My oldest is starting 6th grade in a week or two, and I'm already wondering! I feel the same way -- I have to pull it off and we want to have a good outcome. Whether or not I (we) can do it, that's another story. So... you mean that concern doesn't go away? Just gets worse? :sad:

Ah, I see. Well, that's not the first or last time that government regulations make something difficult, right? But, on the other hand, I like my private information to stay private, so I can see the point of it.

:blink: Wow, that is ridiculous! How hard can it be to send something electronically? Amazing.

I would only do one co-op, if any, and certainly never CC. But we have never done a co-op of any kind, and that's been just fine! :) We have been happy with doing our work at home. For us, one of the best things about homeschooling is having those productive, diligent, focused, but still relaxed days at home. There is just something so good and wonderful about it. I find it liberating to know that we are not going out, no one is coming here, we have no outside obligations -- instead, we have the whole day for learning and accomplishing our school work. I don't feel like we have to be always watching the clock, or as though my attention is divided, or that I am saving energy to get through the later outside commitment. We can pour ourselves into our work at home. We do get out one late afternoon (for children's choir), one evening (church midweek), and every Sunday (church as a family), but we structure our school weeks to take place right here. I suppose you have to determine for yourself how much "running around" you can tolerate, but for me, that would be too much time out of the house during the day time. If the goals we want to achieve are done best at home, then we've found it's best to be home. HTH.

:001_wub: Farrar, you are my kindred spirit.

Open to anybody, welcome aboard! :)

My girls like to crochet, knit, embroider, braid, or make friendship or bead bracelets at times during read alouds. But I don't always allow this. It depends on the day, my general mood, how much clanking I want to read over top of, how tired my voice already is, how important I think it is that they learn to listen while not doing something else, and how distracting I think they will be (or have been recently) while I'm reading. I do not like to feel as though I'm reading to myself! That said, if they can quietly crochet or whatever, without being annoying or spacing out too much, there are times when I let them work away. They do have crafting goals, don't you know? They have to keep up with ten granny squares a week, or some such target (I have no idea where these come from). At other times, I think they need to learn to handle a read aloud without keeping their hands busy. So they don't always get to do handiwork during reads. One thing that used to help here (when they were little) was that I would read a bit (10-15 minutes) and then say, "Switch!" They all had to rotate to the left. So the person on the loveseat came to the sofa to sit on my right, the person on my right moved to my left, and the person on my left moved to the loveseat. I could get a good 45-60 minutes in this way, and they each had "two turns" to sit next to me. But now, alas, they are older, and they don't want to switch! They get so situated and comfortable -- with blankets and stuffed animals and water bottles and Chapstick and crochet hooks -- that it would take half an hour for them all just to move to the left. Also, they don't seem to feel the same need to be up against my body. So if I said "switch" now, they would say, "Oh, do we have to?" Perhaps a factor that helps them enjoy read alouds now is my exceptional reading aloud prowess, complete with multiple voices, dialects and accents, perfect rhythm, astonishing grasp of the author's use of humor, occasional pauses to explain arcane vocabulary, and dramatic sound effects. Seriously, I could win awards for my reading aloud, it is that amazing! :D My children applaud and cheer when I read a chapter, and burst into tears when each book is done. :D

We usually start on Monday and work through Friday afternoon. However, my husband travels extensively for work, and sometimes he is away over the weekend. If that is the case, we generally seem to take a day in the middle of the week to get out of the house -- visit a friend, visit my parents, go to the library -- and then we do school work on Saturday. That helps to make those otherwise lonely weekends go by faster, gives us something to do on Saturday that takes our minds off his absence (most outside activities on Saturdays are very family oriented), and breaks up the rest of the week, as well. Even when my husband is home on the weekend, I might work on Composition or some other subject with one student, just to move it along. Sometimes the girls and my husband will work on hands-on stuff for Science. And we always do read alouds whenever I have the energy to read aloud! :) I have a big aversion to (us) doing anything school-related on Sunday, besides a little planning on Sunday night, after the girls are in bed. It's less a theological objection (though that is part of it) than that I simply need a day to feel like I'm "off." HTH.

Composition: Have you looked at WWE/WWS for 6th grader? WWE 4 would be gentle, incremental, and would certainly build writing skills and stamina. We never did Level 4, since we stretched out Levels 1-3 over 1st through 4th grades (and added in other things). My oldest did about 1/3 of WWS 1 this year, with other writing assignments, and she did well with it. But we went at a very slow, methodical pace, believe me! I wouldn't have wanted to try to push a 5th grader through all of that in a year! And she still needed some help from time to time. Hmm... reluctant writers.... Well, I'm not much help with that, honestly, because all of mine love to write. I think that Bravewriter might work for you, though. If you have questions, maybe you could PM Farrar and others here who have used BW. To save money, could you get the materials and work through them with your daughter, instead of signing up for the online course(s)? Yeah, those are pricey. I'm looking forward to 6th grade, believe it or not! This is the most excited about 6th grade I've ever been in my life! It was NOT fun for me when I went through it, so this is my redo. :) I get to go to 6th grade again! Woohoo!

The Voice of the People: American Democracy in Action. It's OOP, but available on Amazon.

Getting up early has never worked for me. When I get up too early, I crash in the mid-afternoon, so what's the point? Since my husband travels for weeks at a time, I run this ship solo. My days are long enough as it is. What works best, in terms of study time, is to stay up about two or three hours after the kids are in bed. I am more reflective and analytical then, anyway, and I would stay up that long to "wind down" after the day, regardless of whether or not I determine to study. So, no, I don't get up early to study.

My girls are still relatively young, so take this with a grain of salt. But here is what we try to do: Start the Day (choose from one or two of the following): Group Bible Reading -- During the school year, we read aloud as a group from our chosen book of the Bible, about 3x/week. We read about 3-5 chapters, depending on length, taking turns with the reading. We read for approximately 15 minutes. Worship & Hymns -- After the Bible reading, we sing a worship song or hymn (or two), about 2-3x/week. This takes about 5 minutes. Personal Devotional Time -- On the other days, we each find a quiet, private corner of the house, take a timer (or use a watch), and spend 15 minutes developing the habit of "personal devotional time." From time to time, I might offer suggestions about what to do during this time, ways to pray, ideas for connecting with God, and so on, but for the most part, I just leave this time open and let each person have that availability for the Holy Spirit to use as He sees fit. Christian Faith: Christian Doctrines -- During the summer, we systematically study two or three Christian doctrines (through a formal program for this purpose) & the girls earn badges. We're about to finish up our doctrine work this summer, if possible, so next year, we may either start over again (with another, more in-depth course) or begin book or genre studies (e.g., Synoptic Gospels, Pentateuch, etc.). Christian Traditions -- During the calendar year, we try to incorporate teachings about Christian traditions (water baptism, communion, Advent, church history, and so on) into our family's celebrations and connections, primarily through our church body. This is not something that we consider to be "school," but simply a matter of discipling our children in the faith. Christian Community -- We are a part of a healthy, living church, and in this context of other maturing believers, we and our children are further discipled and strengthened in our faith. The girls participate in our church's midweek ministry to children, which emphasizes truth applied to life, as well as scripture memorization. The girls have memorized a lot of scripture passages! Bible Memory & Bible Study: Sing the Word CDs -- We have listened to Sing the Word & other scripture memory song CDs since the girls were little. I bought every Sing the Word CD years ago, and it's amazing to me how much the girls have memorized through singing and dancing in the playroom! :) Children's Bibles -- Since my kids are still somewhat young, they have up until recently been reading DK Children's Illustrated Bible, Egermeier's, and the like, in addition to their own personal Bibles. What the Bible Is All About: Handbook for Kids -- This is the revamp of the Henrietta C. Mears "What the Bible Is All About," the version for young people. My oldest read through the entire volume, and the twins are working through it in two years (this past & next). Good background in here, they have enjoyed reading this. Journey through the Bible -- My oldest is working through this resource in two years (this past & next). There is good background information in here, too, at an older level than the Mears young readers book. Bible Study Tools -- We have a children's concordance, some children's Bible handbooks, a Bible atlas, and several other Bible study tools on the shelves. From time to time, we work through how to use these tools, and practice using them. The girls are free to use these resources at any time. They look at the photos of "life in Bible times" and learn from that. Formal Bible Studies -- Up to this point, we have not used formal Bible studies. I've looked at several, but haven't really liked the approach that so many of them use. This upcoming year (for 4th/4th/6th), we will use Christian Light Education's Bible 4 series. I'm using the 4th grade series because we just worked through the Old Testament in our Ancient History (Part 1) studies this year, and the 4th grade level works through the gospels. The CLE books seem well laid-out, and the first book covers some background information on what Jewish life was life in New Testament times and places. The next four books work through the gospel parables and narrative. I think it will be a good study. Future Plans: Church History -- I'd really, really, really like to do at least two full years of Church History when the girls are in junior high/high school, probably through a college-level correspondence course, or something I pull together using this. I loved my church history courses when I was a student! Comparative Worldviews -- At some point (when?), we'd like to study major world religions and worldviews comparatively. So, a worldview course will go in there, too, I suppose. Comparative Christianity -- We'd also like to explore the various "branches" of Christianity, including participating in (visiting) other churches and services to experience this personally. I feel that this is the most important course of all, for a Christian to understand what other traditions contribute, determine where he or she stands in the stream, and work out how to relate to those from other traditions. So probably 11th or 12th grade, or beyond. Book Studies & Other Bible courses -- IMO, everyone should do at least one book study in high school, if for no other reason than to learn how to do a book study! In another year or two, I'll look for something my oldest can do for credit, perhaps through this resource.

Ancient China The Story About Ping, by Marjorie Flack D Is for Doufu: An Alphabet of Chinese Culture, by Maywan Shen Krach Ancient China: An Interactive History Adventure, by Terry Collins Ancient China, by Neil Bramwell The Ch'i-lin Purse: A Collection of Ancient Chinese Stories, by Linda Fang Ancient China (True Books), by Mel Friedman You Wouldn't Want to Work on the Great Wall of China!: Defenses You'd Rather Not Build, by Jacqueline Morley The Master Swordsman/The Magic Doorway: Two Legends, by Alice Provensen The Emperor's Silent Army: Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China, by Jane O'Connor Life in Ancient China (Peoples of the Ancient World), by Paul Challen DK Eyewitness Ancient China, by Paul Cotterell Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends, by Rena Krasno Confucius: The Golden Rule, by Russell Freedman Made in China: Ideas and Inventions from Ancient China, by Suzanne Williams

No co-ops here for us, either. We are just do-it-yourself homeschoolers, and in order to get the work done, we have to be home. The only way it might work for us to have a half or whole day out would be to continue our school work on Saturday. Although we have done that at times, and have no problem doing school work then, it wouldn't work for us to do that long-term. Also, we haven't found a co-op that offers enough academics to be worth the sacrifice of time. So, no co-ops here. Have you seen this recent video by Susan Wise Bauer? It's good food for thought. I agreed with everything she said, and was so glad that we came to these conclusions before we invested heavily in any co-ops. The only thing I ever did was to visit a few once or twice. That was enough for me to see that the outlay was going to be (for us) far higher than the pay-off. I do think that there might be people out there who find a co-op to be a positive, enriching, affordable, and unstressful experience, but for us, with our situation and available options, that would not be the case. HTH.

I think your children, like most children, will reflect the level of discipline and focus that you require. So if you seem to be relaxed and unconcerned about the time-frames of tasks -- more focused on the experiential or relational aspects -- then they probably will not attend as much to time. Most of us will take the time (for lunch or chores or anything) that seems available to us. On the other hand, if you convey a sense of "this is the time we have for this task," then they will probably pay more attention to that structure. So you will have to decide which days will be more "flow-y" and which will be more "drill-sergeant-y." If you want to have low-key days, then you'll need to take more off the "must do" list. If you want to "get more done," you'll have to have that task orientation. For me, the younger the child, the less task oriented I want to be. But as they get a bit older, we do try to kick it up a notch. HTH.

:lol: :lol: Thank you for the laugh!

Well, I don't know if this will help at all, but whenever I feel as though "something" needs to change, I start with the thing(s) that do work well for us, keeping those, and then go from there. If the co-op piece of what you do is working for you -- and it seems to be, from what you posted -- then I wouldn't tweak that piece. Ask yourself plenty of questions about it -- how it is working (or not), why it is working (or not), how your approach to it works (or not), and so on. Then you will at least have that solid ground to stand on, knowing what you want to keep and why you want to keep it. As for what you do at home, what changes do you need to make to: Your school's physical structure (e.g., students' access to materials, keeping children in your line-of-sight, designated play areas for the baby, and so on)? Your daily & weekly routines (e.g., morning routines, chores, laundry, meals, hygiene, errands, appointments, hours home, hours out, packing up to leave, putting things away upon return, nap/quiet times, evening routines, and so on)? Your students' level of independence vs. teacher-directed work? (see below) Your use of the co-op classes & homework to "cover" those subjects, not doubling up on them by doing more at home? As for the level of independence you can expect (and work towards), that depends on the ages and personalities of your students. :) What I've been able to do here has been to make daily work lists (DWLs) each night, after the children are in bed. Since I'm working from my yearly Master Plan (LOL), it takes about ten minutes each school night to type & print out three lists (two are nearly identical, though). In the morning, the girls know to get through our Morning Routine, then begin their Independent Work, while I throw in some laundry, clean the kitchen, clean something else, or just finish my coffee. :) Then, we either start Group Work (all together) or I begin one grade level's Tutor Time, while the other student(s) work(s) on her remaining Independent Work. Break, snack, switch. I could never be successful with a schedule with times, but we've been doing very well with this kind of "listed day." If we don't finish all the work on the list, that's okay, because I know that I tend to put more on there than what we'll actually do. But it helps to have it listed (with no times attached). FWIW, I hate times attached to work. I hate that feeling of always being "behind." Sure source of stress, and (at least for us) it's totally unnecessary. Why do I homeschool in the first place, if I have to be always looking at the clock? But we definitely are much more productive when we work with a list for the day, rather than just "wing it." Of course, we're not doing this with a baby in the house, so probably nothing I just said applies to your situation! :willy_nilly: LOL. But, still... HTH.

We approach History and Science (and a few other things) sort of like this, too. There are components that the students can do on their own, so those can be assigned as Independent Work. There are other aspects that I think work best if I am directly involved, so those we do as Group Work. I have three girls who are less than two years apart, so it works very well for us to do much of this kind of work as a group (at least for now). Some examples of what they can do on their own (by 3rd or 4th grade): Assigned Independent Reading (A.I.R.) -- They can follow a grid for their Science & History reading assignments, with specific pages out of specific books. It helps that the textual resources we use for this component (SOTW for History; Apologia Swimming Creatures & Flying Creatures for Science) also have audiobooks, which we also use. My daughters can follow along in the book while listening to the audiobook. It works! Their retention is amazing, and they enjoy this part of their assigned work. Notebook Summaries -- They can complete weekly one-page written summaries of their Science & History readings, sometimes including a labelled drawing or graph or map. Some examples of what works best to do as a group (for us): Video or Web-based Resources -- I like to learn along with the girls, so we watch all videos and learn from all web-based resources together. This gives us good opportunities to discuss what we are learning, and creates a family culture of "learning about Ancient China" or "learning about birds." Hands-On Labs & Observations -- This year for Science, we focused on Zoology, especially birds. We did all of our "hands-on" work together, but we were never limited to just one topic. When opportunities came up to go star-gazing at night, go to the Science Museum, or go to a library Physics workshop, we just did it all as a family. Group Read Alouds -- About 2-3 days per week, I try to read aloud a lesson or two from Mystery of History, plus something from our History Book Basket, even though the girls have access to those materials to read on their own. I think it helps to read aloud the most "readable" resources, introduce and make comments on others, and then let them have access to it all. Some resources are not very read-aloud friendly, especially if they have tiny print and lots of captioned pictures; these are best for independent perusing. But some resources just beg to be read aloud as a group. On the other 2-3 days, we try to work on our Science resources that we do as a group (What's That Bird? and other bird-related materials). After we do our reading and workbook, I put on the Bird Songs CD, the girls color their Peterson's Bird Books, and we spend time observing the birds at our feeders. It's very relaxing and pleasant! :) Highly recommend a Year of Birds! This upcoming year (4th/4th/6th) in Science, we are transitioning away from Biology & Earth/Space to study Chemistry & Physics for a few years. We'll do our video component as a group, certain readings as a group, hands-on labs as a group, and they will still have their independent readings and notebook summaries to do on their own. The main difference that I can foresee is that I may need to help them (in the beginning) to understand how to complete a simple lab report form. History will continue with Ancients, Part 2, so no major changes there. I hope this glimpse into our "method" is helpful. At this stage, I don't think we would be successful if we tried to squeeze both History and Science as a group into every day, but it works well for us to try to do something in each subject daily. HTH.

I know, I know! I knew a pastor once, who, every time he talked about going somewhere, had to make a comment about "women drivers," "women drivers," "women drivers." I am the best and safest driver I know, hands down, so that really rankled. Misogyny turns me off in all its various forms, regardless of the source.

Here's a link to a pdf which gives a good overview of their teaching. I believe that the tone regarding "men v. women" has been softened a bit from what I read a few years back. Scroll down to page 34 for the answer to "Dad or Mom?" https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0ahUKEwi437DEsYLOAhULOT4KHeU3DUwQFggkMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.exodusbooks.com%2FSamples%2FTRP%2FTPLLBooklet.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGYlYUk2hnkBRFzQPIInls1FakxMw&sig2=tedxZPpppWMkpSaksuc6jA&bvm=bv.127521224,d.cWw&cad=rja HTH.

Apparently, that article has since been edited, because it does not line up with what I printed out a few years ago (yes, I saved it!). However, there is still this lovely little gem: http://www.fallacydetective.com/articles/read/our-experience-with-logic When I was about thirteen, my parents announced that we were going to study logic. What thoughts flitted through my anti-intellectual mind I can't rightly remember, but I imagine they weren't good. Back then, my father had not yet taken on much of the responsibility for our schooling, so the burden fell on my mother's shoulders. If you don't know what it is to learn logic with a woman, how can I describe it to you. My mother had never studied logic, but as it fell out, we spent some of our most enjoyable hours learning logic together. What I didn't understand, she explained to me, and what she couldn't grasp, I helped her understand – the latter taking the greater balance of our time. Good way to honor your mother. :glare:

I wanted to just mention this, also: I can't find it now, but a few years ago, the Bluedorn boys had an essay discussing how their family came to teach logic. They stated that their mother initially started teaching them, but was (basically) too stupid to figure it out, so in the end, their father took over the logic studies. The Bluedorn boys' next statement hit me between the eyes: They said that, whenever possible, the FATHER should teach logic, especially if the students are boys, because boys don't want to learn logic from their MOTHERS, who are essentially incapable of grasping it. :cursing: I will try to find that portion of their essay and post it here, for posterity.

I agree with Farrar, I am unwilling to use them. We own both books, I have studied them myself, and they continue to sit in a box, otherwise unused. I am a conservative Christian in many ways, but there is something about the... tone? of these books that irritates me. Like sand in my eye. One word that comes to mind is "arrogant." Another is "ignorant." Put those two traits together and you have the general gist of it. IMO. HTH.

I thought "les devoirs" referred to "homework." ???? As in, "Je n'aime pas les devoirs!"

Hi, ladies, just checking in with all of you Accountability People. ;) We're on summer break, and that's a good thing. I may need to have my gallbladder removed, so if that is the case, I hope the surgery happens before September. It is what it is, KWIM? Actually, if it's a "simple" matter of my gallbladder needing to come out, then I will be relieved at this point. The girls are enjoying more free time, lazy days, crafting, playing, reading, napping, spending time with bunnies, and helping me cook and run the house. We still have read alouds going, of course -- a chapter book, some history, some science. Also this summer, we've been exploring the topics of puberty, personal care, human anatomy, and how babies form inside the womb. The girls have been fascinated! :) Up next this summer: Music Camp (here at home) Science Camp (here at home) Chess & Strategy Games (here at home) Library summer events Vacation Bible School #2 (last one for oldest daughter) Small sewing projects (here at home, hopefully we can do this) As you can see, we're not really going anywhere. Everything "out there" -- except VBS and the library -- costs more than what I have, times three kids. I was concerned about this, but the girls seem truly happy and content to be home. So, I can let that worry go, right? If you pray, please pray for me. Thanks!