I'd count it as algebra 1 and most of geometry. If you want to do NEM, you can fill in with any MEP subjects not covered in NEM.

A graphing calculator is necessary for the AP calculus exam - there are problems on there that are made for calculators rather than by hand.

I love Sonlight for elementary kids and have used it for all four of my kids. Of your other choices, I'd save MOH until a little older. Everything else looks good.

If the teacher isn't requiring her to show her work, then I don't think there is anything wrong with not showing it. I don't think she'll "mature" into showing her work if it's not required. However, I do think learning how to show your work is also an important skill. It is also a separate skill from getting the right answer. My oldest who is severely dysgraphic did all his math through precalc orally and simply told me the answers with no work shown or told. We'd converse about some of the problems - I'd make him "explain" the ones I was stumped on, etc. He started writing out work for the first time for calculus free response problems. In your case, I'd let her turn in the work to DO however it is acceptable. (I'd make spot check to make sure she IS doing the work). I'd also require one problem per day or something to be written out for me as a separate requirement. My second son is doing some DO classes with me grading. Since "I" am the teacher/grader, I can insist on showing his work. I'm of the opinion that the right answer is what really counts. Showing your work will get you partial credit if some of the work is correct, but the answer is wrong. If the work is to be graded, then I'd clearly state that. I wouldn't fail a kid for correct answers unless I clearly state that all steps must be shown, etc.

Expository Essay vs. Help for High school I am quite capable of writing a good paper and I understand the process. However, there is no way I can convey that to my kids. I can tell them steps. I can hand them Help for High School where it is all spelled out, but I cannot give feedback. This is where the BW teachers are so good. They've come alongside my kids at whatever level they are at and helped them improve tremendously. We've loved the BW classes we've taken (and we've done a bunch - various kids in various classes).

2 weeks per chapter is fine if he's getting it. A student who has had AoPS Prealgebra should be able to move faster than one who hasn't since it is simply taking the next step on concepts already introduced. If he's doing well in later chapters of the AoPS book, then I would say that he's retained most of it as you cannot progress without retaining most of the material. Some pieces of the material only show up here and there so they might be more easily forgotten, but the base algebra has to be understood to keep moving through the book. Slow down as needed if it gets hard.

I've liked Derek Owens Prealgebra.

If he's not writing to a standard that you think he should meet, then I'd do something to try to improve his writing. As you've mentioned there are lots of ways to go about doing this. At my home, less is better - I'm highly influenced by having a severely dysgraphic son that needed to learn to write. I expect his best in any output. If he's cranking out papers too fast to be able to do his best then he's doing too much to stop and learn. Somewhere along the way they need to be taught writing, but how is highly individual. What one student "gets" another will struggle with. At my home, I use Brave Writer for much of our instruction and it's been well worth the cost. It's not something I am able to teach myself. (Give my calculus anyday, but writing no way.) I do not think there is one way to teach or that you have to shell out a lot of money.

Thanks. I also missed the email.

I've been coaching a Mathcounts team for six years now and it's been a lot of fun. I have both above average and just average (and below) in our group. I love Mathcounts. Feel free to ask more questions.

Another vote for Derek Owens. If you want support and grading, then you pay full price; if you do all the support and grading yourself - just want access to everything, then it is half price.

To teach MATH, you can not use a calculator at all depending on the program. As stated above, AoPS is an excellent program that teaches everything without a calculator. The answers are left in radical form which is an exact answer rather than a rounded off answer with a calculator. There are math programs that insist on calculator usage early on - answer to four decimal places on trig or logarithmic functions. There are other programs that design the problems to test mathematical understanding and not calculator usage and expect the answer to be ln2 rather than a decimal. Of course it doesn't make sense to leave your answer in a mathematically accurate, but not a single number with dealing with real life problems such as how high or how far. No one measures 2 sqrt 3, they measure to a decimal or fraction of an inch or centimeter, etc. I like math done without calculators and science with calculators, however not everything is designed this way.

I'm with the others in saying that I don't care for the grounding by locking him in his room. What does he actually learn from that? My daughter could lay in bed and listen to books all day so that wouldn't be a punishment. I don't think punishments need to be equal across the board. What IS a punishment for one child might be a reward for another. Take each child individually. I'm all for taking away electronics. If books are listened to, then I'd allow a set amount of time for listening, but would fill the other time with something else (non-electronic). Outside time is too important at my home to take away. I might take away the "fun" of outside such as friends or wandering at the creek, but I'd still send them outside.

I'm no expert and I've read that it doesn't matter, but if you go through PA Homeschoolers you end up taking Macroeconomics in the fall with Micro in the spring.

Treasure your relationship with your daughter - it sounds really special. As long as she's growing up and becoming independent, there is nothing wrong with also having a great relationship with mom. It doesn't sound like she's co-dependent on you.

Applied Electronics Computer Hardware systems ... probably some others will have better names. Sounds like a lot of fun.

I just signed up for a free trial which gets you the first unit of each module. There also is a monthly fee option - $10.75/month.

Something that we did that was fun for that age was the Brave Writer family Shakespeare course. It is usually offered in the spring and could be done at the end of your year. Center for Lit is offering a one week discussion class of Macbeth this year. Lots and lots of fun rabbit trails to study with Shakespeare without anyone else's guidance.

Don't forget the time it takes to get everyone seated, read the instructions, pass out tests, last minute bubbling, and break between sections. I'd bet it'd be closer to 11:45.

Sure he can sit for the AP test without taking an official AP class. I'd list it as Calculus with AP test and let the test score speak for itself. I don't think most colleges would treat the two as any different. My son did AoPS all the way through precalc and since has done much of the AoPS calculus book on his own. He also took PA homeschoolers AP Calculus BC so I can tell you some differences. Private message me if you want my opinions.

I would talk to the tutor and tell her what your "ideal" would be and then go from there. If you hand the tutor a textbook, then they think that is what you WANT. Ultimately, your and the tutor's goal should be the same - to teach math understanding, but how to get there might look different to each of you. Work, converse, talk about what's working and not. I don't like it when mom tells me what to do as it is often not what I think is best. I try to do it mom's way and then end up backtracking and reteaching it my way. By the way Ronit bird and math games sounds great to me.

Ignore the teacher expectations and do what is best for your child. There are pros and cons of taking the test. One of our PA homeschooler teachers actually put in her syllabus that we can accept her grade and grading scale, OR as a parent and ultimate teacher we can choose to use her class as part of the learning opportunity and then grade however we want. I didn't change anything with that class, but it did give the insight that I can look upon the class as being part of what I use to teach x, with the "teacher" being the tutor and me being the ultimate teacher and decision maker. I can add/delete assignments as I felt necessary and then assign my own grade - did adjust for a different class.

I tried a bunch with my kids with learning disabilities and ended up just using Bravewriter lifestyle techniques along with some Brave Writer classes as they have gotten older. We often take whatever book we are reading (reader or read-aloud) and use the first sentence/paragraph as copywork. Student simply copies it. Usually before copying, I sit down and read and discuss the sentence. We discuss the grammar or puncuation and any unusual spelling words. Sometimes we copy this repeatedly until I can dictate it and they can write it from memory. If you do this, start small. It's amazing how much they can learn little by little. Ask questions as you read books aloud. Ask them to retell something, describe a character, discuss plot, ask WHY questions - just discuss. I've found it very frustrating to "use a program" with my kids with learning disabilities. They just learn so differently. I take it one step at a time - some of those steps go very quickly, others take forever. Just keep plugging along.

MCT didn't work at my home. Bravewriter has been great. Both the online classes as well as the basic philosophy. Copywork has been great in working on some of the basic langauge structure without knowing they are working on grammar.

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