I've always thought of a thesis statement as a statement of purpose. Again in Write With the Best, a thesis statement is defined as a statement that identifies the main focus and purpose of the written work. A persuasive essay thesis statement is further defined as an arguable statement--one that can be realistically argued, having at least two sides. The thesis statement for Paine's Common Sense is: "I challenge the warmest advocate for reconciliation, to shew, a single advantage that this continent can reap, by being connected with Great Britain." The thesis statement for Bacon's Of Studies is: "Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability." HTH!

I was just reviewing this area in a new program I found for my boys called Write With the Best. In this program a persuasive essay is defined as a composition of related paragraphs in which the author tries to convince the readers to believe his viewpoint. An expository essay is a written composition that informs the reader about a meaningful subject. Types of expository essays: -written composition that describes how something works or how to do something -comparative paper wherein you examine the similarities and/or differences between two or among more than two subjects or ideas -composition where a problem and its solution are presented -descriptive paper about a person, place, or thing that it important to you -composition where you define or explain a word or term For my own clarification, I usually differentiate the two by remembering that a persuasive essay generally has an opinion on the subject and an expository essay just exposes the subject. ETA: The literary example of a persuasive essay is Thomas Paine's Common Sense, and the literary example of an expository essay is Francis Bacon's Of Studies. HTH!

Anything by Prof. Elizabeth Vandiver and/or Prof. Philip Daileader. Specifically, I've enjoyed all 3 Early, High, and Late Middle Ages lectures by Daileader and the Iliad and Odyssey of Homer & the Aeneid of Virgil by Vandiver.

Not to confuse you further, but have you seen Write With the Best? http://www.edudps.com/WWTB.html I purchased both volumes to work through next year with my middle son. He's going to be a young 7th grader next year, and I felt that he is just not ready for CW Diogenes Maxim. I purchased Open the Deck from the Split the Deck program, but for me, it's focus is mostly on creative writing, so I decided it wasn't what I was looking for. I found Write With the Best recommended on this board (it was in one of the hundreds of posts that I read through looking for other writing programs). I just wanted a bridge to get us back to CW, but I'm very impressed with this program and may use it longer than I originally intended. It comes in a loose leaf format which was good for me because I reorganized the pages. Each unit focuses on a different type of writing. Most units are 10 days long. However, unit 4 of volume 2 is about Writing Essays, and it is 20 days (or 4 weeks) long. There are guidelines on how to write a persuasive essay, a proofreading checklist, a literary sample of an essay, and 20 days of specific assignments culminating with a finished copy of the student's essay. All of the units are set up this way. I can't say that it has helped my son's writing because we haven't used it yet, but I like the way it teaches writing, and it is reasonably priced. HTH!

I've compared R&S English 5 & 6 in a previous posts: -the lessons are longer in 6, and a smaller typeset is used -there are more oral drill exercises, written exercises, and review exercises for each lesson in 6 -there are 139 lessons in 6, but only 119 in 5 -there are 82 worksheets for 6, but only 68 worksheets for 5 -there are 11 chapter tests & a final for 6, but only 10 chapter tests in 5 -5 talks about verb tenses & principal parts; 6 talks about transitive verbs & action verbs that aren't transitive -5 talks about linking verbs with predicate nouns & adj; 6 talks about passive and active voice -5 talks about nom, obj, & poss pronouns; 6 expands on this and talks about relative pronouns & relative clauses -there's more diagramming in 6 including adjective clauses, adverbs of degree, and adverb clauses -more advanced concepts in 6 include prepositional phrases as adjectives and adverbs, subordinating conjunctions, and avoiding misplaced phrases and clauses There's not a placement test, but this should give you an idea of what to expect in each level. HTH!

You just need a student book and teacher's manual. The worksheets and tests are optional, but I use those as well. If you're just starting out in the program, I would start with R&S English 5 for both your 6th & 9th grader. I started with R&S English 3 with my oldest son in 3rd grade, and he will finish up R&S English 8 next year as an 8th grader which will round out his formal grammar studies. R&S English does have writing lessons and assignments, and TWTM recommends that you use it for your writing program. Even though, many people supplement with an additional writing program. I use the Classical Writing series along with the R&S writing lessons. HTH!

Hmmm.... I have 5 on my wishlist and 35 on my shopping list. The 35 on my shopping list are Omnibus titles that I will definitely buy in the next 2 years. The wishlist items are things that I'm thinking about buying. It bothers me when it gets more than a page long. I can't imagine having 100 or more...1,000 is beyond words for me.

About a year ago WordMp3.com had their Veritas Teacher Training 2001-2007 Conferences along with the Association of Christian Schools 2007 conference on sale for around $50. I bought it, but I've been slow to listen the lectures. I finally got a iPod Nano which has made downloading and listening to the lectures much easier. Anyway, I sorted the lectures by topic and downloaded everything I could find about Latin. My Latin plans this year fell flat, and I was very discouraged. The lectures by Molly Carey (once you can ignore her laugh), Wes Callihan (always a joy to listen to), and Joanna Veith (I think I'm old enough to be her mom) were very uplifting and inspiring. I've renewed my sense of purpose in teaching Latin! 38 Latin Stories is a supplemental reader made specifically to go with Wheelock's Latin. Great Latin Adventures is a new program that looks like a good fit for my middle son who isn't quite ready for the Wheelock's text. It's a lot of review, so he'll do both volumes in one year, but I also like the new derivative work that will help with his vocabulary as well. HTH!

I think this is a very common practice, and I've been listening to some lectures this month that espouse the deductive and inductive methods of teaching Latin. I'm very excited and uplifted about our Latin studies again. Therefore, next year my oldest son will begin Wheelock's Latin with 38 Latin Stories and my middle son will do Great Latin Adventures with Cambridge Latin Unit 1. I will use the deductive programs as our spine and fill in the week with readings from the inductive supplements. HTH!

You're already covered; R&S Grammar teaches proofreading marks!

I use R&S Math through 8th grade. My oldest & youngest sons work a year ahead because they are strong in math, but my middle son works on grade level. All of them will work through R&S Math 8 and then move to the 1965 Dolciani series of math (Modern Algebra Bk 1, Modern Geometry, Modern Algebra & Trig Book 2, and Modern Introductory Analysis). My 2 boys working a year ahead in math will move to Larson's Calculus of a Single Variable in 12th grade. I think that the R&S series gives a good grounding in pre-algebra in preparation for upper level math. You can view the scope & sequence here: http://www.rodandstaff.info/scope/ As you see, R&S Math 7 & 8 covers order of operations, commutative & associative laws, writing equations, etc. I've been very happy with R&S Math. My boys are very grounded in the fundamentals of math; they generally score well to very well each year on the math portion of the Stanford test. My oldest took the ACT as a 7th grader this year and held his own on the math section even though he had only completed 1/2 of the R&S Math 8 book. My husband did go over some common Algebra concepts like slope & factoring, but overall his score is a reflection of his work over the years in R&S Math. HTH!

I find the CD essential because is gives the answers to the discussion questions. I've read the books that we discussed, but honestly, I do not have the literature background or Socratic skills to do the Omnibus series without the guidance provided in the CD. My oldest son did Omnibus I last year. I planned a modified schedule of the literature and used Streams of Civilization rather than Western Civ for history. In addition, I did not link up our history studies with the literature books. Here are the books I plan to use next year for Omnibus II: Beowulf The Song of Roland Macbeth Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The Hobbit The Fellowship of the Ring The Gospel of John Winning His Spurs The Two Towers Henry V Ephesians The Return of the King These books have 114 sessions planned in the Omnibus book. Basically, we will do Omnibus 3 days a week with 2 "floating" days to finish up any reading or writing assignments. Each session usually lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. It depends on how much reading is assigned and how long we take during our Socratic discussion. The writing assigments can be challenging, so I usually allow an extra day or two depending on the assignment. When a book has been translated (ie. The Aeneid), then you probably need to get the version used in the Omnibus series. This mostly applies to Omnibus I. Please let me know if you have any more questions. I use this program differently from others because I don't use all of the primary books (in Omnibus I we focused on the secondary books), but I'm happy to help if I can.

I think volunteer work is a great way to give back to the community and develop social skills. My oldest is almost 13, and I'm looking at opportunities for him to volunteer with our local library. I'm also going to check on the age requirements for him to volunteer at a museum on the campus of our local university. My oldest also wants to serve as a helper in our church's nursery area next year. He'll probably help out in the 3 or 4-year old room. My husband and 2 oldest sons also volunteer at a local care center associated with our church once a quarter. I'll watch this thread for other recommendations too. HTH!

You're right! It has been a long time. I guess I just associate any clar- name to that movie. Sorry about the confusion! That's what I get for trying to plan lessons for Latin AND participate on the boards...

I'm probably showing my age here, but Clarissa makes me think of the movie, The Silence of the Lambs. I wasn't as discerning back then about the movies I saw. It was disturbing to say the least, and I can hear Anthony Hopkins say "Clarissa" anytime I see or hear the name. I voted for Gwendolyn; I like the nn Gwen too. Good luck!

My 2 older sons are only 16 months apart in age, but they each have different strengths. My oldest excels in math & science while my middle son excels in language arts. Therefore, it was difficult to combine them in many subjects; I was always tweaking things, and like you, I felt that I was short-changing each child in different ways. When they were in the Grammar stage, and I was reading everything aloud, I did combine them in history, science, Latin, & Greek. Once they reached the Logic stage & worked more independently, I started separating these subjects. Next year they will be in 7th & 8th grade, and the only subject they do together is Greek. This situation is definitely more work for me, but it's a better fit for our homeschool. Of course, I only have 3 to homeschool, so separating their work isn't overwhelming to me, but I might think twice if I had more kids in the mix (but given my personality, I'd probably do it anyway). Combining kids is generally easier, but not required. Determining what works best for you is one of the advantages of homeschooling. HTH!

Honestly, if they asked you point blank, I would tell them then. But since your oldest is only 3.5, I wouldn't bring it up to them until your oldest officially starts Kindergarten (or the summer before); especially if you think that they won't be supportive of your choice. I think if you told them now, it would be your MIL's sole purpose to convince you to send your kids to public school for the next 1.5 years.

I have to agree with the OP; I don't see much difference in the new 2009 edition either. Luckily, I asked our local library to buy a copy so that I could read it. In the grammar stage, you won't see much difference other than new resources for the different subjects. There are more revisions in the Logic & Rhetoric stages, but nothing that would significantly change the way I'm homeschooling. The history and science held the major revisions for both stages. Logic was also revised in the Logic stage. Both stages also have updated resources. There are some new recommendations, but for the most part, they don't supercede the old recommendations; you now just have another curriculum to choose from. I was happy to see new outlining guidelines in the history section of the Logic stage, but I was shocked to see the drastic changes in the memorization work. There is a new resource listed in Chapter 45 Working: Apprenticeships and Other Jobs. My husband was intrigued with the title and thought it might be a good book for our oldest son. He got the book from the library and took it on a business trip this week. I don't think my son will read it though because my husband was surprised that it had inappropriate quoted language in the book. Overall I'm happy with my 2004 edition, and I'm actually going to read the 1999 edition again. Now that I've been homeschooling awhile, I'm more confident in making choices for our homeschool. The oldest edition has the classical education skeleton that I now want so that I can dress it up to fit our needs. However, when I first started homeschooling I needed more hand-holding than the 1999 edition provided, so I'm sure the newest edition will be a great resource for the homeschooling community. Just my $0.02...

For the past 2 years, we have gone as a family. It has been so much fun. Now that my boys are older, they can sit in on the seminars that interest them. In addition, everyone can see the new curriculum that I'm considering and give input. This has really helped me determine the course I'll take in couple subjects (science & math come to mind here). Going alone seems boring now, but the closest convention we have is at least an hour and half away.

I have Larson's Calculus of a Single Variable, 5th edition. Here is the table of contents: Prerequisites: The Cartesian Plane & Functions Chap. 1 - Limits & Their Properties Chap. 2 - Differentiation Chap. 3 - Applications in Differentiation Chap. 4 - Integration Chap. 5 - Logarithmic, Exponential, & Other Transcendental Functions Chap. 6 - Applications of Integration Chap. 7 - Integration Techniques, L'Hopital's Rule, & Improper Integrals Chap. 8 - Infinite Series Chap. 9 - Conic Sections Chap. 10 - Plane Curves, Parametric Equations, & Polar Coordinates Yes, the derivatives of log & exponential or inverse trig functions do not begin until Chap. 5. The Chapter 5 lessons include: Tha Natural Logarithmic Function & Differentiation The Natural Logarithmic Function & Integration Inverse Functions Exponential Functions: Differentiation and Integration Bases Other Than e & Applications Differential Equations: Growth & Decay HTH!

Hi Nichole, I do a lot of the Omnibus reading for myself over our summer break. Omnibus II has a lot of books that I have no interest (or time) to read, so I've "delegated" some of the Socratic dialogue to my DH. He's excited about being able to help, and it lightens my load too. My "to read" list is very long; I really need to read faster. ~Beth

Hi Kari, If your son isn't a reader, then the Omnibus program will be overwhelming regardless of what year you start it. It's all about reading, but that's what any Great Books program is about. I would work on beefing up his reading stamina and comprehension before the late junior high and high school years if your goal is to read & discuss the Great Books. Here's my Omnibus schedule that I've posted before. I'm out of the house this week with VBS, but if you have any questions, let me know, and I'll get to them asap. Take care, ~Beth _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Here are the books that my son has read from Omnibus I this year: Genesis 5 Exodus 5 Samuel I & II 5 Kings I & II 5 The Last Days of Socrates 10 Luke & Acts 5 Julius Caesar 10 Revelation 5 The Magician's Nephew 6 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 6 The Horse and His Boy 6 Prince Caspian 6 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 5 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 3 Minor Prophets 3 The Silver Chair 6 The Last Battle 6 Galatians 3 Romans 3 James 3 The Eagle of the Ninth 6 The Screwtape Letters 6 Total Lessons 121 The numbers to the right are the number of sessions assigned to each book. With 121 lessons, it took us just over 30 weeks to finish; I would schedule 1 week for the books with 3 or 5 sessions and 2 weeks for the books that had 6 or 10 sessions. This gave us a little wiggle room for those assignments that took a little longer, or when I saw that a break was needed. I scheduled an hour for each session; sometimes it took longer. My son would read the assignment, we would discuss the questions, and then he would work on essay or paragraph (if assigned). Generally, he would write at least one essay or one paragraph per book. For some of the later books, he wrote an essay and a paragraph. In my weekly preview, I would reduce an essay to a paragraph depending on the question. Our daily discussions can last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. As the year progressed and my son became more analytical in his reading, the discussions did get longer. Some of the session topics lend themselves to deeper discussion too while some are not as open-ended. All in all, I'm very happy with the Omnibus work we've accomplished this year. At first, I wanted to tie it in with his history work, but he since he was working on the Renaissance/Reformation time period this year, it didn't work out. This wasn't a huge problem since I skipped a majority of the ancient books in Omnibus I due to mature themes; we'll pick those up in high school. In addition to Omnibus I, we used Streams of Civilization for history and Classical Writing Homer B & Poetry for Beg B. There's not much writing instruction in Omnibus, so I plan to continue with the CW series as we move through the Omnibus books. Next year my son will be in 8th grade, and he will do Omnibus II, CW Diogenes & Intermediate Poetry, as well as finish up Streams of Civilization Vol II.

Well, you did 3rd & 4th grade books of R&S English. I've used this program with my sons from R&S 3 through 7. Next year my oldest will tackle R&S English 8. At that point, he will be done with formal grammar. I like this program so well, that I'm going to have my youngest son start with R&S English 2. I really like the strong foundation in grammar that this program has built in my sons. It shows in their writing, as well as, their Latin work. On top of all of this, I've greatly increased my grammar knowledge as well!

I've posted this comparison of R&S 5 & 6 before. Personally, I wouldn't skip it, but it's your call... In comparing R&S 5 & 6: -the lessons are longer in 6, and a smaller typeset is used -there are more oral drill exercises, written exercises, and review exercises for each lesson in 6 -there are 139 lessons in 6, but only 119 in 5 -there are 82 worksheets for 6, but only 68 worksheets for 5 -there are 11 chapter tests & a final for 6, but only 10 chapter tests in 5 -5 talks about verb tenses & principal parts; 6 talks about transitive verbs & action verbs that aren't transitive -5 talks about linking verbs with predicate nouns & adj; 6 talks about passive and active voice -5 talks about nom, obj, & poss pronouns; 6 expands on this and talks about relative pronouns & relative clauses -there's more diagramming in 6 including adjective clauses, adverbs of degree, and adverb clauses -more advanced concepts in 6 include prepositional phrases as adjectives and adverbs, subordinating conjunctions, and avoiding misplaced phrases and clauses HTH!

I would get a cheap Tracphone or other prepaid cell phone (we have ours through T-Mobile) and give that phone number only to your specialist and Workers Comp; then I would turn off the ringer to your regular house phone while you are teaching. Your MIL will never accept your boundaries, and she knows that she has you in corner because you need to be available for the specialist and WC calls. In her mind, you should be available for her too. Therefore, in order to change the outcome, you need to change the situation. Getting an unlisted and unknown cell phone for the needed calls will help you reestablish the boundaries with your MIL.