Vastly different cultures, yes. That does make a difference. I'm not sure I understand the second comment. I've made no mention of keeping the community in the dark. I've mentioned time, money, values, and prioritites. That's all. :)

I like this example. I think what matters is that you are thinking through the reasons behind the actions. Weighing the costs and benefits of both time and money are important. What is the ultimately being gained and lost?

As with all things, I'm sure it depends on many factors. Some people never gain that insight. Others gain it from different life experiences. I'm not convinced there is only one right answer.

I think writing a check has its place, though. For example, my child volunteers many hours of her time. If we were to require her to pay for more things, she wouldn't be able to volunteer. She does, however, know the expectations. A good attitude, help around the house, studying, and hours of academic volunteering are her jobs right now. I think age matters, too. Nothing in life is free. Hard work is important. There are many ways to get the message across.

I would think about goals and priorities. Time and money both have value. What exactly are you trying to teach him? Personally, if we could afford to pay, I would have my child *earn* his way by his continued hard work and perhaps extra help around the house with special projects. I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to teach him. Spend time trying to *raise* money you don't need to raise when the time could be spent in other pursuits? Perhaps raising money to sponsor someone who truly does need help with raising funds would be a better lesson...

This is the reason we decided to do chemistry early in high school. Having a basic foundation in chemistry allows her to study and understand her preferred sciences in greater depth.

My dd did TIP Crisis camp when she was younger. We weren't sufficiently impressed to do three weeks at Center. If your daughter goes, I'd love to hear your feedback! Maybe the camps for the teens are better.

You are not alone! I have recently been quite surprised by how much discovery I have started noticing in other programs. And good word problems, too. I had honestly started to believe AoPS was the only program that had either. It's not. Who knew? ;)

Investigating Chemistry: A Forensic Science Perspective by Johll ETA: We are also using lots of other resources. I definitely wouldn't recommend the above to many/most. I can, however, recommend another resource we are using: Chemistry from Practice Makes Perfect series.

We went the textbook/formally planned route for 8th grade. If all goes as planned, I will probably count it as a credit. She was ready to go beyond middle school science and just tinkering around wasn't an option because she needed more solid grounding in chemistry and other subjects to understand her tinkering. ;) It's been the right decision for us.

I have seen posts, if not entire threads, about this.... If someone could toss out a link or send me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it. I can see certain posts in my mind, but can't find them! I'm wondering how many labs and lab reports are typical/expected. I read the thread about Arizona schools expecting proof of labs. Do other places? Should we do fewer labs all with write-ups or lots of labs, but only a few write-ups? I'm sure the answer is probably it depends on the school..... ;) Any thoughts?

On a dark and stormy night would be best...

My daughter recently read Terrifying Transformations: An Anthology of Victorian Werewolf Fiction, 1838-1896 I haven't read it, so I don't know any details - only that she is enjoyed it. It looks like it might fit in with your list.

YES! It's fabulous on it's own, but it also adds to one's understanding and appreciation of Northanger Abbey. Udolpho is one of my favorite books. It's so good, I tracked down an *old* edition, which I treasure. Very few books have prompted me to do that. With that said... Would I recommend it to a 14-year-old boy? None that I've met. Maybe yours is different. ;) There are so very many good books. No one will read them all. I'm glad I read Udolpho, but I don't think it's a must read for everyone. :) For the record, it's not that old! This is a classical education board, remember? :lol:

I agree with your suggestions (and commentary) regarding Austen, DuMaurier, and Wharton! I'm not overly familiar with O'Connor, though. Also, I've only read Jackson's Hill House. I've wondered about Castle for a while. Guess it's time to read it! Regarding Gaskell, Dd and I have both enjoyed what we've read of hers.

:smilielol5: Thank you!!! (PSA: The book is available immediately on Kindle if you think you've reached a breaking point! :willy_nilly: )

Yes, I think the general idea is a good one. In some ways it was a relief to read because it's how we are already doing things. On the other hand, I find many parts of it misleading. I would advise reading The Myth of the Garage to balance out the book. It's been awhile since I read it, but it came to mind often while reading Superstar. (Myth is free on Kindle.) I agree with Applying Sideways. I read it quite some time ago. I didn't realize the book would be much of the same advice (only with over the top examples, etc). If I could recommend only one, I'd recommend the article over the book. (Just to clarify for those who don't know, the authors aren't the same, but the overall idea is.)

These are the ones I have. Actually, it is only the solutions manual that goes through trig. The student book is just for Algebra 1. From what I can tell, the solutions manual has two sections - one for each book. Sorry for the confusion! It's an unusual setup.

I would love to hear your thoughts after you've read it. I have mixed feelings about the book.

I ordered mine directly from the publisher. I made an Oasis account on Pearson after jumping some hoops to show homeschooling status, but it was not a big deal. https://oasis.pearson.com The answers are not in the book, but there is a solutions manual. There are probably different editions. Mine is for both Algebra 1 and Algebra &Trigonometry. (So Algebra I, Algebra II and Trig)

I probably have no business being here either, but party crashing has never been so much fun... ;) The lessons in the Calculator Lab Manual are aligned with the book. For example, the first chapter has labs that align with sections 1.4 and 1.7. The second chapter has a lab for 2.7. The students are expected to know how to do the work by hand before using the calculator. It's much more than plug and chug - word problems are a good portion of the book. There is also some guided experimentation: If you do X, what do you think will happen? Try it and explain your results. Programming makes an appearance well: Write a program to solve quadratic equations on the graphing calculator. Modify a program you've written to tell the user when an equation has no solutions. Those are just a few quick examples. The calculator is presented as a tool and a method to double check yourself. It is in no way presented as a replacement for thinking. I've been pleasantly surprised by Foerster time and time again.

After following the posts about your son, I've checked into honors programs at universities we probably wouldn't have considered in the past. We're definitely considering them now! Thank you!

Thanks for the reminder! We read the first volume years ago. The second is on our shelves, forgotten... Not anymore!

Slacker.... :toetap05: If this is your non-academic version, I shudder to think what the academic version would hold... :svengo: Thanks for sharing the list, Ruth!

Timely...I just finished reading How to be a High School Superstar. The irony of it is that the very things the author recommends doing seem to be the *in* things right now. It's what everyone is doing, thus losing the WOW factor. (Why are so many people doing these things? Probably because they read the book... ;) ) I'm becoming a jaded cynic...