It might be helpful to know what you've tried (if any) and what you are looking for. We tried Spelling Workout, but it didn't have enough review for my dc to retain. Last year we used Spelling Power which has lists and routines and practice ideas to last you through adult-hood. I like that you do it every day for just 15 minutes. Part of me has been re-thinking how much focus spelling needs at this point. It is one of those things that I think they would/will learn faster as they get older.... AAS is popular here and gets a lot of positive press, but it sounds like a monetary commitment and perhaps a time commitment? For some kids it is exactly what they need.

:iagree: This is what I'm thinking I will do. We might pick and choose topics that need revisiting, or even just do the lesson again, since the individual writing will be novel. Or, perhaps there will be a sequel by then! :D Or, on the negative side, maybe we will crash and burn with this program by October...

Sure, you could scribe, but I think that would defeat the author's goal of creating "independent writers". I haven't finished reading it, but the first couple of chapters go into a lot of detail about having kids use phonetic spelling (I anticipate some trouble adopting that here), draw pictures before, during or after they complete their writing, come up with their own writing topics, and for the facilitator to focus on teaching one skill at a time and let the others go. An individual writing project takes as long as the child deems necessary to finish. I am looking forward to trying this approach for creative writing here this Fall - but so far I am just reading. That said, I think Ms. Jacobson would say that this approach to writing will help your dd develop stamina and depth in her writing on her own. She says it is not unusual to start with 10 minutes of a mini-lesson (i.e. read a picture book and discuss an aspect of the writing) and then have the dc write for 10 minutes. She also has 10 minutes for "author's chair" where one of the classroom students reads her piece aloud and answers questions - but surely this would not start right away. Looking ahead, after she gives a potential outline for the first 4 weeks, most of the book is ideas for mini-lessons - my kind of hand-holding writing help. You can view the entire book online here.

I do virtually no planning. There are 42 chapters, and 135 sections. I figured out when I wanted to end, and approximately how many sections a week we had to do to get there and then started in. When we finished a chapter (reading, questions, narration, map work) I would look through the activities for the next one to see if there were any that I wanted to do and that we needed supplies for. Every Friday I put books on hold at the library to pick up the next Tuesday (not just history). Occasionally I will read aloud all or part of one of those, but mostly they are around for the dc to read or flip through on their time. That's about it for planning. In retrospect I would have gone faster through some of the early sections that "set the stage" - what is history, some of the ones focused on folk tales, etc., but other people do the opposite and stretch out the schedule. Whatever suits you!

We're halfway through BFSU I and the only thing I've purchased has been a magnet kit (with shavings - although we were at a beach later and the magnets on one set of bath toys found plenty of shavings...) So I guess the kit might cut down on time spent collecting stuff from around the house? I know! You could make packets of pictures (inner ear, plant parts, Earth's magnetic field...) to illustrate the lessons. If you sold it as a download you could also link to cool example/demonstration videos.

Every system is different (wildly so, it seems) so be sure to get the particulars from yours. You asked "what day is good to get/return", but I have never found a consistent answer. By using the on-line hold system it becomes less important because they will pull the books from the shelves or hold them as they are returned. I put in my holds on Friday so that they have time to come from other branches, as needed, by Tuesday when we go for story time. On occasion I have submitted purchase requests (also online) and the one time it wasn't fulfilled, they sent me a note suggesting I try inter-library loan (which worked out great). Another advantage to using the on-line search from home is that it automatically looks at all branches, but I can pick up at the branch that is convenient for me. Also, check the other libraries in surrounding communities which may have reciprocation agreements (if you have a card for your library you can get one for theirs), different catalogs, or different policies. You may decide that it is worth your time driving. My library will only hold a book for 5 days, so I often stop on Saturdays after swim class to pick up holds and only I go in, in an attempt to limit the number of books I come out with. :D We are limited to 15 books on hold at a time, so when we are knee-deep in history, science and art (along with the miscellany) I use my kids' accounts for holds and then check them out myself. I've hit my 75 book checkout limit so much that my older two now check out their own casual reading books. Lastly, at my library if I make a purchase request I automatically get put in the hold queue - so if there is a book coming out that I really want to read, I may put in a purchase request even if they are obviously going to get the book anyway (i.e. the 25th book in a series they own, or anything with Harry Potter-like buzz)

I'm a long time failer at Jell-O, sounds like I should probably avoid agar too!

You're welcome! I hope it recharges your Spanish study.

I have not used the programs you are interested in, so I can't help you there, but I did have a few thoughts to share. It is very common for there to be a "period of silence" when kids are learning a new language. Some times it is short, some times not. I've heard this from bilingual friends about their kids and from an ESL/Spanish teacher I was talking with last week. They can understand some/enough/a lot, but to say it or respond is...difficult, kind of like shyness. If you are looking for supplements, start at your library. Ours has a couple of on-line learning programs, board books (and readers), music tapes and dvds for learning Spanish - both for kids and adults. I haven't found anything that is a complete curriculum, but if you are looking for (cheap) supplements it would be a good resource. You might also try Salsa Spanish to change things up a bit. The best choice, if you can do it, would be to meet with a native speaker once a week (or more). It doesn't have to be in conjunction with what you are learning in your curriculum, but this is a great way to get some "conversation" out of them. Plus, it is nice to just hear the flow of a native speaker. Our local university has some Spanish programs, and during the year the Hispanic Students group has free hour-long discussion sessions (some of the classes require that you go for a certain number of sessions, I think). If you can find that it would be fun (and cheap, a recurring theme for me :D). I like your idea of conversing about things around the house! Put up labels, play a scavenger hunt or treasure hunt game. Come up with some standard questions and commands that you can use on a regular basis ("Ready to go?", "time for ____", "Where are your ____?", etc.) We have played the game "Who Am I?" (Quien Soy Yo?) and Headbandz (Adivina Quien Soy) in Spanish. Both games require the players to ask simple questions and use basic vocabulary to determine the chosen person or item. I would encourage you to work on your own some too. I have enjoyed listening to News In Slow Spanish, you might try starting there (free, again!) Hopefully you can adapt a few of these ideas to what your family needs, perhaps injecting more fun, or variety will help put you over the hump.

I hear you! July is busy this summer and I've been trying to keep up our schedule on top of everything else. Bleck. We've only been getting to math and Spanish (2 or 3 times a week), but Spanish ends this week and the chances of my keeping it up are small. We will keep doing math though, by gum! :D It IS summer, though. Don't feel bad if you take some time off (is swimming just a week or two?). I think keeping up with math and Latin probably doesn't mean you have to introduce anything new. Whatever you do, don't "just give up". Make a new plan if you need to, though, which might include shelving it until ______. :001_smile:

I know it is a classic, but... The Secret Garden :blush: I just didn't get what all the hype was about. She was a spoiled brat, he was clueless and the third kid could talk to birds. Don't flame me! I enjoyed TMBS - although it just goes on, and on. :D I couldn't do The Hobbit though, too many voices and I feel compelled to sing any written songs (which is a crazy compulsion). Luckily I found it on audiotape and we have some long drives coming up.

How old are your kids? I've seen some olders use them, and if you or they are craftily inclined you can do some fun stuff, but most of the pre-existing ones are set up for preK-early elementary ages. In its most basic form, you refold a manila folder so the edges meet in the middle, glue on some cover art and then fill the inside with a variety of activities based on a theme. I've done a couple with my 3yo while my older two are doing seat work. Check out the ones at HomeschoolShare. You will see that they are often used with the curriculum Before Five In a Row. Find a book you are interested in, download the lapbook file, and then there are assembly instructions with the activities and you can pick the ones you are interested in. The best thing is to try it, it is tricky to envision until you do. :001_smile: If you have older kids and are using Story of the World, there is a great lapbook for book 1 and most of 2 here. My older dc have been putting that together and it is great for review both as we assemble it (a few weeks after the fact) and when relatives come and they pull it out to show them. We also do a composer study one once in a while. It is from Homeschool in the Woods and it has a TON of information. We work on it once a month or so and it will take at least another year before we finish. I think whether it is "educational or fun" really depends more on whether you enjoy it and what you decide to do with it. For us, it would be a stretch to call it educational, more like review. If it were always fun it would get done more often, BUT I guess we like it enough that we keep going. :) Also, I will mention that there is a variety of opinions about how much work (if any) the adult should do. My dc need me to cut it all out if it is going to get done, but some feel differently. You can do whatever is right for your family.

edeemarie - That does help, thanks! The more I look at the lessons (6/5) the more I think that we really could just keep moving along. I had built it up to be a major change. I'll probably need two texts to keep the "I can't see the problems!" arguments to a minimum...

We are approaching the end of Saxon 3 and I need some advice from those of you further along. It is my understanding that Saxon 5/4 is fairly different from Saxon K-3. I have a copy of 6/5 but not 5/4, are they essentially the same in format and application (obviously content would be a bit different)? Are the students expected to copy out the problems and then solve them? Or do you just have them show work and the answer? I assume the lessons in the book are what they get (i.e. no separate teacher's manual with additional lesson discussion)? My dc are just 7, so second grade by age, and neither is independently attracted to math, although they both do fine. If 5/4 is like the 6/5 book I have, I would need to sit with them and walk them through each lesson to be sure they understood the intent and to keep everyone on task. I'm trying to gather information to help me decide what to do after we finish Saxon 3 (continue on, take a break to work on math facts, change approaches, etc.) Any thoughts on that are welcome, also! Thanks.

I made one this year for SOTW1 (almost done with the book, way behind with the timeline). I used PowerPoint to make the pages, printed them on cardstock and then used to pieces of clear contact paper to both "laminate" them and stick them together. I made mine so I could accordian-fold it into a book (snaps shut) when we aren't using it. I made a picture card (size of a credit card, date on top, title/description, picture for basically each section in the book and then "laminated" those too. We use glue-dots to put the cards on the timeline. Since everything is plasticized we can move the cards and reattach if needed. For the busy periods it would be nice to have tape hinges, but I haven't gone back to try that out.

I wonder if Games magazine would suit you. I've run across references in various places It seems like the photographer for the I Spy books might have worked for them? And maybe Will Shorts? We have a copy of the Games Magazine Junior puzzle book that gets read through once in a while. You might want to check it out, I've never seen an actual copy of the magazine, but maybe a local newsstand would have one.

We have a super-old VHS version. I watched it with my dc the first time through and we talked about it. Then they liked to watch it on their own. Once in a while we would watch a segment together and I would pause and ask questions in Spanish. It was fine, but I wouldn't/couldn't pay the "new" dvd price. HOWEVER, one of our local libraries has the newer version online and we can log in with my library card number. Then, it is "free", all my kids like it and there are a number of word games we can play. If your library doesn't have it, it might be worth submitting a purchase request for and see what they say. If you are looking for a video application you might try Salsa. We like that one also. There are guides for each episode, but I haven't really looked at them.

First, I pointed out that poetry doesn't generally have "rules" so much as "guidelines". Then, I said each line of the poem should start a new line in the copywork. So if it takes them 2 1/2 lines to copy the first line of the poem, the next line of the copied poem should start on a fresh line of the copy sheet. Once they get that without having to be reminded all the time I will start to introduce more subtleties and nuances. :001_smile:

Teaching a class about lapbooking, and making it relevant to the moms sounds great! Are you going through making all the parts and how to plan it out? If everyone had a similarly aged child - like pre-K it would be great to have pre-made, pre-cut pieces that you could hand out and use to talk about. A friend of mine gave us a book and accompanying lapbook pieces and it was GREAT! I didn't have to do any prep-work and my daughter and I could put it together piece by piece over the next few weeks. So, if people are paying for the class, this might be a nice goody bag. You said you wanted a skill for the moms. I'm not sure what kind of skill you have in mind, but what if you could put together a "scheduling" lapbook of some kind? It could have a place for a picture (changeable), an 8X10 calendar page, a book of birthdays/events, an address book with a pocket for stamps, note pages for curriculum ideas (I'm assuming homeschooling moms here), chore charts, favorite recipes and/or rolling shopping list, daily school schedule(s), etc. I don't know how you would best do all these, but of course people could pick and choose the parts that would be most useful for them. If that isn't quite what you were thinking of, another idea might be a lapbook with a theme like Patience (I count it as a skill :D). It could have some quotes on the topic, ideas for regaining it, a tab sheet where you could pull off a tab for patience (like the tab sheets at the grocery for lawn mowing services where the tabs have the company's name and phone number). :001_smile: I wish I could have taken a class! Would have saved me some paper.

I read an interesting J-Fiction book called "Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491" by Charles Mann that I found at the library. It really changed my perception of what things were like before the explorers. I had learned that the Americas weren't heavily populated, native Americans lived "lightly" on the land, highly organized societies were rare... We're thinking of doing a 3 year American history cycle starting this summer. I think we will spend 2 weeks talking about pre-history and then a week per month progressing during the busier school year time. It was hard to decide, you could spend so much time on pre-history alone (or skip it the way we did when I was in school. :tongue_smilie:) If you find something that works for you (schedule, activities, books) there is a market for it!

Also, we are just starting out, but some of the things I'm using with my olders I realized I could have started with them sooner. For instance, although my younger is not ready to learn to read, I can still start introducing concepts like blending a word together once in a while. No reason not to have the younger play with some of the manipulatives already, etc. Having the texts available means I can refresh my memory and start laying the ground work even before we are ready to officially start the work.

One activity I did with my kids was this history of the world on a roll of toilet paper. I used fabric, but later realized that a roll of register tape would have been an easier choice. I don't think any of us here can really comprehend it, but it did help give us some perspective.

In our house I have set up a mix to keep everyone's attention and so we don't burn through any one curriculum. Here are some of the things we do: Our library has Muzzy online which I can access for free. Once a week we play some of the games and watch a segment of the video. I recognize the grammar criticisms, but this is a nice exposure to vocabulary and it does have little "break-out" discussions of all sorts of topics. I wouldn't buy it new, but for free it is a great bargain. We watch an episode of Salsa once a week. I don't usually mess with the teacher stuff (I don't have the time), but I do generally watch it with them and we stop and talk about it once in a while. Twice a week we go over a letter, the sound it makes, words that start with it. This will build up to phonics in a few more weeks. I try to keep these sessions short and to the point. One day a week we talk to a native speaker, and/or watch Pocoyo on Youtube, read a Spanish book from the library (although it is hard to find *good* ones - preferably not translations, not too much text, topical, etc.) Spend some time thinking and talking with your ds about your goals. Fluency takes a LOT of study. Would it make sense to spend a year working on vocabulary and basic sentences? Is it going to be a top priority for you both, mostly independent study for him, twice a week, only when everything else gets done? All those factors can help you decide the best approach to studying the language in your house. Buena suerte!

"Stop reading." is one of the things that the "pre-kids" me could never imagine saying (that list just gets longer all the time.) I've been known to be flexible at breakfast, but in general we have a no reading while you eat rule. So, at some point they stop reading to eat and then WHAM-O I'm watching like a hawk. :D When they are done and want to be excused I have them clear their place and then we start with math.

:iagree: Although I really do minimal prep. I spend a few minutes at the end of a section (while the dc are putting together a notebook page about the lesson) to decide what we are doing next and will I need any props. There is a lot of flipping around in the book, though, so depending on your personality you might want to get the paperback. It covers K-2, so that helps with the $25. We'll do the book over first and second and then carry on with the next book. There is a Yahoo! support group also.