It is a very unique way of teaching reading, I used to have a copy, never ended up using it with my kids. It teaches some symbols outside of the alphabet to teach phonetically, and for blends and 2 vowel combos, it connects letters. I decided it was just an added step - meaning the child has to learn the symbols they use, learn to read, then transition through to the end of the book into a normal alphabet. I have heard rave reviews, but it just seemed to add an element of confusion I did not want to deal with. I have to say, having experimented with it, Phonics Pathways, SWR etc, simpler seems to be better unless you have a child with certain learning issues. We are once again using ETC, and I plan to stick with it over and over, it just seems to be the most straightforward, get your kid reading series I have found.

Lively Latin - fun, challenging, interesting, with lots of variety (history, roots, art in addition to latin basics)

Focus is writing, using the progymnasmata as it's foundation, similar to IEW I think. And it includes a good amount of grammar.

HO does not really assign activities, it just suggests the book, then tells you to select activities for certain days (with some suggestions, but not officially scheduled). For example, lesson 2 - The Byzantines, says under additional activities - "Choose one or more of the following projects from Days of Knights and Damsels" then lists 3 different activities and the page number. It would be no problem at all to sub another similar project book in it's place - and if you are looking to buy HO MA, I am ready to part with my copy - private message me if you are interested.

Thanks so much everybody- several of these are just what I am looking for at a much better price!!!! I can't wait to wallpaper my hallway with one of these! :) Anne Marie

I have found one for $150, but used to have a link for one that was about $100. You know, the one that is 8 x 13 feet and laminated? If anyone knows of a source please let me know, I googled, but only could find the $150 price. Thanks, Anne Marie

ETC is a huge winner here too - don't know why I ever strayed, won't do that again!

I had this book, but honestly, to me it was not worth it. Basically is gives a list of good books to read (many of which were out of print in the edition I had, don't know if that has changed?) and then gives ideas of things to do with your child that are related to the book. It would take you about a day to select a few books and come up with the same ideas, things like sing a song about ducks, play dress up with different clothing etc. It just seemed to me rather simplistic and obvious. I would try to look at it at a bookstore or maybe your library before investing in it, especially make sure about the books listed, as I said, several of them were out of print and unavailable when I had it.

well, I have it, but have not really fully used it - here are my opinions Easy to teach? yes, it is pretty basic - explain what a noun is, break down sentences in workbook using cards and identify nouns reasonably interesting? no, mind numbingly dull :) the cards I suppose provide some variety, but when we used them, I would not say it was interesting, just a more visual way to teach truthfully, I would not have bought it, someone gave it to me free, so I have used the exercises to help reinforce. We are really not doing formal grammar since we do Latin, but we do read the Lively Language books by Heller and do illustrations of different parts of speech. What is your child struggling to understand, and how old is he? That might be helpful in giving you more info.

Well, if you really want to follow along with Charlotte Mason philosophy, then I have to say don't do it :) Not that it is a bad idea, but I just think it is effort where effort is not needed, enjoyment is. Let her put her time investment in writing etc into history or other subjects, and let the composer thing really be simple. We do 3-4 composers per year, and at first I thought we needed to do extra work along with it, but I realized that first, my main goal is enjoyment and appreciation of the music, second, familiarity and recognition. So I introduce the composer with a brief bio if available, then choose a piece that we listen to every day at snack time or lunch time for about 2 weeks. Then we move on to another piece. From what I can tell of your daughter, she is going to naturally ask you questions, so you can be prepared to answer, but not to teach, let her draw her own conclusions about the music. Even my 3yo will look up sometimes during parts of Vivaldi and ask, why is this music sad? and the others often answer things like, I think that just represents the cold winter (from Vivaldi's seasons), or , that is what a violin sounds like. I did not really spend a lot of time on this, other than maybe pointing out how joyful "Spring" sounds or ask them to see if they can hear the leaves fallling in "Fall" etc. or to listen for a specific instrument and see if they can pick it out. Sometimes my daughters want to dance to a piece so I will put it on and let them pretend they are Valkyries riding to valhalla (wagner) or sugarplums dancing in the nutcracker. We also listen to the classical kids bio. stories, which gives them a little info about the composer. I have been amazed by how much they have internalized just by doing this, and best of all, they really enjoy it, and it has become a part of our life, instead of a school assignment. Now that we have covered a number of composers, I will sometimes ask them if they want to hear a particular one for lunch, and I am always amazed by how strongly they will lobby for their favorites! All that to say, I just really think this is one of those times when your planning can defeat you, yes you could have her create a poster or a short paper or something, or you could let this be something very different, and just sit back and enjoy - look at it like poetry for now - memorize and enjoy, don't study: http://sttheophanacademy.blogspot.com/2008/03/poetry-in-our-home.html (link to my post on poetry) Just my thoughts, Anne Marie

I emailed last week, and here is the response - they are currently blaming Drew as to why it is not ready :) "Thank you for your interest in the updated version of the Latin Centered Curriculum. We are hoping to have it printed by the end of this summer. We do not have a set date on this project. We are waiting on Mr. Campbell to finish his last proof. Then we have our editor proof the text."

I agree with the no history suggestion - I would just select a few good read alouds. If you really want some history, the D'Aulaires set from Beautiful Feet is nice for that level to give a nice history of America sort of thing. I think spending a lot of time on history in K is really rather fruitless, let them focus on Math, reading, and you reading aloud really good literature. I would look at the SL book suggestions, and also the Ambleside reading lists for that level, then select what is in your budget and just really enjoy those. This is the time to have fun reading books like Charlotte's Web, the Chronicles of Narnia or Stuart Little, not worrying about the ancient Egyptians :) Then in 1st grade you can start SOTW.

Stuff we are not using - I have two super cheap tall bookshelves (we have toted them from house to house for 14 years and somehow they have survived) and they are in my storage space (we don't have an attic or basement, but there is a room in the back of the house we use for storage). All the history I group by period, so I can go to the shelf and find all of my ancient books etc. There are shelves dedicated to different subjects, and one for just catalogs and curriculum ideas. Current stuff - I have one small 2 shelf bookshelf in our schoolroom which stores most books we are using, and a few baskets scattered around the room with books on a certain subject (ex- a basket for astronomy books, one for knights and castles since that is what we are reading in history etc). I also have a small shelf that holds plastic containers with all the little stuff - math manipulatives, flashcards etc. And my kids each have an old fashioned desk (given to me by homeschool friends whose children are grown) where they can store a few things (my son keeps his prismacolors at his desk so no one else will use them :) My books and things I don't want the kids messing with are stored in a cabinet in the room next to the schoolroom (technically we have 2 school rooms - the downstairs in our home was built as an in-law suite, so the living room and kitchen areas down are our school space - it has been so amazing this past year - I love this house :) One of these days when I figure out how to add pictures on my blog I will post pix of our schoolroom.

Not sure - but I thought Henle used Ecclesiastical? We use classical, though I like to listen to the Lingua Angelica cd by Memoria Press and when we learn prayers and songs they learn them in ecc. pronunciation. I guess it really is just a personal preference issue. If you think your kids might pursue it later, I would go with classical, since that is what they will have to use later. I like the sound of ecclesiastical , but went with classical since we are not Catholic and any later use of Latin I imagine would require classical pronunciation. All I would say is, don't stress it either way, I don't think it is that big of a deal :)

We use the memory box like the CM link above, but here is a link to how Jessica sets hers up a little bit differently. http://triviumacademy.blogspot.com/2007/09/our-memory-notebook.html I like the box myself, though we only have subject categories, plus a category I call "current". The new stuff is in there, and gets reviewed every day. Then I move through each subject and do one or two items (they are then moved to the back of that subject.) So we might do 2 old Bible verses, each child does a poem, they might have to recite the planets for science, etc. As for the notebook - I set up a weekly notebook - 3 ring binder - with 5 dividers. I put a latin drill in there, a math drill, copywork, grammar exercises - whatever I want to review and reinforce that week. I set it up on Sunday with the weeks work, then he is responsible for getting it done each day during the down times when I am working with the other.

We did Flying Creatures, and are doing Astronomy now, and I plan to start Botany over the summer. We have enjoyed them very much, they are easy to implement and very in depth.

It is easy to implement, but there are plenty of advanced topics that you could delve deeper into (example - they briefly explain how and why we see color - you could have her do more research into light/vision/diagram the anatomy of the eye/refraction/light waves etc). In the chapter on the earth, she could read a biography of Newton and delve into deeper learning about gravity. I am using it this year, and to make it more involved for the 7th grader I would just add additional readings about the topics, and of course you could add other experiments. Also, the notebook work can be more involved by assigning copywork, further research, or a lapbook if you want. If you want to see my list of additional experiments and readings, pm me with your email and I will be glad to send it to you.

LCC is published by Memoria Press - so contact them about it, Anne Marie http://www.memoriapress.com/bluetrunk/order/index.php?&check=1

We are using Mavis Beacon - Anne Marie

I have it, am not really using it because I wanted my artists and composers to fit into our period of history this year. I like the idea, and it is very easy to implement, just not really necessary for us since I already had a good idea of the artists and composers I wanted to study by looking at Ambleside.

My son was 5 - and was reading by early spring of K - my daughter I waited until she was 6, and she is just now beginning to read fluently as we are 2/3 of the way through first grade, so for me it depended on the child - he was ready, she was not. I think personality and development play a bigger role than gender.

I just posted on my blog about our poetry teatime - http://sttheophanacademy.blogspot.com/

Tennessee is dealing with the same issue right now, they are trying to change the law to say that all students must be tested (right now the law states that all public school students must test). This means that private schools and homeschoolers will have to cater their instruction to the public school testing system.

I totally agree! The lyrics are great, the music drives me crazy!!!!! Anne Marie

I got my BA in Spanish, and went into teaching as a second choice career. I was at a college that did not allow you to get a degree in education (something I wish all colleges would consider) and had a very good education department for certification. I completed all of my teacher cert. courses in my senior year and crammed a few in the summer after I graduated. I was not initially certified though, because I found a teaching position half way through my senior year, at a private school that did not care if I was officially certified by the state. Since we were poor broke people (my husband was a graduate student at the time) I decided I needed the job more than the certification - the only thing I lacked for cert. was to student teach and that would mean not taking the job for that fall. Since the opportunities for elementary school Spanish teachers were not exactly huge, I could not turn down the position! That said, after two years of "real" teaching I was able to retroactively receive my certification, so I was a certified teacher eventually :) I always thought it was funny that the state thought a semester of student teaching was equal to 2 full years of classroom teaching. I guess I would argue the exact opposite of Tracey in TX - I think the most important thing for a teacher is to have a good broad education - a teacher track does not make someone ready to teach a subject. The techniques of teaching can not truly be taught - but a person who really knows science or history or mathematics and is passionate about it can teach it - whether they have a teacher's degree or not. The head of our education department always said the most important thing for a teacher is to know the field you will be teaching. That is why you could not major in education at our college. You had to learn a field first, then take the education courses (most of which I considered a waste of my time). The application courses were the only ones I got much out of - and I would not have even considered teaching if I had to take much more in terms of typical education courses. I agree that the only real way to become a good teacher is real teaching - not wasting more time in classes that are mostly focused on social agendas. That is my 2 cents :) Anne Marie