I think I would look more towards something like a Philosophy or Worldviews type of class where they look at various viewpoints. A few books to consider: Understanding the Times (Noebel--there are also DVD's and I think you can access the lectures online...at least you used to be able to. This compares/contrasts 6 major worldviews: Christianity, Islam, Humanism, Marxism, New Age, and Postmodernism.) What if Jesus Had Never Been Born? (Newcombe--a really thought-provoking book) The Reason for God (Keller--takes a look at a third viewpoint, theistic evolution) These do not cover only creation/evolution but will dig in and encourage your student to not only think more deeply about his or her own worldview, but to seek to understand others' worldviews as well--great preparation for college and adulthood.

Very normal! Some kids are in junior high before they are really ready and able to put these skills all together in outside writing. Some things you can do when you are reviewing AAS or doing dictations: "There's one mistake. See if you can find it." Praise for any he can find. See if he knows how to fix it--if so, great! "How did you know how to fix it?" (See if he can verbalize the rule--if not, ask him if he can think of a rule that applies. Just telling him the rule allows him to be more passive--if he is thinking it through and remembering the rule and then applying it, that's a more active form of learning. Of course, if he can't remember, do tell him--and then also put the word card and blue key card that relates back in daily review. For something like "proublem," ask him to read *exactly* what he wrote. Sometimes just that will help a student be able to fix their work. If not, then try saying something like, "I would read this as 'prowblem.' [emphasize the /ow/ sound]. We want 'problem.' Do you know how to change it?" Two articles that are really helpful: Helping Kids Achieve Automaticity How to Handle Spelling Mistakes Really make use of that review box--being able to customize the review to your student's needs is a big part of what makes AAS work. I found one of mine really needed a lot of review. I also found it really helped to make sure I didn't move on until my kids could easily teach the lesson back to me with the tiles. I used to start each day saying something like, “This week we are studying how to spell the /k/ sound at the end of a word. Do you remember what our choices are for that sound?†If your son remembers, great, praise him! Then ask a follow-up question, such as, “How do we decide which one to use?†At whatever point he doesn’t remember, review it. Then, walk through a tile demonstration whether he remembered or not, and have him teach it back to you. Then with the review cards, I used to wait until a Monday before moving any to the "mastered" tab. If my kids had been teaching me the concept for several days with the tiles and then also remembered the cards easily after the weekend (without having to self-correct or stop to think about things), then it seemed more likely to stay mastered. Oh, another good article that really helped me tweak my methods for both kids--Help Your Child's Memory. Hang in there, your son will get there!

You know, it's good when little gems like this come out and make us laugh in the midst of the frustration!

Is there such a thing as a list of careers by work-style preferences? Thanks. I'd love to hear more about how it's different. I only wish it could be as easy for my oldest as trying to choose between two solid career interests like that! Then it would totally make sense to visit various workplaces and explore various types of jobs to see what you might be best suited for and to get a realistic picture of what the work is like. Where do you start with visiting workplaces (which I've also heard about doing from many other sources) if there isn't some interest you're following up on though? Even a liberal arts student with some kind of strong interest in some area like writing, speaking, researching, helping others or etc... can again hone in on and fine suitable career paths to explore. I just can't figure out how to help a liberal arts type student who can't latch on to an area of interest or a definable skill. That's one of my son's fears too--being "stuck" doing something he "hates." He'd like to just not hate it (and is fine leaving "passions" in the "hobby" category.) That's what I don't get about the idea of divorcing the process completely from interests--how can you not look at interests (which to me is not just about "content" but also about "work style" and so on)? But I agree with what Lori said about the self-centered nature of expecting to just follow passions and thinking you'll love every minute of a job (that's unrealistic marketing we've been sold!) My son has interests that don't mesh well with each other and that don't really point to any type of career. He has Holland Codes and Myers Briggs that are opposites. He's better at math than writing but would much rather have to write than use math skills if he had to choose (his aptitude testing plus Holland Codes put "Accountant" at the top of his list, which he would hate personality-wise). It really just seems like an impossible (and highly discouraging) task to try to figure out where to go next in this process. Will have to come back to this thread later and try to do some more reading!

Try scanning it at a lower resolution if possible. Do you really need to sign it though, if you are submitting electronically? Maybe you can save your excel file as a PDF instead and by-pass that?

How old is she?

If your state also has any grants and your dd is considering both in-state and out of state, list an in-state first.

That would be great! Here's a rough chart by income level and family size (it doesn't take assets into consideration, and it also includes MN state grants).

That's what I was wondering.

It sounds like she's ahead in math, and maybe even though she's really bright, some of the topics are hard for her. I think limiting to 30 minutes or fewer problems or working with her to see what the issues are could help. I hope this week goes better for you both!

Essentials in Writing worked better here (short videos, only 5 or so minutes generally). Here's a review I did back when we first started it. After that first year, the sound was better (we used levels 7-11).

I would anchor your K's school time to some daily activity--for example, right after breakfast or right after lunch. It would only delay working with your 9 yo by about 30 minutes, and then your K wouldn't have play time that's interrupted. Let your K student know what the plan is ahead of time to help her mentally be ready for it, and build it up as a fun time to spend together.

Mama Anna, on 05 Oct 2017 - 06:31 AM, said: I absolutely would. You don't have to do meds, but you want the paper trail and to keep track of how you accommodate--this will be helpful later if you want accommodations for testing and in college. Plus, knowing helps you decide how to respond instead of just guessing. That said...meds can, in many cases, be very helpful. Mama Anna, on 05 Oct 2017 - 06:31 AM, said: Amen, and hang in there! It's tough--but you are doing a great job!

I hesitate to because she's apparently not a homeschooler and I suspect she's a troll (possibly working for ixl, which she posted about in her only post outside that thread). It's a really odd thread for a newby to start and I hate to encourage it. I noticed a legitimate case of my son pretending to not know things, but I considered it an age-appropriate and creative way of responding to boredom. The appropriate response on my part was to alter my teaching approach. There were no tears involved--I employed humor when possible, or said, "Oh, it must be xyz [obvious wrong answer which student corrected]" if I wasn't 100% sure whether my son knew the material I was covering.

Yes! Those pinecone displays are awful for my dh!

I wouldn't think you would have any issues, some public schools teach "Integrated Math" as well, so that concept would be very familiar to colleges.

Thanks. We have an IQ Air that the doctor who was treating his chemical sensitivities recommended. He had one in his office and we could tell it was good there--and it was good, the costs just add up. It started making a hum that gave dh headaches last winter, so we stopped running it and are just using a regular HEPA filter (which of course doesn't address chemicals but is good for dust etc...)

Do you have one of these? I'm wondering because years ago we purchased a $1000 machine. It did an awesome job for about 15 years but was so expensive to run. The carbon filters that would filter out chemical smells were supposed to last 3 years, but I think that was only on the lowest setting. We usually kept it at a medium setting (to make the bedroom a safe place), and had to change those filters yearly and then the regular hepa filters a couple of times a year. Anyway...I was just curious if the filters for this machine really last as long as they say (our bedroom is a good size but not huge...iirc it's 11X14 ish with hardwood floors).

I've never tried skipping ahead, but I don't think you can.

Yes, my dh has chronic lyme that went undiagnosed at least 15 years, possibly 22 when looking at his medical history. He was disabled in 2000. I wrote Invisible Illness, Visible God about our journey and how God has brought us through.

I don't know if it exists any more, but back when my dh did IV Rocephin (2000-2001), the company that manufactures it offered a patient assistance program to help out when insurance wouldn't cover it. We still had to cover all of the supplies and things like a PICC line and later a central line, but it made it doable. You might investigate whether that's a possibility any more. Hang in there and I hope your daughter finds healing and relief. Neuro-Lyme is really difficult to deal with, but I'm glad she has the strength/energy/will to research and see if that is really the best fit.

I know it seems expensive, but I'm so relieved to hear you'll be going to someone recommended for treating Lyme. My husband went undiagnosed for years and is now permanently and totally disabled as a result. Treatment the first couple of years after he finally was diagnosed exceeded our mortgage payments. It's 100% worth it to get the appropriate treatment on this side when you can still get rid of Lyme. Dr. Burrascano's guidelines would put her in the "early localized" category (single erythema migrans--ie bullseye rash--with no constitutional symptoms (scroll about halfway down this page to see treatment guidelines). Children in this category treat for 6+ weeks, and adults treat until sign and symptom free for one month (so you wouldn't just stop when the rash first goes away). A good Lyme Literate MD will be able to guide you through the appropriate treatment (this article is from 2008 so there may be a newer version or updated guidelines now--but certainly not a mere 2 weeks). Praying your appointment goes well and for wisdom in treating your daughter.

This is us too. We have air filters and use safe products, and follow specific procedures for visitors. When the kids and I go to church (dh can't attend because of chemical sensitivities and other chronic health issues), we have to shower and change when we get home. My dh can't be in close proximity to me (definitely not share a car ride) until I have showered and changed. Perfume manufacturers incorporate specific chemicals that both broadcast scents and make them "cling" to fabric and other surfaces after the person has gone. Second-hand perfume is a real issue for people with chemical sensitivities (and then add to it that kids are spraying at school and it's not even second-hand.) If he could shower and change at school or a neighbor's without coming in contact with any scents after, that would be ideal. But barring that, I think wearing a mask, driving with all the windows down, and having him change in the garage and shower immediately is probably the best idea. I'll be interested to hear if the coveralls-type idea helps to make the car ride more tolerable. So many chemicals go into the products we use every day, and it does affect some people severely. It's definitely a difficult issue, and my heart goes out to you.

With regard to the awards, if you don't want to include all of them, what if you highlighted the most prominent ones? "Student earned X number of awards for competitive dance including...." or something like that? I wonder if the schools note anywhere on a transcript when a student is exempt from PE, that their extra curricular fulfills that requirement?

Mine can commute, so it's not a big deal, but if they were away at school, I'd much prefer they have the whole week off. Wednesday to Sunday is pretty short when you add in traveling!