Wallace and Grommit and the curse of the Wererabbit was a hit at our last sleepover party.

I was in a similar situation at the beginning of summer with my 9 yr old. She'd done MM long division, but really hadn't ever done anything with measurements and time and how to reduce fractions. I was glad that I chose 3b instead of 4a. We just finished this week so she'll be starting 4a this fall, but I'm glad I went back to 3b. There was plenty of meatiness in the book and I'm now a Singapore convert.

I was using it with a friend's daughter and my daughter (3rd and 4th graders). We did a weekly meeting and then I gave them 2-4 of the lessons to work on at home for the week. The first week was focused more on identifying and "chunking" the form in a model sentence, the second week was focused more on imitation of the model. So... two weeks for each of the chapters (such as... "adverbial phrases" or "appositives"). We finished the book in a little over a semester.

With my youngest (7 yr old): Last year, we tried CLE and didn't care for the religious element. This year, we've moved to GWG and SWS plus HWOT cursive. With my oldest (9 yr old): Last year we ued MCT, this year, I'm trying Excavating English and some writing curriculum I have on hand with Spencerian cursive. I'm curious how it'll go....

I would only do a formal spelling program if my first grader was a fluent reader. For my oldest, she did spelling in her first grade at a montessori school. For my youngest, we are starting spelling this year (second grade) with SWS. But we went through the ETC books and she did pick up on some spelling rules last year.

In a way, I think you're kind of right. Your kids inherently have a grammar of whatever English you speak at home (as in a set of rules about how words make sentences). Assuming your dialect is pretty similar to the standard English that they'll be expected to write in, there's no need to try to "teach grammar". But knowing how to talk about language *is* important. When your child is 10 and still writes every sentence in a very simplistic and repetitive Subject-Verb-Object way ("I have a brother. He is six years old. He is really bizarre. He likes eating worms.") It's hard to explain how to write well if you don't have the vocabulary to discuss subordinating conjunctions or prepositional phrases. ("Bizarrely, my six year old brother likes eating worms." "My brother, a bizarre six year old, likes eating worms." "Despite being only six years old, my bizarre little brother likes eating worms." or whatever...). If you want your kids to be able to play around with language and create interesting sentences, you'll need a way to talk about it. Plus, as soon as your child wants to learn another language, she'll be at a great disadvantage if she doesn't know what a modal or verb tense is. Some of this vocabulary can be learned, but it's far easier, for instance, to learn about nominative and accusative case when you already know about the remnants of our English case system and understand why we use the pronoun "me" as an object and "I" as a subject. So... at some point in their education, knowing how to talk about language is going to be necessary. You can probably hold off until late elementary school, but I wouldn't give up on grammar entirely. It is important.

I understand that Odysseyware was developed by the same software company who produce SOS, but don't really know anything more than that. Something to look into maybe?

We've only been using Singapore for 4 months, but so far... I introduce a topic with manipulatives if possible. Then my kids do the textbook orally with me and the accompanying workbook section on their own. I started them back a little ways, so everything has been mostly review so far. We haven't done the CWP yet and my kids were not fans of the IP book. We need simplicity and it was getting to be too many books.

PIC was the one book that as soon as I opened the box, I realized I'd made a mistake. I probably could have returned it, but figured I'd just use it anyway. Besides it being so thin on actual cursive instruction, I actually am not a fan of the art. It's all pretty much the same... sappy, romantic 18th & 19th century (mostly) northern European art.

I always feel cold before I get my period. I don't know if temperature perception could be linked to hormones, but certainly body temperature does drop before ovulation (I know this from months and months of basal body temperature recording while trying to conceive.)

My mom has a tendency to buy large lots of toys off ebay and give them to us. I understand one 30 year old "Mandy Doll" is nostalgic, but do I really need 5 of them? I usually keep one or two and give away the rest to friends or donate to goodwill.

Thank you! We're going to give "Augustine came to Kent" a try, though I was trying to avoid more medieval stories based in England... oh well!

I'm looking for a recommendation for historical fiction that is set around the time of the collapse of the Roman empire or possibly a biography of an early saint (like... 4th -7th century) ... Patrick? Catherine of Alexandria? Something appropriate for upper elementary/middle school age.

I spanked my younger daughter one time when she was three. We were driving in the car on the highway on the way home and she kept unfastening her carseat. I had to keep pulling over and was so frustrated. Finally I said, "If you do that again, I'll spank you." She had no idea what that even meant. She did it again. I spanked her. I felt awful... kind of primitive and aggressive. She never did it again. I didn't either. To this day, though... any time the kids are bickering in the car, I threaten to pull over and they do start behaving. So... in my very limited experience with my younger daughter, spanking was effective, but went against every parenting instinct I have.

Aren't irons just for craft projects??? Actually, I iron when I'm sewing something... and my partner irons her work clothes regularly, and every once in a while I'll iron something of mine. I refuse to buy kids clothes that need ironing though.

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It think that's funny... but not exactly accurate. My 9 yr old has armpit hair with no corresponding algebra ability. My younger brother didn't have a single armpit hair until he was 15, but was well into trigonometry by then. It's kind of like Steiner (Waldorf founder) who said kids shouldn't learn to read until they'd begun losing teeth. My hairy daughter learned to read at 4 but hung onto her teeth until she was 8. Thank goodness physical (and dental) maturity aren't related to academic readiness or she'd have to learn both how to read and how to do algebra at the same time! As for your question, google "algebra readiness test". You'll find a lot of examples. See how your daughter does. Also, take a look at "Balance Benders" from Critical Thinking Press. I think it has a nice way of getting kids thinking in an algebraic way. For next year, AOPS just came out with their pre-algebra book, which sounds perfect for your daughter... lots of problem-solving, age appropriate, good for kids who enjoy math. She'd be challenged and ready to ace algebra in 8th grade.

This next semester we will be doing schoolwork on Tuesday and Thursday days 9-2ish and an hour or so in the evenings. The girls will have PS on MWF 9-2. Swimming lessons, ballet, rock-climbing will fill the afternoons.

I don't own the the Well Trained Mind, so I don't have it in front of me, but I would not put the Inferno anywhere near a 6 year old. There is a "Dante for young people" book, but even that seems unnecessary at 6. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/great-books/ it is listed as appropriate for 10th grade... which seems about right!

We really love Hakim's books. As a bonus, she also just seems like a really nice person. My daughter emailed her and had a nice conversation about her books. She even sent some chapters of her new book for my daughter to read and give her opinions on. I don't think my daughter would love them so much if I just handed them to her and told her to go read. The fact we both like them and read them together makes them special.

We have a world map and a U.S. map on the wall... and our timeline, a multiplication chart and a 0-99 chart. I've looked at those classroom charts at educational supply stores and have never been inspired to own one.

Thank you! I'm glad I asked you guys. He's a wonderful kid and they're wonderful parents for him, and while he does suffer socially at school, I'm sure they'll find their own way through it.

No, I've only been flirting with it... You know, looking at all the samples and wondering if it'd be a good fit. Sorry I'm not more help!

I have to admit that I used to be a little judgmental about parents who gave their children Disney-type fluff to read... until I had a daughter who just doesn't like to read (or listen to books). Now that she's gaga about the 'rainbow fairies' and Tinkerbell, I realize that this is my way in. So last month I got her a bunch of these insipid little books and she *loves* reading them.