Hi there, I have an 8yr old son who is somewhat similar. he's an impressive physical specimen, very kinesthetic, and seemed low on visual. he also hates to read. however, although he likes some audio books that are way below his level, he would never be able to listen to Chronicles of Narnia like your son does-- the vocab is way beyond him. One thing that has helped a lot was helping him to visualize as he is reading. I have used Visualizing and Verbalizing workbooks (but without a manual or knowing the techniques of the program, which probably reduces the effectiveness considerably), and the IdeaChain program, which has the whole technique spelled out. This is very expensive, but it seemed to help a lot. My other strategy now is to adopt a "write to read" approach, putting reading on the back burner and seeing how far he can go with writing, which is a more active thing and something he sometimes likes to do. I have not started yet and don't have any resources about that, but just the idea that if we work, work, work on writing he will get all the benefits like vocab acquisition, and improve his reading comprehension indirectly. I am sure someone and some company somewhere has worked out a curriculum on this idea (I mean more than spell to write and read-- more directly "write to read"), but it would mean going beyond just the copywork and dictation of WTM. And by the way, although some kids might calm down after a lot of exercise, there is no amount of exercise that will wear my boy out. yours sounds the same.

sounds to me like you value harmony with others and living without regret. so, while it might be awkward to apologize it might be okay to give a smile, make small talk, try to patch things up. maybe if the opportunity comes to apologize for something, like "being so insistent," what's the harm to you? It sounds like you like to be on good terms with everyone. I understand that. I say give it a try. It's nice to apologize even when you've done nothing wrong if it makes others feel better. That's assuming one doesn't have big self-esteem issues, feeling small, inferior, bad and wrong all the time for inexplicable reasons. Then, it might not be good to apologize too often. Otherwise, I say fire away! there's also a chance that she looked up the law herself. good luck! Alan ps. I don't want to even talk about the riff my wife and I got into at soccer practice with the coaches and some other parents-- oh... so much regret, so painful even now to think about it.

don't know the age, so that's a big blind spot. but critical thinking's mathematical reasoning and language smarts are two books with a lot of variety, also colorful.

I have a feeling sequential spelling is the way to go. I will be switching from SWR to that soon, although my kids enjoy the rules at this point. I agree it is overwhelming though and too much to apply well, although I have not given SWR a fair shake yet. Sequential spelling teaches rules implicitly not explicitly and gets the spelling in the back door, as it were. I believe it is inexpensive and much easier to implement than SWR.

There are many benefits to doing mental math besides calculating easily without fingers, so keep on going with that (for instance, cultivating number sense, which translates into higher math). What you need to know about breaking habit is that it will take REPETITION. Habits are done with repetition and it is through repetition that they are undone. Probably you will need to teach one mental math strategy and then do lots of drills on that one strategy until it sinks in. Singapore has a way of teaching really great strategies and then kind of assuming it will work right away, but if you are overcoming habit you will have to drill. Even if you give up on mental math, you will need to get rid of the finger counting to make higher math more merciful. The math problems will get too tiring and cumbersome if the kid is doing lots of little calculations and countings. That ease, too, will have to be accomplished through drilling. Kumon-like timed exercises with simple facts, repeated and repeated, is the way to go with that. You can generate worksheets where everything is adding 1, adding two, adding from 10, from 20, etc. and just going and going, not allowing pausing much and not allowing any finger counting, until the habit is broken. Also recommended are timed math practice sites like XtraMath (free) and reflexmath.com (small yearly subscription and more fun) for breaking the finger counting habit. In fact, now that I think of it I would say these are a must for you unless you dont mind getting a worksheet practice going. My 7yrolds broke their habit in a month, so 10 yrs old might not take much longer than that. good luck!

that surplus site is great! thanks! some of the item descriptions were really funny (kind of like groupon, only actually humorous) I also am thinking of getting the TK kit for the future. If only I can guarantee that my kids won't smash everything ahead of time.

Thanks for this thread. My jaw is on the floor. I have only 8yr olds and haven't given this any thought. For some reason, I don't have any specific memories of middle school. I can remember elementary and high school. Is there something I'm repressing? Will really have to keep your question on the backburner. Does anyone see any difference between PS K-6 vs. PS K-8 schools, in terms of the things of this thread? They have these two different kinds of schools where I live. At the moment I am wondering about lower elementary kids having a worse experience because of it, though I suppose another way of looking at the question is does K-8 make the middle grades less horrible.

Singapore is great. My kids had it in their makeshift foreign private school for a year and I continued with it in HS. The only thing I would add, especially where you are at, is buying some base ten blocks and modeling the pictures in the text and workbooks on the table physically, and allow the child to carry out the operations physically. The pictures in the text are just 2d models of base ten blocks, so it should translate directly into physical manipulatives. The same goes for volume, shapes, money, etc. -- all these can be translated into the physical plane easily and makes for more engagement, for instance, drawing the shapes with straight edges, T-squares, and triangles, pouring liquids from graduated containers, etc.. One note: Although my kids started singapore at age 7, not K, they did not acquire the mental math skills that singapore is supposed to be good at instilling. If I could go back to K, I would go with Rightstart Math, and I am going to supplement with Rightstart very soon, now. Singapore has been good though about visually representing concepts and including sound coverage of all aspects of math and especially word problems and logic. I feel very safe with Singapore, very solid. But it would be good to supplement it.

I am a junkie too. If I am not buying, then I am browsing and putting things in imaginary shopping carts that won't be seen through to the end. This one hits home, as I bought SWR and then bought AAS. And then I coveted LOE, which I do think is probably the best fit for me. I found that by sitting on my hands and not doing anything, eventually the wanting reduces and passes away. I remembered spelling might not be the most important thing in the world. Just reading this, however, stirs it up again! Just freeze. Wait. Don't do anything. It will pass.

rainbow resources has a multi-color set cheap, just scroll down

T4L grew real boring, real fast for my 2 twin kids, who are actually quite different in learning style. I definitely would not use it as a main curriculum. There is a lot of downtime with repeating introductions, musical segues, bells and whistles going off, and yet the variety of these things is quite low and wears thin fast. The amount of time it takes to get a simple idea across is disappointing. However, I do like to use the computer as something to keep one kid occupied while I focus on another. I have found smarttutor.com's lessons to be more efficient, and actually like the math instruction quite a lot. K5learning.com is the exact same program but with a couple extras not worth the extra price. If you string the 3 websites together for free trials that will cover two months! This is entirely ethical if you really are trying decide and are interested in possibly buying, which obviously you are. Finally, looking back on my message here, maybe I am taking too strong a stance against T4L so just take it as one bloke's opinion. all the best to you!

Looking for somewhere I can order chemistry kit components in a kid kit, for about 7-9 years olds or so. Not looking for a pre-packaged science experiment kit, but just some lab components, in order to do kitchen science projects and to feel like you are a real scientist in a real lab doing real sciencey things with science equipment. I don't need ph strips and baking soda, etc, just the test tubes and beakers and measurers and mixers. Will probably look for some scientist lab coats and safety goggles too. etc. Anyone know where I can get these chem lab things in a kid-freindly form factor? Would consider an experiment kit if it had lots of these components in it, and they were durable, which is unlikely to be found in a kit.

1. Rightstart, Math U See, and Mortensen math are all about putting the conceptual first, and probably more fun than anything she's had so far. 2. I second also the recommendation to supplement with Critical Thinking titles such as mind benders and building thinking skills although that won't cover all math or only math, but get a bit at the logical reasoning aspects. 3. Also could go back to Beast Academy which although below her level is intellectually challenging in other ways. You would have to judge if its too far below her level. This would be expensive as a supplement, but a bargain as a curriculum for the right level student (3-4 grade).

Hi, I thought I'd let you know I found some $30 overpriced learning games on sale for $9 with free shipping. probably not big hits, hence on sale, but the fractions game looked worth it so I took the plunge. I got the link off amazon so I expect its safe. Some games seem rated for ages above what they should be (I mean, younger players would probably be better, but that's just a guess). http://search.bizchair.com/search#w=trend%20game&asug= all the best...

go to youtube there are lots of examples, enter "spell to write" that will be enough to enter to get a bunch of SWR videos also there is detailed instructions in the manual but they might be hard to follow unless you see a moving picture example. for more, britta mccall's dvd is very basic for starting littluns right from the start, or for taking a small step into SWR. otherwise the sanseri dvd that britta sells has far more detail. basically think to spell means we think in phonograms when we spell, even if that means it sounds different than in real speech. i can give an example but it might not be right-- just a good example. "Again" we say one way, but think to spell Long A, g (geh), ai (as in ay), n (nnnn). We just say the sounds and hold up a finger for each sound (ay)(geh)(ay)(nnnn). If its two syllables we will do the second syllable on another hand. finger spelling in SWR is one finger per phonogram, not for indicating letters. SWR attempts to bypass normal speech and the alphabet by think to spell and the reinforcing the idea of phonograms as the writing units, rather than letters (since there are not enough letters for the basic units of speech sounds). Ben Franklin proposed a new alphabet with new letters for all sounds, and others have since. I can speak and write in a foreign language that has perfect correspondence between letters and sounds. Most kids there in second grade can read any college level text (that is, phonetically-- of course they can't understand it). By thinking to spell this way, english becomes more rule based (in our minds at least).

Yeah, most times it's best to respond individually to the OP just like you were doing and only debate when there is a point that can only be made that way. Otherwise opinions might not get stated (depending on the poster). That's why I deleted the quote, trying to erase my actions. Thanks again for helping me not be so careless. I need more of an internal censor though. Maybe I've done too much creative writing. I took a look again at that youtube video on "No more 'I'm Done'"and it is very nice.

thanks. Queen has some copywork books with no previews, and it doesn't say it is cursive. It does have a cursive section, a combo picture study/cursive copywork, with very basic sentences written by the authors. I am hoping for true, accomplished writers and classic sources as in almost all other copywork books. I just need it in cursive!

Hi, I am looking for a cursive copywork workbook with interesting text to copy where the model text is in cursive, with fairly complicated and lengthy sentences. Light on Bible verses, and at about 3rd grade level of WWE copywork, but no lower. Also, I need it to be a consumable workbook format that is physically published, not a download for printers. Any suggestions?

I was wondering the same thing. I was enraptured by the idea of these intense spelling programs and still think they are a great way to teach reading. Wish I could go back and start teaching reading with these. Nearly broke the bank buying BOTH AAS and SWR, with international shipping and customs, and now using first one, then changing to try the other, either way they take up SO much time. Wondering what to do. Of course, money spent has nothing to do with whether I should continue. One frustrating thing about SWR for me, especially starting at 3rd grade, is the number of extremely complex rules. They say, LOE style, that is all logical, but only if you construct hugely complex rules and, and this is the part that gets me, in SWR they separate how we say words with how we think to spell them, thus insuring that the language adheres to more rules than it really does. Has anyone found a happy medium, that integrates some of the good things about these spelling programs? I like the dictation process in SWR, so I am thinking of applying that to more meaningful wordlists and a more limited and selection of the simpler and more common rules, and, as the OP or someone said, taking cues from my own children's spelling mistakes. Perhaps secretly perusing their freetime writing for spelling lists or something. I'm ready to quit SWR-- but that's just me venting. I don't mean this as an answer to the OP's question. I honestly am not sure where to go with this, or if I really will quit, and this message is just an elaborate bump, really.

In my expert and erudite opinion based in piles of accomplishments, the only thing wrong with what you wrote is the "please don't be harsh" part. I don't understand what you mean by that, so that was unclear writing that should be revised for clarity. (just kidding of course). You put it all so well. I wish I said it that way. I agree with you completely. Beautiful! Another great book besides "No more 'I'm Done" , is "Reading with Meaning" by Debbie Miller, as it goes deeply into the idea of writing workshops (but not as practical in terms of providing a specific curriculum). The scholastic pdf book referenced above is actually, now that I have a chance to look at it, a hybrid of traditional PS writing instruction with writing workshop. Maybe a nice transition for CE people, or maybe it just isn't necessary for CE educated kids who may only need just the free creative space of the more "pure" workshop format. Also look up "no more I'm done" on youtube, i noticed there's a video of the author there which I am going to go watch right now.

my first impression of science jim is wow- not the wow of high production values in his book, but wow, he really knows how to teach. just a pdf sample, beginning of book, explaining scientific method. i'm impressed.

most curriculum outlets seem to put bio first, chem second, and physics last, making physics often a bit too hard for that age. i have an 8yo, probably on the same level as your 7yo, and I am also wondering about this, as he is most attracted to physics related things.

Thanks, I will look into these. Easy is fine with me! Also interested in comparing Latina Christiana with Minimus and Latin for Children. Seems from reviews on amazon that Latin for Children is very intense.

My 8yo dd is begging for latin. Dont know why. I think I have narrowed down to Minimus or Latina Christiana or Latin for Children. Easiness is an issue because what with everything else on my plate I am not that committed yet. To my eye, Latina C. seemed easy to get into, even though the student book did not contain instruction. But that's just guessing. I am hoping maybe to make due with just workbooks. They seem so simple at this level that I dont see too much the value of spending big bucks on TM. But I dont really know what I'm talking about. Videos are fine with me too-- you just push a button. My daughter just saw the word latin in one of the SWR spelling rules, asked what it meant, and since then she is begging me. Strange, but, okay... Any recs? I am looking for the easiest for me and her, and I anticipate the value/advantage I am looking to get is strictly a better vocabulary sense and an easier comfort with scientific terms. I have no idea what is motivating her. She is good with foreign languages and play/pretend languages, but I definitely want 2nd grade level ideally. Light and Easy and fun...

It all depends on what you are looking for. I can say at least that as a professional writer of fiction and nonfiction-- and you will see other writers on the board say the same thing (there are some others)-- that it is absolutely crucial to the creative process to have a space for writing without worry about criticism or correction. It's an actual practice in "shutting down the censor." This comes from going deep into the writing process and every writer will tell you the same thing. However, that does not mean that this is absolutely crucial to getting high achievement scores. It might be crucial for some kids. It might not matter for others. Who knows, it could make it worse for some others. But that is just talking about achievement, proficiency, etc. In literature, there is a whole other criteria for achievement and proficiency. It's all a question of what the parent is looking for in writing and what the child needs. Hopefully these line up closely in every case!