Hi there- IT's 10:20 p.m. and I have now wasted the last hour searching for the "easy way out" of coming up with review questions for my Apologia Zoology 2 Co-op that I teach to 6 kids---ages 2nd through 6th grades. Rather than take hours to come up with answers and questions, I was hoping to find that someone had already done this....but I am coming up with nothing in my online searches. Normally, I am ON IT and prepared, but not this week :( So now I am in a slight panic, as our co-op is tomorrow at noon and I am unprepared. 3 of my four kids have had birthdays in the past week and a half, with the last one turning 15 today!! and I am on overload. If anyone out there happens to have this already done in some way, I would be ever so grateful if you would share your questions. I have considered splitting the review into 2 days since there are 13 chapters, but I will make anything work! Many blessings and thanks!!!

Is Apples & Pears the same as Apples?

I bought Megawords, and after looking at it, it seemed VERY teacher intensive daily. I keep hearing how simple and good it is. It also appeared that you need to start with Megawords 1 if you haven't used it before??

Hello, My 7th grade son (who is a YOUNG 7th grader...more of 6th grade) has not done spelling in a couple years. He is not a horrible speller, but we just can't find one we like. We have tried Spelling Workout, Spelling Power (he keeps re-doing the words he misses and still does not learn them) and Sequential Spelling. Not thrilled with any of them. I don't want something that is just done to check a box...I really want it to be helpful. I also don't want something very time-consuming. Have heard a little bit of Apples Spelling and Building Spelling Skills. Can anyone comment...good or bad, on either of these? Also open for suggestions. Thanks! BTW..I am LOVING All About Spelling for my 2nd and 4th graders!

Never thought I'd let spelling occupy me as much as math!! So, ds is going into 7th grade (but young, and more of a 6th grader). Last 2 years HS'ing (my only 2) we did SWO---bomb!! Busy-work, if you ask me. Last year, Sequential Spelling CD-ROM....bomb again. I've narrowed it down to Megawords and Spelling Power, based just on recommendations. He's a so-so speller. Not horrible by any means. Just don't feel comfortable canning it yet like I did with my oldest when she was his age. Oh, and I need simple. Not time-consuming. And not just busywork like SWO. Thanks!

I own all of these right now:willy_nilly: I'm going with Saxon 7/6 and 5/4 for my 4th and 6/7th graders. Not sure why, but it's official.... DD7 (2nd grade)....I don't mind "teaching" math to a child this age. She does not read well enough to just "turn her over" to math to do her thing (like MM or CLE). Plus, I already own 5 curriculum's, so want to make it work somehow with what I own. For some reason, I am not totally comfortable with JUST MUS...single topic, etc. And I had trouble teaching how 7+3 looks the same as 8+2 in blocks, etc. Singapore was okay, but wished there were more of a "scripted" or "suggested" teaching guide. RightStart sounds good, but very teacher intensive, and not much written work. So, I am thinking about trying one of the "standard" programs (Abeka or BJU) along with one of the others (MUS, RS, SM). My questions: 1) Trying to first decide b/w BJU and Abeka. People seem to be "very" set on one or the other. I know one is mastery and one is spiral. But I don't know what works best for my dd. I hear BJU teaches more conceptually, maybe over the top, while Abeka is all computation/memorize just how-to-do-it. Honestly, I just want a good math curriculum that will prepare dd for higher-level math. I'm not sure about Abeka for that....again, have heard mixed reviews on this one. Also have heard BJU is "behind?" 2) Just for giggles, anyone have a good "pairing" of two of the above 5 math curriculum? :lol: Thanks for honest feedback!

I am really losing it with math this year. This will be our 3rd year homeschooling. First year, my then K and 2nd graders did Horizons. I didn't find the teacher's manual very helpful, and lessons were LONG!!!! My then 5th and 7th graders did Teaching Textbooks. Don't find that they remember much. Last year, started my then 1, 3, and 6 graders in Math U See. It was too much to watch all the videos each week for each kid. It was "okay," but I am one of those crazy moms who feels uncomfortable with only focusing on ONE topic each year. I'm sure they understand it top and bottom that way, but just uneasy, especially for the older 2 who didn't start MUS from the beginning. So part way through the year, I put my 3rd and 6th graders back in Teaching Textbooks (also had major health issues with my youngest, so it was just easier). I also bought a Singapore Math workbook and tried that on my 1st grader. Didn't have the teacher's manual, so it was a bit dicey. My oldest did VideoText Algebra.....it was pretty tough for her. For me, the hardest part was flipping around through all those 6 different workbooks each day. That brings us to this year. I have been making myself crazy all summer with this math decision. I am thinking about just putting my 4th and 7th graders in Saxon 5/4 and 7/6. I have heard so many mixed things about Saxon, like kids not really "understanding" math. But at the same time, it's kind of tried and true. Any thoughts? Now my biggest dilemna. My 2nd grader, who still is not reading well. She is also very fidgety. So I am trying to decide between Abeka (seems hard, and hear from some that it's AWESOME and others that it isn't great conceptually), Singapore (jury is still out on this one), Bob Jones, stick with Math U See, or Right Start (an impulse buy early this summer). For some reason, the BJU and Abeka teacher manuals look overwhelming to me too. Any input and feedback would be so greatly appreciated!

I just ordered a Megawords workbook for my 12 year old son, who is entering his 3rd year of homeschooling with minimal spelling the last 2 years. I was hoping for something NOT time consuming. In looking over the TM, it says it is meant to be "taught" and not done independently. I also read that you really need to do Megawords 1&2 first in order to learn the syllable stuff, etc... I ordered Megawords 4. I didn't want to pay the $$$ for the diagnositc book (why can't they offer this on their website for free?), so I just sort of picked a book that looked like it had words he'd be likely to "mess up." I actually have Spelling Workout on my shelf (Level H) that my oldest daughter started 2 years ago, and we quit after a couple weeks because #1 she's a natural speller, and #2, it seemed like a ton of busywork. So I am wondering if I should start him in Level 1 even though he's 12? Also, how do you implement it with your child in the "easiest" manner? I have others I am schooling as well, and not sure how to fit everything in my day, so definitely don't want spelling to be a chore with him. Thanks!

I am making myself crazy with writing curriculum. My 9th and 7th graders are taking a wonderful class for middle and high school kids. We tried WWE the last 2 years with my younger two (now entering 2nd and 4th). My 2nd grader is still struggling with reading, so not so worried about writing. My 4th grader struggles to get stuff out on paper. She (we) found WWE 3 a bit boring, and she couldn't do the dictations....just couldn't remember the lengthy dictations. I know, she needs practice, but I am looking for something a bit more systematic, lots of step by step for me, laid out if that makes sense. IEW sounds nice stylistically, and I will possibly do that, maybe next year when they are in 3rd and 5th grades. But for now, I just want a really good writing curriculum that teaching how to write various types of writings. We did try Writing Strands last year too, and it was way too vague....I can't really put into words, but just too open-ended maybe? Thanks for input!

Dawn- Yes, we did it as instructed in CC. Read the reading. Did the KWO. Rewrote from KWO. But does that teach "structure?" How to form a sentence. Then a paragraph, etc....?

Hi all, I am really, really stuck for writing for my 4th (and 2nd graders) next year. We did IEW in CC two years ago with my older two kids...Ancient History based writing. To me, it just seemed like it was teaching kids to stylistically write, dress up their writing, etc. My son, especially, had a hard time with it. He eventually got to where he could add in and dress up the way he was supposed to. But if I were to ask him to write expositionally, he would be unable to know where and how to begin. Can anyone clarify this for me with IEW? I keep hearing how awesome it is, but really want to understand. Any other suggestions? I am wracking my brian for Language ARts in general for next year for 3 of my 4 kids (also my 6/7th grader). Someone told me Shurley's writing is very good, but most reviews I have seen are poor. Grammar...that's a whole other ball game:confused: Thanks for any input. Oh, also, is PAL worth getting for the writing portion for a second grader?

We just finished our second year homeschooling my 4 kids. First year, tried Spelling Workout. Just seemed like too many kids, too much time, too many lists, busywork, etc. Didn't really finish it. Last year, tried Sequential Spelling. Again, bailed within a couple months of starting. It was just always the thing we skipped. Next year, I am trying AAS with my 2nd and 4th graders. Looking for something for my son, who is going into 7th (age-wise) but might be more like 6th grade academically. Any suggestions?? Thanks, Wendy

Thanks for the input. Can you tell me what type of phonics teaching it uses? Also, what ages are your kiddoes?? Did it sound like a lot of games, activities, etc.? Seemed very time-consuming to me.

Wishing there were more feedback about this as I try to find a good phonics program for my 7.5 year old. It looked a bit complicated on the website, but you know how that goes...I need to see something in person. Also, I don't know if I like how the progression of phonics instruction is dictated by the words in the poems. Any feedback?

I posted before on my struggle for next year, but I think I asked too many questions all at once, and my confusion was probably contagious...thus only one reply. So I'm going to try to be more focused here...bear with me:tongue_smilie: Rising 2nd and 4th graders. Have done FLL with both. Finished FLL1 and FLL 3 this year. Tried WWE for 2 years...I'm going to duck for cover as I say this on this forum, but we dreaded WWE.:001_huh: This has been a challenging year (and my second year hs'ing 4 kids ages 7-13) due to some health challenges for one of my kids. I need next year to be simple and thorough. Feeling like I failed my kids this year. But can't be jumping all over the place next year. Is there one Language Arts curriculum that is fairly thorough in all aspects of L.Arts? Actually, not worried about spelling (going to do AAS with both girls), and may do IEW for writing. But something to cover everything else. Grammar, mechanics, usage, etc...? I've considered just doing Abeka (sigh) just because it's all there. Any input would be great. I don't mind "teaching" my kids, but Shurley seems overwhelming. GWG doesn't sound thorough, and same with MCT (no practice). Thanks!