What careers are available for theoretical physics majors? Is it research and/or teaching? Are there other options? Ds is interested in both theoretical and applied physics. We're trying to look at the career options to narrow things down. Thanks for the help. Denise

Hugs to your daughter. It sounds like the teacher is the problem, not your dd. You said you've always considered your dd a good writer. Maybe the college she's about to attend can give you some freshman writing samples for you to compare. Then you can see if there are gaps or areas she needs to improve. Your dd will probably spot these areas and work on them on her own, if there are any. Or, if there is a particular style she's not used to, essay vs. creative writing, she can work on that with a good instruction book at home. It sounds like she's a natural writer so she will probably be able to pick-up different styles easily. It's sad when adults ruin the potential of talented students. I hope this does not happen to your daughter. :grouphug: Btw, my ds began reading the Robin Hobbs series last year after I saw it listed on your daughter's book list. So, thank-you! Denise

Thanks for responding K and Kate. Ds is working through Foerster Alg. I now. If he finishes early, maybe we can get in Geometry through FLVS. Or, we could skip FLVS and do some other Geometry course - like the one used in Math w/out Borders. What do you think? Is Alg. really necessary before beginning Geometry? Denise

am I reading this right? Alg. I is a pre-req. for Geometry? Is that only for the honors class or the reg. class too? Ds wanted to double up this yr.- 9th. I was hoping to farm it out since my 3 year old is so demanding of my time. Denise

I don't know that you really need to start him back at Town level. My ds had not had any writing instruction and he was fine with Voyage level. I think the MCT website recommends Voyage level for older students with no prior instruction. I would start him there. Hope you get more replies, especially from those who have more experience with MCT. Denise

Likes: Russian Math - made ds think about math from every direction -he hated all the prime factoring but then appreciated it later when he saw how useful it was to him MCP - has been great for my concrete thinker CTC - good supplements to add in some conceptual work Dislikes: Saxon - the incremental method drove ds1 nuts (though I tortured him with it for years!) - ds2 got perfect scores but couldn't remember anything afterward Ok, not great: Rod & Staff - good solid math for ds1 but not advanced enough - way too much drill for ds1, may be good for ds2 We will begin Forester Alg.1 with the Math w/out Borders DVD. I'll let you know. Denise

Thank-you for all the help! I will check into all of these suggestions. Denise

Ds wants to study the ancient Americas (Aztecs, Toltecs, etc.) as a long unit for history. I don't know where to begin looking for appropriate books or supplies. Do any of you have suggestions? Ds is in 9th grade, a good reader and handles mature material well. He is very sensitive though. I have found him crying on a few occassions after reading about some grave injustice or cruelty. I know it's a long-shot but, any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Denise

I think about this a lot because my ds also needs the "why" of math. You might use something like the Math W/out Borders (Foerster) or Chalkdust (Larson?) dvds and then have a Dolciani text for dd just to read. I am thinking of doing math this way for my ds so that he gets an explaination behind the formulas. Like many on this board, I can't teach math beyond Alg.I and Geometry so can't use the Dolciani texts; there is no support for them. But, maybe they will provide enough of a conceptual explaination to go with the dvd instruction on Math w/out Borders to satisfy him. He won't understand the math without the concepts behind it. I hope you get better answers than mine. So far, this is all I can come up with. Denise

Do any of you know the difference between the Tx version of Holt Biology and just plain Holt Biology? We are using the OM biology course and I am deciding whether to buy the 2005 book or the TX 2004 book on Amazon. Will either of these work with the OM syllabus? Denise

I honestly don't know what the other parents are doing. Most parents here are pretty hands-off with their children's education. There are some good classes at the school but in combination with the fluff classes. And, kids are getting into college. Maybe it's a combination of their test scores and dual enrollment or AP. Our frustration with the AP classes is that they are for English and History. Ds is a math/science kid. The only AP math is Stats. There is one AP science, biology. Also, we know our son. He will fail if he is not kept challenged. Anyway, hearing the Superintendent say he needs more money for technology when they don't have enough teachers for basic college prep. courses is maddening. Unless a rabbit is pulled out of a hat in the next few days, we will unregister ds and continue homeschooling him. Anyone worried about the ps kids earning a large number of credits needs to look carefully at what those credits consist of before feeling too pressured. Denise

Dh is from Flagstaff and I'm from Phoenix. We live in Florida now, which we really like, but we miss AZ. The summers here are brutal too. We're sweating it out with you! Denise

Thank you for responding, DebbS. I'm pretty sure I have the college level book and corresponding workbooks but I will check to make sure. So, it is ok to skip Physical Science (we did PH physical science in 8th) and have the conceptual physics on his transcript? I just wanted to make sure I'm not making a mistake. Thanks again. Denise

Ds leans toward majoring in physics (probably theoretical physics). So, I have planned the following: Conceptual Physics - 9th Biology (probably Campbell's) - 10th Chemistry at CC - 11th Physics at CC - 12th Now I'm wondering if I'm making a mistake by using Conceptual Physics for 9th. What do you all think? Of course, this is all contingent on us not sending him to ps, but that's another conversation. Thanks for looking at this and giving your input. Denise

We live in the panhandle of FL. Our local hs has block scheduling and students earn 8 credits per yr. Students take 4 90-min. classes per semester. When we registered our ds, we learned that he could not get into some of his chosen classes and was instead tracked into vocational classes. Nothing wrong with that except that he is college bound and we brought in the test scores to show it. We have learned that 1) there is a certain amount of "fluff" built into each students schedule. I guess if the classes are accelerated, they need some blow-off classes mixed in? I understand that but I'm not sure colleges will like it. 2) the school has only one foreign language teacher (2,300 students) 3) students can not take classes through FLVS without counselor approval and the classes are in addition to and outside regular school time. No substituting a "fluff" class for something more substantial, like foreign language! 4) the Superintendent wants to raise sales taxes to pay for new technology that is badly needed. We're very frustrated and will probably pull my son back out before school even starts. Honestly, a dedicated teacher and a good, old-fashioned chalk board goes a lot further in preparing a child for college. Bottom line, don't worry about ps students racking up more credits. In the end, a solid curriculum looks better than lots of credits filled with fluff. Denise

Every year I plan and try to cover all of our subjects at the highest level. Every year we end up letting at least one thing slide. In the end, we made the subjects my ds wants or needs for his major in college (physics) the most rigorous and let the others be "good enough." So, math and science take top priority, followed by English. History, Latin and so forth are done with a less rigor. Of course, Bible study always comes first. We want the best for our children but none of us can do it all. I wish we could. :grouphug: Denise

I thought it was time I looked at this board and find all the Florida people. Hello everyone! We're in Panama City Beach, just across the line from Walton County.

Thanks Heidi. That helps a lot. You're right, testing is not always an accurate reflection of the child's abilities. Zaichiki - your story made me laugh. My son used to manipulate his preschool teachers. I tried telling them but they wouldn't believe me. We told him to stop and he did. Your daughter sounds very smart and delightful. It's just too bad her cleverness was during testing. Now that my son is a teen, I guess I shouldn't worry about access to special programs since more rigorous classes and programs are available to high school students anyway. I will continue reading in the gifted area so that I understand and meet his needs better. Thanks again everyone! Denise

Your answers are very helpful. I am interested for two reasons, to take advantage of any programs or classes (although he's getting a bit old for those) and so that I know where to research and find solutions to issues. My dilema stems from my son being mislabeled when he was very young. Teachers would tell me to handle things in a particular way, but those strategies never worked. Then I was told to read about certain disorders only to discover that he didn't fit those at all. Once I was told to tell him, "You have to do this because that's the rule." His answer to this was, "Really Mommy? That's the rule? Why is that the rule? Should it be the rule?" :tongue_smilie: I also think I mishandled some of his behaviors because I misunderstood what was going on. I don't want to make that mistake anymore. Heidi- my son too hits the ceiling on many sections of the Iowa test. Like your son, his reading and language scores were in the 99th percentile. Pretty surprising for a child who had language delays and only learned to read at age 10. Thanks again for your responses. Denise

If you have a child who fits all of the characterists of a gifted child but does not have the WISC scores to match, is that child still gifted? For example, a young child who: - makes up codes - has an extraordinary imagination - solves math problems in unique ways - has a large area of interests - is intense about things he/she likes - is overly sensitive (takes everything as criticism) - is highly sensitive to the plight of others - learns on his/her own, if interested in the subject and so on. I have read that learning disabilities like dyslexia and ADHD can throw off the test scores, yet many children with these diagnosis score in the gifted range on tests. Anyway, I've been wondering about this for a long time and thought I would finally ask. And yes, I have one child who fits the description above, one who I'm not sure about yet, and one who is clearly an average student. Thanks for your input. Denise

My oldest son has decided to go to ps for high school. He researched it a lot before making a final decision. I know I have to let him go but I am sad about it. His younger siblings and I will really miss him. He wants a larger pool of kids to socialize with and activities that I can't duplicate. We hope to do some afterschooling, depending on his homework load. After reading the Afterschooling board, I'm encouraged that we can keep his academics up. Please pray that this works out for him. We live in a small city and the majority of the kids at the local hs are really nice people, but it's still ps. Also, he's a bit shy so making friends is not as easy for him as it is my younger son. Thanks for listening and for your prayers. Denise

I've struggled with this my whole life. Like many others here, I've always tried to hide it too. Right now, I am taking 5-HTP. It does take the edge off. I am now considering going to see a doctor. My prayers are with you. I hope you can avoid that hole, or, at least climb out again quickly. :grouphug: Denise

I have not used these readers myself but many of my friends have used and liked them. It is my understanding they are a bit more advanced than the typical early reader. If your dd is picking up reading quickly, she'll probably enjoy them and do well with them. I am planning on using them in a couple of years with my dd. If you choose to use them, let me know how you like them.

Can MathMammoth be used with MCP math? MCP is a mastery program. Would they work well together? I don't mean to hijack the thread - just trying to flesh out this program as well.

Please know how very, very sorry I am for your loss. I am heartbroken for you. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. May God bring you comfort and peace, Denise