I like having the assignments there for me rather than trying to put together my own, and since you plan to study medieval times this year anyway, in your shoes I would skip to the medieval book. I haven't seen it, but it is a B rated book (rather than the A,B of ancients) so it should be more difficult. I might call IEW or post a new thread to be sure the medieval book is in fact a step up, but I have seen most of the books in the theme program and IEW is really good about labeling the levels correctly. We are currently using the Ancients book as well. My plan for next year is to move on to the Elegant Essay at the beginning of the year and then use Character-Based lessons (level B,C) for the second half of the year.

Personally, I would skip US History 1, it is not a high school level course. I consider US 1 to be easier than Ancients which I believe you said your child was already finding too easy? We do US History 1 in 4th/5th grade. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they have more theme-based options to choose from two years from now, especially at the high school level and could have a higher level US history 1 or something similar that would work.

Each of my children keeps a student weekly planner. I have a set standard weekly schedule: Monday: science 7-9, latin 9-11, etc. But, their planners have the actual assignments in them. For example my dd's will say under Monday, August 17th: science - read chapter two and outline. Prepare write up for experiment to be done on Wednesday (or something along those lines) I meet with each child on Saturday evening. I go over what they need to do for the next week. My older two dds write all of their own assignments into the planner on Saturday evening as we discuss what needs to be done. I write the assignments into the planners of the younger two and then sit down with each of them to read through the main points of what we will do the following week. I use them for several reasons: 1. I find this easier than printing a checklist, daily or weekly. 2. I want the children to have some input as to what we are doing each week. 3. I want the children to learn to be responsible for their time and their work. Having their schedule of school work ahead of time allows the older kids to both work ahead and plan ahead. 4. It puts the responsibility of getting the work done on the student and not on me. If there is something on a child's planner that needs to be done that day and the child needs my help it is up to the child to seek me out or remind me, not the other way around. :D

The Foxfire books might work. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxfire_books

I was just skimming through CurrClicks freebies for the week and they have an Anne of Green Gables study guide. I haven't looked through it, but it is free and might be helpful. http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=23222&it=1&filters=0_0_0&free=1

Bunnicula It is the first of a series of about five.

Thanks for the responses! To clarify, we are not memorizing isolated lists or anything. The kids and I are all pleased with the foreign language programs we are using and my dds are motivated students. We are just looking for some variety in the vocabulary memorizing element. I found an online vocabulary card service that looks interesting (and is probably similar to Anki.) http://quizlet.com/

I am currently doing Anne of Green Gables with dd9. We stop any time she has a question about vocabulary (or anything else.) We rarely get through a page without a question or two. But that has been how I have always done it with all of the kids since they were tiny so it seems natural to me. I imagine whatever you feel comfortable with will work. I chose the book for its description and vocabulary so I wouldn't use an edited version myself, but it really depends on why you are reading that particular book. I think six is a little young for the story or any study guide that would accompany it. The vocabulary and long descriptions would be too much for my kids at that age.

Lingua Latina would probably work well. It can be purchased as a book or as a computer CD. Amazon usually carries the series as well. http://www.pullins.com/txt/LinguaLatina.htm#set_1

The kids (and I) are tired of the daily index card vocabulary practice. Any great ideas on how to study foreign language vocabulary or orgranize vocabulary words? It can't be too complex or take up too much time. But there must be something other than writing out the index cards and going through them every day or two.

Math: Singapore 3 (TB, WB, IP, CWP) Science: Oak Meadow 4, RS4K - Biology I Grammar: Intermediate Language Lessons, MCT Grammar Island/Practice Island Spelling: Sequential Spelling 2 Writing: IEW Geography, IEW Fables Literature: list coincides with American history and geography and ancient mythology World History: Oak Meadow 4/5 (American History) Classical History: Memoria Press D'Aulaire's Greek Myths Art/Music: Harmony Fine Arts 4, Oak Meadow Art 4 Geography: online - CLAA Geography I Religion: online - CLAA Catechism I Latin: online - CLAA Grammar I/Vocab I Greek: online - CLAA Vocabulary I French: Le Francais Facile Jr (Easy French, Jr.) Karate Violin

Lisa, No, I do not have that. Should I? :D I have a workbook put out by Linda Thornhill that has a supplemental writing assignment for each lesson. It is very similar to the IEW theme based writing workbooks, but specific to Trisms HM.

There used to be samples on the Trisms website. I haven't seen student samples anywhere else. Mainly, I combine so many because I enjoy pulling together exactly what I am looking for. :D Trisms History Makers covers all of world history in one year (or two, if you use it over two years.) I use it over four years (4th-7th) along with all the other resources. I think Trisms is a great program but it will only work well for a motivated student or a family that wants to cover history generally and not too deeply. It is very easy for a student to do very little research and just fill in the worksheets and be done. But for a motivated, interested or self-directed student the Trisms guides are a very nice resource and contain more information than can be done in one year. Yes, the students do research, fill out worksheets, maps and questionaires. There are also science experiments (more historical science - not lab science,) vocabulary words, drawings, a timeline, read alouds, poetry, videos, historical fiction and biographies to read, independent research in a topic of interest and language arts assignments. There are also tests available. There is almost no American history in Trisms. American history has to be done as part of the research. The HM guide gives suggestions each week for additional research and you will see items that pertain to American history in there, but because the focus is on explorers and scientists (and world history in general) there isn't any focus on American history. Since I use the guide over four years, I add in the American history as we go. If you are doing a one or two year world history - Hakim isn't really necessary. I do all of the components except some of the language arts. I do the Trisms IEW supplement, but not the language arts assignments that are not specifically essay type writing. There is a grammar component and assignments on things like letter writing and public speaking, etc. I skip all of that. But again we only work through about ten weeks of material each year. I think it is lacking in science and the grammar portion of the language arts is weak, but it can certainly stand alone in history and language arts if the student does well working independently or the parent is willing to put a good deal of time into 'helping the student along.' Because I do it over four years, I add Hakim for the American history, Oak Meadow for the projects and History Odyssey for the outlining and because I really like the Story of Mankind (or anything by VanLoon) and HO sets it up so nicely for the student to read through SOM and continually improve on outlining skills. I also like the focus on people in HO. If I were only using Trisms for one or two years, I do not think it would need any supplements at all as long as you are focusing on science history rather than lab science (and unless you have a student that insists a unit is not finished without at least two hands on projects and the cooking of a meal. :001_rolleyes:) It is very easy to just skip the language arts altogether - it is the history that is the backbone of the program, but if I were skipping the IEW writing supplement I would add in some additional essay type writing assignments rather than just the research for any student in 6th or above. - Yes, I think it would be difficult to finish in one year! HTH!

What would you like to know? I do my own thing for history combining Trisms, History Odyssey, Hakim and Oak Meadow. I'd be happy to try and answer questions - but I'm not sure what you are asking?

I have the older kids teach the little ones for PreK/K. My older two kept wanting to join in on all the "fun" stuff anyway. This way I can work one-on-one with one of the older girls while the other teaches kindergarten. Then they switch. I do language arts and math with the little ones. The older girls are in charge of science, history, art, music, read alouds, etc. I plan out a schedule and they take care of the rest.

Could anyone point to this thread or any discussion about this? Is it only in the Pre-levels? I do not own any pre-levels, but I own all the others. I didn't remember the word designed being used at all. I just skimmed all of the books in areas where I would assume it would come up and couldn't find even one reference to 'designed.' It likely wouldn't have bothered me, so maybe I missed it? Anyway, I'd like to look over the actual pages of RS4K being discussed as overusing/or simply using the word designed. Thanks!

Oak Meadow has the child only keeping one main lesson book at a time. Language arts, science and social studies go in the front and math starts in the back. So everything will say add to the main lesson book - even if it is not done during a main lesson time period. (We keep separate main lessons books for each subject. So, I have four going at once - language arts, social studies, science and math.) The main lesson is the longer, more focused morning lesson. For second grade the main lesson is usually language arts three to five days per week, with math the other days. To make it more confusing the book will sometimes say "language arts should be your main lesson three days and math the other two days" and then go on to say "use science as your main lesson one day." When it says that they mean use your science materials for a language arts lesson. So instead of writing sentences about the literature book you are reading the student would be doing sentences and a picture of the science he is studying. Oak Meadow is a very flexible curriculum so you can set up a schedule that works for you. Some people do a morning circle and do music each morning at that time. Others schedule it in the afternoon and alternate it with art or crafts. Personally, I do not schedule recorder at all. My older girls are teaching the younger ones and they do it on their own time. I do singing/verses at the beginning of each language arts lesson. And I do art/crafts/science (very hands on) in the afternoon. HTH!

on top of baked potatoes mixed with peaches with any salad (on the side, not mixed in) with tuna (on the side again) by itself

momof7 - A couple of years ago you posted a long year-by-year breakdown of what you do/expect for writing. Unfortunately, I lost that when our computer crashed last year and I needed to purchase a new one. Would you mind doing something similar again?:001_unsure: I found it very helpful and I'm sure others did too!

We tried this for a few weeks and my kids did not enjoy it. They do not like lectures at all. They found it slow and did not enjoy the interaction with other students. (Not that they do not generally enjoy interaction with others. :)) but he would ask a question, there would be a pause, finally someone would answer, the child would need to be acknowledged, pause for another answer, child to be acknowledged, an explaination on why this might not be correct. And he would repeat lots of information within the lecture and from lecture to lecture. All of these things are very standard procedure for a lecture and a classroom discussion. There was nothing at all wrong with how it was done and he does a good job of trying to keep it interesting. But, it moves slowly. My girls would do other work while listening. And when I would ask them questions on it I could see the struggle in them not to roll their eyes when they answered. And I would get a response along the lines of "Mom, he said it eight times, but if you really want me to tell you......." These were the upper elementary classes, so he may move faster at the higher levels. And he may move through more material nearer the end of the year. I dropped the program in the second month.

Favorites: Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts Sequential Spelling Singapore Math Dolciani Math Oak Meadow History Odyssey Real Science 4 Kids Things that have not worked for us: Galore Park materials - especially Latin and English Hake grammar Growing with Grammar Things by a religious publisher that seem secular/nearly secular and I really like: First Start French IEW (some materials) TRISMS Excellence in Literature

I have both for Pre-Algebra and Algebra, but only the student text for Algebra II. I do have an extra Algebra I student text.

Thanks for the advice. I think what we will do is continue with the Dolciani book and the CWP book only. But, areas where the CWPs become too difficult we will go back to the Singapore textbook and work through those chapters.

I wasn't sure what age you were looking for, but Mater Amabilis does something like this for eighth grade. http://www.materamabilis.org/level_4_history.html It is broken down into: United States Britian First World War Second World War Russia and the Fall of Communism China Middle East South Africa South East Asia (India, Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan) It uses Kingfisher History Encyclopedia and Century for Young People as the spines and has a schedule for these along with additional key resources for each section and a list of additional reading books for each section. For additional geography work they read Endurance and Kon-Tiki. They also read one National Geographic article per week and find the location of the article on a map.

6th/7th (or just 7th) HM 8th DAW 9th EOC 10th RON 11th AOR 1 12th AOR 2 or 8th (or 7th/8th) HM 9th DAW 10th EOC 11th RON 12th AOR