I understand. I'm waiting to sell all my sets until my six year old is reading. I'm not sure yet if I'll be needing the Barton levels. My daughter is on level 7 now.

I'm not sure if this would be helpful, but Hearbuilder phonological awareness might help learning to manipulate phonemes in decoding unknown words.

Each level only comes with the tiles you need for that level. You still need the tiles from the previous levels. It wouldn't be too hard to make your own though.

You're welcome. Have fun with whatever you do.

I teach Illustrate Guide out of my garage to a group of students and have taken quite a few all the way through the book with the exception of the three labs listed above. It's a fun book loaded with information, but takes a lot of time to do the labs as well as set up and a lot of money. :confused1: I think it does a good job teaching safety as well as disposal of chemicals. Have fun in your chemistry persuits.

Basic Lab Recommendations of Illustrated Guide based on ease, time learning, and interest. The labs that I recommend skipping on the interest of time can be learned from a book if you don’t want to spend as much time doing labs. (I’ve written up notes on the book including notes on each lab; where to find common chemicals, and other notes about the book. Email me if you would like this document.) I generally skip three labs in the book: 12.4 – no endpoint to the titration 13.3 – very difficult math (only do if your student is proficient with logarithms) 22.4 – too dangerous – too easy to explode your whole setup in trying to ignite the hydrogen gas Lab 6.1 – I substitute sand for sugar since sugar caramelizes so easily; good lab to start leaning basic techniques Lab 6.3 – Fun lab but takes about 3 hours; could skip in interest of time but I have all my students do this 6.2 – distillation – optional 6.4 – quick, fun lab, ok to skip 6.5 – Chromatography – important to understand, but I would skip based on time 7.1 and 7.3 are important to learn about molar solutions 7.4 – optional, but if you are going to use phenthalein later you might as well mix it now; I reduce everything be a factor of ten and make only 10 ml of solution 7.2 and 8.1 have been revised by the author – 8.1 has major mistakes and 7.2 was changed to use sodium carbonate instead I group 7.2, 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3 together (over two days). These labs are interesting, but take about six hours and I would tend to skip them in the interest of time. I would do 9.1, 9.2,and 9.3 – all good reaction labs and 9.1 and 9.2 have good math; I’d probably skip 9.4 in the interest of time but it is a fun lab. 10.1 and 10.2 – interesting, but don’t teach major principles; see notes for futher info; okay to skip based on time 11.1 – good (long) lab on pH 11.4 (adv lab) good lab to teach titration Chapter 12 – 12.1, 12.2, and 12.3 are good basic kinetic labs, but the principles can be learned by a book in the interest of time. These labs always surprise my students however. 13.1 and 13.2 – Would do these only if you want to do all the basic labs, otherwise I’d tend to skip these. Chapter 14 – gas laws – principles are generally easy to learn from a book and I don’t think you gain a lot by doing 14.1, 14.2 and 14.3 I do really like 14.4 (ideal gas law lab) and would add this even though it is listed as and adv. Lab. I’d recommend 15.1 and 15.3 – probably skip 15.2 as it is messy and doesn’t produce good numbers 16.1 – electrolysis – If you’ve never done this it is worthwhile The rest of chapter 16 is all doable by beginning students if you have the time 18.1/18.2 – do if you have time 18.3 – fun lab as you get to burn things; BE SURE YOU HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION! 19.1 – I do the alternate procedure and dissolve each salt in methanol on a watchglass; fun lab to create different colored flames 19.2 – would skip based on time as it is difficult to do correctly Fun advanced labs: 19.4 – long lab but many colorful precipitates 19.5 – quant analysis of bone Chapter 20 – any of these labs are interesting titration labs 22.2 – fun lab

It's always interesting for me to find more labs to look at/try out. My impression is that the Tang labs are to be done after a separate set of labs of more basic chemistry, but I may be mistaken. They skip much of basic lab learning. They do not include as much teaching about what should happen, but occatioanly reference prelab excercises. This might be where more teaching is done. Also these labs frequently use sulfuric acid when there are safer ways to demonstrate the same principles. Many of the Tang labs correlate to more than one lab in Illustrated Guide. Tang lab 1 - Diagnostic tests for hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide - ; there are many ways of doing this and I have my favorites. If you do Illustrated Guide these tests are incorporated into other labs when you test for the gas. Tang lab 2 - The Tang lab does not tell you how much copper sulfate and sulfuric acid to add. It says to measure the amount in the pre-lab exercise. These labs are the same principles taught in Illustrate Guide labs 7.1 and 7.3 Tang lab 3 - Part A - pricipitation rxn - this is a double displacement rxn as in Illustrate Guide 9.4 (also many other precipitation rxns in Illustrate Guide) Part B - titration - this is similar to Illustrated Guide11.4 (NOTE - Tang doesn't do any composition or decompostion reactions.) Tang lab 4 - Ideal gas - I like Illustrate Guide lab 14.4 better for Ideal gas Tang lab 5 - Molecular shapes - this is molecule building from a kit; no benchwork - No correlation to Illustrated Guide Tang lab 6 - Part A - Heat of Solution of NaOH; This correlated to lab 15.1 in Illustrated Guide but 15.1 tests heat of solution of NaOH, HCl, table salt and calcium chloride (much more interesting to test more) Part B - Heat of Fusion - Similar to Illustrated Guide 15.2 Tang lab 7 - Heat of Combustion (easy lab) - No correlation in Illustrated Guide, but Illlustrated Guide does Heat of reaction which is more interesting. Tang lab 8 - LeChatelier's Principle - this is a more compiicated lab than Illustated Guide and talks of needing a fume hood; This correlates to Illustrated Guide labw 13.1 and 13.2 Tang lab 9 - Titratition and calculation of the acid dissassociation constant; Lab 13.3 in Illustrated Guide is similar calculates the solubility product constant; Both are difficult labs and have difficult math. I think the Illustrated Guide would be easier if you are not familiar with techniques and safety. I'll review my recommendations of Illustrated Guide in the next post.

Do you have a link to this? I'd love to look at it.

I teach from the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Labs and I've taken a number of students through the book. I googled the above Dr. Tang's labs, but couldn't find a site. If you can give me a link I'll look at it and compare the two. I've put together some note on the labs in Illulstrated Guide. If you want a copy of this, just pm me. In the Illustrated Guide, some labs are important; some are fun and inspire desire for chem lab; some are boring, but have great learning principles; others can be just as easily learned by reading rather than by doing. I don't necessarily agree with the author on which labs are best for beginning students. Feel free to ask me about any specific labs. I love the book and think it's a lot of fun, but it is a lot of work (time and money) to put together. If you want to pick and choose from the Illlustrated Guide, I'll be happy to give my input on what I'd recommend.

Thanks, I looked under the high school intermediate (as it also listed AIME) and I looked in the wiki. Somehow I missed the fact that there was also an AMC forum separate.

Are the problems available somewhere. I don't see them in the AoPS Wiki. My son barely missed the cutoff for AIME this year, but he wants to see the problems and see how he can do. Our focus this year has been more toward mathcounts since scholarships are available in our state. It's cool that he's already winning four year full-tuition scholarships as an eighth grader. :closedeyes:

My kids love the Balance Benders books by Critical Thinking press. Suduko is fun also.

i don't have any experience with the classes that follow a text, but my son (and me) have taken some of their online contest prep classes. My son finds the classes somewhat "boring" - they seem somewhat dry to me, but they've been good classes. We really like the problem sets that go along with the classes. That said, we've not done any of the classes with a textbook. Both my son and I think the first third of the number theory book is boring. We had a hard time (years) getting through the first part of that book because it was either too easy, too boring, repetitious, etc. I would think the class might mirror that. I would have hope that it becomes more interesting as I definately think the book becomes more interesting and challeging as it goes along. Some kids love number theory while others are more inclined toward other areas of math. Hope the class picks up for him. Try to glean what exactly is the problem. Is the format of the class hard to follow? Are the times given for problem solving too long (and therefore his mind wanders). Does he already know the answer and therefore the explanation of how to get to the answer is boring? Is the class too hard? Do they try to cover more material on one day than his brain is ready for? Is he lost and doesn't know how to ask for help? I love the books but I have no intention of signing my son up for the classes that go along with the books as I am capable of teaching them and it gives us the flexibility to move at our own pace. We go fast sometimes, other times slow. Sometimes a new idea just needs time to "gel" in his mind. We are always working through more than one book at a time, so if one topic needs more time we can go through it super slowly and still feel like we are progressing in math by doing a different book.

Well, I'm working through the books with my son, and taking a few of the classes alongside him. Right now he (we) have only done some of the contest prep classes. I hope to do all of the classes that don't have books (Int. NT, Olympiad Geometry, Mathematical Tapas, Group Theory, WOOT). My son is probably a year away from taking the classes so I'll just have to wait.

Certainly it can be done as the above posters have said. What does your dd think about doing two maths? Is she motivated? What are your ultimate goals for high school math?

I'm trying to come up with a list of project ideas that can be done independantly by my boys as they enter high school. (Oldest is a math geek and second is more into engineering design.) I figure some subjects I'll "teach" - math, some science, writing, latin. Other subjects, such as history, I'll give them a lot of freedom in picking what they want to read. I want to build in some time that has to be "school learning" but is essentially student driven learning. Depending on what it is, I'll probably find a catagory to put it under. It's easy for me to make a list of extra books/subjects that can fall under independent school reading, but I'm looking for project ideas or other non-reading work that can count as school. Here are some of my ideas: Experiments - desing and carry out any experiment and then write it up building any kind of project/engineering design Electrical projects Participating in bill paying/budgeting for several months to learn more about personal finance teaching company videos My second son is good at coming up with ideas if I tell him he can do anything that falls under learning, otherwise I'll assign him more work. My oldest needs choices spelled out - but I'm not the best at coming up with ideas. Please help me come up with some ideas! Thanks.

My daughter who is doing is now loves it. She's dyslexic and needs more drill on facts. Other than times tables, I don't feel I need to supplement at all. It would have been perfect for my math loving oldest. I'm just sad that my daughter's math is likely to progress faster than the new books. I'll keep using them with her and then my little one will do them someday.

Here's a site I used for algebra based physics labs. I've done most of the ones on this site. I pulled from other sources to cover areas not covered by these labs. I've also done many of the labs/demos by HST. Paul Hewitt's Conceptual Physics Labs: http://www.arborsci.com/conceptual-physics-supplementary-labs I also love The Magnet Book by Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone for younger kids. Hope this helps someone.

Just thought I'd share... This is a free curriculum on Bioethics put out by the NIH. I am teaching it now in co-op to a mixed group of middle school/ high school students. It is crafted for a classroom, but could easily be done at home as well. I've been very impressed with the curriculum and the issues. http://science.educa...HSBioethics.htm Here's my class description for co-op: This is a critical thinking class in which students will examine and discuss cases related to ethics and medical cases. Students will learn some science, learn to make informed, thoughtful choices, promote dialogue with people of different viewpoints and develop critical thinking skills. We will ask What is the ethical question? What are the relevant facts? Who or what could be affected by the way questions get resolved? What are the relevant ethical considerations? We will be tackling some tough questions such as who should receive a donor organ – the youngest, the sickest, the closest geographically, etc.? Should a minor be able to make decisions about genetic testing on themselves or should it be the responsibility of a parent/doctor? Should medical research be done on humans and under what guidelines? ... don't print the entire thing, much of it is just the description of how it fits into core standards.

Magic schoolbus science for younger kids - do projects based on the books Zaccaro - Primary math challenge Detective club (3rd-5th) - prufrock press Mystery Disease (middle school) - prufrock press - I've taught this multiple times in co-op and love it. Hands on science - fun assorted sceince projects of your choice - I always like to do chemistry and physical science Bioethics - the NIH has this curriculum for free (I'm teaching it now in co-op) http://science.education.nih.gov/customers.nsf/HSBioethics.htm (middle/high school)

I love this thread and I've followed many similar threads over the years hoping that I continue along a non-traditional route for my family. Any way of teaching is fine, but if I keep in mind my goals for education, skills, character, etc. traditional school doesn't often meet my family's goals. I can wrap my head around some things, but others elude me on how to teach. The biggest things that I have a hard time figuring out is economics and government. These should probably be pretty easy, but since I view things from a math/science perspective I have a hard time envisioning how my kids are going to learn this. My hardest goal in high school is going to be teaching my 13 yo writing skills that will serve him well into college. He is my math boy and he spends hours daily doing math "for fun". I often hear, please mom, will you do some more math with me for a special treat. :closedeyes: He's already getting collage scholarhsips based on his math but he has huge struggles with language. I try to meet him where he is and keep tackling the writing. I will pick through some fo the above mentioned resources and see if any strike me as fitting him. I think it will be fun to watch where high school takes my kids. I can forsee a pretty mathy path for my oldest, but my second will be more creative. He's the 11 yo that finds academics easy and spends much of his time reading "how to" books and physics books. I give him a lot of open time saying he can count most any tinkering/building as school, assuming he's also done the basics that I assign. I tell him if he's learning something that is great, otherwise I'll find something for him to learn. I can easily see this turn into some kind of independent engineering projects for high school credit. My other two will be completely different by the time they get to high school.

Sounds like you are on track. I'd certainly keep doing AoPS is it's not frustrating to everyone. It might take longer than some other curriculums, but that is because you are LEARNING more. I would also say not to be in a rush to get to calculus. It's best to have a solid understanding of all the algebra fundamentals as this is what so often trips up kids in later years. If you are trying to get to calculus early, you can certainly skip the books like counting and probability and number theory. I also would recommend attempting all the problems at the end of the chapter. You can learn a lot that way.

Thanks for the links. They look useful.

I loved this thread the first time and it's much more pertanent to me today with a rising high schooler. I've followed (and printed) many of Nan's posts over the years as I find I do many things in a non-traditional manner.

Yes. There is a link on their website to request titles to be recorded. It might be when you search for a specific title and if they don't have it, then it pops up - I don't remember. You fill out the request stating what you want recorded and when you need it by.