We do about an hour of sitting down work (Math, phonics, handwriting)... plus another half-hour of reading together - in bed. Additionally, she takes some science and art classes... but they're pretty low-key.

Minimus was just right for a 'taste of Latin' for my (then) 7 yr old. Good luck!

My 3rd grader does about an hour for math, a half-hour for language arts, a half hour for either Latin or Polish, and a half-hour for history. Plus a little extra for geography/music/handwriting when we squeeze it in. So that's 2.5-3 hrs per day. But then she also takes one or two classes each day (art/science/interdisciplinary...) so that's an extra 2-3 hours of classtime. So... I guess that puts her at 5-6 hrs/day. If we were 100% homeschooling, I'd imagine we'd be around 4 hrs. That feels right to me.

Both our 6 1/2 and 8 1/2 daughters turn off their lights at approximately 8:30. The younger gets up by 7 and the older gets woken up by me around 8am. I think she'd sleep later if given the opportunity. In other words, my younger gets 10 1/2 hrs and the older gets 11-12 hrs. On weekends/summer/holidays, I let the girls read in bed for as long as they want, and they often fall asleep around 10 and get up around 8-9.

Roman Mysteries?

This is how my family likes their potatoes... but I also stick some onion in there. If the potatoes need to cook for a long time, I sometimes put the oiled/salted slices of onion onto the pan (cookie sheet... whatever) about half-way through so they don't get too burnt. Also, if you're roasting chicken or beef, I like to put some of the potatoes in with the meat to soak up the yummy flavors. When I'm bored, I add carrot or parsnip or yam or some other root veggie into my roast potatoes.

I agree -- use the light blue if your child is on grade level and you want a complete program. Use the blue if you are supplementing, or your child has some gaps or some particular interest in learning something, or your child is above or below grade level and you don't want the grade designation to influence their perception of their own math skills.

We've got a Golden Doodle (poodle/golden retriever mix). She's 3.5 months old and very puppy-ish... biting, peeing in the house, chewing shoes, getting carsick. But she's a pretty great dog - affectionate with people and other dogs... and she's wonderful off the leash on trails. She does, unfortunately, still has trouble walking on a leash (she just likes to sit). Otherwise, a really nice friendly dog.

I know this wasn't your specific question, but for your older kids working below grade level, I would suggest using the MM dark blue non-graded series rather than the light blue graded series in the future. Division 1 -2 would take you from a pleasant 3rd grade intro to a 5th/6th grade mastery of long division. Same with Fractions 1-2 which starts off at a 1st/2nd grade and moves along to work that is appropriate for 6th grade. If you remediated based on specific skills rather than grade level, you might find it'll get your kids where you want them to be faster - because you can skip things they already know (and there won't be the sense that they are 'behind').

My daughter is the same way. If she misses anything, she wants me to go into the parent section and delete the question so she can do it again. The program is working really well for her though. Surprisingly well! Math is stress-free and she talks about liking math. I'd have your daughter do a placement test, look through the table of contents and have her do some of the sample lessons at different levels. If it's just one or two areas she needs work with, you might do better remediating just those areas, then start with Math 6 or 7 or whatever she places at. Or you could go back and have her do two lessons a day and get through two (or even three if you go year-round) grades. Good luck!

:iagree: That old ad always made me think... Questions like: Is my brain free-range? Will my brain be tastier if I do drugs than if I don't do drugs? Do drugs really taste like butter? Are there any drugs I can do that will add bacon to this metaphor?

:thumbup:

Just Joy of Cooking. Any other recipes I use come from the internet...

:iagree:

We just started with my 3rd grader and we're mid-way through Grammar Island and she does like it a lot. It's review, but thoughtful- review, not boring I-know-this-already review. We're about half-way though... taking our time. She does take an interdisciplinary class that includes a bit of writing, and she's already an awesome speller, so I'm not really supplementing. The program feels right to us and I'm happy to have made the switch. My 1st grader just isn't there... focusing on just learning to read with her!

:iagree: I remember looking into working as a tutor with Sylvan and was *appalled* at how poorly they pay their employees compared with the income they are making. A good tutor is what you and your son need... you can find one without Sylvan.

At least they're teaching long division at all! Our public school district uses the TERC Investigations math series and children are never taught how to do any algorithm at all.

No - don't stress. A 4 year old doesn't have the fine motor control that handwriting requires. When she's at a more developmentally appropriate age (like 6 or so), focusing on handwriting makes sense. Until then, it's kind of pointless.

There's nothing 'lazy' about any dialect, for one thing... Also, schwa is just a sound -- a mid central vowel, no better or worse than any other sound. In English it is used in unaccented syllables.

It sounds like her lack of support from the administration was a much bigger problem than the books themselves. As a parent, my preference would be that the teacher sent home a list of books and had parents choose which (or all.. or none) are appropriate for their children. It sounded like kids were reading different books... and this wasn't an English class, it was an afterschool activity. Parents should have pulled their kids out if it was a problem. The community seemed to be after blood.

We recently started using TT5 and both my 8.5 yr old daughter and I are so happy with it. Math was getting to be a real problem and now it is so much better. It is no longer an emotionally traumatic procrastination-inducing torture. Math is now between her and the TT tutor. She likes the format and feels successful at math - which is absolutely essential for her. I am just happy that she *wants* to learn. I had her do all the samples from the TT website from grade 3 to grade 6 before deciding to commit to the program and decide on the right level.

We're in the middle of book 4 and not having any trouble with it. There has been a little leap to go from one syllable to two syllable words, but it's been fine.

My daughter loves Teaching Textbooks. I think the computer format is appealing to her, the spiraling helps her remember last weeks/months lessons (though Saxon does the same...) and -- as a bonus -- there is a very good chance that your daughter would place into TT5 or TT6, even though she struggles with math. It might be just the thing. Also, keep in mind that math is developmental and what takes a few years to master at age 6, often takes only a semester as a teenager. And even if she is not at 'grade level' by grade 9, assuming you're in an American educational system, it's no problem at all for her to catch up - even in college. So... I'd suggest not worrying too much -- just continuing on and focus on her mastering arithmetic and getting ready for algebra.

I love my front loader except for one major issue: the mildew smell. I never had smelly washer problems with a top loader, but with a front loader, the water accumulates in the gasket around the front and sits in a pipe and filter that runs along the bottom of the washer. It is a really common problem with all brands of front loaders.

Yes! We're in a house we love. We moved over last summer and have no intention of ever moving again. All other places we've lived we've known were temporary. I imagine if we get old or have mobility issues, we would probably do well to move since we have a lot of stairs and it's a gravel road. But barring health problems or catastrophic job loss, we're here to stay.