GREAT add-on for dysgraphia

Being in high school now, my son's dysgraphia is causing all sorts of challenges when it comes to algebra and chemistry.  Rewriting a chemical equation to balance it takes long, often brings in more mistakes, and is completely demotivating to him.

From a yahoo group for dysgraphia (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dysgraphia), I found out about this software to make writing math equations, drawing graphs, doing chemical equations and chemical structures much easier:
http://www.efofex.com/

I just downloaded it and it integrates completely into Word.  Click on the add-in, type in chemical equations and it automatically formats to subscripts, arrows,  superscripts, etc.  Amazing!  The graphs, math, and chemical structures also are extremely easy to integrate into a Word document.


To get an annual subscription of the entire program (math, drawing, chemistry), it's approximately $150 US per year but with proof of special needs (letter from a school or, for homeschoolers, qualified test results showing learning challenges -- that we have), my son can download it and use it for personal use free for 10 years.

Extremely cool!

Social Studies Curriculum Meeting

Dayspring Home Educators had a Humanities Curriculum "show and tell" parent meeting this week.  Here's all the great curriculum examples of their social studies curriculum/resources -- including a great list of series for elementary students:

Social Studies

History Curriculum

Trisms: 

·         Reading Through the Ages book list by the era (any age)
http://stores.shoptrisms.com/-strse-22/Reading-Through-the-Ages/Detail.bok (available in ebook)

·         Also have history programs for Middle-High school
http://trisms.com/  

Classical Conversations (in-person local coops)  (K-12)
http://www.classicalconversations.com/

Tapestry of Grace – full curriculum for multiple ages (K-12)
http://www.tapestryofgrace.com

Connect the Thoughts (Current Wars; Free weekly journal) (K-12)
http://www.connectthethoughts.net/

Winter Promise (literature based curriculum:  PreK-12)
http://www.winterpromise.com/

Sonlight (literature based curriculum:  PreK-12)
http://www.sonlight.com/

 

Resources on CD (timeline, maps) (PreK-12)

·         Hold That Thought (CD’s – maps, timeline)
http://www.holdthatthought.com/

·         Uncle Josh’s Outline Maps from Geography Matters
http://www.geomatters.com/products/details.asp?ID=27

·         Historical Timeline Figures by Liberty Wiggers
http://www.geomatters.com/faq/details.asp?PID=172

History spines:

o   The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia

o   The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History

o   DK (Dorling Kindersley) – History of the World

Resources for finding books:

o   World History Reading List:  http://www.abookintime.com/worldhistoryreadinglist.html

o   American History Reading List:  http://www.abookintime.com/americanhistoryreadinglist.html

o   Reading Through the Ages book list by the era (any age)
http://stores.shoptrisms.com/-strse-22/Reading-Through-the-Ages/Detail.bok (available in ebook or paper copy)

Preschool-elementary level book examples

o   The Usborne Book of Living Long Ago by Felicity Brooks, Helen Edom

o   Story of the World (Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer)

o   NC Freaks of History (NC curriculum, workshops, field trips)

§  http://www.ncfreaksofhistory.com/

o   Rats and Bulls and Flying Machines (Core Knowledge)
http://books.coreknowledge.org/home.php?cat=300

o   Around the World in 100 Years by Jean Fritz
(Jean Fritz wrote some great history books:  http://www.biblio.com/jean-fritz~105730~author )

o   Explorers Who Got Lost by Diane Sansevere-Dreher

o   Take it to Your Seat Centers (Geography, etc.) by Evan-Moor
http://www.evan-moor.com/centers

Series of great history books

o   Series:  Chester Comix  (graphic novels)
http://www.chestercomix.com/

o   Series: American Kids in …. Colonial Days, etc.  (list: http://www.homeschoolfcgs.com/product_info.php/cPath/21/products_id/929335)

o   Series: Rookie Biography (many available – Amazon/library)

o   Series: Ingri D’Aulaire (list:  http://www.squidoo.com/ingridaulaire)

§  Benjamin Franklin by D’Aulaire

o   Series: Famous Men… Renaissance and Reformation, Medieval (great short biographies of people with study materials if you want them)
http://www.greenleafpress.com/

o   Series:  Timeline Graphic Novels (eg.Queen NZinga) (several reading levels and many topics)
http://steckvaughn.hmhco.com/en/timeline_home.htm

o   Series:  If You…  Sailed on the Mayflower…  (Scholastic) (many topics)
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/search?N=0&isBrowse=Y&Nr=AND%28Collection_ID:WK%29&Ntk=Series_Name&Ntt=If%20You...

o   Series:  Graphic Library from Capstone Press (www.capstonepress.com)

§  American Graphic:  http://www.capstonepub.com/product/9781429654777

§  Graphic Histories: http://www.capstonepub.com/product/9780736865531

§  And several other series

o   Series:  Horrible Histories (from the UK but available in the US)

§  Original website:  http://horrible-histories.co.uk/

§  US order site:  http://www.horriblebooks.com/

§  Some available at Amazon

o   Series:  You wouldn’t want to be…  an American Colonist
Series titles at:  http://www.mymcpl.org/cfapps/juvser/title.cfm?id=1844

Language Arts Curriculum Meeting

Dayspring Home Educators had a Humanities Curriculum "show and tell" parent meeting this week.  Here's all the great curriculum examples:

Language Arts

PreK-Early Elementary

Five in a Row (Pre-K – 10 yo)
http://www.fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/index.html

Happy Phonics – learn to read through games (PreK-2)
http://www.lovetolearn.net/catalog/product/07073

All about Reading: (from All About Spelling) (PreK)
http://www.allaboutreading.com

Take it to Your Seat Centers (Phonics, etc.) by Evan-Moor
http://www.evan-moor.com/centers

Grammar/Vocabulary

Michael Clay Thompson (Gr 3-4 through high school)
http://www.rfwp.com/mct.php (this is a summary by age/topic)

• ·         Building vocabulary/grammar – SAT focus
• ·         The Word within the Word (vocabulary)
• ·         Magic Lens (grammar)

Winston-Grammar (kinesthetic approach to grammar)
http://www.winstongrammar.com/

Writing

Four Square Writing Method:  easy – basis for organizing ideas (Gr 1-9)
Available many places, including Amazon.  This is the Rainbow Resource list:
http://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?sid=1287784692-90000&subject=7&category=1616

Writing Strands (preK-12)
http://www.writing-strands.com/

The Writer’s Jungle/Bravewriter (curriculum and online 6 week classes) (Gr 3-12)
http://www.bravewriter.com/program/home-study-courses/the-writers-jungle/

Institute for Excellence in Writing – lots of material (now Pre-K through high school)
http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/

• ·         The Elegant Essay
• ·         Window to the World
• ·         Excellence in Literature
• ·         Teaching the Classics
• ·         Student Writing Intensive
• ·         Student Intensive Continuation Course
• ·         Portable wall
• ·         (not shown:  PAL – for K-2)

Susan Wise Bauer/The Well Trained Mind (K-4)
http://www.welltrainedmind.com/store/language-arts.html

• ·         First Language Lessons
• ·         Writing With Ease (Strong Fundamentals)

Evan Moore Literature Pockets (Gr 1-6+)
http://www.evan-moor.com/Product.aspx?SeriesID=82

Jensen’s Format Writing – good for essay questions at college (Gr 4-12)
http://www.jsgrammar.com/

Write with the Best: Modeling Writing after Great Authors of World Literature (Gr 6-12)
http://www.edudps.com/WWTB.html

Fairview’s Guide to Composition and Essay Writing by Gabriel Arquilevich (high school)
http://www.amazon.com/Fairviews-Guide-Composition-Essay-Writing/dp/0964904217

Bringing the Classics to Life – CD (abridged) and questions/workbooks (Gr 1-5)
http://www.edconpublishing.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=41_14

Wordly Wise (K through high school)
http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/products/details.cfm?series=2818M

Spelling Resources

Sequential Spelling (AVKO) (kinesthetic/dyslexia)
http://www.avko.org/sequentialspelling.html

Spelling Power (Gr 3 to high school)
http://www.castlemoyle.com/shopping/spelling/spellingpower.htm

Dr. Fry’s Spelling Book (high frequency words) (Gr 1-6)
http://www.amazon.com/Spelling-Book-Words-Needed-Phonics/dp/1576907503

All About Spelling (all the learning styles – kinesthetic, auditory, visual)  (Gr 1 - ??)
http://www.all-about-spelling.com/

High School Chemistry Resources

Top Ten Reasons to Take Chemistry

10) It's fun to say "Erlenmeyer"
9) If your parents ground you, dissolve their car!
8) Mr. Guch's Chili Recipe!
7) Colleges like it more than "Basketweaving 101"
6) It makes you look smart, like what's his name, that physics dude in the wheelchair
5) Find out what's in your school lunch!
4) You don't have to mess with dead things like in Biology.
3) Goggles, Goggles, Goggles!
2) You don't have to get all sweaty like you do in P.E.
1) Many major corporations are now asking applicants to balance equations

Textbook:  Glencoe Chemistry Matter and Change (2002/2001 version)

• Online Quizes/resources by chapter
• Chemistry: Matter and Change, Student Edition
• Chemistry: Matter and Change; Study Guide for Content Mastery
• Solving Problems: a Chemistry Handbook (Matter and Change)

DVD Math supplement
Textbook order goes fairly well with the Teaching Company's Chemistry, 2nd Edition DVD's

Another supplement
For straight forward descriptions, though the title is horrible, Complete Idiot's Guide to Chemistry follows the same rough outline with descriptions of what's going on.

Here are some online worksheets for Chemistry:
http://misterguch.brinkster.net/practiceworksheets.html
and, from the same site, some online tutorials: http://misterguch.brinkster.net/explains2.html
(Check out the Gas Law tips and how to keep them straight -- some very funny stories!)

• Reaction Worksheets (13): Balancing equations, word equations, stoichiometry, gas stoichiometry, percent yield, reaction types, limiting reagents, redox reactions, solution stoichiometry.
• Solutions Worksheets (16): Molarity, molality, mole fraction, dilutions, acids and bases, pH, pOH, titrations, weak acids, colligative properties, Ksp calculations, making solutions, pop quiz, like dissolves like.
• Covalent and Metallic Materials Worksheets (12): Lewis structures, VSEPR, polarity, intermolecular forces, practice test, properties of metals.
• Naming Compounds Worksheets (9): Naming ionic and covalent compounds, organic compounds, acids and bases.
• Gas Law Worksheets (8): Combined & ideal gas laws, Boyle's law, Charles's law, Dalton's law of partial pressures, RMS velocity problems, gas stoichiometry.
• Calculations Worksheets (6): Unit conversions, molar masses, grams-moles-molecules, percent composition.
• Miscellaneous Worksheets (16): Sig figs, types of solids, phase diagrams, electron configurations, subatomic particles, nuclear reactions, scientific notation, heats of reaction, Le Chatlier's principle, calorimetry, functional groups, first semester review sheet, properties of ionic compounds.
• Practice Final Exam, Multiple Choice Only - It may not cover everything you did in your class, but it's a start!

NCSU's Psychoeducational Clinic

NCSU has a full psych-ed testing clinic -- which can test for learning disabilities, processing disorders, dyslexia, working memory problems, etc.  We used them this year for my 9th grader -- a full battery ran $1050 but it also achieved academic testing (Woodcock Johnson) for the year. One pre-meeting, 2 3/4 days of testing, 1 post testing consult.

The person who did the testing for us used to work at Mel Levine's All Minds at a Time and my son was very comfortable with her. End result was a very extensive report with all test results -- and a lot of resources for working with challenges found.  Not for everyone, but when the time's right, this is a good place to check out.

http://psychology.chass.ncsu.edu/pss/facilities/clinic/

Dysgraphia resources

The typical accommodations for dygraphia are:

1. permission to do all work on a laptop
2. permission to mark answers in the test booklet (not on Scantron sheets)
3. often extended time (double or time and a half, depending)
4. if he has poor spelling then points not taken off for neatness and incorrect spelling on work completed in-class.

There's software that can help, including the FX Math/Science package for doing math problems, graphs, etc. This is available free to special needs kids from http://www.efofex.com.

Another resource is:  http://www.handwriting-solutions.com . Susanne Hutchinson is the owner of this company. Information is on the website, they have a resource book, and they'll do a phone/internet consultation to develop a set of recommendations.

Phonics File Folder Games

File Folder Fun.com
http://www.filefolderfun.com/KindergartenPhonics.html

Space Rhymes File Folder GameThis is a rhyming game for children who are working on early phonics skills.  Children read
the word on the rocket ship and match it to the correct planet.

Shamrock Phonics File Folder GameThis is a phonics game for children who are working on early sight word recognition.
Children read the word on the shamrock and place it in the correct rainbow pocket.  There is
lots of room here to decorate your folder in a fun way...think glitter and rainbow stickers! 

Creating a High School Engineering Program

My oldest has just over 3 years left of high school.  Now that we've got a FIRST Robotics team going, he'll have lots of exposure to engineering (& other) topics. I'd like to give him month long unit studies of different topics that will give the theory or more formal approach to some of these topics so he gets more from the program than just the experiential.

 Topics:

• Drafting
• CAD
• Prototyping (materials/form/projects0
• Electrical
• Motors/gears/drive trains

Sample syllabii or programs:

Infinity Project:

The Infinity Project is a national award winning middle school, high school, and early college engineering curricula. This math- and science-based engineering and technology education initiative helps educators deliver a maximum of engineering exposure with a minimum of training, expense and time. Created to help students see the real value of math and science and its varied applications to high tech engineering - The Infinity Project is working with schools all across the country to bring the best of engineering to their students.

-- set up for schools and requires a 5-day 35 hour training program for teacher of course -- probably could run it through Wake Robotics but feels a bit limiting and expensive

Engineering the Future
Here's a sample syllabus (Word doc) of a year long syllabus using various projects.
This looks really great!

Right brained resources

Diane Craft has a lot of great ideas about homeschooling with ADHD kids and right brained kids -- with both techniques to use and more information about the why's of their brain functioning. You might want to check out her website: http://www.diannecraft.com and articles. You can also order recordings of her talks at the conference if they look helpful. I'm actually going on Friday and hope to hear some of her talks.

Her approach is that you want to give them all the skills and tools they need to get them to function at the same evaluation level.

Another person who's well known in this area is Cindy Gaddis (from eastern NC). She also has lots of great info and techniques but her underlying philosophy is that right brained thinking is no different than left brained thinking and therefore why should one even be looking at the same measurements.
http://applestars.homeschooljournal.net/

Karen Davis (Charlotte) has a great list of resources for right brained learners:
http://www.squidoo.com/Right_Brained_Learner
**** Go down halfway and watch the "Animal School" video if you haven't seen it before.

And last, a current business book on the future of right brained thinkers:
A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel H. Pink