea of letting her see the empathy that some Germans had for the victims. I would suggest that you do a READ ALOUD of The Book Thief. I loved the book as an adult and found it very emotional. I think it would be best to do a read aloud so you can stop and discuss things along the way. Since she is that far into it, has she read Diary of Anne Frank? Also see the documentary Paper Clips about American kids in a southern state who didn't know about the Holocaust then a teacher taught them about it and they made a museum with one paper clip for every life taken. However that does mention that also homosexuals were killed, don't know if she has gone down that road of discovery yet about the Holocaust. THe Holocaust also affected disabled people. A wonderful book told in prose is T4. That explores a deaf girl hiding out to keep from being killed by Nazi's. I want to underscore at this point especially due to her obsession as you called it, that you join in on her studies and do read aloud's and have discussions. Also I'd consider password protecting the Internet and having her back off from reading more on the Internet. Books can handle the learning of a topic in a better way than brutal honesty and photos on the Internet. HTH.

regarding this "One of the challenges I have is that I didn't recognize my daughter's needs soon enough and now she is an underachiever who doesn't care about school anymore. Her apathy is frustrating and I can't figure out how to get through to her." My experience is that once my kids found something not-easy to learn they got this way. They were used to everything coming easy, learning fast, fun learning. When they hit something no longer so easy they started to not care. I recently read "The Motivation Breakthough" by Richard LaVoie. He writes of schooled kids and motivation and also touches upon kids with LDs. He concurs with my observation that when learning is a challenge they can shut down and get apathetic. Think about the gifted child who for years had it simple, now they have to work at it, or they are not instantly correct and have to face an imperfection--how unmotivating. IMO there is no simple sure. In my homeschool I make sure to find some good and interesting learning experiences such as experiential education classes taught by passionate teachers. Those great fun classes with much learning and social time with friends offsets the more school-ish work we do at home. I also don't do long lesson times, avoid busywork type lessons, and allow time in the day for doing fun things, reading what they want, seeing friends, and relaxing. I'm striving for a balance. Good luck with everything.

Hi, What you describe your child as doing is what mine did also. You focused on the alphabet and then bought a book with Greek alphabet. Since letters are connected to reading, a school subject that many Americans stress over, this seems so great to have learned letter identification at an early age. IMO the same thing would have happened if you had strewn about books on zoo animals or construction equipment or the solar system or cartoon characters for a popular toddler TV show. Fast learners and kids who can make the connections easily will do that with any materials that can be connected. My kids both connected book learning to real world and images seen on TV. A few years ago on Dr. Phil a mother of a 2 year old said she spent time every day doing a US states wooden puzzle with her child, and saying the names. She felt the child was gifted because the toddler memorized the state. Reallly the kid memoized the word connected to the shape. The child had no concept of the state, what a state is, what a country is etc. My point is the mother did this learning activity daily and then said "look this is proof they are gifted". On an Oprah show a 4 year old girl memorized, with father's prompting daily, the names of the US government cabinet members. I'd argue the children would learn anything their parent did with them for a number of minutes daily in a forced learning situation like those two parents did. Yet some would applaud the child because what was learned was a 'school topic' or in the case of the cabinet members, something most adults don't know (or care to know). (I know you didn't do that kind of thing directly but just what you talk about during the day and what you choose to strew about the home matters and counts towards what they can learn from.) You asked if our kids did these things. Since mine are now 9 and almost 12 I can share that my older son who is a strong visual learner, a visual-spatial learner kid, has spoken to me of one-time things that happened when he was a baby and not talking in paragraphs yet. Up to three years later I would hear the story of the time the wallpaper guy came to hang wallpaper in our bathroom, the time we went here or there and saw something that only happened one time. Once the story is repeated it seems to gel in memory so now that he is 11 he will tell one of these old stories out of the blue and swears he recalls it all (gives lots of details). My favorite book is "A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children" by James Webb MD et al Look on the SENG website to buy it. Consider reading it. An opinion of mine is while it is convenient and easy for us when our kids learn things fast or early, a school subject for example, it is NOT easy for ME to deal with the 'gifted traits' of their personalities. The intensities, the deep emotions, one being an ultra-perfectionist, the issues with not liking immature (age appropriate) qualities of peers are all things I HATE having to deal with. Parenting a gifted child is NOT easy at all. I joined a SENG support group and learned some things from the other parents to help me manage my kids and help parent them through tough things that some of my friends are not dealing with. HTH

The Children's Museum is great PLAY FUN. I highly advise it. I fear if you walk too much your child aged 7 will be purely exhausted taking fun out of learning. The Boston Museum of Science is FANTASTIC and we could spend 3 full days there. Kids are only little once. Kids a little older than yours (no offense) would appreciate the walking stuff. I hope you have fun and don't wear yourselves out too much trying to cram in all the history learning.

My non math phobic child finds working one grade below with the CWP books still hard. Even in grade 2 books they are 2 and 3 step problems that take real thinking not purely doing operations. Just try it and see what happens, that is the true test. I'd not heard they are being discontinued. Guess I should order more. Well perhaps they will work more CWP into the regular texts? Just a thought.

Nah, a real snub is when they ask about school, you say you homeschool and they walk away. What you got was the blame game, where homeschooling gets blamed for anything negative the other perceives. You are right that it is normal for any 4 year old to cling at a new party with strangers that is loud and probably was chaotic too. Hang in there!

Hi, 1. Released in 2008 the book by Temple Grandin has practical information for parents & teachers & covers behaviors and social issues in AS and her opinion that a lot can be trained or taught for AS people to help them function well in the workplace as adults. Here is my book review of it on my blog that can help you see what the book is about http://tinyurl.com/44v4oe 2. Also there is a Google Authors free YouTube video see here http://tinyurl.com/783phk that discusses these issues a lot in this lecture, AS and Autism spectrum people in the workplace is a main theme, getting along socially and how bosses and co-workers can communicate with AS people better Grandin has strong opinions that stricter parenting and coercing children to behave right or well in the 1960s and prior helped her and other children either with AS or on the Autism Spectrum conform to society's behavioral code. A theory is more lenient parenting in recent years OR using the label as an excuse to not try to change negative behavior (including that which may make a difference between an adult who can work and live indepenently as a result of it vs. one who cannot hold down a job due to social issues and remains dependent on society). I am not trying to start a debate nor am I saying what my personal opinion is, I am just sharing the viewpoing that Grandin takes and is present in her book and in her lectures. It is worth listening to/learning about & considering & forming your own opinion. 3. A HS mom shared this article link on a chat board for issues in an adult man's relationships & workplace, he was undiagnosed until recently when he got an AS diagnosis. article dated 5/15/09 but his AS caused him social and work problems all his life. You may find this insightful. http://tinyurl.com/oheo6r (The more I learn about AS the more I recognize strong symptoms in people I am related to or worked with in the past or present in paid work or volunteer work now. These people are all functioning and contributing members of society living great lives except for some social and/or communication difficulties. With those I know who are adult with AS (some in 60s), more has to do in their cases with the NTs dealing with them instead of the other way around.) HTH

You can't change the past. However if you are unhappy at present remember marriage is about negotiation. Start changing things if that is what you feel you need. Little changes can be made. You will probably need to be specific such as let go of one task and change it over to DH doing it. As you said though if you hand over the job to him you may have to accept it not being done exactly as you would have, he should have freedom to do it 'his way' or less than what you might consider right or perfect. I am not in your situation. However I have made some changes regarding me doing too much and starting to feel resentful and angry with DH and even my kids. I started not agreeing to take everything on and to handle it all myself. That includes too, not doing so many appointments and busy stuff. I need more down time in order to be home to do what I am supposed to do instead of run around doing too many things outside of home then me or DH being mad that the house is a mess, things are disorganized etc. Dr. Phil talks about this often. He says we teach people how to treat us but often we wind up being mad they do (or don't do) things that we didn't want them to do. Sometimes we create the mess. The thing is if we want changes we have to set them in motion and it is a more gradual process not overnight instant rearrangement. Hope something here helps.

In our school sytem we have a superintendent who is the boss of all the principals and all school staff. Do you have that? If so, go right to the superintendent with your issue. No matter if the teachers hate homeschooling the issue is they, as professional adults, should not gang up on a child. They should have just heard what she said and then not said anything. It is not their place to talk her out of HSing. I would ask if they were told she would begin in a private school would such things have been said? I doubt it. Yes they said false things but I would not concentrate on details of what they said and try to correct facts. Focus on the issue being adult teachers ganged up to verbally coerce a child. That in and of itself is wrong.

I felt I neglected poetry in the last couple of years so this winter I made the kids read poetry to themselves for 15 minutes 3x per week. I told them 15 minutes is not much to suffer through even if they felt it was torture. LOL. I started with funny children's poems and moved into poems about nature and the season at the time (winter then spring). I have not forced poetry above their grade level. We are not analyzing it. They don't think it is torture nor are they jumping up and down with inspiration or passion about it. I think there is a huge variety in poetry and that we can expose our kids to different kinds of poetry. There are poems about historical events, poems about nature, poems about American patriotism, poems with humor. I even have a book of math poetry. I have but have yet used the poems to be spoken aloud in two voices. Variety! Also this week my kids are doing a HS class with a poet that does kind of a rap style, poetry jam style so that will be yet another kind. I am trying NOT to push my personal tastes for poetry onto my kids nor try to force them to like what some people may say that enlightened educated people would like...my kids are boys who are in elementary and middle school grades and sometimes I worry that I'm trying to push too much of my ideals onto them. Just like people have different taste in fiction so they do in poetry. But please help your child see that poetry comes in a wide variety not just one niche thing like about flowers, about romantic love etc. HTH.

I like AP. Have not used "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". There is little prep work with AP. You just need the right materials which you can buy at once before you start. They are learning real art concepts (i.e. perspective, negative space etc.) and then they practice it. It is do-able to do the lesson and the artwork piece in one sitting. Frankly I think it is simple for the parent to use and teach from. Also the child could sit by themselves and read it and teach themselves without parental involvement if that is a family's desire. I think there are some sample AP lessons on their website. If you buy AP from someone other than them directly, you can still see the full materials list on the AP site to buy that stuff (such as if the vendor you buy AP from also sells the art materials). The AP site sells a kit if you want to buy it from them and save time/effort. HTH

(I did not read the replies and am commenting on the initial question.) After using Math U See from prek-to grade 3 curriculum level for my then 2nd grader I switched to Singapore this last year fo rhis grade 3 year. I won't tell you what to do as every child is different. I totally regret doing it and feel the whole year was a waste as I was unwilling to ditch the Singapore and get back to MUS. Stupid, I now think. I was being stubborn and wanted to give Singapore a chance to show itself worthy. What I didn't like about Singapore was the scope & sequence was different so when I did the placement test my grade 3 easy math learner kid had to start at level 2A. However he knew it all except for metric system and fractions. So he was basically doing busy work and not learning new concepts outside of those 2 things. I felt it was a waste of time. I then accellerated him through the program, letting him skip pages or just doing the texbook for 3A. I don't like that they cover a topic quickly. In thirty mintues work my son did all the metric work in the textbook and workbook and then it is done. Ditto for liquid measurements. They don't do review like MUS (or Saxon). So once you are done with a topic you may not revisit it for the rest of the year! To do a few assignments that can be done in 1-3 lessons total (in one week) then to not cover the topic again seems a bit odd to me. Also Singapore is heavy on mental math. the way the problems are, the kids can do it in their head instead of writing it out on paper. This gives little practice for doing operations the old fashioned way on paper with pencil. It works fine for the easy ones they give but if asked the same problem with harder numbers and the child has to do it out on paper they have barely any practice. I heard praise for Singapore for years and always wondered if I did the wrong thing by choosing MUS. I am glad I tried Singapore now I know it is not so great for my kids. I loved MUS and my children both learned easily from it (but that is them, and all kids are different). I am glad if Singapore works for other families it just is not for us. Both of my boys grasp concepts in math quickly and have never stressed over math until each hit a blip at the end of last year causing me to question if another program could help or be superior. I don't feel Singapore in levels 2A, 2B and 3A stresses math fact memorization at all. My older child has struggled to learn math facts. WE have used supplements like songs, wrap-up's, flash cards, Timez Attack computer program and the latest which is working is a gizmo called the Flash Master. It is a timed test electronic gadget that can track their weaknesses and retest them on the ones they need work on. If all you are worried about is memorization of math facts you can supplement with any number of special products for that on the market. HTH

For the first time ever I am planning to HS in a modified way through the summer. I reduced outside activities down to one camp for the 9 YO and 2 camp experiences for the turning 12 YO. We will be spending time in Cape Cod. Partly so that the time there is not just spent surfing the TV or playing video games I am having the boys read fiction and read history and do some math through the summer. Another reason is the school year is so busy with Scouts and academic HS classes and social time with friends that we can't get as much academics done during the year as I'd like. In the summer their friends are busy and we usually don't see their child-friends over the summer. So between no regular academic classes, no Scouts, and no big holidays we have lots of down time in the summer. I'd rather do some academics this summer in a light way to free up academics in the upcoming school year. Hope I explained it coherently. LOL.

Yes SOTW vol 1 is fine for a 3rd grader. The book is not a stand alone book and should have supplemental reading to flesh out the details. The very popular topic books covered in other nonfiction children's history picture books for elementary grade children delve deeper into some topics and are usually well illustrated and fun and interesting to read. SOTW is not meant to be a stand alone. Some chapters fill the gaps between all that you will learn in reading the books in print now or at the library. In other words some SOTW chapters may be dull or seem to focus on wars or changing rule of pharaohs. I love SOTW as the spine and we use supplemental readings on grade level. I am even still letting my now-6th grader listen to my (short) read alouds of SOTW (to younger son) and then my 6th grader does silent reading of books on his grade level that go into much more detail. If you get the activity book each chapter of SOTW has a list of suggested supplemental readings. I can't recommend the activity book highly enough. It save me time and money compared to the year I spent self-designing units on Ancient Egypt, Greece & Rome. HTH.

It is normal for a child of 5 to get hand pain when writing for long periods. If you work on oral narration it will help with the composing part of 'writing composition'. There are some good articles online about narration, usually on Charlotte Mason sites. She could also make up stories and dictate them to you while you type them into the computer or write them out by hand. You are lucky she shows such an interest in writing, makes lists, uses writing in real life applications. I am sure you will have no problem with her in this area. Just let her body grow, her hand muscles get stronger and her fine motor skills develop more. You could also have her dictate into a tape recorder or if you know how to record on your PC into MP3 files, do it that way. Also use a digital camera to make little videos of her telling stories or narrating nonfiction information. Kids are not afraid of technology the way we are. Little kids also are not usually camera shy and some really are more hams and like to make little videos on the digital cameras. Lapbooking or Notebooking is another way to use writing in small amounts on academic subjects. My kids hated Writing Strands. However that doesn't mean that others don't love it! We are using IEW now. There are other elements to reading comprehension, read the book 7 Keys to Comprehension, it is a popular book and is usually in public libraries. Your DD is young, enjoy it while she is that way, they do grow up so quickly! If you have the time I suggest lots of picture book unit studies like Five in a Row or More Science Through Children's Literature. That is great stuff to do with 5 year old's. HTH

Your child is young. Schools for grade 1 generally look for 1-2 sentences in an assignment. Big whoop. There is also an overfocus on making kids do creative writing in early elementary education right now. If you have a typical girl this will be super easy as they usually like to make up stories and then tend to be long winded. Fine motor skills are still developing at grade one age so expecting penmanship by hand for over ten minutes at a session is pushing it. In other words for grade one the assignments should not be huge. Oral narration will set the stage for moving content and ideas in her mind and summarizing them, organizing thoughts to be communicated clearly. I hope you are using narration. We followed many Charlotte Mason principles in the early ed years blending with WTM. My older child was not a workbook loving kid so I avoided lots of workbook busywork with him. HTH

Since your child is 5 I would recommend Math U See. Good general teaching tips in Ruth Beechick's book "The Three R's" (about 30 pages of how to teach math to kids from birth through end of grade 3, very reassuring book not scary. My older child switched this year from Math U See to Teaching Textbooks (uses computer to teach lessons). It is weird now as I have no part in teaching him math. The thing about TT right now the earliest grade is 5 so that doesn't help kids in prek-grade 4. Can't recommend MUS highly enough. It is in line with Ruth Beechick's idea of building concrete knowledge first then moving to abstract thinking when they 'get' what the operations are doing.

IEW has a total money back guarantee if you are not happy with no time limits. I suggest buying also the teacher's program to train yourself on it. Rather than stress over IEW how about buy it and return it if you try it and don't like it? Some complain they can't find low prices on used IEW, I have a feeling that is thanks to the money back guarantee so unsatisfied customers get 100% of their money back. Rainbow Resource Center has a little guidebook reference for diagramming that is about $3. Sorry you feel it is difficult. My kids love to diagram, started in FLL3 and find it a cinch. I learned it in public school and loved it (and later forgot it). I am sure if you buy some curriclum with diagramming it will tell you all you need to know to teach it and to correct the work. Don't be scared.

I had an interesting experience with my 8 YO/grade 3 precocious child who loves workbooks. While doing logic workbooks (countdown to logic series) he can do them just fine when they are real things but when they are nonsense examples that do use the logical thinking principles he can't do them. For example questions asking like all dogs are brown, brown dogs named spot are all dogs named spot, he can do it but questions like all wangdoodles are fuzzy and xherts are small are all xherts small and fuzzy he has no clue. Spoke to HS mom who has older kids and follows WTM and she said that is proof that kids are not ready until a little older for pure logic. Interesting. Regarding logic programs not filled with religion is the concensus that no secular logic program exists as a curriculum not games and math related?

The price is about 1/4 of ONE private visit to an occupational therapist costs. Therefore, IMO it is cheap. However it is a comb bound manual self published and not sturdy. This is a do-it-yourself manual. Even if you sought OT they don't give you this stuff to do at home or give these written instructions to describe what they do in their visits. I don't think any of us can judge the program about if it might help your child based on our experience. Kids are just so unique. Plus the manual covers multiple diagnoses and hopefully no one child has ALL the conditions. So anyone who uses it would just use a part of it. I heard Craft speak at a HS conf last year and was inspired. Then last month I heard Linda Kane speak with her neurodevelopmental approach which was different than Craft's. Now I am overwhelmed, which is right? A main difference is Kane says to fix the root problem and the issue goes away while Craft says for very right brained learners and mixed dominant kids to adapt the situation to fit their unique-ness. A very different approach. Kane claims to be able to cure dyslexia, 'right brained dominance', "mixed dominance', ADHD, and even some Autism and Down's Syndrome with ND techniques. There is something to be said for seeking consults and private testing and just doing what someone says as it might be nice to sit back and accept their therapies (working or failing). However that costs thousands so the temptation is to just 'do it yourself' as a first run & see what happens. If Craft's book doesn't work then a person is just out about $25 (not much money at all).

In looking at options, FYI spaciness is also a symptom of food allergies or insensitivities and also candida yeast infection. I am not diagnosing but tossing this into the mix for you to consider. Also if she has an auditory processing disorder and tunes out of listening at choir, she would appear space out, per a book I read on kids with LDs. Then again maybe she is just bored. My DS used to space out a lot (not causing problems per se but it just was not typical for him) when he was having food reactions. After foods were eliminated it disappeared instantly and he was back to his old self.