Honestly? There is no way I would put a VSL kid though phonics, its pure torture for everyone involved and they usually still wont get it. Many can't even hear vowel sounds properly from what I understand which would guarantee failure at phonics (hence why I use Headsprout, I can't teach phonics because I can't hear those vowels). She's reading 3 years above grade level which is well ahead of most kids, heck, most VSL kids dont even really start reading until around 8-10 yrs old. I'd just leave her alone and let her read what she wants, she will continue to make progress. Have you read "Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World" ? Awesome advice including how to teach spelling words in under a minute to VSL's as well as how to approach reading instruction but I'm willing to bet she won't need any beyond teaching her to speed read which often clears up the comprehension problems they often struggle with.

You can over lay GPS coordinates on a topo map, that wouldn't be enough? I know for the local mountain camp grounds has topo maps you can use with blown up areas for more detail. We would still have the GPS if we needed it but I'd like them to get good at map reading, I sadly didn't learn until I was an adult:(

I don't know much about Geocaching but I'm wondering if it might be a fun way to teach the kids how to read topo maps, locate the coordinates on the map and off we go rather then just relying on GPS to tell me that way!

It appears our charter has some ridiculous rule that if you take 1 high school level class before high school you have to take 2 classes so as a 7th grader she will have Algebra 1 plus 1 other high school level class. I'd like to make sure we spend 6th preparing for it so its not all new material since math is really the only thing she's advanced in. So say we picked Earth Science for the 2nd HS course I would have her take the K12 Advanced Earth Science in 6th. Can you look at this list and tell me which providers are more likely to have content for highly visual learners? Just giving her a textbook or lecture is not going to cut it, she has to SEE (video/animations) it for it to click. It would give me a starting point at possible courses. I'm not familiar with most of the providers listed and these are the only options at the high school level. http://www.skymountaincs.org/guidance/HScurriculum.html

When deciding to buy from a seller I check their feedback, how will others know your transaction went wrong if you didn't leave the person in question feedback? (yes I got curious who it was and went looking, you haven't left any FB for others)

How long on average does it take a child to get though AoPS Pre-Algebra if they are ready for it and are mathy? I could swear I saw in someone sig they were combining TT Alg 1 with AoPS Pre-alg. Are they about on the same level? I've only seen the freebie stuff on the AoPS website, it makes sense to me (which means my dd will understand it, I am seriously NOT mathy) and I think it might actually be a good fit for my dd. I just had her take the pre test and the only thing she stumbled on was negative numbers which we haven't covered in detail yet so I'm guessing she will be well prepared by fall. I LOVE TT but she also needs more challenge and it appears we have a full 12 months of pre-alg before she hits that magic 7th grade, might as well make the most of it with something good that's not going to bore her.

I've looked around but it sales for almost as much new.

Has anyone had any luck creating it yourself and just using the videos? (I need to see it before I can teach it, its pretty affordable to download the videos off the website) I just can not afford the program and I need to start getting dd ready for pre-alg in the fall, this seems like a perfect fit.

Iswifter which lets the iPad play flash. Rover is a good educational app for flash too I'm told.

yep, and I'm very happy with it:)

I dont know where yet, my best friend is trying to get me to move to Utah but I am worried about the fact that not only are we not Mormon but not even Christian in a highly religious state. My last support here is moving to Idaho this summer and we will have no one here which is a bad thing when you have 2 special needs kids, taking both to the ER at the same time REALLY SUCKS, I like being able to drop the well one off at the sitters while we go lol. Trying to talk my friend into moving else where not so religious (its a long crazy story how she even ended up there a couple months ago) The only things I am firm on is: Within 3 hours of a children's hospital High speed internet, 3mbps min or higher min with no caps (I was shocked to learn many places call 1.5mb high speed and they cap it to boot. We use a HUGE amount of bandwidth) LGBT friendly would be nice, I can't stand living in homophobic places and I don't want my kids learning those views

I wish! Our other options are CAVA (K12 VA), Connections Academy and the other 2 charters provide you with materials the regular B&M schools use. This charter is the only parent choice charter around. Were looking at moving out of state this summer, hoping to find something that will work for us if we do move. All else failing I will file a PSA but thats a last resort for me between the funding issue and it keeps me from being the *bad guy* assigning school work since dd knows we have to show her teacher work. It takes a lot of stress off me not having to fight her on doing work since she thinks its the teacher assigning it and not me. (*gasp* yes, I deceive my own child or else she refuses to do work when its *just for me* but she happily does it for the teacher we see each month.)

We'll be renting, no way would I make enough money to buy.

Mostly used if I can.

Sounds pretty simple, you progress as at a rate of 10% per month. Its pretty easy to measure if your using regular materials. It sounds like an email that was probably sent out to everyone and not just targeting you. We make that 10% with both our charters every month but we still get reminders because they send them to everyone and not just us. As long as your on target just ignore it until you get a phone call telling you otherwise.

I know most people say look at local schools but we HS so that doesn't matter. What would you be looking for in a community as secular homeschoolers? Were hoping to move out of state this summer and will likely be there for several years. Right now there are not many options for HS kids here unless you can afford private lessons and such which we can't. I have no idea what one might find for HS options in larger communities that I should keep an eye out for when we go looking for a new place? Thought I better clarify, like how might I find out about co-ops or special memberships for HS'ers.

I need serious hand-holding and scheduling even after 6 years of HS'ing, K12 works well for us even though its pricey.

If your working over the summer you can easily fit all 4 years into 3.

She didn't allow it for the Scantron, it was the other testing that was not tied to anything that she did. I was not about to let them insist I order 3rd grade materials for a 5th grader who was just being lazy and didn't want to do it. I tried getting the accommodations for testing during her 504 meeting but the admin person refused even when the teacher verified what dd does during testing situations. She knows the material, she just hates taking tests.

Have you tried calling TT and asking? They are great at answering questions.:)

Could your son simply be a right brain/visual-spatial learner? Drill and kill is not what these kids need, a few problems showing they understand it and MOVE ON. Its common that they don't memorize multiplication until after Algebra 1 where they use it a lot. Give the kid a chart and MOVE ON. If they know how it works but just can't remember 9x9=81 your doing more damage then anything to keep up drill and kill. I had a really hard time understanding this concept but after having it pounded into my head so to speak by other hs'ing families with VSL kids I realized they were right on the money.

I can handle supplementing TT and your the 1st to bring up this point. I was told TT was not an option as it wasn't on the list but knowing its being added gives me hope. I'm wondering what else they are adding. Now I only have the problem of having a kid a year to young, who knows, she may find pre-alg a huge headache and we need the full year (I really doubt it) but its the being told "No" thats really making me mad. I homeschool so I have the flexibility to work at my childs pace and I feel like I can't do that with these rules, I'm also worried about her ability to handle a high school level course in something other then math. I don't like their Art or PowerSpeak either which are required if you enroll in CAVA if thats what your thinking. Just got off the phone with admin since what enrollment was telling me didn't jive with what I hear from other families. Were doing HO for 5-6th then American History for 7-8th and admin said that won't fly even if she's in the middle of HO when she enrolls. Grade level stuff only. I also looked at the math and its a LOT of problems, very much drill and kill it looks from our POV so it would be a major pain to get my dd to just do the math min while still using TT as our main program. They won't allow us to replace Lukion Latin for PowerSpeak either. The only K12 classes I plan to keep until at least HS is LA, Science and History. When I looked at the big picture of yes, its about $350 to use the program due to gas costs but I'm saving $1,200 per year with the funds for materials when I enrolled.

I don't know how I missed this, I did not get to chose my childs grades, the teacher gave her grades based off the work she has done over the school year. Yes she asked for my input but I had no say in the final grades, I was quite shocked at her report card and made changes to her materials.

If we don't make it I still want the testing for my own records so I needed to find out my options.

The ES is telling me it has to come off the HQT stuff for Alg and higher. I have a feeling we will not be back for next year. Being locked into a program does not sit well with me, if it doesn't work we switch to something that does. I just realized we spend about $250 a year just in gas to meet with the ES (100 miles around trip), STAR testing is going to cost another $100 min plus hotel costs. At this point the only thing they are paying for is Brainpop and our TT. Next year the K12 alone would exceed our funds. (I'm paying for the K12 right now) it will suck to give back our lovely Ipad lol. Just going to have to wait for the meeting next month and see before I decide.