Ok, I really don't think that DE precalc is a good choice after MUS alg 2. I would start with DE college algebra instead, or as others suggested complete MUS precalc and then do DE precalc.

Yes. I don't think that tricking students is the issue, but giving answers that can clearly be ruled out imo tests test-taking skills more than anything else. For a specific example: Let us say that I give the problem 1/2 + 1/3. Now, if I give the possible answers as 5/6, 1/4, 4/7, and 7/5, it is pretty obvious that the last 3 cannot be right. The student doesn't really need to know how to add fractions. But if I give the possible answers as 5/6, 2/5, 1/6, and 3/2, I've included every way that I've seen a student get this problem wrong. I guess these might be distractors, but if a student works out the problem correctly, they will see the correct answer on the list and mark it. I'm not trying to trick people, but I am trying to see whether they can actually add fractions. I'm fortunate enough to be at a small enough school that I don't have to use mc tests, but I don't see distractors as inherently a bad thing.

I agree with this. You can find and fill any holes very quickly this way.

Am I reading wrong? I thought that it was the second one who was going to do DE and hoped to place into pre-calc, and that was why he needed a more rigorous algebra 2. I would agree that MUS alg 2 is not suitable preparation for college precalculus for most students.

Lial's has lots and lots of problems and selecting just enough but not overwhelmingly many may be a chore. Do you have someone who could go through and circle all the problems he should do, if you don't trust yourself? Maybe a math teacher friend or something? I

I'm watching the movies because of him. Now if only dwarves wore kilts.

When he gets a little older he might well be able to get a cooperating local farmer to allow him to show their animal at the fair in return for some work. (work scaled to age -- they'd find something for him to do which is within his capabilities, such as feed calves) Someone I know has a 4-Her who comes out every Saturday and works on his farm and then she takes his cows to the fair.

I use lentils all the time because they're cheap, filling, and high in fiber. They're pretty bland-tasting by themselves so they go with a lot of different things. I think they go fine with ham.

This is awesome and I have to share a similar story. When my mother's first two siblings were born, she was allowed to name the babes and picked two nice Biblical names. When the third one was born, she was very insistent that the next one be named Jesus and very upset when her parents vetoed her choice.

Some of these are going to be too old for him but I'll list them anyway in case you're looking for readalouds or future books. Farmer Boy - Wilder The Little Britches series - Moody The James Herriot books, even if they do not directly take place on a farm, involve a significant amount of farming culture The Good Master - Kate Seredy Ox Cart Man (picture book, lovely) Caddie Woodlawn - Brink Charlotte's Web - White Thimble Summer - Enright Sarah, Plain and Tall - MacLachlan Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm - MacDonald (you might read the rest of the series as well, these were perennial favorites)

Yep, it's the us/uk o/ou thing again.

It tastes pretty gross actually, like eating particularly unpleasant chalk. I've accidentally picked up a piece of cheese and eaten it without noticing there was mold on the bottom which should have been cut off.

Glad to know that my instinctive rejection of the slimy vegetables was right on.

I would look at it as a recommended minimum. If your kid is enjoying it there is no reason NOT to do more (unless of course it is interfering with other subjects). Same with things like practicing the piano ... there's a recommended minimum but I wouldn't stop a kid who was wanting more.

Could you call him Jamie instead of James?

I'd just give him credit for HS pre-calc and HS calc since he spent a year studying each and covered the same material. I'd include the Algebra 1 in a 'taken before 9th grade' section but not factor it into the GPA, so that they can ignore it (if they only want the last 4 years) or include it (if they want everything).

Can't find a thing about it other than a facebook page that appears to be from the mother. This one I'd really wait for more facts to come out. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Baby-Kathryn-Home/704840292925310

Yes. Exactly. And I'd also like to point out that the same thing applies to reading. You can do very productive work reading and analyzing literature, searching for goodness, truth, and beauty -- or you can relax into a pile of Harlequin romances (which I would class in the same category of distractions and mindless time wasting). Subjects are. What we do with them is up to us.

I don't think it should be required (although knowledge of computer skills is required) but it's an extremely useful skill to have for many fields. I don't understand 'not academic' though. A lot of things which are not part of the standard curriculum are still academic options. If you can do a PhD in it I'd pretty much consider it an academic course. It'd just be an elective.

I have no advice. But here's another hug. :grouphug:

I would also give her Math for Smarty Pants for Christmas as soon as you feel her reading level is high enough :)

I have no idea why either. I ask someone "what are two apples plus three apples?" and they say "five apples ... duh?" And yet when I ask "So what is 2x plus 3x?" they try to tell me 5x^2 or 6x^2 or something like that.

I'd open a one-room school for creative kids who have a passion that they can't pursue because of PS. It might be academic or it might not be. Math, music, carpentry, whatever. They'd get a reasonable academic education (at whatever level they're capable of) and free time to pursue their interest (s). Basically mimicking homeschooling, but for people whose parents can't or won't homeschool them. Boarding would be available, tuition/room/board would all be means tested to something reasonable. It'd be near a research university so that students with academic interests could find mentors, but with land and near a rural area so that students whose interests require space (rocketry, agriculture) could have room to experiment.

Yes yes yes. And the jump from where it's not just 'ok, today we're working on multiplication, so let's do multiplication practice and then 10 word problems that ALL involve multiplication' -- this is a huge weakness in many mathematics programs.

This could definitely be one option. You might also consider adding in something like Patty Paper Geometry as a pre-geometry course if your budget will stand for it -- it's about $50.