The iPad is much more portable than my laptop and has a much longer battery life. Typing is much easier on the laptop than on the iPad. For me, each has a different purpose.

I've got an Intermediate Algebra text by Charles P McKeague. I have been impressed with the exercise sets. Doesn't say anything for trig, of course, but I like what I've seen with this text. College Algebra as prereq for PreCalc is very weird. If you don't have uniform course descriptions across your cc's, it may be a warning sign about the school. I once looked at a published plan of study in a college catalog that recommended students take College Algebra and Calculus at the same time. It was not a good school. OTOH, I wonder if they added in the precalc algebra since so many students are really weak in algebra. They may be trying to refresh algebra (or really get people to learn it) before taking calculus. Still... strange...

There are very few cc's that have anything resembling a high school geometry course, so you won't be able to get that at the cc. Our cc has a flowchart of the math courses. Numbering doesn't always make sense, so check on the math dept page and see if they have something like that. I have seen schools that have a precal course (with trig) as a one semester course and that also have two separate courses that would be the equivalent of the precalc course - but for weaker students. Not every student will need trig as well. The business calculus course generally has only a college algebra requirement. From the course descriptions, it looks like precalc algebra and college algebra would be similar courses. I don't see the reasoning for this path. In our state, the sequence is: Beginning Algebra Intermediate Algebra (then there's a split and students can take stats, discrete math, or college algebra) If a student takes college algebra they can then take trig or business calc After college algebra is trig (each one semester - our school doesn't have a combined alg/trig course), then a student could take calculus. There's definitely something worthwhile to be gained from a geometry course. It's the first introduction to proofs many students get. I'd encourage after an algebra 1 course taking a geometry course. Intermediate Algebra is kind of Algebra 2 (although ideally an algebra 2 course would go a bit further than our intermediate algebra course). If your son is strong in math, unless you know the feel of the school, I might not have him taking cc math courses until calculus (if you're able to get him a challenge outside). I'd go with a private tutor or if he's good, try the AoPS courses. The students in the intermediate algebra course are often pretty weak (but I'm teaching nights - it's a different type of student). Don't know how much this helps, but these are my thoughts... And do check their site for a flowchart and look also at prereqs.

They say no outside food in the convention center. I don't know how much they'll enforce this. I'll probably munch some at the center on food court food so I can keep going. I figure dh and ds will head back to the hotel for part of each day. Catch up on eating after the conference? :lol:

Bumping for today. I want the discount too!

I don't see any cons to your purposes. Order the tests for their current grade level (unless you want to give an out-of-level test). For the CAT, I like to order from Bayside. Easy to work with and a former homeschooling family (kids now grown).

We have the first edition (I think) of Island level. There were a couple of pages I needed to type up (quizzes & in one case of Sentence Island a couple pages in the text that had answers hilighted, so I had to type them so we could talk through them without the answers). I'm looking forward to seeing new editions at the conventions and to see the student editions alone. If money is an issue at all, I'd go with the homeschool basic pack. I think the most I did in any book was 3-4 pages to retype at the most, so that's worth it. I did cover the side comments with post-its in a few places so my son wouldn't read them until after we discussed the page - also very easy to handle.

The abbreviation sticky can be helpful. You do get used to the abbreviations after a while :) And you can always post in a thread & ask what something stands for. It's a great community with a ton of resources. Welcome!

I don't think you'd need anything else. If you want, have him read the brief summary in Edith Hamilton's Mythology first.

Just as an FYI... the name sounded familiar... I believe this is the same Gary North listed in this thread. :glare:

The Greenville convention will be my first homeschool convention (I'm bringing dh & ds). I'm trying to keep in mind things I've learned from prior professional conferences: (1) Don't just run from workshop to workshop, even though they all look great. PLAN to spend time (and budget time) for the vendors hall. (2) Have a plan in advance of the workshops you want to attend (first choice, second choice). If one is a bust, you can head out and possibly catch your second choice (although if you think you'll do this, sit at the back so you're not disruptive). (3) If there's a workshop you REALLY want to see, get there early so you can get in and have a place up front. (4) (Taken from the forums :) ) Bring address labels for contact info at the vendor hall. (5) Dress comfortably. (6) I'm writing up a list in advance of the curriculum/vendors I want to be sure to see & have any questions I want to ask ready. It's easy to get carried away. I take notes so I remember things. I'm pretty excited about the conference.

If she's already reading, then absolutely not. Sounds like your daughter is somewhat like my son (although sounds like she read earlier). My son read Lord of the Rings before we started AAS. I'm quite sure he was horribly mispronouncing words though :) I've had him memorizing the Declaration of Independence. He had a dreadful time saying "usurpations" even after I said it and while he was looking at the word. I spelled it out on the AAS word board with tiles. Then I had him divide it using the syllable division rules (level 2). Then had him sound it out based on rules and he got it!! That's why I adore AAS. My son gets spelling but it also gives him the phonics he really needed. I don't use any additional programs for reading. I do have The ABCs and All Their Tricks as a reference but we only rarely refer to it. AAS will give you the spelling and the phonics you need. Do start with Level 1 though.

One other suggestion is not to give your child the answer right away. We've taken three days on some problems. I let my son try the problem and when he's just stuck, we put it away. We pull it out the next day, sometimes starting from where we left off, sometimes starting from scratch. If that doesn't get us anywhere, put it aside again. I don't want him to get used to me giving him the answer to a problem. I want him to have the experience struggling, failing, and then working through it. On Thursday, he was doing some fairly challenging problems and he said, "This is really tricky but it's fun. I have a real sense of accomplishment for figuring it out!" Of course, on Friday we had to put the book away entirely as he got stuck on a problem, couldn't see what was going on, refused to draw the bar model, etc. But I resisted just showing him, "See... here's how it works!" It's tough to let him struggle, but I really believe that part of the ability to do word problems comes from going through the struggle - take breaks, return to the problem.

My son used albuterol through a nebulizer at about 2 yrs old. He was mean on it. After letting his doctor know, they switched him to Xopanex. He doesn't have any problems on it. My husband used to take albuterol pretty regularly (until we got his asthma under control). He didn't have a reaction to it, but there was definitely a change in personality with our son on albuterol.

:iagree: That's what we did & it's worked. My son is a self-taught reader as well. Absolutely REFUSED to sound out words with me (even before he was reading). We started out with Spelling Workout and he could spell many of the words, but he wasn't retaining things from one book to the next. I also saw that he couldn't sound out words. Names were horrible. We started AAS - partially for their spelling but more for the phonics. There were some glitches at first. He resisted segmenting words and at first hated working on the board. However... his spelling and sounding out words has improved tremendously. The program is very open & go (yea for me!). We started in level 1 in 2nd grade (probably March of last year). We're a bit past mid-way through level 2 now & I expect we'll have it finished up by the end of our year in April. It's definitely worth a try.

Sorry. The only way I've seen word problems "make sense" is by continuing to plug away at them. Then, one day, the problems that were difficult before become easy. But it's only tons & tons of practice. Meanwhile, my son is reading books today since I can't teach him anything. Sigh.

Schedule is up!!!

Hope it goes well!

As an instructor, knowing there's an issue in advance makes me more likely to be lenient or to consider your issues later on. I wouldn't go with © - especially because a grade appeal is a real pain. I have heard of some instructors who allow a group to "fire" a member :) Now, YMMV - and some instructors would disagree with me as well. I think © is not a good idea though. (b) may be better. And if the other group members are okay - talk with your instructor in advance as a heads-up. However - I hate group work enough that I won't assign it at all. Maybe other instructors who do use it (because it can be done effectively!) will chime in.

I'd suggest you speak privately with the instructor about your experience. It may not get you anywhere, but your instructor may consider alternate ways to get a similar experience for future classes. It IS possible to do good group work. One way is to have a form that all members of the group fill out and the grade is split among members (it's a way a group can note that one person was a deadbeat). Basically, the form says who did what and people write the percentages of the work they did. Sorry for the frustration.

We're watching Mad Men. I saw a cigarette machine on it the other night. I remember those! (Old vending machines where you get cigarettes.) It is strange to be at the age where you're now saying, "I remember when..." Why, I remember when ketchup and soda bottles were glass! :lol:

I used scissors.

Honestly... I was about to expect you to say that your group members were all in their 20s. I think this is the problem with group projects & it doesn't have anything to do with electronic communication. It has to do with students who just don't put the same priorities on their learning. :grouphug:

Phooey. Thanks.

I keep hoping that we'll get the schedule with times soon. I think that'll help me pick which to go to. I want to be sure to have enough time in the vendor's hall as well! I also will send dh to ones that are lower priority if there are two at the same time & he can take notes for me :) We can also set up a post & compare here for people who are interested...