how about something like Time 4 Learning. It's on the computer, and it's animated, so thats kind of fun. If he did that everyday and you could add 1 other thing in like printing one day, easy reader the next day. books on cd while using some kind of smart building blocks etc. might be nice.

this month my daughters vocal tic is saying hoo hoo (like an owl):001_smile: her physical tic is like a giant empty yawn, and shoulder shrugs. they mix and match, and are ever changing. It is thought to be hereditary so it's helpful to share with your dr. if anyone in the family has/had it. Unfortunately in the past doctors didn't know much about it. For instance they used to tell my mother in-law that my hubby (then a child) was manipulating her etc. Also video taping the tics to show the doc. can be good

My dd has tourette's. You should talk to your Dr. Even though there is not much they can do(meds. if its really bad) and there is no test to confirm it, after a year of certain behavior, they will confirm, yes it is tourette's, at which point you can talk to your child, and say it's ok, you can help your child understand what's happening, and why, and what does it all mean. My husband has it also, so we know in our hearts that this isn't something that will just go away. A lot of kids will develop tics, and they eventually disappear. Tourette's for my dd seems to switch from muscle to verbal tics, the tics are always changing. So when it's really bad or painful its good to know that they will probably ease up, and turn into something more manageable. Today I had to end school early for her(and sis) because she was hurting to much. I put on a book on cd, and let them do felting, after two hours she ate a great dinner, took a bath, got cozy, and went to sleep. It's all I can do for her, make her feel calm, and peaceful. She will be officially diagnosed in Dec. by her Dr. I haven't talked to her about tourettes since our 1st visit to the Dr. He was very open about what the likely diagnoses was, but i don't think she absorbed it. I don't know if i should wait for Dec. to lay it all out for her. i had been waiting thinking would if it went away, why would i put that in her mind.....but now.... it's obvious that it's tourette's. Sometimes it's so hard to watch her go. Not to mention I question myself all the time on how hard I should be on her, and not stressing her out with school work. It's a dance I guess. Thank God for homeschooling! I did find a great dvd "I Have Tourette's but Tourette's Doesn't Have Me" ugh what a bummer thanks for letting me ramble,best of luck to your family and please excuse my terrible writing skills(double ugh)

i finally found a decent sharpener at A Child's Dream Come True. It's made of wood and can sharpen two different size pencils. Everything else i've tried is junk.

i love my local thrift store! sometimes i time my school day around their hours! i live in south orange county(calif) where there is a lot of money,but that doesn't stop anyone here. i recently bought the whole hardback set of series of unfortunate events for $1.00 each. i love to shop, and i figure that this is the best way, it's cheap, environmentally sound and fun. in laguna beach it's great because it's a lot of the same die hards at the garage sales every week. i can catch up with people, get the latest in town, drink my tea, and find a painting, or expensive clothes for crazy cheap, vintage goodies, and ALWAYS something for the classroom. it makes me happy just thinking about it! ps i don't have tv so i don't know about this show, but i do know that sometimes being frugal can get just as weird and unhealthy as being a consumer pig... anyhoo...happy treasure hunting give it a try, you might like it!

My 4th grader is using Phonetic Zoo, and it's going well. She works independently,she even corrects her own tests. I haven't heard any complaints,and she is trucking along in the program. I also like the animal images, and the overall look and feel of the program. It's kind of natural,straight forward, and smart. good luck!

we are trying cozy grammar this year, and it's going well. it's a little odd, and a little cozy. you watch a lesson on dvd, (we get the fire going and get on the couch with a blanket) then you do a worksheet. we do quite a bit of other grammar work, but you might want to check this out. they have dvd sample on their site. the company is called splashes from the river

how long does your child practice their instrument? i just found out how much our classes are going to cost (ouch). we were on a barter system for the past 2 years, and i never really thought about it. i have a 9 & 7 year old they both play piano and violin. they practice once a day, i've never timed them. i'm thinking that it's not that long and maybe i should have them play a few pieces in the evening as well. so between the $$$ and the fact that they've had 2 pressure free years to play, it's time to get serious. i need a schedule and a more disciplined out look. how do you schedule your music?

what i have done is narrow this years history down to mostly american history. i use sotw as a basic guide to follow, and will use the cd and maps as needed. we are checking out tons of books and just happily making our way through. i also added more geography of the u.s., with a puzzle, and blank maps to be colored and filled in. i'm also thinking of getting beautiful feet h.c. holling u.s. geography set. we have already read paddle to the sea, and loved it. mostly though my thoughts are on my daughters perceptions of the world,and the people who inhabit it. i don't want my kids to grow up to be complete ding dongs, crumbling under the pressures of life. it's tough out there. history has shown that, as well as todays headlines. and my kids have unfortunately experienced their fair share of "life is pain". my older daughter is the one who is mostly troubled by all this history and brutality. i think what she is trying to understand is does it all get fixed eventually? the answer i believe is no. it's just mans nature, but it's also all jumbled up with love, humor, sacrifice, hope, kindness, etc. and i think that i need to bring that into the classroom(and home). i'm by nature a cynical person, but that is a burden to my children. they are fresh, and full of light, and genuine happiness, i realized i should foster that more. i come from a montessori back round, and family. i've been rereading montessori concepts on peace, and the child. i think thats a good place to start. thanks again for responding.

i have a 1st grader, and a 4th grader. we started the year with story of the world #3. we loved using this program last year,but something has changed either with my kids, or the way the 3rd book is written. my kids keep asking if they'll be reading about decapitations, and massacres all year. i think i've found a good way to work around the problem, and still use sotw,so all is good. i'm just wondering what would any of you say to your kids about why(these are my daughters words)"history is studying one war, double cross, or problem after another." i can see that i need to bring in accomplishments, and goodness of man to what i teach. as my mom said tonight, maybe they need hope, concepts in peace etc. your thoughts would really be appreciated. thanks!

a childs dream come true is a good place to buy supplies to make a fairy. Once ours are made, my daughters build a whole environment for them,they find big branches,flowers,leaves,wood shavings, seeds, pods,they fill dishes with water and put rocks,and leaves in them. It can get big and messy(which is sometimes a good thing). And then they lose themselves in it all,their fairies come alive. The disney type fairy doesn't do it justice. It's more fun to keep it natural and adventurous. You might want to check out Elsa Beskow, and Sibylle Von Olfers, both of these authors wrote fairy, elf type books! Good Luck!!