Don't mean to hijack, but thanks for posting that Jenn! My ds is just 12, so I hadn't commented because I have not btdt yet. My ds does plan to go to college but your description of your dd, gifted, poor executive function and slow processing fit him quite well. I bought the first Dandylion logic book you mentioned last week and when we finish that series I was planning to do Fallacy Detective. We work hard on organization and planning. Your message sounded just like my plan fulfilled. It is so encouraging to hear that it CAN work :D Thanks again for the wonderful detailed post.

Caroline, My SIL teaches high school math in a ps and they offer Algebra 1/2 and Algebra 1. Each is a full year class and goes through half a year of algebra. It is designed for students required to take algebra who cannot process it in one year. They give a full credit for each course. I don't see why you couldn't do the same. I don't know that I would stretch it to three credits, but she spent the time and hours doing the work each year, I would stretch it to two credits. If the public schools can do it, you can too!

A great example of why testing can be such a good thing! Sometimes there are issues we don't realize that have real answers. I hope the evaluations are quick and conclusive and that they can find a seizure med that will stop all the seizures for your ds. My ds had absence seizures when he was little and we didn't realize he was having them. When he went on meds, he stopped losing so many things he had learned and really made tons of progress. He has been seizure free for many years and off of meds now for years now too. I hope you have equally good results!

I have BJU 5 & 6. I am not a math person at all. I think the teachers manual is very clear and easy to understand. It is a long explanation though and seems like a big script. I could do it, because it is clear enough, but it seems like a lot of work. I have MUS fractions and it seems SO much easier from the teachers perspective. I used BJU 6 supplementally this year, but never as my main program, so I really can't say how it would be to teach day to day. My daughter just turned 10 and will be in 5th grade next year and is debating coming home from ps. If she does, I honestly don't know which one I would use with her. I think I will let her choose :001_smile:

I know this is not going to help, but I really like both of these programs. They are both mastery based, not spirals. For kids that get bored doing one thing for too long, BJU switches after each concept which keeps a bit more variety, but they are still mastering that concept. They are both a smooth steady pace that will have kids ready for algebra easily by 8th grade if they have no hang ups. I wouldn't worry about the fact that MUS goes through high school because the majority of people (although not all) switch programs for high school anyway. You might try analyzing your kids learning styles a bit more and try to decide if one is going to be a better long term fit than the other. Your own comfort level is also very important. I told you I wasn't going to help :lol:

a boy to me :lol: Sorry. I always say if it feels wrong to the mom, check it out. However, I also know you have a very bright older son who may just make his different learning style younger brother seem off. Not less bright, just frustrating in his processing and inability to follow directions when Calvin is so together and responsible for his age. Just a thought. I do think you would find lots of moms to 9 yo boys who would give that same description of their dc.

:grouphug: You are welcome! Good luck today.

Ouch. I don't think that is fair at all. I love my big house in the country with a long commute. It isn't about what others see, we just love having space both inside and out. My dh works from home and we're all here all the time, it is important to us that we don't get cabin fever. She never said it would be a step up in other people's eyes, only in their own feelings. I'd choose A in a heartbeat. That is just because it has what I look for. Driving doesn't matter to me, we assume a 20-30 minute drive to kids activities and go almost every day for something. That said, not everyone feels that way and you need to choose the one that fits you or keep looking for one that does.

My autistic spectrum guy needs lots of structure, but I would have used that lesson in a heartbeat! You can have structure and still be very creative in the lessons. Don't stop finding creative ways to help your children not just learn, but understand and remember! You might take the time to help you dh know that you cover x subjects each day or that you do them in x order or spend x amount of time or whatever things that DO lend more order and structure to your day (if there are any). Aspies do thrive on structure, but very few children do their best learning sitting at a table for extended periods. Great job mom! :hurray:

I used 6th grade this year and I have the 7th grade Life Science for next year. I really love it. It is a great balance of information and fun experiments. As the grades go up, so does the level of demand put on students, but I don't think the fun decreases at all. My ds never liked science much before BJU. He thought it was basically boring. With BJU he learns far more science than before and thinks its fun and interesting. What more could I want? I know there are people who think information taught in science before high school is unimportant, but I am not of this belief - at least not for my ds. He would never be able to process the amount of information in a BJU high school science class without the foundations that these elementary and middle school classes are laying. For the record I have a BS in a life science, so this is an area I have fun with too.

:iagree: I'm not sure "teach" is the word I would choose for what I do, but I constantly interact with my ds during the school day. I teach some, but more importantly we process through everything. My ds can't focus if he is bored, so the mind-numbing classroom teacher style is exactly what we are out to avoid, but that doesn't mean I just send him off to do his own thing. I'm sure he could accomplish most of his work without ever discussing it with me, but I don't think he would gain the same depth of understanding from it.

My dh and I both graduated from Truman. I still have several friends in Kirksville including one working at the college. If I can answer any questions from a students perspective feel free to pm me.

The University of Missouri in Columbia has a pretty extensive online program. You might look at their offerings http://mudirect.missouri.edu/degprog/index.shtm

I have a child with food allergies. I hate it when people offer food of any kind, but junk is the worst! Our society is way too food centered. You can't blink without people thinking they need to feed kids. Fresh fruits and veggies aren't going to be an allergy issue and will be healthy too, but no one ever offers those :confused:

Yes, you normally use heartworm preventative monthly if you are in an area where heartworms are common. Frontline+ is what we have found to be most effective, although it doesn't seem to work well for my standard poodle. Something about her body chemistry just seems to render it useless. We use an advantix collar and frontline plus baths for fleas. Our other dogs have always been fine with just frontline.

Copy that PM one more time and send it my way would you Sue?

Mine is too, I am and I bet I would :001_smile: I've had my son judged more than enough times because he wasn't able to behave in the socially expected way. I would never presume to do so without knowing a child and their ability, I promise.

I wasn't going to comment on this thread because I am not and have never been an unschooler. But I just can't resist. The thing that unschoolers always tout (those I know) is they are building their children's love of learning, their self-motivation. My son LOVES school. We are eclectic, not completely classical, but I just had another homeschool mom ask me yesterday, "What do you do that makes your son love school so much?". It is hard for me to answer that, but I definitely choose the curriculum and books and have at least a concept of a schedule :001_smile:. It does not prevent kids from loving to learn. I think schooling methods are just like curriculums they need to fit the teacher and the student. If they fit and are embraced by both, they can all work, thats why they all still exist.

I wish I could say the same, but it is really the opposite. I know some social, pleasant, responsible, intelligent homeschooled children & teens, but that is not the majority. The majority are badly behaved, socially backward and academically behind. It is very sad, but true. It may even be an even split of those I know, but the negatives certainly draw more attention and make themselves seem like a majority.

When I was in college I spent a summer on the eastern shore of Virginia. We would go up to Chincoteague to go to the beach. I got invited to watch the pony swim from a local's boat. What great memories. I was a huge Marguerite Henry fan and these were great times. I can't tell you what being in the crowds at the pony swim is like, but as an experience overall, it is wonderful. It a great place to visit (any time) and the swim is a memory maker.

I can say what I think I would do, but I may very well do something completely different if I was actually in that situation. My son does have multiple LDs so I do have some basis for relating though. I think I would insist that he stay in school until he was 21 (or try). I would as others have mentioned, focus the curriculum based on his goals. I would focus on reading, writing and math. I would make math practical, not algebra based. I would work toward passing the GED when he is done and most of all, I'd try to convince him this was all a good idea :D I think my approach would be something like, I know you like working on the farm and that is great. I support that and have no problem with it. However, I want you to be prepared for whatever life throws at you for the next 60 years, not just right now. Lets take 3 more years and come up with a school/work schedule that you can live with and set some goals we can both live with.

I'd go BJU for traditional math if you want to teach.

The only advantage in a diagnosis in my mind, is to help you know how to work with her. If you are having good success, a diagnosis may not be necessary. However, I consider knowledge to be power. The more I know about what is going on with my kids the more I can learn about how to help them. By getting testing that shows exactly what her weaknesses are, you may be pointed in new directions that improve your teaching methods even more. I never want to miss an opportunity to help my kids. One other thing to consider, when kids are young, they can go through testing and have no clue what they are testing for. If you wait until they are in middle school and start to struggle with more difficult materials, then they feel the label more strongly. One last thing to consider is how your state handles diagnosed kids. Some states want more involvement if a child has a label. Mine doesn't so there is no downside. You might double check your state though, because if you are working with her successfully you probably don't want to have to mess with any state issues.

:bigear: I'm planning to use Human Odyssey spread over 2 yrs in 8th-9th. I'm hoping I can get my list started early with this thread :001_smile:

Katherine, You might post on the general board asking about a Dr. in your area. It gets more views than this board does. If you have a local homeschooling list, you might check in there too. Finding someone who is good and will work with you is so important and it is so daunting. I wish you the best of luck!