Our kids really enjoyed Sherlock Holmes and Chesterton's Father Brown series. The two detectives make for a delightful comparison and contrast.

For what it's worth, my dh was a BJU math major, and it was his observation that what he was seeing in the elementary math texts would never have passed muster with his professors from the 1980's. (I'm not going to identify specific profs here; anyone with knowledge of the BJU Math Department should have a good idea of those he referenced.) Let me add, however, that those observations relate to the elementary math books available around 1997-2002 or so. We have not looked at elementary math texts that have been updated since that time period. (Thus my comments were related as personal observation in a specific context.) I would advise every homeschool parent to choose their curriculum carefully, considering both the content and comprehensive nature of the materials and the learning style(s) of their child(ren). As many will note, what works for one child may not work nearly so well for a different child.

Thanks Jean. You're a wise lady. :grouphug:My experience has also born out what you have said, fwiw. Hang in there, everyone! Even as we deal with short-term problems, we can't forget our long-term goals.

When we began homeschooling, we started using the BJU Math Curriculum. When my oldest son was mid-elementary, we switched both children over to Ray's Arithmetic. Had we known then about Singapore Math, we probably would have chosen it instead. There were just too many instances in which the BJU Math explained things poorly or incompletely (and in a way that could lead to confusion in higher math), pushed early calculator use, etc., and my dh (a college math major and our math teacher) pulled the plug. FWIW, dh wondered whether their lower math texts were being written by education people rather than math people and whether the math books would not improve greatly were the head of the college math department to have to approve them. I'm not sure how helpful this is, but since we have BTDT, I wanted to relate our experiences.

Hand sanitizer has helped us a great deal, too. If your child can carry a small bottle with her in a purse or backpack, it could really help. She needs to use a small amount after she has handled things that lots of others have handled and definitely before she eats or handles anything going into her mouth. You mentioned reactive airways . . . fwiw, if she is asthmatic, our pulmonary specialist for our asthma always recommends increasing the asthma meds to get a jump on an oncoming virus. It has really helped my son to need a whole lot less oral steroids when these viruses occur. Good luck! Hope you find a system that works for your daughter!:grouphug:

I'm not sure how much help I can be, as I just told my dh that I am so bone tired after two days of school I'm already getting worried about the schedule we have set for ourselves! That being said, let me throw out a couple of things that have helped me. First off, the more tired I am, the more I tend to be short and snippy. When I hear it in myself, it is a vivid reminder to me to slow down, take a deep breath, apologize, and try again. I do think that it is important for our kids to see us take responsibility for our speech and actions and model the type of behavior we want to see in them. All too often, my snippy speech can all too quickly be reflected in my kids. That being said, I try to have a zero tolerance for complaining. Sometimes I have to force myself to keep my voice calm, cool, and level, but complaining is not tolerated, and continued complaining (after I re-evaluate that what I am asking is not unreasonable) will result in extra work/chores. Ditto for arguing with me! The kids are allowed to ask questions if they do so respectfully, and as they get older (my kids are 11 and 14, older than yours) I try very hard to explain the reasons behind my decisions. I think rewards are fine, however, as someone who has struggled most of my life with weight issues, I will just note to be very careful that all rewards are not food. Our kids adore their daddy, and one of the very best rewards I have in my arsenal is to brag on them to their daddy when he gets home from work. How would your kids respond to, in addition to what you have suggested, starting off briefly by explaining your concerns, asking every one to take a deep breath, and start again with more cooperative attitudes??? (Sometimes I think we respond well to the idea of, "Well, we really blew it, didn't we! Let's make a fresh start and try this again!") Hang in there, and don't give up! Homeschooling is about doing the hard things in order to achieve long-range goals, so we are in this for the "long haul!" Take care, and best wishes on your homeschool journey!:grouphug:

I've never needed a Teacher's Guide, either, FWIW.

We started back today, and I'm utterly exhausted! I told dh that the good news was that we were soooo busy that the day went by incredibly fast! Best wishes to all for a profitable school year!:grouphug: P.S.: Remudamom, you always make me laugh, and you so often make me think AND laugh. Thanks!:)

We homeschooled from the beginning, but we began classical homeschooling when our son was in 7th grade and our daughter in 4th. Carol in Cal has given you some really great suggestions. As you begin your homeschooling journey, let me just say that the public library is definitely your friend!:D Let me add that, at the age of your kids, we found our public library a wonderful source of kids-level books on history and science topics. Especially with your younger child, I would encourage curiosity and exploration of a wide range of history and science topics. (I still remember when my then 4th grade daughter had to know everything about our body, and we virtually cleared the shelves of all the junior books on the brain, eye, ears, heart, lungs, skin, bones, etc.) As far as history goes, we chose to do a quicker 2-year survey of world history when we began classical homeschooling and then to jump into the 4-year rotation when our kids reached 9th and 6th grades. I was not familiar with Susan Bauer's SOTW at that point, so we used Streams of Civilization for our 2-year survey. It was very accessible to our then 4th and 7th graders. We have also had the habit of doing a lot of reading aloud with our kids, and we have continued it even as they get older because they (and we!) enjoy it so much. It makes for wonderful opportunities to discuss what we are reading right on the spot, and we've enjoyed some really sweet times together. Again, best wishes as you take on this challenge! Homeschooling is very rewarding, but it will definitely stretch you!:)

Yikes, that must be scary! I have prayed for you and hope you will be able to get her seen at the ER much more quickly than normal. :grouphug:

Thanks, Nakia, for posting this. Senator Obama, very well said.

With this post I request that the moderators close this thread and delete it. In my opinion, it is unworthy of The Well Trained Mind.

What do Bristol Palin's name and pregnancy status have to do with the character of the candidate for Vice President of the United States?

I wish I had seen this thread before it reached 27 pages, however, I have an appeal to make to each of us on TWTM. As a parent, I am horrified by the amount of gossip taking place in the news media and here regarding Bristol and the Palin family. In the spirit of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," I appeal to each of us to consider carefully how we would want our families to be treated in a similar situation before we engage in further discussion of personal family issues--particularly those involving minor children. And, for the record, I think a healthy dose of "Do unto others" is called for no matter which candidate's family is involved. It's not about whose policies I support--it's about treating other people the way I want to be treated.

Great replies already--the other thing I would do with a child this age is lots and lots of reading.

A key for me has been realizing when I need a break and learning to take that break before I crack or have a meltdown. Sometimes even a day off helps tremendously; sometimes I need a longer break. Like several others, I will pick up a great book and we will have long reading sessions together, even when we are not doing other schoolwork. My kids love it, and it has prompted a lot of great discussions on what we read. Another key for me has been realizing that real life is not about what I want to do, necessarily. (Really, who WANTS to change dirty diapers or scrub toilets?:D) Even as I try to teach my children good character, my words come back to me with full force! Yeah, so what that I don't want to get up and teach my kids this morning! Dh and I decided that we would homeschool before our kids were even born, and our reasons for wanting to do so have not changed. It's not a matter of what I want to do at the moment so much as it is a commitment to do that which we have decided is best for our family. That being said, my house doesn't stay as clean as it used to before kids, either. I don't like it, but I have decided that teaching my kids and being closely involved in their lives is more important to me right now and is of far greater lasting value than whether I have a "show house." The important things get done, and when the clutter (and for me, it's usually the clutter) overwhelms me and I began to wail about just giving up and giving the house over to my family of packrats, they usually get the message and start cleaning up their stacks.:D Hang in there, Shari! :grouphug: You're definitely not alone in your feelings! Best wishes on your homeschool journey.

I will give positive rep to someone with whom I disagree if the post is especially well-thought and expressed. I rarely give positive rep merely because I agree with the poster's statements.

:lurk5:Me, too!

his English credit will include grammar review, vocabulary (Vocabulary from Classical Roots), and writing. He will earn separate history and literature credits through our Great Books study (ancient history). I consider both completion of the textbook and length of study (basically the number of days of instruction times the length of each class) in awarding credit. Hope this helps!

While we have homeschooled all along, we did not switch to classical education until a few years ago. Like several have mentioned, we began with Ancient History, and I'm really glad we did. It was really good for us to trace our history from beginning to modern chronologically, and this way we will go through the cycle twice by the time the kids graduate from high school. One option if you want to take advantage of this election year is to do a module of sorts on elections--read and compare how people have come to power through the centuries (e.g., in Ancient Egypt the new pharaoh might be a commoner, so would marry the daughter of the old pharaoh in order to cement his claim to the throne; elections in Athens and Rome; U.S. elections in 1800 vs. 2008). When my kids were smaller, they devised their own method for learning about the elections after going to vote with us--they came home and held an election among my daughter's stuffed animals. :D We are trying to do science the WTM way, but it hasn't always worked out perfectly. My kids are three years apart, and I try to keep them in the same area of science, too, so that they can talk about what they are learning (albeit on different levels, as you note).

Do you have a copy of The Well-Trained Mind, by Susan Bauer? (It is in our public library, by the way, if you don't have a copy of your own.) In it, Susan gives a lot of specific suggestions for curriculum at every level. I strongly recommend it.

We do a lot of skirt and dressy sweater ensembles and choose several colors of each that mix and match well. Then dd has one or two nicer dresses that she can use when we really dress up. LandsEnd has some nice short-sleeved sweaters in their school uniform section.

Now that I can picture!:lol::smilielol5:

Thanks for the helpful suggestions and perspective. Does anyone else have other thoughts? We need to make a decision one way or the other this week, so I am grateful for each of your input!:)

Jean, I'm so sorry! I know what it is like to leave a church after an extended period of ministry; your heart breaks even when you know you are doing the right (and sometimes the only possible) thing!:grouphug: From what you describe, the elders and their wives showed their lack of character and civility by not even saying goodbye. It really is a shame when Christians behave so poorly! Oh, and as for the crying in public . . . if that makes you a dork, you're in good company. ;) We think you're wonderful, and anyone who disagrees with us is bonkers, because the hive knows!:D