I have Saxon 2 & 3 books here but haven't used them yet. MUS was great for ds in the beginning. He loved the videos and blocks, and he insisted on doing math everyday. Eventually he got bored with it, but from what I've seen it's a great way to engage a child in math even if they aren't really into "academics".

We're only about halfway through Alpha, so this might change. I find that I use the DVD and have ds take the test in the student workbook. I have the TM, but I haven't used it so far. If he needs extra practice, I just work with him by giving him problems similar to the way it was demonstrated in the DVD. We supplement with flashcards and play little games with them.

Thank you! Off to Bookmooch now . . . :D

I've just discovered Paperback Swap and LOVE the idea! I have a huge wish list there, but I honestly don't care if the books are in tip-top shape. If someone has highlighted or written in it, that's fine. Is there a similar site that includes books in not-so-wonderful condition for swapping?

If he can handle reviewing material he already knows, I would have him go through it all. He might race through it, but if he's not too frustrated, I would go through it. I allowed my ds to be completely self-guided in his learning until about 4 weeks ago, and it has been a much bigger issue in math than in reading for us. He knows a lot of addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts but needs more practice with all of them--esp learning to do double digits. Yet he also knows about negative numbers, fractions, and other aspects of math. He's fraction-crazed right now, and I'd love to jump on that enthusiasm, but there's no good way to learn fractions without really knowing your basic math facts, esp multiplication and division. It's just confusing and all over the board. We started from the beginning and are sailing through lessons (we've even done 10 in one day before), but he gets bored with the basics since he's had exposure to stuff that he finds more exciting. But I think he needs that really strong foundation before going on to more complex math.

I am PLANNING to make one for ds. Wish I had it finished so I could show you pictures, but I'll try to describe it. I made a bunch of library pockets out of card stock which I'm planning to glue into a file folder and put a velcro dot on the front of each. I am printing out a page of vocabulary definitions so I can cut them into squares of paper, laminate them, and put a velcro dot on the back of each. I can use the velcro to attach the definitions to the front of the library pockets. Then I'll write the words that go with the definitions either on tongue depressors or colorful index cards cut in half so they can be slipped into the corresponding pocket, sticking out so the word can be read after it's in the appropriate pocket. I am going to use it for a variety of matching exercises--vocabulary words and definitions, categorizing things, etc. It will be generic and so I can (hopefully) use it for years with a variety of subjects. For example, we're doing a unit study on Native Americans. I can give ds a lot of facts (type of housing, region of the country, pictures of crafts, etc) and names of Indian tribes and have him match them up using the file folder. It can be used with science for vocabulary words or any type of matching or categorizing. You can take it a step further by color coding if you want. Hopefully this makes sense! It's a little hard to describe.

Add me to the list of people interested in this topic!:lurk5:

I just checked out What Stories Does My Son Need? from the library. I highly recommend it! It gives lists of movies and books divided by age level. There is a brief summary of each book as well as "discussion starter" questions to get your kids thinking more about the deeper character issues. (The questions aren't too contrived but seem very natural, and helps those like me who need a good starting place.)

I picked up The Claw for ds for $2-3 at Meijer. It worked beautifully, and he LOVED writing with it! After about 2 weeks, he no longer needed it.

:lurk5:

We have both R.E.A.L. Science's Life Science and Mr. Q's Life Science. Mr. Q's is definitely more indepth, so I would consider it more along the 3rd-5th grade guidelines you're looking for. The nice thing is that it's completely free and you don't need outside materials or books. The downside for us is that it lacks as many experiments as we would like (though we're only on chapter 5 which is still kind of setting the framework and getting familiar with basic vocabulary so this might change). I'm supplementing with Janice van Cleave's science experiments as they apply to the topic we're working on. (I got several of her books from the library.) We also plan to go through REAL Life Science. In some ways I like that program better, but it's not as indepth. Both programs have their strengths. Since Mr. Q's is free and online, you can always start with it. If it's not a good fit, then you can look elsewhere. My son is also a big fan of Magic School Bus which is often what he chooses for a bedtime story. Before we started a curriculum, I would put major points from yesterday's reading on the frig. Reading through it at breakfast made a huge difference in ds's retention. Those books are fun but have so much info. Just a simple thing like that kept it from "going in one ear and out the other". I continue to do this even when it doesn't apply to the topic of our science curriculum--just one less thing for him to learn down the road.

Thank you, Regena! Sometimes I allow myself to get overwhelmed by all details--so many possibilities. It really helps to have a starting point!

I have a lot of Janice van Cleave's science experiments bookmarked and want to get started with them. The problem is that I'm at a total loss for how to best document them. I want ds to get in the habit of recording observations and keeping a science notebook of some kind. The experiments are very simple, but I would ideally like to use a format for recording that would be useful when he's ready for more complex experiments. What do you recommend? Something resembling steps of the scientific method? Just a quick summary?

The larger library is a different system--different county. But it's true that lots of people have to drive farther for things. I've gotten so used to carrying armloads of books from our local library and buzzing by there to drop off returns whenever I'm out. It's sooo convenient. Maybe a change would help me be more organized though. (I'm really trying to focus on the positive!;))

I'm not sure that there was a limit before--at least I never hit it. Funny thing is that the library we use isn't that small. There are branches within the county that are super duper tiny, but ours is probably 4 times the size of a basketball court. Hearing your suggestions does make the library that's farther seem more doable. The nice thing is that it is HUGE and has a very large children's area with plenty to keep even my 1 year old busy for extended periods of time. If I can't resolve the problem with our local library, we can make an outing out of the other one. I'm considering a co-op situation nearer to that library, too. Maybe it woouldn't be so bad.

I'm glad to hear your support! I feel like I'm over-reacting to a library policy because I'm not an emotional person, but I keep vacillating between outrage and wanting to cry. I never planned to hs, and it's required a huge mental adjustment for me. Now I'm feeling enthusiastic and getting my plans together and BOOM! This policy is a major roadblock! :( I plan to talk with the library and see if they can make some exceptions for our family. (Funny, last week the librarian said she was shocked that we've never had a lost book with all we check out. I usually have 50-80 out on my card at any given time. We definitely don't abuse the system, but we do heavily use it!) If it can't be resolved with the local library, I'll probably make plans to use the one farther out. But you are right about making my views known. I will certainly do that!

Yes, I'm definitely going to have ds get his own library card! My understanding is that the book limit is per check-out, not the total # allowed on the card, but I need to clarify that. The thought of dragging kids in and out of car seats every day to go to the library for a few more books is not appealling but might be better than driving an hour. I wish my younger ds was a little older, but I think schooling at the library would be difficult unless I get a sitter. I may do it on occasion though--esp when I'm look at a ton of books to decide which ones we'll use. Ironically, the huge library that's farther from me has all kinds of things that would keep the little one occupied. If the local library isn't working, then we might just switch and try to keep very organized about when books are due.

I've started doing a tiny bit of homeschooling (afterschooling) with ds this year and am planning to start full time for the next school year. This week our library has limited check outs to only 5 items!!:confused: We use A LOT of living books, plus read alouds and early readers. This will seriously cramp our style! The next option is an AWESOME library system that is an hour's drive round trip, but I'm afraid of getting overdue charges because I would limit my trips to being fairly infrequent. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? I plan to talk with someone in authority at our library system, but I'm not terribly hopeful about it. Any other ideas? How can I make this workable?

Thanks, everyone! I think I'll try the forum there and see what they say. (It's been a few weeks since I was looking into this, and I forgot all about their forum so thanks for mentioning it!)

Just bumping.:) I realize now that maybe my reason for using HST+ would be for organization and lesson planning rather than truly record keeping. Does anyone use it this way or should I be looking elsewhere?

I have a question for those of you in Cincinnati. Is there someplace where you can buy/sell used curriculum? I've checked Craigslist and found almost nothing. Surely there is something else?

I haven't seen the Earth & Space so take this with a grain of salt. I have the REAL Life Science and Mr. Q Life Science. Mr. Q covers A LOT more info than REAL Life Science. If you're concerned about REAL not having enough info, you might want to look at Mr. Q. (It's also open-and-go with projects and such, but is an e-book.)

:lurk5:

I'm hoping to be able to go, but I'm not sure the timing will work out. I will definitely check out the Art of Problem Solving website too. Thanks!

I was looking at Singapore Math actually!:) It's good to get some votes for this. We had a failed attempt with Singapore before trying MUS. I think it was my fault because I accidentally just ordered the student textbook--no TM, workbook, intensive practice, or manipulatives. On the website, I don't see where it lists what is needed for each level. We would probably be starting with 1A, 1B, or 2A. What materials are needed at that level?