I linked the catalog - you can read the article online. As for history facts: Who was the first president? What is the name of the ships that brought the Pilgrims? In what year did Columbus set sail? When was the American Revolution? You are drilling common knowledge. :)

Search me on the forums. I have replied to this many times having used WWtB. It is a great layout. You will need to copy the selections, the days are assigned so there is no planning, and the checklists and tip sheets included. There is little in the way of grammar study. Both volumes offer different topics. The first being narrative and descriptive. I was needed the first day after doing the first lesson together. After, I turned my fifth grader loose. We met for the first day only, and discussed the subsequent days. I would not see her until the final draft. After discussing her draft, she would make corrections and type her paper. She used a binder to add all of her work and drafts as well as copies of the literature selections. I did get a grammar handbook from ABeka (preferred it at the time). I added a thesaurus and dictionary to her basket. We completed volume 1 over 2 years with two levels of Writing Strands. BTW, I never solely use one book or subject pack. That is just me. There is nothing wrong with just using WWtB. It is enough writing.

Free resources - http://www.dickbaldwin.com/tocHomeSchool.htm http://www.homeschoolprogramming.com/ The two best starter languages are Alice and Scratch. Go straight to Amazon. Once she gets her feet wet, Hello World is a great logic book for programming.

Being really honest here and having used them both ... neither! LOL If you want a text-bookie subject that can be had as a set with lessons planned, ABeka. I still use it. I start no later than the third grade. I tried Rod & Staff, and while the fifth book was fantastic, I did not like the layout and presentation. The workbook style of ABeka is easy. The literature is decent as well. You can not get the literature. I do like the Grammar and Compistion and the Spelling books though. If you want to break from the textbook, Analytical Grammar and Writing Strands (for the 9yo) ... toss in some VocabuLit and you are off. Very, Very different.

Absolutely teach her to code ... I listed tons of Scratch language-based books for kids on my blog. A Google will give you tons of resources in addtion to those. That is a great age to start. :) Don't forget to include a programming logic in the next year or two! She will have lots of fun. :)

The more I thought about this question over the last few days, as well as many of the answers, I just thought to myself why not? If you fail to include any memorization, what is the point? This is the GRAMMAR STAGE. :-/ The purpose of the grammar stage is to remember. Facts and drill are of great importance. At this age, they focus on tangible and concrete information. Anything abstract or subjective is a total waste of time, IMO. This means memorization and drill. Do not waste these years. It goes against the very foundation of a classical learning methodology. I really think that before you dismiss any memorization within your homeschool that you should grab the latest edition of the catalogue/magazine from Memoria Press (pg 20) and have a read. I loved the account of this father. He had some very valid points that support my own practice and belief towards memorization and classical education. Overview of the Grammar Stage

Thanks and for you ... http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/services-academic/index.html Almost all of the classics by Penguin Books have TG or guides as well. :)

While I did not read the above comments in detail, I have to stop you right now! When you write, you complete a draft. The point of the draft is not grammar or spelling. The draft is the beginning. The second draft will begin to show organization. As the piece begins to get nearer to the "published state", you should start to see corrections. By the final draft, or published piece, the corrections should be complete. The problem is NOT the spelling. The problem is the writing process. You do not need to address the spelling. You should address the proofing and editing of the writing during the draft stage. If the writer results to phonetically spelling a word during the draft, that is fine. However, and a big however here, this is an indication that a dictionary or spellchecker (if typing) should be consulted for the proper spelling of the word. Teach the student to proof and edit. There are workbooks and websites in abundance devoted to this skill. It is not easily learned. Use the checklists, proofing marks, etc. Resist the urge to make the correction yourself. Mark the paper for correction at some point during the draft stage. BTW, bad spelling does not have to be the result of a learning disability.

OT, but I just started wtih the Critical Thinking as well. :) Oh that is so neet that Remedia is e-booking, they have some others that I want. Thanks!

Saxonhomeschoolers. It is a typical history with the expected work. TE is online with all student resources. It's about $100. Read text. Answer questions. Complete worksheet. Complete project. Take test. Done.

Speaking of the logic stage ... Logic Countdown while you are there. :)

I second Remedia Publications. I used them to teach summary as well. I really appreciated both and considered them an asset for both language arts and social studies.

Being that I have a first grader, I use them. I do not subscribe to a subject pack for social studies or science. I piece together what I need. I love the little books that can be colored for historical figures. I like the writing prompts and booklets for science and social studies that are Read & Write. I even use the map workbooks to make sure that I cover map skills. I like the holiday art books. I adore the folder word walls! I bought the riddles book for penmanship and reasoning. For my older, I buy the idoms and analogies workbooks as well as the revision workbooks. Vocabulary books that cover additional content areas, and so much more. So, yes we use them. To keep from buying them "again", I keep them all in one folder. To make sure that we use them, I print them. I use a file system to set each week. It is very easy for me to look at a week physically and decide that I can add more or need more to fill the content or topic. I believe whether or not you use them or need them will depend on your educational methods and planning methods. Hope that helps you some too. :)

I prefer Elson Readers over Mcguffey. I have used both. I do believe that it has a lot to do with not being specific to a grade or age level, the increasing difficulty, the vocabulary deveolpment, wide range of stories and subject matter, etc. There are penmanship tasks, phonics charts, focus on punctuation, emphasis on syllables and pronounciation, etc. While I tend to cull recourses and tools, I could never just use this set. I like the workbooks that come with the Elson Reader now as well. As a matter of fact, I have Elson Readers and Pathway Readers that we are using this year for first, along with some vintage drill books for phonics, and mix in a little Explode the Code and a touch of handwriting (print and cursive). I hope that helps. If you are not impressed with Mcguffey and want a bit more, then I would look at Elson.

Yes, and I made a memory book too. (on my blog) We did a great deal of copywork as well. It is geared from about the 3rd grade up, cursive. MY FAVORITE ... http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/hannah-wilson/grammar-stage-memorization/ebook/product-631808.html Lists for memory of ancients ... Verses http://homeschoolingtorah.com/wp-content/uploads/ancient-history-memory-work.pdf http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/49973-memorization-lists-for-ancient-history/ http://domanmom.com/2013/05/timeline-song/ http://www.sproutingtadpoles.com/2013/08/history-memory-work-free-printable-cards/

http://www.rainbowresource.com/pictures/028214/ac00c6bf1a171fa0b7674320

I was disappointed, but I did find a few things. I did get to review a few resources that are Christian centered that we use as well, such as ABeka Grammar & Composition (I switched back from Rod & Staff). I really like Rod & Staff Book 5, but I am not overly friendly with ones that follow. Perhaps it is student reception that makes me just buy ABeka instead. Anyway, I do agree with the OP. I dislike that we have to be so attentive to wording. It is deceptive in my opinion. Honestly, I expected to view texts and resources that were Christian focused, but I did not expect to have so very little representation. I was even disappointed with the Rainbow booth. I didn't go to buy or see toys. :-/ I wanted to see educational materials. Honestly, while I am happy that I went by the Saxon Homeschoolers booth, I was not impressed with the representative there - very dismissive. This was sad because I had questions, which I will put to email along with my impressions from that day. I really would love to see a homeschool exhibit that focused on something other than conversion, college, camp, virtual school, and toys. I doubt I go back, but I am glad I went. I found a few gems there!

saxonhomeschooler.com - not just math either .... really should go visit. :)

Notebook study.... like this. What we include varies from what I copy and paste. I give them lots of pencils and pens in colors with paper scraps and a glue stick. I find a lot of nice lapbook'ie things to add from Practical Pages. We "smash" them into a composition notebook. It works great. They write a few sentences from their books or web searches. The oldest is required to create a small outline. I even get art stickers if they are cheap. Most times I print small clips to cardstock for them to tape or paste. There are a variety of colored tapes now too. It can be as eclectic as they want it to be.

Two things were attractive to my girls at those ages, Pandia's science and CM's Nature Study methods. Quick and easy with drawing/picture taking and lots of interaction needed from them, not me.

A program that would upload answer keys and scan (OCR) the work and check it for me. :) Allows me to set the sensitivity of correctness as well, LOL. It would take a PDF of the Teacher's Manual and schedule all exercises as well. I really am dreaming.

Go to Device Manager and locate the USB Root Hubs, Properties, Power Management: Unclick the allow to turn this device off. It sounds like you are losing power after a time or losing the connection. Go to windows update and update. Turn of legacy support in BIOS settings. Try those few things - Google to undertand, LOL. :)

Elson Readers.

Versus objective C ... I would go to C++ first. I know the other is the primary for apps on the i's, but it is much more difficult to make the transition in my opinion. Once you write in C++, you can probably switch over to objective C a bit easier. I don't find o-C to be as easily recognizable or relatable to other types of languages. It's probably a bit more relatable to javaScript actually. Are you a programmer? Do you know other languages? If so, go for it. If Python is your only experience .... possible if you are determined. I would be so I can't say no. :D So, take what I blabbed or not ... only you know your skill level and determination. LOL

LOL, I am behind two books on that series. The s*x makes me blush horribly! Glad you liked the Elson set. I love them. They did wonders for my littles ... when they were little. Slowly they integrate literature too. I remember book 5 really diving into literary elements. It has been a few years since having them out. :) BTW, you will know when you have too much. They will let you know and you will see the signs of burn out. I find adding unschooling days really has helped. A good example of an unschooling moment, measuring the snowballs and the snowman. :) Life is learning.