You could read excerpts from the book aloud. It is a good book and I did read it when I was at your daughter's age. There is a lot of good content there. :)

I love this post and couldn't have said it better myself! :) I recommend hands on Math with manipulatives, math games, and possibly Miquon and/or Singapore Math. Keep lessons short and sweet when you find out where she is at and what curriculum you'd like to use. Some suggestions would be Sequential Spelling, Simply Grammar, and Writing With Ease 1. I couldn't agree more with loads of reading aloud and encouraging no TV or other noneducational screen time during the other girl's school hours. There are so many things that are fun to do that provide learning and other beneficial things.

I think it would be fine. :) I used it this year for a 3rd and 5th grader. Although I am currently transitioning the 5th grader into the logic stage mid year. I also recommend the SOTW activity book. It seems more open and go than the HO level 1 guides. SOTW activity book also has questions and narration guides, more maps, and coloring pages, as well as reading suggestions. I'd recommend the SOTW activity book for the grammar stage before I would the HO guides. The only reason to use the HO over the SOTW is if you want to study more by topic and country than chronologically. Or if you'd rather not use SOTW at all HO would be a good choice as it offers the Usborne History Encyclopedia as a spine and other suggested books. You can look at the sample of HO online and see the order of the lessons vs the SOTW activity book which takes the order of lessons by doing the SOTW book chapters in order. Using HO you will be doing the SOTW chapters out of order if you plan to use SOTW. Neither option covers prehistory, so if you'd like to study that you're pretty much on your own. We just read several pages of The Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia of World History a day and used library books, movies, and games to supplement.

Next year we will be studying the Middle Ages with dd, who is 10 and will be in the logic stage, and ds, who is 9 and will be in the grammar stage. I've purchased both the SOTW activity book and the level 2 guide from History Odyssey. This will be the first time having a student in the logic stage and I'm new to classical homeschooling as we just started this approach in July 2010. I like how the HO guide lays out what to do in specifics for a logic age student and think this will really help me. I've used the SOTW activity book for Ancients this year and intend to keep using it next year for ds. So I'd like to use both resources. My problem is that they both take a different course in order. I'm not sure if I should follow the order of the SOTW activity book and therefore the SOTW Middle Ages book's chapters (chronological), or if I should follow the HO guides order which is grouped more by topic and would have you reading the SOTW chapters out of turn. Has anyone used both? Which way did you choose? Would one way seem easier than the other? I like the idea of following the SOTW order, but it seems there is so much more depth to the HO guide as far as instructions and I wonder if it would be less confusing to just use the HO order.

Thank you so much for the replies! :) I think I will dive in with her doing beginning outlining and have her start a timeline now, even though it is hard for my silly brain because 'it wouldn't be complete', lol. I'm sure the process and what will be gained from this starting point won't be diminished by starting in the middle.

Prior to our school year starting in July we were relaxed, ecclectic homeschoolers. My interest in classical ed peaked as more and more of my choices were aligned with classical homeschoolers' choices. I skimmed through the original WTM book years ago, reading relevant parts to my children's ages. I'm now reading the new edition of WTM. I've pretty much read all of it aside from the Rhetoric Stage, which I skimmed through. I plan to go back and read that section thoroughly now. My children are ds, who just turned 9 and is in 3rd grade, and dd, who is about to turn 11 and is in 5th grade, and a dd who is about to turn 3. I decided to start dd in the grammar stage alongside ds so as to use the same materials for both of them and to assess where she is, as well as to not entirely skip anything important from the grammar stage she may not have picked up from our previous schooling choices. She is doing very well and I believe it is time to start transitioning her into the Logic stage so that she will be fully into it at the start of next school year. She is very good at narrating, summarizing, and grammar. I'm going to start her on beginning outlining soon. We are doing Ancients this year. I plan to start a timeline with her as well, but I am thinking of waiting until next year with Middle Ages. This will mean our timeline will skip Ancients for now. I'm not sure if I want her to start outlining now in the middle of Ancients. Its seems better to have her practice her outlining skills on other materials, then begin outlining History with Middle Ages next year along with the timeline. I was thinking then when we come back round to the Ancients she can either stay in Logic stage and outline and timeline Ancients, or move into rhetoric and skip Logic stage for Ancients altogether. I guess it would be preferable to start the rhetoric stage then, so she will then have a full round of History in the Rhetoric stage. I could possibly incorporate finishing the timeline and outlining into that year? Then the question as to when to start ds outlining? As well as should I go ahead and have him participate in the timeline now? Have her work on the timeline and let him peruse it at will? I know he isn't ready for outlining quite yet. He needs to polish his narrating and summarizing skills. Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions for materials?

Thanks for this resource. My library has the videos. I'm going to check a couple out to see if my kids are interested. :)

Thanks! :) I wanted to be sure before proceeding further. I feel a little silly asking, lol, but wanted to be correct.

We're using Song School Latin and enjoying it. On the song CD it sounds like they pronounce the words salve and vale with the v sounding like a w. Is this correct or are my children and I hearing it wrong?

Please forgive me if this question is ignorant! I've no background in Latin. This is our first year introducing Latin. Is there a written list somewhere online or in a certain book that shows Latin pronunciation of letters and common blends?

Have you seen tunza cards? They're reusable/rewritable index cards. Very cool and very handy. I ordered two sets and am using them for vocab, Latin, Math, and early learning.

I bought it and sold it. My kids are either too old or too young for it right now. I can see myself revisiting it when my youngest dd is older. I highly doubt I will use it as is and follow THE PLAN. I will likely use it like I do my other experiment books. I will pull info and experiments from it that relate to what we are already studying.

Any recommendations for Science for the very young, 4-6 years age range. I'm thinking ahead for my littlest daughter. :) I've read lots of Let's Read and Find Out books with my other kids and plan to use those. What else?

Depends. If it is something like History Odyssey where all you need to copy is the maps, I copy. If it is something like Singapore Math, I'd recommend a workbook for each child and sharing the textbook without writing in it. Use a separate piece of paper, whiteboard, chalkboard or do the work orally together. Also you need to pay attention to the copyright info. Some materials give permission to copy, some don't. Aside from that we make use of page protectors which you can use dry erase markers on. I have a blank sheet of paper in a page protector in their Math binders for working out problems. Saves paper. Also a hundred number chart. For Writing With Ease I find one book works well and use separate lined paper for the copywork. I am actually planning to use lined paper inside of page protectors with fine line dry erase markers for this too. Each student has two pieces of lined paper in page protectors in their binder, one for me to write their copywork on, one for them to do the copywork. I may switch to pencil and paper if this doesn't go well. I am planning the same for Sequential Spelling, lined paper in a page protector for the student to write Spelling words on, then erase after the lesson. I also have reusable flashcards from tunzacards.com to use for Math, Vocab, Latin, etc, very handy and saves materials and $. There are lots of subjects you can use a whiteboard or chalkboard or do the work orally. :)

I'm not a filer. :) Can't do it. I do have all our work planned out for the year at homechoolskedtrack.com. This way if we don't do a lesson it will move to the next day that subject is scheduled, automatically! I do go through and make copies etc any copies ahead of time, but just for however long I can get ahead, no set time. I also make notes as to supplies and books we'll need during the lessons on skedtrack. I will go and look some weeks ahead on each subject. It is easy because you can print the entire year view for each subject. I use a highlighter to keep track of where we are on that. I do like to get our upcoming work for the week ready each weekend. That's about it!

I made mine. It was easy and cheap, and it is big! I used a 50% off coupon for JoAnns to buy felt from the bolt and dh brought a big piece of cardboard home from work that was an appliance box. I also needed spray adhesive and fabric glue. The pieces I also made myself, but you can buy too. I wanted mine big because it is for a toddler. I mostly made shapes, but also food and some people. I'd rather buy the people, lol. I did just order and receive one of these felt dolls from Rainbow Resource. I started cutting out the pieces last night. Its cute! I didn't realize the pieces weren't already cut when I bought it though, lol.

:) Hope I'm not sounding hopelessly ignorant here (but I may be), but I don't understand how using a curriculum that is designed by someone of a particular religious belief is supporting Intelligent Design. If I purchased Real Science for Kids how exactly would I be supporting ID? I know nothing about that curriculum btw. I could see if the materials were actually teaching about ID that I would be supporting it by passing it onto my kids. Fact is people can hold very different beliefs. I've no interest in presenting someone else's beliefs as fact for schoolwork. I'm curious, aside from if the materials directly teach ID, how one would be supporting ID by using it? Also if it isn't presented in the materials and is just professed to be the author's belief exactly what is the objection? I did realize Noeo was designed by a Christian. I'm fine with there not being much on evolution. I usually end up supplementing/adjusting most of our curriculum (math, vocabulary, etc) some way or another. There is zero references to God, religion, creationism, etc in the materials presented to the children. This is what I meant by secular friendly. It is to me :). There is literally like 1-2 sentences in the teacher's guide mentioning the author's beliefs in the intro. I have no objection to that.

How are you supporting Intelligent Design by using Noeo?

I'm using Noeo Science this year. It is secular friendly and uses the Young Scientist Club Kits for some of the experiments. That said there are books used with experiments that do NOT come supplied. So there is still some prep. What I've seen so far is mostly things already around the house and easy to gather, sugar, measuring cups, wax paper, food coloring, etc. The guide does make a reference to God in the intro, other than that the material is secular. The lessons do not teach about God or creationism in any way. Evolution is introduced very briefly. I don't mind this at all. We are doing Prehistory/ Ancient History this year and will be covering evolution as part of our Prehistory. I found most of the books at my library, but decided to buy them anyway so as not to be borrowing and without them sometimes. I could have managed with the library books if I'd needed to save the $ this year. So while it isn't completely ready, it is a step in the right direction for me. I did want to use RSO, but there was just too much gathering and prep for me. I have three kids, one of whom is two, sooooo, yeah. I'm down with shortcuts right about now.

Wow, this looks great. I prefer a secular curriculum. Is this secular/ able to be taught secularly?

tunzacards.com Here's the link to the website. There's not much info there, but there is a contact us button for asking ?s. The cards look to be the same size as regular index cards. If anyone tries the laminated index cards please post the results. I would think they would smear when handled, but who knows! I've tested my tunza cards and they really do not smear at all.

They don't look like laminated cards. I'm not really sure what they're made with. :) They work great though!

tunza cards I just wanted to share this cool product. I ordered two sets from Rainbow Resource. They are very handy! You write on them with permanent marker, then use rubbing alcohol to clean them. They're two sided. They don't smudge and you can use again and again. I've written out our first week's vocabularly words, three corner multiplication/division facts, and our Latin words. You could use these for Spelling (we do Sequential Spelling, so our words change every day so I'll stick with the chalkboard for this), phonics, and I'm sure a tons of other stuff.

If you have a few prunes, you could mash/blend them up and that might do the trick. :) Maybe go just a tad light on the oil too. Just a thought, I haven't baked these, but they look yummy. I am GF and I've had luck baking a few things without guar gum or xantham. I'm not a sweets kind of girl though, so I'm no expert at it. Good luck! Really the amount of wet/sticky ingredients in this recipe it would likely be just fine omitting the xantham. I'd probably just go for it. Oh and unless you have oatmeal that is tested GF I'd probably be on the safe side and either not use it or ask.

If you have a book that shows as being on someone's wish list, should you message them or wait for them to message you? This is fun, lol!