I don't think she could mainstream b/c she's so far behind grade level. The test administrator said she wouldn't have a 504 b/c she didn't have a diagnosis. She does have a great peer group through her dance company and we're plugging into her new youth group. She's 14 and I want to make sure I'm neither holding her back from what she *could* do nor pushing her into a situation that would be bad. Background noise is defiitely distracting. She fatigues easily with hard work (starts yawning right when we start Barton, which is so interesting. I haven't figured that out but it's some physical response to stress? Anxiety? Her brain thinking hard?) She has middle school girl anxiety. We're working through that as well so she's equipped for new situations.

I've homeschool all my children. My youngest is truly struggling and has been for some time. I had testing done 3 years ago (a pyscho-educational battery) and there were no diagnoses. The test administrator labeled her a strugging student. Her biggest weaknesses per that test were/are poor working memory, reading comprehension, listening comprehension, calculation. I felt like the test results gave me no real direction since there was no diagnoses. She could read, but would fatigue quickly, guess at big words, and had zero love of reading. Interestinly, though a very low working memory, she memorized our scripture passages (whole chapters), her Sunday school verses and musical lines. What we've done: *Started Barton reading and she's on Level 7. She is thriving with this and I've seen a huge improvement. Now trying to encourage some summer reading to get her fluency up and transition into books. *Writing with Ease. She actually scored best on writing, haha! Her spelling was low, but her expressive and writing scores were much higher than other things. I think it's because she loves this writing curriculum and we focused so heavily on it. I'm going to transition to IEW so she can begin to learn the structure for modern essay and report writing. *Abeka math with a tutor. I had to outsource this for our sanity. Math felt like ground hog day all over again and she hit a wall with Math U See. Here's my dilemma: some days I feel like we're making progress and some days I feel like circling a cul-de-sac! I feel like I need to research more, narrow down her specific issues, test more and see if there is an actual diagnosis. Maybe something like verbal or auditory processing? I feel like if I had a diagnosis, I'd know how to move forward and I won't miss getting necessary therapy/help for her. And this concern: I feel like she'd thrive in a small classroom for another teacher but I haven't found anything local that fits. Part of it is I'm fearful of labels. Ack! Can anyone who's navigated help me know if I should do more testing? Where I can look for more resources? How to find outside classrooms/situations that would help? As a single mom, these coversations bounce around my own head and I have no sounding board. That's one other piece of info: her father died suddenly when she was 4. She was sleeping in between us when I awoke to his final breaths. My older daugher immediately took her upstairs, but still. I feel like trauma has played a part. But how do I figure that part out,, if any? Lisa

I've started using the Barton reading system with my youngest to shore up some issues I"ve seen with her. I'm borrowing from a friend who suggested it to me. I've done all the prep on the website, used level 1 with blank tiles but I'm ready to start Level 2 and my friend doesn't have the tiles. She used the app. Is there any way to get the letter tiles without buying each level from Barton? Thanks!

One of my favorite books we've handed to all of our kids in 7th/8th grade is The Yearling. it's often missed on lists but it's such a wonderful coming-of-age book set in cracker Florida. And a Pulitzer prize winner to boot!

Ok, ladies, I'm about to become y'all's new best friend. I have SO much to learn. I've posted a couple of times on this board because I've suspected something was up with my youngest but then she'd make a big leap and I'd dismiss it. Thinking all along if we worked harder, if I focused on teaching her more that she'd "catch up." I had talked to her evaluator privately and we mutually thought she was a late bloomer. Behind on some markers like nursing, walking, talking, reading but always got there eventually. She's now 6th grade and I had her tested. Just got the results and I want to cry my eyeballs out. There were no LDs...just a tag of slow learner, developmental delays. Some of the results were shocking actually and I can't believe it's talking about my girl. Not because she's my girl but because I see what's she's doing. So my real question: Can a child perform in actuality better than what tests show? And even more important: can you teach a child with cognitive delays so that they will outperform what their tests indicate they're capable of? Please don't quote as I'll edit some of this later. This is her story...but I need information to meet her in the best possible way.

Y'all are good! I knew this was the place to ask. ? Thank you!

Thank you! I'm going to check out some of these recipes. My go-to when taking a meal is a yummy recipe for baked ziti. It's meatless...wonder if I can find gluten free, egg free noodles?

Hello all! Wow.....time has ticked by and I've thought about popping on here every now and again as I've had burning questions. I'll probably head to the logic board for some other questions. I'm still schooling my two youngest now -- 6th and 8th. This is my 20th year. {cue the confetti and my B vitamins. :) ) I'm briging a meal to another friend and here are their restrictions: Eggs, Gluten, We eat a plant-based organic diet, without refined sugars, and with lots of healthy fats and carbs (avocados, sweet potatoes, and rice). Can you share some meal ideas? This isn't completely foreign to me, but I don't want to resort to the same old beans and rice. Any ideas?

Ellen McHenry's Chemistry and Exploration Education's Physical Science.

First choose which version you'd like. I like ESV or NKJV b/c they are solid translations. You can read other versions online or an app to compare if you're digging down into a particular passage. Then, I'd go into a store to look at the Bibles. Page through them. See if you like the size of print (I have a journaling Bible and the print is smaller because of the wide margins). I really, really like my study Bibles. I have two of them -- an NIV I used as a brand new mom and a John McArthur study Bible. There are many study Bibles to choose from. I actually have my eye on another one. You mentioned wanting to write in your Bible. I use the Micron pens (from my old scrapbooking days) becaue they're fine point and don't bleed through. They've lasted longer than the Bible pens sold at the store. Do you have a Lifeway or independent Christian store near you where you can see the Bibles in person? Even a Barnes & Noble will have several.

We've memorized: the poems in IEW's Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization grammar lists -- prepositions, Shurley English jingles Declaration of Independence Gettysburge Address chapters of scriptures (Psalm 1, 8, 19, 23, 51; Romans 8, 12; 1 Cor 13; Phillipians 2; etc)

Just seeing this, Kelly, but I'm praying that you will get a green light to go AND the medical advocate you need to treat this.

Boohoo! I got that email this morning as well. I'd bought several things from LLBean this year including boots and jackets. BUT, we haven't had any trouble nor needed to return anything so I don't think this will affect us much.

Tried to like this and it won't let me! Thank you all for sharing your experience. So the mutual conclusion is a YES on testing. I'm also happy to see a couple of you saying that homeschooling allowed you to teach to your child b/c I've really struggled with whether I'm still serving her or whether she would *perform* better for an outside teacher and enjoy the peer environment. My mama gut tells me she might feel the struggle whereas she doesn't now and feel some sort of labeling, strata system that she isn't getting now. Thanks so much! I'll begin to follow with some testing.