She really doesn't sound like she understands the math, but more like she's memorizing algorithms to solve problems. This works okay when you are only memorizing a few algorithm types, but as the level of math increases the amount of memorization needed to memorize instead of understand increases dramatically.

Nursing programs are very expensive to run and tuition does not pay for them. Nursing instructors cost far more than instructors in something like history, and are still underpaid relative to what they would get in industry. Nursing programs are also limited by available clinical sites. This is why you have limited seats. With respect to the prerequisites, it makes sense that if you can only admit a small percentage of applicants, that you should take those who are most likely to succeed and have already passed all required courses other than the nursing ones. Then you don't have someone who's doing well on the clinical side but failing Anatomy and needs to be dismissed. It does stink for people like you -- but really, schools kinda have to make policies for the 95%, not the 5%.

Many schools now don't have a course called trigonometry, but integrate it into geometry and precalculus. Precalculus is sometimes called math analysis or advanced math. I looked here: http://www.dodea.edu/curriculum/math.cfm?cId=courses and they do seem to have math analysis, although they've decided to call trig functions circular functions. (it's just another name).

If it turns out to be too easy, you can add a half-credit later. Plans don't really have to be set in stone ...

My mother made our geoboards (25+ years ago) with a hammer, some small nails, a large sanded board and a ruler. We were broke. Just sayin' :)

Lial has everything up to calculus. Unfortunately the publisher doesn't list it all on one page. http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/series/Lial-Developmental-Mathematics/11005.page lists the pre-algebra through intermediate algebra textbooks. http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/series/The-LialHornsbySchneider-College-Algebra-Series/11023.page lists the college algebra/precalculus textbooks. http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/product/Essentials-of-Geometry-for-College-Students/9780201748826.page is the geometry textbook. On the links you can see tables of contents etc., although I wouldn't buy from them -- I would buy used. As to the second question -- Chalkdust uses mainly Larson at the higher levels. Larson and Lial are both popular series for universities and as such are fairly standardized -- transfer from one to the other should be relatively easy. If changing publishers, I would work the prerequisite chapter carefully to make sure I was up on any minor terminology differences. Changing publishers to something unorthodox (like saxon) would be far more difficult. ETA: Lial does have a calculus with applications here: http://www.pearsonhighered.com/educator/product/Calculus-with-Applications/9780321421326.page but it's specifically for an applied calculus course, not a pure calculus course. It would probably still be a great primer for a student who was planning on retaking calculus in college, but if your student were planning on placing out I'd go for a more standard and rigorous text. The lower-level texts are standard.

When he loses points, are the errors more arithmetical or algebraic in nature? If arithmetical, I'd step back and work more on pre-algebra and especially fractions. If algebraic, I'd slow down and use something like the key to algebra, call it pre-algebra, then do algebra for real in 9th.

Accounting would be more purely bookkeeping -- consumer math is broader and more shallow, so would include some personal accounting, plus things like comparison shopping, retirement savings, loans, taxes, insurance, stuff like that. Which course is better would depend imo on his goals -- accounting would be good if he were going into accounting (duh, hehe), business in general, self-employment, etc., whereas consumer math would be broadly applicable to any life path.

Could it be presented as a) a mistake because of preemies in the first place, b) a chance for the little boy to take his place as a leader rather than always being a follower behind the girls? (as you mentioned the family issues with the firstborn son in your op)

Many public school publishers have textbooks designed for students who are reading at a lower level. The power basics series (from Walch, listed on rainbow resource) is at about a 4th-5th grade reading level and includes all major areas of study. It is designed to deliver grade-level content for low-reading students. This website lists books from several publishers: https://sec.evso.com/wc.dll?wieser Downside: You mentioned bju or abeka, so it probably is a downside that they're from a secular publisher. However, it might be possible to do a worldview supplement, if you are so inclined, or simply discuss where you disagree.

Advanced chem. can be whatever you want it to be, as long as it's chemistry and more advanced than what you already had. Jmo. If you labelled it general chemistry, then you'd have to follow the general chem curriculum. My undergrad university is piloting a curriculum where they teach organic chemistry first. This is one of the textbooks they're using, which is deliberately written around organic chemistry as applied to biology, for students who haven't had general chemistry but plan to major in chemistry. http://tinyurl.com/6jjq2rh They also have a chemistry appreciation course in biochemistry/organic chemistry for non-majors, the prerequisite for which is high school chemistry, which uses this book: http://tinyurl.com/5wmoys4 (Tinyurls link to Amazon.com) Please note I haven't read either of these books myself, but I saw the newsletter about changes to the chemistry curriculum and bookmarked it for future reference.

My personal preference would be to do the physics as a formal class, while doing some advanced reading in chem (without lab) to make college chem easier. Reasoning: IMO there was a bigger jump from high school physics to high school chem. If you choose chemistry, there will be four years (minimum) since your last physics course, which might make it difficult. Also, physics would help keep trigonometry skills sharp. However, you could also do advanced chem and just do some reading in physics to brush-up. Either way is good, though I wouldn't do two sciences with labs. The only *bad* choice imo would be to skip science completely :)

I really wouldn't put in anything expensive when you're selling it. FWIW: I'd hate to not have a shower. I like to shower after baths anyway.

Really, anything he likes and does well in. Oddly, psychology was going to be my first suggestion too. Many students haven't been exposed to it and find it fascinating. If he wants to do Spanish, that's okay -- but it may be hard because, by necessity, it's a cumulative course. So is math, and so are many sciences. If he doesn't understand or gets a little bit behind at the beginning, he will be floundering all semester to catch up, so that's something you should be careful about.

No... Each side of the square is 700 -- draw a square with each side 700, as if you were above the pyramid looking down, and figure out what the diagonal is. You'll need to use either trig or the pythagorean theorem to find the diagonal length.

I haven't used it myself, but check the sample lesson. http://www.oneyearnovel.com/samples/OYAN_Lesson_18_Textbook.pdf Most of the other sample problems have nothing similar, but I assumed it would be too pervasive to use and crossed it off. Shame, really, because the idea's fantastic, and the followup on science fiction writing also looked really interesting. Any secular equivalents? :bigear:

Go to music school. Don't spend the rest of your life wondering 'What if I had done music school?' But I would minor in something marketable that you don't mind too much and could also see yourself doing. One family member double majored in music and accounting, one minored in music and majored in agricultural management, something like that.

Buttermilk Falls state park, very easy hike but the falls are pretty. Cornell Plantations has hiking and some really neat plants. Triphammer Falls (can you tell I like falls?) is pretty too. Museum of the Earth (fossils) http://www.museumoftheearth.org/ Second the Bakery, it's fantastic. My mother's in that area so I've been around there quite a bit.

yes

1) If she's squeaking through, I'd spend 8th grade reviewing pre-algebra to get it actually solid. It'd be much better to have her having algebra 1, 2, and geometry with As or Bs than algebra 2, geometry, and precalculus with Cs and Ds across the board and weak retention. 2) There's no way you should do geometry before algebra in any case. 3) I wouldn't review using the same program -- I'd shift to something else for a different perspective. BCM is one good choice.

Shepherd's pie, chicken pie, and strawberry-rhubarb pie. :001_smile:

You may not be able to do something about the loathing, but you may be able to do something about the fear. Learn math yourself. Seriously. Go as far back as you need to. If you need to, go back to first grade. Find the point where you stopped understanding, start over, and build the foundation properly this time. You *can* do math, and it was your elementary school which really, really let you down. The curriculum you use for your children is far less important (okay, assuming it's not TERC or some similar abomination) than the fact that you model the behaviour you expect of them. Appear enthusiastic about mathematics and work seriously at learning it. Find some living math books (livingmath.net has lists, murderous maths are fun, and marilyn burns books are wonderful) and read them and discuss them. Play games which enhance the teaching of mathematics, such as RightStart. etc. I really hope I'm not sounding like a pretentious twerp here :/

My SO and I both learned via a sight words approach. My spelling and pronunciation are both excellent. But my mother *knew* the phonics rules herself, and worked them in constantly. SO, on the other hand, can spell pretty well (due to an excellent memory) but cannot sound out a word to save his life. I am not kidding -- if he hasn't heard a word in conversation, his attempt at pronunciation will usually have most of the letters in the word, but in a garbled order. Examples: surreptitious ended up sounding something like superiptious. Grosvenor (which isn't phonetic anyway) ended up sounding like grovesnor. And Oconomowoc ... well, he refused to try. This has really made foreign languages difficult for him as well. I really think it's due to sight-word teaching.

*like*

Math: If you feel that your preparation was inadequate, going through BCM sounds like a good idea. It is far more important, imo, to acquire a solid foundation in beginning and intermediate algebra than to worry about getting through precalculus. Aim there, yes. But work on the pre-algebra/beginning algebra enough to make sure you really, really get it. You might also consider working through Aleks for the one-month free trial period to find and shore up weaknesses in your arithmetic and pre-algebra skills. Remediating some of these weaknesses will perhaps allow you to move faster. Science: Not sure which Campbell and Reece biology you're going for -- the concepts and connections book is college non-majors, the book simply labelled biology is college majors and quite challenging. If you have a chance to get your hands on any biology texts (I presume you're going to do that first since you're working on the math), I'd do so before making the decision.