We use http://www.livelylatin.com/site/index.php ... and really enjoy it. No previous Latin experience here and I find it easy to use and understandable. Vocab is built in...I don't supplement. I, also use FLL 4 for our grammar text and it seems to flow very well together. Today, in Latin we talked about Predicate Nominatives and when we went to FLL, we were discussing the very same thing. Doesn't always happen that way, but, for the most part I'm very happy with both!

I'm a saxon user...it sounds like ABeka lacks in repitition where Saxon seems to overload on it. But, I'm very happy with Saxon. I'm relaxed with it and don't do the meeting book portion...never did it w/my older ones and still don't w/my current K'er. Like you, I have a Kindergartener doing First Grade level. It's the perfect match for his competency. You might consider beginning Saxon 2. The first 30 or so lessons are usually review anyway, and this way you don't feel like she's repeating an entire subject. And it sounds like she might have already been exposed to more than Saxon 1 even teaches. You could start out with her doing the assessments and when she begins to miss too many problems, begin 5 lessons prior. Can't comment on any other curricula, because I've only used Saxon. Hope this helps...

These are wonderful subject specific courses from a Christian perspective. http://www.highschoolscience.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1 Then you can buy the science kit for each book that includes everything you need for every lab assignment. http://www.hometrainingtools.com/catalog/science-kits-for-curriculum/cat_kits-for-apologia-curriculum.html And if your kids are into the cut/paste crafty stuff, you can have them create a lapbook to go along with their daily lessons. http://liveandlearnpress.com/viewItems.php?category=18 Hope that helps...

If your 12 yr old is not necessarily "behind" in writing, I'd suggest a different program. I don't think it's enough for a 12 yr old who is facing middle school. Other programs that seem to have similar philosophies are: Writing Tales 2, CW Homer and IEW.

The later FLL's are very different in format than 1/2. Workbook style and less oral activities. Personally, 1/2 was hard for us to get through, but I love FLL 3 and 4. The focus on diagramming is broken down into easy, understandable lessons and parts of speech that I never "got" are now clear. We used ABeka before FLL 3 came out and although, it was a good program, I very much prefer the FLL style and content.

My oldest 2 children tried the rosetta stone spanish homeschool version last year and although, I thought it was a great program...they hated it. I think because they couldn't see when the end of the lesson was going to come, they felt like it took forever. Needless to say, we will try again later with Spanish. I decided to start Latin this year and went with Lively Latin. It does require some, but not much of my input and very little prep time. I'm learning along with them, though and I've really enjoyed it. oh, I didn't see how old your children are...mine are 9 and 11...

but, we just did this chapter and I totally didn't understand the persian puzzle part and even had a hard time reading the chapter b/c of it. I'd love to see how it was supposed to be.... :lurk5:

I search my library's catalog online before I go in there. This way I know what I'm looking for or if it's even available at our branch. I don't usually get the "abridged" versions, unless it's dramatized. And as far as the readers go, I've just kind of done the hit and miss thing. It's always an adjustment when you're so used to hearing one and switch to another. My kids will usually let me know if the narrator is driving them batty...I try to keep my mouth closed until I hear them complain. Try to give the reader at least 2 chapters before giving up on them...some just take time to get used to. Also, check the recording date...this could give you an indication of the type of narrator and the quality of the recording. A side note...my children and I LOVE listening to Focus on the Family's Adventures in Odyssey. This is totally dramatized stories of Biblical moral and character lessons. I think my children were so used to hearing these, that when I put in audio books, their imaginations were already trained to go into action. hope this helps...

These have been wonderful for my kids. I'm surprised at how long they'll listen and then beg for more. We've listened to Cricket in Times Square, Narnia's Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn treader, The Bronze Bow, The Sign of the Beaver and several others. The reader's voice makes all the difference when listening to books...that's why I don't read to them long novels. I'd lose their interest too quickly and the car is just the perfect place for them to zone. My favorite in the above list is the Cricket in Times Square..the reader was amazing at character voices! Highly recommended!

My 2 oldest children (9, 11) and I really enjoy Lively Latin. It's a great mix of history, vocab, grammar exercises and even some art history. I have never had any foreign lang except high school spanish and I'm learning along with them. Highly recommended... here's the website... http://www.livelylatin.com/site/index.php

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/ There are several others, but this is the only one that I bookmarked. try to search "lit guides" and see if you can find previous postings. Also, for younger kids that really just need comprehension questions, there is www.bookadventure.org .. a great reading incentive website.

LOL... BA in English here, too.. I just wish I had this book long before I went to College! So thankful that I have it now and my children will have an understanding of the English language that will ultimately help them immensely in writing.:thumbup:

Time Warp Trio was a winner w/my 3rd grader. They are very similar to the Magic Tree House series. I have the same issue here...I've got him reading now, CS Lewis' The Magician's Nephew. It seems to be a good match for him, not too intimidating. But there was some resistance initially. Another series that I think is a good step up would be A Series of Unfortunate Events. These have the feel of a "big" book, but they are not. They are great about introducing new words and defining them within the text. He hasn't read any of these yet, but I think he'll enjoy them. HTH...

I know this is meant for 4th graders, BUT it is wonderful at teaching diagramming! Last year when I began my 2nd grader in FLL3, I fell in love and pulled my 4th grader from her ABeka and we worked it together. Now, my children work together doing FLL4. My reasoning is that Grammar is one of those subjects that teaches the same thing over and over again in the elementary years. I figure why not teach it correctly from the start, rather than layer confusion upon confusion. Diagramming is taught so effectively, I am learning alongside them. Saddened that as an English Major in College, I am only now understanding these concepts.:w00t: I would suggest thinking about moving backwards just a little in order to establish a strong foundation. My daughter is 11 (5th grade) and I am SO glad for the decision I made!

but, it sounds like something fun to do with your kids... http://pie.midco.net/grammalowe/12days.html pick a neighbor or anyone whose home is close enough to stop by every day...and leave a gift w/a card for each of the 12 days of Christmas. The fun is to do it in secret and be creative. Check out the link...

My 3 take semi-private Art lessons b/c this is one area that I am completely inept...so, I can't help with curricula suggestion there. However, for Latin, I suggest Lively Latin. I have ages 5, 9, 11... only the older 2 do Latin. They love it...I have zero background in the subject, so I searched around for something that I'd feel confident doing. I enjoy it and they do too. I wouldn't subject my 5 yr to this curricula, though...it's too writing intensive for him. As for Foreign Lang, we tried Rosetta Stone Spanish last year and that didn't go over very well. They did fine with the material, it just wasn't laid out right...it doesn't let you know where you are in the context of the lesson, so the child never knows when it's going to over. We'll try it again in the future, but we've laid it aside for now. hope this helps a little...

Grandpa bought this for my dd when she turned 8. I thought it would be too advanced for her, but I was wrong. If your kids are anything like mine, they are up on electronics. This camera also takes videos with sound. This camera has been great, but it isn't kid proof. Her's lasted a good yr and a half before it finally died after abuse like dropping it on concrete, water spritzing and just plain rough usage. Beware of the batteries, they go quickly. It takes 2 AA's, so we always had a good supply on hand or you could buy the rechargeable AA's...they worked out well also. We also bought the printer, which is still being used today with my Kodak. Here is a link for you to review... http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Kodak-EasyShare-C713-7-Megapixel-Digital-Camera-Silver-C713SILVER/sem/rpsm/oid/205918/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do hope this helps...btw, I think it's a great gift idea!

suggestion also...:glare: Then he thought about it again and decided he didn't want to be either one, cause they both ended up with whippin's...he decided that his lil brother could be his whipping boy.lol I'll check out his other books...it was a nice read for him, stepping out of the series-type books and into literature. although it was a battle the first day, he admitted to enjoying it.

I appreciate your quick response...the book report form was very helpful. I need to save that site!

my 9ds just finished reading and I want him to do something fun with it, rather than just write me a summary... any suggestions??? thanks

I used Lifepacs for 2nd and 3rd grade science b/c I don't personally like the subject...I just wanted something easy for them to read and answer. I hated it, they hated it! I finally picked up Apologia's elementary series and we all are loving science. As far as history goes, Story of the World has always been a favorite around here.

yes, that's what I meant...I haven't bought the AG. We are listening to the audio CD's right now. I'm still deciding on whether I want to buy the AG...I probably need to, but in the mean time I was just looking for a book suggestion to get her started. Thanks...

Can anyone provide a reading list that would go along with this time period? My dd (5th grade) is a strong reader. Thanks...

We created our own prize system with the points...ie, 1000 pts earned them a cookie from the bakery...something simple like that. For the most part, though, my kids just like taking the quiz to see if they can get all the questions right.

www.bookadventure.org might be helpful. It provides comprehension quizzes for a variety of books that can be found at the library. It has been a great incentive tool for my kids. Hope it helps in your case...