I realize this is an old forum, but I wanted to add my thoughts. I tutor both 8/7 and Algebra 1/2. I use the third editions. Both books cover pretty much the same thing, however, the 8/7 book draws explanations out quite a bit and Alg. 1/2 gets right to the point. What I find is that a lot of parents try to put their kids in Algebra 1 in 8th grade and that's simply not the right course for EVERY student. Not all students are ready for Algebra 1 in 8th grade and so they struggle with math for the rest of their high school career and because they will likely need a math course in college, the struggle can continue. If a student is not really "mathy" then it helps to give them an extra year to get the basic foundations down and feel very confident going into Alg. 1 freshman year. This is what I recommend: If a 6th grade student has excelled in math and obviously has the basics down, do Alg. 1/2 (It's not frustrating for a solid math student). If a student just can't seem to get the concepts and continues to make the same mistakes, do 8/7. If still not solid, move on to Alg 1/2, then Alg. 1. I guess what is most important here is that Saxon gives you the opportunity to get the fundamentals down before jumping into Alg 1. If your child struggles in math - take the opportunity.

Another happy parent! My daughter has taken Algebra 1, Geometry and is now in her Algebra 2 class. I'm on this site trolling for advice for Pre-Calc - I too wish she offered it!

We used Shurley Grammar from K-5th grade and we were looking for a change. We decided to go with Easy Grammar. It is a no nonsense method and does a great job. My daughter didn't complain about it because it wasn't overly time consuming, but she retained what she learned scoring in the 97% percentile on national standard test.

We used all three books and really enjoyed them. I think your 1st and 3rd grader would love to help with the experiments and if your read the text aloud I'm sure they could grasp some of the concepts. IMO you are wanting to get the younger ones excited about science and be able to participate in some experiments, I didn't use a full on curriculum at that age.

I'm just here to encourage you! It is never too late to bring your child home. The home schooling community is incredibly supportive and the opportunities are amazing. Online classes, tutorials, co-ops, etc., there are plenty of options for learning and socialization. Sounds like you've got good support that can help guide you along, especially your first year. You seem determined, which leads me to believe that you certainly won't ruin them :) and although challenging in it's own way, the benefits of homeschooling far out weigh the challenges. You go Girl!

We brought our middle daughter home for 7th grade, she is in 10th now and have never regretted it. We did use a tutorial for several classes the first year home to give her more of a regular school feel one day a week. One of the classes was a literature class and I will say that it really lit a fire in her. I think the approach to learning, using great books and discussing them, changed her thinking that she could actually enjoy reading which in turn lead to enhanced writing ability. Don't be afraid of middle school. Homeschooling allows you the opportunity to really see how your child best learns and choose curriculum that will match his style. The first year home I would focus on keeping him on track for math and science and use a literature approach for LA and history. There is such great curricula that uses living books for both ~ Sonlight, MFW, Living Books Curriculum, and many more.

We did fact practice maybe 2-3 times per week and mental math about the same. It's good stuff and helps immensely, but can be extremely rigid. The great thing about Saxon is the constant review of concepts, but on Fridays I only made them do the problems associated with the last 5-10 lessons. Not that big of a deal, but kids were excited about "Friday math". When curriculum becomes drudgery, its time to tweak or change. Sometimes even the best curriculum needs to be tweaked to keep kids engaged.

I'm not sure of reasons why she struggles with language arts, but maybe the "formal" program approach is not what she needs. Good writing comes from reading good books. If she is not a big reader, I would start by reading aloud together. My girls (high school and middle school) still love to read books together. Also copywork and dictation of passages from books being read together. Journaling or freewriting is another great approach. I have used some of the techniques that Bravewriter recommends but haven't personally bought her program. If you are unsure how to implement, you can purchase her program month to month to see if you like it. It is really an informal, gentle approach to language arts. I would take some time simply reading good books and writing for fun. Once she learns to appreciate good books, you could do an Easy Grammar or similar curriculum to get her caught up on the basics of grammar before she looked at standardized testing. You are wise to seek advice on what to do before she reaches high school and to use this time to help her to develop a "like" if not love of all things language arts :). I wouldn't sell her short on college just yet, I don't know any educated mommies that regret the time and money spent on advanced education. Just my two cents :)

After years of Shurley....Easy Grammar all the way!

I am a spreadsheet nerd and absolutely love the Total Transcript Solution by thehomescholar.com I bought the program the summer before 9th grade and it has been a plug and chugg. :001_smile:

I have always bought yearly planners through successbydesign.com. They are simple format and work great for middle school and high school. I keep track of high school progress an excell program that I created to keep track of what is complete and what still needs to happen. My friend simply hand wrote a form for high school requirements and checks off as they are completed. I also keep a short synopsis of each class that includes textbook used, books read, papers written.

I had the same concerns when my gluten free son went away to college this year. He has a cafeteria in his dorm and met with the head chef the first week of school to discuss options. I was blown away to find that they have gone out of their way to accommodate him by showing him what he can eat and even cooking special for him (stir fry without soy sauce, buying gf noodles, etc). This is a very large state school and they are feeding thousands so, again, I am shocked. So I highly recommend meeting the cafeteria staff at the beginning of the year. We also set up a small pantry for his room and kept it stocked with appropriate snacks and easy prep items. His dorm also had student kitchens where he could cook a pot of soup or skillet prepared item when the cafeteria was closed.

We did Health the first semester of 9th grade. I do not use MFW, but used their syllabus for Total Health and I Kissed Dating Goodbye. My daughter did enjoy both books and we had lots of discussions on both books. I thought it was going to be a waste :), but turned out to really enjoy it. I gave her a half credit.

Math: Holt Geometry with Jann @ myhomeschoolmathclass.com English: American Lit and Composition @ tutorial Science: Apologia biology @ tutorial History: Last Best Hope books with additional online materials Spanish 2: Visual Link Health: Bible: TOG resources

People are drawn to a particular church for many reasons: preaching style, people make up (are they like me), even music preference. Our church is diverse, but the majority is certainly young marrieds and young families. Youth group is not huge, but I see that as an advantage. More kids is not more better :). Our youth group has leaders for each grade and gender and they really get to know their kids. I have 3 involved in youth group and each had a very close relationship with their leader. This was a plus for them and for us as parents because they were young enough to connect with our kids, but had our backs as parents. It's good to check in with your family to see if the church is meeting your needs spiritually - are you growing. If you decide it is, then I would focus on mentoring the younger and gleening from the older and wiser. :)

I agree. I have a daughter and son that have severe gluten intolerance . Vomitting/diarhea but never fever. My daughter also suffered tremedous joint pain that was diagnosed as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Everything cleared up after giving up gluten! Hope you resolve this in your home.

Have had them for 9 yrs and love them. My laundry room is separate so no big deal to leave the door open on the washer to dry out. If this was a concern for you, keep an old towel handy and dry the rubber gasket off before you close the door, that's where the moisture stays trapped. I haven't had any problems with either washer/dryer so I would highly recommend them. Congrats on the new home!

I'm not a doctor, but I play one at home :) Your kiddos immune systems need boosting to be able to fight off the bacterial infections and viruses they come in contact with.Vitamin D3 has proved incredible success in boosting the immune systems of all three of my kids. No more annual bronchitis, asthma, colds... Highly recommend you look at mercola.com for recommended dosing for your family, but I can testify that it has worked miracles in our home over the last several years. Life changer for our whole family. Hope this info helps.

This really is a good handwriting program. We will do it over the summer. It's not labor intensive and allows for ones own sense of style. It's like printing, but with flow.

Lee Binz from the Homescholar was a tremendous help for me. I got so confused googling transcripts, bought the Complete Record Solution from Lee's website and took a deep sigh of relief! Everything is coming together beautifully and easily.

We are using William Bennett's America: Last Best Hope and roadmap. Have heard raving reviews and looks great from what I have started to delve into.

We are doing American Lit and US History this year. American Lit is various works but we are using William Bennett's America: The Last Best Hope along with the online Roadmap. I have gone through the material and I really believe from what I have seen and what others have said, that it will be terrific.

My daughter used and loved Lial's Introductory Algebra along with an online class taught by Jann Perkins at www.myhomeschoolmathclass.com . She had used Saxon through pre-algebra and the transition was seamless. Highly recommend Jann's classes, it was a nice addition to our homeschooling. We will be doing Geometry this year.

:iagree: Totally agree! There is a tendency to think we need to use "curriculum" at very young ages for all subjects. My opinion is at this young age capturing and feeding the love of learning is far more important. Get a sketch pad and colored pencils and have them do some nature journaling, watch the Discovery channels fabulous underwater and earth videos, visit a science museum.

Last year was our first time using TOG. My UG daughter (5th gr) read both core and history books. She went into the year as a child who didn't enjoy reading and finished saying "I love TOG books! Can we do this next year?" She used the whole program including literature and worldview books. Didn't seem overwhelming at all. I bought all the books last year (majority used), but this year I have bought some and will be using the library some. I did resell all my books from last year for roughly 75% of what I paid so I believe it was a good investment. :)