My 5th grader and I are loving Vantage Learning's My Access writing program. It's done on the computer, online, and the essays are automatically scored. It comes with preloaded topics, and you can add your own as well. You can look at their scores over time and see what areas they need more instruction in - - spelling, organization, grammar, etc. There are activities in each topic for students to practice with. linky: http://www.vantagelearning.com/home/products/mahome/

I do have my 5th grader do some outlines, but nowhere near the amount WTM calls for - - no way does she outline every chapter in history, for example. Note-taking was the norm for me in my studies, and probably will be for my kids as well. I never outlined in the WTM manner, and had no problems picking up the skill of outlines for my own writing.

My dd's incentive for being careful in math is not having to do it over again. If she misses one or two problems, I will simply go over them with her. If she misses several, she has to rework them. When she makes me say "WHAT were you thinking??" she has to rework the missed problems, along with additional ones for practice. That's the 'stick.' The 'carrot' is that if she does outstanding work for several days, I sometimes let her skip bookwork for a day and do math on the computer. And yes, she does better on the HARDER chapters, because she is paying attention!

Crest Whitestrips work well for me and my sister. In her case, she had gone the professional route and it didn't have much effect at all (the retainer style with gel in it); the otc worked much better and was of course much cheaper.

My kids practice entirely on their own. If a parent has a strong musical background, I can see where paying more attention could be helpful, but alas, I do not. The tiny amount that I could assist with is not worth the time and frustration. As far as learning the notes, there are flash cards and games that you can do with him if you really want to help in some way. Frankly, I have come to the conclusion that I have enough on my plate, and providing the instruments, books, and lessons is going to have to be enough!

I finally tested this - yes, you can erase with a normal pencil eraser. Some kinds take more work than others; mostly, it erased quite easily. I find it quicker than the rubbing alcohol, actually.

My dd is that exact age/grade, and she'd much prefer to type everything as well. She really hates cursive, doesn't mind print too much. Now that she can both read and write cursive, I'm letting her do copywork/handwriting in print again. She writes for spelling, grammar and history timeline. Most of her reports are typed. I don't think it's a big deal to let him type reports and such, but I'd make him learn how to type properly. There are lots of cheap programs and it's easy enough for a 5th grader. I'd probably offer an incentive - - when you reach x goal in typing, you may begin typing your English compositions and history reports. We don't do nearly as much writing as Alana's family, I'm afraid.

First of all, :grouphug: Spelling isn't worth being in tears over, I promise you! The first thing I'd probably recommend is to forget about it for a few weeks, just relax (both you and him). I have a great reader/poor speller. Neither of us can stand the level of busywork in most spelling programs. We finally settled on the following method, adapted from a few sources. Right now, we are using a Spectrum spelling book we own for word lists, but you could probably get lists of the internet as well. On Fridays, we test her current words. Any that she gets incorrect stay on the list for next week. Then we test new words - - she just spells them out loud for the most part, but some she has to write down to see if they look correct. I keep a tally of ones she doesn't know, and when we get to ten words, that's next week's spelling list. On Monday, she reads her list and spells each word out loud. Each day she reads and writes each word just once. We do things like: write them in script, in print, in ABC order, etc. On Thursdays, she looks at the word until she's confident she can spell it, covers the word and spells it. Friday we test those words and her new words.

yes, but that's not saying much in my school district. at their grade levels (third and fifth), I feel I can do a better job academically than both the public and private schools in the area - - not in every single aspect, but definitely overall. academically, some of the high schools (including the public ones) have a tremendous amount to offer - IB programs, advanced honor classes, etc. there are also many clubs and activities that hs'ers cannot participate in (again, in this area). it's something I'll evaluate in a couple of years.

There are a few types of the wrist bands, but the most commonly available is Sea Bands. They do sell a children's version, which is available at drugstore.com (maybe locally as well, but I couldn't find them around here). They work extremely well for me, and cost about ten to fifteen dollars. Also: *no milk before travelling *middle seat *handheld, battery operated fan to blow air on her face (if she wishes) *mints or other hard candy

American Girl is another good one for that age group.

Mmmm, chocolate fountain! My friend actually has one, I'm sure we could borrow it. Here's the info I should have included in my first post :D *it's in addition to the wedding cake, people can eat from this table at any time *both kids and adults *anything that can be pre-made to some extent is excellent thanks, guys! I'm off to check the cupcake site (gotta love the internet)

and why don't any of the 'food amount calculators' include dessert?? ((if anyone can help with that, there will be a full meal, along with finger foods, in addition to dessert)) This is for my nephew's wedding, about 150 people. We will be both making stuff (cappucino cookies) and buying pre-made stuff (mini-cheesecakes). Any great ideas?

I never thought about it, but it seems to make sense! I think I'll give it a try.

I prefer something tangible to online sources, but I find that 'museum' books do the trick for us at a much lower price. These are simply books on a certain subject, such as the Declaration of Independence, that contain replicas of original documents, maps, posters, etc. The content seems quite similar to Jackdaws, going by their web site description. The replicas might fold out of a certain page, or be in an envelope attached to the page - - think of the Egyptology/Dragonolgy books, or Griffin and Sabine. Very engaging. Examing primary sources for specific topics isn't important to me, so I just buy whatever ones I find on sale/clearance.

I would change nothing and ramp up nothing for this semester, for several reasons; First, as Sue quoted: "Don't make the reward for work well done be more work." If your dd can 'turn it on and off' - - and honestly, can't we all? - - won't she certainly turn it off if being 'on' most the time translates into additional, unwelcomed work? Second, if you agreed to this workload for this semester, I think that the potential damage done (to her attitude, to your relationship) outweighs any potential benefit to making any changes. On a practical note, the school year has barely begun. Many of her subjects are likely still in the review period (math, grammar), so she may not be finishing this quickly for long. Also, with such a stressful year last year, she may simply NEED a more relaxed schedule for a time. Last, but most important, your dd sounds like a neat kid who is accomplishing a lot. It sounds like she is studying all the normal subjects in school, along with two languages, an instrument, and multiple sports. She has interesting, productive hobbies, and a seemingly good attitude toward her family (she speaks openly to you, she plays with her little brothers). It's okay if she chooses not to be the highest achiever on the block for a few months. Limit her screen time and don't worry about it. Do you know what really impresses me about her? The fact that she was so straightforward and articulate about things. She told you that the workload and stress of the last year made her feel discouraged and alone, she told you what she thought she needed to make this year better, and she had a reasonable and non-defensive explanation when you asked her about finishing so early. That's an amazing and valuable talent in a 12-year-old! Next time she finishes before noon, just smile and say, "You rock! Wanna bake some cookies?" :D

Let me instead point you to one of SWB's article on creative writing, and why it can't be 'taught.' It comes complete with a hilarious story about why her extremely intelligent and successful brother failed freshman writing in college: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/journaling.php I wouldn't spend a lot of time or effort trying to explain journaling to him. I'd teach him how to write complete sentences, make sure he always has a ready supply of pens/pencils/notebooks in case he DOES get inspired, and leave it at that.

Much like spontaneous reading, being verbally precocious almost always means a noticeably bright child, but not neccesarily a gifted one. Correct pronunciation isn't relevant. I think the comments about the shoes and glasses show simple verbal precocity; the remark about the sun, and the fact that it's ongoing, is more indicative of lotsa thinking going on behind the scenes. I think the data supports a strong genetic correlation for IQ; that is, if one child is gifted, it's more likely than usual that siblings will test gifted as well, and they will almost certainly test in the bright to very bright range (unless something like Down's Syndrome comes into play). Personally, I'm not quite as sold on the 'siblings generally test within 5 points of each other' data - - that's a very strong statement, pretty much equivalent to saying siblings will have no discernable differences in scores. Scores vary from test to test, especially in the higher ranges (by test to test, I don't mean different tests, but the same test given at different ages/times). And if the initially tested child is profoundly gifted, I certainly don't think the sibs will tend to test within 5 points. I don't have the knowledge to pick the research apart, but I see data for sibling correlation originating in many places. The 'five points' data I have only seen from gifted centers that sell testing and other services to parents. Specializing in gifted services might mean a high level of expertise, but it also means they have a horse in this race - - research that indicates gifted children have gifted siblings definitely serves their financial interests. That doesn't mean their research ISN'T accurate (and, again, I don't have the chops to prove it one way or the other), but it makes my cynical little self leery of their findings.

I really dislike this kind of deal. I've done it with people I love very much, who support us 110%, and it's still difficult. There are always monetary costs associated with free trips, always, and you never have complete freedom when vacationing with others (even when they don't pay). I've spent quite a lot of money on 'free' trips, lol, and I always struggle with the fact that, dang, if I'm spending money, I'd rather spend it exactly the way I please!

I personally don't care to use them, but people think/work differently. If they seemed helpful to any of my kids, that would be fine with me (although I'd probably only introduce if other methods didn't work well). I'm sure quite a few people on the boards do choose to use them, so perhaps "am I the only one who doesn't find them useful?" would be better wording than STOOPID, ;)

I would probably aim for a very hands-on, interactive approach to her problem areas. Any concept that consistently confuses her would get get re-taught from square one. Fractions: There are lots of great manipulatives for fractions. At a minimum, I would get fraction squares, circles and tiles. The tiles in particular are an excellent visual, making it very obvious how 2/4 equals 1/2, and that 1/3 is bigger than 1/9. I'd also consider the Connecting Cuisinare Rods for Fractions, Decimals and Percents. Again, start fresh with 'easy' problems and have her work them out using the manipulatives. I wouldn't give her the choice of using them or not, even on the easy problems - you want her to see how it works again and again, and to be used to working with them by the time the work becomes difficult. Area: This is an easy one to do real life practice with; you can measure every room in the house! For 'smaller' practice, figure out area and perimeter with a ruler, and then use thin strips of paper to help illustrate the difference (cover the measured object with the strips). When she seems to understand the concept, do regular practice problems, but allow her to use a 'cheat sheet' defining how to figure out area. With confusing concepts, it's more important to work the problems CORRECTLY, again and again, than to test her knowledge. Not tons of problems, just a couple a day (or several times a week), for a long period of time. My kids have used cheat sheets for various things (long division for sure!), and they always give them up on their own. Eventually. Word problems: Most definitely an area where I would back way, way up. Once again, make it hands-on and visual. Concentrate on problems that lend themselves to manipulatives - - if it's about how much money Raul has after shopping, use real dollar bills and figure it out step by step. Don't do the less tangible problems (if Simon is driving sixty miles an hour, etc) until she can handle these. Take a look at Singapore Math - - they publish complete books of word problems. They teach a standard method (drawing rods) to solve most problems. Warning: these word problem books are HARD; you need to order ones that are MUCH lower than her grade level. Thinking Blocks is an interactive online site that teaches how to solve word problems: http://www.thinkingblocks.com/ And here's an interesting article on teaching word problems: http://www.homeschoolmath.net/teaching/problem_solving.php

I have to add one more thought: just because a student is given a weekly checklist, that does not mean the teacher/parent should only be checking that work at the end of the week. Even at the college level, assigments are routinely checked several times a week. Long-term projects that may stretch over the semester are the exception - students are supposed to be putting skills they have already aquired into practice. Even then, there are periodic check-ins to ensure the student is staying on course (turning in a topic or work plan, rough draft, etc). When students of any age are learning new skills, they need steady correction and feedback. This is really crucial in math, where a student can get incredibly turned around and confused by working problems the wrong way for an entire week. Not to mention the frustration that comes into play if the student has to re-do five days worth of assignments! I have a 5th grader as well. I'd put her on the high end of the independent scale in most areas (schoolwork, chores, music practice), and we do use a weekly assignment list. She decides how/when/where to do her independent work on a daily basis, and there is SOME wiggle room across the week, but skipping more than a day of math wouldn't fly at my house. We use a weekly binder, with the assignment list in the front. I do slot things into suggested days (which are printed on the sheet anyway), but she is certainly welcome to do grammar on Thursday instead of Tuesday, or to update her history notebook early so she doesn't have to do it on Friday. I expect math to be worked on every day, unless there is a compelling reason not to. If it's a concept I know she thoroughly understands, she can work ahead and have Friday free, but that's about it. Spelling gets worked on every day, because she absolutely needs daily practice for that. As far as balance, my kids (and most hs'd kids) spent far less time in 'class' than their counterparts at school. Therefore, while I am open to suggestions that both meet our academic goals and don't inconvenience me too much, :), the final decision is mine. They have many free hours to pursue their own interests and read their own books.

Myths, legends and fables are especially important to the study of ancient history, as there is often little in the way of other records to guide us. Also, one's true literacy is limited without understanding concepts and expressions that come from these stories. Greek legends alone give us a plethora of them: Achilles heel, hubris, narcissism. Even without these considerations, the myths and legends of a civilization are, imo, crucial to understanding its people and their decisions. The ubiquitous presence of George Washington and the cherry tree in American history, or Abe Lincoln tracing his letters on a dirty coal shovel, speaks to what we as a nation want to believe about ourselves (independent and occasionally foolhardy - but always honest; hard workers who see obstacles as a challenge). Even when there are fairly complete records, bare facts do not always help one to understand why a certain leader or government made the decisions that they did in the way that a nation's stories about itself will. As far as 'mixing' stories and fact, I do find that she presents the story of Abram and his family from the bible as historical fact, which many would disagree with. I didn't find she did it to that degree with other stories that haven't been proven as historical fact.

Drilling the multiplication facts is a huge part of level 3, so no, you don't need to have it done ahead of time. Level 4 really puts those facts to use (factoring, multiples, etc), so it's quite beneficial to be solid on them before that point.

Doing their own laundry makes sense in some ways, but I just can't get past the idea that it's wasteful (not washing full loads). My kids do help with laundry, but it all gets done together. Rather than doing the laundry separately, I'd just have them sort & fold & claim the clean laundry.