I missed the 40% audio downloads yesterday, but am interested in buying some. Is today the next best day to buy those? Anyone have any thoughts about what the next 2 days might be?

Thanks so much. I never would have known that.

Thanks all. It is the phonogram cards that I didn't receive. So are they coming in a separate package since they are coming from the UK? I see I can print them from their web site, but was hoping to avoid that if possible.

I need to contact Sound Foundations/Promethean Trust about an order. (They are the publishers of Dancing Bears Reading and Apples and Pears Spelling). I placed an order and received it, however some of it is missing. I can't find any contact information on their web site, or anywhere on the web for that matter. I found a UK phone number, but I am in the U.S. I am looking for a U.S. contact number or email address. Anyone have these? TIA.

Thanks for the tip! I called and asked about a reduced 3 month rate, and was offered the first 3 months for 7.49 if I came back. Great!

One other question - which classics would you say are suitable for children around 9-10 years old? So far I have purchased Heidi, Little Women and Huck Finn. It's been a long time since I've read them so thought I would listen myself first, but would love to hear what others recommend.

I need some help. I have an audible account, but I cancelled my membership in the middle of 2012. I tried to do the free trial offer, but I am not eligible since I already did it back then. Can I still participate in the Buy 4 Get $10 bonus offer? I'm guessing I have to buy a membership at 14.95/month? Today I did purchase 3 free classics, and then get the Whispersync audio for free or .99 - so that part works for me. I do not have a counter anywhere showing that these purchases have counted toward the Buy 4 promotion. Thoughts?

The book "The Mislabled Child" by Brock and Fernette Eide has good information on working memory and all of the senses, including some exercises you can do to assess and improve it.

You might check out Neuronet - that program addresses exactly what you are asking about. Also, the creator Nancy Rowe talks a great deal about timing issues and post-synaptic depolarization in the Neuronet training.

Does a morpheme approach work better with his learning style? The programs I know of are Apples and Pears and Spelling Through Morhographs. I believe neither teaches the rules explicitly like AAS.

Well, I do agree that some kids aren't ready to read at this age. But it's also true that dyslexia can be diagnosed in 1st grade. And 1 in 5 kids have some degree of dyslexia. The majority of parents wait until 3rd, 4th or 5th grade to get a diagnosis and help - when there is no doubt that there is problem. What all of those parents would tell you is that they wish they could turn back time and intervene earlier. Did anyone in your family have trouble with reading or spelling growing up? Does your son show any of these other symptoms on the list below? If so, I would take him for a private evaluation NOW. Knowledge is power, and current research says that if reading intervention for dyslexia starts in 1st grade, their reading won't be any different from their non-dyslexic peers in 3rd grade. There's a lot at stake to just hope it's nothing. http://www.bartonreading.com/pdf/Dys%20warning%20signs.pdf If you really don't want to consider an evaluation for whatever reason, I would encourage you to consider an Orton-Gillingham reading program for him. If you are not familiar, they are basically phonics on steroids, multisensory programs and they are the gold standard for dyslexics.

I know several people who have completed Learning RX programs. Some were very happy, some were not. I think one very important thing to keep in mind is that Learning RX is a cognitive skills program, and any foundational deficits your child has need to be addressed first. By foundational, I mean fine and gross motor, vision, and sensory integration. I would get an OT eval and vision therapy (COVD) eval first, and follow through on those services before I would consider Learning RX for cogntive skills. I do want to comment that every single time someone posts something about Learning RX or PACE on this board, someone with very few posts who is a provider comes on to say how wonderful it is. That is a bit suspicious to me. I actually know people who have been happy with the services, but am not a big fan of only coming on a homeschooling parent support board to promote your program. Also before committing to spending that much money, I would get specific references for parents and kids who have worked with your trainer. Have you done any research yourself on processing speed? Most dyslexics have low processing speed. Most psychologists will tell you it is pretty fixed. There have been a number of interesting threads on here about how and if processing speed can be improved. There are a lot of different points of view on that. One friend's son who did Learning Rx began with a processing speed below the 10th percentile. He did gain a lot - according to the Learning RX assessments. I believe when he was done he was in the 30th percentile range. However my friend is not sure she sees a lot of transfer to his academic work. I have read whatever I can find on processing speed and working memory, and it seems that the general consensus is that working memory is easier to improve.

I don't think it's a problem if a child doesn't enjoy coloring, and I wouldn't force him to do it in his free time for fun, if he doesn't like it. However I would be concerned that difficulty with coloring is not the only fine motor problem he may have. I would take him for a private Occupational Therapy (OT) eval to see how his fine motor is overall. I'm sure some may not think that is necessary, but it's usually covered by insurance and why wouldn't you want to know if he needed some help in that area.

I wonder what would happen if you enlarged her math worksheets? Just curious if those errors/problems would go away or be reduced. My 3rd grader has a lot of visual processing issues, even after vision therapy. We do all math on the whiteboard for that reason. ITA about the benefits of homeschooling and math - it has allowed me to see what kind of errors my son makes instead of just - oh he got that problem wrong, he must not get it. For anyone with symbol confusion - you might try making the signs out of clay or playdough and talking about their meaning. I think it helps turn them into concrete objects instead of flat, 2D symbols with no images.

I also met someone from Landmark College in Vermont and they seemed to do a lot of out of the box learning. I remember looking it up later and it was pricey! I also second the recommendation of contacting Groves Academy. I have attended workshops there, and though my child is no where near college age, they do have a lot of resources for the college bound student, including college fairs.

We do: Reading aloud daily (him) Copywork for handwriting practice (I use a dashed font that I printed on Brightlines paper, then he copies) Typing practice on AlphaSmart Neo2 Evan Moor Daily Language Review for grammar Write On! for composition http://www.kid-friendly-homeschool-curriculum.com/homeschool-writing-curriculum.html (Love this!) Everything is working very well right now. I think for dysgraphia, separating handwriting from composition is key. Our schedule is: Write On! composition lesson on one day and I scribe it. Then the next day we do Daily Language Review, copywork, and he types up the Write On! assignment.

My 3rd grade son has some similarities to yours, and MUS has been a great fit for us. I would definitely go through Alpha. If it's too easy, you'll just go through it quickly. It's good background for your child to have. If he's had a draining year in school before, doing some easy stuff might be a nice change and build confidence. I sounds like you want to get him up to his grade level math asap, which is totally understandable, but I would seriously start at the beginning and just move at whatever pace you need to. It's hard at first but it's helpful to just let go of the whole "grade level" thing. Just work on things until you know your son is ready to move on. I really don't think you would regret starting with Alpha. And yes, definitely get the blocks. I got some small circle magnets and magnetized all of the blocks, and we do all of our lessons on the whiteboard. I also recommend their skip counting CD. We started with it in Alpha and now that we are in Gamma my son pretty much knows all of the songs. You don't have to force it or anything, just listen to it at lunch or in the car or when he's playing. Good luck and congrats on your decision to homeschool! It sounds like it will be a great thing for your son.

I have the book and agree with many of the thoughts shared here. In terms of "ear reading" vs. "eye reading" - what I took from this was that ear reading is an equally valid form of reading, if this method works for your child. I appreciated his section on technology and all of the things which are available to help with learning differences. I thought this was one of the most valuable sections of the book - though I suspect it will become outdated pretty quickly. I thought his bias against homeschooling was openly stated, and like others I do not agree with that. Homeschooling is a great option for some dyslexic children. At a conference I went to with Dr. Brock Eide, he stated that in his view homeschooling is right how the best option for dyslexic children. So clearly not everyone else agrees with Foss on this either. He was also quite biased against the Ron Davis method, if you read carefully enough. I know it is not overly popular on this board, but the Davis method was very successful with my dyslexic son and my 65+ dyslexic father. I think it is unfortunate that he has this bias, because for the right person it can be a great thing. I would hate for someone to dismiss it based on his thoughts alone. I've concluded that Davis is not so weird to me and others I know in person, because we have a very experienced Davis provider in our city and so know quite a few people who have found it helpful. Overall I think the book is a valuable contribution to what is out there on dyslexia and I am glad I read it.

I just wanted to chime in again...IMO the curriculum mentioned here are great for the right kids, however if you don't know what you are dealing with, it's really just throwing darts and hoping you hit something. It is hard to take your child for an evaluation. But IMO you should do it because it will guide you on what to do next. it will give you so much information! We can all say what has helped our kids, but unless you know what is going on with your child, it is again just a guess. A good neuropsych eval is seriously invaluable. I was very afraid to do it, because the idea of something being "wrong" is hard to confront. But all of the results just made total sense and helped me really understand my child's strengths and weaknesses. If you suspect visual processing issues, an eval by a COVD is also helpful. I would do both of those things before you purchase or try any other reading programs. Good luck.

I would go ahead and take him. You have nothing to lose by getting an evaluation. However if you wait, and there is something going on, you will regret it. I would encourage you to think carefully about where you take him. Places like Learning RX (a cognitive skills program) and other tutoring places aren't really qualified to diagnose dyslexia or other learning disabilities. For a complete evaluation you need to see a psychologist who provides testing for learning disabilities.

Just wondering if you've ever looked into auditory processing disorder for her? It sounds like she is having a great deal of trouble processing what she hears (and reads). Also how are her visualization skills? If you ask her to make a picture in her mind of what she just read, do you think she can do it? I would also recommend some evaluations to give you an idea where to start. Neuropsych and SLP (esp if they do auditory processing).

Personally I view the walking away while you are talking as the most problematic and disrespectful of what you describe. The other stuff with your 3rd grader - it sounds like he needs to move around while he learns and works, and perhaps take some more breaks. I would allow him to do that and don't make it a battle. If you say he is visual-spatial, check out www.visual-spatial.org if you haven't already. It sounds like your preference is for an orderly, audio-sequential environment (see the web site) - which is not his style. If the goal is learning, then I would adjust your style to help him learn, instead of trying to change him. I guess what I am saying is that I don't necessarily see those things as discipline issues - just signs that he needs a different approach. Kids do not necessarily have to sit still, look directly at you when you are talking, etc to process, think and take in information. There's actually a lot of research that shows that movement, fidgeting, etc facilitates learning. The beauty of homeschool IMO is that you can allow him to do that. Visual spatial kids remember more whenever a 3D model is used as well. I'd try to incorporate some building (legos, clay, whatever) into things you are studying. Let him make his spelling words out of playdough or clay, or put letter labels on legos and let him build them. Let him make a 3D model of a concept or place you are studying.

Looks good! You can actually buy number magnets for very little too - either numbers printed on square tiles, or the numbers themselves. We prefer the latter, as my son does better with the 3D magnetic letter, as opposed to the square with the 2D print on it. There are quite a few of both kinds on Amazon and Learning Resources. We've also used this for math without writing: http://www.funbrain.com/brain/MathBrain/Games/ScratchPadMathBasketball.html

I would get 3 evals: neuropsych, OT and developmental optometrist (COVD). Might seem like a lot, but you will pretty much get everything you need to know with those. I'd start scheduling some appointments and get on lists if needed. He has a lot of signs and symptoms of dyslexia, a few of which are here: http://www.bartonreading.com/pdf/Dys%20warning%20signs.pdf. In terms of the autism spectrum issue, a current neuropsych eval should help you get an updated picture of what is going on. I think a lot of people don't realize that a lot of kids with learning issues also have gross and fine motor issues as well. Often when you work on those, you see improvement in academics. Good luck.

I have a 3rd grade boy and this year we are using this for writing: http://www.kid-friendly-homeschool-curriculum.com/homeschool-writing-curriculum.html http://www.amazon.com/Write-On-Friendly-Mother-Pleasing/dp/0975499785 He loves it and is actually excited about doing it! It's very gentle and incremental and it can be used with other ages as well.