I like Zaccaro's Primary Math Challenge.

Not knowing anything more than the titles of the labs, here's what I'd suggest: One density experiment - once you can calculate density, move on 2.3 - how freezing and boiling pt are affected by salts is somewhat intriguing to students Chp 3 - I'd pick whichever chemical reactions look the most fun; balancing equations is important but not so much a lab skill; I'd look at 3.6. 3.7, and 3.8 4.2 - of the kinetics labs, my students are most surprised by how the reaction rate varies with temperature 5.2 - generation of hydrogen gas tends to be the most "fun" gas to generate 6.1 and 6.5 Send me an email and I'll send you some labs that I do with my "Wacky Science" class. They might be more to your liking.

I'd look at where he belongs academically and put him there. I would not repeat 8th grade for social or age reasons.

I generally let my kids check out what they want, but I also tend to like their choices. I make sure they are not only reading junk. If they are trending toward things I don't care for, I say there is a limit of how many of the "junk" books they can check out and they have to also get some others. If I don't think a book is appropriate I exert my parental veto power.

Yes, I think we should move our children to learn more independently as they get older. However, what this looks like for each child may be very different. I don't think learning independently means that you have to outsource everything. This is certainly one of many ways to do it. Eventually our kids need to move on from mom, and hopefully there is a progression of them becoming more independent as they get older.

Agree with the above. Only someone who understands geometry can tell if his proof is accurate. Also, it it nice to be able to say "you're way is correct, but let me show you another way to prove this".

I thought this book was great at understanding OCD and dealing with compulsive thoughts (even if it's not OCD): Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Powerful, Practical Program for Parents of Children and Adolescents by Tamar Chansky http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812931173/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I agree with Regentrude that a grading scale is meaningless as just a number. Tests/assignments, etc. can be made so that most all students do very well, or all do very poorly. A test can also be very well designed so that you HAVE to understand the material to pass, but that sort of test is difficult to craft. In my area, I know kids that do so much extra credit to bring their scores up that the tests are meaningless - the kids pull up their grades multiple levels with extra credit that has nothing to do with demonstrating mastery of the material.

I think there is a point that you give kids a calculator because their learning disorder interferes with learning math. However, I would be very reluctant to do it with elementary math. I do think you have to take each situation individually and decide what is best for that child. I also realize that others recommend heavy use of calculators early on for kids that have difficulty with math - in my opinion, I think this is overly recommended.

I agree that you should not need a calculator for high school math. You do need one for high school science for the ease of working with real numbers that don't always fit into an equation nicely.

I had a one semester course in high school (in addition to my English class) that was SAT vocabulary. It wasn't my choice, but I did learn a lot of vocab useful for the SAT. I don't plan to repeat this course with my kids - I think there are better ways to teach the same thing. I plan to teach grammar, literature and writing. We'll do some SAT practice tests and target some specific areas if needed. I think a good well-rounded education will take the student farther in the long run.

I must have been typing at the same time as you on my previous reply. Yes, biology and chemistry should both be able to be taken alongside algebra 2. Chemistry generally needs a prereq of algebra 1 and biology does not need the math prereq.

Make sure he meets the math prerequisites of whatever physics you choose. If he does, I don't see why you can't do both biology and physics in the same year. Here is a website that I've used for algebra based physics labs (that work). They are written by Paul Hewitt and often used alongside his book, but can be done with any book. http://www.arborsci.com/conceptual-physics-supplementary-labs

If you call AMC, they are usually very helpful. I'd explain your situation and I suspect they will mail it to her. I used a minister at our church and had a church address. I called them with several questions and they always were very helpful.

If I had to pick only one, I'd do Singapore. For four kids I've used Singapore through elementary, but added Miquon early on.

I was also going to suggest Balance Benders.

Another vote for Sonlight + any great books added in as extra.

If you are told it is a right triangle, then I'd assume the one that looks 90 degree is the right angle. The biggest angle would have to be the 90 degree angle and the other two would be smaller and add up to 90 degrees.

My son is severely dysgraphic and an extremely slow writer. Lots of practice might help some, but mostly it is how they process the language to written form and the speed may not improve much despite lots of practice. My high schooler is becoming a little more automatic in his writing - as in he can now write his name and other words without thinking of every letter individually. It's been a long struggle for him. In middle school he had to practice writing name and address daily as this is a basic life skill. Eventually he has become more automatic. Fortunately, he learns easily without any writing. He does the math in his head. I'm battling teaching him how to formulate the steps into language that he can dictate to me. Translating his ideas into language is the first hard step and then he can't keep the words in his head to get them onto paper. This is my boy that has won multiple college scholarships as a middle schooler based on his math. I would try to pick apart his learning and evaluate if the writing skills are actually hindering his learning in those subjects. If the writing is hindering ___ subject, then can he move along in learning by dictating, reading, oral tests. Are there other accomodations to help in that area? Then, go back and evaluate if you need to teach math writing, lab writing, etc. as a separate subject.

Asking about concussions, etc. should be one of many questions asked. It sounds more like she singled out that type of question. From what you describe, it doesn't sound like your son had anything more than a mild concussion and I doubt that any problems found on the educational psych evaluation are related.

It sounds like the main problem is motivation. As the parent, I set the expectations in subjects. I have high expectations and expect my children to be pushed. My expectations for certain subjects are very different from what others may set, but I decide what is reasonable with the accommodations needed and then say this is what is required. If my kids think some expectations are unreasonable, they are welcome to discuss this with me and sometimes I agree and change what I expect; other times I say you still have to do it. My oldest is dyslexic and severely dysgraphic, I have other kids that are also dyslexic and dysgraphic as well. If you are aiming for a traditional high school degree, there are basic minimal requirements. If you are aiming to have him well-suited to be a mechanic, your educational goals may be different. No matter what he does, a well rounded, educated person does tend to go farther.

I generally agree with the above list. I would add that my younger kids did like: The Great Wheel Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Franwieler The Great Turkey Walk All my kids have liked Bruchko at a young age. It might have something to do with the fact that I met him when I was young and remember his stories to tell my kids. William Wilberforce is a hard book for young kids. World Wars - depends on your kids - one loved it young; two have not liked it at all

Ideally, whatever you decide, your son will have a mentor that can help explain the chemistry principles to him. If he's just going through the motions of doing a lab, and maybe even doing some cool reactions, but doesn't understand the chemistry, then it is not very effective. Good luck with your decision. I would look for someone that can help mentor your son along. ... replied about the Home Scientist kit in your other thread.

My second son shows his work beautifully without any guidance from me. My oldest, dyslexic and severely dysgraphic, does everything in his head. It is very hard for him to translate his visual picture of the solution to a written stepwise solution. Math problems that take me two pages of writing, he does correctly in his head. It has always been struggle to find a balance between teaching and challenging him, without the frustration of figuring out how to "show work". I try to separate the two for him. His learns by speeding along absorbing and learning lots. He has separate assignments to "show work". He detests busywork so it is hard to find practical ways that he needs to show his work that isn't just busywork. It is easy to say that we need to teach our kids to show their work, but I think in reality we need to tailor this to our student's abilities. As far as how to study the problem for a test, my oldest would ask why anyone would want to go back and "study" a problem. Once he has figured it out it is filed away in his brain and he can reproduce it. He'll come across a math problem on a past competition test and state he doesn't want to do it again since he already did it once with same/different answers two years ago. He can then point to the exact page in any book that the problem was previously done. I know this isn't normal... but it is his normal and he has no clue why anyone would want to go back to "study" previous problems once it has been figured out.

You must be careful when culturing things like this - you might have a very minimal exposure in your water, but a much more concentrated exposure if you grow it.