do you allow her on the computer much? A friend referred me to this website and my kindergartner's reading took off! It's set up similar to Club Penguin and Webkinz, in that the kids earn points for their reading exercises and then can decorate their clubhouse. It does cost $30/year for a membership, but I think it's worth it compared to the cost of some reading programs...and he "enjoys" it. They do offer a free trial membership. Try it out for a couple of weeks and see how she likes it.

your timely reply is greatly appreciated! I'm off to the Redbox... :lurk5:

Ok, I just finished the first book and am anxiously waiting the arrival of the next one. My question is regarding the movie.... Does it cover the entire series? or is it just the first book? If I rent it now, will I mess it up for myself??? Thanks...

Not sure what might break the bank...but, we love Lively Latin and find it well worth the cost! I bought the CD and print the lessons as we go, but you can buy the online version for less. Watch for 2nd hand sales on the swap board and coupons. I have NO Latin experience and neither do my kids (9, 11) and we all agree it's a GREAT program with a good mix of Roman history, art, vocab, grammar and activities.

:iagree::iagree: my 9yr old son and 11 yr old daughter, both enjoy this program very much. I have NO background in Latin and am learning along with them. It goes very well along with FLL4.

I love the idea of PP guides, but my daughter did not. She LOVES to read, but when I put a PP guide in front of her, she shuts down. I majored in Lit and love to pull deeper meaning and ponder on the story, so I decided to do it orally along with her. ~This made all the difference. The daunting task of writing out all the answers was over and we could enjoy the book..together. My suggestion, have her do portions on her own and do some together. As the previous poster said, no lesson plans required, just go with the flow..

I, also, have 2 older children (9 & 11) and have been at homeschooling from the start with them. So we have a little more structured schooling going on that my 6 yr old withstands. Here's a sample of his day schooling... -Copywork/Handwriting combined ~ I just have him copy a short scripture. My older ones copy, memorize and discuss. -SOTW (3) ~ he listens and colors, along w/the others...I ask the review questions for them, but sometimes he answers them too. -www.tickettoread.com ~ I send him to the computer for his reading supplement, while I work w/the other kids. This website is an excellent resource for reading..check out the free trial. He reads only 2 passages and answers comprehension questions. Total time is no longer than 25-30 minutes. (there are lots of games and fun stuff on here too that he plays with) -Saxon Math 1 ~ fact sheet and lesson sheet -Explode the Code ~ 2/3 pages -Reading ~ usually picks an "I Can Read" book from the library bucket I'd say total schooling time is about 1.5 hrs. He's out riding his bike and playing a lot of the day, which drives my older kids crazy. I understand your concerns...I think that's why I value this board so much. It really helps to see what other people are doing.

I used Writing Tales 2 for my daughter a couples years back and liked it very much. It is layed out similar to WWE in that you narrate a passage to make it your own. WT offers a variety of writing techniques and activities to teach children how to narrate, outline and be creative when writing. I'm using WWE this year w/ds 9 and am planning to purchase WT2 workbook for him next year. WT does include some grammar, but we'll skim through that part, since I love FLL and won't give that up. Maybe the WWE workbooks 3 & 4 will have more variety, but it's just not working for my son right now. BTW...I would NOT use both books...definitely overkill, in my opinion.

has a wealth of wonderful suggestions. This book is where I began and probably the majority of posters on this board. Also, as you browse this board, many people post what curriculum they use in their signature line.

I can't wait for Heaven ~ let's all join in having some NEW WINE!!! WOOHOO!!

We used Writing Tales II and loved it, so the next step was CW. I ordered just the workbook and browsed it. While it's layed out similar to WT, the Core book seemed like it loomed over me...so I gave it up. She's using IEW SWI-B now and it's a good fit. I didn't go for the TWSS b/c of cost, but figured we would get a lot out of the SWI and we are/she is. I'm using WWE for my 3rd grade son and it's ok. I'm not greatly impressed with it, but it is an easy program to use. But, I'll probably go back to WT II for him next year. WT is a very easy program to put into action with a definite classical feel and has a good amount of grammer included. As far as grammar content goes, WWE doesn't have much from what I can tell. Now, I'm IN LOVE with FLL 3 and 4, and would even forego everything to see that these are accomplished. Regarding Latin, we're using Lively Latin and it's another program that is a FAVORITE around here. It has plenty of grammar and I've heard some people on here use it as their primary grammar source. I don't...simply because we spend only about 15 min a day doing Latin (per the Magistra suggestion). Anyways, I just wanted to share what I've experienced. Hope it helps...

but I have the CD-Rom and plan to reuse it when my youngest is ready.

Thank you for all your suggestions. Elizabeth ~ what an insightful post...I looked over the links you provided and now have an angle at which to approach inquiring parents/friends whose children struggle. This is exactly what I was looking for! Shannon ~ I totally agree with your opinion on having lots of books and literature available in the home. I am an avid reader and my children have reaped the benefits of that. I used 100EL to teach all my kids to read which has given them a strong phonetic foundation. I tend to offer this suggestion to parents, but 100EL is not a remedial program. I've also wondered if it's an attention problem. I remember being in school and not being able to focus because I was always concerned about what the other kids were doing. Identifiying the issue is key! ~Thank you again!

FLL 1/2 is designed for first and second grade. It is very repititious and mostly oral. This didn't work very well for us. But, FLL 3 has a completely different format and I LOVED it! In fact, it was so great, that I pulled my 4th grader from her ABeka and had her go through it w/my 2nd grader. Very thorough and well written. It is teacher intensive, but as an English major, I've learned so much from it. I highly recommend the First Language Lessons series! I believe there are sample lessons on the Peace Hill Press website.

It seems that I get a lot of public school parents asking me for help when their children struggle in school. Specifically reading comprehension. I usually suggest the bookadventure website that encourages kids to read and earn points for comprehension quizzes or the bookit program. I've also suggested audio books, thinking that if kids can practice the art of visualizing a story this might help them when reading a book. I'm wondering if there are exercises or activities that the Hive could suggest..? Thanks...

We used Explode the Code and lots and lots of library books. Weekly trips to the library are a must around here. It's doesn't sound like much, but I have two children that followed this format and they are both excellent readers. For comprehension questions, this free website has a ton of comprehension questions for commonly found library books... www.bookadventure.com . We tracked their points and rewarded them when their goals were met. Also, I just found this website that's been fun for my K'er. It costs $30/year, but I consider it part of his curriculum. www.tickettoread.com ..it covers emphasis, timed reading, comprehension, and basic literature elements. It has a fun clubhouse theme that my kids enjoy.

You might want to set the chat restrictions to the set of pre-listed phrases. They do have seasonal things going on, so if you don't celebrate certain holidays, just be aware of decor changes. Not really any problems for the few "years" my kids have played on it with membership and without membership. FYI, I recently found this website that is kinda like Club Penguin, but is educational. www.tickettoread.com .. children earn points to decorate their clubhouse by reading passages and answering questions. Although, there is a fee after the free trial membership.

We used these lapbooks for Astronomy. I was very happy with them. My kids were 8 and 10 at the time and they did the cutting while I read. I liked the structure of question/answer rather than narration. It seemed like they were getting bogged down with narration in both history and science. We're doing Botany now, without the lapbook...but, I really think if I had it, it would keep on track a little better. Just feeling like nothing sticks without the help of a lapbook.

Even if you were "in line" w/both subjects. I think you'd be surprised at how little Am History is focused on in SOTW3. The colonies were started and then we quickly hopped back across the water to Japan/China/Europe. I'm hoping it gets a little more concentrated, but it is Story of the WORLD, afterall. LOL I think you'd be fine doing Am Lit and Ancients concurrently.

Sue, These are WONDERFUL retellings of major Biblical stories...in a different time and place. They really make you look at the traditional stories from a different angle. I loved them, and my 11 dd did too. They are written by Paul McCusker...the same guy who writes Adv in Odyssey. My library has them...I hope you can find them, too!

I sent CW-Homer wrapped up in plain brown paper, but didn't secure the tape well enough..I guess. When the buyer advised she never received, I called the Post Office, who rudely explained media mail is the slowest possible way to send something. And, I just needed to wait it out. At this point, it had been about 3 weeks...I figured for the sake of goodwill...I refunded the money. It was only $15, so if she did ended up receiving the book and didn't pay me...oh well. But, just a few days after refunding...I received a portion of the book's wrapping in the mail from a postmaster in WI, where the wrapping finally separated from the book. I sent a pic of the book cover back to the postmaster, in case it was recovered...but no luck. I was out the $15 and no book....I learned my lesson to secure the packaging very well and pay extra for the tracking and insurance if I'm not willing to forfeit the money.

www.rocksolidinc.com

to check the "used books" section on this board and vegsource.

You figure paying an extra $40 for the hardcopy. I really don't know which way is cheaper. But, it was easier for me to justify spending less initially. This way, it doesn't feel like it costs so much b/c it's spread out. And I figure, I can buy paper pretty cheap from Sam's and my ink isn't too expensive. So, I don't know for sure. It would be nice to have it all done, so I don't have to think about it. But, I've heard that the hardcopy still needs to be separated into the different sections...so, it might be less confusing to just print as you go. Sorry, I'm not much help...I'll keep my eye out for coupon codes for ya, though.

http://classicalhomeeducation.com/cart.php?target=product&product_id=568&category_id=142 At the time, I had some kind of coupon code, but still seems like it was about $80, then. This is the CD set...includes the pronunciation CD. You'll need plenty of paper and ink for your printer. I print chapter by chapter. As for, classical/eccl pronunciation...it's totally up to you. We do the classical.