How does one get on a list for this? I'd love to help test it out!

I'm most likely going with k12's Human Odyssey, but I'm confused about these student pages. They're listed as for "Intermediate" World History, but how does that line up with the three volumes of Human Odyssey? Also, what kind of activities are in the student and teacher pages? Thanks. Jenny

I got CPO's Life Science books for Biology next year and I'm pretty sure they make science books for the other disciplines as well. Secular, rigorous.

I wrote them to ask about turning it into a secular program, and here is the reply I received by email. I am not completely discouraged, as the program still impresses the heck out of me. Also because we'll do a separate grammar program. But here it is for everyone else: MC I would be the most difficult of all of the books to make "secular" simply because it has six weeks of grammar in the beginning--and all of the sentences they practice with are Bible verses and concepts. That being said, many of the other books could easily be utilized with secular themes. For instance, the 4 II book has essays and reports about animals, trees, describing rooms, etc. Sometimes the "Christian" part is more of an application, such as write a closing paragraph describing a Bible verse that tells us why we should not be like the sloth (after three paragraphs about the sloth). I do not recommend 4 I for your purposes, but I think the other books could be adjust easily. Another example is the Research Reports (Book 9 I). It has five reports--something that is sowed, an animal created on Day Six of creation, etc. However, the reports' contents are just about the animal or the agricultural product. Hope this helps. I recommend looking at the three week samples for each level to determine if this can be done to your specifications.

So then there's no point in listening to Writing Without Fear if you get the other three? Thanks. Jenny

I was all set to get Writing Strands 3 for next year (my daughter will be in 4th grade), but then you guys introduced me to Meaningful Composition. It looks excellent, and exactly what I'm looking for in a writing program for my kids. Two problems. One, it is much more expensive than Writing Strands, and isn't sold anywhere but their website (or used, if you're lucky to find what you need). I'm not sure I can swing $64/year for just the writing portion of Language Arts! Second problem, is the religious content. We teach secularly, and prefer to keep it that way. One or two mentions of religious aspects are fine, we can just ignore them. But if it is worked into each lesson, that's a problem. How integrated is religion into the lessons? Is it minimal enough that we can just change the few religious lessons to be secular? Thanks in advance.

I did look at Writing Tales, but I don't like that it mixes so many things into itself. I already have a separate spelling program (Spelling Power), and prefer to find a separate grammar program (I'm working on that). I am strongly also considering Suppose the Wolf Were an Octopus as a supplement, to get the kids thinking about stories on different levels. AND I like the look of Story Grammar, also as a supplement. Sigh.

I'm looking for language arts materials for fourth grade for my daughter. I've been a bit too relaxed about writing with her, and want to get back on track. I've been reading and reading and reading about all the programs out there. It seems that Writing With Ease and Writing Strands are both excellent, and that they have different things to offer. Would it be too much to do both? I'd probably start my daughter on level 3 of each, since she lacks some of the background that is assumed. (I also have a son who will be in 1st this year, so I can use the entire WWE with him.) Thoughts? Does Writing Strands add significant skill if you're also doing Writing With Ease? Thanks!

razorbackmama you are a kindred spirit! I have to use the comma before the and, and it drives me nuts when people leave it out. It messes with my sense of order, and can confuse the meaning of a sentence. Unfortunately, I write for some people that go by the AP stylebook and I have to leave it out in my writing. It pains me each time.

Levenger sells various index cards, but they are, of course, more pricey than the office supply store variety. They might have what you need, though.

We love them, too! My daughter really enjoys them, and I think my son will get more into them as he gets older.

My DH is incredibly supportive and agrees with our decision to homeschool. But he's very unhelpful. I do everything, and he occasionally tosses in a lesson when it is convenient for him and it's something he's interested in. If I assign him a subject, the kids wouldn't learn that subject. So I have to do it all. I'm fine with that, though, because he's the one with the day job. And I wouldn't trade places with him for the world. But before I knew I couldn't count on him to teach anything, it was frustrating. He doesn't care about curriculum - he trusts that I'll choose something good, or at least do my best. I'm much more picky than he is (he hates to do research). We just have a small budget, but I try to stick to that pretty well.

After much reading online and mostly here (thanks everyone!), I've more or less decided on using CPO Life Science (or CPO Focus on Life Science) for biology for the logic stage. I can't figure out how much it costs new, since prices don't seem to be on their website. I have also read that it's much cheaper and easy to find used. Where do you guys buy your used curriculum? eBay didn't have anything, the WTM for sale board didn't list anything current. (I'm also half tempted to use R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey, but I'd be afraid it would be too simple for my daughter, though she will only be in 4th grade.) Thanks!

I aim to start the day after Labor Day, but sometimes the kids want to start early, so we start in late August. Then we just go until our 180 days are up. We take a week off at Christmas, and usually a week in the spring, with various other days off for illness, mental health, schedule busy-ness, and such throughout the year. Then we do no school all summer. They (and I) really need a good break. I find that everyone learns so much better having had a good long summer break.

Has anyone decided on Math Mammoth over Singapore purely because of cost? I was all set to use Singapore and MEP for 4th next year when I saw how much Singapore costs. Now I'm considering Math Mammoth and MEP.

After reading about a bunch of math programs, I had resolved to most likely do Singapore and MEP for 4th grade, but after seeing the price ($83) for one year's worth of basic materials for Singapore, I'm back to being unsure. That seems like an awfully high price for one year's worth of math. Don't get me wrong - I HIGHLY value math and am quite the math lover myself. But the price just seems really high. Where do you all buy your materials? I'd rather get new, but would get used if they were unwritten in. Thanks.

Wow, thanks everyone for explaining it all. Everyone said something different, but all together I think I have a complete picture. I'm trying to find a good math program for my daughter for 4th grade. We've been doing Miquon and DK workbooks until now. It seems that Singapore might be the best for us.

Thanks for the continued discussion on this topic! I have my work cut out for me. It sounds like there are so many wonderful programs.

My kids also love logic games like Rush Hour, Tip Over, etc.

I second Spelling Power. It works really well, and I love it. And my daughter loves doing it! Also, you buy one book that works for all your kids for the rest of their home education years.

I love The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading and have used it with both my kids, one who couldn't read much at all when we started, and one that already knew how to read half the book. It's excellent. We tried First Language Lessons, and frankly didn't like it. It seemed too haphazard and my daughter was bored out of her mind with it.

Wow, thanks everyone! I will look into all of those. But a quick question - what does MCT stand for? It isn't on my acronym cheat sheet.

I've read message after message about how awesome, inexpensive, and thorough Rod & Staff is. That's great, but I am looking for a completely secular program, either for stand-alone grammar or for a complete language arts curriculum. So is there something out there that is secular and thorough? I've looked at Analytical Grammar, and that is one I'm considering, but I'd love a program that continues year after year. Thanks in advance. Jenny

With my daughter, who couldn't read too many things when she started Kindergarten, it took almost two full school years to complete. My son, who is in K this year, taught himself to read. We're going through the book anyway, to fill any gaps, and he's screaming through it. We're more than halfway through the book already and we only started in September.

My daughter loves her spelling now that we use Spelling Power. She's 8. We did it for second grade, and she got through the whole level that year. (Level C for her.) It just makes sense to only study words that you don't know how to spell.