I definitely would not buy the app for levels 1 and 2. Level 3 I probably wouldn't bother but it is tempting. I would buy it for levels 4 and up. I am using the app right now for one child in level 7 and I am using tiles for level 2 currently. Starting with level 4, the tiles become much more cumbersome.

What do I need to include in an educational plan for accommodations for ACT/SAT or AP testing? My son is very gifted as well as being dyslexic/dysgraphic. He qualifies by nueropsych testing for extra time as well as specific accommodations for dysgraphia. I’ve known for a long time that he would need accommodations for any writing, but I wasn’t sure if he’d need extra time. Recently, by doing some practice tests, we’ve decided he will need extra time for the ACT even without the writing portion of the test. He needs the time to read the English and Reading sections. I don’t have any formal IEP or 504 plan by the schools as we’ve homeschooled all his life. I know Homeschool Educational plans can be provided in place of one made by the school system, but I’m not entirely sure what I need to include. I do have a paper trail of psychological testing. Any advice from those that have sought out accommodations?

I'd think long and hard about skipping a grade. I would probably just continue calling each year the next grade, but keep good records now so that in a few year you may decide that high school was 8th-11th (and just bump everything up a grade at that time). I've had friends who have done just that. They decided that they wanted to graduate a year early so they just called the last four years high school - works if already doing high school level work.

I like Swimmermom's comments above. When all else fails, I ask mY student what appeals the most to him.

Lots of public schools around my area do a very poor job of teaching lab skills and therefore lots start college with poor lab skills. I do, however, think lab skills are important. I teach homeschool chemistry lab from the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments. I teach most lab skill needed. We don't use a fume hood. We don't use a bunson burner - just a propane stove. This book is probably way more than you'd want to do at home. There are lots of smaller scale, more economical ways of doing labs. Also, look around. Some colleges offer homeschool labs through their departments. I'm not sure what I'd do if I were you, but I am sure that many students have minimal chem lab experience starting college. What does your daughter want to study in college?

The Student Quest guides for the science series are very different than the guides for the history series. I DO like the student guides for the science series, though I haven't used them very effectively.

Einstein Adds a New Dimension is 455 pages. My boys have done these books over two years during middle school, but they have done other science as well. There are Student Quest Guides that go with each book. They are nice workbooks that have vocabulary and student activities. They look really good to me and I have the first one, but we haven’t actually used them. http://www.amazon.com/Students-Quest-Guide-Aristotle-Science/dp/1588342549

I'd add some literature. Otherwise, it sounds good to me.

We are enjoying Discovering Music as well.

We are enjoying Discovering Music for music appreciation/music history. It's been fascinating to me as well.

Yes, I read these to my kids. We discuss as we desire. Occasionally, we do an experiment. This year my dyslexic daughter has been listening to them on Learning Ally. Next year, I've already asked my 7th grader if he'll read to the two younger the astronomy book. I read that one years ago to my oldest.

I would recommend Art of Problem Solving. The Singapore series is very good and probably closer to what you already do. Art of Problem Solving, however, will probably give a much better understanding of math as well as go deeper. I also think AoPS is easier for self learning. It is designed to be read and learned by a student and the solution manuals are great. The forums on the AoPS website are also a great source of help if needed. A big difference is that the AoPS texts are each one subject rather than integrated like you are currently doing.

For those of you that have kept track of everything read in high school, I have some questions. Do you record everything – school and pleasure reading? Do you include magazines such as my son completely reads the Creation Magazine? Do you include short stories? Do you list by date, grade or author? What do I need to know as I start record-keeping. My oldest will have an impressive list of books as he is an avid reader – easily reads over 100 books per year. He reads a little of everything – fluff to the great books. I’m inclined to list everything by author. It would be easier to scan the list and see that he likes certain authors as well as find specific literature that you might be looking for. I’m also inclined NOT to include dates, though I’ll have my own list that is chronological by date.

I like the one I got from HST. They have several good options and a good table to tell the differences.

Thanks so much.

Kids miss problems for all sorts of reasons. What percentage of the problems is she missing? It sounds like she's doing well if only missing one problems per lesson or test, but if it is one test and missing lots of problems from different lessons, that is a different case. For catching up, I like to go slow and steady from a primary text. Then, I also add in more work on specific subjects either from a specific text or any other source. Right now my dd is doing lots of math - about a days work of mult/div., a days work of fractions, a days work of angles, sometimes with something else thrown in. My key is to keep her progressing in EACH subject and it is all coming together. I'm not saying you need to do lots of math, but I would separate out some trouble spots and do extra work on those.

I wouldn't have any qualms about listing AoPS as honors. My problem arises when I look at a very rigorous home grown course - what would colleges think if I also called that honors? I'm not there yet, but I think I won't call anything honors so that my other classes don't stand out as looking like NOT honors when I think many of them are, but I'd have problems calling them that.

As to evaluate or not - I think "mom instincts" are usually correct. If your gut says you need to work with him at home, then do it. Evaluations can be very helpful, but figure out why you are doing the evaluation and consider the impact on him. For evaluations, I essentially told my kids that they were being evaluated to help ME understand better how they thought so that I could be a better teacher to them.

Congrats! Hope you don't leave us. I've appreciated your wisdom over the years.

Well, I taught my first two to read with Reading Reflex. It doesn't sound like what you need. However, compared to the other choices, it is relatively cheap and has some great chapters on how reading is learned. I have used Barton for my next two it does have very explicit instruction on both phonemic awareness and syllabication. I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for, but I think it serves a wide variety of needs. Barton is very easy to teach and it has a high resale value. If you are considering Barton, I'd recommend calling up Susan Barton and talking to her about your son. My daughter has liked the low level-high interest books from high noon books. They have been great at improving her fluency.

I also use AoPS. They offer lots of math to choose from beyond the typical progression. I would keep your son progressing in math and make sure that you remember that you still have to do more math in high school.

Oops. Double post.

I would be careful about skipping too much. I think acceleration is fine. Cover the topics. You can do the problems orally or on paper. The reviews can be skipped and not every problem has to be done if it is easy. There are many options for a spine - I like either SM or Beast. You can add supplemental things such as Zacarro's Primary Challenge Math, logic puzzles, Balance Benders. Have fun and back off if she starts getting frustrated with anything.

That is fabulous that's she's getting paid and learning at the same time. I agree with the above poster that I wouldn't give credit for something she is getting paid for. It seems more like work experience.

I'd also recommend thinking about Beast Academy, starting with 3A. You can do something else alongside it such as MM or Singapore Math. Beware that the new Beast Academy books are coming out at a rate of about one book per 4 months, which puts one years curriculum at 16 months to publish it. You could also look at adding Zaccaro's Primary Grade Challenge Math as something different and more exciting than MM. Zaccaro's book would just be a supplement.