We used Shurley Grammar in 5th grade. Here is my review: We used Shurley 5 in 5th grade. My husband had used LLATL for 3 years prior to Shurley, but we both felt that our son needed something more rigorous. Pros: Great job of teaching how to label the parts of speech in a sentence Question and answer flow great tool for learning parts of speech Jingles on CD helped to learn and reinforce parts of speech Good retention of parts of speech Cons: Scripted teacher’s material is very wordy Writing instruction is inferior Vocabulary work useless (looking up words in a dictionary, writing down the definition and using the word in a sentence). Zero retention. Subsequent levels are very repetitive Overall, I was very happy with Shurley. My son did very well and has retained a lot of what he learned with it. However, because of the repetitive nature of subsequent levels, we are using Analytical Grammar for junior high. We abandoned Shurley Writing mid-year. Here is an example of ds’s writing: I have three favorite animals. These animals are hamsters, dogs, and leopards. My first favorite is a hamster. I like hamsters because their cute and cuddly. My second favorite is a dog. I like dogs because they like to play and run. My third favorite is a leopard. I like leopards because they live in the jungle and run fast. I think these animals are cool and would like to play with them all. HTH!

I just got an estimate from Sears to re-model my bathroom which is 8ft by 5ft with a 3ft by 3ft shower in it. Replace everything (shower, sink, vanity, light, toilet), but they wouldn't paint the walls. $10,000.

Ds's CC credits also allow him to register earlier than his peers each semester because he is classified a year later (ie. sophomore instead of freshman, etc).

Score! :hurray: Have him give some consideration to picking up a minor...

:grouphug: Both dh and I got teary eyed.

This just reminded me of a somewhat similar situation. When ds was 6, I bought a new 2001 Honda Accord. Eventually, I realized that it would be the perfect car for a 16yo driver 10 years later. I let ds know throughout the years that the car would be his when he turned 16. He liked the idea...until he was a tween and his best buddy taught him about Camaros, Mustangs, Corvettes, etc. When ds eventually expressed displeasure with the Accord idea, dh and I just laughed and said if he didn't like it and didn't want it, he could buy whatever kind of car he liked and wanted. He eventually came around. A free car is a good car. We had a saying growing up in my family. Beggars can't be choosers. This may sound unfeeling towards your dd, but financial reality is what it is.

Congratulations! I look forward to hearing about your dd's search. I greatly admire your energy and approach to the college admission process. :thumbup:

Two things I have noticed: (1) Smaller class size compared to the state unis. (2) Passionate and available instructors (checking ratemyprofessor and getting IRL recommendations) who have the ability to give more individual attention to the student.

Thanks for the update. What an adventure! I'd love to see the wild duck pic. :lol:

Same here. I share in-person or by phone/email with friends/family. Not 100% of everybody either. In one way, I think it's important to share here. Hs'ing is a unique and often solitary endeavor. I think sharing here helps to encourage those who walk in our footsteps. Congratulations to your ds on a fantastic semester at a very challenging university. :thumbup:

Time for another update, Lori. Inquiring minds want to know how ds is doing. :bigear:

:iagree: Your ds should have toughest competition possible. One day, I realized that there was not only competition between teams, but also between teammates. Striving to earn more playing time helped ds improve his skills. Are you sure "subs are constantly rotated in with this p.s. team"? I used to say "coach works in mysterious ways". The PS coach drove dh batty. OTOH, the team regularly won regional finals and went to state regularly, so I'm not gonna argue with him. Is there a possibility of ds playing for a private school? One of ds's rec team coaches from junior high had played CC, then D2 basketball. His wife had played D1 then D2 basketball. Their dd, who played on ds's rec team and was also ds's first love :001_wub: played at PS then walked on a lower level D1 school. Their ds is entering HS this fall and will attend/play at a private school. I was surprised because the PS where their dd/my ds played has a competitive basketball program. OTOH, they put a LOT of stock in AAU. Their dd was on a statewide AAU team that traveled the nation. I found in-state coach's phone numbers at a recruiting website and called and asked them how their athletes fared. I got some very good information from them, including which exposure camps in the area were "the best". One suggested an all academic basketball camp that ds attended. He got lots of calls after that camp. Good luck! PM me if you would like to see ds's recruiting brochure.

I have not used any online math classes, but this one is run by Jann in TX and I have only seen positive reviews of it.

Honestly, your ds sounds very typical to me. My ds read for pleasure before puberty, but video games became all-consuming . Challenge him academically as best you can. Limit the video games as best you can. I really enjoyed several of Michael Gurian's books. The Good Son, A Fine Young Man. He has many. Others I haven't read From Boys to Men, The Purpose of Boys. I called my son bright, but unmotivated in high school. He took 4 classes each semester at CC in 11th/12th grade and had a 4.0. He spent little time on school work and lots of time on video games. He did play basketball and weight lift and loved/loves sports. He is challenged at college and curbed the video game usage himself after his first semester. I am amazed at his maturity now. So, for us, it was time that helped the most. That and a challenging school with bright athletic teammates. I would be surprised if he read a book for pleasure again. I just don't think it's common in his generation. One thing that I think helped his maturity was hearing me mention to friends that the goal of his education is to be self-supporting. Ds didn't want to live with me any longer than he had to. ;)

:lol: We're right there with ya...

Poor wolf. Thanks for the laugh. :thumbup1:

My 2c: 1) Credits - Ds took 17 credits his first semester. He is also an athlete and his sport spans fall/spring semester. None of the classes were "easy". GPA 2.8 at end of semester, but that had at least some to do with learning that video games needed to be much lower priority and has since greatly improved. I agree with the others to go ahead and try, but be aware of drop deadline. 2) Athletes - definitely check with older athletes and the coach. The coach will have a big picture opinion. I assume that she prefers a heavier load in fall because her sport is in full swing in the spring. Is that correct? 3) Major - many, many, many students change their major. Don't think of it as basket weaving vs chemistry. Think of it as keeping doors open to a wide variety of majors. It's smart.

Movie? Tell me more...

Good to hear! :thumbup:

Does anyone else here listen to Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor? GK is retiring this year, and Chris Thile will be the new host starting mid-October. Chris Thile was homeschooled and sometimes mentions that. Mostly, it makes me cringe when he does. If I remember correctly, once he said that he was homeschooled and that meant that he read a lot of Hardy Boys and played a lot of video games. Eek! Here's the latest mention: Richmond is a Hard Road to Travel Gotta admit he's a talented musician.

I'm excited for you. College has been much less expensive than I feared. I'm so grateful. Dh turns 65 next month...

I wouldn't think so - who sees the diploma? Ds's has been sitting in a box in my closet since he graduated.

I have always worked and homeschooled. I worked 20hrs/wk until ds was 12, then needed to increase to 30hrs/wk when ds was 12 in order to maintain health benefits. Fortunately, I've worked from home since ds was 7 or 8 and dh had a somewhat flexible schedule so mostly we were able to be around to supervise. Dh also was in charge of some of the hs'ing. We used a bit of after school care and a hs teen for a while in the elementary years as well. Ds was a bright but unmotivated student. Even in HS, I could not completely trust him to complete assignments without some supervision. OTOH, we used some online classes, some PS, and lots of CC during the HS years, so I did not have to teach much. In fact, I only taught 9th grade English and math. Having an only child helped in some ways wrt my time and school expenses. Around here, many hs moms work particularly as the children get older. It's challenging to survive on a single income these days. I agree with the pp who said it works better for the dc to be supervised rather than left on their own, unless you have especially mature, responsible, motivated children.

Oh gosh. I would have voted against it. However, I am odd man out in our family of 3. I was a sheltered private school girl. Dh, otoh, had different experiences and may not have been disturbed by it. The 2 males in my household both have very strong athletic desires. I am thankful that ds could participate in PS sports without attending any classes at all at PS (due to low academic standards). If I had heard anything like what you describe, I would have been talking to the coach. I cannot imagine our coach being aware of that kind of behavior and not putting a stop to it. I cannot imagine my son would have eagerly attended PE at PS if that kind of thing happened. I once asked ds if anyone at PS ever harassed him. His answer: Mom, I'm 6'8''. No one messes with me. :mellow:

OMG! Ds played on the PS basketball team in 7th-12th grade. He also took 4 semesters of PE at PS. I am not sure if he would have told me if anything like that went on in the locker room, but I would have been horrified.