I used A Reason for Handwriting to teach my son cursive. His handwriting was terrible until he learned cursive. Now he pays more attention to how his letters are formed and how his papers look after he finishes them.

I use Saxon for my older child because he learns better using the spiral method but my younger uses MM because he learns better by seeing and doing and then move on to something else. spiral methods frustrate him.

you seem to have a well rounded schedule with a very focused child. congrats on that! My son is 4th grade and is finished by lunch. he can't handle too much on his plate or he crumbles so I keep it light. I have been questioned also about him, so I test him once a month to see if he is retaining the work. and he does retain and I can tell he is learning when he reads and talks. You have to ignore the comments and do what works for you and your family. its hard, but in the end, you will be the one to deal with the results, either way. It's easy for others to have an opinion about your life, when they don't live it!

I also suggest Pinterest and do a math search. there are also alot of blogs that posts free games. I love the games from Mama Jenn: http://www.mamajennblogs.com/2010/03/printables-page.html Janeen

Me and my son went through Essentials last year, he was in 5th grade also. We struggled through it because it's a tough program and in my opinion, there isn't a need for any other grammar when doing Essentials. This is a three year program, not 24 weeks, so he will get all the grammar he needs over the next 3 years if you stick with it. There is only so much grammar you can learn and then they only need to do review work. I have found with my kids, that the more I have them do, the less they retain. So I would only do Essentials and nothing else. When we weren't in class, he did charts, the task sheet and the editing page. The first year of Essentials is to be spent memorizing those charts more than anything else. It was more than enough grammar for us.

has anyone ever used Latin's Not So Tough?

How does Latin help with teaching Grammar? I am thinking of cutting our Grammar lessons also since we are doing Latin.

Vocabulary, Grammar, & Spelling: covered by Latin (I make lists of English derivatives that match their Latin/Greek vocab that week) plus lots of reading. Jackie We study Latin as well and have also been working through English From the Roots Up. After reading a few of these posts, I am thinking I may be doubling work when I don't have to. I may drop the vocab. But I have a question for you, Jackie, how do you make English derivatives list to match Latin vocab? thanks for any help! Janeen

Have you tried Librivox?

How can I find out which colleges offer dual enrollment? and how do I find out which colleges accept the credits?

I have used IEW and we didn't enjoy it. It just didn't fit our family, however, I do know several homeschoolers that use it and really love it. It is rather intense and was just too much for my son to wrap his brain around. So I have switched us to Write With the Best. It covers grammar and writing and the method is for the child to read books from great writers and immulate their methods. It is broken down into easy, daily lessons. For my daughter, 11th grade, we are using Classical Writing Diogenes Maxim. I have also used Writing With Ease and loved it as well. I may also use Writing with Skill for my middle grade child.

There are tons of free planners online that you can use with multiple kids. Google "free homeschool planners" and you will get hundreds of links. There is also a website called Scholaric.com that is a planning software. It is a great tool and very simple to use.

Hi, are you still looking for penpals? I have 8 and 10 year old boys interested in pen pals.

Hi, I have an 8 year old that would love to exchange via snail mail if you are still interested. We could exchange addresses and see how it goes.

This is a blog that I really love: www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com. She has young kids and puts some really great worksheets and ideas on her site. She also has links to other great blogs. Check out the 10 Day Blog Hop and it will lead you to lots of other great blogs.

My daughter is 8th grade this year and here is a list of what we have been doing: Grammar: BJU Grammar and Writing (I have to supplement extra diagramming b/c there isn't enough) Math: MUS Algebra History: SOTW Spelling/Vocab: Worldly Wise 3000 Book 8 Science: Christian Kids Explore Chemistry Bible Study: Christian Studies Book 1 We also do memory work and writing that I pull together from books at the library and from her SOTW extra reading suggestions. She also takes guitar classes once a week.

We are using FLL with the 3rd grader and BJU Grammar with my 8th grader. BJU does not have a lot of diagramming which is making it more difficult to teach her.

I need some help learning to diagram sentences. I was never taught this in school so I am learning along with my 3rd and 8th grader. My 8th grader's diagramming is getting more difficult and I feel like I need something that will teach me the basics, starting with simple sentences and working up to very difficult sentences. Are there any programs out there like this?