Math U See might also be a good curriculum for her.

:) thanks for the perspective :)

wow, that is helpful!

Physical fatigue...like rubbing eyes...might present differently than mental fatigue...though I'd expect some overlap, like headaches.

Lol. I signed up for the affiliate thing on the theory that it didn't cost me, and maybe it will help pay for our next level if anyone ever clicks on my link. So, if anyone's buying for the first time...:lol: Back on topic...a couple things I do about level one being so easy-- First, I point out longer words that contain the one-syllable words we're studing, so dd knows we're gaining the building blocks even though she knows a lot of the small words already by sight. I don't test on bigger words; I figure that will come later...but I keep mentioning them to keep eyes on the goal. Second, I do make her spell with tiles to get the multisensory practice. But we don't spell on paper immediately following. We handwrite the list, more words, and dictation the next day, AND teach the next lesson up through spelling with tiles. So, she's still getting the kinesthetic input, I'm getting to see that the rule is retained overnight, and we're getting through a lesson a day, but without feeling like it's redundant to write on paper immediately after spelling with tiles when she feels like the words are easy. eta: When we do find a weak spot, like not being able to segment the blends at first, we slow down and only spell on paper part of the more words list and dictation to stretch it out over another day or two before moving on. Of course for us, the sensory input and memory check are a little more important since she does have dysgraphia, so I'm not sure I should post here on spelling, but we're loving the program because it does satisfy our need to know why/how things work at the same time, so IMO a perfect choice for an accelerated learner with a weakness in spelling, as long as you keep it quick and interesting.

Dd has done this...she skims along without actually reading more than the first letter or two of most words. ACK!!!! I would recommend trying something like the exercises in The Gift of Dyslexia, the brain integration exercises offered by Brain Gym or Dianne Craft, and some sort of Orton-Guillingham phonics. I do think that fluency is important, but my dd is way too fluent as she skims along guessing on grade level. My main goal is to get her to slow down to look at the letters to overcome where she's at right now! I do like the idea of a literature-based program like Sonlight, though, for the sake of content. Children need to know that reading isn't all boring "See Jane run." They need exposure to real literature to want to read, and to start developing a sense of story elements and vocabulary. Almost all of the Sonlight books I looked at in the core I'm considering were available by audiobook through the library, sometimes even online via the libary's membership in certain websites so that you don't have to be responsible for the physical copy of the tape/CD. I do think that years of nothing but controlled reading can really stunt a child's growth...when I still taught in schools, I did see so many children in remedial classes who had totally had the love of reading and writing beaten out of them by the dullness of working on a lower level of literacy. So, I would try to get that exposure to large quantities of quality literature through audiobooks....controlled texts to focus on learning phonics, but unabridged audio to feed their minds. Whether they read along or just listen and doodle would depend on how well they track across the lines of text, IMO....whether or not it is close enough to their own pace for them to see the words properly, or whether it flies by too fast to follow without gaining bad habits.

I haven't been there yet....our dd's needs are more mild and she's still younger...but I do know that on her public school IEP before we pulled her home, there was mention that they start exploring career plans at age 13 or 14. Not that you need to look to PS for cues, but just saying, some people do start thinking about this at this age. I think you should go for however long you seem to still be making progress, but in the meanwhile, any time in the next 4yrs, it's probably not too early to incorporate things. For example, I graduated with a girl who had a real heart for animals and small children, so she was placed as a volunteer working with them as a high school elective, and later did work as a daycare assistant while living at home as an adult. When I volunteered in a high school autism class, there were fieldtrips to go grocery shopping and other life skills that might lead to a job or to increased independence at home. I don't think you can guess yet where she'll level out if she's still learning and progressing now, but if you see anything that interests her that she could visit more, or notice any additional life skills is ready to learn, or if you think she might need additonal savings to survive if anything happens to you...it's probably better to start working those things in gradually than a crash course at 17yo lest she suddenly decide to move in with a friend or something on her 18th birthday. I think it's awesome that you're already looking into this, and that she'll be off to a great start, whether her life changes at 18 or continues on with homeschooling for additional years beyond that.

I'm reading The Writing Road to Reading right now, and it suggests teaching phonics via spelling in order to learn to read. So, I'm presuming AAS woud be enough. I haven't read very far at all in Writing Road to see if there's more to it, though. But AAS does seem to be helping my 4th grader read better already, and it seems to me like more would be somewhat redundant.

Thank you :) She's 10. So, entering 5th grade. She was mainstreamed in public school, and thus being forced to write rather lengthy (unpleasantly long) assignments. So yes, we both have visions of full page compositions and a half-day struggle to eek out a rough draft...that is a very good point to back down even though the content area prompts call for longer writings. (She's up to grade level on content material, just not translating her understanding into writing.)

What is IEW?

You might be able to quickly put the spelling lists into www.spellingcity.com for her to hear the words without you....Other than that, I'm not sure how you'd do any spelling program without reading aloud to her. I totally hear you on the mom-intensive issue...I'm desperately looking for other subjects where I can ease up on that. But spelling I'm working directly. That said, I am enjoying All About Spelling. It does go pretty quickly, and sometimes I prop the book open while my own hands are full. Since she's older, I tell my dd to make the words the book wants for examples (as in..."Pull down a c...a...t... Ok, that's our first example. Notice this about it..." So I'm still giving her the spelling as a model, I'm just not physically laying the tiles out myself...I'm free to literally have my hands full with something else that needs to be done.)

wish there was a thank you button under posts on this forum--thank you all!!!!!!) koalamum--what is BF? off to click on everyone's links while holding the squirming baby, lol

I almost decided on Sonlight for next year, but I'm second-guessing now, and started looking at Tapestry of Grace, and Queens Homeschool, and Heart of Dakota, and... I need to make up my mind. I'd like to study American History with her. She's 10. With two preschooler/kindergartener siblings. And a baby sister, too. They all love activities. I want to include some arts and crafts, sensory integration-type activities that really involve the senses...but I don't really want to spend all of our time making things that have little academic value....like I think we are going to make real butter and knead bread for the sensory/practical skills, but I'd rather most of our activities be things like putting together a puzzle of the states, making a lapbook perhaps?, a timeline, things that actually practice the info. covered in the chapter. Dd needs semi-independent activities for reinforcement b/c reading a textbook and discussing orally doesn't seem to be doing it for her memory. Too many materials to buy or gather, too much parent-led, etc., are going to get put off because of the baby...so we need hands on, but simple. Oh, and writing is a challenge...dysgraphia. We have collected most of the Sonlight novels for Core 3/4 (D+E). Some oof them might give her nightmares. Then again, the whole topic of wars in general might do that. Not sure what to do about how sensitive she is. I need a schedule. We both do better with a schedule. Without it, I know we'll procrastinate. Materials...I need to slow down on purchases. If I switch from Sonlight, I need some flexibility to still use some of the books. Or the library. We're terrible at the library, but financially I think we better try to get good at using it. So, I need either to use the books I have, use the library, or use something like a single textbook with whatever books I have. Oh, and this is sad, but I feel like I need an answer key / discussion guide...I really hated history as a child. I'm probably not that dumb, esp. if I get to hear half the stuff she reads anyhow, but I'm afraid if I don't have something telling me the main points to emphasize, I might end up giving her a substandard education in this. I like that most of the SL novels are available as unabridged audio. I'm hoping her siblings can follow along a little. I'm overwhelmed with too many choices to weigh.

If he's still missing a few multiplication concepts, I would strongly recommend starting in Gamma. You can start at the appropriate lesson partway through the book, and re-sell it quickly enough to move onto Delta within the same year.

yes, but I'm finding I need a curriculum to say, "You should try a narrative paragraph this week about this topic" b/c otherwise it gets put off....we take all day on the rest of the subjects orally, and I chase the siblings and suddenly the week is gone...so I think I need a schedule or something concrete. Dd tends to be more resigned to cooperating when the book says so...I can get her in the habit of "Turn to the next assignment, and then I'll sit down with you to scribe while you dictate to me..." easier than I can make up the assignments myself at random.

I'm amassing a rather large pile of writing curricula out of pure indecision. We're dealing with dysgraphia, and while I know lots of general tips for coaxing the words out of her, I'm finding that I need a plan...otherwise, we're both avoiding the dreaded subject. So, what are you using? Have you tried Writing with Ease? (with or without the workbooks? on or below suggested grade level?) Sonlight LA? The Writing Road to Reading? Are you modifying things? How? Like I said, we need a plan. We need to get into a routine that she can expect without grumbling.

For words moving around on the page, you might also want to try reading The Gift of Dyslexia and see whether the exercises are helpful. Y'all haven't really met me yet, but I'll chime in to agree that my dd's test scores with dysgraphia (possibly dyslexia) are very similar...good vocab, great science...absymal math and spelling. For us, though, she actually LIKES math, or at least it was her favorite when she was having a hard time learning to read. But the problem is remembering the facts. Concepts are fine. She can count the answer (most of the time...as long as visual processing doesn't get in the way like counting her way down a multiplication chart can go awry). But memorizing math facts has been rough. And spelling? She actally can memorize a list...but what she generates spontaneously is very, very primative. Our solution is that most of what we're doing doesn't have a grade level on the cover. We went all the way back to Math U See Alpha and All About Spelling Level One, and we informed her that it was necessary to build from the ground up...that even though she was used to larger words and bigger problems, we were going to solidify the building blocks--the short words in All About Spelling will someday be syllables in longer words (I give random examples, like man...manager). I emphasize that instead of being limited to just a few words on the list, she's learning to sound out thousands of words on her own, one short syllable at a time, that's how words are made. And doing the work on the math facts will make the longer problems easier. We kept on with grade-level science, literature, social studies, but with a literature-based approach, it's okay for a range of ages, so we could go down or up, depending on needs. As far as state-accountability, and worrying in my mother's heart about whether or not she'll "catch up," we're going to try schooling more than 180 days, and just hoping for the best. I'm scared, but convinced it's way better than the alternative of NOT going back to build up the basics.