We don't really know when, but if the others are any indication it won't be long. She has been working fast. However she is also working on other things as well as self publishing, changing formats and covers, etc of all of her work is taking time I'm sure. I think you will find the wait worth it. Check out book 2 if you haven't . It will give you a pretty good idea of how book 1 is. My dd and I are very, very excited about this. =)

I forgot the best part of what I was going to post. Today for the lesson on verbs the student to was make a list of verbs and draw pictures for each word. They give their work to another person to see if they can match the verb with the pic. Such a simple lesson, but one I don't think will soon be forgotten.

I agree with the others in saying that LLATL and IEW are two totally different animals. I would like to chime in with my experience with LLATL. I hear that some kids don't retain what they learn from this program. My dd not only retains it, but does so well. For her less really is more. But that less actually has more meat that appears on the surface. While traditional programs assign 20-30 sentences to be labeled, LLATL may assign 5. However, there are lessons being taught within the literature passage via copywork and dictation. The writing is more natural than other writing programs. But it is suggested to use a writing program about upper elem. For that we used Wordsmith and Wordsmith Craftsman. They were thorough but not overwhelming. I hear complaints about LLATL's spelling. Yes, it is light when you think of 6 words per list. However it is suggested that you pull misspelled words from your child's work to add to his weekly list. If one is not comfy with this then adding a list is a good idea. How does my child like the program: Well, I have been giving her light duty days because we have been hitting the books hard for a while now. She looked at me with wide eyes, "But what about Language Arts??" Well, you can skip it if you want today. "I WANT to do it." When you enjoy what you are learning you learn well. When you dread what is put before you, you don't retain as easily. My older kids used several levels of LLATL. After graduating and moving on, they knew more than their college professors. My son-in-law and his brother used this with only Daily Grams for a little while. They have excellent speech, and writing skills. I don't think any of these 5 young adults have suffered. The proof is in the pudding.

This is a different set up than POAG, but A World of Adventure by Learning Adventures may be something you may be interested in. Also a possibility would be Beyond Five in a Row. Unfortunately there are only limited samples online. You will get more out of the reviews. Further Up and Further In and even Prairie Primer (yes, even Prairie Primer as the lessons include things like wolves, Indians, and snow blindness) would be interesting for boys. Both have good samples and topics covered at Cadron Creek.

I like Rod and Staff's grades 4-8 Bible studies (one page daily). I also like these fun activity books the kids put together. We also read the passages that go with the lessons. We are about to start a model of the Tabernacle (scroll down for instructions), and use this booklet to help with the lesson portion.

I agree with the others, and would seriously consider using a workbook/worktext. CLE Study Time (this one changes to a textbook in the 6th grade though) ABeka I really like Rod and Staff, but left it mainly due to it being a textbook in 4th. I can see taking a week to do one math lesson with my dd writing out the problems. I have heard of others folding a sheet of paper and placing it under the problems in the text in order to have the answers right under the problem. But I am really weird and cringe at the thought of a paper having all of those creases in it.

Keri, your science sounds perfect! I understand your concern about $$$ for middle school science.

Keri, I have found almost all of the experiment/demonstrations in HOD to be useless for us. Most of the time we would just skip it cuz we knew what would happen. Every now and then we would hit a gem. However I have found that sometimes internet searches or suggestions in other unit studies yield very good results and go a long way in the teaching process. For instance both KONOS and BYFIAR suggest dissecting a cow's eye. I was just about to skip this one :ack2: till I saw how taking each part apart would help to see how the eye works. See pics at link. Now I will be the one with the blade, and you can BE SURE I will be wearing gloves! :blush5: LOL However I also see great benefit in doing notebooking pages like Carrie assigned for the science books. We enjoy those as well and I feel it enforces the learning experience just like demos do. Basically, I feel you can't go wrong with either one, and if you don't want the experiments skip them. Don't cha just love hsing! :thumbup1: No need to blow up the back yard :zombie: if Johnny is happy keeping it clean. ETA: My dd is VERY hands on person. For her just reading won't work in the science department. She loves stuff like seeing how a worm improves the soil by eating stuff and making air pockets. Did you know you can buy worm castings for your garden? We will do the worm demo in a clear dixie punch cup. It can be fun if you are the hands on type, but if not, draw the cycle. :)

I wonder if the book 6 will be up for free download as well. At this point only books 1-5 are listed on the new site.

I am giving serious consideration to using MLFLE again. If I do this I will be spending money on a printer drum instead of math curriculum. I just don't want to make a mistake here. I guess my main concern is where to go to next. I have been looking at book 5 and it "may" be where my dd places. So far it is seeming that way. Now I am wondering when she is done with book 5, where would we go from there. It may be kinda hard to go back to traditional text with beaucoup problems after a whole year of MLFLE which only has a few practice problems with the hands on learning. Have you ladies considered what would be your next move after book 5?

Math books 3, 5, and Art are ready for download!

Are you open to a suggestion of a specific unit study or are you wanting to go on your own? If it is the former I would like to recommend Five in a Row. This way you have guidance that can really help to get your feet wet. And you may enjoy it so much that you stick with it. You can try the unit The Story of Ping for free. Just click on the icon on this page.

I agree, it is very generous of her to offer all of her hard work and time she spent creating this program, for free! She has a FB page that goes into "some" detail, but not much. In other words, she doesn't say what happened between her and Queens, but she left their employment a while back. This pulling the curriculum is recent and sudden. I pray she sees a blessing through this.

WOW! That is cool! I wonder what what brought this about.

For us combining for history, Bible, science, and lit was one of the best things I could have done for our family. Not only did it save me my sanity, but it created memories of them working together and sharing what they learned. :wub: I only wish my youngest was a twin so she could have someone to share lessons with.

Yes, it is Christian . YOu can leave any part of it out, but yes the writing is tied into either the lit or the history.

lit-based history program that check provides background info., check discussion questions, and check answers where appropriate for me, check schedules real books (not just an anthology) for read-alouds and readers, and check provides some kind of scheduled written output (notebooking, written narrations, etc.). check I'd prefer a few projects as well (that aren't overwhelming). check Learning Adventure's A New World of Adventure provides all of what you are looking . It is a year study of Ancient World to Explorers using living books. Every single thing you need, is in the guide except the living books and supplies for recipes, science experiments and crafts. There is a daily narrative for you to read to your child(ren). Discussion and recall questions (plus answers) are provided. Instructions for every activity (not overwhelming) are provided. Writing and grammar are also included. Every subject except math. Learning Adventures samples and s&s.

Thanks everyone! Dd is in 4th now, but I was considering next year. I'm sorry I didn't mention what we have used. It has been various things. We had a brief start with SM and that was a horrid failure. Moved to R&S and she liked the ducks and the ocean creatures, but she was horrible about memorizing--though I think this is a huge part of her problem. She is memorizing better now, but some things she has to work out, and it takes too much time. Then we tried Math Lessons for a Living Education and LOF so she would loosen up. Both were enjoyable, but the stories were taking too much of our time an there wasn't enough practice with them so we went back to R&S. After more hair pulling, blood, sweat, and tears because of the length of time it took her to do 1/2 of a lesson we used Mastering Mathematics. The lessons are not too long and games are used to help. She really enjoyed this and it helped somewhat, but then I had the issue of it taking more of me than I had to give considering I have to work. My schedule goes up and down, but when I have a heavy load I just don't have much time. I can teach a short lesson, but I don't have time for games. Plus the lack of variety in the lessons was not what I was used to. Then I wanted to go back to R&S, but the thought of my slow-as-molasses- dd having to write out problems at this point was enough to make me admit myself to an asylum! So I got what I found that was as close to it yet a workbook. Study Time. While we both love the themes as they make math seem real and useful (cooking, sewing, etc) it still takes her all.day.long. to do math. She just shuts down. Even when she knows the process. Now she is having problems remembering the steps of long division. I have to show her how to do them every single day. I was trying to think of something that would encourage her to want to do math, but after typing this up and looking at all of the things that she did enjoy, yet still shut down.....I am wondering if there is any such thing. I REALLY want to try her with TT, but that price tag (though I know worth it) is what is holding me back. Thank you all for your wonderful replies! Maybe we just need to take our relaxing essential oils before math every day and just smile our way thru it.

I am hoping for a year of change in the direction of joy found in math...or at least tolerance to the point of getting it done. What can I use to encourage my dd?

I have been looking at the reviews and it seems the oldest students I can find are 3rd graders. If you have used this, what ages did you use it for? Thanks!

I have been looking at the reviews and it seems the oldest students I can find are 3rd graders. If you have used this, what ages did you use it for? Thanks!

I like ABeka.

Learning-adventures.org Just follow the manual.

About the OOP books. Purple House Press has brought several back into print. Just because it is not at Rainbow doesn't mean it is not in print. Most of the others (there are not that many) which are OOP can be located at Amazon Market Place. Most are reasonably priced. The only 2 I have had any problems locating for a reasonable price are Andy and the Circus -and- The Giraffe Who Walked to Paris. The later is now in print.

FIAR hands down! I have used vols part of B4FIAR, all of FIAR 1-4 and all of the 1st vol of BYFIAR. It is by far my favorite for this age range and older. Wishing I had more kids to do FIAR with! :D