Oh, so glad you like it. We really like it too.

Very much overkill! You wouldn't need Spelling Wisdom if you used Simply Spelling.

You might want to look at Simply Spelling as well. It's like Spelling Wisdom, but includes some word study as well: prefixes, suffixes, dictionary skills (general language arts stuff that I don't normally cover.) http://www.shoelacebooks.com

If anyone was curious, I received my mp3s. Quick shipping and I'm pleased to report that there are lots and lots of good lectures. The ones on Omnibus that I've listened to so far have been great, very helpful. If you've been on the fence about purchasing these, I'd say that you will definitely get your $49 worth. There are 270 mp3s. You're bound to find some that you like.

Another thumbs up and a hearty recommendation for Simply Spelling.

Hi Michelle. If you've searched the boards, you've no doubt already read my opinion of Simply Spelling. But I'll reiterate that I really really like it. It's very effective, simple, and takes very little time. I think that learning words in the context of a sentence is much more effective that memorizing lists of words.

Beth, Thanks for the heads up about the Sale. I'm going to go ahead and get Diogenes now while it's on sale. (I also like to read ahead and plan.)

You can also purchase these from Beth's Bookshop online. The shipping is fast and the service is good. Google Beth's Bookshop. If you can't find it, I'll try to get you a link.

I've used WT this year with a third grader. It's a pretty painless way to get some writing assignments for history. It uses the keyword outline method, and is very easy to use even if you aren't familiar with the IEW method.

Melissa, You will probably get more replies if you post this question on the High School boards. OR, even just search "Omnibus" on that forum. There have been lots of good discussions about both of these programs. My only comment is that I am working through OMnibus I on my own in preparation for using it in 2 years. I really like it. It's well-laid out and easy to use and the discussion questions are thought-provoking and insightful. I can't wait to use it. ONe thing to keep in my is that most people pick and choose which books to cover; don't feel compelled to try to cover every work in a single year.

The book called CLassical WRiting Aesop is the Core book and contains the writing program. The other books are helps in implementation and are designed to make the program pick-up-and-go. Whether you need them or not depends on how much hand-holding you need. Most people find the Instructor's Guide unnecessary for Aesop. I never used the Instructor's Guide for Homer and am dropping the workbook in favor of using our own models for Homer B. Of course, I used the workbook until I got the hang of it.

I've had good experiences ordering from Memoria Press. One thing to consider is that if you order directly from MP, you are certain to get the most recent edition of whatever product you are purchasing. I ordered an MP product last year from another company and received an older edition.

I'm not familiar with Latin Primer III, but an 8th grader would do fine with Henle. My rising 6th grader will use Henle in the fall. I've start working through it myself and I really like it.

The grade levels are recommendations for a child just starting out. She's not laying out a step by step plan. Each of those books have their own sequence. I've used LC with a third grader and with a fourth grader (as well as having taught these in a classical school to grades 3-5). LC works with a third grader, however I did do lots of the early lessons orally and with lots of hand-holding. But halfway through the year, she does it all independently and does the written work as well. The fourth grader was able to handle the writing element from the beginning. I would not recommend LC for seventh or above. It just moves way too slowly. It designed as a gentle introduction for younger children. I would start a 7th grader in Henle directly.

We just completed Week 21 of 36 weeks. We took a month off for Christmas and we regularly take a week off every 6 weeks. This keeps me from burn-out. I need those mid-term breaks more than my dc.

Which version of Gilgamesh are you reading? Some translations play up those elements more than others. The Penguin Classics version by N.K. Sandars is considered the most tame translation. I pre-read Gilgamesh to prep for Omnibus as well. We'll be using it in 7th (a year and a half away). Obviously, parents must use their discretion, but when I was a high school literature teacher, I always took the position that we needed to be teaching our children *how* to think about these things. If we don't, someone else will. Certainly, I'm not suggesting gratuity or titillation, but we each have to decide where that line is. I thought that the Omnibus discussions were tasteful and age-appropriate, focusing mainly on the theme of friendship. I just realized that you haven't finished it yet. Give it time. It's generally studied because it's another Flood story and provides an opportunity to contrast it with the Genesis account.

Someone posted this very question on the Memoria Press Forums. It may have been you. I can't find the post now, but I remember Martin Cothran saying that a student completing Latin Primer could go into Latina Christiana 2, but he recommended learning the vocabulary from LC1 because it is assumed in LC2. The first several lessons of LC2 review the vocab of LC1. You could spend some extra time drilling the vocab at the beginning of the book. Good luck. We love Latina Christiana. And my recommendation for anyone teaching Latin is to read the articles on the Memoria Press website about Latin instruction and Latin recitation. These have transformed my Latin instruction.

Don't know why the link didn't work. But your link is to the same site. I haven't tried to download yet. I'll let you know.

Lindafay of Higher up and further in blog just posted this fantastic link. It's a series of lectures on studying Shakespeare by Pastor Ralph Smith. They are available as mp3s and on REal Audio. http://www.berith.org/nettalks/shakeintro.htm'>http://www.berith.org/nettalks/shakeintro.htm'>http://www.berith.org/nettalks/shakeintro.htm'>http://www.berith.org/nettalks/shakeintro.htm Enjoy. For some reason that link didn't work, try this one: http://www.berith.org/nettalks

We've got this one too. It was given to me when I was pregnant with my first born. The inscription, written by a child, was, "Have a happy baby."

Henle is the next step and what we're planning to use. I've been going through it myself and I like it. Another option is First Form Latin. This is Memoria Press's middle school Latin program that will take the place of Henle 1. I was told that they are trying to get it published for the Fall. My understanding is that there will be 4 books in the series and they will take the student all the way through the Latin grammar. And I say, sure do Latin and Spanish. We've been doing Latin and French and it's going really well. The French seems so easy after knowing the Latin. I find myself often when teaching a French lesson, saying this is just like Latin. Go for it.

You can also chant those grammar endings daily to really cement them. That's what we do; otherwise we'd be overwhelmed with flashcards. Read the articles on Latin Recitation at www.memoriapress.com in the articles section. There are several great articles that have really transformed my Latin instruction. I've got one completing LC2 and one in LC. They really know their stuff too. Daily recitation is the way to go. A few minutes daily really pays off big.

My picks for Read Alouds are The Door in the Wall, Robin Hood, and King Arthur and the Knights of the Round TAble.

Welcome. Have you read The Latin Centered Curriculum? You'll find an entire scope and sequence for each grade (lots of hand holding) with a great deal of CM philosophy. There's a revised edition coming out in the spring, but perhaps you can get a copy from a library to browse now. YOu may also want to look at www.amblesideonline.org or www.simplycharlottemason.org. These are free online curricula that follow CM. Ambleside is a little intimidating at first glance, but really well put together if you give it a try. There's also an ambleside scheduling yahoo group that may help. My encouragement is to embrace that CM philosophy and don't feel like you have to do everything in the WTM. No one does.

I use the timeline figures from Hold that Thought. I like them. I like that they are all uniform in size and I really like that for the more modern events, photographs are used instead of drawings. I like the border around them as well. We color-code our timeline by coloring in the borders. The only thing I don't like is that you can only print out an entire sheet. So sometimes I have to print out a whole sheet for 1 or 2 events. I also wish that the Church history was integrated with the World History. Instead they are 2 separate cds. Still, these are minor complaints. Overall I'm pleased and the price is certainly right!