I have always been curious about the differences to the ages of when a child start school. Here, in Alberta, Canada, it is as follows: Preschool - 3yr old program must be potty trained and 3 by October 1st of the current year Preschool - 4 yr old program must be 4 by December 1st of the current year Kindergarten is optional, but to attend you must turn 5 no later than March 1st of the next year(ie start in 2011 must be 5 by March 1, 2012), otherwise you wait a year. Grade 1, a child must be six no later than March 1 of the next year. What is it like in your state/province?

LOL... I will be honest, the thought crossed my mind, but she'd been so good for all her lessons, I was letting it slide. Apparently, it doesn't make a difference if she sits still, or fidgets. ARGhhh... It would be nice to just KNOW they are listening, wouldn't it?

Today we were listing to SOTW. DD7 had her coloring page, fussed with colors, talked with her sister, re-organized the desk and then proceeded to answer all the narration questions with no hesitation. I am not sure how she pulled THAT off, but I'm noticing it more and more. The information is in there, and now it's starting to make sense to her and easily accessed. I wish my memory worked so keen.

Dh thought we'd homeschool for a few months, now he's convinced dd13 to come home for the current year, and has talked to her about staying next year as well(she's talking about staying for the next 2 years..lol). I'll say this, dh is stubborn, set in his ways, he's always right(until he changes his mind) kinda guy. He changed his mind in less than 2 months after we started. Another family we know started homeschooling in 3rd grade as there were issues at the school. It was for that year. Then he conceded for just the next year, and then for just the next year, then until high school. She's graduating this year as a homeschooler. Her younger 2 as well are homeschooled, but from K on. So, really, give him a little time to see the process. Don't overwhelm him with the details. Show him samples, have your little one tell him what he learned that excited him. Little bits and pieces really make the difference. Good chance that before long, he'll be a huge advocate for homeschooling.

My dd11 is just starting the cycle for the first time, late grade 6, as per WTM recommendations for late starters. We're planning on covering 1&2 by next June. She is working with the Pandia Press history to keep it fleshed out, and somewhat independent. DD7 is doing 1 a year. Then we'll likely do 1 per semester in grade 8, so then she's on track for the high school timetable of world history etc.

Since it's just an introduction this year, and you'll be doing it completely next year, what about simply doing the readings? It's written narrative style and very enjoyable. My 2 older girls aren't using it, but when we pull it out they always listen to me read, or the CD(when I can get from the library). With dd7, I'm doing a coloring page when she wants to, and sometimes a map. I'm not doing it hard core. You could just read with them. Let them as a few questions, you ask them a few questions and move on. You could easily do a chapter a day, we've sometimes done 2 if the chapters were short. If you have the activity guides, you could consider reading one or two chapters a day Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs and doing one of the projects on Friday. That would get you through 4 chapters a week. Continue through summer just for the reading. But you won't get through 4 books. Cutting out 1/2 the chapters, you'll be missing alot.

I don't have any intentions of being whooped. However, most of the class are the older teens, and my personal experience is they are the most dangerous due to lack of self control. I have addressed this already, and will give it a try.

I haven't approached them, but they 'may' honor it, depending on which umbrella organization. It doesn't really matter, they will promote as soon as I meet requirements, I don't remember the kata in it's entirety, so it will be a couple weeks. I will ask him though about it.

You can also counter what the moms are saying with the fact that many kids will be 'pushed through' the system not learning the fundamentals, reading writing and arithmetic because the system requires they learn so much of everything 'else' that the time just isn't spent on the basics. Once children have the basics firmly seated they will learn ANYTHING else easily. Who cares if they were shown fractions in grade 2 or memorized ridiculously complex multi-syllabic words. Once you have taught some solid basics, they will comprehend and master fractions, figure out how to spell many many more words than those taught sight words. For the record MathMammoth does fractions, a circle divided in 4 parts - question: color in 1/4 of the circle. Very basic, but hey, she learned fractions in grade 2, too :lol:. Truth is, she was introduced to it briefly. My dh, like yours, was hesitant last April when we started. It was for a few months only. The girls were to go to a new school in September. Here we are, a year later, planning next year already. He asked how the youngest would do in school. I showed him some of the work dd is doing and some work that dd's friend had brought over, his jaw dropped. There was no comparison, dd is more advanced in several areas. She may be behind in a couple areas, but not significantly. I told him I think she'd be bored and restless. She gets hours of playtime here. Yet learns several hours a day, she doesn't move onto a new topic until she understands it, so she's never just 'pushed through'. She has several on going science projects going, does an experiment a day, what else? Art whenever she feels like it after main course tasks are done. Learning piano, french, starting latin, takes art classes, swim lesson, wall-climbing, karate. We wouldn't get that type of education at school. Give him time to see the process, see the progress, he'll let go of the anxiety.

I rarely spend more than 2 days on a lesson. We learn the rule, then apply it to a variety of words. Once the concept is absorbed we then do the 'spelling' test. I don't give time to study, we just do it. We are in book 2 now, so it's still moving quickly, we often do 2 lessons a week when we're focused, as we let it slide for a while doing 1 every couple weeks, sometimes only 1 if it's a busy week with outside activities. She is doing very well. I have learned rules that I didn't know existed. Whenever we do writing, I watch her, and if she needs a spelling help, I give her the rule so she can figure it out herself. If we haven't learned the rule, I give her the spelling.

Let's start back a little. Today, my 3 girls were graded in karate. They all moved to the next belt, but technically, they skipped... hmmm.. new program for the little kids, they skipped from white to white stripe which is typical in most clubs for children, now every the club introduced a new system for the little kids as many are really young as young as 4. So now there is white-yellow stripe, white-orange, white-green, white-blue, white-red, and the white stripe(white with black stripe). I would expect that the 2 older girls be the white with black stripe, which they earned. The little one, 7 years old, earned it as well, bypassing several kids who had their white-black stripe belts, that were regraded to various white-colored, about 1/2 of these kids were older than her :) The senseis were very impressed with her obedience, aptitude, respectfulness and memory to do sequences. When one found out they were homeschooled, he nodded his head, and commented that that must be why, minimal negative influences on her. Anyway, as usual I'm side tracked. I signed up for karate. :lol: They are all going to be a belt ahead of me, although technically, I have already earned my yellow belt last year, but a different club. I didn't like the club, but I miss learning karate. This club isn't nearly as serious, as intense, so I'm hoping this is better for me. With no further injuries. Geez, approaching 40 and looking to get my butt whooped. What am I thinking?

I did both, and used the readers, it was a great combination.

I'm only a year into this. I use WWE with the littlest one, as I started with her in grade 1. I have struggled, too, with the older 2, grade 6 and 8. We've investigated, researched and sampled the BraveWriter. I gave a sample to dd13, and she said, in that typical teen way 'that's cool'. I ordered it through the homeschool coop at 50% off. I got the combination with the The Writers Jungle and the Help for High School, as she is in grade 9 next year and will be able to work independently. I loved the writing samples, an essay about instant messaging and about paintball. It all starts with writing about what you know. We're starting in a few weeks once she is done her grade 8 LA. I've read rave reviews, and loved the approach from what i read in all the samples. It seemed very friendly for the kids that haven't homeschooled from the beginning, as my older 2 girls have only been home a year. DD11 was very resistant to the WWE approach last spring when we started. So I am starting her with The Writers Jungle, so I can work with her still, and hopefully build her confidence. It's a different approach, but one that might be suitable for your girls too.

I believe SWB in her Grammar stage writing talks about narration in it. She said that sometimes you need to really help them with it. Almost to the point with the younger ones, that it is you really doing the work, but in doing so, you're teaching them how to do so. You need to prompt them. I have the work book, today we did the questions, what is the male swan called? What did all the cygnets do? What did one do that was different? What do you remember from the passage? And if all she could remember was one of the answers to the previous questions, so be it. Other times it's like pulling teeth. What was the girls name? "I don't remember?" Was it Sara or Daisy, "Oh yeah, her name was Sarah." What was Sarah doing in the passage? "I don't remmmmeeeemmmmbbbber." Was she ________ or ____________ or ________________. "Oh, yeah, She was _______." THere, a brief narration. If it's segmented, repeat the childs ideas in a logical sentence and have them repeat it. So it ends up, you have really created the narration, but you have also helped them to see what it is. Other days, the "tell me one thing that you remember from the narration" is a complete and total recap, or nearly verbatim. So I rephrase it, what was the most interesting(funny, sad, silly) thing that happened, and have her pick one that way, without telling her she is wrong. The little ones adjust to this a lot quicker, the older ones struggle with it a little more.

Chinese calligraphy is done with brushes, we do have a similar set as that for calligraphy. That looks really cool, my younger one would enjoy it thanks! This one just doesn't want to draw at all.

I am going by the WTM suggestions, however, dd despises sketching and drawing. We're looking for an alternate suggestion. She will be doing water color and sculpting. However, not sure what else, I'd like a 3rd area. I was thinking Chinese Calligraphy, but it looks pricey to do, the ones from WTM were affordable, came as kits, so very affordable. Any other ideas?

:iagree::iagree::iagree: I'm considering getting the High school one for dd13(well 14 on Saturday).

I am just starting to read it. I'm planning on reading it once in it's entirety, it'll be read quickly, I'm loving it, before implementing anything. Even in the first pages of the book, the introduction, she offers several great ideas. Then I'm going through again, this time a little slower, making notes, choosing ideas to use. I'll like start using something as soon as the first read is over, and go from there. How to use it? I don't think there is a wrong way. She offers up this. Implement one idea at a time, build on that. Pick a few to use, go from there. Change it up with the writing won't come. When it gets hard to write, pick a new idea. See a trend? There will be an abundance of techniques and exercises to use, and it's unrealistic to expect to use them all at once. And I'm only on chapter 2(?) I have a hard time teaching writing, because I don't know all the mechanics :tongue_smilie: that is being blown out of the water. I'm thinking this is going to be great!

I don't have a lot of familial support when it comes to homeschooling. My husband IS my support group..lol. My parents ask the obligatory questions: how are the kids doing, are you continuing to homeschool. The in-laws would rather not know :banghead: but won't speak against in my presence. Even ds16 has been a non-supporter.... Until recently. I was discussing with dd11 the importance of learning to outline, it serves multiple purposes, note taking, study tools, essay writing. I explained that if she learned to do so now, while in junior high, it will save her so much time and energy for high school as well as college. Ds came over and told her that there is so much information that is given and you need to pick out what is most important. He said mom is SO RIGHT. :001_huh: Who hears that from a teen? I think it was a first, I'll have to research if it's ever been said before. Later, I was speaking with dd13 about grade 9, asking her if we would stick with the school board curricula, or branch out and use alternate sources for the year. She really wants to use the One Year Novel program, and the school board hasn't been overly supportive of the idea. However, if she is not using their curricula at all, we can literally do as we choose. She was all for that. I did tell her we will be really heavy on the LA component next year, if she wants to write, she will need more than the novel program, she'll be doing lots of grammar and essays to build up technique. She is all for it as in the last 8 years, she hasn't been taught to write an essay at all :confused: Scary thought for some one heading to high school. I started to discuss that we may have some flexibility to use alternate curricula and still be able to obtain credits for her high school. This really excited her. DS started asking a few questions, nodding his head, "that's cool." Tonight, he approaches me to ask if he could do a few courses at home with me too, for credit. I just about fell of my chair! For a young man a year ago was telling my I was babying his sisters, that I was ruining their education, is now asking me to help him. Hmmmmmm. So, we discussed, we have a few things to look into. He is in apprenticeship program through the school. He is also striving to get every core course so that he can still go to university if he changes his mind later in life, and avoid upgrading. But since he works a full semester, he can't take all his courses without returning for an extra semester, (permitted), which he doesn't want to do. He is now seeing a benefit to what I'm trying to accomplish with his sisters. THIS is a victory because in many ways he's like a little old man, set in his thinking, and he came around to see the positive it is doing in our lives! I have another supporter. And a pretty good one. He even helps teach his sisters when we hit a concept I have to learn from scratch. But his sisters help him when it comes to French..lol

I ended up picking the set up. There was a full set of 1990 encyclopedias. As well there were year books up to 2004, and science yearbooks to 1996. $30. They are like new, no damage, and we had a perfectly good spot to put them, accessible to the kids, but tidy and safely away from the little people. The kids were already digging them out to read. I have plans for these..lol. I'm thrilled to have found them.

Here is the plan, thus far, we're up to speed in most areas, with restarting first grade last April, so we're a little inbetween in some areas, she is close to being a grade 2 graduate, so we're doing great: Music: Piano via pianimals and basic teaching from mom. In 4th she may start formal lessons, but she is too timid right now. Looking at composer study with various junior biographies from the library and the Encyclopias at home. We'll be listening to music of the various composers thanks to the wonder library we have. Art: She does lessons through a homeschool program that touches onto different artists, cultures, with various mediums. This year she did studied aboriginal art of Australia, constructed African masks, clay sculptures of the Chinese Warriors and a little history, scroll painting. We'll continue that flow at home as well. Science: McRuffy 3rd grade for 1st semester, she is loving 2nd, that works out to approx 3 lessons a week, and with it being nearly all experiments, she's all into it. 2nd Semester we'll start Apologia - Astronomy. Whether we complete it all is not important, we can use it for 4th as well. Math - Math Mammoth 3 English - CLE - LA complete the 200's and continue through the 300's. WWE for writing, as well as starting letter writing to her grandparents, AAS for spelling. Latin - Prima Latina History - SOTW 2 with activity guide. PE - Ringette through winter months, swim lessons 2 sessions a year, wall climbing 1 session a year, Karate year round(if they run a summer program), as well as biking, hiking, walks and general outdoor play. French - Looking at Skoldo out of Europe. I'm liking the examples, and lesson plans. Religion - Positive Action workbook and bible reading/discussion.

Yes 3 weeks of daily lessons. The lessons are short, in the booklet there are 2 quizzes and a unit test as well.

I love AAS, but I don't follow the program exactly. We use the tiles to show the new rule, or if we get stuck with something. Showing her that something is working as a letter blend, to help her 'hear' the sounds. However, she rarely spells with the tiles since the 1st book. She tends to be too goofy and it takes forever. She has a small white board and an assortment of colored dry erase markers. We'll do 1/2 the words on white board, 1/2 on paper, and we're done. Most times under 15 minutes. With the tiles it was taking 30-40 minutes. WAY too long. Her spelling has improved immensely, she does well on spelling tests, I do find that it doesn't always carry over to her writing, but in one of the MP3's SWB as for sale, she stated that this was common and not unusual. I think the main part of the program is the cards and book, not the tiles, that is simply a tool. If your child doesn't want to use, don't. It doesn't lessen what the program does, you just have a child learning differently than outlined.

In my order history, it is expected delivery of the 21st of the month, so it was very fast :) That makes me happy. The free shipping is a real treat, because it almost never happens in Canada.

I have never ordered from there before, however, I placed an order on the 15th, at night. I got it TODAY! And it was the general FREE shipping as well, so not even the express shipping. That might have been on my doorstep in the morning after I ordered it. I've never had such remarkable service within Canada. I will definitely use them more for sure!