At this age I would take the hand hurting seriously. Personally (and I'm sensitive to this because I have a boy with fine-motor issues so take it with a grain of salt!) I'd start by requiring the WWE copy work and writing in one other subject area (this may be letter formation... handwriting if he's still doing that). Not too much to begin with. I used to do only one page of HWT a day with my young guys. Also, watch to see that he's not gripping his pencil with a death grip. This can tire out little hands very quickly! He should also be writing at a table that is the right height for him.. not too high. If the complaining stops I'd up the writing requirements little by little so that he is working to write more and more. I would expect the complaining to stop if you go down that far. I think it would be good to see where your child's personal threshold for writing is. Others aren't necessarily a good gauge as every child really is different. If you back way off and add back slowly you'll do a couple things. 1. You'll make your ds really happy and he will stop complaining. 2. As you add things back in you'll be able to see where it becomes too much. You'll know that's where to stop and camp out awhile. 3. You will slowly strengthen his hand without over doing it and making him uncomfortable. In my estimation it is not worth a battle at a young age where writing is concerned. There are just too many years ahead of writing to turn him off to writing now... just my opinion and remember, take it with a grain... no a salt shaker of salt! :D

:iagree: These are a lot of the reasons we switched... but beware! My children do not always like the fact they have to "think" more with MM! :DWith MUS they could pretty mindlessly fill in the pages. With MM they are required to use the info they learn in many different ways. We made the switch this past year and haven't looked back. I really really like MM and wish I had learned math this way as a kid! The placement tests were very helpful for me to use to figure out where to place them. Because MUS is such a different sequence we had quite a few holes to fill... mostly in time and geometry. (My kids had a good grasp on money from real life so that wasn't a big deal for them). We worked for a couple months to fill holes, then got down to business in the level appropriate for them. Just letting you know it took a little time before we really settled in.

I just made the switch to splitting everyone up for history and science in Dec. and so far it's much better. I did it to accommodate one child in particular, but all children I think benefit. I purchased SOTW3 on CD and that helps for history. Most of them listen to it on their own. My littlest guy doesn't. Pretty much my 4th grader is adding in some Logic stage stuff to prep him for that. My 3rd grader just does SOTW3 with me asking comprehension questions afterward and a narration once a week. My 7 y/o just listens to SOTW and then I discuss it a bit with him. My 5 y/o just reads books with me. I choose them from the SOTW AG. My 7 y/o also sits in on these books. For science they are all pretty much following the Elemental Science, but I do different books for each of the different levels. I just go to the library and find books at each of their reading levels that has similar information to the spine. I use the spine for one of my kids. This may change as we move into Chem. and there aren't as many books available. Overall, we're still getting used to it. My hardest part is following up with everyone afterward (remembering to do this as it's a new thing for us). The best part is my poor little K'er gets things at his level and my 4th grader can read more challenging things.

Here's our 4th grade line up this year: Bible: Grapevine's NT overview Reading: Lots of books based on history and classics Math: MM5 and LOF Fractions Writing: WWE4 (first semester we did cursive copywork, but I'm dropping that and instead having him write several assignments in cursive now that it's easier for him) Spelling: AAS Level 5 and 6 (done with 5, now we're on 6) Grammar: R&S 4 History: SOTW3 (now, 2nd semester I'm having him start a history notebook with a few Logic stage things to ease him into Logic stage) Science: Elemental Science (just finished Earth Science and now onto Chem) Latin: Latina Christiana 1 Logic: Mindbenders and Logic Countdown Art: various things I find on the internet Music: piano lessons and music a la CC Memorization: AWANA and CC history timeline/science songs Geography: drawing the world map a la The Core. We're also going to learn the states this year being that we're doing American history. I'll probably work in state history over the summer.

:grouphug: No epic failures... just learning as we go! All About Spelling changed our whole spelling world over here. Both the kids and I love it. We spend about 15-20 min. a day on spelling per child 4 days a week. I have seen huge improvements in spelling in my kids' work inside and outside of school. AAS focuses more on rules than lists. There is a list each week, but you don't use it as a traditional program does. The words will seem very easy at first, but don't be mislead by that. The concepts the children learn behind that are much more important. I have actually appreciated the easier words at the beginning because they grow a child's confidence and allow him to concentrate more on the concept/rule you are teaching and less on "memorizing" how to spell the words. Using AAS has helped me to have tools to aid my kids in their spelling outside of spelling too. I now know the rules so I can remind them. Usually with small reminders they are able to figure out the spelling themselves! I'm really sold on this curriculum. My oldest has just started Level 6. He will be my first to go all the way through. He has commented several times that he LOVES spelling and can hardly believe he is learning it because it doesn't seem like "spelling". This is after tears every week when we did a traditional list. :001_smile:

We do history and science every week here. We just moved to a 2 day/week history and 2 day/week science schedule. Before we were doing both (for shorter periods) 4 days a week. We are more history heavy than science, mostly because I love history. My eldest also loves history. Most of our literature I also keep history based. My kids love the stories and have read a lot of things they wouldn't have just picked off the shelf. I'm also finding lots of great books! There are so many wonderful picture books that we would have missed had I not centered our lit. on history! I have always loved stories and that's what history is... the human story. We are also Christians and I love watching God's plan unfold over the course of human existence. I think we can learn a lot from people of the past. I feel it's important for our children to know where we came from and where we're going. The survival of family, communities and nations comes from knowing where you've been... keeping the good things and trying not to repeat the mistakes.... you need to know history to know what these things were. I guess that's why I think it's important enough to focus on in elementary. Gaining that base that can be expounded upon later. Of course, I would say the 3R's are more important in the early years... but we've never not done history/science because of this.

Most certainly your first child could go into 3rd grade. Just out of curiosity, why don't you want to put your 2nd child in R&S4? My 4th grader is doing WWE4 and R&S4 (without the writing exercises) this year and it's perfect. I'll add in the writing lessons next year in R&S5 once we are done with WWE4. I'm thinking the same as you that I won't need an additional writing program!:001_smile:

Yes, this very well could be the case, but I guess I was assuming the OP meant would her child have to read the test to figure out what to do? I think she is worried her child's reading skills aren't to the point of being able to perform accurately on the bulk of the test due to the reading.

I started with Math Mammoth as a supplement to MUS and we ended up switching. I believe she has some sample sheets you can download from her website. Give those a try... or try a Blue book in a topic MUS hasn't covered as a pp said.

I got the ebook version as well. If you want a printed teacher's guide I'd do what a pp said and buy the tg bound and then get the student guides ebook.

Nope. The 2nd grade test, I believe, is all read to them. I've given 2 of them so far. It's time consuming for you because you can't just time them... you have to read everything.

I do not, but if I didn't have a bachelor's degree I would have to do report cards to satisfy the state. It could be people are needing to do it for a requirement. Personally, I wouldn't use A-F grading until upper elementary... I would just use Excellent/Satisfactory in lower elementary if I had to. I will probably start grading my kids when they reach 7th grade or so... then they'll have a concrete idea of how they are doing.

I have a Ker, 1st, 3rd and 4th. My K'er and 1st I do math with entirely. Sometimes my 1st works on his own. We are using MM and I find it really doesn't take much time to teach the concepts. I just have the younger 2 do one page a day. My 3rd and 4th... I always go over the whole 2 sheets with my 3rd grader. She just needs to talk through the whole thing. It really doesn't take that long. My 4th grader varies. If it's a new topic I just go over things quickly to make sure he knows what to do. If it's a similar topic or more practice he's pretty independent. I missed what you're using... for me, having a less teacher intensive program works. MM teaches conceptually, but in small enough bites that I don't have to take 30 min. with each child. At most, if someone isn't really getting something it can take 15 min. to teach something. I average about an hour per child with one on one work. ETA: The hour per child is everything... not just math.

My kids all use Math Mammoth. We used to use MUS which was a great curriculum, I just saw a few things I didn't like about it so we switched. I'm very pleased with Math Mammoth for all my kids. I want a conceptual math program that also provides challenging word problems. I want something that will stretch my kids and make them actually think as opposed to more rote. The variety in exercises makes sure my kids really know and learn the material because they have to manipulate things in different ways, not just one sheet of like problems. I like mastery as opposed to spiral. I also like the ability to print as I see fit as opposed to a workbook. My younger two could never do MM if it was printed out for me because I enlarge it to get bigger writing spaces. I also like the fact the teaching is directed to the student step by step. No big conceptual leaps that I need to fill in. This works for my "mathy" kids as well as my "not so mathy" kids. I see no reason to have different curriculum with each child because I feel like MM can fit the bill for all of them.

I can't give specific book suggestions, but those are probably not going to be helpful to you anyway. What I do is start with the given book lists. If I can't find them at the library (or through Library Loan) I check to see how much the book is used. If it's used a long time or throughout the year I purchase it. I also have a huge wishlist out at paperbackswap.com. Sometimes I can get what I'm looking for for free there. (However, most popular books have a long waiting list). The other suggestion I have for you is to go alone to the library and plant yourself in the section that has the topic you're studying and see what your library has. Often times you can substitute books quite easily. Another option is to ask the children's librarian at your library for a reference book that lists out tons of children's books. It lists them by topic and grade level and is a GREAT resource! I find it easier to do this when I don't have my kids with me though! :D You also might check other booklists such as Sonlight, Tapestry of Grace, Ambleside or just do a google search on booklists for the topic you're studying. Often times I'll find book ideas searching through these. I know you're not using SOTW, but I have found the booklists in the Activity Guide invaluable. Even though I can't always get all of them, the ones I do are superior choices. You may want to consider taking a look at an AG or getting one used.

We're up... (link in sig) Sickness and a birthday this week!

Just FYI to whoever is trying to make Turkish Delight... I hear it is tricky to get right... good luck! :001_smile:

I have another thread going on this, but this is our latest great find: official website video here product here We got this for my ds7 and all of us love it! We have a **mostly** friendly competition going on. ;)

YES! Keep everyone in the same time period. It will save you lots of hassle!

My ds would love that! I'll have to see if we have one around here! :001_smile:

we switched from MUS to Math Mammoth and have been very happy. It took a little bit to get everyone settled in a level (because the sequence of MUS is so different), but it was worth it. :001_smile:

Well, we did lesson 17 today and it's still there! I just told my 5 y/o to touch near the screen, not actually on the screen. :001_smile:

Thanks for sharing, Ladies! My little guy is young yet (7 tomorrow!), so we are just starting to hit more social issues. He is VERY social as well, however just does not know how to "blend" in. He usually sits alone at Sunday school and just does his own thing. I'm not sure how he is at AWANA because I'm not there. That is a good place for him though because he is a wonderful memorizer. The hardest part socially for us right now is when my older two are called for bday parties or play dates. Or, we have people over for them. He SO wants to be involved, but it just doesn't work out for him. He's never been invited to a birthday party and I don't see that happening any time soon because he really doesn't have any friends. He really works best one on one with people so I'm trying to figure out for the life of me someone we could try to strike a friendship with. I have one little boy in mind that I'm hoping something will work out with. They have a common interest so I'm hoping they can build a friendship based on this. On the other hand, we go to the park and Rylan will seek out kids to play with and make "friends". When we leave the park he's always telling me about a friend he made (he always knows their name, whereas my other kids never really bother to ask!). Trouble is we never see them again... I am convinced that homeschooling is the best too. I think Rylan would be crushed at school. He is quite abrasive and socially clumsy, however he has a very tender heart and he is easily hurt. He feels things very deeply and is quite sensitive.... I'm really praying God will provide him with a couple good friends... I think that's all anyone really needs... Right now my biggest obstacle is finding him a place to be assessed. If you can believe it, we live in the same city as a major health institution and the intake woman wasn't even sure they would be able to see Rylan. I guess if they don't have a specialist they don't take a patient... go figure.

Too funny! We'll keep our radar up now too, but I think that find was pretty unusual! :001_smile:

For the most part, I do believe that school need not be "fun" all the time. And for the most part, we just get our work done here and have fun other ways. However, I am learning that my ds7 has some special issues that make traditional learning difficult for him. In his case, "fun" motivates and engages him. So... for him I'm trying some different things. In the end, really... it's a balance and that balance is different for each family and child. I would say "most" children (3 out of my 4) can suck it up, do what they need to do and go off to have their own fun. But for a small percentage of children (1 out of my 4) I find the need to use a little more "creativity" to engage him in learning. Adaptation is the name of the game I play! :001_smile: However, there are also things that he just "has" to do because... well, there are those things in life!