Hello everyone.  I'm a (young at heart) grandmother raising my 10 year old grandson and we live in Rio Rancho.  He is currently attending public school but I have decided to take him out next year and homeschool him for 5th grade.  He is a bright boy who has difficulties within the classroom environment because he is adhd hyperactive and impulsive.  I'm looking forward to providing him with a stimulating and positive educational experience where he doesn't have to worry about sitting in his seat for long periods of time and conforming to the limitations of the public school classroom.  I'm looking at trying a correspondence school for our first year where they do all the recordkeeping and lesson planning.  Has anyone had any experience with either the Oak Meadow or Calvert programs.  I'm leaning toward Oak Meadow because I like the way they approach the different learning stages of children.  

Hi, Last year I pulled my son out of public schools that was going into 5th grade.  He also had been diagnosed with ADHD, some behavior  problems and learning disabilities.  I didn't use the programs you mentioned but we tried the Alpha Omega Switched on Schoolhouse computer curriculum for a couple of classes.  He, with his learning disabilities didn't use it very well, but my other son did fine.  It keeps track of their grades and you can set up the calendar on what days they will be in and out of school and it will adjust the assignments accordingly.  It was pretty user friendly.

Now... along the lines of ADHD or other problems like reading, writing, copying, math, headaches, or just trouble in general I would suggest looking into Irlen syndrom.  I just found out about this from a teacher and had my son checked.  At 12 going into 6th grade next year he was a non reader.  He struggled with every word, skipped words, read slow and choppy and hated to read (or course, who wouldn't!).  I had him tested and at the testing with his new overlays (they use color overlays/ or glasses to correct the symptoms) he was able to read two paragraphs of a 3rd grade story.  He read pretty smooth, only skipped one word, had a little trouble with a couple of words but once he was told what they were he remembered and read them correctly through the story (which he hasn't done in the past).  It was amazing!!!! While reading they removed the overlay and he no longer could read the words, put them back and he continued reading.  What a blessing!!!!!

If you want more information on this go to http://www.irlen.com The couple that do the testing in Albuquerque are wonderful.  I can get you information if you are interested.

Good luck with homeschooling

sherry

Hi. Welcome to homeschooling! I use Calvert. My son is almost 7, and I used the K and now Grade 1 curriculum. While I don't have personal experience with an older child with their program, I do have a friend in CA who used it with her son for  a few years, around ages 10-13, and he did very well. It worked well for their situation. Calvert does have the teacher program, so you can have someone to consult with. And, be sure to check on their financial aid program if you feel it is appropriate.

Kim