I had to reread the original thesis for it to make sense to me, but I still like it. I would want the coach to tell WHY the thesis needs to be shorted rather than just cross out things.

I agree with Walking Iris. I joined the alliance for a few months but had to drop it because of medical chaos in out home causing me not to have time for it. The alliance was for me - a time of reflections and reigniting fires. To get your money's worth, you have to invest some time in it, you don't have to actually post anything if you don't want. It's time to read, reflect, do, consider, etc. I may have to join back up before long.

I can only teach math and science. I can facilitate the rest. I pay others to teach writing and occasionally other things. I feel like much of what I do is learn alongside my kids and "teach" them how to learn, how to ask questions and find answers. We learn together. I'm happy with the results of this style of teaching so far. :)

I'd give age based grade as most are interested in social age. My 11th grader answered that question this morning as "Uhh, I don't remember." Makes him sound really smart with answers like that.

As stated above, I wouldn't award based on week because there is no incentive to do well if mess up one day. Maybe earn five completed day stickers and then get the reward. I don't do a lot of rewards. My 8 year old earns marbles - marbles for pages of schoolwork. These can then be turned in for computer time. Donut days when we finish a math workbook. NO computer or other fun until all work is done. Decide what motivates your children and what you are willing to do as a family and then try it out.

I would make sure she is aware of state requirement regarding if she starts homeschooling and then the student decides to return to school for some reason. Will the area schools accept her homeschool credits? or make the student repeat credits? This isn't at all a deal breaker if committed to homeschooling high school, but I think anyone should be aware of the pitfalls if returning to school. Other than that, answer questions, point her in some directions (like these forums to ask questions), assess goals, etc. Also be aware that there is a learning curve to coming out of school and starting homeschooling - it doesn't all go as initially planned.

Balance Benders - Critical Thinking press Detective Club - Prufrock Press Logic Safari - Prufrock Press Chocolate Caper - Prufrock Press Rush Hour, Chocolate Fix, Sudoko, etc.

If you've got a kid that's up to the challenge, then the Mathcount Minis are a great resource. The videos are made by Richard Ruscyzk of AoPS. They are done monthly and there is a worksheet that goes with them. Usually there are some warm up problems that the student can do (if the the warmup is too hard, then that month's topic is too hard). Then there is "the problem" which is taught be video - it comes from the previous year's chapter or state test. Then there are the follow up problems that can be solved by the techniques taught in the video. These are fantastic for mathy kids. I agree that watching the countdown round is a lot of fun - also can be intimidating as those kids are fast at doing math.

When I've encountered kids from school that want to do Mathcounts, I've encouraged parents to ask if they can sign up the school and take their child as an individual from that school. It's not as fun as a team or a club, but does open the door of getting them to the competition. All our public middle schools around here compete, but it's the kids I run across in private school that need a way into Mathcounts. I also think that if your schoool does not compete then Mathcounts will make an allowance for how to sign up as an individual, but you'd have to call Mathcounts directly.

Each school can only send 10 people to the chapter competition. They are a "team" of 4 plus 6 individuals. Everyone does the sprint round and target round as individuals. There is then a team test that the team does together. Typically all the individuals also do the team test together, but only the official team of four get to have their team test graded. For a team score the individual scores of the team members are averaged and then the team test is added. The top teams from the chapter go to state as well as the top individuals (doesn't matter if they were on a team or not). How many actually go from your chapter depends on how big it is (our chapter sends the top 3 teams as well as the top 7 individuals not already going as a team member). At large schools, they can pick the 10 people to send to chapter anyway they want. Some do the Mathcounts school test and send the top 10 individuals. Some feel it's important to take a couple of top 6th graders for their experience. It's up to the coach to name who goes to chapter. BUT, if you don't get one of your school's ten spots then you aren't allowed to go through an alternate organization. Top students make it to state and the top four in the state make it to nationals.

My math club/team meets weekly from Nov. through Feb. in preparation of chapter Mathcounts. We don't meet the rest of the year. I've also taken a bunch of the Math club activites and taught a Math and Logic games class in our homeschool co-op.

The Mathcounts Handbook (linked above) is essentially problem sets. The Club materials are much more geared toward fun math based activities - most of which are not building toward competition. The Club materials are also available online, but as dmmetler said the box has a bunch of cool stuff to get you started. 4ofsu - Your student can only sign up as part of one "team", but I see no reason he can't participate in club activities with a different group. Mathcounts has gotten strict about homeschoolers and teams. Homeschoolers can be a part of a team of a "school" they belong to or a homeschool math club that is drawn by your geographic Mathcounts chapter. Homeschoolers cannot join a public or private school team of a school they do not go to. When registering you also sign a waver that says 1) you homeschool 2) you live in the geographic boundaries of your chapter and 3)if not picked for your team, you aren't allowed to go join a different team (an issue if you have more than 10 competing from your school/club) In the past there have been problems of teams drawing from across a state and trying to create a superteam and calling themselves homeschoolers; there have also been problems that students were not picked as one of ten people from a school to go to chapter and then trying to call themselves homeschoolers just to get to compete. I have found everyone both locally and nationally very open to working with homeschoolers, but they do make you jump through a few more hoops to verify that you really do homeschool.

Just FYI for anyone reading this thread - you have to have a group to get the club in a box, but you can sign up and compete in Mathcounts as an individual. That's how we started with my oldest. I have since gone on to build a team - both of really competitive students as well as good, average math students. I'd say the most important pieces of math are good math logic and how to approach problems in new ways, not accelerated computational skills. My dyslexic, severely dysgraphic, (highly gifted in math) son went on to win in our area and received college scholarships through our state. My dyslexic daughter who is actually behind in grade level of math, but very good at the math logic did respectably well as a 6th grader and is excited about returning next year. I've taken multiple homeschool kids to state over the past several years. My fo cus in math team meetings is to have fun and to try to teach some math that isn't traditionally taught such as counting and probability as well as new ways of approaching old problems.

To get the club in a box, you have to have at least four middle schoolers that meet in person for a math club. It's a great resource! Spycar - I encourage any 6th graders that might be competitive as they are older, to get started with Mathcounts in 6th grade. It's great to get the experience and may pay off in the upcoming years. In general, I encourage 6th graders that are capable (and not intimidated by some really good older students) to do it. It's a lot of fun and I've seen a number of 6th graders walk away motivated to learn lots more math so that they can do better the next year.

Pretty much the same as above. I list the course as whatever I want to call it on my transcript - may of may not be the same. In the course description, I describe what was taught and I list the MIT course at least in the resources in lieu of a textbook and might mention it in the body of the course description.

I'd second looking into a second opinion.

Thanks.

For scratch, I bought a book, but my son taught himself.

It varies widely here. Anywhere from free to expensive. There exist free co-ops. I find these better than a pure social group, but I also find I get what I pay for - not much. Most of the elementary co-ops are in the range of $10-20 per child for registration and then $30-$75 for teacher fees per class per semester. They still require some volunteer commitment. These are usually supplementary classes. Our high school group, charges $50 registration per child plus $300-$500 per class per year for core classes - teaching, homework, grades, etc.

I'd encourage her passions, but not to the extent of building up debt for her. Get her as much real life experience as possible as it may change her focus. Continue with general education as you never know where it'll take you.

I've been using individual videos from her ultimate science collection. My kids have loved them - especially my hands on boy. My daughter watches the videos and does some of the experiments. She absorbs all the knowledge. My son watches, rewatches builds, investigates. He's completely independent other than asking me for some materials. We have a wide selection of materials, so I don't have to buy much. She uses lots of routine household equipment as well as a variety of cheap hand-ons science equipment. It can add up if you are trying to do it all and don't own the equipment to start with.

I think most kids can use more math practice/drill than Beast provides, but I LOVE Beast Academy. You are best starting at the beginning of 3A with your child. I've done it now with two different non-readers. I read everything, but they can do all the math.

I agree.

I agree that Statistics is much more practical for someone not wanting to move far in math. In reality, it's practical for everyone no matter what you want to do in life. (Way more practical than algebra 3 for a non-math person).

I just listen to the lectures (off audible) and I don't feel like we are missing anything. (Maybe I just don't know what I'm missing.)