Well, here's my philosophy... Teach the child in front of you with the resources that work best for that child. Also, one size does not fit all. In other words, it sounds like what you have been using isn't the best fit for him right now. That doesn't mean it wasn't a good thing to use. That just means that maybe right now what he needs is some handholding. There are a lot of us out there that won't make the next leap forward without it and that's o.k. No biggie. IEW might actually REALLY help him make that leap. It will give him scaffolding to help learn the process for coming up with his own ideas while providing some structure, a framework from which to pull those ideas. It breaks everything down into manageable pieces then helps the child re-assemble those pieces. As for all the videos, well, once you get the system down you don't have to watch a video if the two of you don't like them. Also, they really aren't that bad. You could also just get SWI (videos for the student), which is a shorter program than TWSS (the primary program to teach the teacher). Just watch SWI together. The videos are usually only once a week. The rest of the week is the writing. There is a 100% money back guarantee so you could return it if it didn't work out. Or you can get TWSS and just teach the program yourself. He never has to watch a video. And you can be flexible. If you want to shake things up a bit, you don't have to marry yourself rigidly to the way things are done in this program. Be creative. Make it fun. What worked well here was watching the video on a Monday then for the first assignment of the week we would all brainstorm together on a dry erase board, discussing, collaborating, even drawing some illustrations on the side. Then we would write a collaborative retelling. The next assignment we would still brainstorm together but then retelling was done more independently. Eventually we didn't really need the collaboration anymore but often still chose to do it that way because we had come to enjoy it. We only watched the video once a week. It helped all of us to get used to the system and the videos and my doing the writing assignments with them helped them get used to this way of thinking (which was very different from what we had used before and took some getting used to) without feeling alone. They improved dramatically in their writing. And the videos really weren't so bad. They could be funny at times. I will admit that at first I was uncomfortable. I don't write this way. And it was HARD for the kids to transition to this type of thinking. I got a lot of frustration and confusion at first. What I had to embrace was that writing in general (getting full thoughts onto paper) was hard for them (even though they had terrific moments of brilliance), and would be regardless of the system we used, but with this one they were getting necessary scaffolding. Embracing that fact, tackling the IEW lessons with enthusiasm, going as slow or as fast as they needed for that particular lesson, really worked so much better than what we had been trying before. Once things started to shift in their brains, then pieces started falling together, writing assignments started to flow much more effectively, and then outside writing began to improve. It was kind of a roller coaster effect. The first few lessons we were riding that upward trajectory where it took tremendous effort to get moving, then we dropped down the first hill and gained some significant momentum. Then we hit another upward hill and it was kind of hard to get up it but we already had some momentum so we made it over. We did that over and over and each time the ability to get over the next hump got smoother and faster. It was absolutely what my kids needed for writing to really click and I am so grateful we finally went this route, at least for a season. And this is not set in stone. Maybe all your child needs is this one year of IEW before returning to material you prefer. One other resource I would highly recommend, though, is A Word Right Now. It is a fantastic little spiral bound book that has TONS of wonderful words to choose from, organized by all kinds of topics plus types of words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.). It really helped the kids to get over writing humps when they wanted that "perfect" word but could not pull one up out of whole cloth. They could flip through this incredibly easy to use resource and then, boom, writer's block was over. It also leaves spaces for students to add in their own words, which the kids loved as well. They got to make that book their own. http://iew.com/shop/products/word-write-now Good luck with your decision. I hope you find something that works for both of you. Best wishes. :)

(OP, hope you don't mind me adding to your post...) Added point of detail that may matter to respondents, these classes are in her major so are doubly important. I assume dropping is not an option or desirable (she also enjoys these classes).

What regentrude said. Honestly it sounds like your DD is functioning pretty darn well without meds. Whether she needs them or not I can't say since I am not privy to the whole picture and frankly I think that is sort of a separate issue. What she seems to be struggling with right now in these classes is potentially not having enough time to carefully read through all the test questions and analyze what is being asked, as well as efficiently extracting the relevant data. Look into accommodations that give her extra time for taking these tests as well as ways to hone that skill in particular. I absolutely agree that getting proper paperwork in place for her to receive accommodations should be pursued right now, regardless of trying out meds. She may or may not need additional paperwork from a doctor so I would look into it this week and see what they actually require.

Most common? Extra time for taking a test. Also, having someone read the test to the student, if that helps them. Someone else taking notes for them is also an accommodation that is common but it doesn't sound like she needs that at all. If she already has an official diagnosis then she may just need to bring in the paperwork to whatever department handles this on campus. If the diagnosis is not recent, though, they may require retesting. A lot don't though. In fact, apparently there are a lot of campuses that have great support systems for students with challenges like ADD that are woefully underutilized. Students either are too embarrassed to ask for help or don't even know that they can. Frequently these departments are happy to help out if the student would only ask.

True. I know there are resources out there for honing that particular skill, though. People mention them on the Learning Challenges forum. Maybe post over there?

With regards to reading comprehension, does she do better if she is hearing the words as she reads? DS does better with comprehension if he hears and sees the words at the same time. Maybe her text is available in audio version? Also, I know there are resources out there for helping with picking out relevant material from long passages, especially for tests. I can't remember any off the top of my head but I will dig a bit and see if I can find anything. Hopefully someone else will post with some resources along those lines. Being able to do that is a skill that can be challenging to acquire. She isn't the only one that struggles with this. Maybe even on campus there are general training sessions for study skills?

Oh, yes a back to homeschool party. That could be fun. Let them help design the theme and create the decorations. Maybe there is another family you know that is homeschooling that you could invite over. Everyone could wear pajamas.

Sounds like a great plan, Underthebridge. Let us know how it goes!

My son's best friend bought my son a pair of very attractive blue light filter glasses. They are lightweight, comfortable and easy to use with any electronic device so even if he is borrowing someone else's he just puts the glasses on. I don't remember the brand but they got them from Amazon.

Bumping in hopes of other responses for OP.

:grouphug: Does she know how classmates are doing? In some classes a 'C' is actually not a bad grade at all. Some professors grade hard, deliberately pick fairly obscure questions, etc. They don't expect most students to make anywhere near an 'A' or even a 'B'. Of course, they may not be thinking at all about how that might affect scholarships... If the bulk of the class are getting A's then maybe she needs to reevaluate how she is studying. If most of the class are getting the same grades she is, then it is probably just a REALLY hard couple of classes. I agree with getting into a study group, preferably with students who are doing well in the class. [One a side note, my dad actually starting dating my mom because she was one of a very few students who ever made an A in a particular class. He needed help getting through the class (good student but this class was HARD), he asked her to help him since she had done well, and boom they started dating. She helped him to better understand the expectations of the professor and how to handle the material. Mom just really got that class (unlike the bulk of the students).] Perhaps your DD could find people like that to study with?

:grouphug: Yeah there is too much red tape, too many conflicting regulations, and everything is so poorly organized there frankly ISN'T a right answer. I seriously doubt there is anyone on this planet that could give you the one truly correct answer to any of this because there isn't one. It is just all too poorly organized...

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Grief is so unpredictable. It comes in waves and unpredictable surges. It is a painful process. I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this.

:grouphug: I realize this can be scary and you are worrying about the safety of your child. It sounds like you have legitimate concerns that need to be addressed. Actually both incidents sound VERY concerning. However, I would not automatically write off an entire gender/age group over these two incidents. Based on my own experience, that is not automatically the normal behavior of all middle school boys at all. What happened was wrong but I would tie it to specific people, not a gender/age group. Sometimes boys will act a bit more aggressively because they are attracted to someone and do not yet have the skills to convey that message or are too embarrassed to try so they react in a somewhat "aggressive" manner instead, frequently without intending harm. And sometimes due to hormone fluctuations some middle schoolers (girls, too) can behave more aggressively than they normally would. But no, this is not an across the board reaction by all middle school boys and no, aggressive behavior in general is not automatically going to happen with this age/sex. In this case it seems that there may be two boys in particular who are being overly aggressive and I would definitely keep an eye on the situation. What they did was absolutely wrong. It would depend on the context as to how serious I would take it, though. Sometimes actions can be misinterpreted. For instance, was the boy that was throwing things throwing pillows/stuffed animals or something else along those lines, perhaps trying to be flirty and joking (but executing such in a poor way) or was he throwing hard objects in a deliberate attempt to cause injury? With the latter, I would be contacting the parents and expressing serious concern. That type of reaction is dangerous and should be addressed. I would also try to make sure that my child had more direct parental supervision while around this boy to make sure future incidents did not have a chance to develop. Same with the second incident. Depending on context that could absolutely be a dangerous situation. As for what to do, yes, report behavior if she feels she is in danger and work with her on strategies for how to get out of situations of bullying. This can happen with girl bullies, too, not just boys. She needs strategies in place to try and get command of the situation and/or get to safety and/or get help. And any supervisors need to be watching closely for further aggressive behavior. :grouphug:

nm

You try to find the best path for each child and there is no crystal ball so there is no way to know what that path should look like. If homeschooling is working well, then fantastic. Do that, if that is what works for you and your family...and your individual child/ren. If brick and mortar is working well, then fantastic. Do that, if that is what works for you and your family...and your individual child/ren. And then there is the inbetween. Maybe homeschooling isn't fantastic. Maybe it seems only mediocre. If a brick and mortar school might work better for a particular child/family, then try it out. No shame in trying something else. Maybe that particular school/teacher is a better fit for that particular child. Or maybe brick and mortar is only mediocre. Try homeschooling. No shame in trying something else. Maybe that particular child will do better with homeschooling. And maybe things aren't actually work well at all with one of those options but the other option turns out to be even worse. Well, that's an even harder position to be in, but picking the lesser of two evils can actually end up being not so bad in the long run. It may seem a lot worse in the moment than it actually is. FWIW, I substitute taught in classes locally. Some classes were more engaging. Most were absolutely of the Industrial Era model. And sometimes the Industrial Era model worked well because of a great instructor or just a lot of kids that fit well with that type of learning. And sometimes it didn't. Sometimes bells and whistles looked good from the outside but were actually really, really poorly implemented. And it could be really hard to determine that from the outside looking in. Actually being in the classroom it became much more apparent which classes did more engaging things and which were mainly worksheets and lectures at the front of the classroom and which had great teachers, regardless of bells and whistles and which had pretty poor teachers. And which schools were so wrapped up in standardized testing that they had lost sight of learning. And which had found a good balance. Different schools, different teachers and different grade levels are going to provide different things. Without actually SEEING the day to day functionality of any given classroom, or getting solid feedback from multiple others who have, it is impossible to know for sure what is really happening in that classroom. DD limped along in a brick and mortar through 5th grade. In many ways I think it was helpful to her. She actually had some amazing experiences that I am happy she had. She met some amazing teachers, forged some really nice friendships, and learned a lot. She also had some really tough experiences, some really lousy teachers and ended up having to defend others against bullying. The school also failed her repeatedly in teaching her basic critical skills, such as reading and math. Homeschooling has allowed her to thrive in ways that brick and mortar never did. I wish we had started homeschooling her sooner. DS? Brick and mortar was an awesome fit. He thrived. He loved it. I would not change those early years for anything. I am so glad we put him in school. And then it all fell apart. If I could have known how bad 2nd grade would be I would have pulled him long before we did. Now? We limp along in homeschooling but he just does not thrive in this environment. If I had a better option for a brick and mortar I would put him back in a heartbeat. His mental health has suffered in taking the homeschooling path. It just wasn't meant for him. But putting him back in the brick and mortar options we have here would be even worse. So we do what we can. I guess my bottom line here is do what is best for your child with whatever resources you have available, accept that no path is perfect, and be willing to explore the possibility of more than one option when things don't seem to be working out as planned.

Thanks LAR! Things that worked well here: English: Lights! Camera! Action!: Movies as Literature - Ms. Eva (things I love: depth of analysis, improved writing skills, class discussion, exposure to different types of formal writing and different genres for analysis, depth and breadth of material covered, enthusiasm of the instructor, etc.) Bill of Rights: Great analysis and deeper understanding of the historical context and the case studies that applied historically and now. Photoshop 101: Instructor struggled a tiny bit at the beginning with providing clear instruction but he is very encouraging and knowledge/skills are definitely expanding rapidly for my kiddo.

ETA: I am not trying to be discouraging at all with the following questions. I just think these are things to consider, plus I think it would help us to help you if you added some details to your post. Frankly, we NEED good tutors. Kuddos to you for looking into this. 1. Are you wanting to do this professionally? Are you only interested in the actual skill of reading (as in decoding and fluency)? Not writing/spelling/grammar/literature? Other skills/subjects? 2. Have you ever worked with kids that have learning challenges? 3. Have you ever tutored someone else's child at all? 4. Are you strictly talking about teaching a younger aged child to read or are you thinking of helping even older kids that might be struggling or might be very advanced and need more challenging material? Most parents hiring a tutor for "reading" do so because the child is struggling. Otherwise they would be teaching basic reading skills themselves or those skills would be covered in a brick and mortar school. Teaching a struggling learner may require a lot of time, patience and background knowledge. FWIW, your best bet in starting out would probably be to talk with other parents in your area that might just want a bit of assistance. Start small. Maybe just one or two clients. See how it goes. Either volunteer or charge very little until you get more experience and word of mouth coverage for your abilities. Some parents are going to expect credentials, either degrees or certifications or something else along those lines. However, word of mouth can be powerful. If you start with someone you know and do well helping their child they will pass on that experience to others. Maybe now you have two more parents asking for help with their children. If that works out then word of mouth will spread further. And so on. It will take time to build up a client base. As that client base builds, though, credentials will become less important. Word of mouth will theoretically get you more and more clients and the ability to charge more. Things to consider, though: Where would you tutor? Your home? Would city regulations and your insurance allow it? Do you allow drop offs or should the parent remain? If you are willing to tutor in someone else's house, consider safety precautions. What sort of policy would you have for behavior issues? There may be a big disconnect between your expectations and the client's. Make sure you and the parent are on the same page with what you are prepared to do and what happens if the child does not seem to be grasping what you are teaching. What about cancellations? What would your policies be? Would you still charge if they fail to notify you of a cancellation? Would you still charge if they notify you only half an hour before hand and don't seem to have a valid reason? What if they cancel a lot?

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: This is a hard decision to make. I do understand and sympathize. Since you are talking about leaving them in for the rest of the year but starting to homeschool this coming fall, my views are a little different than they might have been. Your original post made it sound like you might pull them immediately, which IMHO is a little trickier. Here are my (somewhat random) thoughts, FWIW: 1. I don't find a school that emphasizes "fun" at those ages as a bad thing AT ALL. FWIW, I find schools today are pushing too much clerical work on too young an age group and cutting out all the "fun". "Fun" is very, very, very often the best way a young child learns. I would not consider this a negative, in other words, not at those ages. 2. Having the summer break to distance themselves from the day to day of school and seeing classmates may make homeschooling in the fall a much easier transition than yanking them out right now, when they don't really want to. If you could just play it by ear for the summer, maybe try some academics to see how all of you handle it, that might give you a much better idea of how things will play out. Also, though, just because they seem to want to stay in school right now, that could definitely change over the summer as they get used to being home again. Don't judge their reactions at the moment as how they will feel further down the road. 3. Mental health is just as important, if not more so, than academics. That applies to all of you, your entire family. Keep that as a priority, whatever your decision. 3. Maybe you should make a list of the pros and cons. Be honest with yourself on both. Put in some details. Then write down your overall goals for each child AND FOR YOU for this next year and how well those goals might be met in each environment. There is no perfect place for learning. And some kids actually thrive in a school setting while others do much better as homeschoolers and sometimes those things are for a season, not set in stone. Be honest and clear with yourself. Now, let that list sit on a shelf for a day or two. Review that list. Add to it as you see fit. Ponder another few days. Keep in mind that this is JUST for this next year. What do you want for your children for this next year? Situations can change on a dime. Just focus on what is needed for this next year. 4. Now, pick a date to make a decision. Then make it, commit to it, and don't destroy yourself waffling and second guessing. Embrace whatever decision you made as what you will do for this next year and plan accordingly. 5. Keep in your heart that you will not ruin your children if you start homeschooling again OR if you keep them in school for another year. There is no perfectly right or perfectly wrong answer here. (The exception would be bullying or something else that can cause long term emotional damage). NOTHING is set in stone. They are young. They have a lot of years to learn and grow, whatever you decide. Having a loving parent that wants what is best for them and is striving to achieve that is worth a ton. :grouphug:

Agreed. 100%. This could affect his quality of life forever. This is serious and needs experts that are trained in these specific issues. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: I know this is scary, OP, but I would absolutely do the following: 1. Immediately cut out his activities. Yes that really, really sucks but he is almost certainly causing more damage. 2. Get him referred to specialists ASAP and I don't mean chiropractors and PTs. I understand why those were sought out but his issues go way beyond their areas of expertise. Be prepared to go out of the area if necessary. He needs solid answers now. 3. Help him to see that this is not to make life easier in the moment but to improve his long term quality of life. Preventive steps and proactive steps now could make all the difference in giving him a chance at a normal, healthy, happy life and may help him eventually return to a much more active lifestyle but continuing to do what he is currently doing could cause permanent, irreparable damage. 4. Definitely get a second opinion regarding no activity whatsoever. Yes, I would absolutely cut out activity right now. His body needs time to genuinely heal. Eventually, though, returning to appropriate forms of activity may absolutely be the way to go. The question is what would be appropriate and when. Until you have better answers there, and see how he responds to rest and appropriate treatment, though, I would hesitate to let him do much of anything even remotely strenuous for at least a few weeks. Not even reaching into high cabinets or lifting even something as heavy as a textbook. His body is in crisis and needs time to try and heal. 5. Going from a ton of physical activity that he really enjoys to absolutely none of those things will be HARD. Hard on him physically and mentally. But being proactive can help him with the transition. Talk with a dietician about adjusting caloric intake so that weight gain does not compound his issues. Consider counseling for depression. And work really hard with him to find other things to occupy his time and help him to still feel productive and good about himself. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

The school has been a really great fit for my kids. OTA offers a lot of unique and interesting classes, BTW... http://www.opententacademy.com/ If anyone has any reviews (good, bad or indifferent) please post.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :crying:

Depends on what is holding him back. Does the school use mostly whole word recognition? In that case a phonics based program would probably help, but I don't know of anything quick and easy that is free. You could try ElizabethB's materials. They may be more than you need but you could contact her and see what she suggests. If his issue is undiagnosed dyslexia he may need a lot more than just tutoring once a week. He may need a daily dyslexia friendly remediation program. There maybe be other issues that could be causing difficulties. Have they considered getting an evaluation to try to determine underlying causes for his struggles?

Absolutely it makes sense. 100%. :grouphug:

1. They may not even have opened the email yet. I just realized I hadn't looked at emails in 4 days. Too busy. And OOPS there were a few really important ones that had come in. 2. If your message was super breezy it may not even be very clear to them that you ARE truly expecting some feedback and that you were hoping for something relatively quickly (I consider under a week for this sort of thing pretty darn quick; even teachers where it is part of their job can take weeks to return written material that includes feedback). 3. Huge hugs. I know how stressful it can be to put something so personal out there for others to look at. 4. As Rosie questioned, how big is the gap between what you are hoping they will say and how you would feel if they gave feedback that did not meet that expectation? Could you handle it? 5. I would write back, make it plain that you know they are busy but that you are feeling VERY vulnerable right now and having a hard time focusing on other tasks. Ask specifically if they have time to read through it in the next few days. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: