Thanks to everyone, esp calbear = fountain (of knowledge)! I believe in paper text too. I meant that I want to buy the online text as an add-on for those times when the book is just too bulky to carry) We're not exactly early to the game in AOPS but the kids had used Singapore and New Dimensions prior to this academic year's ill-fated switch to Saxon. But overall, it's still not a race for us. If anyone else has any general AOPS usage tips, we'd be all ears.

Thanks. Long run is what we're after. May I ask, how do I access the videos? Is it part of the online text? (Speaking of online text, if you have multiple children and wanted them all to use the online AOPS books you buy, one after another, should you register at AOPS with just one family login name? It sort of forces me to type in a login name once I try to buy online text. If not doing the online class, is the identifier useful for anything else? I figure for actual online classes, each student needs their own login.

Thanks. Long run is what we're after. How do I access the videos? Is it part of the online text? (Speaking of online text, if you have multiple children and wanted them all to use the online AOPS books you buy, should you register at AOPS with just one family login name? It sort of forces me to type in a login name once I try to buy online text. If not doing the online class, is the identifier useful for anything else? I figure for the online class, each student needs their own login.

Thanks! I read in another thread something about Alcumus disappearing. Is that true? Also, how does grading work in the online class where it says they grade is 40% Alcumus but Alcumus is tailored toward each student? I'm not too concerned about the grade itself but just wonder what metrics AOPS are using overall. And if you were buying more than one online AOPS book, would you register the online books with just one username (for the family) or would you make it kid-specific? I'm planning for the the younger kid to eventually use the older kids online book.

Their ages are young 12 and old 13. 12yo has worked through Saxon Course 2. 13yo has worked through most of Saxon Alg I. I don't like the procedural aspect of Saxon anymore. Also, Saxon Alg I topics are strangely lumped together (e.g. interquartile ranges thrown into the middle of plotting inequalities). Neither kid is fan of Saxon anymore. The AOPS online class says it's grading is 40% Alcumus, but what does that mean? If Alcumus adapts to every students strengths, does that mean that every child have a different standard? I lile the AOPS curriculum fine, but the whole academy and transcripting and coursework portion makes me scratch my head.

Can somebody familiar with AoPS math please help me? I'm very confused. ? I've tried reading the website, calling AoPS etc. So here's my questions: According to their diagnostic tests for online courses, I have student who is ready for Prealgebra 2, and another who is ready for Intro to Algebra I. Since I hope we can do some math work over the summer on our own, I want to buy the right math textbooks now. I have actually looked through most of the AoPs texts and like them well enough over Saxon which we have. What is the right textbook for the Prealgebra 2 class? Is it Prealgebra? What is the right textbook for the Introduction to Algebra I class? Is it Introduction to Algebra? When, if ever does a student, use the Intermediate Algebra book? Why should buy the online version of book at all? Does it let you read it easily on iOS devices? I happen to live sort of near one of the cities that AoPS has face-to-face (F2F) classes. What is the advantage in F2F AoPS? I read that all the best advantages of online had to do with not hampering all other students from working and thinking just because one student is speaking a response as in a live classroom? Does your student who's liked AoPS feel the experience would've been better if they were in a group setting (whether virtual or F2F class)? What's wrong with just doing the textbook or online lessons on Alcumus? I didn't think I was obtuse until I tried to match up all their products. Also, the brick and mortar AoPS school wants the kids to do placement testing right away even though their classes woudn't start for another 3-4 months. I know B&M courses might fill up, but the downside is that it doesn't make much sense to me to take a placement test in something you're actively trying to work on 4 months early. I'm not going do it until we're ready and if the classes are full then I guess too bad, no B&M classes for us. Others encountered pressure for early testing at AoPS?

Can somebody familiar with AoPS math please help me? I'm very confused. ? I've tried reading the website, calling AoPS etc. So here's my questions: According to their diagnostic tests for online courses, I have student who is ready for Prealgebra 2, and another who is ready for Intro to Algebra I. Since I hope we can do some math work over the summer on our own, I want to buy the right math textbooks now. I have actually looked through most of the AoPs texts and like them well enough over Saxon which we have. What is the right textbook for the Prealgebra 2 class? Is it Prealgebra? What is the right textbook for the Introduction to Algebra I class? Is it Introduction to Algebra? When, if ever does a student, use the Intermediate Algebra book? Why should buy the online version of book at all? Does it let you read it easily on iOS devices? I happen to live sort of near one of the cities that AoPS has face-to-face (F2F) classes. What is the advantage in F2F AoPS? I read that all the best advantages of online had to do with not hampering all other students from working and thinking just because one student is speaking a response as in a live classroom? Does your student who's liked AoPS feel the experience would've been better if they were in a group setting (whether virtual or F2F class)? What's wrong with just doing the textbook or online lessons on Alcumus? I didn't think I was obtuse until I tried to match up all their products. Also, the brick and mortar AoPS school wants the kids to do placement testing right away even though their classes woudn't start for another 3-4 months. I know B&M courses might fill up, but the downside is that it doesn't make much sense to me to take a placement test in something you're actively trying to work on 4 months early. I'm not going do it until we're ready and if the classes are full then I guess too bad, no B&M classes for us. Others encountered pressure for early testing at AoPS?

Those with big families ... tell me how you cook tons of vegetables at once. Potatoes don't count; that I can do. But if you have a big receipt that incorporates potatoes like cabbage, onion, and potato, that would be ok. Like how do you cook up heads of cabbage, squash, green beans, etc. I think I would cook tons of vegetables, but the prep time is killing me. For example, I just can't spend enough time to cut up enough butternut squash it would take to feed us all. (4 people who have an enormous propensity to eat). If I buy it pre-cut, it's way too expensive.

Anyone know the name of any testing providers (similar to Seton, Abeka, etc) located in CA or on the west coast of the US? All the providers I can see are east coast and otherwise want start times at 11:00am or 1:00pm EST which doesn't work for us. I'm interested in giving the Stanford-10 online tests (untimed) at a time later in the day; Stanford-10 online test are proctored online must be taken within certain scheduled time windows during a pre-arranged week (the student can't just sit down to test whenever they feel like during the specified week). So if testing windows could start later at 1pm PST (4pm EST) that would work much better for us. Thank you for your knowledge and recs. Has anyone else run into time-of-day scheduling issues for Stanford-10 online? (added to x-post in Gen Ed disc board)

Anyone know the name of any testing providers (similar to Seton, Abeka, etc) located in CA or on the west coast of the US? All the providers I can see are east coast and otherwise want start times at 11:00am or 1:00pm EST which doesn't work for us. I'm interested in giving the Stanford-10 online tests (untimed) at a time later in the day; Stanford-10 online test are proctored online must be taken within certain scheduled time windows during a pre-arranged week (the student can't just sit down to test whenever they feel like during the specified week). So if testing windows could start later at 1pm PST (4pm EST) that would work much better for us. Thank you for your knowledge and recs.

What do you wish that the students you see in workshops or classes had more of? Better grammar, better grasp/execution of "free indirect writing style", better argumentative writing skills, more unencumbered time to pick up a pen and write for a purpose pleasing to themselves, the ability to put a coherent thought on paper? What is your observation?

First of all do I have to buy all the fiction books on the reading list from CC (e.g. Tom Sawyer) or can I just check them out from the library? I don't understand something I read about 4yos. If a would-be Ch. director has 4yo child, and there is grandparent or spouse happy to watch that child at home, does the director have to enroll the child at CC in order to apply for the job? Is there any break on tuition for Ch. directors for their own children enrolled in CC? What %? Is the requirement for a Ch. director mean having at least one of your children in CC, or does it mean you have to have all your children in CC? If the latter, that is a big all-in proposition! Do they do annual criminal background checks on all personel, contractors, volunteers? Do they not accept student of parents whose English is poor or who really just can't interpret the curricular materials well (e.g. vision impairment)? By the design of the program, I would guess not.

No, unless you have vastly overestimated the friendship between your son and C, the mom of C should've given you a bit of warning. And that little bit would've been the friendly thing to do. No one (mom of B) should lie to you. No one should instruct others not to tell you something. (You can imagine that C rec'd lots of warnings not to tell either.) These are just not the kind of friendships I value and I think age 4 is too young to have to suck it up and feel guilty about having your hurt feelings. Feelings are hurt and raw, as you said. You can float the private cupcake idea but by all means protect his little heart first. If you do go to mom's night (tired and wrung out no less), just prepared to grab your check if turns out to be more an apres-party regaling session.

For the PSAT 8/9, is a student who took it as an 8th grader ranked against students who also took it as a 9th grader? Or are there separate norms for 8th vs 9th? Because I know there's early testing for 3rd-6th graders through talent ID programs -- this leads me to think there's only 1 norm. So if a student could only take the PSAT8/9 once, either as 8th or 9th grader, and really wanted to get an idea of his college readiness, would it make more sense to take it as a 9th grader? [i know there are other PSATs (10, NMSQT) but I'm specifically asking about the 8/9.]

It's really hard to say. CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) results in general from some sort of external trauma, but often from orthopedic surgery even when the surgery was planned with utmost care. The more revision surgeries you need, the more chances something will literally touch a nerve. With CRPS, nerves have gone haywire, signals cross, and it can get so bad that simple things become unbearably painful -- like clothing merely being pulled over your skin. I know that Joni Erickson, the Christian artist whose quadriplegia resulted from a diving accident 40+ years ago suffers from chronic pain. The only thing she can move is her face and neck but she has pain all over. That is how unfair CRPS can be. https://rsds.org/telltale-signs-and-symptoms-of-crpsrsd/ (I don't know anything about CRPS and bullet or knife wounds.)