Thanks, everyone!! You have all helped a great deal. I will check out the samples, but it sounds like most of you kind of affirmed what I was thinking...of maybe skipping right to red (if not waiting until yellow to start). Thanks for responding!

Is one more "difficult" than the other? Our state accepts the CAT and it seemed the easiest to administer (not as many restrictions as far as who can administer/when, etc.) -- wondering if it is less rigorous test-wise, too?

If my ds already knows his letters and is sounding out words (he is in Explode the Code 2 and about half way through OPGTR), what level would he be in for LLATL? I have never used the program before and am a lost in all the "colors" of the series! I don't want it to be overly challenging, but not boring, either.

Anyone ever used or heard of these books? Opinions? I am looking for a way to firm up my dd's expository writing skills and don't know if book 4 of this series stands alone or if they need to be done in series. Thanks!

(That said, you could offer to help pay if you have the means and they don't right now...but that depends on many things, including the dynamics of your relationship. You are her mother, but she is a responsible adult now, kwim?)

My .02 -- the parents should pay. I would not expect my parents or in-laws to pay for my child's medical bills, whether insurance covered it or not. You had no choice but to get him the care...it's not like you said "Hey...instead of getting ice cream, let's go to the ER!" He was hurt and needed care. They would have done the same thing if he had been with them.

Thanks! I just pm'd you, too. :001_smile:

If you have used Vocabulary from Classical Roots for the lower grades (4, 5 & 6) -- do you recommend getting the Teacher's Guide, too? Or could I get by with just the student workbooks? Thanks!

I will have to check those out -- I had not heard of wordsmith before. Thanks!

That does sound like what I am looking for -- dd writes well, but has a hard time organizing sometimes and could use help self-editing. I hope to focus on expository writing. She is much better at fiction and story-telling. Thanks!

I was 24, he was 23. This month will be 16 years married, 18 together. :001_smile:

I think that at this age they can get a bit frustrated with the book if they get a bit bogged down and don't feel that "sense of accomplishment" they do when breezing through books like MTH or other books of that size. My daughter just took off, too, and reads the American Girl books in a couple of hours lately. But, I think she LIKES the fact that she does that -- it makes her feel like a reader! :001_smile: A suggestion I have for the longer books that you want to do, at least in the beginning of the year, before he is ready for the longer books -- books on cd/tape. My kids love those. We did the Narnia series and she read along. So, she is reading, but keeps her interest longer because someone is reading it to her. (Similar to you or dh reading it to him, but you can do it in the car, too! :001_smile:)

Thanks so much for the info! I like the idea that they learn to edit themselves! :001_smile:

So glad she got there ok! :001_smile:

The kids and I recently went through all seven of the Harry Potter books on tape and we love Jim Dale. How he keeps all the different voices straight throughout all the books is just amazing.

After two years of Calvert, I am looking for a writing program for my 6/7 grade dd. She tried Writing Strands in 4th grade and it just didn't "click" with her. Any suggestions for a good program? I have looked at IEW but it is a bit pricey and, honestly, it may be a bit too teacher intensive with all we have planned. Any opinions on Writeshop? Thanks!

We liked Ridgewood Grammar by EPS -- it is a workbook series of three books and it covers a lot, imo. Also includes diagramming, which I liked. You can see samples at EPSbooks.com.

You are not too old -- a lot of people are not having their first until 40 these days -- but I hear you with all of your concerns. When we got (surprise!) pg with our 1 yo, a whole new set of fears came about because of my age. We are very blessed and I absolutely love my family of four. But, I will be honest and say that, at least for me, being pregnant and having an infant was MUCH harder at 39 than it was at 28 (when I had my first). It is just more taxing all around (especially the breastfeeding/hormones on my body this time around) as you get older. Again, that is me. And every child is worth it. But, we are "done," so to speak, as far as adding to the bunch -- at least that is our plan. Good luck with your decision.

Thanks to everyone for all their input. I think I will go with Latin Prep for my older dd and take it from there. :)

Thanks for all the useful info, everyone!

Thanks, Jenny! And it is not a problem, I completely understand busy! :)

If I remember, there are only a few references. Luckily, my kids are as into Harry Potter as I am. :) We used Ridgewood and I was pleased with it. Good way to cement the basics, and they incude diagramming.

lol Talked yourself into the audio, huh? :) Thanks for all the info! Can anyone join the yahoo group? Can I just do a search on yahoo for it?

Really well said. As with so many things, you just have to find the strength to close the chapter...realizing that there is so much more to be written. Here's to some really exciting chapters ahead. :)