Perhaps, he might like Kitchen Table Math? Just play the games and explore math right now. https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Wrights-Kitchen-Table-Math/dp/0982921128

Jackie, I know you are where I am in SD as well. I've heard RR lecture on this topic more than once, but he has always emphasized go deep and wide and not faster. I could have set a much faster pace for mine and have completed Algebra by now if I really wanted to. That's not my goal right now as we go a lot of directions with math. I would suggest the Hard Math for Elementary by Ellison as something that you could add to what you are doing. I believe that RR also said that the discrete math series from AOPS does not require algebra as well. It covers a lot of interesting math topics. Mine is going into 4th grade based on chronological age now, this puts San Diego Math Circle next year at 5th which is something ongoing in our area. I also have worked to build non-competitive math circles myself. I'm now onto my second math circle.

I believe people have said the CLRC's Great Books courses is more like this.

The video that was posted on the other math thread is well worth watching.

Jackie, Have you seen this thread about the camp here: http://giftedissues.davidsongifted.org/BB/ubbthreads.php/topics/117507/1.html My son enjoys math, but he doesn't love it enought to want to do it all day for hours in college style classes when I looked into this.

I just saw someone post about this method on another forum. It is the tissue paper trick. It was completely new to me. http://www.linesacross.com/2014/08/a-simple-trick-to-teach-proper-penci.html/

My son didn't do code.org, but he did Scratch. This is what I wrote on a different thread: What's great about Scratch is that is is very easy to begin to use. However, Scratch is a visual block language. My son was done with Scratch, but I did not think he was quite ready to jump straight into learning Python or Java. I didn't think it was that useful that what he was doing was just playing with other people's projects on Scratch. I just didn't think it was going anywhere useful. I thought while he was getting something out of it, it wasn't quite getting him where I wanted him to go next. He probably could have made the jump, but I wanted to give him something he could work through relatively independently and problem solve himself and STAY motivated and engaged. It's been marvelous in building his confidence and motivation to debug his own code. I can see how this is improving his own critical thinking and problem solving skills. Instead of telling kids this is what to do (as in type in this code and it will do this), Code Monkey shifts it more to be self-discovery/self-teaching on the part of students so they are learning and improving as they experiment with their code. What works, what doesn't work, and learning to be persistant in improving their code. What I did was to do Code Monkey which teaches kids to code in Coffescript (which is quite similar to Javascript, but with friendlier Syntax) through a series of stepped lessons/challenges. I really like the instant feedback and the emphasis on learning to write code within the structure of a fun, rewarding experience. You can only earn 3 stars on a level if your code accomplishes the goal and does it efficiently within a certain number of lines of code. The topics covered: Objects, function calls, arguments, loops, variables, arrays, for loops, function definitions, boolean conditions, until loops, if and if-else conditions, boolean operators, keyboard and mouse events. I really like how it is visual like Scratch where the left side of the screen shows what your code does and the right side is where you code. They do offer a 2 week free trial. It's not super obvious in the FAQ, but when you subscribe you do get access to all the courses. (Coding Adventure, Platform Adventure, Frogger, Game Design, Python Chatbot, Dodo Does Math). Eventually, they will get to the point where they build their own challenge and write their own games. It's pretty inexpensive for the Home subscription, $40 for a year. Code Monkey is recommended for ages 9 and up. You can use it for a younger student with parental help/support. However, I think for CM, parental support/scaffolding would defeat some of the aspects of learning on your own. So, YMMV depending on how you choose to use it. Also, it is really helpful for the student to know how to type. There are tools to help students with inserting code for various functions, but it is super easy to make errors in your code if you do that. If you actually type out the code yourself, you are able to catch your errors as you are typing. It's actually a pretty good lesson in why accuracy is important. https://www.playcodemonkey.com/

Ruth in NZ, I :wub: that you took the time to type out what your son did. I feel reassured now. I have from time to time been second guessing the meandering path we are on right now. I am doing very little instruction and allowing my son to work through JA on his own and stepping in to help guide only when he gets stuck. My plan is to let pre-A (JA, AOPS and other math resources) and algebra (Jacobs and AOPS) take as long as it takes to work through with no rush to complete it in any set time frame.

Art of Problem Solving has a two volume set of books that is focused on problem solving and there is also the competition math for middle school book by Jason Batterson that is recommended by AOPS.

I'm doing Jousting Armadillos myself as we are wrapping up Beast. It's been good so far. I have Jacobs and AOPS pre-A as well, but I haven't cracked those open. We finished SM5 last year and were using BA a level behind.

Has the family had his vision checked? I would want to rule any vision issues.

I actually use it differently than intended. I don't read the passage aloud. He prefers to read it himself, so I let him do that and then ask the questions. I would work on auditory comprehension separately with much shorter passages that you pick out. It's still an important skill to work on.

For those looking for some guidance on how to contact your legislator regarding opposing AB2756 Call to Action Legislation Alert 02/20/2018 CHN OPPOSES AB 2756 Full text of AB 2756: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB2756 This bill was introduced on Friday, February 16th. It would amend California Education Code Section 33190 adding a mandatory fire inspection for all private schools, and it specifically states this would include private schools with five or fewer students. Private schools would also be required to state on their affidavit the “nature†of the private school including “conventional or traditional private schools, private school satellite programs, private online or virtual schools, parents, guardians, or other individuals who operate a private home school, and certified nonpublic nonsectarian schoolsâ€. Author Assemblymember Jose Medina’s website states that this bill was introduced in response to the abuse case out of Perris, California involving the Turpin Family. CHN maintains that there is no evidence to support the claim that homeschooled children are more at risk for abuse than any other children, and homes where children are homeschooling are certainly not at greater risk for fire than any other home. Make Your Voice Heard! Call and email your state representatives to let them know you oppose AB 2756. Find your state Assembly Member and Senator by entering your address here: http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/. When calling or writing, mention: You are a local constituent; You are a homeschool family; You oppose AB 2756. You could also mention: Homeschooled children are not at greater risk from abuse than public school children; Homes where children are homeschooling are not at greater risk from fire; Fire Marshals are not trained to recognize abuse and it would also put an unsafe burden on fire departments; Private homes should not be subject to government inspections without reason; Homeschooling has existed in California under the private school exemption for many decades without issue; To be fair, if private homes are going to be subject to inspection, every home with a child in it should be targeted, not just homeschools, and no one would consider that reasonable or lawful. Read what others have written about not blaming homeschooling as well as links to serious school issues on CHN’s new media page: http://www.californiahomeschool.net/homeschooling-resources/updates-media/ Stay Informed!

EmmaG, I wrote this a long time ago about Singapore Math because a number of homeschoolers kept asking me about and how it works. https://lifeatwarpspeed.wordpress.com/?s=singapore+math

Just a thought. The easiest thing if you aren't looking for anything but a basic quick overview. Just borrow a copy of Schoolhouse Rock! from the library or watch those videos on youtube. Making me think of "I'm just a bill sitting on Capitol Hill...."

If you continue on with VP History, the last two years are pretty much American History. So, you just haven't gotten there yet assuming that you are still in the course listed in your siggy.

The only thing that helped me was when I got a RX for codeine cough syrup. Otherwise, I couldn't sleep at all. Hope you can get some rest somehow.

I use a planner for my 9yo. I write out what his assignments and scheduled activities are. It's usually written out for at least the week to 2 weeks ahead. I do it in eraseable pen. It's up to him the order in which he does them and how quickly. Once he is done, he's free for the rest of the day. He's free to use his screentime which is only earned if he completes his work. We've discussed how many "things" has has to do a day. We've agreed that it's set at 8 right now. We discuss how to split up his assignments for classes and what needs to happen everyday. I work these into his schedule. For example, piano, math, Latin, and some sort of language arts (this varies depending on the day, I group enough tasks together to be about 20-30 minutes of work) appears everyday. Everything else gets scheduled based on the week and when things might be due. For certain days that are busier with either online classes, co-op or field trips, we have agreed on how much has to be done of those days. Usually, just the everyday stuff. I will usually put "easier" review or "skill maintenance" type assignments on these days. I would guess that most of the tasks on his schedule are around 20 to 30 minutes of effort.

redsquirrel, I saw comments on the board this year here and there (can't remember whose comments) about the Expository classes at WTMA changing. Can you shed any light on what is going on over there? Do you think it is a teaching style difference between various instructors or an actual change in the direction of how the classes are running?

A bit OT, but I know there are others reading through this thread thinking about progression. What's great about Scratch is that is is very easy to begin to use. However, Scratch is a visual block language. My son was done with Scratch, but I did not think he was quite ready to jump straight into learning Python or Java. I didn't think it was that useful that what he was doing was just playing with other people's projects on Scratch. I just didn't think it was going anywhere useful. I thought while he was getting something out of it, it wasn't quite getting him where I wanted him to go next. He probably could have made the jump, but I wanted to give him something he could work through relatively independently and problem solve himself and STAY motivated and engaged. It's been marvelous in building his confidence and motivation to debug his own code. I can see how this is improving his own critical thinking and problem solving skills. Instead of telling kids this is what to do (as in type in this code and it will do this), Code Monkey shifts it more to be self-discovery/self-teaching on the part of students so they are learning and improving as they experiment with their code. What works, what doesn't work, and learning to be persistant in improving their code. What I did was to do Code Monkey which teaches kids to code in Coffescript (which is quite similar to Javascript, but with friendlier Syntax) through a series of stepped lessons/challenges. I really like the instant feedback and the emphasis on learning to write code within the structure of a fun, rewarding experience. You can only earn 3 stars on a level if your code accomplishes the goal and does it efficiently within a certain number of lines of code. The topics covered: Objects, function calls, arguments, loops, variables, arrays, for loops, function definitions, boolean conditions, until loops, if and if-else conditions, boolean operators, keyboard and mouse events. I really like how it is visual like Scratch where the left side of the screen shows what your code does and the right side is where you code. They do offer a 2 week free trial. It's not super obvious in the FAQ, but when you subscribe you do get access to all the courses. (Coding Adventure, Platform Adventure, Frogger, Game Design, Python Chatbot, Dodo Does Math). Eventually, they will get to the point where they build their own challenge and write their own games. It's pretty inexpensive for the Home subscription, $40 for a year. Code Monkey is recommended for ages 9 and up. You can use it for a younger student with parental help/support. However, I think for CM, parental support/scaffolding would defeat some of the aspects of learning on your own. So, YMMV depending on how you choose to use it. Also, it is really helpful for the student to know how to type. There are tools to help students with inserting code for various functions, but it is super easy to make errors in your code if you do that. If you actually type out the code yourself, you are able to catch your errors as you are typing. It's actually a pretty good lesson in why accuracy is important. https://www.playcodemonkey.com/

Someone posted that it is now available.

I don't have this challenge, but I just wanted to throw out Ronit Bird math as another popular resource for kids with dyscalculia.

Just a few comments: Prodigy is NOT intended to teach math. It's meant for math skills practice. So, don't expect her to learn anything new. Beast Academy is fairly parent intensive. There is no way that she could use this independantly. It is also a curricula that intentionally wants students to be frustrated and learn to work through it. Fred is a nice supplement, but there is very little practice in there. I am also a CPA and yes, it is busy this time of year. I will gently suggest that perhaps during this season, you may not want to use your regular curriculum and use practice workbooks just to keep skills fresh but not introduce any new concepts. I will also agree that math at this age is rarely independant. However, it does not need to be super long lessons either. You also may want to consider whether or not a spiral program is a good fit or if she would do better with a mastery program.

I would echo to say that TT and BA are pretty opposite in terms of math curricula. I am one of those with a math adept student, and I used SM followed by BA a level behind. We do a lot of math around here. So, I did also use the Challenging Word Problems (went much deeper than the ones in SM's TB/WB) and Intensive Practice books. I do CWP a couple of sections behind where I am in SM and IP 1/2 level behind (A book when I am in the B book). It seems like a lot of books, but it's pretty much open and go for us. You could just use SM TB/WB and be good with just that and use BA a level behind. IMO, I don't think BA has enough practice for the majority of kids. Using BA a level behind removes frustration because you already introduced the concept, practiced and mastered it. BA will take it to a deeper level without the concept being brand spanking new to them. The focus is on the deeper thinking and problem solving that BA is known for. It's super obvious when using SM what you do because there are notated stopping points for each lesson marked with a pencil icon.

TheAttachedMama, Have you seen the free tutorials here? You can pick and choose what you want to do. I linked their all topics page so you can see everything they offer. In particular, they have a series of tutorials about internet safety for kids as well. https://www.gcflearnfree.org/topics/