I'm not concerned with it all matching up great, but would like to have a one year us history. I am also considering doing TOG year 2 units 3-4 since I have it and have not used it yet. We'll have just finished up modern history, so a founding of america would be nice also. Personally, I feel like CC does it's best if CC is the core. I know others do it differently, but I'm willing to go that direction. Beth

Would these match up well for a 6th grade strong reader? I like that SOTW is all scheduled out. Beth

Can you do this program with just the student pages? I agree- the whole program looks very overwhelming. Beth

You can watch them here. Beth

I've done it - actually ds has only done 2 weeks with scheduling it out. I started with handing him the books and what he needs to read in the books (via the main schedule) and then he divided it up with suggestions from me (actually a lot of suggestions, but hey - you've got to start somewhere). There was a lot of moaning and groaning, but he did fine. I schedule the rest of his school, but eventually, he'll have to do those also. Baby steps. Beth

I'll have to listen to the audio. I'm just not that great without a curriculum that tells me what to do. Somehow, if I pay for something with a schedule, I tend to stick with it. Trust me - I've tried. I'm just a little flighty that way. I've even made up a whole schedule for a certain topic. Just can't seem to stick with it. Beth

I would also suggest for at least a year to go with a program where it is all laid out such as sonlight or my father's world. It will help you figure out how much is doable in a day and not give you guilt if your child finishes his/her work early. I think it's a little difficult to figure out how much work should be accomplished in a day compared to the ps. Also, if they finish their work early and you know that they did all the requirements, you won't feel the need to load on more work. For math - use the placement tests. Place them where they test - not where you think they should be. I personally like scripted lesson plans for subjects I don't know how to teach (spelling was my first scary subject). They have taught me how to teach to a point where I don't need to use the scripted part as much. Beth

Could my ds do this? I just want chemistry for him - he likes physics also. He wouldn't turn 12 during the year. Or, should I just use something like Noeo? Beth

Can you do Rainbow science with an 11 year old? Beth

He just hasn't done anything with Chemistry in his random science years that we have right now. I didn't follow TWTM and I think he would like chemistry this year. So, if not elemental science, what would I do? Beth

I would like to do chemistry with ds who will be 11 next year. Would Elemental science be too "young"? Anything else? Beth

I just read this by Dorothy Sayers (a founder of the modern classical education movement). I thought it was appropriate to this conversation. "It will, doubtless, be objected that to encourage young persons at the Pert age (Dialectic Stage) to browbeat, correct, and argue with their elders will render them perfectly intolerable. My answer is that children of that age are intolerable anyhow; and that their natural argumentativeness may just as well be canalized to good purpose as allowed to run away into the sands.†See? It was even true in the 1940's when she wrote this essay. Beth

This is actually a Christian quote that infuriates me because people would tell me it all.the.time. When someone now says that to me, I reply that it's not even Biblical and yes, it sometimes seems like there is more than I can handle. God is faithful and doesn't let me fall. Beth

If your child has not done work with negative numbers and has completed Singapore 6a, could you do MUS algebra? He gets the basic concept of negative numbers and would catch on fairly quickly. Or, do we need to start with pre-alegbra? Beth

Can we count weirdly wrapped presents? My brother had a gifting (before he got married and had kids). For my sister, my brother gave my sister a pin and a clue. The clue led her to the bathtub where a large box was full of water balloons glued together. She spent quite a while popping water balloons so she could get to her gift at the bottom. My brother in law opened a 1ft in diameter ball of string. He started unwinding the largish string (rope climbing string) and then the yarn to finally get to the inside - a deflated ball containing a music cd. The gruesome one was given to my mom. She opened a large stick first. The second gift was a fish tank with her present at the bottom. The rest of the fish tank was layered with around 5-6 layers separated by cardboard of mouse traps fully armed. She had to use her stick to spring the mousetraps in order to get her present. So, that's my Christmas story of unwrapping presents. Beth

I know that Singapore has the problems worked out in the upper level tms including little helps and hints (which I've had to use on occasion). There are problems in 5b that I couldn't figure out how to solve without algebra - really needed the tm. Beth

Between MIF and Singapore, it seems like MIF is more incremental in it's approach. I am strong in math and could help ds#2 make the leaps Singapore required, but ds #3 seems to need a little more time to let things sit in his brain before moving on. I only have the first level of MIF and all the levels of singapore but for the teacher who needs a little more hand holding, MIF seems a little easier. Beth

Not really - try here for prealegbra http://www.amazon.com/Prealgebra-3rd-Margaret-L-Lial/dp/0321266625/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292617022&sr=8-2 Beth

I found a place where you can take a brief look at some of Lial's books and the table of contents. http://instructors.coursesmart.com/prealgebra-fourth-edition/margaret-l-lial-diana-l-hestwood/dp/9780321614469 Beth

Which is a better option - Lials prealgebra or Saxon - I'm finding ds has similar issues to the original poster. He's fairly good at math - he just needs a bit more practice/review as he's approaching these upper levels. Beth

From the Dive into math site - The only difference between the 2nd and 3rd Edition texts is the 3rd edition textbook has the reference numbers beside each test and homework problem indicating which lesson the problem was originally taught in. Question answered finally! Beth

I'm using it with ds who is 6. I got it free, so I thought I'd give it a try. He can put down the cards for addition fairly quickly (at least the doubles 3+3 etc, the 9+'s, and the 8+'s). I haven't tried transferring his knowledge to pencil and paper yet, so I'm not positive it will work yet. It's very hands on and manipulative. Beth

Our city had a charter school much like the one described. School therapists my son worked with hated going to the school because no one kept schedules and chaos reigned. Often, there were high school kids outside smoking or going out for two hour lunches. Some kids were able to develop their interests, but most didn't really learn a lot. Eventually, the school district shut it down because it was failing the children. It was an experiment with good intentions, but horrible in execution. I always have felt that in order to unschool well, it takes quite a bit of time and creativity from the teacher. We do have another charter school that has structure, but if the students find a frog in the school playground, the teacher will allow the frog to be part of their school day. There's some spontaneity allowed within their structure. Students can learn within their interests. The school is very popular with huge waiting lists. Beth

I'm in MN also- right now we're looking at shoveling drifts up to my waist. There is snow drifted to the bottom of our lower level windows - one of our egress basement windows is packed full - no sonlight coming into that room anymore. When it warms up to a balmy 0 degrees we are going out! Beth

LOVE flashmaster. Would buy another if ours broke down. 10 year old ds really learned his math facts well with that little machine and I didn't have to do anything besides assign the level. Beth