My 12yo DS who has dyslexia and an extremely high IQ, scored 12.8 grade level equivalency on the CAT Reading Vocabulary this year. I have never done a vocabulary curriculum with him. His father and I both have higher education degrees and use a broad vocabulary. Should I start doing a classical roots vocabulary program with him, or just let him keep learning vocabulary as he reads and discusses with us? (He also listens to a ton of books on audio, including many classical works, that are at a high school reading level.) Thanks for any insights.

My daughter is in 4th grade and just finished Spelling Workout C. She really dislikes it and would like to change curricula. She is also a natural speller. Any recommendations for a program that works well for a natural speller and isn’t very teacher intensive. (AAS is out because my dyslexic 12 year-old uses it and she would pass him up in a flash.) From my research thus far, I’m looking at Spellwell, Sequential Spelling, Soaring with Spelling, Christian Liberty’s Building Spelling Skills, and Spelling Wisdom. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.

Does anyone use TOG and IEW together? My DS10 just started IEW this year and it is really clicking for him, so I would like to stick with it. But I am also wanting to start TOG Year 1 next year and I'm not sure how to make them work together. Anyone with experience here? (I tried searching the forum, but didn't find anything helpful.) Thanks.

I know this thread is a couple years old, but I'm curious if you have found your DS's MENSA membership helpful. The psychologist that tested my DS10 recommended I try it for him. We live in Hawaii, so I don't know if there is much available for youth here, but I figured it might be worth a shot. We move every few years, so maybe in the next place there will be more. Thanks.

My ds is almost halfway through with FLL3 and is a third of the way through WWE2. I'm thinking of switching to Shurley English 4. Would it be overkill to keep doing WWE? What about not doing the writing portions of Shurley in favor of WWE? I trust the WWE/WWS method, so I'm hesitant to abandon it. Part of the reason I'm switching is I suspect my ds is dyslexic and possibly dysgraphic. He really hates all the physical writing in FFL3. He doesn't like the writing in WWE, but he tolerates it better. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks.

It's my understanding that TT can be done entirely on the computer. Here is TT's explanation of the workbook (from their website): "The main advantage of owning the consumable workbook (in addition to the CDs) is that it prevents students from having to copy down each problem on a separate sheet, which saves them time and helps them to avoid errors. Having a workbook also allows students to continue doing assignments even if their computer malfunctions or they need to work away from home. Another advantage is that the workbook contains written summaries of each lecture, so students can just skim over the summary instead of re-watching the lecture if they forget a key point. Finally, the workbook allows you, the parent, to view the entire course’s content at a glance. Many parents value the ability to see all the problems in a lesson printed on a page, so they can pick select problems for the student to work on."

I'm attending a homeschool convention in 4 weeks, but I need math and spelling curriculum NOW! I'm going to buy Teaching Textbooks and Spelling-U-See. Do you think their booths will have a convention discount worth the wait, or should I just buy it online so I can start using them ASAP? Thanks.

Thank you all so much for the input and encouragement. I'm thinking Right Start will probably be a better match for us.

Yes, he very much hates the act of writing. I'm toying with the idea of talking to his pediatrician about it. He loves Legos and has no problem with those, so it seems to me his fine motor skills are normal. But I'm still wondering if there is an underlying physiological problem.

My DS8 does not like math (and he is pretty average at it). He hates writing and worksheets in any subject. We used Singapore for 1st and 2nd with it becoming more and more painful toward the end. We switched to BA this year and are almost done with 3B. It's not a winner for us. Neither of us are clicking with their explanations and (again) he hates the workbook. I've been looking at other options and I'm thinking Saxon (my pick) or TT (his pick). But today he asked about an option that is hands on. He doesn't like the look of Math-U-See. Right Start could be a possibility. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

That's interesting because when I taught Saxon in a second grade classroom, there was a guide for grading each test. I think the word problems were usually 7 points and the basic arithmetic were 1 or 2. Drawing problems had a portion for the picture and a portion for the answer. Strange that the guides aren't included with the homeschool curriculum (they were printed on the answer keys).

The Water Horse Titus Rules

I think the lab kit is totally worth it! I know myself, and if it is too much of a pain to collect the supplies, then we won't do the experiment-- and that is my DS's favorite part. I'm very happy I bought the kit.

I am thinking of asking a grandparent to get my DS7 a subscription to the Pley Lego service (like Netflix, only with Lego sets) for his birthday or Christmas. Has anyone used this service or another like it? I'd love to hear any feedback about your experiences. Did your child have a hard time returning the set or were they content knowing another one was coming? How did you keep the rental set separate from your child's personal Lego sets? Thanks.

I don't really have any need to give my DS7 a report card, because I know exactly how he is doing and where he needs to be improving (and our state doesn't require it). That said, do any of you give report cards so that your child can receive the incentives that local business offer? i.e. coupons, free ice cream, free movie. He doesn't know about these things yet, but I feel like he is missing out a little and might enjoy the benefits from his hard work this year. He is finishing up 2nd-ish grade- meaning he is not up to grade level in reading/spelling, but is probably above grade level in grammar and history. How would you assign grades? Thanks.

We're headed there in a couple weeks as well! Thanks for asking the question!

My DS7 and his friends love perler beads. They are plastic and you make a design on a peg board then iron the beads to melt them together. They especially love making Minecraft stuff with them. (You can get them at Hobby Lobby.). They are also great for fine motor skills.

Really, you can just open any notepad app and use the dictation function. As long as she can speak the word clearly, I think it would work. (I'm speaking of Apple products particularly, but I imagine other platforms have a similar function.)

In iTunes on your laptop, mark them as audiobooks, skip when shuffling, and remember position. Then resync your device. You can use the Music app then, no problem.

My DS7 is almost done with the first year's worth of primary level Bible Study Guide for All Ages. We have loved the curriculum and it is a good fit for us. My DD4 enjoys doing it with us when she is not at preschool (maybe twice a month). Next year she will start full-time homeschool with us. She will be in K doing MFW. I would like to let her do Bible Study Guide with us, but she will be a year behind. What would you do? Have DS do something else for a year while I catch her up? Just let her start with year two and miss year one? Help! Thanks.

Headphones help my son as well. Soothing music that blocks out other noise. When I was a classroom teacher I had an ADD student that could get amazing amount of work done when he sat on a yoga ball and bounced away while working.

Have you looked at Real Science 4 Kids' Focus on Elementary Physics?

I don't have the book in front of me, but I recall all of the experiments being hands on. We built a molecule with marshmallows, baked bread, tasted different foods, tested different things to find if they were acids or bases. If you want more examples, let me know and I can look at the book to tell you in more detail.

I like the look of Reading Roadmaps from centerforlit.com. I haven't started using it yet, but I'm excited about it.

My DS7 wanted to give up reading and math for Lent-- and we don't even celebrate Lent!