I pick up super cheap discounted track phones (android) at department stores (like Shopko...sadly, no longer a thing...but, even Walmart, sometimes) for as low as $10-20. If you never sign up and pay for phone service, it's local wifi only. But, if I connect it manually to our home network, I can put on any google store apps (like hoopla or audible) and download the parts of our digital library that I want them to have access to. The devices have a headphone jack as well as the ability to use the speakers (think speakerphone quality). They usually include a grainy quality camera/video feature (which my kids use frequently), but there's no way for them to put it online, so I'm comfortable with them practicing taking pictures/videos, too. It's basically a cheap android version of an ipod. I'm a big fan!

We were finishing the last chapter of Rescuers as a read-aloud when the 7yo looked suddenly startled and yelled mid-sentence, "Nils is a MOUSE??!" 🤷‍♀️

Anyone know where one might purchase Miquon pdfs now?

I was able to do so. Thanks, 8!

This may have already been mentioned, but there's an audible sale on Great Courses through this evening. 2 courses for 1 credit. I don't get anything for telling about the sale. (But, I did pick up a few things for myself. ? )

Has anyone gone through both years of Dimensions Math? What did you move on to after you finished? Did you feel comfortable counting it as an actual credit for Algebra 1? Did you redo algebra with a separate (non-integrated) option? and then move on to Geometry? Or call algebra 1 covered and move on to Geometry, then Algebra 2? I think integrated/DM for middle school is a good idea for at least my oldest dd, but I'm trying to plan ahead for how to proceed after...

It took about a semester here, also. The writing/verbal element of the instruction was a plus for us. We got bogged down in Crocodiles and Coconuts and have switched over to Singapore Dimensions 7A (after doing Singapore 1st-6th). We enjoyed the time with JA, but I'm not sure I'll use it again, either. My dd "feels" behind because we transitioned mid-stream. Like Farrar, I really liked several elements of the program. I'm just not sure when is a good time to plug it into the sequence of materials used at our house.

Jeweler's loupes

is now available. :) In case you were wondering.

I feel pretty confident through algebra 1/geometry. Much shakier for algebra 2 and beyond. I think my biggest question is will Discovering CC 7 lead okay into Dimensions 8?

My oldest dd finished Primary Mathematics, Standards 6 last year (after having done 1A-6B for elementary), and I was pleased with the program. We went through Jousting Armadillos during the first part of the year, but Crocodile and Cocunuts seems to be a lot trickier/more of a slog for her to wade through the words,words,words to the point of the math. Which makes me think that AoPS may not be just the thing to follow up with (I have Chuckles the Rocket Dog waiting for next). I know in advance for sure and certain that my second dd is not going to appreciate all the extra words involved in JA, etc. So, I started looking at Singapore middle school math books to see if integrated would be a good option for us during the middle school years. I found (and bought already...possibly should have waited on that) used copies of the 2012/13 versions of Discovering Mathematics textbooks and teacher's notes/solutions for 7A/7B. (even with shipping, it came to about $40 for all four books!) I didn't realize until today that discovering and dimensions were really similar covers, but possibly different series. (So many varieties, I now find!) At the moment, I'm thinking of having my oldest dd skim through the discovering mathematics 7 books and do a few diagnostic problems to see how her work in Jousting Armadillos translates. If there seems like a comparable quantity of work (for the amount of school year we have left), I might just have her work on the sections that we haven't already covered. If I plan ahead for dd2 (currently working in PM4B) to do Discovering Mathematics 7A/B when she gets there, is there some reason I should be factoring in for her to _not_ be able to go from Discovering Mathematics CC edition 7A/B -> Dimensions Mathematics 8A/B? TIA! I hope the question makes sense. (ha!)

Started and finished Born a Crime. I have so much respect for that man's mother. wow

Am I on the rebel bus if I haven't been keeping track of counties? Or just the lazy bus? :) I read Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers this week. The spelling used to make Wimsey read like he would sound was a bit distracting to me. But, overall I enjoyed it. (Still like Christie better...but I kind of expected I would.) Then I don't know why, but I got started on Pearl Buck's The Good Earth and devoured it in one day. I was so....incensed by the treatment of O-lan. I'm glad I read it. But, it was seriously depressing to me. I'm in the middle of Sons, now. (For some reason, I was sure that I had snagged a kindle copy of the trilogy when it was on sale in the summer to put on my TBR list. I was just sure I had. But I couldn't find any record of it when I went back to check. Then, I started looking at the kindle preview, which as a form factor for sustained reading is almost always annoying to me. But, the sample was so long that I got sucked into the story. So, I found it in digital format at our library's website and then got Sons from Amazon because it was strangely discounted at the time. But, I think I'm going to run into a problem when it's time for A House Divided because our library doesn't have it and the kindle version is more than I usually pay for books I haven't already read and know I want to read again. Sigh...) Also, I've been on the waiting list for the digital copy of Born a Crime and just today thought to check if our bigger county library has a physical copy. So...that is probably my next read. :) Kidlit is possibly my favorite genre. I'm co-teaching a lit class for mostly jr. high kids. We're finishing up One Crazy Summer and while the rest of the group will do Wrinkle in Time to wrap up the year, I get to work through Out of the Silent Planet with a few of the older kids in the group. I think it has the potential to jump start some really interesting conversations. So, I need to re-read and annotate that one in the not-too-distant future. Currently, I'm reading Wonder to my own crew at home. And, last...the link about Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles that Kareni posted upthread just made me smile. I big puffy heart love Taran's story. Thanks, Kareni! (You're an amazing article-finder! :) )