I could see it happening with a bright student who got a solid A in an honors alg 2/trig class that followed an honors alg 1 and an honors geometry class. For a specific example, I think Foerster's alg 2/trig would be enough if thoroughly understood. But I wouldn't do it if the student got anything but a solid A in the alg 2/trig class. Why hurry up just to struggle in calculus?

I see no reason to teach this -- especially because imo it obfuscates the commutative property of multiplication by disguising the fact that 9x4 and 4x9 are the same thing.

For prob/stats after calc 3 (really, all you need is multiple integration) I like the book mathematical statistics with applications by wackerly, mendenhall, and schaefer (order of authors varies by edition). I found it easy to learn from as a student. ETA: This is for a two-semester sequence.

In a safe dojo, injury rates are pretty low, and the instructor should be willing to share what the injury rates are and how they respond to them.

Maybe try working on two digit divisors that end in '0' first?

For me, trying to do "every hour" would be a little bit psychologically counterproductive, because it would be too easy for me to say 'oh dang, missed that hour, I'll start again tomorrow and eat this box of cookies in the meantime.' Instead, I would recommend a goal such as 'I will accumulate 30 minutes of dancing per day' which would require six five-minute blocks.

I really like Math Mammoth's topical workbooks as well. I want to furthermore add that your instincts are correct. Fractions are one of the biggest issues for students at college, so getting them now will give her a huge leg up.

This is an excellent, excellent idea. On a side note, I recommend that you especially look at what happens with problems like 3947 - 3928 (where the two numbers are very close) using L to R subtraction. (just for yourself, and to see why it's useful)

In response, here is The Wrath of Khan: The Opera

Other issues -- for many of the degree programs, precisely enough courses are offered though Thomas Edison to complete a bare minimum degree in the subject. While that is enough to get a B.A., it may not be enough to continue if the student so desires. For example, someone who had studied mathematics with them would probably not be prepared to continue to graduate school without a post-graduate year, for which they would likely not get funding (they do not appear to have analysis or abstract algebra courses). I am not really qualified to speak on their other courses. For many graduate schools, the issue is not "can the student get admitted" but "can the student get funding". There are very few graduate programs which I would say would be advisable to follow without funding, and every one of them is vocational (for example, master's in nursing). Graduate school admissions (in academic programs) relies heavily on letters of reference from professors who are familiar with the academic work of the student, and it's going to be much more difficult to get that in a degree program where the goal seems to be to test out of everything. I would be very cautious if the student had academic goals beyond "finish the bachelor's and get a job".

Because (quite literally) you can put someone's eye out with that! We have two cows who only have one eye due to other, horned cows.

Every time we disbudded the baby goats, I was sure we were going to have CPS called on us. But half an hour later and they'd be bouncing off the walls and playing king of the hill again.

Well, um, you could always pay the vet (or bribe a neighbor with cookies) to come over and show you how to use it.

It should come with directions -- ours did -- follow the directions because the time may vary by brand. To reduce smell of burning hair, use small clippers or an electric razor to trim the hair very short where the iron will rest. Make sure the calf is held very still and make sure the disbudding iron will cover the entire horn bud all the way to the base. If the horn bud does not fit inside the iron, it is too late and you will have to have a vet dehorn instead. Give the calf a bottle afterwards and they will forget all about it.

Usually, this kind of a kid will be able to figure out the arithmetic they need, but slowly. For example, they may not have their times tables memorized, and need to figure them out through factoring or addition -- i.e. 7x9 = 7x3x3 = 21x3 = 63 or similar. I wouldn't advocate moving on with one who didn't conceptually understand multiplication. They will be able to solve algebra problems, but slowly due to having to spend more time on arithmetic. However, the background of higher level math gives an environment where these facts are necessary, and thus provides motivation and encouragement to improve.

Jenny, one of the big problems I see (I'm at a university) with the pre-university education of students is that they have rushed through their earlier math education without taking time to slow down and really grasp what's going on. I would much rather have a student in my classes who had taken the time to really understand things instead of rushing ahead with concepts half-mastered. Now, let's look at the schedule, assuming you do just one book per year. 5th grade: 6/5. 6th grade: 7/6 7th grade: 8/7 or algebra 1/2, depending on your edition (assuming she is doing well, one of these can be skipped) 8th grade: algebra 1 9th grade: algebra 2 10th grade: advanced mathematics, first half 11th grade: advanced mathematics, second half 12th grade: calculus This is a perfectly acceptable track for a college-bound student! A student who has taken and understood all of these courses will be at a significant advantage over other students. Now, if both you and she want to, this could be accelerated more by working through the summers.

Y'know, once you've given enough programs a try, it might be time to say "Well, she just doesn't enjoy it that much. Let's do the git'r'done program so that she's not completely missing an area in her education, and can spend time on what she DOES like." I would apply this especially to history.

I would agree with the others -- I would say that these are useful skills, especially if he is running behind in science and math. I would give it more time and get him in the habit of working with teachers.

I wouldn't pull him out unless I were completely certain the problems that caused him to not be taught before were solved. And frankly (not to be mean) I don't think I would rely on DH. Not everyone is a good fit for homeschooling. Unless homeschooling him yourself is an option, I think afterschooling is the best bet. I would work on summerschooling as well, and do my best to get the school to agree to re-evaluate him for placement in the fall. I would focus on the 3 R's during all of the above.

He divided by 15 because that's the largest factor the numerator and denominator have in common. Did he then divide the second one by 27?

You don't have to stop doing higher level math just because drillwork is also needed. Treat them like different subjects -- let him work conceptually on one level and computationally on another. Cap drill-time at a certain number of minutes, but that time is JUST for drill. If he finishes early, he can do some extra conceptual math.

No, not really. If you are interested in shifting things up, I would try to look at samples from different curricula to see which ones your dd connects with. Most of them have enough of a sample posted online for you to get a feeling of how they are like. I wouldn't skip correcting your dd's problems, and it might seem bad but I also wouldn't skip tests. Tests usually are to see whether the material is sticking in their head long enough for long-term retention rather than short-term. I wouldn't fixate on 'pre-algebra in 6th grade' but rather 'allowing dd to go at the speed she is ready to.' If she is making more than 1 error per problem set, I really wouldn't jump levels. Instead, I would steadily work through the summers to allow her to progress (think about it -- the school year usually has 36 weeks -- if a student gets an extra 12 weeks of study every summer, they move forward at least an extra third of a grade per year -- often more as they can skip review at the beginning of next year's book.) If you decide to stick with Saxon, I would finish 6/5, then test through 7/6 the same way you tested through 6/5, rather than skip (iirc, the first several lessons are review). If you decide to switch curriculum, I'd probably still finish 6/5, then have her take the placement test for whatever you switch into.

It really depends on the school. Some of them require that the student score college level in ALL areas. Some of them just require college level in the desired area -- which would let him take humanities and social sciences courses to his heart's content. Your best bet is to check with local colleges.

At some schools, yes. But failing Precalculus because he hasn't gotten through Algebra II would hinder them a lot more. Just meet him where he is, keep going at the rate he can understand. Worst-case scenario, he needs to take a year at a decent community college, show good grades, and transfer. My brother (homeschooled) started at the community college in Algebra I, took 2 years with excellent grades, and transferred to an Ivy League. Starting out low doesn't doom you to stay there.

How far behind is behind? What are his math issues? Science is much less of an issue. The math really needs to be remediated if he wants to go to college, and the entrance requirements of course depend on different types of schools.