We are currently using it; my 8yo/3rd grade dd started it last quarter and is in chapter 4. I also strongly considered skipping it after reading that a lot of people had issues with it, and was going back and forth. I finally decided I liked the looks of it, I liked the positives people said, I didn't fully "get" the negatives, and if we tried it and it wasn't working out, we could always switch and just be a couple months less accelerated than if we hadn't tried it. So I decided to go ahead and try it, and I am so glad I did. It has really helped her get used to the idea that not getting everything right the first time is ok (she wouldn't say good, but she wouldn't say bad and act like it's the end of the world anymore, either). After somewhat guiding her through the first chapter, mostly to get familiar with the format, she is doing it mostly independently, coming to me when she gets stumped (which is already happening less as she is willing to struggle with it herself for longer), and to check/compare solutions for the exercises. She still gets a little upset if she thought she had something right but didn't, but she shows me how she got her answer, and she either sees the mistake as she's going through it, or I ask questions to help her see. It has also helped her gain real confidence in and engagement with math. I remember her telling someone she was "just ok" at and "not very interested" in math (in a setting where she had felt comfortable saying the things she felt she was good at, and she confirmed when we were alone that she did feel that way) shortly before she started PA, even though she knew she was finishing up 6th-grade level math at the beginning of 3rd grade. Now, a few weeks ago, she saw me looking at the Epsilon Camp site and when I explained it to her, she was very interested and said she would like to try to finish Alg.1 in time to go next summer. Totally surprised me! I also want to say that I really like the book myself (so far). The way it shows how and why the "rules" and "tricks" really work, and how thinking about things in a different way can make something that seems incredibly difficult become incredibly easy, is just plain cool. :)

I don't have any experience with it, but Zometool always looks cool to me. http://zometool.com/products/detail/advanced-math-bundle1

Depending on what you're looking for, "Health Studies" from Studies Weekly (http://www.studiesweekly.com/online/) and/or http://kidshealth.org/ may be good. They are both more independent, though.

Another person in denial here; it's not possible my oldest will be in 4th grade in half a year! So I haven't thought about next year specifically much, although I do have a long-term plan to start from. Math: Continue current program. Maybe add some competition prep and/or competitions. LA: Continue MCT (Town next year). Online literature class. Finish spelling program and then ? For writing, we are planning to start CAP Fable in a couple weeks, as soon as we finish WWE3. So next year's writing will depend in part on how that goes. I feel like writing is the hardest thing for me to get my head around teaching, so I feel pulled to everything I see people having success with (WWE/WWS, IEW, MCT, Kilgallon, CAP, . . .), while in reality I'm doing less than I "should" be for my goals. Science: Probably ES Earth. Also considering BFSU. I really need to think about what I want to do for science, and make sure I do it. So far, curriculum has not really been getting done, but they have been reading quite a bit, and we do some cool science-related things, both at home and out. I would like to do more since we all enjoy it and it is important to me that they have a solid understanding of science. History: We will be starting our first cycle (we pulled out of ps in the middle of last year, and have been doing American History). I will definitely be using SOTW with the younger 2 (K and 2nd), and I am trying to decide whether to just do that with all 3, or have my oldest do some combination of that and Human Odyssey. Also thinking about incorporating the history of science and/or world religions, so if I do that SOTW should be enough straight history. Logic: Want to start some logic, but not sure with what. I want a really solid, secular program. Foreign Language: Continue Spanish with duolingo, and I would like to add something we do together to practice speaking conversationally, and to be better about reading Spanish children's books with them. Will start Latin as well, probably with GSWL. Computer: Probably will get a little more "serious" about computer stuff. To date, she's done keyboarding, and a couple intro to programming things. I'll probably have her (and my middle one, who loves computers) go through the Scratch book at least. Art: Continue with Home Art Studio DVDs (hopefully more consistently), projects to go with studies, and local 1-off opportunities. She loves art but it is not my thing, so I would like to find a consistent outside class, but have been unsuccessful so far. Misc: Continue music lessons and Karate. I would really like to do more projects, both initiated by me (EiE and Shelagh Gallagher's units are 2 I'm considering) and by them. But I've been trying to give them more independent project time since we gave them a project table for Christmas, and I haven't been able to do that consistently. My kids and I would like to do more of pretty everything we're doing, plus add in new things, plus more social time and more free time, and somehow I can't make that happen. :lol:

We've not BTDT, but that is my plan when my daughter finishes UIL, starting with http://www.onlineg3.com/mod/page/view.php?id=3222#ll7.

Mine, too! I think they started a day or two late, but even if we hadn't, they could not have kept up, and it was definitely more than 3-5 hours per week for them. (They had only done "hour of code" prior, so they were true beginners, but I figured that would be the expected level in an "Intro to Programming" class.) They did enjoy what they did get through, and from what I saw it did seem well-though-out, but the expected rate was just way above what they were capable of.

I agree it sounds like it will not be a good fit, and you probably want to plan to homeschool. However, I would also go ahead and enroll, attend round-up, etc. Enrolling isn't a commitment, and you can just call as soon as you know for sure to let them know she will not be attending; no problem (even if it is the day before school starts). And, particularly with 1/2 day K, you could still use any materials and plans with "afterschooling" if you want. On the flip side, if you don't enroll and then for whatever reason do decide to send her, you'll have missed those and it will be more stressful to "catch up" in the process. It will also give you more chance to meet the other teacher, learn more about what she would be doing, etc., so you can make a more informed decision.

My 8yo just finished Chapter 1, but I went with spiral bound graph paper. It's working well so far, but wide rule would have been fine as well so far. I chose spiral so papers don't get lost or out of order, and graph paper because it can be easier to line things up, plus I'm assuming at some point she will need to graph some things and I don't want to have loose papers to add in. Also, in addition to working the problems in order from the front, I am having her keep a "Reference" section of the properties, etc. that the book highlights - starting from the back. Again, this is working well for us so far, but we are just 1 chapter in.

I remember reading the same from those who went to their spring conference, so I'm excited he's coming out West.

I saw these on their facebook, and haven't seen it mentioned here. They're in Albuquerque. Homeschool Curriculum http://www.rfwp.com/pages/royal-fireworks-press-homeschool-curriculum-conference/ 2/20-21 Asynchronous Development http://www.rfwp.com/pages/asynchronyconference/ 2/21-22

Congratulations! Very exciting and inspiring!

In our district, they use the CogAT. Scoring 97th or higher in any one of the three areas, or 95th composite, qualifies a student. All second-grade students at every district school are given the test. In addition, it can be taken by teacher or parent recommendation any other year. You can submit IQ tests instead - I think the cutoff is 125. Qualifying students are placed in self-contained classes (starting with one K class). There is no differentiation with the program, though. All the gifted classes follow the standards for 1 year ahead.

Not angry, just as I was not angry with the teachers my kids had before we pulled them to homeschool. I think they did/do the best they can with what they have. I absolutely have felt things like disappointment, regret, "if only...", etc. (And maybe a bit of mad at my parents for not seeing how little I was getting out of it - and the negatives I was experiencing - and doing something about it.)

Congratulations! And thanks for the info; eIMACS is on the outer edge of my radar for when mine are older, so I appreciate the firsthand feedback to file away for later.

Oops - my first double post.

"That's not fair" - my son (who will be 6 next month, and finishing MM3 soon thereafter) on hearing my daughter announce that she only has 2 more lessons of MM6 before she gets to start Pre-Algebra.

Beautiful! Very inspiring; thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing, EndOfOrdinary. I think there are some things that she "knows" but doesn't understand inside and out, as you're saying about your son. Another reason to proceed as planned; thanks. And I expect we will do similar to you and boscopup, with me guiding her through it at first as she adjusts, then working towards her becoming independent with it. Thanks!

I am definitely getting that impression. :) Thanks for explaining how you are working through it with your son. I think that my strategy, at least to start, will be similar - to guide her through it, really observing her every step so I can see how far away she really is from "getting it". Then from there I can determine whether to let her flounder a bit, guide her, have her practice the skills with something else, show her the solution, skip it, or whatever. Hopefully that will allow her to experience the benefits without getting unnecessarily/overly frustrated. So, reasons to use AoPS Pre-Algebra (even though pre-algebra content is "mastered") that I am hearing and speak to me are: 1) Provide the "depth" I claim to want but don't always know how to provide 2) Provide a transition to the level of challenge in AoPS materials 3) Provide a transition to the discovery approach in AoPS materials (with the goal being for her to be able to handle this fairly independently by the end of Pre-Algebra)

She is definitely expressive, but "I got 1 wrong" or "I don't immediately get it" can look very similar to "This is so impossibly hard and I can't believe you are torturing me with impossible tasks and I am so hopeless". :D

Lots of great points; thanks, everyone. Yeah, the (extremely) mixed reviews of AoPS's Pre-Algebra is the reason I still haven't decided what to for pre-algebra. I actually bought it, but haven't had a chance to go through it; I am planning to do so over our upcoming quarter break. So that might help me decide, too. Also, I had forgotten about AoPS's placement tests but will definitely use them; thanks, wapititi. But I think I will tentatively plan to stick with my original plan, of at least trying AoPS Pre-Algebra. I was just so surprised to see that she scored so close to mastery before we even started. I guess I shouldn't have been, given what I mentioned previously about hearing that pre-algebra is just solidifying everything covered to date; plus, when she was in school she skipped 2nd and 4th grade math by testing out at the beginning of the year. Knowing what I've read about AoPS, though, I figured I should ask those who have used it, and I'm glad I did. I am definitely staying flexible, though, and I do like melmichigan's suggestion of at least doing Alcumus, so I might go by section and have her do some fully and some with just Alcumus. So, new question: If you skipped sections of or completely left AoPS (or considered, or would consider, doing so), what is your criteria for doing so? I am wanting to use AoPS for the challenge of it, as I think many people are. She has had very little challenge to date, and is uncomfortable with it. So if she struggles with AoPS, that is what I want. But how do you differentiate between "adjusting to being challenged" and "being unnecessarily frustrated by overly complicated material" (the latter being my understanding of why many people skip or leave AoPS Pre-Algebra)?

My daughter is nearing the end of my pre- pre-algebra plan (centered on Math Mammoth 6). So I had her take the DOMA pre-algebra as a baseline for the next step. Her results were: Integer Operations .................mastery Fraction Operations ................mastery Decimal Operations ................mastery Comparing & Converting ........mastery Estimating & Rounding. ..........mastery Evaluating Exponents .............mastery Ratios and Proportions ...........mastery Simplifying Expressions ........partial mastery Coordinate Graphing ..............mastery Linear Func. & Exte. Pat. .......mastery Simple Equations ...................mastery Geometry ................................mastery Interpreting Data .....................mastery Simple Probability...................mastery With a few sub-sections also not mastered within the "mastered" topics, there are a total of 9 out of over 100 sub-sections (such as "Simplifying [expressions] with variables and exponents") that she did not pass. My question is, has anyone used DOMA testing and AoPS? Once we cover the 9 sub-sections, is that an indication that she is likely ready for AoPS Algebra? I think I have read on the boards previously that some say pre-algebra is not necessary for a student who really understands everything taught to that point - that it is basically a solidification of those skills before heading into algebra. What do you think? She is 8, so I don't want to rush needlessly, but if she really is ready for it, I think she would find it more interesting. Also, I might add that I am still not sure what I want to do for pre-algebra, so if we are skipping it, that would be easier for me. :D

Another difference here and now (versus in hunter-gatherer societies) is that kids mostly don't get to observe a lot of the adults' work, so they don't know what skills that need to "practice." I do agree that kids need more free-play time than most get, for the reasons they stated and more.

Yes, so far (5 weeks in). Actually, all of the supplies seem to be pretty good quality (not high-end, artist quality, but definitely not goody-bag quality either).

I got mine on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Lego-Art-Carousel-Stationery-Character/dp/B006LMIV52/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377058169&sr=8-1&keywords=lego+art+carousel It is pricey for what it is, but my kids decided that our "school mascot" was the minifig, so when I was looking for something special for our first full year homeschooling and saw this, it was perfect.