Bridgeway Academy has a few on-line live classes offered as 2 week summer camps-the schedule is here.

As soon as it's warm enough to tolerate it they are barefoot all day, every day.

There's a big need (and big pay) for welders up in North Dakota right now, too.

Bridgeway Academy has a HOPE program that is actually a fairly innovative program that re-trains the brain- I know they mainly work with LD's, but it might be worth a call to see if they can address some of the cognitive issues. I've seen amazing success in a couple of my students who have gone through the HOPE program. Also, are you working with a functional medicine doc? One of my friend's contracted Lyme's 2 years ago and is traveling to CO to work with a functional med doc there. They discovered that she also had W. Nile (they often go together) which was exacerbating the Lyme's. If you would like me to put you in touch with my friend, pm me- she might have some good info for you. Hoping you get the answers that you need to care for you kiddo!

I'm not saying hide anything. Documentation is important and if you want to add course descriptions, that's fine, but I doubt necessary. Admissions fairs are different than application packets (I'm a former admissions rep at a private grad school and currently a high school Academic Adviser for a private accredited program that works with students who apply to all types of programs- vo-tech, Ivy, NCAA, etc). Frankly, I take the less is more approach and do what they ask with excellence and then don't send anything else- because Admissions Reps often have a ton of students, many responsibilities and more paper in a file is just another thing to shuffle. If it's a competitive program, the admissions rep is just going to make sure the app has the required boxes checked and send it to the decision making committee. Test scores/recommendations, etc. justify the courses and that's most likely what they'll go by.

When ds now 20 was in high school we had a house fire and re-built our house. I put a year of "shop" under electives every year, which included drywall installation, painting, grouting, bricking, re-finishing wood floors, painting exterior of home, etc. He now works at a contractor while going to college making darn good money. I've had 3 kids apply and get accepted to college/ vo-tech and no-one ever asks for a course description doc- they look at test scores and then transcripts have to be sent in with the app. I've always used a free on-line template (i.e. DonnaYoung.org) but it would be easy enough to make yourself. 30 hrs=1/4 credit, 60=1/2, 120= 1 credit.

I actually laughed when I read this! Twins, perhaps? :)

It's been a perfect fit for my smart, mathy kid who couldn't spell worth beans. Sequential Spelling did the trick for my now 20 yo, but when I introduced it to my now 12 yo a few years ago, she cried. SUS has done the trick. I honestly think the colored pencils and color coordination are key for her.

7th grade for my last (sniff, sniffity) Classical Conversations Ch. A- this will include Alg 1/2, first 1/3 of Henle Latin, Bio/Natural Science, The Lost Tools of Writing/ Literature, World Geography, Apologetics. We'll also participate in a morning co-op where we'll do A & P dissection at a local hospital, Fallacy Detective and Art Violin and Music Theory Drama Camp (June) Shakespeare Camp (July) Festival of One Act Plays (Jan) TeenPact (Feb) + 1 day Speech Camp We also review curriculum and we'll add that in as we go. We are crazy busy during the school year but I work and the work load actually keeps us focused and on track.

They kids used Typing Tutor to learn to type. Ds 12 took Bridgeway Academy's Computer Skills class- this is specifically for Jr. High and covers Word, Excel, Power Point, etc. , and will be working through DK's Copmuter Coding book this summer (python). My kids have also done TeenCoder (review here)

Looks like we could have a lively exchange of literature, links and research. Yes, differences between homosexual and heterosexual males- no doubt, the cause of which is certainly open to a value exchange, but clearly a different discussion.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder think Michael Jackson

The whole "born this way" statement is odd to me. Male brains and female brains are different. Neurology/hardwiring and goes way beyond genitalia. You can hormone up as much as you want but the reality is that transgendering leaves you with a femanized male or a masculinized female. Brain scans (the neurology of the person) bear witness to this fact.

I reviewed Roman Roads Media- the Greeks here. Fantastic program! We'll be buying the rest of the set. My kids begged to watch them, it is that engaging. Top quality production, teaching and company!

Notgrass American History is 900 pages in their 2 vol set but my kids LOVEd it, also did Cycle 3 (Classical Conversations) - and went on a whirlwind trip to D.C.- ds saw a bunch of the CC stuff she'd memorized- rivers, canals, mnts, bays, etc.

We have a crazy busy summer planned. dd 12 is doing a 1 day cartooning camp, Drama Camp and Shakespeare Camp, along with helping at a CC Practicum (assistant in Geo Draw camp where ds 20 is camp leader= she love geography and her big bro so she'll have a blast). CC Practicum where she'll proabably be IN a camp. We'll put our above ground pool out and have lots of campfires. Academically, we'll do mental math and memorize CC Cycle 1, 2 grammar (in prep of Ch A).

WWS or The Lost Tools of Writing. My kids have gone from SOTW to HOTW and L.O.V.E. them (buying our HOTRen World this summer) History of Science might be a blast if she's a SWB fan-girl I really love Drawing the World with Art and we've gone on to Map blobbing-detailed from memory ala CC- she might be really into that. Rosetta Stone is a wonderful immersion program. Dh knows Greek and German and is learning Hebrew through RS and kids German through RS- it's pretty painless and very effective. Have you looked at any of the Bridgeway Academy on-line courses? They have some fun things for middle schoolers- my kids have taken Marine Bio, Intro to Computer and Archetecture with Brick Bldg so far and loved every one of them. (also Chem Lab and Myths at h.s. level). Grammar of Poetry is a homeschool must have. Usborne or CC art cards- study the artists and the recreate one of their works- copywork, right?

Ds is 12/ turning 13 early Jan so more activites will be available to her: Drama Camp and Tantara (Festival of One Act Plays in Jan, even though technically she's too young, she rocks on stage) Shakespeare Camp this summer TeenPact State Class in Feb. Ballroom Dancing every other week once she turns 13- 2 hours of dancing and then DQ for area high schoolers every other week/ Volley ball in the summer STOA Speech and Debate. She'll be doing CC Challenge A in the fall and there is already a well-formed group that truly like each other. We also do a local (we live very rurally, so drive "to town" for most stuff) homeschool co-op - we meet once a week for classes and field trips through the school year- hope to get together this summer, too.

Ds 10ti MATH MUS Alg/Geometry (we switched programs this year so he's gotten a late start- he'll work through the summer with the imimtable Caitilin as tutor) SCIENCE Chem -looking at Paradigm / History of Science SWB (he's a total fan-boy), A& P lab (he is finishing up A&P now) through local hospital labs with co-op HISTORY of the Ren World -SWB ENGLISH The Lost Tools of Writing, Shakespeare GC LOGIC Intro Logic - co-op/ I'm teaching FOREIGN LANGUAGE 2nd Form Latin (or Latin at the Catholic h.s); RS German II P.E.- Ballroom Dancing/ Volleyball This summer and through the year SAT Test Prep (on-line through Bridgeway Academy) GOVERNMENT- CLEP prep book and test/ TeenPact alumni 1- day Cartooning camp, Shakespeare Camp, Drama Camp TeenPact Survival TP Alumni Tantara, Festival of One Act Plays If another rock-star Mom steps up we might have a STOA club in town, in which case, ds will participate Work this summer -local orchard He'll cram as much reading as he can in between everything else.

We did Notgrass for American History this year (along with HOTAW and CC) and the kids loved it. We are big on history and I thought it might be too simplistic, but they loved it to the point of reading it outloud to each other. There are tons of add-ons, including maps and puzzles. It can be a bit pedantic, but it's easy enough to drop that out and still get the meat of the program (which is fantastic- full color, tons of pics,. amazing facts about the country). Here's my review:

AlphaPhonics / ETC WWE/WWS FLL SOTW- HOTW Spelling U See Anything by Memoria Press Drawing the World with Art Tiner series for Science Apologia for h.s. science

Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, Bradbury. I just read To Kill a Mockingbird- profound and lovely.

We've used Sequential Spelling and Vocab/Spelling City with success but hands down I love Spelling U See. My review here, with a new one coming on Monday. HERE is my updated and new review.

As far as a ROI for early intervention programs the gains made fade (rather quickly) over time. I work for an ed company and most of my students have both parents working-I personally know more and more homeschooler who are working or are going back to work. I think this is a huge change in the homeschooling community, and as a result, I think the large family homeshcooler won't be as prevelant. I also think on-line programs (like the one I work for) will increase for accountability, help and hand-holding as people juggle so much on their plate. I don't think homeschooling is going to go away but I do think that options will continue to develop and the lines between public and homeschooling will get fuzzier.

Simply Put: A Study in Econ. Review here.