Have you looked into DITHOR? It discusses different lit. terms but you get to choose your own books. You could use books that go along with Ancients if you wanted. My dd13 enjoyed LL7 and the books that she read with it. She didn't enjoy the comp part, though, b/c she just doesn't like writing.

How long does Latin Prep take to do/teach each day? I don't mind a bit of teacher interaction on my part but don't have oodles of time to commit to it.

I want my dd13 to continue learning more grammar. She did R&S6 in 6th, LLATL 7 (which included diagramming) in 7th and then went to ps this past year for 8th...so no grammar (the class did BASIC diagramming subj.-verb for FUN and the entire class was so confused...except my dd!). I looked at AG, but it is way too expensive with all the other curr. we are buying. I liked R&S as did dd. Would R&S7 be too easy? It doesn't look like it. We could skip the lessons she already knows and move quickly into 8 if need be. Any thoughts? She will have some grammar in MFW AHL, but not a full course.

Yes, my bro said to add some kind of fuel additive to the gas as well.

I tend to agree with this. I am a bit leary myself and will probably preview it before letting the kids watch it.

I've used it before a few years back. Nothing to earth-shatteringly difficult, IMO. Would I need the TM if I was pretty strong in grammar myself? Thanks. Just trying to save a few bucks.

How old is the gas? My brother works in landscaping/mowing and just told me today that the most common reason for a mower not starting first time after winter is that that water has gotten into the gas tank? Perhaps drain the gas and start fresh? I'm not inclined in this way, but that's what my pro. bro. says to do! Check spark plugs, too. Could need a replacement and they are easy to replace.

I think this might be what I am looking for! Thanks!

Here is what I want: Inexpensive and can be re-used with multiple children. Simple to teach or can be used independently by the student (7th and 9th grader). Will not bore them to tears (or me for that matter). Good instruction meaning it is a solid program. I think that is it. I would really like to use The Latin Road, but unless we come into some money btwn now and August, that isn't going to happen! So, I want dd13 and ds12 to take Latin, finally, but need something like I described above. Does this exist? Thanks.

Do you have Basic or the Plus version? Basic gives me a headache and I didn't want to spend the money on Plus if it was going to be much the same. I gave up.

Don't go! We don't follow WTM religiously or homeschool 100% classical. This board is so much more than that! We take from the classical method what works for our family and ditch the rest. I think even SWB would agree that Classical doesn't work for every family just like every curriculum doesn't work for every family!

I have looked at Bravewriter. I do like what I see and even joined the Yahoo group or subscribed to the newsletter or something (been so long, can't remember). I just couldn't swallow shelling out close to $100 for a book!

Why is it that I do not like ANY writing program that I have used or looked at so far? I was always an avid writer. I loved and still do love to write. My dd13 HATES writing...any type of writing except songwriting and poetry. She writes beautiful songs, full of emotion. Formal writing is just not her strength. Ds12 is a creative writer. He loves to write stories, movie scripts, etc. Ds10 will write if forced, but prefers not to. :tongue_smilie: Ds9 thinks his hand will fall off if he has to write more than a dozen words in one sitting. :glare: Anyway, back to topic: I've tried many different programs over the years and I have always found something wrong with every.last.one. Writing strands: blech and more blech. IEW: Just not my style I guess? K12 Writing in Action: Eh...it wasn't all bad, just not great. Igniting Your Writing: just got it and it looks, "okay" at best. Wordsmith Apprentice: appealed to my ds12 at the time, but I did not care for it. WWE: I do like that for the elementary years. Writing Tales: that was "okay", but not terrific as I had hoped and my ds preferred to write his OWN story...not copy somebody else's (he's gonna HATE IEW's Amer. Hist. based writing lessons for next year, but I got it anyway!). So, there you have it. IS there a program out there that has it all? Good, solid instruction, ease of use, appeals to the student, isn't boring and dry, encourages writing from the hesitant writer but doesn't bore the avid writer? Or, am I just doomed to be dissatisfied with all programs?

Tina, I am so sorry times are so difficult for you. I know what it is like to have no working vehicle, no money, savings, etc. I will be praying for you, praying that God will make a way where there seems to be no way. Do you know anyone who can fix the oil leak/gush in the car? Have you asked around at your church for someone who might have a vehicle you could borrow for a while? We did that for about 3 months one year...borrowed a vehicle from a friend who wasn't using it. I wish I could help you more. I'd let you borrow our car if I lived close to you! :grouphug: and many, many prayers. God is our Jehovah Jireh...our provider.

That is a good idea. Thanks, Tina. He certainly is NOT a natural speller and although he has improved, he still has trouble with lots of words that have rules associated. I think PR will be very helpful for him and since I'm already using it...it's not like a waste of money.

This is very helpful. I plan to accelerate ds10 and ds12 through 1 & 2 very quickly, getting to 3 by Sept. I hope. Thank you! Tina, would you even take a 7th grader through this? Or, just let him go? He is not a great speller, but is an average reader. His writing is fine and we will be doing either R&S grammar with him next year of another grammar program.

Not often enough. Ummm...wash the walls? Never. When the fingerprints prohibit me from seeing out. Constantly. Small house, don't like clutter. Makes me crabby.

Here you go: http://www.archive.org/details/intermediatelan00serlgoog

AND, you can find ILL as a free download on the internet so you won't have to buy it AND you can just print the lessons you want to do! This was my "tentative" plan for my ds10 next year.

I can only tell you that after a few years of Spelling Workout, my kids didn't retain a thing...except dd13 who was a natural speller. She really didn't even need a spelling program at all. My boys, on the other hand, spelling "phonetically" while that was good for a while, it doesn't work long term, kwim? Phonics Road is teaching my ds9 the "why" of spelling and giving him the tools to be able to spell new words that he might not know. PR is expensive. Really expensive. I had to purchase 2 levels in the span of 6 months, but luckily I found them used. And, I'll be purchasing 3 and 4 by September. :glare: For me, it's worth it b/c I'll be using it with 6 children. And, I like the program. Teacher intensive? Not really much more than any other program. I teach the lesson with ds9 and it doesn't take much longer than 30 min...and that is doing one week in one day! When we get to Level 2, we'll slow down and I imagine it will take about the same time to do it all. Maybe. It's a good compliment to FLL, WWE. Level 2 does have grammar, btw.

You, like me, are drawn to HOD! It's just a "feeling", but I have always been drawn to that program even though I love MFW, too! So, you have RtR already? With that, you CAN combine your 5th and 2nd grader. Easy. With HOD, you would be doing at least 2 different guides...if not 3 if you planned to do anything with your PreKer. Personally, I would stick with RtR for next year since you have it and it IS a good program AND you can combine kiddos. If you feel drawn to HOD, why not check out LHFHG for your PreKer? That way, you can get a feel for the layout and the style and everything before you jump into using 2 or 3 different guides! We are doing Preparing and LHFHG next year while my dd13 does MFW AHL. I am excited. But, I am also nervous about doing 2 different guides even though everyone at HOD says it is doable. They don't know me!:tongue_smilie:

Which Blick sharpener did you get? I need a new sharpener that will not break after a few months. My expensive electric one stopped sharpening correctly after a few months of regular use.

Well, this isn't very budget friendly (but what is these days, right?) but we really love Phonics Road. Rules-based and very thorough. I am taking my 5th and 7th graders through this quickly over the summer to get them the instruction that they have missed all these years b/c of my waffling back and forth btwn program. We used Spelling Workout and there wasn't any retention. I do know that OhElizabeth has a program that is free? Webster's Spelling? Hope she chimes in!

Have you joined the FIAR board? They could probably be of more help there. I have Vol. 1 and think it perfect for the ages you have. Each volume, I think, gets progressively more challenging, if you will? Sorry I can't help more, but we've only used Vol. 1. I hope a veteran "rower" will chime in!

Hey Jane! Have you looked at The Phonics of Drawing? We got that for my ds a year ago and it is a good program. It is on CD for the computer. We have the Masterpiece Collection which includes drawing, watercolor painting, Multimedia and Multimedia Jr. HTH. And, hope you are well!