The problem for most people is that the AP Literature exam for Latin is being discontinued after this coming school year. So, Cicero/Ovid won't be an option after May 2009. (source: LCC, Andrew Campbell) The only AP exam for 2009-2010 will be the AP Latin: Vergil Of course, the SAT 2 will still be an option. asta

Systematic Mathematics has been a lifesaver for us. The program is a series of DVDs that you can watch on either the TV or the computer, along with one-two page lessons that you print off of a "data-disc". They are in .pdf format, so they work on any computer. The program is an actual math teacher, "Paul" being filmed in front of a couple of students (who definitely don't always "get" what is being taught). He is writing out the problems on a chalkboard, very slowly, step by step. If you understand the concept (only one concept per lesson - yea!), you can simply turn it off and do the worksheet. Each worksheet is printed in large type and only has 10-20 problems. This program builds incrementally, so as not to confuse students (and not to scare them, I think). My son never really realized he was "learning" things because he was never forced to memorize anything. He just now "knows" everything up to algebra (which we are starting tomorrow). Paul's Algebra program is A-D and is equivalent to Algebra 1 & 2 at the high school level. He doesn't offer geometry, unfortunately. Oh - it is "old math" -- as in, the type that was taught in the 1940s, etc. before the US educational system went down the tubes. My son can convert recipes, figure displacement of objects in water, covert pints to bushels, and do complex word problems. Even I can now do weird word problems - I never could before. asta

When I get into my over-40 moments (I have many...) I first take a shower and wash my hair with some foofy smelling shampoo (currently, Orange & Ginger from Bath & Body Works). Then I shave my legs. Then I get dressed, making sure I'm wearing a V-neck top (decolletage ALWAYS looks good - it doesn't matter how old you are or what your weight) and go for a walk. As long as my hair is still wet, I don't look like a frizzy terrier who needs a hair cut. With my newly shaved legs, I don't get the whiff whiff from my pants on my walk. And, hey! I'm exercising! No one needs to know it's only around the block. I swear by Lubriderm (everywhere), Hennalucent (my hair), and water (down my throat). But most importantly, my kid. Every time I look at myself with disdain and think to myself "why am I not a _______ goddess", I look over at my kid and remember I have done something a wee bit more important with my time. And if I'm really going to be convincing when I tell him that it's what's inside of him that counts, then I best start believing it myself (v. hard to do sometimes). asta

Tedious is exactly what I'm worried about. My son is a prolific reader, not writer. When he can see the *point* to something, he does just fine, but if it appears to be just "busy work?" I lose him. asta

Hello Everyone, this is my first thread (not first post). Has anyone used the Sadlier-Oxford materials at the high school level (vocabulary and composition)? Looking at the Kolbe Academy site (where I saw them), it appears they are graded by color and letter: 9th grade, Vocabulary "D", Composition "Blue" 10th grade, Vocabulary "E", Composition "Green" 11th grade, Vocabulary "F", Composition "Orange" 12th grade, Vocabulary "G" My only hands on experience with language programs has been Analytical Grammar (love it). I have read a great deal about IEW, so I understand it, conceptually. I'm not actually searching for a language program as much as looking for a review of the S-O program. (winnowing down the choices before choosing my kid's final high school curricula...) asta

Exactly. When my son was a baby, before he even had teeth, my midwife told me to fix in my mind a picture of him smiling. She said to me "once he has teeth, his face will change completely, and you'll never again have that smile." One day, after nursing, he was laying on the bed next to me and just got the biggest smile. I can still see it like it was yesterday. Now, I've paid for 2 sets of braces, swimming lessons, soccer, music classes, size 11 1/2 mens shoes, gone through more "let's try THIS" curriculum than I can count... and he's only fourteen! I periodically wonder if I look like some woman who is trying too hard, dating a high schooler (I look pretty young, but old enough for it to be ewww), since we go everywhere together. But we do look awfully similar... I'd hope people would make the logical leap instead of the skanky one. As to having one? I've heard it all. The "best" was in Texas: "Ya'll only have one? That's alright. Ya'll did it right the first time." (in reference to having a boy - I sat there in stunned silence) My responses nowadays are dependent on geographical location. Assess the area, the predominant religion, decide whether or not a response is warranted, and fit the response to those parameters. No one ever said parents of "onlies" owed the truth to rude people. Sometimes, simply having an appropriate response to segue out of a situation is all that is needed. (IMO) It's all good. Babies are always good. asta

In addition: The fact that the father e-mailed rather than called tells me that he wanted to have a record of the conversation. If anything were to ever happen (anything - not only a fatality) to this child while he were with you or your husband, you would probably be facing a lawsuit so fast it would make your head spin. Move away from these people quickly, and with purpose. asta

It all boils down to who you are, what you do, and where you're going in life. People in extremely sensitive jobs/positions make it a point to have no "presence" on the web. No photos, no social-networking sites, nothing beyond monkiers on chat boards. People who rely on the public for their living (speakers, writers, photographers, small business owners etc.) make it a point to have a wide and varied presence on the web. IMO, however, there is always a line: is there ever really a need for someone (a potential client) to know the actual names of one's children? Or their actual nicknames? Probably not. Is a general geographic area probably sufficient? Yes. Is an address always needed? No. A P.O. box will suffice. People (in general) don't connect the dots with their own information the way someone trying to find them would. A person will mention their birth town on one message board, their husband's company on another, their high school somewhere else, and then rave about how something was THE song the year they graduated. Voila. Given a picture, a person with decent internet skills now knows who that person is. Many people don't care. Personally? Oh. Heck. No. I simply don't give out information. asta

I have ADD/ADHD but am not allowed to take medication any longer due to my epilepsy (some neuros allow it, mine does not). I drink two cups of coffee every morning. If I miss them, everyone can tell. Coffee is no substitute for ADHD medication. Herbs are no substitute. A good diet always is helpful (absolutely no artificial sweeteners, no high fructose corn syrup, minimal food dyes, minimal processed foods), as is proper sleep and regimented scheduling. I've said it before: I wish someone had noticed I was ADD/ADHD when I was a child; it would have made my educational experience much less painful. And, given a choice, I would have taken medication: the difference is like night and day (I have taken both stimulant type and 'sort of' stimulant type ADHD medication). asta

Has anyone else noticed the preponderance of mental illness, MILs, rude authority figures making strong impressions on us as adolescents and... the fact that we are all now determined to not pass such behaviors on? Well, given that mental illness isn't simply behavioral (much more complex)... but that, by homeschooling our children, we're all committed to giving our children an environment, and the tools wherein they don't have to deal with the types of indelible marks we are discussing. We're so cool. (and my quirky kid is so *not* going to replicate the nightmare his quirky parents and their friends endured in public school) Don't get me started on my MIL... asta

I normally do the "dip in oil" method with my corn tortillas (very hot oil, they don't absorb much), but have tried the "steam in microwave" method (many times - I kept trying to get it to work). Trust me: any health benefit gained by steaming them simply isn't worth it. Steamed corn tortilla enchiladas end up rubbery. They don't absorb the flavors properly. In the end, you might as well be eating frozen microwave meal fakey-enchiladas instead of home made ones. Then again, I'm an enchilada snob. I admit it. Grew up with 'em. :001_smile: asta

I never go to the lectures. I know that they are the big "draw" and all, but I guess I am too much of a HS sheepdog (and too little of a sheep) to sit there in rapt attention as marketing is oozed out over the crowd to be absorbed by... what? Osmosis? Ok, that was mean. Seriously, though. I go to Flower and Garden shows. I am a sheep there. I get the glassy-eyed "I believe" look over fertilizer and bulbs - I recognize it. The best way that I have found to "do" a HS convention is to take a good, hard look at the list of vendors before I even go. I print out the list and look them up on the internet. Some of the vendors I can immediately discount simply because they are offering something I don't need (I don't need any colleges right now). Others, because I have firm disagreements with philosophy (I have limited time in a day, I'm not going to spend it parsing). With the remaining list (including vendors that I may have no clue to what they are selling), I head to the convention. The only exception I would hold to this process would be if a convention were offering one of those "how to set up/document your homeschool" type seminars and you are a person who is searching for a system such as that. Even then, the people offering those systems usually turn right around and sell the system along with a mini-demo the next day, so... My biggest piece of advice would be to not confine yourself to the "names" you always hear on HS boards. The best stuff I've ever found at conventions has been from people who were just starting out who were completely unknown on the "forums". The big "names", the ones who always give the seminars - they will always give mini demos at their booths. They know that only a limited number of people make it to the seminars. As was already said, a rolling cart is a must (I use a rolling case like pharmaceutical reps do). If it is a Fri-Sat-Sun thing, Saturday is usually mobbed. MOBBED. To the point of not being able to move. If the convention you're going to is anything like the ones I've attended, it's much cheaper to go to just the vendors than the whole shebang. Have a good time and try not to get caught up in curricula hysteria; it's easy to just keep buying... asta

You might want to read the following thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23798 asta

I'd like to give the perspective of someone who is now an adult, but who has had ADD since childhood. Oh, would life have been nicer had someone even noticed the problems I was having, much less offered me medication. My entire scholastic career was a series of half finished projects, rushing to finish things, and tearful pleas for extensions. I'm still flabbergasted that I completed university in a (very) successful manner. That was probably due to copious quantities of Earl Grey caffeinated tea and the fact that I was an "older" student. When I was finally diagnosed (I was over 30) and given medication, it was such a relief. I didn't feel like such a planning failure any longer and was actually able to get things done, and get to places on time. I am no longer allowed to use ADD medication (I've since been Dx'd with epilepsy), and I miss it. I do not have a "developing body", and medication is always an individual choice, but personally, my psyche could have been spared a great deal of damage in my youth if my brain chemicals had been lined up better. JMO asta

No problems. I hear you on the migraines... So, we're discussing two different books/programs: Conceptual Physics by Paul Hewitt http://www.conceptualphysics.com/pghewitt.shtml and Conceptual Physics (algebra based) & Principles of Physics (trig based) by the Kinetic Books company http://www.kineticbooks.com More choices! Choices are always good. asta

I have no clue how that part got into my part of the message - I didn't write it. Did you? asta

Are we talking about the same "Conceptual Physics" book? (for some reason, I don't think we are...). The one I'm referring to is used with Kinetic Books' program (and you don't really need the actual book, as the book and lab are all within the computer program). With their "book", even "Principles of Physics" only uses Trig, not Calc. Feynman! This man is directly responsible for my son desiring to become a physicist! We have all of his books. Did you know that many of his lectures are available on the internet? (I think it's YouTube, though it might be Google video - kid found them). asta

2 tsp yeast 1 tbl sugar 1 cup warm water 2 tbl olive oil whisk and wait for yeast to proof (5-10 minutes) 1 cup of flour whisk 1 tsp salt 1 cup of flour whisk flour until it's a slightly sticky dough (if it is a "smooth" dough, it will end up too rubbery) knead into some semblance of a ball, dump back into bowl, cover with cleanest kitchen towel available, and place somewhere near oven (which is being preheated to 450 with the stone inside). Don't make mistake of actually placing bowl on back burner (oh, yum, pre-cooked bread ball...). Discover you have no cheese. Go to store and have hissy fit that cheese is up to .35 an ounce. Buy it anyway. It's Friday. Friday is pizza night. It's easier to overpay for cheese than argue with quirky teenager. It's been over 1/2 hour, dough is raised. Punch down and scrape from sides. Plop on counter in some flour. Let sit for 5 minutes. Search for something else to put on pizza. Defrost leftover ham from freezer and drain can of pineapple. Pull can of spaghetti sauce out of fridge. Roll crust out in flour (it doesn't bounce back as much now that it had time to rest). Pull stone out of oven. Wrestle crust around broken corner of stone. Smear spaghetti sauce on with rubber spatula. Attempt artful placement of unartfully hacked ham. Fill in gaps with pineapple. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Bake for 15 minutes. DINNER!

Do you know anyone who smokes? Seriously. A freshly put-out cigarette butt (so that it still smells, but isn't a fire hazard), shoved into the hole that they have drilled, then sealed up with caulk (I just use tub caulk) is the "Farmer's Almanac" method where I live. And it works! My neighborhood had a wicked infestation of those buggers a few years ago. One of our residents was the displaced son of a farmer from Indiana. He started laughing at us and went out and bought a pack of Marlboros. I haven't had a problem since. It's something about the nicotine. Good luck. asta

Yes, it is by Hoagland. But I don't know why you're getting a search page - you should be getting a table of contents page for the book. Here is the publisher page: http://www.jbpub.com/catalog/076371688X/ I actually requested a "view" copy from the publisher first. I told them I was a science teacher (I AM, you know... I named my little school and everything...). Then I returned it, as it is bloody expensive to buy texts directly from the publisher. If I hadn't any other way to buy it, though, I probably would have coughed up the $$, because it is a better bio book than anything I've ever seen. asta (and you're welcome, Rough Collie)

You have a very wise neuro. I have absence seizures (I'm an adult). I also have other partial seizures (absence seizures are one type of general seizures). If your child is potty trained, one thing to check for after you see a staring spell is soiled undies or a "messy fanny". Partial seizures will often lead to an involuntary bowel release or incontinence. It won't often be noticeable externally, if you know what I mean. As to the original question, about memory issues: my memory has become swiss cheese since my seizures started. The seizures themselves delete the data on the hard drive, and the anti-convulsants delete data. However, when the right dose of AEDs (anti-epileptic drugs) is on board, a kind of stasis occurs, and the brain re-routes neural pathways with amazing efficiency. The best forum I've found for learning how to navigate neurologists, pediatric specialists, etc. is at the website of http://www.rettdevil.org. They are kind of "in your face", but they have tons of information about medications and therapies, have kids of their own with neuro issues, and definitely mean well. asta

Two of my sisters have science degrees. One has a BS in biology with a concentration in Genetics as well as Masters level coursework in Genetics. The other has a BS in bio/chem and a Masters in Science Education (she teaches HS level science). Both agree that a child who wishes to pursue collegiate level (and beyond) sciences must meet what the scientific community as a whole has decided is the minimum acceptable knowledge base. And, quite often, that minimum is in conflict with what many people are comfortable with teaching/presenting to their homeschooled children (for whatever reason). I have read 10-15 posts on 4 different message boards just in the last week from parents who are perplexed as to why their child did not do well on this test or that class in regards to science, when they had completed a full course of either Apologia or BJU science. I find this to be incredibly sad, as there are excellent science programs available to parents. Parents are strong in their convictions: they can certainly express their family's views to their children regardless of what a book says, and allow a child to have the information he or she needs to be able to operate in a scientific environment while maintaining personal beliefs. Scientific Texts/Programs I have encountered with decent Methadology: Exploring the Way Life Works http://waylifeworks.jbpub.com/toc.cfm This biology book has a revolutionary, fresh approach that is being hailed by biologists. The website has linkable lessons. Froguts: Virtual Frog, etc. Dissection for $30 http://www.froguts.com/flash_content/index.html Digital Frog: Virtual Frog, Wetlands, Biology Misc. http://www.digitalfrog.com/ Biology by Prentice Hall http://www.millerandlevine.com/ Great Website by the authors, has complete virtual lab CD for purchase. Kind of pricey, but book can be found used. Chemistry, Matter and the Universe by Richard E. Dickerson and Irving Geis http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/vrchemistry/foundation.html The book, you have to find online, but this website outlines the complete course, for FREE. Every review I've ever read of this book is exceptional. I second the recommendation for Conceptual Physics (http://www.kineticbooks.com) in general, but Principles of Physics (same publisher) would be more appropriate as a college prep course. Best of luck to you. asta

I would suggest using TRISMS. All of the readings are excerpts within the curriculum itself, and fit well with the personality you are describing. Additionally, the style of research and writing is college preparatory. I originally bought their middle school program for my child but will not be buying their high school program; my child has actually turned into a reader as a result of being given "bits". I never formally followed the entire program (I used the worksheets and the general idea), but I found it to be solid. The company is revamping their website to make it interactive so that you can see their lesson plans more clearly. It is a religion-neutral program that people add their own beliefs to as desired. Hope that helps. asta