Thanks, I will take a look at it!

Thanks for the recommendation!

Thank you! I will check this writing program out. It helps to know it works for you kiddo with high functioning autism.

This is actually really good to hear. Like I said, so many things have come late to him, that I've really not been pushing writing. But the last thing I want to do is hinder his chances in life due to inaction on my part. I do think I have a few years still to work on his writing. But I don't want to put it off too long.

Your third grader is writing in a more coherent fashion than my seventh grader does. I do like your idea of finding what he is interested in and writing about that. I have tried that, but I think I give up to easily, because it's such a struggle. I've had him pick a historical figure to write about. I've had him do a report on cats, which are his favorite thing on the planet. Sometimes he can write about anything he wants. The thing is, I'm just not seeing much improvement. And I don't know how to help him.

My son was an early reader and has always done well with math. He loves reading about and watching videos on science and history. Overall he is a bright kid who is interested in learning. The one area he has always been "behind" in is writing. I put behind in quotes because normally I'm not really concerned about ahead or behind, because I figure it will all even out in the end. Anything we don't cover while homeschooling that he needs to know if life, he can learn when it comes up. My goal, though I'm not always successful at it, is for us to enjoy learning together. But he is in seventh grade now and through a couple recent conversations I realize that he is behind where my fourth grade nephew is in writing. As the years pass and his writing isn't getting much better I'm starting to worry. His current goal for after he finishes high school is to go to college to study computer science or computer engineering. Right now he is not on track writing wise to succeed in college. I know it's still a ways off, but I want to get this turned around fairly soon so he isn't playing catch up when he gets to college. So far he has hated every writing program we tried. We have Brave Writer, Essentials in Writing, Writing with Skill, Institute for Excellence in Writing, and a few others I'm probably forgetting. On the one had I could just pick one and force him to do it. But with every other subject, he actually wants to learn it. He may have days where he doesn't want to do school work, but for the most part he enjoys what he is studying. Everything except writing. And I'm afraid if I just force him to do it I will kill any chance that he will ever enjoy writing. He finds all the curricula we have tried boring or tedious and just resists my every effort to get him to do them. My son is on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum and has ADHD. Writing has always been hard for him, so I let him type instead of write by hand a lot of the time. And I have found with a lot of skills, things that other kids did at a certain age, he just did later - he was late to talk and potty train. He didn't learn to tie his shoes until he was about 10. It's only within the last year or two that his drawings have evolved beyond stick figures. And honestly I had to learn awhile ago to just leave some things until later, because he would just learn them when he was ready. But he is in the seventh grade now and I would say his writing is about the level of a second or third grader. And I fear that if we don't get on this soon, it may impact what he wants to do in life. So, if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I am happy to try a new curriculum if there is a better fit out there. I am willing to put together my own if people have some suggestions. I am actually thinking of hiring a writing tutor, though now is not the ideal time with the pandemic going on. He doesn't really like online classes. He does pretty well with grammar and his spelling is better than mine. It's really just the writing I need help with. Any ideas at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to anyone who read to the end and has suggestions to offer!

What you are describing is what I want to do, which I know, will be a lot of work. Thankfully I am finding several really good books of math projects that I can order online. I have been gathering some games and books of story problems. We will see how it goes and how long I can make it doing all of that planning. I have looked at Right Start. I just their games a while back, so I will probably pull those out again so we can use them.

I want to travel to New England plus New York state this fall and do an American history trip, specifically colonial America and the Revolutionary War. Has anyone done this or does anyone here live in those areas who would like to tell me some not-to-be missed places? I also plan to hit Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC in the spring.

We like Perfectly Perilous Math as well, but the other book and the AIMs units are new to me so I will check those out. Thanks!

I am reading one of the Mathematical Mindset books right now too! I am looking at the Mindset Mathematics: Visualizing and Investigating Big Ideas. They have them for third, fourth and fifth grade. I am hoping to use the projects in the books sort of like Brave Writer has the month-long projects. I will check out the Heinemann website as well. It looks promising.

A couple people have mentioned both Right Start and the Charlotte Mason Business Math, so I am definitely going to read up on those. Thanks!

Thanks, I will do some research into Living Math tomorrow when I am more alert. It sounds like it could be promising.

He is 10 and going into fifth grade.

Thanks for the suggestion. I opened the link so I can read through it tomorrow.

You make a good point regarding having a strong background in bath. Maybe I'd better brush up on my skills for the rest of the summer so I am better prepared. My son is 10 and going into fifth grade.