We are embarking on a study of plants via Elemental Science this week, and although I have the recommended title Life of Plants: Plant Parts, I'm less than thrilled with it. Does anyone have a recommendation for the younger crowd (1st grade and K-ish)? Thanks!

We're finishing our second year of loving RS here. I didn't go to the session in Memphis since we're already sold on it, but I loved the response of the rep (Dr. Cotter's daughter, as it turned out) to my question about being a tad bit uncomfortable with the lack of volumes of worksheets. She said to keep a game log (a list of the games you play) and tell yourself that those ARE your worksheets. My dd really gets math, or at least she seems to, and I credit RS for that.

Thanks, Melissa! I think I got B and C, with the idea that she could go through B this summer (she can use the practice) and do C beginning in the fall.

Is this the book?-- http://www.amazon.com/Goodbye-Whining-Complaining-Attitudes-Your/dp/0877883548/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299618379&sr=8-1 I've read it, though it has been awhile. It discusses honor a good bit (in a Christian context).

My dd will be learning cursive next year, and I have picked up a Getty Dubay Italic workbook for this. However, we started with HWT a couple of years ago when she was learning to print. Does anyone have experience transitioning from HWT to something else? I'm a little apprehensive because I think she would actually prefer a loopier style of cursive, but she doesn't enjoy handwriting and I thought the Italic style would be easier. Thoughts, anyone?

I really liked No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I reviewed it here, on my blog. I don't think there are any spoilers in my review. :tongue_smilie:

I finally gave up on Ship Breaker over the weekend--it was just too violent for me. I'm now reading a comfort-read of sorts-- Laddie by Gene Stratton-Porter. On my blog yesterday, I published a review of a book I finished a few weeks ago--One Crazy Summer. My 2011 Booklog January Genesis chapters 1-43 Job Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson Magic for Marigold by L.M. Montgomery Betti on the High Wire by Lisa Railsback Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery Behind the Mountains by Edwidge Danticat Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm February Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia Ava's Man by Rick Bragg (If the underlined titles don't link back to my blog, you can click on the link in my siggy and find the same list in the sidebar.)

Hmmm.....how's this--we've enjoyed a great read-aloud this month: Hitty: Her First Hundred Years. I'm so glad spring us on its way!

How convicting and encouraging! Thanks for the link, Joanne!

I should've also said that the books I mentioned above are books 8 & 9 for the year, so I'm on target. All of my books for the year are listed in the right-hand sidebar on my blog.

Well, why haven't I participated in this thread before? Oh, yeah--it's because I took a little break from the boards so I could read more! This week I finished One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia (middle grade fiction) and Ava's Man by Rick Bragg (biography/memoir). The latter was excellent, if you like stories about the South as it really was, not as people think it was. I post reviews of the books I read on my blog (link in siggy) on Mondays (and often at other times, too), but I'm several weeks behind on my reviews. One Crazy Summer should go up Feb. 28 and Ava's Man the week after.

I have hit a wall with my older dd, age 6 (1st grade). She hates doing copywork, and will only do it willingly when she is allowed to write completely unaided. I'm a little confused about whether or not to "allow" this. Her spelling is not good, of course, and I "get" what we're trying to accomplish through copywork (via WWE1). Any thoughts on this?

Something I read in the new writing forum made me think of this. I have two dds, ages 6 and 5. My 5 year old (young K-er) loves to write and does it for fun. My 6 year old (1st grader) doesn't, however. She is an excellent reader and loves to read, but getting her to write is like pulling teeth (or worse!). Anyway, I had a flash of inspiration and thought that one way I might get her to be willing to write more is to have a journal that we share and write back and forth to each other in. Have you done this? If so, how did you structure it? Was it worthwhile to generate excitement and confidence toward writing?

This week's Read Aloud Thursday (a weekly meme I host on my blog) is about ancient Egypt. I thought some folks here on the K-8 board might benefit, so here's a link.

Thanks so much, Kalmia! I'm off to see if I can locate any at any of our local libraries!

We're studying symmetry AND butterflies this week (a perfect confluence of topics!), and I'd love to add someore examples of symmetry in nature (in addition to the obvious--fruit, etc.). I'd love some book recommendations (if there are any out there), but I'll take other suggestions for projects, etc., too!

This is very timely for us because we are studying butterflies (again!) this week. This is our second time through with Painted Ladies--ours are still in the larval stage right now. If you do a search for butterfles or butterfly (maybe both?) on my blog (link in siggy) , you'll find some book reviews of books we've used in the past. I will try to remember to come back and pit in the links, but right now I'm on my iPod and holding my sleeping ds. We have a huge stack of library books to read this time , as well. We're also planning to do the coffee filter/symmetry art project, which is perfect timing for us since my older dd will be tackling symmetry in RS Math level B this week. ETA: I reviewed Butterfly House by Eve Bunting here. My favorite, though, is Butterfly Alphabet by Sandved, which I reviewed here.

We got tadpoles one year from my parents' swimming pool, which had been left uncovered all spring. :tongue_smilie: Unfortunately, due to my negligence, they met with a bad end. We have also raised painted lady butterflies in the past, and we just got another shipment of caterpillars in yesterday. I'm excited to watch the transformation again!

A meet-up sounds like fun!

I started reading chapter books to my girls when they were young--maybe just 4 and 2(?). (I'm really not sure.) We've covered a lot of territory in the 2+ years we've been reading chapter books! I host a weekly meme/carnival on my blog called Read Aloud Thursday. It's a great resource for read-aloud book reviews! I've reviewed most of the chapter books we've read over the past few years.

I have a couple of blog posts from last year about our Thanksgiving read-alouds: link 1 link 2 I'm also hosting a give-away on my blog. One of the books I'm giving away is Samuel Eaton's Day by Kate Waters!

bump for Saturday WTMers!

I'm celebrating three years of blogging by giving away a few children's books on my blog. Here's a link to the post, if any of my fellow WTMers are interested.

You're most welcome.:)

Go for it! And be sure to let us know how it goes!:D