I don't and I do. I was also thinking about retention, so I have my speedy one limited. First, I'll say that I wouldn't do this with math (or phonics I suppose), but our math program (MEP) is really set up for 1 lesson a day - there is plenty there to think on. If I used a different program I'd probably just have him work X time per day. Anyway, his strength is languages. So instead of letting him rush Latin, I allow (encourage) him to do German as well. Scheduled books are ... scheduled. But the beauty of homeschooling is I can give him lots of time. So if he wants to learn about X, we'll find a book or a way to make it happen, but I'm not going to be in the driver's seat: he is. (This is my 11yo BTW.) I will say that he has more challenging books now. Perhaps you should go deeper on your kiddo's favorite subjects, if he isn't able to take the reins himself yet. If he can do pages and pages of a book, maybe it isn't enough for him anymore. My two cents.

Miquon and MEP.

I'd like to be more consistent with Spanish for my 12yo son, who is dyslexic. His reading has recently taken off, so I think we can add a bit of written/read Spanish. I'm aiming for 15-20 min per day, and I need a program that doesn't break the bank. I'd like to know what has worked for others. Thanks!

Why not just look at AO for books she might enjoy reading? Or if your current history period happens to match any of the middle AO years, start there (very broadly yr3=exploration, yr4=revolution, yr5=civil war) And the free readings are generally easier than scheduled reads. You could try The Jungle Books (or Kidnapped or Kim), Anne of Green Gables, Understood Betsy (starts slow but very, very good - shows a growth of confidence), Little Women, King Arthur (we used Green's version), Mark Twain books like Tom Sawyer, AO schedules a Dickens book in year 5 - Oliver Twist (I'd at least preview cliff notes for this, esp if she is sensitive), Rip Van Winkle, ... I wouldn't stress about reading levels too much. Look at summaries or cliff notes (or better yet, think of your own favorites) - decide what might interest her. Or look at which books you own. Then when you finish one book, read another.

I managed to get a good deal on the book, which is OOP: http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Universe-Discovering-Universal-Science/dp/0689312660/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1427764618&sr=8-3&keywords=secrets+of+the+universe You can also get it as separate booklets: http://www.amazon.com/Liquids-Gases-Principles-Mechanics-Universe/dp/0822529882/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1427764618&sr=8-4&keywords=secrets+of+the+universe

Milestones Academy also has 6 year history - it uses the MB Synge books (5 books) and then Story of the World 4.

Secrets of the Universe is lovely.

5th grader (MEP) 30 min, 7th grader (NEM) 30-45 min.

Homeschool Skedtrack can do that, but it is very clunky on a small screen.

I know what books I need for the year, but I plan every six weeks. Then I have a daily routine/schedule and every day I plug the books into it.

??? Are we looking at the same AO site? The high school years still use Apologia AFAIK, plus some others (such as The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (sp?)), which I think will only enhance science study. I'm not at a computer this second, so I can't verify that, but I've looked recently. I know AO science is changing, but it seems odd to challenge something that isn't published...

I also have too much money and too much fun... :P

I used it for a bit long, long ago. Nothing wrong with it. We were just told to drop reading practice to work on visualization and for some reason (can't remember why) we didn't come back to it. He did learn b vs. d.

My 11yo uses Duolingo (he started at 10 last year). I agree with the new update it is better on the computer. For fair warning some kids get frustrated (my 12yo does). I'm TRYING to encourage my 11yo to do Harry Potter in German. I might just assign it ...

I would go with the quality classics they can understand. I think a huge part of literature is the uplifting ideas. The inspiration to be better, the thrill of imagining you are someone else, somewhere else. And you don't need Julius Caesar for that. And I really appreciate audio books, I know they don't work for everyone but I love them for my dyslexic - they have literally opened new worlds for him. And I would look for books that would especially speak to them, to try to inspired a love of literature. Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, maybe something with a fantasy bent (The Hobbit, Narnia, the Tripod series), my dyslexic recently read & enjoyed The Pushcart War -- you know them and hopefully have some ideas. As to the storylines of great classics I also think quality children's retellings are good. Lamb's Shakespeare, my eldest is using The Chaucer Storybook by Tappan (I think it is on mainlesson.com), ... He is also very literal, which can make things interesting.

My son is 12 1/2 and we are doing one lesson per day currently (book A). It is fairly easy for him right now, but he tested into this level and I'm trusting the process. I've seen Dancing Bears work -- it looks so simple on the surface, but it is more than the simple word lists and funny stories it appears to be. I'm assuming Apples and Pears is the same, that it is laying a foundation for things my son needs to internalize. It's good to know that I can slow down later on if needed. And I *think* they mean usage in book A as far as grammar. I'm pretty sure the later books include word roots, so perhaps more grammar is taught later? It probably also depends on age - what is adequate grammar for a 3rd grader is not for a 7th grader.

DP

DP

Perhaps selected sheets from MEP math? The worksheets are setup so that it would be pretty easy to just do 1 or 2 of the puzzle type problems, not a whole lesson.

With my youngest son we did sounds only when he was 7. Very casually. He wasn't ready to even start at 6 - he could have cared less if it was an a, a p or a 9. This year (he is 8) he has made great and fairly painless progress. Although I would look at the Barton screening as a PP mentioned. And read to her! Seriously, I have been there, with my eldest. At one point I had to sit down and soul search: what if he didn't learn to read (yes, I was discouraged, I think he was 9 at the time)? How much longer would I withhold the beauties of literature from him because we were pounding away at reading? My son's comprehension (by that time) was good, so we made use of librivox. (If you go to Ambleside Online, they have a headphone looking letter [the Greek omega is one of them] that links to available audio books on librivox or lit2go). I can't tell you how much it helped - both the stories and the huge, huge confidence boost. If you want to do Shakespeare, just do it - sit down on Friday after lunch (or whenever) and read together. And on to said eldest (now 12, has had to work very, very hard on every part of reading from comprehension to sounds to blending). Dancing Bears is a miracle. Completely without blasphemy I can say it was a gift from God. And it's cheap. And quick (10 min a day). Oh, and it is open & go. It works. It is much, much more than it appears. My eternal love to the people here for mentioning it many times (took a bit for it to sink into my head that we should get it).

Can anyone tell me how they scheduled NEM 1? (I know it's discontinued, but I've collected most of the books so we should be okay.) Right now DS12 and I do most of the class problems together on the whiteboard, then I have him work on the non-starred exercises. But if question 1 has A-L for sub problems, how many should he do? I've been going with about 2/3rds of them, assuming he is understanding. FWIW, he is dyslexic and really struggles with quick recall, although he has improved quite a bit. Oh - and what about calculator usage? I notice it is being taught, so I'll need to buy a scientific calculator since mine died. Can anyone recommend a good, inexpensive one? I can't spend $120 like I did on mine... And any general advice on math in the middle grades will be helpful, as he is my oldest and sometimes it feels like I am flying blind.

I'm not sure I can post in this thread. :hat: I never "got" science in school (public school then college). I enjoyed the math and knew how to follow directions, so I always got As. (Whoop-dee-do.) But I knew I didn't know science. I think someone (8?) mentioned a story somewhere - the girl who was scorned because she (daughter of a stable keeper) could not define a horse, while the boy was praised for quoting the dictionary (paraphrasing here) even though he could have done that without ever seeing a horse. I think it is in Poetic Knowledge. I was like the boy, other than I *knew* I didn't know science. But I didn't have a clue how to fix that problem. I labelled myself as "not a science person". But using AO with my kids (1) showed me what was missing and (2) made me want to learn more. I'm really excited about the AO living science (and the interest it has sparked in the kids' free time). I think it will prepare them to dual enroll at the CC when they are old enough (16?). I'm also using challenging math curricula to be sure they are prepared for whatever course they decide to take. I could see one as an engineer very easily.

Once or twice a week with my 12yo and 11yo. Orally, taking turns and discussing.

I'm going to do a lot of buddy reading with him. We might use Webster's Speller as a resource for longer words. I have heard others mention Rewards Intermediate and another program I can't think of the name for. Oh, and we do Latin, but I'm also going to get Rummy Roots or something *obvious* (this son doesn't do subtle) for Latin & Greek roots. I think that will help.

I write all our stuff in my bullet journal. And, as a PP said, the act of writing it out helps me keep the amount reasonable. Anyway, for a while each child had a notebook (basically a copy of mine with fewer abbreviations). But we switched to me writing their lists on the whiteboard because the cats kept sitting/standing/sleeping on the notebooks. :coolgleamA: :lol: I'm thinking about going to a clipboard, but for now the (huge) whiteboard works. I just write each child's work in their own color.