(sorry to hijack) Jackie, I'm going to be using Conquest of the Americas as well - but at the beginning of the year. I am combining it with the first half of the TC DVDs History of England. Would you mind sharing the 'assorted other resources' that you are using? I purchased one of the TC recommended books - Genesis. It just arrived today so I haven't had a chance to preview it yet. Nearly everything else I have is focused on England/Europe. I would really appreciate some suggestions. Thanks!

While they can be expensive - I'm a fan of Teaching Company courses and they have a 5 course program of world religions. http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/coursedesclong2.aspx?cid=6100 I have this program in my cart at the moment. I am currently considering adding it to our Greek studies this coming year. http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/coursedesclong2.aspx?cid=6312

Xavier

Home Science Tools sells kits to many popular science programs. I just bought a Real Science Odyssey book and kit from them to use next fall. http://www.hometrainingtools.com/science-kits-for-curriculum/c/8/

We really like the David Adler Picture Book biographies. There are about 25 or so. Here is a link to one of them. http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Book-Benjamin-Franklin-Biography/dp/0823408825/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1

Form Drawing is its own class. I would equate it to handwriting. In the way that a child in the early years has a 'handwriting class' which later gets dropped as handwriting becomes something to be done in the process of studying other subjects; so waldorf schools have form drawing classes which focus on in/out breathing and developing a child's will. The classes later become a part of writing classes, geometry classes and art classes. Block crayon drawings are a form of output. They are like the narration pages of the WTM system. You do narration pages on the history, science and literature you are studying. Waldorf students do block crayon drawings to demonstrate what they have learned about other subjects. In the early years, the students are actually copying the teacher not learning from a program. So, you would actually buy some block crayons and work on drawing with them yourself so you can then show the child how they work. But there is a major difference in the purpose behind block crayon drawing. The output isn't so much about what was learned as a narration page would be. The drawings are just as much about what was discovered from within and the teacher would have the student start with an archetype shape - circle, triangle, etc and then form the picture from the archetype. In the same way, the first grade student would start with a letter or number and form the picture around it. It is a way of helping the student to see the primary or whole aspects of the world. Children are encouraged to draw free forms with their crayons as well. All art isn't focused on educational subjects. You could just buy some block crayons and let the kids work with them. They are held from the top as opposed to wrapping the fingers around them, so there are no clear lines. They are fun to work with and kids pick up on the idea fairly easily. I'm sorry, I have no information on the actual program you linked.

I think it really comes down to what you are used to and comfortable with. Our kids have almost always lived on the water - ocean/river, over your head water. We are very comfortable raising our children here. However, last year we rented a house for about 8 months. It was the first time we had ever lived on a road where there were cars regularly driving (and they drove fast - 55ish mph.) Our house was on the corner so we were also on a side road with very little traffic - but a hill. I had more panic attacks during those months than all my other years combined. My kids truly had very little road sense. They had had no experience living on a regular road and would ride their bikes onto the side road without carefully looking, would cruise down the hill toward the major road going too fast, would chase balls toward the major road, etc. Nothing ever happened, but neither they (nor I w/children) had had enough experience living by a road. I am so happy and so much more relaxed being back on the water and at the end of a secluded, private road. If your kids aren't used to it and you aren't comfortable with it, it will probably be a stressful move for you! That said, I love living on the water and our family would prefer to never live anywhere else. :)

I haven't listened to the SWB audios, but based on her 2nd edition book and Writing with Ease here is what I have written down: WTM weekly writing goals: 8th grade: History - One 3-level outline followed by a 1-2 page paper from the outline later in the week Science - One 3-level outline followed by a 1-2 page paper from the outline later in the week Literature - One 1-2 page paper with some literary analysis Continue with writing program during English studies 9th grade: History - One 1 page paper per week (student prepares outline/thesis) Science - One 1 page paper per week (student prepares outline/thesis) Literature - One 1 page paper per week (student prepares thesis) * One research paper - 4-6 pages - Per year Continue with writing (rhetoric) program during English studies 10th grade: Papers now 1 - 1 1/2 pages long. Add one more paper per week in subject of choice. * One research paper - 5-8 pages - per year Continue with rhetoric program 11th grade: Papers now 1 1/2 - 2 pages long. Add one more paper per week in subject of choice. Continue with rhetoric program * Two research papers - 6-10 page and a 15+ page - per year 12th grade: Same as 11th except: * Two research papers - 8-12 pages and 20+ pages - per year (I generally reread WTM each summer and may make some modifications to my list based on better understanding so YMMV.)

I just bought The Phonics of Drawing earlier this year from Rainbow Resource - $19.95.

We've really enjoyed Keepers of Life. http://www.amazon.com/Keepers-Life-Discovering-American-Activities/dp/1555913873/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274676418&sr=1-1

Education in our area of Florida must be exceptionally poor. Students here can begin CC for free as soon as they graduate eighth grade. :D University of Florida allows students to dual enroll beginning in 9th grade.

Thanks Kareni! I didn't even think about looking for a yahoo group.

I received a Hewitt Homeschooling catalog today. I'm not sure what put me on their mailing list, but I couldn't resist reading through it. :) They offer two Honors US history programs. One uses Nation of Nations (2 volumes) and the other uses C. Carson's A Basic History of the United States (6 volumes.) I couldn't find much information on these two book series searching the old posts and don't know anything about either set. So, if you've used them (with or without the Hewitt syllabus) what did you think?

Thanks! I've considered that book several times. I am bumping it up the list to make sure I get it with our next order. I love it when a school book actually inspires rather than simply informs. We live in the south as well, so have had to adapt all sorts of curriculum that assume things like falling leaves, snow and gloves are a part of everyday life for the child. :D Maybe I should suggest that my dd take pictures of the local trees/flowers while she visits her grandparents up north this summer!

The deer flies around here are swarming terribly this week. Has anyone discovered a good deterrent for them? I haven't been able to find anything very helpful on the internet.

Mason/Montessori/Steiner would have been European contemporaries, in a sense, so there are likely to be similarities of thought. Probably more so with Steiner and Montessori who were Austrian and Italian and felt first hand the devastation of two world wars. They saw the physical/emotional/communal destruction all around them and both were focused on children not benefitting from the current system of education. So both developed plans that provided a 'safe haven' for children, empowered them and helped them develop abilities beyond just mental knowledge. Both also dabbled in theosophy, but Montessori moved from that into developing a program that encouraged peace among all mankind, community service, etc. while Steiner moved into anthroposophy. At its root, Waldorf is going to be very different from other programs. While all other programs focus on developing knowledge through the mind - in one way or another. Waldorf focuses on developing the soul - and developing knowledge through the soul. Much emphasis is put on the imagination because it there that the soul and mind most easily meet. Ages 0-7 are for developing the physical body and the imagination. Very little time is spent on developing the mind (as Steiner believed the child's mind to not yet be properly developed for 'book work.') Much time is spent in nature because Steiner felt that there was a disconnect between people and nature and people were in the process of trying to subdue nature rather than exist in it. Ages 7-14 are taught from a whole to parts method. You first reach the soul through the whole and then the soul meets the mind through the parts. Art and storytelling are again the easiest way to reach the soul. Ages 14+ is when the child is ready to take a parts to whole look at the world. This is the time when the mind really becomes the more dominant part of the educational process. Steiner believed that after 14 years of developing the soul, the student would be able to first take in information through the mind (as most people do) and yet still be able to reach the soul with that information by combining that information into a whole that the soul would understand. Sorry, I know that this info is really "out there," generalized and not doing justice to poor Steiner, but there it is. The curriculum is very focused on archetypes/ideals/personality types/soul development. It is actually very structured in what should be taught, when it should be taught and how it should be taught. It is not unschooling in any way as it is absolutely dependent on the teacher, but it is not academic either. That just isn't the focus. Live Education curriculum is very expensive, but the best I have found at sticking to waldorf philosophy but still focusing on the academic expectations of the current generation. I have found a combination of classical and waldorf philosophies to make a well rounded education. However, it is very time consuming and very teacher intensive. And it has a spiritual basis that will be a poor fit for many religious homeschoolers. Sorry this was so long! HTH!

Could you call your current class - Physical Science? That is a very common 9th grade science class and it wouldn't be unusual to take Chemistry afterward. Our CC also has several lab sciences besides Biology - including Botany!

It's a waldorf type curriculum. I believe everything is online. You pay a subscription and have access to all the files. http://thebearthinstitute.memberlodge.com/Default.aspx?pageId=625979

I don't know of any way. We asked our last landlord upfront and she just lied. But we figured it was going to be foreclosed upon because the price was great! (And it was a two bedroom and she was happy to rent to a family of six.) But the location was wonderful and the rent was dirt cheap. It is a pain to move, but we were given about six months notice (from the time they taped a foreclosure notice to the door.) We didn't lose our deposit because we informed the landlord we were using it as last month's rent (What was she going to say?) and all of our utilities transferred to the new home for a minimal price. We think the house we are in could be a foreclosure as well, but we haven't heard anything. Once again the location is incredible and the rent can't be beat. We just figured we will have to be a bit more flexible in moving more often than normal and take advantage of the incredible rental prices. Who knows, maybe the landlord here is actually paying his mortgage and it was just a lucky day. We found our last rental as a drive-by. We just spent an hour or two a week driving through neighborhoods we were interested in. We found our current house on craigslist.

I'm so sorry, Kari. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

helena, What do you think of the New Eyes for Plants book that you have linked? I have looked at this before, but I can't figure out what age level it is meant for? Is it more of a book for adults? Have you found it very useful? Easy to use? Thanks!

Excellence in Literature http://www.everyday-education.com/englishclasses/index.shtml It is considered a high school program, but there are five levels so 8th grade is a good time to start if you have an advanced reader.

We are. In the beginning, I had always put my older two together. Two years ago when I was just starting to mix my third daughter into the day, I separated everyone. We did that for a year and a half. It did not work well for us. Earlier this year I put everyone back together and it is so much better. We block schedule our mornings so that everyone is doing the same subject even if they aren't working together. 6:30 - 8:30 math (everyone has his/her own work) 8:30 - 10:00 English (dd12 & dd10 work together, little ones individually) 10:15-12:15 Latin (everyone has his/her own work) 12:15 - 1:00 Geography/French (dd12 & dd10 work together) I work with the younger two on whatever needs focused work. After lunch, we school from 3:30-6:30 with everyone together for science or history or else the littles play while the elder two work on literature.

A Sand County Almanac - Leopold

We schedule our year into three terms Sept - Dec, Jan - Apr and May - Aug. I schedule 15 weeks of work for each term. Basically, we have two weeks play in each term and an extra week off the end of December.