It sounds like fun. I wish that we had more focused charters here. Don't forget that you still need to help with homework and projects. :)

I am still catching up on this thread, but on page 2, there was concern about the number being homsechooled through highschool. Well, my first became extremely difficult due to a very strong personality and depression. She approached me and asked to take the GED. Without even a complete 10th-grade education, I was doubtful. I let her. She did not take any prep classes either. She placed in the top 5% with her scores for that year. Keep in mind that many of the students may very well being opting for early GED and continuing on to trade school, college, or blue-collar jobs. My oldest is a pet groomer. She went to grooming school. Not a college education, but a trade. I would like to see the number of homeschoolers that take the GED early or are forced to take the GED in order to continue training in a trade or get a job (remember Amazon? the military?). I know things have changed over the years, but this does change the numbers. ETA: I use a variety of resources, including ABeka(usually just LA) and BJU (science or math) as well as a dozen other things, including Saxon. Resources aside, the IRL viewpoint is the consideration and reason for the post. Our personal experiences ... and the reality sucks. I think we should spread out and start creating WTM homeschool groups! I am not a classical purist, but I take education seriously. (How many of you are in SC? LOL) It is a 50/50 mix just as in the B&M schools. You will have those that take academics seriously and have high aspirations and those that just want to get by and get out.

IRL I come across very few true homeschooling parents. One, homeschools because she, the parent, made her child late to school. She doesn't really grade and rarely makes the child complete work. Another spends so much time teaching religion that the child does not know any history. Some, they choose whatever is independent and easy. I find very few that provide actual instruction. That is why most of us here are different. We do teach our kids in some fashion, or with some purpose and methodology, and we teach them more than just basic academics to get by or be equal in the real world. I want a successful adult. Most of you do too. We want our kids to be kids yet mature at an appropriate rate. The homeschool group dislikes me. I work. :lol: Everyone asks me when the kids will be back at school. :glare: However, when they go back to school and enroll in advanced classes, pass with an A, and take first place in the state science fair ... they don't seem to know what to do with my children. :lol: My sixth grader at the time was informing the teacher on how her lecture on ancient Egypt was incorrect, as well as explaining the Egyptian mythology relationship to the pharaohs. Ooops! Then, you have some who come in from homeschool so far behind! Most do not take it seriously. We do. Guess that makes me a bee. I have been here since .... 98/99 I think. I post in spurts. It depends on my work load for the year (how many contracts and so forth or if it is onsite or not). I love reading this post.

According to the law ... A signature may be handwritten, stamped, printed, engraved, photographed, or cut from on medium to another ... blah blah With the onset of digital signatures and signing documents digitally, the law made revisions. So, your answer, NO, it does not have to be in cursive. However, should you teach it? Oh yes ... it is as valuable to the brain as logic.

Bump .... I have about a dozen. Anyone else?

I am trying to remember the teachers .... I remember answers to the book and the assignments, but no examples. The essays were more expository. In some cases, you would use rhetoric skills to develop your essay and argue/prove a statement or belief. You would have to read the text in order to grade the essay. I actually enjoyed this text - it was a bit wordy but very detailed. I also used the CD of resources too that came with the book. But to answer you ... not that I recall, and that has been quite a long time - my oldest is 23 now, LOL. I have it packed, but let me see if I can reach it. I dug out the book for reference for American history this year, and I am going to add some Notgrass to our collection, but I didn't get the TE because dd now is not ready for that level (seventh). Hold that question ... Unless someone else can answer it now :)

In response to your testing, I would suggest Rod & Staff third grade spelling and grammar book or Abeka/BJU. You can skip a grade because she sounds like she has a good grasp of reading, fluency, vocabulary, and phonics. I have seen the second grade books (and used them, and it won't make that much of a difference). This will make sure that she doesn't miss anything, but keep her going forward and being challenged. You can always slow down grammar and add workbooks/worksheets for practice. It sounds like writing should be a focus this year with grammar. I wouldn't go with IEW yet. I would use Write Shop (junior levels first) or similar for that age. Keeping the vocabulary in mind and wanting her to keep advancing her pace, you might want to look at Vocabulit books. They have lower levels, and you could pick up a third grade level too. These use passages, which will help her with fluency and vocabulary. I suggest third grade because that was the lowest she placed. It will help her progress with ease. You can cover things quicker as needed. So, I would skip the second grade materials. IMO :)

Home Science Tools ... They had backpacks for exploring/study. While we didn't purchase these particular packs, we did assemble our own for "adventures". Specimen kits ... I spent weeks sending away and/or requesting from various organizations. The best, Alaska. They even sent oil! Ex. http://www.geology.ar.gov/education/rock_packets.htm You call and request one packet. I printed and downloaded maps and handouts from the state geology site for us. As well, I sent away for anything and everything that I could that was free and covered under our topics. :) Honestly, you get a lot of stuff, and it is free to the public, not just for teachers. (ETA: I said "I", but I made it a point to teach dd how to address envelopes, make calls, and email.) One of my go-to sites ... http://www.topscience.org/home.html And last but not least ... we did space too when studying the earth, and I have to say grab an iPod or some type of tablet. Enable the GPS, download a stargazing app, and grab a blanket. We kept sketches in a composition book of each constellation found with dates, notes, and research. Very informal, and certainly a very "smashed" notebook. They added NASA photos and astronomer bios. It was very eclectic.

I used the bed-bug episode to purge (a girlfriend spent the night with dd last year and brought bugs). We kept ... the Wii and games Videos puzzles board games books (coloring, activity, and reading) Legos Lincoln Logs Wooden Blocks Kitchen set with dishes and plastic foods 2 ipods paper dolls 3 baby dolls with clothes and accessories craft supplies and kits (rubber band bracelet set, beads, pet rocks, crayons, markers, papers, etc.) building/model kits are now a focus (littlest is putting together a miniature golf set for the yard) We added balls, bats, and such for outside. Really, it has been great. ETA: I banned all purchases of blankets, fuzzy pillows, and stuffed animals. Yeah, most of those just plain went to the trash.

I hate to sound like the "debbie downer" but .... My seven year old can sound out the words from Harry Potter,Twilight and Nations of Nations, but that doesn't mean that she reads fluently at that level or understands what she read, which means that she doesn't actually read at that level. Her level is about early second grade at this point. Vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency indicate reading level. You might want to pick up a language arts test that will test her, including comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. It will give you a better gauge as to the actual reading level. There are great books such as Rod & Staff English and Pathway or Elson Readers, that will help you encourage her abilities and work at a higher-paced and more advanced level - thus actually increasing vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. You have somewhere to go :) Some children just pick up on whole-word or phonics and can figure out the words. I would not make reading at a higher level a priority because you will miss foundation needs for success. (OK, you can hate me now.) Don't forget writing!

IEW has been on my list for some time ... I used Write Source from Hewitt, and we will move over this year to their literature & composition, but ... they still need that essay formula. I have a creative writer too. She fights me kicking and screaming when she needs to write an essay. So far, I have used Writing Strands again with this one. It is a solution to the standard essay that academics require, but it will make you want to slap your head and poke your eyes out. It is just something that has to be done. And yes, creative writing for an elective sounds great from my POV! I am looking at writing and photography electives. I feel ... un-original when stacked up against this daughter, LOL. How about you? (Psstt ... but I can write an essay that will knock your socks off, hehe)

I thought that I would just add that you could print them yourself and cut them out. Heavy weight card stock, table layout in Word, and print. Cut them into squares. Use magnetic tape (inexpensive on Amazon). You could do all sorts of things then. Punctuation, numbers, shapes, clock, etc. I am doing numbers, shapes, fractions, and clock now. It would be more for you dollar, but more time for you.

Laurie Hicks of Shoelace Books I purchased the PDF of grades 3-12 as a set. I looked on the site, and I could not find the bundle. I would contact them and ask for it. Laurie Hicks <shoelacebooks@yahoo.com> I emailed her for the link. I did see that the site has some viewing issues where they were sold when I purchased. She has Simply Phonics and Simply English too, if I remember correctly. :-/ I hope it doesn't disappear!

Have you looked at Hewitt? Nation of Nations is a great honors book for US history. I like the plan and layout for writing. Couple this with the American Literature, and you have a good set. You will cover composition, literature, and US history in this way. We did just that with the oldest. I am looking at doing the same again for the next. HTH

I have used Rod & Staff. Yes, it does a great job. It is independent too. I use it up to the seventh grade. We switch to vocabulary, and I will do it in the same way the third time. However, you do need to be able to write and read cursive. Simply Spelling is even more independent. You teach on Monday and dictate on Friday. They do short lessons. We use this as well. To be honest, I really like this. We did double spelling in a way from the fourth grade up. I kept the Simply Spelling in seventh and eighth, and I will through high school too. It is really, really inexpensive for all grades.

Oh yes, totally agree with a poster above. There are several different "thinking" modes that are often grouped into what we call "logic". Teach them to think. I would say that sums it up well. Do it how you want and feel it best serves your child/student. Just do something. LOL

OT: Look up fan fiction ... have her create her own. It is a way to use imitation and evolve original plots as well. Otherwise, I think that a more structured approach might do you well, something formulaic, eg IEW. You could incorporate more writing in her literature as well, eg Hewitt's Lightning Literature & Composition. Another option - Write with the Best Vol 2. Look for something that not only demonstrates, or imitates. Did that help at all? Encourage her to be creative, but you still need to cover the standard essay and be rigorous with it. They have to know it for college and SAT. Address just her weakest areas and allow her to be creative (narrative/descriptive) in her past time.

I am in the seventh'ish grade and ending the logic stage with the 2nd child. I see the difference. We did use logic workbooks and critical thinking subject material. Wow, I can see the difference in conversation and reaction to life. For example, I suggested a Nano for my music lover. I had to sit through the entire media-hype lecture which detailed product advertising persuasiveness versus actual product quality and function. Really? Fine, never mind! So, yes! It is the entire evolution of thinking and response to stimuli, eg advertising, news, that changes. If you do nothing but use Logic Countdown workbooks or read the Fallacy Detective, do it. It does not have to be a formal and traditional subject. Something like puzzles will do the same thing to encourage the brain to make different connections with information. This is really needed in math - and a benefit in history and science.

Thanks! All sorts are needed ... perfect handwriting is what I discovered was my "reading" flaw.

Do not use IE due to a severe security flaw. (Browsing with Flash) Versions 6 through 11. No patch is out at this time. Just spreading the word. This is verified. I am in the IT world and sharing my alert with you.

I just wanted to say thank you to those of you that elected to help. :) I appreciate the variety. Bumping!

I do worry about the notion that we take children home for homeschool because a problem exists. I disagree. I had no problem with the academics, and we muddled through with the rest. We homeschool because we do not want to adhere to a predetermined routine of expectation. My ideal is not to replicate the traditional classroom in our home. We learn on the sofa, at the table, sittling outside, in the car, in the bathroom, in the tub, in a rocking chair, on the kitchen floor ... you get the idea. :) If you want a public school feel and style ... well, not to be harsh, then you should have left them there. :D

Saxonhomeschooler.com has traditional content - student text with activities and resources, including TE, online for usually 100 a course. You didn't mention secular or Christian - I would say BJU if I could not mix with Abeka. :)

I only have the three emails. Odd. As well, I just bought some at more than 1.00 just two weeks ago, which are now 10 cents! Maybe they are rotating the types of offerings. They do this quite often, and sometimes offer free. :)

Thank you. :)