I just emailed Matthew but am not expecting an email back before Monday b/c tomorrow is Good Friday...not sure if the offices are open. I'm patient. :) I'm honestly torn btwn trying out EIW or using WWE/WWS or perhaps even using both and making next year a true focus on writing for all the kids. It is our "weak" area b/c I get the most flack from the kids and don't push it. :/ Next year I MUST focus on writing and getting them up to speed. Anyone use both EIW and WWE/WWS? I'm thinking of doing this for my 3rd, 5th and 7th graders...not my 8th grader. He's had sufficient practice with dictation and narrations and copywork while using HOD.

Thanks everyone! I'm reading mostly positive reviews. However, I also read that it is not a very challenging (rigorous) writing curriculum. For us, this is ok. I have 2 boys who really need basic writing instruction right now. We've been all over the board as far as type of program and instruction. Copywork, dictation, narrations (ala WWE), some creative writing, letter writing, etc. However, nothing that I feel has really instructed them. EIW seems to fit the bill. And it is affordable. Does anyone know about placement? I see on the website that he says you could probably place each child in the grade they are in at the time b/c there is enough review. I'm not certain this is going to work for my boys who are mostly behind in the la area. I'm thinking a year or even 2 behind. A rising 5th grader who reads at a late 2nd grade/early 3rd grade level and has little experience writing anything and a rising 7th grader whom I described above (writing phobic). Any thoughts?

Not sure of your religious beliefs, but if you are Christian, I simply adore HOD for it's ease of use, book choices, projects, etc. An accelerated 9yo could easily jump right into the Creation to Christ guide and use it independently. :) But it is unabashedly Christian. This is a selling point for us, but I don't know if it would be for you.

I've heard good things about EIW and I am intrigued. I can't afford IEW and honestly just did not like the directed writing approach when we used the theme books. So...EIW. :) I am looking at this for a 3rd grader who LOVES to write (she will spend hours making books, writing letters, etc.), a 5th grader who is a struggling reader and has had absolutely NO formal writing as we've been concentrating on reading and spelling, a 7th grader who abhors writing (everything from the act of holding a pencil to moving it across a page to thinking about what to even write) and an 8th grader who has been using HOD and is familiar with narrations and some formal writing. I am also looking at the high school programs for my 10th grader and 12th graders to really solidify the writing process and such. Could somebody please review any of the levels for me? Would I need separate grammar for the lower levels (1st-8th) b/c I see that grammar is included? Thanks!

Thank you for that review! Very helpful. I have a child who seems to need the "every little itty bitty step" approach. Actually, probably 2. :) I'm wondering about MM for my 4th grader using Horizons now (which I hate). Hmmm...so many choices...

I think the CD is a must, but not necessarily the assessment pack (which we don't have). My dd16 has used through level 2 of Galore Park's SYRWTL Spanish and is in Level 3 now. I like it. Knowing Spanish myself has come in handy b/c she's needed a lot of help. We have lower levels of RS Spanish as well and supplement with it to reinforce.

The deal is very tempting. We are long time Singapore users and I don't like to change math curriculums unless something isn't working. I am wondering if it would be more cost effective for us in the long run (I have 4 children left in the 1st-6th range). Any thoughts about MM vs. SM or does anyone use MM to supplement and if so, which series? Sorry for the questions. I have less than a week to decide which to get! I'm leaning toward the Light Blue series in case we would ever decide to switch. Ugh. Choices, choices! Advice?

I didn't even think about the time factor. Thanks. I might continue Singapore for the 2 that are already familiar and simply start the 4yo in Y1a, moving slowly. Thanks!

Wondering if any MEP users could help me with MEP placement. My dd7 will be finishing up Singapore 2B and I would like to move her into MEP (free is good, right?). In your experience, is there a fairly seamless transition from Singapore to MEP, meaning would she move into MEP 3A fairly easily? I also have a 10yo who is finishing up Horizons 3. He used Singapore and then we were gifted a Horizons 3 set and instead of spending more $ I just used that. I hate it. :( I'm either going back to Singapore or moving him into MEP (again, free is good, right?). I'm not sure where to put him. I'm thinking 4A but his x facts are not that solid. He can "do" math, but he doesn't have the facts down. I suppose those are easy enough to brush up on, though. Any advice from current MEP users? I also have a 4yo (almost 5) wanting to do "real school" and thought to start him in 1A. Would this be the right place to start him? He is already very number savvy...can do addition, subtraction and understands what he is doing. Thanks!

I am soooo going to regret asking this, but here goes...What is all the fuss about AoPS? Is it really that good? Could someone tell me a bit more about it or link me to a discussion or website? Thanks!

You are the coolest! Thank you. I did a search and just couldn't find any. I KNEW there were a ton...in fact I probably started on or two. ;)

Just curious where what you all did after Singapore 6B? Discovering Mathematics? NEM? Go right into another Algebra or Pre-Alg. program? My 7th grader will be finishing 6B soon and I want to order curriculum while I have a CBD free shipping code. He does well with Singapore, could probably go right into Algebra but I think I would prefer a year of Pre-Alg. or the equivalent to really solidify his skills. Thanks for any advice!

I am leaning toward Bio. And yes, I was talking about a more Calculus based Physics than a "basic" Physics. They certainly have the math for a basic course. Thanks everyone. The Biology course would be taken through the Virtual Homeschool Groups free online classes and the labs done at co-op on Fridays.

My 2 high school children are most likely NOT going into a science-related field. Dd will be a senior. She has taken Physical Science, Biology, Environmental Science (through a co-op...taught be a retired public high school science teacher) and will take Chemistry next year. No way will she be ready to do Physics. Is that horrible? Ds will be a sophomore. He also took Environmental Science through the same co-op this year. Next year our co-op will offer Biology (using Virtual Homschool Group free online classes using Apologia Bio) and Physical Science taught be one of the Dads who is a chemical engineer/teacher/all-around-science geek...;) My question is for ds. Would it be best for ds to take the Physical Science and then do Bio and Chem or do Bio so he can do Chem in 11th and an advanced science his senior year? I'm very confused as to what most colleges want to see as far as science is concerned. I took Bio, Chem, Physics (never understood a word) and then Advanced Bio when I was in high school. But I was a much stronger math student than my ds and dd. Neither will have the math necessary to do Physics I don't think. I just don't want them to "suffer" if I choose the wrong path, kwim? Thanks for your help!

We do NOT have to use just one curriculum. I believe the preference is to study specifically American History. Our classes are broken up like this: K-2, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th and high school. Many parents have children in multiple classes. For this reason we are trying to find a curriculum that is affordable and could possibly be used in more than one age range. The current "top pick" is Notgrass America the Beautiful for 6th-8th and A Child's Story of America for 3rd-5th and History Pockets/other activites for K-2. That leaves high school...another pricy curriculum most likely. Notgrass is nearly another $100 and something like BJU US History is $50. :/ That's a lot of $$ if you have a child in EACH of those grade levels. Anyway, I'm just trying to figure out a good compromise, if at all possible. Thanks for your help!

Children/parents would do the assigned reading during the week. Friday (co-op day) would be used for activities based on the reading, group projects that couldn't be done at home, etc. We are hoping to keep the class more "project based" than worksheet/test/lecture based. Does that make sense? So, yes, the children would do the reading at home. I have a copy of SOTW 4 and checked out samples online for SOTW 3. It looks like we could do it if the children read 3 chapters each week. This is roughly the equivalent of the amount of reading they would be required to do in a text like Notgrass America The Beautiful, for example (this is the curriculum our director wants to use but it is not affordable more most of our families, esp. those with children in multiple age levels). I thought SOTW was more "neutral" as far as religious tendency but if it has to be "classified" it would certainly lean more Christian.

Continuing my quest to find a US History curriculum for our co-op that is inexpensive and can be used with multiple ages (age range I'm looking at is 3rd-8th). Our co-op director really wants our entire K-12th co-op to study American History next year. She's not budging. :/ The curriculum choices so far are expensive and have been met with a bunch of "I can't afford that"s from many of the Moms. We really need something that is affordable, preferably Christian worldview and "meaty" enough for middle school yet readable enough for upper elem. After many weeks of searching, I have landed on SOTW Vol. 3 and 4. I know it is World History and I know it isn't Christian worldview (providential). However, I also know that while it is not providential in its presentation, it is not anti-God or anti-Christian and that it is well-written. We would want to try our best to get through Vol. 3 and 4 in one year. How doable is this? I know it wouldn't be the optimal way, but can it be done? I'm honestly all out of ideas that are affordable. With SOTW, our 3rd-5th class and 6th-8th class can be on the "same page" while the High Schoolers use a more American History specific curriculum. What says the Hive? Yes? No? You're crazy? :)

THANK YOU! Phew...I "got" how to do it, but shut down when trying to explain it to my son! We both thank you!

My brain is frozen. I need help with this problem. Exercise 11, #2: 1/2 of David's money is 2/3 of Henry's money. a) Express David's $ as a fraction of Henry's $. B) If David has $60 more than Henry, how much money to they have altogether. Can somebody please help me explain this to my son? I "get" it but am having a hard time explaining it to my son so he can "get" it, lol. Thanks!

Almost Home by Wendy Lawton, Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates, The Sign of the Beaver by George

This was my feeling as well. I would count this as .5 credit in Personal Finance and that is all. I would add in a separate Economics course, like Notgrass and Penny Candy book for the .5 credit in Econ. And I didn't see anywhere in this course any material that could be counted as Consumer Math.

Is Hakim enough for a high schooler? My now 11th grader used Hakim in 5th grade.

Our co-op is offering this class next year and billing it as an Economics/consumer math/personal finance course for high schoolers. I disagree that is could count as Economics credit as it. Has anyone used this for econ. and if so, what did you add to it to make it credit worthy w/out having to buy another separate Econ curriculum? Thanks!

In planning the American History course for our co-op next year, I came across Notgrass America the Beautiful for middle school. I really like the looks of it. My only concern is having to buy a separate curriculum for high school. Many of our Moms have children in both levels and are concerned about cost. I am too. Has anyone successfully "tweaked" America the Beautiful to use it for high school credit? Not having the book in my hand and not having read it, I have no idea the level of reading or how "meaty" it is nor how appropriate it would be for high school. If you have used this curriculum, could you please chime in and tell me your thoughts? Thanks!

Hi everyone. I'm planning the American History course for our co-op's middle and high schoolers for next year. I would like to use the SAME program for 6th-12th to keep costs down for our parents who have children in both grade levels (like myself!). I realize that there will have to be some tweaking involved to accommodate the needs of all but would like to have a "spine". I thought of using All American History and tweaking "up" for the high schoolers but I used this curriculum this past year and my children didn't really enjoy it very much. Neither did I. :/ We have looked at Notgrass and I love America the Beautiful for Middle but fear it would be too hard to tweak to make it credit worthy for high school. Does anyone have any suggestions for a program/curriculum that might fit this need? Thanks!