Other than curriculum, I'd have to say that reading good literature will help with these skills. It's one thing to see it once on a test, another to see it used correctly in a sentence in a story that your child enjoys. The more exposure to quality writing the better... As you get closer to your testing date, a program like Daily Grams really helps, also. HTH!

The web site lists the info for each test. Besides the story summaries, I had mine make trading cards for each of the gods. Picture on the front with Greek name/Roman equivalent, and the powers/stories they appeared in on the back.

I'm waiting on a good price for index cards. I use these all the time, and ds 14 and dd 8 will start a vocabulary box this year. Heading off to Walgreens for the folders. Great price!

I have different books for different times of day, if that makes sense. The ones that take the most concentration I read first thing in the morning before someone wakes up. (only quiet time in our house:tongue_smilie:) The others are for appointments, park day, swimming, etc. My reading definitely is not on a consistent level by any means. There are days that I go without reading!

Finished... The Unwritten Rules of Friendship: Simple Strategies to Help Your Children Make Friends (Read about this on one of the threads, sounded interesting.) Struglgling with... I, Claudius, Robert Graves Working on... The Summer of Us, Holly Chamberlin On Folly Beach, Karen White Dragonhaven, Robin McKinley Don Quixote, new translation by Edith Grossman 19. Lord of the Flies, William Golding 18. The Red Garden, Alice Hoffman 17. The Missing, Beverly Lewis 16. The Secret, Beverly Lewis 15. The Girl Who Chased the Moon, Sarah Allen 14. One Week in December, Holly Chamberlin 13. The Thorn, Beverly Lewis 12. Salting Roses, Lorelle Marinello 11. The Well Trained Mind, 2004 Edition 10. Night, Elie Wiesel 9. Last Light Over Carolina, Mary Alice Munroe 8. Homeschooling, A Family's Journey, Gregory and Martine Millman 7. Time is a River, Mary Alice Munroe 6. Commencement, Courtney Sullivan 5. The Redemption of Sarah Cain, Beverly Lewis 4. Thursdays at Eight, Debbie Macomber 3. The Three Weismann's of Westport, Cathleen Schine 2. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier 1. The Search, Nora Roberts

I can tell you both good and bad things about travel ball. DS played for one of the top teams from ages 10-18. The experience for him was for the most part, wonderful. He has loved the game since he was five years old. He had great instruction, and if he chooses, will make a great coach someday. Over the years, we saw teams come and go, saw parents show up to a game only to find out their son had been replaced by a better player, etc., you name it. (not on our team) Some parents and players do it because they love baseball. Others do it because they think their kid is the next 1st round draft choice. My son did it simply because he loved the game. Was he the absolute best? No; but he was definitely the most willing and respectful. He played every position they asked him to until he reached high school. I don't know what state you live in, but baseball here is year-round. We did this for eight years, not counting league and high school ball. It can wear on you. If you have younger children, it can wear on them, also. Younger ds could really be great if he wanted to, but stopped playing for a few years. He doesn't say, but I'm sure it's because of all the focus on travel ball with older ds. So again, it depends on how heavily a committment you want to make with it. If it seems like you have a great group of kids and coaches, try it out. If you decide that it isn't the right thing for your family, you can always try something else. HTH

Does anyone stress out when they see there dc's test scores? Son took the CAT test and got test results back today. He's not below average, just...average. Of course, he's not average to me. He's funny, articulate, just a great kid. But ouch! That kind of hurt... Anyone else ever get that feeling?

You have to keep in mind that, yes, it is summer. The admissions counselors that make the informed decisions aren't necessarily the ones that are answering your phone/e-mail questions. This is usually left up to the admissions assistants. I agree with getting the policy in writing. You can also go to the school's online catalog. There will be information specifically in there regarding homeschool applicants. Be patient, yet also persistent. I was given three different scenarios for my oldest ds, as he was applying to out of state schools. I would wait for the homeschool "expert".

XtraMath. It keeps track of which ones are mastered and which ones need more practice, and it's painless to get done daily. Thanks for the link! I just signed up both ds and dd. *I thought it was interesting watching the info session. I didn't know the "three second" recall rule. Learn something new every day...

Your son has to call the admissions counselor and set up a working relationship with him/her. The more he is in contact, the more he will be seen as a real person. The grades are impressive, and the fact that he took the break shows great emotional maturity. Admissions loves that! I think another strong point in his favor is the fact that he re-took the class, got the A. If he is serious about applying, he shouldn't wait. The transfer to UVA is a great back-up, if that's what he chooses. UVA is a great school! HTH

Now that would be the ultimate in frustration. DS does what needs to be done and moves on. Thanks for the input!

Does anyone have any experience with the k12 program? DS14 is interested in enrolling in 9th grade for the fall. They offer some computer programming classes, specifically game design, that he is interested in pursuing as a possible career. I've looked at the couse descriptions on the site and am satisfied with the curriculum choices for English, but the algebra course looks a little daunting in terms of resources. Any feedback, any grade level, any subject, would be welcome.

I would convert the upstairs room to the schoolroom, also. Keep a few of the favorite "non-messy" toys in there as well. I would have legos, any other type of toy that tends to spread out in the basement room. How wonderful that you have the options available to you!

I've never had a problem as long as I identify myself as a teacher. Definitely speak with manager first, though. Last year I saw a lot of people leaving stuff at the register because they didn't ask first. Technically, you are a private school teacher. Just use that as your identification and see how it goes. HTH

I have to second the Shark Navigator Lift Away. I know it might seem cheesy because of the infomercials, but we bought ours at Target. We shopped/compared for a year before buying this one. It was between this and the Dyson Animal. We also bought the extended warranty, even though the manufacturer has a decent policy. This vacuum is lightweight, easy to use. The first time we used it, we were amazed at how much it picked up in one pass. We vacuum 1x in morning, 1x at night due to allergies. This vacuum has been great! HTH!

Something pretty much along those lines. "Oh, we just have our normal routines." "Oh, we're just your average boring people in the evening." Sometimes it's just affirming what they're saying: "My husband watches tv all night instead of talking to me." Response: "Oh..." or "That must be difficult for you." If there's no fuel for the fire, there's nothing to keep talking about. I had to take a seminar on dealing with difficult people. I passed some of it on to my husband, who coaches baseball. Parent: My son deserves more playing time. He's the best player out there. Coach: Okay. Which player would you suggest that I take out of the line up so that your son can play? Let me get my line up sheet...(hustles off to the dugout to get paper/comes back to parent who has now disappeared into the stands. I'm sorry that you have to deal with this, but sometimes using these can give you some hidden smiles at a later date!

One of the best ways I've dealt with it and I must say, has been quite effective is this: Smile and say okay after each of the statements. They really begin to question themselves, and eventually stop talking because they're not getting the response they need. I really hate these beds...smile, "Okay." I can't believe my son is dating her...smile, "Okay." College is too expensive these days...smile, "Okay."

Instead of Excel, I started using a table in Microsoft Word. I use the same form over and over, just change the info each week under each category. You can ajust the size accordingly, as well as the number of categories you would like. HTH

Not everyone is cut out for military schools! Just because you have a kid that is unmotivated doesn't mean something miraculously transforms when he walks through those gates. Most schools have standards of conduct regarding behavior and academics. DS graduated from miltary school, and he is the nicest, most polite kid you could ever be around. (he was that way before he attended) He is more of the norm representative for his school, not the exception. Just thought I'd throw that in there. If someone were to invent a cure on how to motivate the unmotivated, they'd be rich beyond anyone's wildest imagination. Perhaps it's more a sign of emotional immaturity than true ability. Set boundaries and expectations. Don't be afraid to let them fail. It's sometimes the biggest gift you can give, even though it is quite painful to watch. As far as the Obama thing, maybe OP is referring to the "Race to the Top" program? Big changes for public schools and their funding.

Just an update: I bought CLE 300 Math for dd 8. We have been working for about a week now and I/she really like it. Here are some observations: Definitely take the placement tests. Some parts she breezed through, others were things she hadn't seen before. Not too overwhelming! Each lesson has just enough, not an overwhelming amount like Saxon. I like the fact that you can take the workbook anywhere with you. The warm ups are actually fun. I learned that although dd knows how to count by 2s, 5s, 10s, very quickly, counting backwards is a real struggle. The font size is actuallly made for real humans, also. :001_smile: * I also ordered the reading, but started with 204 to fill in gaps. Hope this helps!

Kudos to reasons #1 and #5. Every year I ask my students what has made the biggest difference in their lives as compared to their peers. The number 1 answer is always PARENTS. Our ps valedictorian this year, an outstanding young man, says he cannot remember a time when his mother ever refused to read with him. He feels this was his biggest gift as a student, that and showing him the benefits of being organized. He is the king of personal organization/deadlines/goal setting, etc. I'm striving to instill these two things in my younger dc. When my oldest son went off to boarding school, personal organization was a struggle for the first semester. I didn't realize the things that he didn't know how to do for himself until then. Living and learning from my mistakes!

I just started 30-day Shred (Jillian/Biggest Loser). It was recommended by my sister (ultra marathon runner) who thought it might be easier on my joints. I'm not a high impact person. Picked up the P90 at a garage sale. I'm interested to know what you think about it...I might be willing!

I would say my oldest ds was the guinea pig for all of the things we did/did not do with our other children. I wouldn't say my son is "entitled" but he had different interests that required more than we have given the other dc to date. (baseball, baseball, and more baseball)

Oldest ds was much later...I think due to the fact that he was a preemie. Never thought he would grow, now is 6'2. I wasn't ready for ds 2. His voice changed at 12, is now taller than me. I'm with the "I wish he was three again" comment. I miss the sweet little voices!

Keystone... was recommended to us by Calvert