Chiefcook - this exactly : "He can discuss and analyze verbally far more than he can communicate coherently in writing." This has all been so helpful!

Thank you EVERYONE for the wonderful replies. All of them validating and helpful. Given my DDs precociousness, it has been hard to guage whether the level of engagement and support for my son's needs is appropriate. Lori D. - I agree with you 1000% and am already placing my brain on standby to drop or adjust the higher level studies if they start to impact his enjoyment. I may touch base again with his instructors this week to feel them out on reducing some of the requirements.....particularly since he will be starting IEW this week and will have another writing-intensive item on his list. I spoke with the course provider (Williamsburg Academy) before enrolling him in STEM and Humanities to explain his situation and they were / are supportive of accommodating him. However, unless we absolutely have to, I'd like him to stay enrolled - participating in MS level classes is a point of pride for him and is doing a world of good for his confidence....his late-blooming skills have made him self-conscious about his abilities, made him question his intelligence....which becomes a bit self-fulfilling for a student who doesn't think he can succeed. Much of the time, I transcribe his writing assignments for him - he talks, and I type. This is helping him to loosen up with his words, and I am more than ok with this. I will feel more comfortable doing this now....he is working on handwriting and typing separately, and that's good enough for me. I'll let him keep 'expressive writing abilities' and 'technical writing skills' separate until he doesn't have to think so much about them and they begin to become more natural. I should add....he does math lessons and practice,, TONS of free reading guitar practice and assigned reading for STEM and Humanities independently - and has good research skills in those areas as well. Gosh, I'm pretty proud of him! :hurray:

Our family has returned to Homeschooling after a one year hiatus. Based on our initial experience, we are doing things much differently - much more outsourcing, much less mom-designed work. For the most part, things are going well and this is a setup that allows us to continue homeschooling within the limitations and realities of our family dynamic ;-) DD 13 is very independent and autonomous - always has been. She is doing very well and requires little to no input from me - although I do covert monitoring daily to make sure everything stays on track. DH 10 is another story altogether. He is very bright, but has always been reluctant (to put it mildly) to do schoolwork. He has done a brilliant job of applying himself so far this year, but has some extra ground to cover and is lacking in the skills that will eventually make it possible for him to work more efficiently and quickly. Specifically: 1) he has great verbal ability, but is an extremely hesitant and slow writer. 2) he is still learning to manage his time and apply himself to tasks in a self-organized manner, and sometimes seems to struggle to understand what is being asked of him in an assignment. I should add that, while he is in 5th Grade, he is enrolled in MS content courses for Humanities and Science - he is more than capable of handling the content, but due the writing delays (and lack of formal experience with this level of studies) sometimes struggles with the output side of things. At the moment, I am spending a LOT of time working 'with' him, helping him to plan his work, decipher the assignments, complete his work and 'coach' him through the writing required. I haven't kept track of exactly how much time, but I'll jot it down over the next week to see....but it's a heavy percentage of the time - definitely more than 50% of the time he's doing active work. I have to say that he has come a long way in a short time and is honestly giving it his best effort. This is the first year that he 'wants' to do well and is taking more pride in his work. I would add that he remains a curious and lively child - loves to read and enjoys learning. But I do need to prod him along often ;-) We are both working with the understanding that the goal is for him to transition to more independence as the school year unfolds, and he is accepting and embracing that. I am very grateful as well that we enrolled him in a Leadership Course that focuses on time managements and personal responsibility. It is a huge gift for any child IMHO. There is a question in all of this.....I'm curious to know from others who have BTDT if this is typical of the age and of boys in general? He doesn't seem to be chaffing at the demands too much, but does find the workload challenging.... BTW, I am ok with this for the time being - it is where he is and I am grateful to have this opportunity to be sure he has a strong foundation before the higher grades hit. I'm pretty sure he would be at risk of seriously lagging in traditional class room setting. Just wondering if this falls within the range of normal....ish....

Thank you for the suggestions! I will give them a look - much appreciated :001_smile:

Our children are heading back to school this fall after 2 years of homeschooling. For a variety of reasons, both kids are a bit behind in math and need to ramp up before the fall. Their tutor (who will be their Math teacher this fall - bonus!), feels that they need to review grade level concepts as well as increase their fluency / speed on basic functions. Can anyone suggest a solid, open and go workbook that will do the job for my 6th Grader? We have been using giftedandtalented.com for new concepts and are very happy with it, but we need something to supplement that will help her solidify early middle school math skills that she seems to have forgotten. We have Evan Moor 6th Grade Skill Sharpeners on hand, as well as Saxon 7/6 which she had been working through. We could likely use the timed tests from Saxon, but I'm looking for something efficient and not teacher intensive. thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!!

We haven't used readers & workbooks until just recently....DD had a (very) short stint at a PS with an IS option. It didn't work out for us BUT she discovered a literary analysis program that she absolutely loved from Teacher Created Resources, and from my view, was thorough, engaging and not too pricey. I plan to get another unit with book for her to study - you can find them here... https://www.teachercreated.com/books/literature-units?level=6th-grade I haven't taken a thorough look at it yet, so I'm not sure how 'open and go' it is (we received a bundle of photocopied pages from the teacher that DD worked through). The sample pages don't provide a full perspective, but basically the books are divided up into 4 or 5 sections with activities suggested for each of those sections. Some activities are for a single child, others are for small groups. I get the impression it could be done 'big' or 'small'. Is this the type of material you are looking for? I look forward to hearing other responses and ideas, since lit analysis is something DD really seems to enjoy and I would love for her to continue on this streak!

Thanks everyone for the encouragement :001_smile: I am making good on my commitments to better self-care as well and started a course of acupuncture this week. It is something that has worked very well for me in the past, and should help me get on the rails again. Bigger picture changes are also afoot with regard to workload and generally the way we organize home, school, work and life. The whole family is 'done' with the current set up and motivated to change....gently, yes, but change absolutely Oh boy! You know it!!!! Hang in there Ausmumof3..... :grouphug: :iagree: So well said....it has definitely been a huge learning experience for all of us and for that we are truly grateful.

A HUGE thank you IEF !!! I had no idea single grades were available! I've already ordered the Grade 3 package, plus some play money from Amazon (RR was out of stock) and we are good to go. I am soooo kicking myself for not having given Saxon a try earlier - both my kids are using it now (DD 7/6 and DS will start 3 as soon as it arrives) and it is exactly what we need right now. :hurray:

Popping in quickly to update.... We are slowly righting the ship here....I moved quickly to enroll DD in the independent studies program - she had her first teacher meeting Monday and has been chugging away on her assignments since then. It is not ideal from a content standpoint, but it is a style of working that suits her and it will ensure that she's moving forward, unimpeded by my inability to plan everything for her right now. Met with a tutor for DS....wonderful woman with a ton of experience, both as a homeschooler and a teacher....only to discover that DS is working within his grade level on math. Made some curriculum changes to both Math and Language Arts to simplify our program. It's a good start. Still work to be done in establishing a more sustainable work flow at home, but we are on our way....

Thank you everyone for the input! We are going ahead with Saxon 3 - he needs the facts practice, and it does look like the review will be manageable. A quick follow-up question if anyone is still around....did you use the manipulatives kit?? I see that Sonlight / Bookshark offer a kit targeted at 'just' SM 3, so we wouldn't need to get the full K-3 kit... Thoughts??

We are switching DS 8.5 to Saxon Math for a variety of reasons, the most important being that 1) he is just not as solid on the fundamentals (basic math facts, fact families etc.) as he should be, and 2) he could use some confidence-building in math before we start to tackle more advanced concepts. I've just completed the Saxon Math Placement Test with DS, and he is 'right' on the cusp of Saxon Math 2 and 3, and I'm looking for your thoughts....he is literally one point off of 'passing' to Math 3. He performed the test well and confidently, and only hesitated on a couple of concepts - areas that we have not yet covered (fractions and reading a thermometer that had a scale of 2 degrees per line). I am leaning towards beginning with Math 2 simply because it will give us an opportunity to get a strong, 'fresh start' on math while having a thorough refresher course for him on the basics. We could easily do the chapter / review tests and only double back on concepts that need work. I am concerned about getting him in to Math 3 and having him (and me!) feeling discouraged if it's just too much of a stretch for him... Would it be worth keeping him at the Saxon 2 level - and accelerating him as needed, or should we head straight into Saxon Math 3? I am fine either way - my priority is to give him a rock-solid foundation in math. I should note he has no delays and understands math intuitively - he's been tripped up by inconsistencies and curriculum errors. Would love your thoughts!

Closing the loop here....we've decided to go with CLE for the 'core' LA skills training and continue with ELTL on the side for literature study and narration. Will also keep plugging away on the Getty-Dubay and work torwards beginning cursive soon. BTW, I was amazed at how decent DS's spelling was in the assessments! We've never done anything formal - just a ton of reading and copywork.....go CM go!! :-))

Thank you!

Indeed! Quick follow-up - do you use the Teachers Guide?? I think I have this on hand (oh goodness, all the tools I have that have not been used!! :blushing: ). Thanks for the reminder!

Hi Katie - I'm looking through the units and this looks like exactly what the doctor ordered!!! We will do the diagnostic test to see where he fits best, but I am officially heaving a big sigh of relief... :o Having everything in one place so we are SURE to cover things off on an ongoing basis is key - our life needs a bit of simple right now. I'm fine with the religious content - we used CLE math for a time, and enjoyed the gentle spirit those references lent to the lessons. Huge thank you!!!