Normally I'd say, don't bother reading it!! But only because there are thousands of excellent books out there, so why get hung up on this particular one. Normally, I'd say, just read the Cliff's notes, so your kids know what all the basic plot is. However, after reading the other posts, maybe try it and see if your kids like it. If they like it, keep reading, if not, get the basic facts about the book down and then pick another one of the gadzillion excellent books out there and read those. Don't forget, a lot of us homeschool just so that we can expose our kids to things we can be passionate about, not just do to things because someone tells us we have to!

My poor parents are VERY socially challenged. They're very bad in social situations. They're anxious, nervous, and generally end up saying the wrong thing. Therefore, my childhood was TOUGH at school. I had no clue about how to make friends, or even make normal small talk with anyone. I didn't learn all that until in my 20s. I am doing my best to show my kids how to behave around other people: the correct responses to normal small talk, the way to be kind to others who might be shy and awkward, etc.

Maybe there's something in the air today! My kids are being difficult, too! Everything I say is met with moans and groans and (worse) they're ignoring everything I ask them to do. That really pushes my buttons! I actually just sent them to bed for 10 minutes so we can start the day over. Seems like they forgot I'M the mom and they're the kids. The 10 minutes is up. Time to re-do today.

We've been blessed with a LOT of free wood, so I'm using the fireplace to heat the house. Right now I only use it if the outside temperature is under 50 degrees. I let the regular heat come on if it's over 50. (Saving the wood for when the temp is in the teen and the heater would be on all day to keep up.) I'm going to let our memberships expire all these places: The Science Center, The Aquarium, The Train Museum, The Zoo. Already buy most clothes at Good Will or consignment shops. Would do ALL the shopping there, except maybe work clothes for hubby, if absolutely couldn't find something good for work at Good Will. (But usually can.) I make sure that each week I have more cheap dinners than expensive. We eat very very little meat. Here's to spaghetti and grilled cheese nights. Future cutbacks: We have three cars now. Two that we use and one old one as a back up when the other two are in the shop. (The newest car is a 2000.) We would probably completely get rid of the third car. I'd start shopping only once a month so save on gas (since the stores are about 10 miles away.) Gifts would be much slimmer for everyone. That would be tough. In Laws expect nice gifts. Not sure what to do about that one, but would try to come up with something. Cable would go, but my husband would kick and scream. And, honestly, he mostly watches educational stuff (since he teaches at a college part time.) Cable would go last, just because he really uses the stuff he watches on there in his class. That's just off the top of my head.

Thanks for the responses. I just wondered where the rest of the world went. I go to Wal-Mart for everything. I only feel guilty because my parents worked at Wal-Mart for years and they really are pretty mean to their employees. Also, it depends on where you live whether or not Wal-Mart has rude customers. When I lived in the Baltimore area the customers were awful. My mother (who worked there, remember) used to get pushed around all the time. One time she got pushed by a customer so hard she got a huge black bruise on her arm. But now that we live in a semi-rural area (Gettysburg is 7 miles up the road) I found a Wal-Mart that's almost empty all the time. It's lovely! I can just stand there in an aisle and comparison shop with no other customers around me. Lovely! We're very frugal and, honestly, Wal-Mart is about all I can afford. We shop for clothes at Good Will type of frugal. I did all my shopping for the week at Wal-Mart once, then AFTER it was rung up realized I didn't have my wallet. So, I went home, got the wallet and went to the local grocery store (Wal-Mart is 25 mins from the house). I got the exact same items and the bill was $30 more. Wal-Mart is just cheaper.

Wow! What differences of opinions. Some people seem to love the hands on approach and others think it's a waste of time, let's write an essay instead. If the kids love the diorama and it brings the subject to life, why not let them? Do the diorama and then do the essay. If the kids don't want to do the diorama and it doesn't bring the subject to life, then move on.

I have no clue what I'm talking about, but I read in a homeschool book (and squirreled this away for when my kids are older) about apprenticeship. (I wish I could remember the book.) It was about how at this age (of your son) that they are starting to break away from being a child and looking forward to being an adult. They start to "put aside childish things." They start to realize that what they do now will affect their future. They start to want the things they do to be meaningful and purpose. And sometimes with this, it means they start to rebel against what they've been doing all along and need things to change. The author recommended letting them close a chapter on things they feel are childish. I think his example was a child who had studied piano for years and years and wanted to stop. He told the mother to let the boy stop. In fact, he said, to let the boy play a last concert for his family and then set it aside for as long as he wanted. This segues into apprenticeship. He's at an age where he needs other adults in his life that he can look up to. You don't have to completely stop teaching, but you may want to find something your son is interested in, then find an adult also interested in that (or working in a field he's interested in) and see if they can work together. I have a friend with a 12 year old son who loves to see how things work. She convinced the caretaker of the church she attends to let her son help him around the church, changing lightbulbs, changing the furnace filter, etc. Wish I could remember the author! He's famous in HS circles, but I can't remember....

Isn't the beauty of homeschooling that you can cater to your child's passions? He's just expressed one. I would do both if I were you. I would spend only 15-20 minutes a day, 3 days a week on world history. My only goal for the world history would be to expose him to it, so that in a social situation he doesn't look foolish if he doesn't know basic facts that most people know. I wouldn't expect a lot, just basic knowledge of how things unfolded. Then I would let him go in depth into American history. Not fictionalized, as he asked, but having him read the real deal. Real biographies, real correspondence of the time, etc. If it's available, go to every historical site in a 100 mile radius of your home. That's the beauty of homeschool! Cash in on it!

I've never had anyone say anything bad about the fact that I homeschool. I've been hs-ing for only 2 years, so maybe I just need to give it time ;). Only one person asked me why I homeschool and it was a very philosophical man who works in the shoe department at Value City. I can't remember how we started talking while I was shoe shopping, but somehow the conversation meandered to education. I told him I homeschool and he asked me why I made that choice, but he asked because he seemed to be genuinely interested in the philosophy behind it. (Yes, the shoe department at Value City.) Has anyone really been given a hard time about homeschooling by a stranger? Husband and Parents don't count. They're too highly involved. I'm asking: Has anyone had a stranger or mere acquaintance give them a hard time over their choice to homeschool?

Well, it started out ok, but my DS6 has gotten completely overwhelmed with the pages of words to read. He hates those pages of words. The way HOP is set up, they learn a new sound, read 2 - 4 pages of words that use the new sounds, and then they read a story or a book that incorporates the new sounds. He HATES reading those pages of words. We even tried doing it where I would make up a story around the words like, if the words were dog, fog, and log here's how it would go Me: Yesterday I took my ... DS: dog ME: for a walk in the ... DS: fog ME: But we had to stop because there was a DS: log ME: in the way. It got reeeeeal tiring for me to have to come up with stories using completely unrelated words. So! We've changed things. We skip the word pages. I'm tired of fighting with him about it. He learns everything else I teach him very easily. So, obviously he is ABLE to learn, so something was wrong. Currently I use the tapes to introduce the new sounds, we skip the pages with all the words and go right to the stories, books, and games (like where you use the alphabet cards to spell words.) I have a much happier little boy and I swear he's reading better now. Also, HOP is available at our local library. See if you can check it out of your library before buying it, to try it out.

Call call call! The doctor isn't the one in pain--you are. Only you know how bad it is. Perhaps when he said to wait, he didn't know it would keep hurting, or didn't know the level of pain, so you need to give him feedback. The worst thing is that the doc will say there's nothing to be done. The best thing is that the doc will say, "Come on in! I can help you with that!" It's a valid call. You're not wasting their time. Don't feel hesitant.

Science experiments! Maybe just get a book of lots and lots of science experiments. Then when he's in high school, when it's time to go into the technical aspects of science, he'll remember doing the fun experiments and can relate it. But maybe now, it needs to be about showing how putting paper over a hot light bulb makes the paper move (you know--heat rises, birds fly on those thermals of hot air...) without worrying too much about WHY it does what it does. I like the post about nature walks and studying birds, too. Make the science completely hands on now.

Step 1: figure out the content of what you want to teach (since you mention needing to be in step with the school system.) Step 2: for each subject, start reading, reading, reading online as much about it as you can. (Like this link where you can read parent's opinions on common curricula http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/reviews/curriculum/reviews.aspx?id=321) Step 3: Start earlier than September, if possible. Not sure how holidays are done in UK (in USA we have about 2.5 months of summer vacation where there is no government schooling.) If you start earlier, you can 1. homeschool less intensely than you'll have to in Sept (because of the extra time) and 2. see if the curriculum is really what you liked. You'll have time to re-do if you must. Mostly you'll have to do like the rest of us and just jump in hoping and praying that you've made the right choices and not wasted your money. No one really knows for sure what will work until they buy it and try it. Do your best! It's gotta be hard without as much support in your area and without chances to see the materials in person before buying them. (Read about return policies, too!)

Sell now. It does depend on location/price, etc, but the market is slowing down and in some areas it's all but stopped.

There are a lot of people who don't like Target or Wal-Mart (because they're mean to their employees, everything is from China, the quality is low, etc...). So if you don't shop there--where do you shop? Where do you get sheets and batteries and can openers and toys and Christmas decorations? I'm serious. I don't really like Target or Wal-Mart either about half of the time. But where would I go?

I just showed my kids E.T. on Friday. I hadn't seen it in about 15 years. And I was pretty blue for the rest of the day that E.T. didn't come to ME. I want an alien friend who can feel what I feel, dang it!! So sad.

When I type up these messages or replies, I can't make a paragraph. See, right before the word "see" I hit return. But when it posts, the words are all running together. Here is a new paragraph. And another one. Why are they all running together? Does anyone else have this problem??? J

Step 1: Keep a master of list of things you buy almost weekly. (Milk, Cereal, Fruit, etc.) This list should rarely change. Check the master list each week to see if you need those things on that list. Step 2: Somewhere else (I use a white board) jot down things you'll need as you think of them throughout the week, or as you run out of them. This list will change constantly Step 3: Somewhere else (maybe on the back of the master list) write down the names of the recipes you really use and enjoy. Before going to the store, pick 5-7 of those recipes to use for the coming week. Step 4: Before going to the store check your master list, white board list, and ingredients needed for your 5-7 meals. Write everything you need on a sheet of paper. Go get them! I spend up to $400 a month, but I shop at Wal-Mart, so that includes non-food items as well (like craft paint, school supplies, etc.)

So that I'm not washing as many towels this is what I do per person: 1 bath towel for hair; 1 bath towel for body; 1 HAND towel for private parts. This way, the 2 bath towels can be used for a good week without needing to be washed. I throw the hand towel in the laundry every day. It really cuts down on towel laundry. Sheets: 4 pair per bed: 2 cotton, 2 flannel.

Unless they're lying, most of the people in my church don't trick or treat, but the church does put on a festival that's not scary. I do take the kids trick or treating because they don't like the festival and I personally LOVE trick or treating. But I don't tell anyone, because I don't want to have to explain myself. It's my secret. I guess the kids (6 and 3) might start telling the other church kids about it and my secret will be out soon... J

Sorry guys, but these numbers can't be right. You hit the certified genius (and we're talking Stephen Hawkins, mensa members) level in the high 130's. According to the chart of classifications of IQs 130 + is very superior; 120-129 is superior; 110-119 is high average; 90-109 is average 80-89; is low average and it goes down from there. Only 2.2% of the population is in the 130+ category. And only 6.7% is in the 120-129 category.

You are a brave woman! I'm very proud of you. That had to be a tough conversation.

Thank you, everyone, for all your responses! Here's my plan: For the next year, I'm going to relax a bit more about the reading. I think I will not entirely stop teaching him, but we'll just do the teensiest bit each day without a lot of pressure from me. He hates sitting still long enough to sound things out, so maybe he just needs to mature a bit more. I'm going to research the various resources everyone has named, to see if one of them seems to jump out at me as a good match for us. We might switch to a new program and try it slowly over the next year. I already do read a lot to him, and he's insatiable with it. (insatiable!!! Which is why it'd be GREAT if he could read on his own!) My ds3 gets bored listening to the more advanced books I read to the ds6, so I read what I can without frustrating ds3. I do use books on tape for the ds6 when ds needs my attention. Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for responding. You know how it is when this is all new. It's nice to hear from others who have been there/done that!

Honey is the only food in the world that does not spoil. They found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs, and it was still good. Thousands of years later. Heat it up if it needs to be smoothed out.

He is 6 years old. When he was 4 or 5 we did the Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. His friend learned to read that way. But it didn't work for my DS. He hated it. So, now we're using Hooked on Phonics, and he barely tolerates it. He sort of is learning from it, but sort of not. He detests sounding out words, yet he can't read unless he sounds them out. So, we go round and round with me saying, "Sound it out," and him looking around the room randomly yelling out words that begin with whatever the word we're on begins with. It drives both of us nuts. What have other people used to teach their kids to read? Thanks!