I got an email this morning about a sale on her election unit study, and my curiosity was piqued. Im not much of a unit study person (at least I don't think I am), but this one interests me because it's a timely topic and I'm terrible at keeping up with current events myself, much less having my kids keep up with them. Is there anybody who doesn't usually do unit studies like this that has ever done them occasionally and found success? Was it a worthwhile learning endeavor, in your opinion?

First up on my list this week is cleaning my bedroom! :)

This coming week is our seventh week of school, which means no formal lessons (besides our out-of-house ones) and TIME for me to catch up on stuff. I hope it alleviates my feelings of being overwhelmed. I SO identify with you, OP.

I've used the worksheets when I felt dd had already enough handwriting assigned for the day. This is a way to still make progress without overtaxing her.

Here's a good list. http://delightfulchildrensbooks.com/2013/08/29/friendship-childrens-books/ My personal favorites are the Frances book, the Frog and Toad book, and A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Chester's Way is also good.

Thank you so much for the responses. I am busy now but will come back and hash it out a bit more when I have more time. I really, really appreciate your taking the time to respond. Anyone else?

I burned out on CC after one year because I couldn't do it "all"--keep up with the memory work AND do everything else. I just couldn't imagine not doing the other stuff at home.

If you have successfully implemented writing across the curriculum in your homeschool, how do you organize and schedule it? I need nitty-gritty details like on day one we do this, including possibly either time spent or amount of output expected. My daughters are fifth and third grades. My fifth grader has gone through 4 levels of WWE, the first three weeks of WWS 1, and is currently working through the second section of Treasured Conversations.

Following with great interest!

YES! :)

Off-topic: Our co op meets weekly, so I can't decide how I'd make a bookclub like this work there.

Ok, so if I plan to do this next year at co op, I should start working on it now? Lol. OP, how often will your group meet?

Our Circle Time is mostly just memory work now. We read aloud at other times during the day (lunchtime, bedtime). If only we had more hours in the day!

I'm using Rod & Staff grammar level 5 alongside Treasured Conversations, a writing curriculum written by 8filltheheart, with my 5th grader. I really like them both!

Y'all make me want to head north! :)

I'm listening in. :)

I second Clementine.

FYI in Betsy-Tacy, a baby sibling dies in the first book, if I remember correctly. Since your ds isn't bothered so much by death, this might be ok, though.

Thank you for this, 8.

I just posted the good, the bad, and the ugly, though not necessarily in that order. :huh:

A few favorites here: all the Little House on the Prairie books Ginger Pye The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe the Clementine books

I've tried various things, but what I've used for the past couple of years is a notebook for each of us filled with our current memory work as well as everything (or almost everything) we've learned over the years. I have them arranged by categories with dividers: Bible, hymns, poetry, history, English grammar, etc. Last year I used a review sheet based on Ladydusk's (hi, Dawn!), but this year because we are out of the house much more than we were last year, I shoot for 3x a week of us actually going over the new material, and I just go back and review the next thing behind the current piece from each section. Does that make sense?

The Saturdays is nice and episodic, though I wouldn't say it's totally devoid of tension. The third book in the series, Then There Were Five, involves a boy who's mistreated that the Melendys eventually take in. His cruel guardian also dies in a house fire, FYI.

I think I usually know this, too. For my eldest, it's the point of slight frustration that forces her to try a little harder. It's a fine line, though.

Here's my question, which may be off topic-- how do I know what my child's "highest level of achievement" is?