Maybe she is just trying to be nice and that is nice. Or maybe she's starting a business. I personally dislike business spam of all kinds. My own internal response to an email like that would probably just be born out of irritation with the seemingly-constant monetizing of homeschool advice by people who are just getting going themselves (and who use words like "veteran" to add weight to their product, whether it's really tried-and-true or not). I've felt like I've run into that a lot lately and so am maybe a bit sensitive to it...

I definitely would not consider that person a veteran. A veteran has reached the end stages, in my opinion. I'm quite indebted to many veterans for their homeschooling advice (I'm the daughter of a veteran). That said, the advice from "seasoned" homeschoolers sometimes is more helpful. Veterans tend to say, "Relax, enjoy, etc," but not always remember how they handled the nitty gritty, which doesn't ways help with decision making. Seasoned people who are still in the game sometimes have helpful specifics to offer. If I can then compare the two (Does this specific advice fit with the overall perspective I've gotten from he veterans?), that's often when I am helped the most. Overall, I feel the homeschool network online is flooded with people who are newly-ish in the thick of things and proclaiming their expertise. This generally annoys me because I want more seasoned advice.

Another person who doesn't pronounce it in regular speech... and then over-pronounces it during spelling lessons, to ask if the student can "hear the difference??" ?

Just wanted to return to this to say thank you for all the advice - it helped. I first tried slowing MM and adjusting the pacing, but quickly became clear that things just weren't sticking. So I ordered CLE. The placement test put her back in 3rd, which made sense to me because even though she managed with MM3 last year, she wasn't retaining a lot of it. She started into CLE3 (we skipped 301) and LOVES it. Lots is familiar, so she's racing along, but there is some very helpful solidifying of concepts. She loves the straightforward explanations, the layout, and the variety of questions. It's becoming so clear that the daily spiral helps her immensely. I'm very pleased with where she is and I think it's a great foundation for moving forward. Meanwhile, my oldest is rolling through MM5 (which she loves) and finding it must easier than MM4, so that input was helpful for that child. Thank you all for your responses!

This is where I fall as well, with some input from WTM. And when CM stuff I see in various places gets too regimented and "purist" I always think, "didn't she say to mix it with brains?!"

I do make mine up weekly. Some things are specific (readings, etc), others are general (in math they work until the star I mark in the book, in French we work for a general amount of time). I like to think about the week ahead and lay out heavier and lighter days based on what we're up to. Sometimes I get it wrong and use white-out during the week (sometimes I do that the night before, if I see that the previous days missed some things). But having it specifically laid out each week helps me to get my head ready for the week and also makes the days run more smoothly, with fewer questions about what we should be doing.

Thank you! I'm hoping it's a delightful memory. And it always starts the week off with fun, since they're excited to see their checklists and read the comics and jokes. Calvin and Hobbes are our favourites, Peanuts and Garfield are hits too. Once I got my system, it only take about two minutes. I do a Google image search and copy and paste. Very worth it! ? It's worth a shot!

Thanks! It used to have loving notes and Bible verses, but it turns out that kids love comics and jokes. ? It's taken a lot of tweaking, but now it serves us so well.

I have a 10yo, an 8yo, and a preschooler and toddler. One thing I've found very useful is making weekly checklists. I'll try to attach one here. I make them each Friday afternoon from my homemade template. Taking the time to think about the coming week has really helped me to figure out what works. Over time, I've also become much better about knowing what each child can handle in a day (and then, of course, it changes). We school four days a week and have a group class and our poetry tea on Wednesday. On schoolwork days, we typically begin morning time together at 8:30 and finish at 10, then do independent work and finish around lunch. I have a separate binder for myself for morning time, which includes Bible, memory, Shakespeare, read aloud, some grammar/science/history/art/whatever. The girls really like the checklists - work expectations are clear, they often choose the order, we don't forget stuff, and I can always remove something if we struggled in a day.

This is my husband's career and he's helped a few younger officers get hired, so I can share some of what he says. Requirements vary from Dept to Dept, so if you can find out what your area wants, that's helpful for academic decisions. In our area, departments want a degree, but also prioritize life experience and demonstrated capability in a work capacity - not necessarily police foundations education. They have hired entrepreneurs, accountants, etc. The focus seems to be on general ability and demonstrated competence. Fitness is key, being regularly committed to some sort of physical activity is positive. Something involving team play and the ability to connect with a group tends to reflect positively. Volunteering is essential in our area. A range of volunteer experience (not just at a church, for example), is a priority for new hires. A diverse and well-rounded life. Pursue interests and develop people skills (volunteering is good for this). Obviously, it's important to stay out of major law-related trouble. We've seen a few guys not get hired due to unwise connections. Our area pays well and is a desirable policing department, so they can be choosy, but those are some top elements. ETA: courses such as first aid, CPR, conflict resolution, etc which are then used in a work or volunteer capacity are helpful - they demonstrate a comfort level with first-response skills and familiarity with working under pressure. And in our area, bilingualism is increasingly emphasized.

Thank you for this! Those specifics do help me to think through the options. And actually, the way you adapt the lessons reminds me a lot of how my mom adapted our math books when I was a kid, so it feels familiar. Thanks again!

This makes sense to me - I've felt the same way fairly often. Like I needed to do lots of explaining, then things would pop up later, explained in a slightly different way, and the student would be confused. Like it goes on tangents or something. I remain torn because me oldest HAS done well with MM and loves math... and I own MM. That is helpful, thank you. That's still less time than MM takes us on a regular day, even when cutting a lot of the questions. I hadn't seen those, thank you! I'm considering just stretching MM4 out over more than a year, so more review might be helpful. Now what I need to decide is whether I'm willing to make a lot of adaptations to get through MM4 (and hopefully the following years would be smoother) and therefore be able to use what I have and keep continuity, or whether I should jump ship now, most likely to CLE. And time is running out. ?

That's really interesting... and encouraging. Thanks! ETA: Have thought more about this - it's very encouraging in that I feel more confident to slow things right down, knowing that it can speed up later. I had been picturing this level of difficulty for the next several grades. I think I'll chat with her about how she's a year younger than her sister was when she did this level and that she's doing great, but we have lots of time and we're going to move slowly. I think it'll take the pressure off, especially if we move at her pace while mixing up chapters. This all really helps, thanks everyone!

This makes me wobble back to the side of the fence that says I should move slowly through this year, mix up the topics as suggested, and stick with what we have!

Thanks, this is helpful! I find it's hard to visualize what different people mean when they say "long" or "short" so the specifics are helpful!!

CLE is the front runner right now if I switch. How long does a day's work tend to take your kids? I hear of people switching away from it because it takes a long time? Or do I have that wrong?

This is a good idea, it might help to not have to barrel through 2+ pages of a tough topic every day. I've done it a bit before, but never for a longer period. ETA: it's encouraging to know that gr 5 isn't quite so speedy! My oldest handled 4 fine, but I wasn't looking forward to keeping up that pace.

I was also wondering about CLE. I've heard lessons can take a long time... what kind of time do you spend on it in gr 4/5ish?

I'm wondering if that's the case.

Just got started with math today (full school year starts after Labour Day here), and was reminded of my feelings about MM last year. We've used it since 2nd (girls are now in 5th and 4th). Daughter in 5th is happy with math and likes it - usually does 1/2 or 2/3 of the problems. Daughter in 4th is a December birthday and so a very young 4th. She's done well with MM so far, if I work with her, and I scribed about half the time. I'm just remembering going through 4th last year with the older and I'm not sure this one is ready for long division, etc. I don't really care about grade levels and don't mind slowing down, but I know she'll notice and mind. All that to say, I was reminded today of the feeling that MM just jumps in and runs - fast. That there's a lot to suddenly understand. Does that make sense? I don't remember that feeling from the homeschool math I had as a kid (until I hit - and hated - Saxon algebra. I'm wondering if this child would be better served with a program that feels less speedy (or whatever the issue is). On the other hand, it's working - I think - and maybe all math programs feel that way? Or maybe it's just the sense I have for this kid. Thoughts?

Lol, yes, I prefer not to think about life without an Ikea! ? I have not seen contact paper at my dollar store and paid what I thought was an unreasonable amount for a small roll once at the grocery store. I've been biased against it since. This may be a varies-by-region issue! In Canada, Amazon's magazine holders are more $$ than Ikea, at least the ones I've seen.

Only four years in, but so far: Story of the World Math Mammoth Pentime handwriting 100 Favourite Poems anthology Anything that's helped me develop my understanding about how to approach copywork/dictation (so WWE, The Writer's Jungle/Arrows, CM's Philosophy of Education, etc).

Those cardboard ones from Ikea might just be cheaper than buying contact paper!

Thanks! Hadn't seen much of those and so hadn't thought of them as good for kids, but we watched two this morning and they loved them!

Our family is headed for a trip to southern Germany and some time in France in September. I have an 10yo and 8yo who love history and we were at about mid point of SOTW3 at the end of the past school year. They were fascinated by the French Revolution, Napoleon, etc, and they like history in general. Any recommendations for things to watch or fun reads together before we go? We'll have a few days in Paris and Versailles, otherwise more in the Strasbourg/Basel direction. Good kid documentaries that aren't ridiculous? I found some on YouTube that were like fingernails on a chalkboard...