I sometimes do that - I will completely reverse my hands and type the correct finger with the wrong hand for several sentences if I'm not paying attention.

Congratulations! Try not to be bothered by what others think they know. Know that you are doing the best for your son and that others don't really understand what he really needs. Keep going - it sounds like you are doing an excellent job.

I'd look at the list of books Sonlight uses for readers.

I wouldn't have any problem counting it toward state required days. I'd also make sure I do a "years" worth of core subjects such as math, English, etc.

I find most kits are fun for a bit, but wear off quickly. I like Brain Rohrig's books 150 Captivating Chemistry Experiments using Household Substances as well as 150 More... http://www.amazon.com/Captivating-Chemistry-Experiments-Household-Substances/dp/0971848025 I love teaching hands-on science classes and this is one of my favorite sources for younger kids (and older as well).

I'm on the light side as my high schooler is severely dysgraphic and has language issues causing him to have a hard time putting it all together. I'm pushing his writing this year - mostly with Bravewriter courses. It's not a LOT of writing, but working through a quality process and it is stretching my child. I look at writing like a lot of things - what is your goal? if it's busywork, then get rid of it. I think different student would blossom or die under too much/too little writing. Homeschooling is great in that you don't have to make one size fit your child. Some kids need to be pushed with lots of writing, others need less so that they can learn to do a quality job without being overwhelmed.

you could do some alcumus, just to keep the brain working. I'm not sure what level you are at in AoPS, but doing some geometry or counting/probability might be fun. You might look at he MEP website and pick a chapter that looks fun and age-appropriate. The chapters for older kids usually can stand-alone - you can pick geometry, logic, patterns, probability, etc.

My oldest went from SM 5 to AoPS Algebra with no difficulty, but he's a math wiz. My other kids start with AoPS Prealgebra. I've tutored some that I start with introducing topics with Prealgebra and then run the Algebra book somewhat behind. A strong student can skip the rest of the algebra sections in the Prealgebra book if desired, but as others have said the prealgebra book includes several chapters on other topics not specifically related to algebra - number theory, intro geometry, counting, probability, statistics.

Curl up on the couch or in bed and do a little reading aloud and a little math. Teach reading/phonics at a slower pace. Don't worry about getting it all done. Check out books on cd from your library. Basically, I'd prioritize doing some reading to all the kids (everyone together is fine). Do math/phonics as you can, don't worry about anything else. If you do more it's bonus, but don't worry if it waits until another year. Enjoy your time together as a family.

I don't know how to go about doing so, but I have a friend whose 9th grader just build a computer. His dad says he learned off you-tube and other internet sources. My son now wants to build a computer. I've told him to research and start learning how as well as what parts. My husband is a computer guy so he's capable of overseeing the project and he says it's not too hard to buy and put together the parts. I'm not sure exactly where this will go in my house hold. Have fun. I'm not sure if you want to set him loose or find a mentor to oversee him, but it sounds like a real possibility.

I use BA alongside SM as well as other various math. The biggest thing I find that BA adds is depth as well as exposure to some number theory and counting and probability. ... I love BA by the way and so does my daughter. My youngest is asking for the day he gets to start BA.

I also try to remember when someone tells me that their doctor said something that this is secondhand. I know I sometimes can go to a doctor with a friend. I listen with a medically trained ear and my friend hears the some thing. However, friend's interpretation of what the doctor "said" is vastly different from mine. Therefore, when someone tells me that their doc said something, it has been filtered through their interpretation and may be significantly different than what the doc actually meant.

IEW was wonderful for mathy rules-following boy. It was a place for him to start with writing. He's now using Bravewriter to find his voice in writing. My kids that more naturally write didn't care fore IEW much, but it didn't particularly bother them either and they learned a lot. When I taught IEW in co-op, the natural writers did fine and did not find the IEW rules too confining. Maybe it was just my style of teaching, I don't know.

I don't think you have failed him in not teaching him a third language. You have hit upon the reason that languages are taught less here in the USA than elsewhere - I may have the opportunity, but in reality I doubt I will travel somewhere I'd use another language. While I might find places here to place a language, it's not been practical knowledge for me.

Not that it applies to your situation, but the thing that has helped remarkable in my oldest who is an avid reader, stealth dyslexic, severely dysgraphic child was vision therapy. He read novels constantly, but needed textbooks read aloud. The COVD doc said he thought he was actually spending a fraction of the time he should on each word, but his eyes were jumping all around. He was smart enough to put it all together, but that doesn't work for reading a dense textbook full of definition. VT helped his reading and writing remarkably - he went from me scribing everything to where he is doing his own writing. His print is more consistant - not good, but readable. He is reading textbooks for the first time this year.

Working with a child who is already a reader and probably memorizes words, I would think it is very important to work with nonsense words in teaching reading and spelling rules.

My super-bright stealth dyslexic/severely dysgraphic child "listened" in as I did Barton with younger siblings. He says he learned a lot and I don't think he would have resisted me if I had actually done it with him as well.

I like Miquon and Singapore. Beast Academy is great starting in 3rd grade. I would not jump him to a 5th grade book, but I'd find a challenging program (like Beast or Singapore) and move through it as quickly or slowly as it takes. Feel free to modify - skip easy problems, only do some of the pages if it is review. There's a lot of math between Miquon green and 5th grade.

Yes, they changed some of the format of Alcumus (I think a year ago). The follow the book option went away as did some other things. I like the old format better, but there are some great perks to this way as well - much easier to pick and choose specific topics that need to be worked on.

I agree that a professional evaluation may help (more so in the future). "I" wouldn't have my student ask to be in the program, but I think a parent should be her advocate and ask in her behalf.

He's five. Don't rot his brain by just sitting him in front of a computer or tv screen, but you certainly don't have to do formal lessons. Lots of learning can be learned by life. For math - count or do word problems. If we have four people in our family and three more are visiting, how many plates do we have to set. If each person in the family wants three cookies, how many cookies should we make. Measure things, play with volumes and balance. Read lots of books. Check out books on whatever subject interests him. Go on a nature walk. Explore. Play board games. Lessons don't have to be structured (or planned) for learning to take place.

I'd sit with him and make sure he's getting the math correct. IF is a refusal issue, then this is disobedience and very different than just not getting the problems correct. When math is very frustrating and lots of problems are missed, I tend to say we'll sit and do a few problems together and then set it aside for the day and come back to it on a fresh day. I do make the child go back and correct it all typically.

I'm not sure what the issue is. Can you return it?

Speech therapist for years - currently on break from speech; she worked with him on lots of stuff including LIPS and Earbotics lots of phonological activities from the Florida Center for Reading Research http://www.fcrr.org/for-educators/sca_k-1.asp Hearbuilder Phonological Awareness at home - this was very difficult, but very helpful Vision therapy - not specifically for reading, but worked on those skills also Barton Reading and Spelling Just as when he was learning to say different sounds and he would try out every sound he knew until he "found" the right one, he's now doing that with phonics. I watch him try out lots of sounds with his mouth until he finds the one that goes with the letter.

With my oldest, retaining him when young wouldn't have made any difference. He's been different all his life. For years he looked like he was autistic. When we did more formal ASD testing, we decided that the social differences were more likely from language related learning disabilities. He complains now that most peers don't relate as he just thinks on a different level from them - and it'd be worse if we had held him back. My 7 year old (verbal apraxia) is extremely social and he covers up much of his asynchronous abilities by being so cute. When he was four and "speaking" only in sign language, most people didn't realize he couldn't speak. He was so proficient in nonverbal communication that adults didn't realize he wasn't speaking. His language has come tremendously far in the past few years and he's extremely social. Teaching him reading is beginning to feel like teaching him to speak - lots and lots of hard work. I think he'll be my hardest to teach reading (and my 11 yo just started reading). A huge benefit of homeschooling has been to be able to protect my kid's self-esteem as they haven't realized just how asynchronous they are. As to what "grade" your son should be - I'd recommend you follow your maternal instinct. Assign a grade if you want or just say you don't label by grade. Grades have been important for us for Sunday school and cub scouts, otherwise irrelevant.