Wait, so CE and VW look like they couldn't be more different! If I were choosing the most effective method to build vocabulary, the trained teacher in me would choose CE. However... the I-need-you-to-do-something-on-your-own mom in me, loves the look of VW. Plus, it looks like it lends itself to learning all of those school/testing skills. It could also serve as my dd's spelling program with all of the writing. Those of you who have used VW, did your child retain the words?

I always wait until the last minute and end up spending too much. Do your kids make something? What do you send your mom, MIL, grandmother, etc. for Mother's Day?

Ugh. This brings back horrible memories for me. I missed a lot of school, as I would throw up for hours on the first day of my period due to the pain. It was awful. Two words: BIRTH CONTROL!!! I didn't try it until I was 18 and I wish I would have taken it sooner. It didn't cure my pain for good, but it helped a lot. Also, taking an asprin everyday for about 5 days before I start really helps. See if her doctor can prescribe a high dose of pain meds for her. I'm so sorry for your daughter. :(

Is there a reason you are looking for a charter or boxed program? You don't need much for kindergarten, and the things I would be looking for don't come in a box or online. :) Classes, art projects, playgroups, park days, etc. are what will probably fill your days. Find a simple reading program (like the Ordinary Parents Guide) and lots of hands-on math activities. You can print out your own handwriting/copywork pages if your child is ready to write. Kindergarten won't cost much at all. Although, if I had the money for private school, I could do some AMAZING things in our homeschool (trips, classes, projects, etc)! Have fun! Kindergarten is wonderful!

People keep talking about threads that they will "delete later." How do I do this? I don't see how to delete a post.

Wow! Good for you! That is NOT what I'd call a lazy meal! We are eating Cheerios and bananas tonight. ;) My parents get here tomorrow so we've been readying all day. I'm done! Usually we are a fairly from-scratch family, too, though. Cheerios are a special treat because I usually don't let them eat them for breakfast. I only buy two boxes a month. Lazy meals for us include: -scrambled eggs and toast with fruit -pasta, sauce and veggies -meatballs, surprisingly- not exactly lazy, but they are comfort food so it's worth it for me - an assortment of leftovers or whatever I can find in the fridge- cheese and crackers, carrots, toast with peanut butter, yogurt and granola, etc.

He puts my kids to bed. Every night! Well, when he's not traveling, which is 50% of the time right now. He does the "Get ready," "Are you ready yet?" "Are your teeth brushed?" Then he reads to them for 30-45 minutes, sometimes longer. Then he tucks them in and says good night. I'm so tired by this time and when I hear him start the routine, it's like a big sigh of relief. I'm so lucky! (And it only took a few years to get here.;);))

Thanks for the extra suggestions. I hadn't seen the Cambridge Course before. Looking now...!

Me too! Plus, so many schools are doing away with PE, I bet there are a lot of schooled kids who don't know many games. Don't worry! She has lottttts of time to learn all of that. FWIW, my girls went to a week of Girl Scout camp when they were 8, and they now know enough games and obnoxious camp songs to drive me insane for the rest of my life. :) Don't worry! It will come!

I got mine at TJ Maxx for under $10 (can't remember exactly).

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I'm so sorry. We had to make a similar decision about our girls' two younger siblings at one point. We just knew we couldn't give our girls all they needed at the time with two more very small children. I think about them often, but then I am grateful for what my girls have. We all have our limits and, chances are, this bio mom will have more babies. :( If it helps, imagine that little infant going to a family desperately waiting for a child. Hopefully you can have some knowledge of where he ends up so his sisters can contact him at some point. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Foster care is hard for everyone, all around.

We live about 2 hours from DC and my favorite museum is the Newseum on the mall. It isn't free, but it is was SO. COOL. My 9 year olds loved it, but they are museum kids. Stay close to a Metro station so you don't have to deal with driving. We walked all the way from the White House, around the monuments, and to several museums in one day. The American History Museum is another favorite. We could go there again and again.

Another vote for The Care and Keeping of You! All about girl stuff, but no sex stuff yet! It's perfect for my 9 year olds.

Wait, what is SY Latin? Is that So You Want to Learn Latin?

Thank you, thank you! This helps so much! They'll be 10 this summer, so we'll see how it goes!

Oh, just because as much as I know my girls would love the history and the little extras, we really don't have time to do them. Plus, in all honesty, I don't want to have one more thing to print off my own computer. We already do that for WWE and SOTW (because I have twins, pdfs are usually the cheapest way to go, but it's soooo time consuming). I'm sure it is GREAT, but just not for us, even if it's for silly reasons. :)

Well, after reading through even more threads, it seems like some people just start with Latin Prep and go slow, possibly taking two years to do the first book. This could be an option for us. I just worry that GSWL wouldn't get done at our house. I know, it sounds bad, but it's the truth. I need something at least a little workbooky. :)

I thought I had decided on Lively Latin, but I've changed my mind. LFC and Prima Latina are out, too. My goal is to have my girls take Latin through 8th grade, then be able to decide whether or not to continue it in high school. I like the looks of Latin Prep. What do they need to know before Latin Prep 1? Is the 3 book series meant for middle school or high school? If middle school, what do they transition to for high school? So You Really Want to Learn Latin? What about GSWL for 5th grade, then Latin Prep for 6th, 7th, and 8th? Am I on the right track? We like sequential, straight forward programs that make sense and don't feel like drudgery.

My girls are adopted, too! They are 9. I love homeschooling. They are best friends and it is SO much fun to have them in the same grade. I can't imagine teaching different grades! :)

Those are extremely common mistakes for that age. Don't worry! Just keep reviewing and keep reminding. Do all the review that is built into AAS. Also, you might want to print off a bunch of pictures of words for i and e and sort them, just working on listening for the correct vowel sound. Same for long vowels with -ke and short vowels with -ck. They need to be seeing and writing those words frequently. Just review several each day before your AAS lesson, if needed. Yes, spelling is a completely different ball game for a lot of kids. Your kids are still young. Just keep reviewing. They'll get there!

Yep, buy a good pencil grip. In the mean time, if you have silly putty, just form the silly putty like a ball around the pencil (where you would hold it) and use your grip to make indentations. She can use that. Dr. Jean has a cute song about how to hold a pencil. Also, my OT friend says that two fingers on top (so the pencil is resting on your ring finger, not your middle finger) is now accepted as a perfectly fine way to hold a pencil. But try a grip first. Perhaps start off with only requiring a correct grip during your lessons- as in, this is school time and this is what is required. Then after a few weeks you can start nagging her during other times. :) Pencil grip is hard for some kids, but it's also a reallllly hard habit to break if they learn it wrong. Don't give up!!!

If she is already behind, I would not give up CLE. I add quite a bit of conceptual/hands-on lessons, but CLE is our rock. We are just finishing up 400s. This summer we are adding Hands On Equations and in the fall I might add Life of Fred. I've heard from lots of people that LoF doesn't cut it for a stand alone program (although I'm sure someone will disagree). I would imagine that would be especially true for a student who is behind or needs a lot of review. Just supplement, would be my advice.

I guess it depends on your kids and how much you want them to get out of it. My girls LOVED the first volume and they learned a ton. SOTW 2 is a little slower for us for some reason. However, we are just starting to get to the explorers and I can't imagine rushing through any of that. We could never do 2 volumes of SOTW in one year, but then again, we could never do 2 math curriculums like some here do.

When I went to my first homeschool conference two years ago, I was shocked when they opened with a prayer. We are secular, academic homeschoolers too. I have found other like me, but I seem to run into more families who are on one of the ends of the spectrum- extremely conservative or radical unschoolers. (Like how I just used myself as the "norm" there? Sorry! I hope you all get my point without offense.) That's actually why I like SWB and this board. Here I find the biggest group of academic homeschoolers, religious or not, who seem to have similar goals for their children. We are out there. We are just busy reading. :tongue_smilie:

This is a resource I found on the Virginia DOE website. They have resources like this for other grades and subjects, you just have to spend some time looking. http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/scope_sequence/history_socialscience_scope_sequence/2008/scopeseq_histsoc_ushist_to1865.pdf I thought it might be helpful for someone.