to name just 3 since I've hsed gr K - 11, but here are three that we used over a long time and have made a real difference in our homeschool: Sonlight Saxon Math (for avg math son) Singapore Math (for adv math son) Brenda

because I have a ds like this, too. He's now a junior and finally starting to see "where this all is going". We've also found that on-line classes have been really helpful to put someone else's deadlines in front of him. I would caution you to start slowly with the on-line classes, though. I don't know about your son's personality, but I know that if we went from 100% taught at home to 100% online, my son would have seen that as my rejection of him, and that would not have been motivating. I'd suggest starting with a couple of classes, and try to find at least one that is in an area that interests him. Then I'd choose another one in an area that he needs to be stretched. Then add possibly one more. Given your location, I don't know if there is a coop or "live" class he could take. If he's a people-person, just being out with a class of others might also motivate him. As Gwen said, it is exhausting trying to motivate an uninterested child, but I think it's worth it in the long run. Brenda

has studied: 8th grade: Early US History (SL 100 + Critical Thinking in US Hist Bks 1 & 2) 9th grade: Late US History (SL 100 + Critical Thinking in US Hist Bks 3 & 4) 10th grade: Early 20th Century History (1900 - 1960 w/SL300) 11th grade: Late 20th Century History (1960 - 1999 w/SL 300) - 1 semester 11th grade: American Gov't (Great Source) - 1 semester For his senior year, he is not planning on studying history because he's interested in science/engineering. He may take Psychology at the cc in the spring semester. HTH, Brenda

I just looked at a bunch of syllabi at colleges my son might be interested in. It's very helpful to see what the various courses cover and what textbooks they use. TA, Brenda

my son used Apologia Biology quite successfully in 9th grade without using either General Science or Physical Science. My only suggestion would be to take the start of Biology slowly and help them learn how to take notes and memorize vocabulary in preparation for the tests. Brenda

Robin, I had one that used Saxon 87, and then went directly into Saxon Algebra I and did fine. My next one used Singapore 1-6, and is finishing Saxon 87 this year. He seems pretty ready for Algebra to me. The last lessons in Math 87 really have quite a bit of Algebra content (Lessons 85 & up). If you did decide to go with Algebra next year, then you probably would want to finish the Math 87 book. JM2Cents, Brenda

Momof7, I think you are right on the money here! My son is just completing a challenging AP-level Physics course, and I've seen his math skills and confidence really grow this year. I think the level of challenging Physics problems he's tackled have required him to really apply the math he's learned (he's also in PreCalc this year). It's been a win-win situation for his overall understanding in both subjects. I had essentially no Physics course in high school (new teacher, didn't really understand the material), and I went on to do well in college Physics, but -- as momof7 said -- it was by far my hardest course that first year. I also had a pretty solid math background. A strong Physics course would have been really helpful in high school, but strong math was more important. Brenda

and he used Saxon 1 in K, and then Singapore 1 - 6. He is ready to transition to Algebra now, and Singapore does a wonderful job developing critical thinking and helping the child be able to attack problems in several different ways. You do need to supplement with math facts practice, and we found doing some mixed review on an ongoing basis to be helpful as well. I used Daily Math Practice for that. My other son, who is an entirely different thinker, used Saxon from gr 4 - 10, and is now using Chalkdust PreCalc. His ACT math score was excellent. I think there are a lot of good programs out there. You really need to find one that you like and can teach, and also one that suits the learning style of the student. I think it's reasonable to expect that if you start with something in gr 1, you might have to make a change or two down the line. However, I don't think it's wise to jump around and change programs every year. Best wishes, Brenda

I heartily agree with momof7. We used the Apologia Biology book and thought it was OK. I am a chemical engineer and I found the Chemistry book not to have the depth I was expecting and left out several topics (like the logarithmic calculation of pH) that I would expect to find in a high school Chemistry I book. I know that some use and like the Apologia books, but if your child is interested in admission to a competitive school and needs to score well on the SAT2, I suggest you look elsewhere. Brenda

Nancy, I really can't say how the publisher's DVDs compare with the ones sold by Chalkdust because I haven't tried the publisher's DVDs. I believe that Dana Mosely is the instructor on both of them. If you do try them, let us know how they work out. I don't have any experience with Dolciani Algebra 2, but from what I've read, it's a strong course, so I don't think a student should have any trouble going from that to Chalkdust's PreCalc. HTH, Brenda

Karin, This is the approach that we've used. We list the courses to be taken and the materials used. We state that we will cover a minimum of 990 hours. I've never been questioned by our school department over how I assign credits. I guess I am fortunate to live in a school district that doesn't ask for much. I hope it stays that way. I only say this because homeschooling high school in your town may be easier than you think. Best wishes, Brenda

after using Saxon through the first half of Advanced Math. We liked Saxon well enough, but once he was in Advanced Math, it became clear to me that he wasn't understanding the concepts very well. Advanced Math is not a very "visual" book at all. I looked around for alternatives, and decided to try Chalkdust, as my son liked the DVD instructor after viewing the samples. He's had a good year with Chalkdust PreCalc, and he still likes the instructor on the DVDs. It is a very full course, though. He started in late August, and has worked on it pretty consistently this year. He still has almost 2 whole chapters to go. I've liked the fact that it reviews some of the advanced algebra and then takes it a bit further. A graphing calculator is required for the course, and the instructor on the DVDs shows the student how to use it. The graphing calculator has really helped my son to understand the whole idea of functions better. The visual presentation is key for him. Also, he likes the fact that the Chalkdust book has real world application problems so he can understand how/where this math will be used in the future. The book also has a few review problems at the end of each section, and it also has cumulative tests every few chapters to keep the information fresh. HTH, Brenda

I saw this, too, in my career -- that not all engineers are interested in the highly technical aspects of design. If these folks had the ability to get through the engineering course at a university, some of them made the best managers because they understood the general ideas and how much skill it takes to work on the details. Of all the people I know who are engineers, only a few of them work on the cutting edge of true design. Brenda

It's great that your son has a vision of where he wants to go for a career at such a young age. It's really helpful in planning school down the line. I'm an engineer (Chemical), and my son, who is a high school junior, is also headed in that direction. As far as school goes, I think the most important thing you can do is place an emphasis on math right now. You should be shooting for him to do Algebra 1 no later than the 8th grade, if possible, so that he can be taking Calculus his senior year of high school. It's true that most engineering programs only require that a high schooler complete PreCalc, but in my experience, most do complete Calculus in high school and these kids do better in Engineering school as a result. Science courses are important, too, especially in high school. He should complete at least Biology, Chemistry, and Physics in high school. If you don't have a background in higher-level math or science, you might start to think about how/where he'll take those courses as he gets older. There are a lot of on-line options, and community college (or a local college or university) would also be a great option. I also think that history and literature/writing are also important to a budding engineer. Engineers typically have the reputation for having poor skills in these areas, and if one has strong communication skills, one can stand out. As far as extracurricular activities, I don't think you necessarily HAVE to do anything special to aim for an engineering career, but I'm aware of a few options. My older son (the 11th grader) is in the Boy Scouts. He's met a good number of the dads in the troop who are in technical fields. Just talking to these guys on outings has helped him shape his career interests. He's also been able to earn merit badges in Computers, Space Exporation, etc. We have no personal experience with Civil Air Patrol, but that might be something to look into. I think it's structured a bit like scouts, but it has more of an aviation bent. You might also check with any colleges in your area to see if they have summer camps/programs in science/engineering. There is also a group around here called FIRST Lego league that has competitions where kids build robots and compete against other teams. HTH, Brenda

Tracey, I was in this position about 7 years ago. I used Saxon 54 with my then 4th grader after school. It wasn't pretty. We had to spend at least an hour, 4 days/wk doing math out of Saxon. He cooperated because he knew he was weak in math. The bright side is that after a year with Saxon 54, he was all caught up. However, once I saw that I could successfully teach him at home, it gave me the confidence to begin homeschooling. He's still at home, a high school junior, now taking PreCalc. The only advice I'd give your friend is that she's probably going to have to get some other program and do a good amount of math at home with her child so he/she learns the traditional approach. The other thing she should do (as someone else mentioned) is to make absolutely sure her child knows his/her math facts. I shot for 2-3 second recall of facts before I considered it learned. You might suggest that she look at Aleks. It's an online program that pretests the child and then works with them on what they haven't yet mastered. Here is the web link for a free month. http://www.aleks.com/webform/c12 Maybe this would be enough to help her child. Best wishes, Brenda

with a few supplements. I used it with a math intuitive ds from level 1 to 6. I found that you definitely need to supplement in a couple of areas, though. First, you need to do some kind of number facts drill regularly, whether that's with flash cards, flashmaster, or something similar. Second, I also found mixed practice to be helpful in long term retention. I used Daily Math Practice (Evan Moor) for that. Five problems a day. They were fairly easy, but presented in a more "American" format and helped him have regular review on a number of concepts. This son is now ready for Algebra, and he's got great mathematical thinking skills. I credit Singapore Math and endorse it wholeheartedly. I'll put in the caveat, though, that I didn't use any kind of Instructor Guides with Singapore because they weren't out when we used Primary Math. If the Instructor Guides provide enough supplements, then you might not need anything else. HTH, Brenda

I'm not familiar with the prep classes that were mentioned above, but my son took an SAT essay prep class from Andrew Pudewa of IEW a couple of years ago. I used the materials from that class to help him practice again this spring. With these materials and a couple of weeks of practice, he got pretty good at the SAT essay prompts. However, the ACT prompts are quite different. We used the real ACT prep book to practice for the ACT essay. Ds actually found the ACT essay harder because the topics are more related to things that a child in a building school would be familiar with. Some of the topics in the prep books included things like debating the merits of school uniforms or whether the school library should carry popular magazines. Also, the ACT expects that the child will offer the counter-argument to his/her chosen side and refute it. The SAT essay questions are more philosophical and are more of a straight -- this is my view and here are examples to support it. I think that if your child is weak in essay writing in general, then any of the popular resources would help quite a bit. If he/she is prepping just for the ACT essay, then practice with sample prompts would be the best preparation as far as I know. If there is another resource specifically for prepping for the ACT essay, I'd like to know about it too! HTH, Brenda

What a wonderful story! I bet your son learned a lot of good lessons through the process, too, and what a great example for his brothers! Happy Mother's Day! Brenda

she could easily get through it during the summer, and it reviews all the math on the SAT, not just the Geometry. She could couple that with SAT practice tests and maybe some other general math review books. If she has access to a decent library, she could probably check out a variety of test-prep and review books that would provide extra practice problems. Also, you can get test books that are specifically aimed at preparing for the math SAT, and these usually have concept review sections she could go through. Personally, I don't think I'd work through a whole Geometry program if I was just interested in test prep because things like proofs (which are a big part of most Geometry courses) are not covered on the SAT. HTH, Brenda

they offer a diploma that's accredited, and they give you a lot of choice on the curriculum you use. We've used them for 4 years now, and we've been satisfied. The only issue I've heard that is a problem for some is that they may not be recognized by the NCAA if your child wants to pursue sports in college. http://www.narhs.org. HTH, Brenda

What a wonderful validation of your homeschooling efforts! Thanks for sharing, too. Sometimes when you're in the trenches, it's hard to see the finish line. Best wishes, Brenda

with the Physical Science text, but my ds used Apologia Biology in the 9th grade after using Rainbow Science in middle school. He did fine with the Biology, but as one of the other posters said, there is quite a bit of memorization. If you think your child is ready for Biology, then I'd say to go for it, and then move on to Chemistry provided that they completed Algebra 1 before beginning Chemistry. I don't see any need to go back and do Physical Science. JM2Cents, Brenda

Way to go, Lisa!!!! God is good!!!! Best wishes, Brenda

They have a late 19th century American pack that's designed to be completed in one semester and includes short stories and poetry as well as literary analysis. It does include Huck Finn, but also Uncle Tom's Cabin. Just a thought. Brenda

This is me, definitely. Ds still has several weeks to go in a couple of on-line classes, so I feel that I have to keep up the good front for his sake. The weather is finally nice, though, and younger ds is nearly done, so it's hard. Brenda