IMO a basic Kindle (or similar device) does not qualify as "screen". We are very strict and conservative about screen time - least amount of educational DVDs, no electronic toys EVER, very limited, supervised access to the computer (research only)... Still, ds12 reads almost exclusively on a Kindle - and he does just that: read (A LOT!) The novelty wears off in two hours and then there really is not much difference between the "real book" and the e-book. BTW, this is coming from a book lover who only three years ago would have equalled an e-reader to a Wii:lol:. Otoh, be very sure to stick to the basic e-readers. Anything more than that and you are up for surprises...:001_huh:

Thank you so much for pointing out that HST has an online version now!!! HST has been the backbone of our homeschool since the beginning (5 years ago). There is quite a learning curve (I can only comment on the CD-version), but the owners are more than helpful and answer any questions within hours. In the end, simply playing around with the program A LOT helped me the most.

We'll be starting our 3rd year with TOG this fall, with R/D/UG... ToG has become the backbone of our homeschool. As the kids are starting to do more and more outside classes we really enjoy this "family subject/time". I'll hold on to ToG as long as I possibly can!!

We are duplex printing TOG all the time, never had an issue. I am no expert and really couldn't tell you what to do differeny... You should try to call Ray at TOG (computer guru).

ToG! ...we changed last year and haven't looked back (obviously we still use the SL books!!). I really grew tired of SL's "attitude" - and looking at what is going on right now (Ã la "one video a week":001_huh:) I am so happy not to be feeding into this... ToG is great and an investment into the future!

I just requested an invite from their site - it took about 6 hours, and I was set... Hth!

Thank you Maryann! Did you do anything else for LA? Are grammar and composition covered in a way that makes other programs redundant? (I am seriously wondering whether I will need to add CW or R&S...!) Also, did you add a Vocabulary program? Thank you so much again!

Thanks!

Thank you! That is good news!! (...let's hope ds shares that opinion:lol:)

Will the results of ACT and SAT exams taken in middle school show up on the "final report" sent to colleges? I know that some colleges require ALL results being reported (not just the last/strongest), but does this include scores from middle school talent searches, etc. or are the latter "archived" (as seems to be the case for APs - unless specifically demanded otherwise). ...I'd rather not have more than 2 scores in college applications, on the other hand this pretty much eliminates the possibility of participating in middle school testing... Thanks!

Do you think following this course of study from 7th (English I) through 10th (Advanced Composition) is an adequate preparation for college level writing? Would we need to add anything else for LA (apart of spelling/vocabulary)? I would also love to hear about your experiences with TPS English in general... Thank you so much!

My dad (who happens to be in a very comfortable position financially) just won a highly political trial in Germany against his former employer (a HUGE company) - for discrimation of age. He had to stop working at 62, based on laws that have been revised since... In my dad's case it was actually the union preventing longer employment - how crazy is that??? They would rather kick out the old guys (few votes) than risk the support of a whole younger generation at the doorstep... It is quite disgusting! I am happy for my dad. The outcome for my parents is the difference between a comfortabe and a very comfortable retirement... The significance of the trial is potentially much more crucial to many others, though!

Now, THAT must have been a heck of a leader! WOW!!!

...I was just talking to the kids this evening and we were discussing what each one was going to give up for Lent... I proposed hard liquors for myself:lol:...well, it's not going to work (probably I should be relieved kids are onto me!). Giving up the boards...THAT is going to impress!!:) I'll start on Wednesday! Thanks for the inspiration!

Congratulations!!! Enjoy to moment and the voyage!!!:party:

So, just to be sure, you think we could get away with ONLY ToG for LA (given a solid base in grammar & Latin)? This is almost too good to be true!:) ...my life is revolving about making LA-instruction "perfect": :lol: You name it, we have it (which, admittingly, is a FAR cry from actually DOING it...but that is another post altogether...), so the idea of eventually doing just one program (and, yes, I mean DOING IT!) sounds great! ...there is relieve at the end...:D

I am wondering what other subjects/resources need to be added to TOG at the middle school level - specifically in the LA department. For a middle schooler working through TOG Dialectic (7th/8th grade) and doing the writing assignments (with WA) diligently, what will be missing? Grammar? Vocabularly? Anything else? What about a student doing Latin, and thus having grammar and vocabulary/root work "integrated"...? Could one get away with "just doing TOG" (plus, obviously Math, Science, Foreign Languages, ...):confused: Thank you for sharing your thoughts!!!

I am wondering what other subjects/resources need to be added to TOG at the high school level - specifically in the LA department. For a high schooler working through TOG Rhetoric (all four years) and doing the writing assignments (with WA) diligently, what will be missing? Grammar? Vocabularly? Anything else? What about a student doing Latin, and thus having grammar and vocabulary/root work "integrated"...? Thank you for sharing your thoughts!!! P.S. I will cross-post to the Logic forum for Dialectic work...

I MIGHT be interested in starting to use Pinterest... BUT I would like to just use it as personal message board - a visually attractive extension of my bookmarks... Is it possible, to keep my boards completely private? I do not want to share AT ALL!:tongue_smilie: ...maybe I am missing the point, but I would rather know what this was about before signing up... Thanks, for helping me to figure that out!

Oh, that is great news, for this family "plunged into AP Latin panic":tongue_smilie: ...I had not even gotten around to checking out details about the AP exam...but easier sounds good right now!!:D

The 5 APs need to be in different areas... (Languages, Science, History, ...) I would not consider multiple language APs, if our kids were not lucky to have French and German as their first and second language... (English is third) As far as Latin is concerned: Truth be told, I have been back and forth wondering whether to go for it... But the kids and I are enthusiastic about Latin and in addition to the "usual reasons" for learning Latin, I find the challenge particularly important for our kids - they are so "spoiled" by easy access to important languages... I want to teach them how to "study" a language, not merely "absorb". Latin is something they will need to fight for - just like most people need to fight for being able to communicate in any second language... I am mean like that...:tongue_smilie:

Thank you again for your replies! Ds has a quite good grasp of Latin already, and is signed up for VP Latin I (Wheelock) in the Fall. We do hope that he is going to be ready for the Latin AP by the end of 10th grade, as we are on a tight schedule for the APs (he needs a MINIMUM of 5 APs by his junior year to gain admission to universities here in Switzerland). As far as German is concerned: I looked up the Goethe Institut tests, and ds could almost certainly pass the youth version of the B1 test. I just took a quick look, but it doesn't seem like he would need to write himself (which would be problematic!). The kids are fluent in German, and read well, too, but we haven't even started to work on spelling, etc.:001_huh: - That is the reason I am hesitant to plan for an AP in German. On the other hand, they could pass the SAT Subject test today, without any preparation... We will see...

Thank you all! ...that is reassuring! I am not at all confident about navigating "the system":tongue_smilie:. We intend on having the kids take the Latin & French AP-exam, as well as the German SAT-II. They are fluent in German (my mother tongue), but I doubt they will be good enough for the AP... Spanish is just an extra, they want to dig into... Thank you again!

I realize that some of the competitive colleges require four years of the same language for high school. We plan on having ds take the Latin AP at the end of 10th grade. Our intention was to then have him do Spanish for 11th and 12th grade. Our kids' first language is French, which they will be studying at mother tongue level through their schooling. Do you think this will be sufficient? I am worried that French as the only "foreign language" taken through high school will look "light", as it really is not a foreign language for our kids (and it will not be our intention to pretend it is...!). If you think this issue could be problematic, we would encourage the study of Spanish from 9th-12th grade... Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

I was in that same situation when I was pregnant with No.4... Take much care not to dehydrate...it can go fast... The few days I could keep some liquids down I was drinking water with pure lemon juice... :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: