My older daughter has been using the Pre-Algebra book for over a month. At first, she was frustrated and confused, because she simply wanted to solve the problems being presented. I explained to her that the book's authors knew she could solve the problems, but that is not what they were looking for. If she sees a problem that involves lots of operations on big numbers, they want her to use the rules to find an easier way to do it. They want her to learn the rules/formulae and how to consciously use them. It required a big change in how she is thinking about/approaching the problems, and it took some time and practice. It has taken about a month for both of us to adjust to it, but the last few days she has flown through sections that would have left her in tears of frustration a couple weeks ago. That said, she does not work through the book independently. She does Alcumus problems independently, but when it's time to work through the book, this is what works for us: I have her look at the introductory problem in the gray box, and give her a few minutes to see if she can figure out how to solve it. If she can, we go through the steps she used and discuss which techniques she applied. Then we look at the author's solution to see if it's the same or different and why. Then she looks at the next problem in the gray box. If she's stumped by the problem in the gray box, I walk her through the solution, explaining the steps. Then I make up one or more similar problems for her to try. Once she gets all the steps without any confusion, we move on.

There are times when I'd like my kids to have their cell phone and id with them (e.g., classes, field trips) but they don't have pockets that are a good size to hold them or they're not carrying a bag. How do your kids like to manage this - wristlet? lanyard? clipped onto belt loop? another way?

Perhaps in your future discussions, instead of discussing that he's bored (which can lead to her response), talk about that he is not being adequately challenged. That he knows lots of the work that is being covered, and what he doesn't know he learns very quickly. This may open up a different track for discussion . . . Or, it may not. The teacher that I had the most difficulty with was also "very experienced . . . in her fifties." She was rigid, stuck in her ways of teaching, and unwilling to work to meet my child's needs. I hope that your teacher is different. One of my children accelerated by a year. I felt that she was ready for this, as she was accelerated both academically and socially/emotionally. She did very well and enjoyed it for one year, but within another half year she was asking if she could be accelerated by another grade level. At that point, I pulled her to homeschool.

:grouphug: Did she connect his not concentrating and participating in class with his boredom? Did she give any specifics as to what would be done differently, what techniques she would try? Did she have any ideas of her own, or did she just listen to your suggestions? Did you mention how he feels that he can't share his thoughts and ideas with the class, and how did she respond to that? Did you discuss the possibility of grade-level acceleration? I'd keep a close eye on what changes, if any, are made and how they are working out, and I'd either schedule a follow-up meeting in a week or two or keep in close touch through notes or email.

I wouldn't worry about this. As AnIslandGirl said, the teacher can explain it simply and the kids will quickly get used to it. If he is essentially going to spend the day doing independent learning, I'd give him whatever will make it enjoyable and engaging for him. My concern would be that although he may be engaged all day, he will not have much of an opportunity to interact with his teachers or with his intellectual peers. While this may work for some kids, there are many for whom it won't work (not to mention that I think those are some important parts of learning that every child deserves). How far is he working above grade level? Would a grade skip be possible?

One of my children moved up a grade level in February. I actually used it as an argument in my favor - she could try out the higher grade level for the remainder of the school year. If she did well, she could move on to the next grade level; if it didn't work out, she could repeat that grade level the next year. Also, about the test results, I hope they come back with a very high score. Just be aware that for some kids, if they are bored with the material, they don't really apply themselves and so the test scores don't accurately reflect their abilities. BTDT, and my heart goes out to you and your son. I encourage you to think about all of the options open to you. Talk to his teacher and see what she thinks, is she seeing his frustration and boredom, does she think he's capable of more? If she agrees he can do more and might do well at a higher class level, then she'd be a good advocate for you. But bear in mind that most teachers (at least in the US, maybe it's different in Canada) have little to no training in recognizing or working with gifted students. Talk to the school about moving him up a grade. Perhaps getting him tested for giftedness would help, if they are influenced by test scores. Talk to the teacher about sending in material for him to do on his own (there's another active thread on that topic right now). And you can take this time while he is in school to really research the options to meet your needs if you were to homeschool him again. Talk to your son about exactly what he likes about school, and think about how you could meet those needs at home. My kids enjoyed school at your son's age, too. One skipped a grade, and the other daydreamed most of the day (although I didn't realize it at the time). Still, by the time they each reached 4th grade, school was no longer working for either of them. ETA: And I understand the appeal of a private school that says their staff knows how to work with bright kids. It took me a while to realize that many private schools are no better at meeting the needs of gifted kids than many public schools. Children working at the 75th or 85th percentile are still operating very differently than children above the 95th percentile. I'd really ask the teachers and administration about their philosophy toward gifted kids (Do they think they exist with unique and legitimate issues that need to be met, or do they think "all kids are gifted"?) and what resources they offer to meet their needs (And if they have such resources, why haven't they been offered to your son?).

I just wanted to say thank you for all of the great suggestions - I plan to implement a bunch! I also decided that in various subject areas, I would collect a list of websites the kids might enjoy visiting and checking out, or YouTube videos they might enjoy watching. So, for example, if they finish up early in science, I might have a list like this that they can choose from: * Watch a BrainPOP science video. * Visit Science News for Kids and read any articles that look interesting (www.sciencenewsforkids.org) * Check out what's new at the NASA website For younger elementary: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/index.html For upper elementary/middle school: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/index.html * Check out the science section of How Stuff Works (www.howstuffworks.com) * See what's new at Bill Nye the Science Guy's website (www.billnye.com)

Also, resist the urge to overwhelm him with resources, materials and information. If he seems interested in x, maybe pick up one book or dvd or activity on x and if he enjoys that try another. I know that at first if my children showed an interest in something, I would find all sorts of books and activities and such, thinking this was helpful in identifying lots of resources and opportunities. To my kids it was just overwhelming, and they would usually shut down and not want to pursue the topic any more.

My girls seem to have a mosquito in their bedroom, as they've gotten a couple bites over the last few days. We haven't been able to find and kill it. Does anyone know of a way we can attract or trap it so we can kill it?

Etsy - I never would have thought of looking there! We'll try out the caps and see how they work, and then maybe look for some more fun or funky ones on Etsy in the future.

Interesting. I don't read that quote as discouraging competitiveness or academic achievement at all. But the measures of achievement he lists are all external - rewards given by other people to a child who meets their standards. What is missing there is a nurturing of the child's internal motivation and drive that comes when they're exploring something that engages and inspires them - that spark in their eyes. I was a child who earned those rewards. I learned quickly how to recognize what answers teachers wanted, and I parroted them back to them obediently. As a result, those awards were hollow and meaningless to me. They had failed to engage me, had failed to teach me how to learn, evaluate, reason, and really think deeply about things. That's the warning I read in that quote. ETA: I have not read any of Holt's books. This was just my reaction to this quote, standing alone.

Never mind - after reading reviews on Amazon, I learned that silicone or latex caps are the kind that pull the hair and squeeze your head. Instead, I ordered lycra caps, which the reviewers said do not do that (although they also won't keep your hair dry).

I signed my girls up at the local YMCA so they can go to the youth swims. They're required to wear swim caps. The last swim caps we got were really tight and not that stretchy, so difficult to get on and off and uncomfortable. I'd rather get something stretchy and more comfortable. I'm not trying to keep their hair dry, just want to comply with the rule. What's the best type of cap to get?

With my girls two years apart in grade levels, we can sometimes work on subjects together, but sometimes they are doing separate work. When they're doing separate work, I usually have something for the other child to be working on - reading pages or homework problems. But sometimes I don't have anything they need to work on right then, or they finish up quickly. They then get bored waiting for me to move on to their next subject. (They do not do their assignments very independently yet, as one just returned to homeschooling a month ago and the other just started homeschooling a month ago, so I can't just tell them to work on another subject.) I'd like to come up with a list of things they can choose to do during that time. So far, my ideas are: * Watch a BrainPOP video (or 2, or 3...) * Play an educational game (such as Stack the States, Stack the Countries, SpellTower) * Building challenge with K'Nex or Keva planks * Work on a puzzle * Draw * Train the dog * Play an independent brain-teaser type game Any other ideas or suggestions?

I haven't tried this on painted drywall, but I've had success on other surfaces and think it would be safe to try: make a paste of baking soda and water and spread it over the area, then spray it with vinegar. The vinegar and baking soda will react, foaming. The vinegar also kills mold, so you can follow up the baking soda and vinegar by wiping down with a mix of vinegar and dish soap, then rinse. It is not 100%, but it's the first thing I try because it is toxin-free and because in the areas where it successfully removed the mold, it has never grown back, even if it has grown back in nearby areas.

Wow, that would have been terrifying! Lots of photos of the damage caused, here: http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A//chelyabinsk.ru/text/news/621775.html

Can you sit tight for a couple of days until the listing on the house you're currently in is up on the realtors' listing service? Then you can see what asking price your landlord has placed on the house, see if it's a pre-foreclosure or short sale, and ask the realtors you're working with to give their opinion on the price that your landlord is asking for the property, and how long they think it will take to sell. Depending on how long properties are sitting on the market in your area, and if your landlord prices it high, it may not even sell before October. I'm guessing from what you've said about your landlord that he should want you in the apartment until it sells because he needs the income (so long as you cooperate with showing the apartment, and keep it neat so it shows well). If he's thinking reasonably, it's ideal for him that you have a month-to-month lease, because if the buyer wants to keep you as a tenant he doesn't have to do anything, and if the buyer wants the property vacant, he will deliver your 30-day notice after the contract is signed with a vacancy date before the closing. Your landlord is unlikely to find a replacement tenant if you leave while the house is on the market, and presumably he won't find anyone willing to take a month-to-month tenancy under those conditions, so he should want to keep you there as long as possible. In the meantime, you can search for back-up options in case your landlord does serve your 30-day notice (e.g., short-term rentals or extended-stay hotels, cost to put a bunch of your stuff into storage for a few months) and keep looking at houses and looking into mortgage possibilities. But if you can stay in your current apartment until you find a place to buy, it saves you all of the costs of moving to another apartment (security deposit / first & last month's rents / realtor commission / moving costs).

I love the Great Courses! Our library system has almost all of them available (usually have to request them), so I regularly borrow them. Love the Vandiver courses on The Iliad & The Odyssey.

We had a fabulous family vacation in St. Martin a couple years ago. I highly recommend the Grand Case Beach Resort in Grand Case on the French side of the island. Using frequent flier points for our airfare, it was less expensive to go there for a week then to go to many places here in the US. It's only a couple hour flight, so you can be on the beach the same afternoon you leave. It does require passports, though, so that is an expense if you don't already have them.

Our dog did not like his crate a first, either, but quickly adjusted when we used the following steps: You want the crate to ultimately be her safe place; you want her to associate the crate with pleasant things, so make it a comfy, welcoming place and encourage her to go in there frequently while the door stays open and she's free to come and go. And nobody should bother her when she's in her crate, so that she knows it's a place she can go when she wants quiet and rest. Put her bed in the crate, and also an old item of clothing (t-shirt, socks) that has the scent of one of your family members, as this will comfort her. Randomly leave treats in her crate for her to discover. Make the crate the place of magic, randomly-appearing yummy stuff and she'll quickly associate it with positive things. In the beginning, you can even feed her in the crate, if it's not too messy. Teach her to go into her crate on command - for example, say "bed" (that's what we call our crate) and toss a treat inside. When she goes in after the treat, repeat "Good bed, bed, bed . . ." and toss in another treat. Repeat until she associates the command with the crate. During this time, don't touch the door to the crate. Then, gradually build up her comfort with resting in the crate while the door is closed. Once she is in her crate, give her a treat, and close the door while praising her, then immediately open the door, give her another treat and lots of praise. Gradually increase the amount of time the door is closed. Only praise/treat when she is behaving the way you want her to - being quiet and calm. Anytime she's quiet & calm in the crate, you can drop in a treat. Our dog now regularly goes into his crate to rest or sleep. He'll go there on command when needed. We usually keep the door open, but can close it when needed (for example, if a workman is in the house). ETA: Oh, and anytime you want her to stay in the crate for a bit with the door shut, give her something to chew on - stuffed Kongs are a great option, even with just some pb & kibble, or you can put other things inside, freeze them, etc.

What is your storage solution? Do you upload everything to an online service? (If so, which one do you like?). Store on external hard drives? How do you backup? We have kept our photos on our computer's hard drive, with a back up copy on an external hard drive in our safe deposit box, and some photos uploaded online. But this has been unwieldy. I'm looking for better ideas ... ETA: I've tried Picasa and have not been very happy with it.

Did you put a cold pan into a hot oven? Or a room-temperature pan into a hot oven? I've put cold Pyrex into a cold oven, then turned the oven on, without incident, but now I'm concerned.

IMO this is too much to expect of a 6 year old. First, you asked him to do a multi-step task; multi-step tasks are challenging for a child of that age to manage without supervision and help. Then you added significant time pressure (it would take an adult around 4 minutes to do the tasks you listed, at least in my house's setup). Third, you threatened a significant negative consequence, which added further pressure. Finally, although he was trying his best to accomplish the task you set out, he met with an obstacle that appeared to make it impossible to complete it in time; to expect him to be able to problem-solve in that situation to come to you and ask you to stop the timer is too much to expect. I don't blame him for erupting in frustration at that point. I'd suggest dialing way back on the pressure. For example, ask him to get one garbage can while you get the other, then you can walk together to take them outside. You can give him lots of praise for helping. Drop the timer and consequence. Then have a snack or treat together after the task is accomplished successfully. If you want him to do something quickly, instead of requiring him to beat the timer, make it a fun race - ask him to see how fast he can do it, and you'll time him. As far as self-soothing, I'd suggest looking into techniques for sensory stimulation, to see if any of those can help him (I think the techniques can often be helpful to children who do not have SPD). Does massage relax him? Any textures that he finds comforting - fabrics, objects in sensory boxes, baby oil sensory bags, sensory road to walk on, stress balls to squeeze, etc. I've seen glitter bottles that the kid can shake up to work out frustrations, then watch the glitter settle to calm. For lots of ideas, go to Pinterest and search for "sensory."

What are your favorite go-to resources for your kids to use for school when you are too sick to teach a full day?

170 boxes per kid! You've got to be kidding me! Is that typical for most troops, or are they working toward a big trip or something? ETA: In our town, a few girls get together and set up a table at a high-traffic location, like in front of a grocery store. They have fun smiling and calling out asking people to buy cookies. Maybe your daughter would feel better selling in a group like that.