There are The Great Courses (Teaching Company) for jr. high and up.

I'm using Trail Guide to Learning's Paths of Exploration this year. My dd needed something more challenging so I decided to purchase the Middle School supplement and have all three girls work through Paths of Exploration. We've just started, but all three girls are enjoying it. DD6 (nearly 7) is really just excited to actually be working with her sisters rather than sitting in. :) My first grader also does math, Latin, phonics, literature, memory work and typing daily and is in gymnastics and soccer.

Thanks for all of the suggestions so far! I'm going to spend the afternoon going through all of the links and trying to come up with a plan. :)

In all our years of homeschooling, I have yet to finish a year with a nice timeline that we worked on for the entire year. :glare: This year I would like to try doing an index card timeline. I would really appreciate any links to pictures of, blogs about or websites describing successful index card timelines. I need some inspiration! Thanks!

I think those really large plastic playsets smell like cat pee - especially when they are kept inside a closed room. For example, any of these: http://www.step2.com/

Have you checked the school's business classes? It sounds like it could qualify for Marketing or Business Communications - something along those lines.

My eldest is currently using PTIW Level 1. She likes it quite a bit. We like the repetitive grammar lessons. They are very similar to the MCT practice sentences - defining parts of speech, parts of a sentence, phrases and clauses in one or two sentences each day. It is written to the student so she can do most of the program herself, coming to me if she doesn't understand why she missed a grammar question and to check over her writing assignments. She does not use the suggested writing topics. She simply uses the instructions and applies them to whatever she is currently studying in history or science.

I lump rhetoric with composition and speech, a sort of advanced/persuasive speech and composition class. (In our plan,) my kids will take Composition I and Speech at the community college each for a half credit. In the same way, if the progress far enough in their studies they will also take Rhetoric (online) for a credit - so it is its own course. On the other hand, I also expect my children to write compositions and give presentations/speeches in all of their content classes. Therefore, in addition to the separate class, I expect the principles of rhetoric to be used across the curriculum as they are learned by the student. I do not use rhetoric as a term for a 'stage of learning' as it is used in the WTM. I use the standard public school stages/levels - early elementary level, elementary level, junior high level, high school level, college level, etc.

5th grade plans (for my current 5th grader): daily copywork in Latin daily dictation from history readings one or two outlines per week from history/science readings one outline every week or two from history lectures/Dvds one paragraph per week about anything educational (She often chooses literature.) one writing assignment per week pulled from curriculum suggestions (chosen by me) beta testing SWB 5th grade writing curriculum online writing class connected to history (moves at student's pace) Nanowrimo in November Goals: write a solid paragraph with ease by the end of fifth grade basic outlining skills by the end of sixth grade general increase in writing speed

Singapore's Discovering Mathematics - adding Art of Poblem Solving for any child interested in math/science fields

My dd is studying the midde ages next year. When I looked up books by this author there were quite a few. Are there any specific titles you recommend above others - or any that are a better starting point than others? Thanks!

starting on time in the morning If we don't start school on time each day we lose our routine from the get go and the whole day begins to fall apart.

I've never used their math but thought I would mention that Oak Meadow switches to Saxon Math for high school.

Our pre-team officially starts at age four, but three year olds can get in with a try-out. I know a family that plans to have their three year old tested in a couple of months.

In our gym you can be invited to the gymanstics pre-team (which is twice per week) anywhere between the ages of 4 and 7. Being invited means the student has completed a checklist of skills at the level considered acceptable by the team coach. Beyond the age of seven they do not accept students to the pre-team. The only way to make the team after that is to request a private try-out. The only time I've seen that happen is when a child has transfered from a different gym. Our recreational program has several levels and is also very good - but the kids only have practice once per week.

I don't mind the amount of writing so much as the fact that the student has to write two essays around each book. I'm sure my daughter, knowing this, would read exactly 8 books. :tongue_smilie: I have Excellence in Literature. The guides do have a general grading rubric at the end and examples of a couple types of essays. But, there is no instruction in how to write them. I think the author (and SWB) assume the student will learn all of these different types of essays in the ongoing writing program he/she is using. I can tell you what we are doing, but it may not be helpful as my dd is only 12. Dd takes an online writing class in place of a writing curriculum at home. For me, she writes three 1 page (or 3+ paragraph) essays per month. One each for history, science and literature. She must incorporate anything she has learned in her writing class. I still have to sit with her at the end of each step in writing her papers. She cannot yet turn out a really good, finished paper on her own. We also continue to work on outlining each week. We do not do any reseach papers at this time, but I do plan to add one per semester in a year or two.

I don't have the newest book or the lectures, but here is what I have in my notes from the book I do have - WTM 2nd edition: History/Literature A 2+ page history summary pertaining to the time period around each book read A 2+ page essay of choice about each book read ** Approximately 12 books (8-16) should be read per year 1 longer history research paper per year Science Three 2+ page essays on science "great books" read each year 1 longer science based research paper per year English Continue with a writing program through high school (picking up with a rhetoric program when writing curriculum is complete.) So, this works out to 19-35 essays and two research papers per year plus a writing/rhetoric curriculum. :)

I think this would work especially well if you started in 7th grade in order to work through all of them (or only use the last three levels if you are starting in 9th.) 7th - general/skill-based history and lit (EIL level 1) 8th - general/skill-based history and lit (EIL level 2) 9th - American history and lit (EIL Level 3) 10th - European history/Brit lit (EIL Level 4) 11th - World history and lit (EIL Level 5) 12th - Government and Economics This is how my high school history and literature was set up (back when I was in school.) You could even pursue AP status for each of the history levels - AP US History, AP European History, AP World History, AP US Government and AP Micro or Macro Economics.

Math - Singapore Discovering Mathematics + online class (1 credit) Latin - online (1 cr) French - First Start French (nc) Composition - online (.5 cr) Literature - (done during history) Science - Signs and Seasons Astronomy + TC DVDs (1 cr) and Marine Bio class - outsourced at a local conservancy (.5 cr) American History/Lit - my own plans (1 cr) Ancient Greek History/Lit - my own plans (.5 cr history and .5 cr literature) Geography - online (.5 cr) Religion - online (nc) Art - Phonics of Drawing, Mapping the World with Art (.5 cr)

I generally say my husband is in sales or my husband works for ______. People generally aren't interested in knowing more than that and I like to protect dh's privacy. My husband is a large-format sales representative to a major beverage corporation. His current sales area is the city in which we currently reside. His primary focus is on the sale of beverages/beverage displays to the large-format businesses (generally grocery stores) in his sales area. His income is based on a secured daily rate plus weekly commission. He is very good at his job, but he doesn't love it. If he was doing what he loved he would probably own a Jeep dealership and lead off-road excursions on the weekends. :D

I moved into Singapore's Discovering Mathematics. Eldest plans to move next to AOPS and then Comm. college, but second dd will likely just work through the 4 levels of Discovering Mathematics.

There is Excellence in Literature - American

Do you have a local YMCA? My daughter takes group lessons at ours. We are not members of the Y and I pay $50 per month (4 lessons.) The lessons are listed as 1 hour each but her instructor allows the students to remain for up to 3 hours. We usually let her stay 2 hours. She was quite proficient after 6 months of lessons. But we will continue for now as she really enjoys the class. There are about 8 students and they all work at their own pace most of the time, but play two or three together now and again.

In our home, rooms must be clean and beds made before breakfast. If a bedroom isn't clean, the child doesn't come down for breakfast. Dd12 and dd10 have to start school at a certain time, so they would miss breakfast if their rooms weren't clean. Dd6 and ds5 share a room and don't have a start time for school so they just make sure their room is clean before coming down to breakfast. If I think there is going to be too much for them to do in the morning (only talking about the 5 and 6 year olds now,) I help them pick up the room before reading stories in the evening.

Usually between 3 PM and 5 PM but it can be as early as 2 or as late as 7. He starts at 4 AM.