The programs at http://www.teachinteract.com are excellent for a co-op setting. I have looked at many of them and they look great. They are actually simulations and involve a great deal of hands-on.

I do.

Yes you can keep it and watch it change, though it may not change to a moth until the following spring. You'll have to keep it in a closed container and feed it , and feed it some more, and then feed it again. They eat a lot! I'm assuming it eats corn if that's where you found it, but try it and see. We had a Polyphemus moth caterpillar (also a big green one!) and it changed to a brown cocoon and we left if outside all winter and then in the spring , voila, a beautiful moth! Good luck.

I was dickering around looking for a different math/music software program and found this http://www.wildridge.com/mm_overview.html'>http://www.wildridge.com/mm_overview.html'>http://www.wildridge.com/mm_overview.html'>http://www.wildridge.com/mm_overview.html which combines music, math, physics and history. Maybe just your daughter's cup of tea. I've not used it, but it looks great. It's not even that expensive! Here's a review of it http://www.wildridge.com/mm_overview.html Cindy

Our homeschool is called McHugh Bluff Academy after the Buffalo Jump bluff we live under.

Do you have to do LA and history all days? Can you do history two days per week and LA the other 3? Weekends?

I keep a log (hand written) as well. And I also keep an ongoing report on the computer of all the things we've done that are remotely educational. It gives me a cheap thrill to hand a 23 page report to our facilitator; one in the fall and one in the spring. When she leaves after her visit in the spring, I start the report for the fall!

The books, Lessons for Introducing Fractions and Lessons for Extending Fractions both by Marilyn Burns are excellent for learning about fractions. A lot of the lessons look at making 1/2 a bench mark and seeing how other fractions differ from 1/2. Are they bigger or smaller...by how much?

We've done the whole PT package and have finished CE II and GV. My daughter (grade 6 now) loved CE I and II and GT an GV and the poetry from the first set. She says she doesn't like to write and PT didn't help that at all. She's enjoyed Ellen McHenry's The Brain and Elements, various GEMS guides, various TOPS, MM and any math we do with games, plus SOTW (we're on 4 now) and our Canadian studies.

The Killgallon books everyone is talking about are similar to this.

TOPS electricity (#32 I think) is great!

The book does look at the land bridge theory and Native People's in Canada, and explorers who "discovered" Canada, but Canada's history is modern compared to other countries.

We started our Canadian History using MHTCE after sotw 3 and got up to the Fraser River Gold Rush. This year, we started sotw 4 and alternate between it and Cdn History. The way I have it planned (Cdn geo thrown in there too!) it's going to take us 3 years to finish both. My daughter was is grade 5 when we started and she really enjoys the Canada A People's History dvds; don't know that she would have gotten as much out of it at an earlier age.

GEMS has a nice microscope study. oops, KarenAnne's response wasn't there when I posted, I'm sure of it! :-)

"I do not want to get too involved. I am not fond of this girl anyway. She bullies my dd9, but I don't want to just blow them off completely. The entire situation makes me uncomfortable. I figure I can send her an email with suggestions, and then I am done. " My advice is to NOT get involved in any way at all! No email, nothing. She sounds like the type of mom who may hold you responsible for any thing you tell her.

oops

This isn't a text either, but the Astronomy by Itellego at Currclick, looks great!

I think it's the Blue series Multiplication 1 that you want, but check the samples.

We have gone to doing the following schedule (see below). We do two different math programs at once. Right now we are working on Lessons for Extending Fractions by Marilyn Burns and the Integers part of MM 5B. For LA, we cover writing (various programs), grammar (MCT Voyage), vocabulary (Dynamic Literacy and a Daily Word program...we finished CEII), Spelling (SP H) We used to try to do both math and LA in the mornings and do either science or history 2x/week, in the afternoons. This way is working waaay better and as there is math and LA incorporated into our history and science, I'm not too concerned about having LA and math only 3x/week. Monday am read aloud, french, art pm Girl Guides Tuesday am read aloud, french, LA pm math Wed am read aloud, french, LA pm math Thursday am read aloud, french, LA pm science Friday am read aloud, french, math pm history

Dynamic Literacy looks very nice!

There is also Top Secret Adventures for kids 7-12. It looks very cool too. http://shop.highlights.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=16151&catalogId=17603&categoryId=241891&productId=943928

We used to go out a lot for field trips when dd (now 11) was younger. Now we just go out on Monday afternoons for Girl Guides and in the late afternoons or evening for sports related activities. We NEVER do errands during school time.

Yes of course here too! Big fans of Harry Potter!

We also love Brainpop and use it frequently (just today in fact!)

Name: Cindy age of dc: DD11 grade 6 she's home schooled, DS15 private school how long homeschooling? 10 years. have you taught these ages/grades before? yes. ds went to school in 7th grade Do you follow a particular style of education? eclectic Do you plan to home school high school? probably Quote: Life is hard, soften yours with a cat.