I could not vote because I had a lot of change in the insurance situation in the past ten years. We went from having decent employee health insurance through a large company to having no insurance for the adults and state insurance for the kids when dh worked for a very small company. We lost the state insurance for just going over the limit but still making below the average for a family in our area and then had no insurance. Then dh worked for a different small company that was slightly larger who provided insurance but they change insurance companies quite often. They have all been high deductible plans some better then others. My kids could never get things like OT or PT when they could have used it. The short stint on state insurance was the most worry free time even though we were earning less because everything was covered and we did not have to worry about health related costs for the kids. Now most of what I would use is not covered. I always believed in universal health care even when I had good insurance during my whole childhood and early marriage.

Making big decisions is hard but it will be ok no matter what you decide. I agonized over a decision this year that was hard to make and I was very emotional afterward but it ended up being fine. Like someone else mentioned if you put your kids in school because it was too much you can always pull them if it is not going well or things get better or if you kept them home next year but things got overwhelming and you just could not keep up then you could put them in school. Maybe hold off on making a decision until after the baby is here and you see how it is to manage it all. You do not have to spend much time individually on 1st grade, kindergarten and preschool though if you decide to homeschool.

I was hoping to use it like that so it is good to hear it is working for someone else.

It is a spiral conceptual curriculum. In the early grades it would be hard to use as a supplement because a lot of the teaching is in the lesson plan not the worksheets and the lessons are not quick. Since it is spiral it is a little harder to cherry pick. I did not realize the middle grade program was similar but arranged in less if a spiral so if you have an older student that is probably a good option. For the primary program I just glanced through the lessons and saw what kind of problems my kids have covered or could answer easily and go until it was a spot they could work on.

You do not need all those components at once. You do not need the EP workbook if your dd does not need extra practice to master the concepts and if she is doing intensive practice then she probably does not need it. I just started IP for now I might try using the textbook and IP in place of the workbook and if that does not seem to be working I will do the textbook and workbook and the IP a little behind. The IP is less pages but it seems to take longer to do each page.

It always really saddens, disgusts and terrifies me when I hear of this happening. It is maddening that it occurs. I am so sorry for your friend. I can imagine the terror and utter sadness she is experiencing. I hope the appeal works out.

I can relate. I do not really have friends right now with kids to get together with like I did in the past and it makes going through things harder.

Education Unboxed which has been mentioned teaches long division concretely in a way that you would not need to know that standard algorithm. Once you get it down it can be applied to bigger numbers too and there are sources out there on how to teach it with examples bigger then they used.

Humans of New York mentioned a story about Venezuala today and it reminded me of this post and I wanted to check on the blog. The blog appears to be gone now. Did your friend make it back to the U.S.? I really feel for the people in Venezuala.

Someone else recently mentioned James Tanton too. I finally looked at his sight and what he is saying makes sense but I am really confused how to use it or if she would be ready for it yet.

I actually like that way to start out with so they know conceptually what is happening with the numbers rather then just starting with carrying but not really thinking about it. I think it is actually a good way to learn it and I will teach it this way at first.

She will be 11 when I will be using it and the stuff dots, c-rods and multiplication teaches she is good on. I know it is not a complete curriculum I just was wondering if it works well right along as way to teach some of the concepts in another curriculum rather then as an extra supplement or something to do on the side.

Can you use Overcoming Difficulty with Numbers just as a way to teach some of the concepts in another curriculum?

This makes me very happy to hear it!

I used Education Unboxed to introduce multiplication and I use the way they explain it the multiplication sign is like saying of. So the problem could also be said 3 of 4 or 3 groups of 4. The communicative property was quickly discovered by seeing that they take up the same area and he solves it the way that is easier now.

My kids have this issue too with weak enamel. I have never had a cavity and I drank juice and ate less healthy growing up then they do.

I was wondering the same thing but did not get many replies.

The thing that might be hard is having to pick up kids at different places and times and homework.

It does not bother me at all. Another site I was on had a special anonymous account. Those using it were never trolling it was just hard stuff they were dealing with that they wanted more privacy about.

I am considering this too. I really hope I can find it when I need it. I thought I heard they were just reorganizing. Did they go completely out of business? I get funds from a charter that I can use for the next school year so I do not want to get it yet. I was also wondering how people use it and whether people feel the teacher's guide is useful and adds to it or if you can do without with just the questions in the student book.

Oh that looks like something I may consider for ds. I wonder what the cost will be and when it would be ready.

Those who use the intensive practice books do you use it in lieu of the workbook or as a supplement to it or some other combo? I do not want to add more problems but I picked up a copy and want to give it a try with ds.

With a 40 mile commute each day I would want a fuel efficient car for that.

We are secular and do Easter very minimally. It is one of my least favorite holidays. I guess I will be one of the few that hides real colored eggs. I do not like having cheap plastic eggs to store during most of the year they are not being used or to have lots of extra candy around. My kids are very sensitive to the dyes and other artificial stuff in candy. I know exactly how many are hidden and where and I never had one not found. We go to a UU church and they do another hunt there for plastic eggs and I have them trade candy for a big chocolate that does not have artificial stuff in it. I do not really get Easter presents either. I keep Christmas as the one materialistic holiday.

I like the erasable gel pens although they are a little more scratchy and not as smooth as regular gel pens. With my one child especially she smudges the ink with the regular gel pens from too much ink coming out and her hand sweeping across it since she is left handed. With dysgraphia I find it good to have the ability to erase to correct spelling and formation when working in that.