Well, I went ahead and downloaded the books to iPad and he started them tonight. Hoping it goes well and if not, I've got some other great suggestions. :)

Oh, that is very encouraging to hear! I assume you didn't feel the subject matter too mature either.

Second vote for Hake! We love it here and there is PLENTY of Grammar to be had with it. ;)

My son would like to this and I figured I'd let him give them a try, but I was always under the impression they were much more difficult.

My 11yo son just finished The Hobbit and loved it. He is not one who generally speaking loves reading, so I would like to strike while the iron is hot here. Can you recommend some books for him to read next that he might like as well? Thanks! Beth :)

You could not go wrong with either one, IMHO. I had used IEW for years and loved it. I own practically everything they have put out:D. A couple of years ago I gave birth to a very high needs baby and now toddler, so writing with my now 5th grade ds was not getting done. I had heard that MC was similar to IEW, so I took the plunge with it. We are now almost at the the end of MC 4+ and I am so impressed with what my son can do now! And he did most of work on his own! I still love IEW and think it would have been great for him too. But for me, and the season of life we are in, MC has been a great fit with great results. So, my advice would be to just start with MC since you already have it. I don't know which level you have, but I didn't love the beginning of MC 4, that is just grammar, only because we have done a lot of grammar and didn't really need it. Hope that helps! Beth

Wendy, When I look the books on Rainbow, it seems as though the writing and grammar are integrated and there is no separate grammar book. I am seeing a student textbook, student workbook, and teacher packet, but not a purely grammar book. Can you please help? :confused: I don't mind buying the integrated grammar and writing and discarding the writing portion if need be, but I just wanted to make sure I was getting the right thing. Also, could you comment if you went from FLL 4 to Hake 5 and if that was a pretty seamless transition? Thanks again! Beth:)

This post is such perfect timing! I was just about to ask this same thing. We finished FLL 4 last year. We loved it and was so disappointed to not be able to continue in the series. We have been trudging through R&S 5 and it is just not a hit here. Looks like maybe it is time to try Hake! Thanks so much! Beth:)

Can someone tell me if you can download this to your iPad or iPhone? Or will it only work on PC? Sorry ... I'm miserably bad with technology :confused:

No, but if someone could advise as to which one to get, I would. :)

We just started CWP3 to supplement Math Mammoth 4. Can someone who does this tell me if there is any more thorough explanations on how to use the bar model, perhaps in earlier books or somewhere else. I really like the way they do this and would like to give my son some more instruction on how to use it. He did the first 10 or so pages fine by himself, but used his own method, which I know the book said was fine, but I would really like him to learn the bar model. Thanks for your help! Beth

Yes, the resources are very helpful, but in my busyness (or laziness) I had hoped for something already put together to purchase.:tongue_smilie:I also probably should have mentioned, I am looking for something for 4th grade.

Thanks for the link, ohelizabeth! I gather after reading that thread the answer to my question is no! ;) Beth

Like a book list for different science topics, kwim? :) Thanks! Beth

You should definitely buy SWI-B, not A, for your children's ages. I had the same fears about teaching writing. I now own so much IEW stuff and year after year say it is the best homeschool money I spend. Also, have no fear about the money, they have 100% money back guaruntee if you decide you don't like it. And, if you do like it and use it (which I think you will), the resale on their stuff is great. So you can use it and still probably get at least 75% of your investment back if you want. Make sure you join the yahoo group IEWfamilies, it is so helpful if you have questions or problems. HTH! Beth