I received dd8's enVision login today. I like what I see in the grade 3 program. I scrolled through every lesson online and it reminds me of SM 2-3. Light, yes. But SM'ish in spirit. It will dovetail nicely with our other materials and will be great review for math testing purposes. This is a fun add-on for dd. She goes to the ALE for a couple classes/week because it's fun and she can see her little friends. Her teacher is a peach. How's the new year, Bill? :) ETA: Her teacher said she could just do 'problem solving' sets and move ahead. Dd will probably want to do them all.

Crewton Ramone starts algebra at age 4-5. You don't need to wait until basic arithmetic is mastered.

Looks great! :)

I just bought CR's Mortenson combo kit. It's worth the price I paid ($90'ish). Very nice quality. I needed my dds to have the same blocks as his (rather than our MUS blocks) for online classes with Ben on Thursdays. HTH! :)

There are 150 new students at our b&m ALE this year. Just got back from orientation. Every family seems to have a different reason for choosing this route.

Thank you all for the info! :)

http://kineticbooks.com/support/samplerequest.php

:iagree:

Ds will apply to UofU for engineering/computer science. Does anyone have thoughts regarding this school? We told him he needs to get the WUE scholarship since we aren't paying $21K for out-of-state tuition. (Or should we? Is it worth it?) Thanks in advance! :bigear:

I don't blame the state for being so rigid. Too many parents took advantage of the 'system' a few years ago. More oversight is required now if you want state money/resources for your child's education. It's a hoop I'm willing to jump through. I did a lot of record keeping/reporting for CVA. It was a pain but I loved the $$$ for 3 kids. I'll find out this week what I will be required to do since dds will do a few onsite classes at their ALE. Shouldn't be much. I do want my girls to do the MAP test this year. I'm not even opposed to the HSPE. Oh, how my tune has changed over the years. :tongue_smilie: Ds is registered as a full time public school student. I paid $80 for his fall quarter tuition at our cc. Yes, strings are attached. It's a price we're willing to pay at this stage in the game. My hybrid approach has worked beautifully over the years. I had folks here at TWTM forum tell me my kids weren't 'homeschooled' since they took classes at the ALE. :lol: Since I'm not a purist, it didn't bother me. Results trump title. I'm ok with that. :)

:drool5:

When dd was in 8th, she took 3 online classes via TPS. She attended a daily Spanish 2 class at a high school. Dh gave her a strong dose of algebra with CD Alg 1. She read voraciously on her own. Ninth grade was a breeze following that routine. HTH!!

ETA: Your ds will be ready for algebra with what you have outlined. KB Prealg looks quite meaty. If you combine it with HoE, he will be more than ready. Not sure this is helpful... After a lesson on functions with dd's online tutor yesterday morning, we did a KB lesson on functions in the afternoon for about 20 min. The teaching is excellent. You can do as much or little as you want per sitting. It's really not a big issue. I am mainly doing KB for the interactive aspect of it. Since we do other math, I am not having dd do the 'end of unit' problems. I am picking and choosing what we do since so much of it is overlap and/or review & reinforcement of what she learned last year. KB takes it to a much deeper level which is why I like it. This was dd9's math routine yesterday... Morning: online lesson with Rachna on functions -- 1 hour Afternoon: KB lesson on functions -- 20 min Crewton Ramone video on functions (12 min) TT Alg 1 lesson 134 (lecture only) I know our situation is a bit different than other folks who have used KB here. The technology is fantastic and the content is perfect for a student who likes to learn via computer. HTH!!

I'll get the scoop at our ALE on Tuesday. My dds are taking a few classes from great teachers in a new location near our house. We did just science in the winter/spring and I never met with anyone for any reporting. It was ideal. I hope this year will be a breeze as well. My dds love going a couple times/week to see friends and learn cool stuff. They wouldn't want to go more than that since they love being home. Dh is happy that it's convenient, close...and 'free' for the most part. I'm willing to jump through a few hoops. It sure was nice getting those CVA reimbursements a couple years ago ($1200/kid x3 :)). I am looking at our local STEM school so this will give me a good idea of how our ps system operates. So far I like what I see at our ALE. :)

Is this for your ALE in WA? How's it going? What classes is your dd taking? What do you think of the changes? :001_smile::bigear:

Glad to hear you are enjoying CR. He's one of a kind. :) I bought middle school modules A, H, I. We do the interactive portion and the workbook together (along w/ the workbook audio) for a few hours/week. Is it fun? Dd enjoys it. It is open & go. We do labs elsewhere. The content is new to dd and the vocab has been challenging. The elementary levels seemed a little light for what I wanted and the middle school levels seem about right. For a strong science-savvy parent, it may not be enough. For us, it is perfect. ETA: $27/module is a bargain. Jackie, Did you see these samples? HTH!!!

Dd is using KB in conjunction with online classes. It is a complete program and does not need a supplement. The free 30-day trial will give you a good idea of the content.

:001_smile::001_smile::001_smile:

Dd is using it for an hour -- 3x/week. No set pace. No hurry. :001_smile:

Rosie's Ed Unboxed videos will help her 'see' the fractions. C-rods are a great investment even if your dd is 12.

Brilliant idea! I should do this with our VP history timeline cards. I love the paper clips and wire. Here is our ancient history timeline in progress.

I cancelled our registration for Tuesday OMSI science & robotics labs so that we can have a full day to work on STEM at home. Science Fusion is better than I expected so we'll have plenty to work with. Dh will continue to do robotics with dds. Ds is going to help with Snap Circuits projects and electronics. I moved dd8 back to WWE2 and cancelled my plans for formal history at home for this year. She will piggyback on geography with dd9 and study Native Americans in a little ps class 2x/week at our ALE. I'm sure I'll make more changes later. :tongue_smilie: Both dds start their classes at our local ALE next week. They are so excited to 'go to school' with friends and teachers a couple times/week. It's a few minutes from our house so it's their first 'neighborhood' school experience.

I used TT for spiral review with dd9 when she did SM. Dd8 is doing SM4 along w/ TT for basic review of the boring stuff (long mult, div, rounding/estimating). We do SM for the word problems, Beast for the geometry. My hybrid approach helps with retention.

:iagree: Those Thinking Blocks videos are fantastic. I emailed the creator and said, "THANK YOU!!" She is thrilled that they help so many students.

:iagree::iagree::iagree: Dd9 loves MCT books and LOF. She just came to me 5 min ago with an exuberant revelation re Fred's sister in the geo book. She also likes other 'math stories' (Number Devil, Sir Cumference, etc). Connecting learning with a positive emotion is an extra tool to make the learning stick. These books help. As for MCT, Dd9 is taking MCT Town via Landry. So far she enjoys the class and the grammar discussions. For a little girl who is in heaven discussing grammar with 'friends' all over the country, this class is a win-win.