https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0064603075/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TS95FCTBV7DA44SV9QZE And the Biology Coloring Book if he enjoys coloring.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/076371688X/ref=pd_aw_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JVDENN5GD5R26BTA6C7Z In addition to the four you listed in your original post, we also have (but have not yet used) the above resource. It is a highly visual "textbook", and though it may not be necessary to have both McCaully and this one, it looks perfect for his age-ability combo.

Specifying a time period will narrow the range of responses. Here are my recs: To Kill a Mockingbird Legend of Sleepy Hollow Walden (nonfiction)

In same boat. Following.

https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/en/?page_id=7 Check this out. Kerbal Space Program game. Real space science is learned by building and testing rockets and more. Fun animated characters make it appealing. It's $40 and for our science-obsessed son it's the best educational game we've come across.

I third Hamilton. Also check out Nathanial Hawthorne's Book of Wonder.

Look into the GEMS series from UC Berkeley. http://lhsgems.org/gemsguidestopic.html They have several Earth science units. I have not yet tried them, but have heard many people recommend them.

This book was very helpful for me: The Right Side of Normal by Cindy Gaddis. It describes how right-brained learners (RBL) differ from sequential learners (the "norm"), in math and other subjects (writing, reading, etc.). Her website has some helpful articles and a resource list as well. www.therightsideofnormal.com

I recommend making the list shorter, even if it takes more time for each task to be completed. My son groans when he sees what he considers to be a too-long list. Or have a master daily work checklist that simply lists the subjects to be covered that day/ session. Then have a (again, short) checklist for each subject, that you *only* bring out when doing that subject.

Shutterbug, thanks for sharing. That looks really interesting, and I'd love to hear how it works when you get started. I have maxed out my HS purchases for the time being, but would love to put it on my wish list if it works well. As always when the times facts are involved, "May the force be with you". ;)

Cereal with milk isn't the worst meal :) That book & the wine (are you red or white?) are your oxygen mask tonight. Breathe (and sip) deeply!

I, too, have been here. 1. Take it easy emotionally on yourself tonight. 2. Read this book: The Right Side of Normal by Cindy Gaddis (www.therightsideofnormal.com). You can begin by reading the articles on her website. Your daughter has a whole different learning style (ADD issue melds with this too), but once you learn the strengths of it (great conceptual understanding, learns a topic deeply in a short, incredibly focused time period [often self-initiated, but must be of interest to the child in any case] and much more), it helps to adjust to the weaknesses (math fact memorization/ recall). I am still in progress with my "gifted yet right-brained learner (RBL)" DS 10, so I can't give any guarantees, but I'd just let her use a fact table for now. Apparently the memorization will come, but for now you may kill her special RBL math talent (conceptual, seeing & understanding patterns deeply, etc.) by having the head butts over them. God knows we've been there, and nothing positive came of it. Speaking for myself, that book, and understanding how differently these kids learn was a godsend. Best wishes.

In my opinion, the classical model isn't 100% applicable for gifted kids. Many of them are at the logic stage at an earlier (often way earlier) age. I'd go ahead. If you force him to remain at the earlier stage he may become bored.

Check out: www.therightsideofnormal.com/resources Her book, The Right Side of Normal, is an excellent resource on what she terms "right-brained learners" (visual-spatial, creative, whole-to-part, etc.).

We like this graphic book: Introducing Stephen Hawking by Zarate & McEvoy. It gives good info. on the human side of science, as well as on his theories.

Sometimes I purposely wander each and every grocery store aisle, even though I only need a few things. I detest grocery shopping, but sometimes its preferable to being home with the kiddos & hubby after a long day of HSing. After 8 p.m., I am officially a "bad mommy". I'm a morning person, so you'd better get all of your small talk, questions about "Life, the universe and everything", and particularly those mind-numbing Minecraft recitations off your chest by late afternoon. I consciously thank the heavens more often for red wine than I do for my children. (Doesn't mean I love it more; I'm just more aware of the grace it bestows upon my frazzled mind. Did I really have to explain that?)

Ditto your second paragraph! I've also been reading about this set: http://www.patternplaymath.com/

SBGrace, sounds like he is a very visual, right-brained learner. I have just identified my DS9 at that, and am reading The Right Side of Normal by Cindy Gaddis. I haven't got far in it yet (due to my headaches from banging my head against the wall during math sessions), but it does have specific advice for teaching VRBLs in specific content area, including math. We are doing Life of Fred now, and he loved A-I, but J is starting to be challenging, and he shuts down like yours does. Maybe something more concrete like MUS would be good. We use Cuisenaire rods, but maybe MUS manipulatives are better? My mind feels so scattered when trying to puzzle this out. Diagnoses, fidgets, curriculum, manipulatives, diet, etc.....it's exhausting sometimes.

I can completely understand the frustration on your part, but at the same time...that is COOL! :lol:

Just curious if anyone here is attending the conference this weekend in Valley Forge?

Hits for my bright but attention-challenged VSL after HS year one: MCT Language Arts program, Island Level (high marks for its passion and presentation) Life of Fred series...out of the ballpark! We *LOVE* Fred!!!! Story of the World series Daily D.E.A.R. time (If for nothing more than the sheer volume of reading time it enables, HS rules!) Roald Dahl, William Steig, and yes, Harry Potter, were favorites. Poetry for Young People series (quality selections with very helpful annotations and background info. (and nice artwork) help my sci. guy appreciate the power of poetry Jim Weiss audio CDs (Completely captivating. They're good for much more than just getting him to stop talking when introvert mom needs quiet time in the car.) the birdfeeder (watching them actually gets him to slow down) chess with a physical board and pieces (my insistence; no electronic chess unless he lacks a partner) tour of our community sewage and wastewater treatment facility ;) Misses: First Language Lessons. Memory work, repetition and other aspects of the classical style just don't jive with him. Critical Thinking Co. workbooks (too focused on convergent thinking for a divergent thinker) literature discussion was a no go...even in a very relaxed, casual way; we'll try again next year formal writing; he likes to write his own (largely illegible) stories, so that's something. He'll probably be a "computer writer", as his handwriting is a bad as mine.

Offhand, I remember loving Harriet the Spy, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, The Chronicles of Narnia, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweller, A Wrinkle in Time and The Secret Garden.

Please let us know what you think of the astronomy/ solar system one if you try it!

The Hobbit is wonderful for this lesson, with Bilbo's initial extreme reluctantance to venture out of his safe hobbit hole, his frequent complaining in the early stages of the journey, and then ultimate reflection on it as the formative event of his life, even declaring to Frodo (in the movie version at least) that he misses the "challenge & adventure" in his now easy life. Same with Luke in The Empire Strikes Back, where he fights Yoda's insistance that he develop patience, wanting instead to rush through his Jedi training. Gotta love "life lessons via science fiction/ fantasy" ;)

Thanks everyone for the helpful info. Kristi26, an "intro. to Engineering" sounds perfect for us--I'm ordering!