Angel! Check your e-mail ... just printed your label and your box will go out in the morning. Enjoy!

I use http://www.gotomypc.com to process orders; when I do that, the e-mail sends out. Well ... the label printer got stuck and my shipping helper couldn't fix it. SO ... your order will actually go out Monday morning. I fly home today and I'll fix the printer and get things boxed up tonight. Darn computers ...

This was a great convention for us, but we're vendors. More people, more workshop attendees, more sales. I did talk with Brennan Dean, the organizer. I think even he was shocked by the massive turnout. Next year he's doing FOUR conventions: Cincy, OH Greenville, SC Memphis, TN Philly, PA He's hoping that those closer to these areas will go there and not back to Cincy. He wants to take the model (a VERY successful one) he's come up with in Cincy and replicate it elsewhere. I hope he succeeds. It was very crowded, but the convention is a great mix of vendors, speakers, and LOTS of homeschool specific materials. I sold to people from about 10 different states, so if he can get these others off the ground and successful, that will lessen the crowds at this one, at least to some extent.

Cool! Yup, we fly out in the morning. Totally excited!

No, you won't. There are plenty of programs that teach the diagramming (to both teacher and student) as you go through the program. It's funny. I was a copy editor, too. I learned grammar from my mother's 8th grade class (I had her 2nd period) and she used diagramming. By the time I got out of college I had forgotten things because after 8th grade I never reinforced the grammar I had learned. By comparison my grammar and mechanics were excellent, but it wasn't until I started teaching and selling my mother's program (and really using that diagramming I had learned so long ago) that I realized I had been making mistakes. I think that for those with an ear for language, mastering English grammar can be done without diagramming. For those who don't have that ear, it's very, very difficult. Diagramming is a teaching tool; it's a means ... not the end. It was invented as a way to take a complex structure and make the relationships easier to see. We use diagramming for the same reason architects use house plans and engineers use schematics. Without those drawings, the concepts are just too complex.

This question has been asked a number of times. If you do a search for "diagramming why" I think you'll see a lot of threads that cover it. Grammar can be complex. Diagrams take sentence structures and break them up in a why that allows you to see what is happening. It's especially helpful for advanced concepts (phrases and clauses). I think you'll find that the non-diagraming program does a great job of basic grammar (parts of speech and sentence patterns) but doesn't expect the student to master the phrases and clauses. It's the advanced grammar that is so important for understanding punctuation and usage. IMNSHO, covering just basic grammar with no intent on mastering the advance stuff is a waste of time. Knowing what the parts of speech are doesn't get you a whole lot.

It's my pleasure. I'm not in the classroom any more, so answering questions on the phone is the closest I get! :tongue_smilie::tongue_smilie: I really enjoy it! I think the thing to take away from this conversation is that mom tried to simplify things that could be simplified without taking away from the goal of mastering mechanics (punct and usage). Don't worry about the terms I used. Just following the sentence patterns as their taught and know that we teach them that way for a reason. Warmest blessings,

Here's a trick. If you can successfully substitute the word "very," then "really" is the correct choice. Both are adverbs. If you'd say "very good," you should say "really good." Good is almost always an adjective, therefore it can only be modified by an adverb.

That's so great to hear! Thanks for posting that!

Megan, At this point in AG, we're dealing with the sentence patterns. That is a pattern three sentence and the parts go in this order: Sub-v-ido-do. If you want to get very specific, it's not ido-do, it's an objective complement. Mom chose not to discuss the difference since it has absolutely no bearing on usage or punctuation. We teach 5 pattern, others teach 7 (objective complements). Remember, her goal was to write a thorough, mastery-level program that covered what was necessary to allow the student to punctuate and use the language correctly. That's why AG is a faster program; there are a lot of minor things about English grammar that might be "interesting" to know, but they don't serve a larger purpose. I think it's fine to analyze it and break it down, but at this early stage of the game in AG, it really helps if the student just follows the patterns as we teach them. After those are mastered, it's very easy to discuss other things like this, and it takes a mere moment for the child to understand the difference since he has mastered the other stuff already.

My mother sang this to me and I sing it to them: Sweetest little baby anybody knows Don't know what to call her, but she's mighty like a rose Looking at her mommy with eyes so shiny blue Makes you think the angels are coming close to you. When she's there sleeping in her little place Makes you think the angels are looking through the lace. When the night is falling and the shadows creep Then they come on tiptoes to kiss her in her sleep (repeat first verse) I also sing "Close to you" by the Carpenters and Return to Pooh COrner by Kenny Loggins. When my daughter was little we sang this in the car to calm her down: Froggy when a courtin' and he did ride, uhhuh, uhhuh Froggy when a courtin' and he did ride, uhhuh, uhhuh Froggy when a courtin' and he did ride, a sword and pistol by his side, uhhuh, uhuh Said "Miss Mousie, will you marry me, uhhuh, uhhuh Said "Miss Mousie, will you marry me, uhhuh, uhhuh Said "Miss Mousie, will you marry me, way down yonder by the wide oak tree,uhhuh, uhhuh She said, "Froggy I'll marry you," uhhuh, uhhuh She said, "Froggy I'll marry you," uhhuh, uhhuh She said, "Froggy I'll marry you, and I promise to be true" uhhuh, uhhuh What will the wedding supper be, uhhuh, uhhuh What will the wedding supper be, uhhuh, uhhuh What will the wedding supper be ... two corn fritters and a black-eyed pea, uhhuh, uhhuh Such a cute song.

Yay, Rosie! Good for you! :lol::lol::lol::lol:

I think we can all agree that it's important to know where and when to use commas, whether to say who or whom and I or me, to be able to write a parallel sentence and fix one that isn't. The are mechanics issues. If there were a way to MASTER all the mechanics rules in English without learning the grammar upon which those rules are based, then I would say there is no reason to learn grammar. But, alas, there isn't. Grammar knowledge (parts of speech and sentence, phrases and clauses, etc.) is a means to an end. As an adult we're usually not called upon to identify a gerund and how it is being used in a sentence. We are, though, as well-educated people, expected to use our language correctly. If we don't, other judge us and our education. Grammar is important, but it's not rocket science. I don't see the benefit of covering the same material for YEARS on end with no expectation of mastery. Why start at nouns again for the fifth year ... didn't the child learn it the previous four years? That's not to say don't teach it. That is to say grammar should be covered when the child is ready to learn ALL OF IT. Late elementary and middle school is a perfect time to really cover it. Once it has been taught, learned, and mastered, it should be periodically reinforced. I don't think it needs to be taught over and over and over.

Not a silly question at all. Here is one web site with info: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/readinggradeleve.html Just google "reading grade level test" and you'll see some come up.

Oh, yes! It's imperative that the worksheets AND tests be open note. it specifically says that in the teacher book. Memorization is a VERY surface level of learning. It doesn't guarantee understanding. Internalization does, though.

That's fine if they want to look at the rubric. It doesn't give them the answers, just tells when what the expectations are.

There is an essay that Edgar Allen Poe wrote about writing the Raven. It's FASCINATING! It was a very deliberate piece of writing. He talks about the use of repetition, imagery, rhyme scheme, etc., and how all the pieces fit together to form the creepiest poem. That was his goal. I absolutely agree with EVERYTHING Charles Wallace wrote. Bravo! You'll even find references in Shakespeare's own writing about poetic devices. he knew EXACTLY what he was doing and why.

As long as you feel that Josh is reading at a 6th grade reading level or higher, he can go straight into AG. See my previous post about teaching them in their own programs at the same time. Blessings, Erin from AG

With your son being bright and hating repetition, I think it's best if you skip Jr. AG with him and just wait until he's in 6th to start AG. You can do Jr. AG with your dd when she's in 4th. Yes, you can teach them at the same time. Just start Jr. AG one week early and get through the NOUNS unit with your dd. After that the units are in the same order and you can teach them the concepts at the same time and they do the worksheets at their own reading level. Blessings, Erin from AG

Just thought it would be helpful to know that we have a number of co-ops across the country that use AG in a once-a-week setting with great success. The parents have to have the keys at home. There are some co-op pricing options; have your friend call us and I'd be happy to discuss options with her. Blessings,

USED is a participle. It's a verbal that acts like an adjective and modifies a noun. The baseline is : Socrates l laid l foundation FOR MANY is a prepositional phrase diagrammed off LAID OF THE CONCEPTS is a prepositional phrase diagrammed off MANY (tells you which) USED is a participle diagrammed off CONCEPTS (tells you which) IN PHILOSOPHY is a prepositional phrase diagrammed off USED (tells you where) TODAY is an adverb diagrammed off USED (tells you when) Parsing will only get you so far. When it comes to advanced grammar, diagramming is REALLY helpful. I would normally NEVER correct someone's post, but since you asked, I edited it for you. I know of a text you might want to use. PM me. I congratulate you for doing this work as an adult. It's not easy!:tongue_smilie: blessings,

We're only about 28% through BS2. Our BS3 plan is to have about 4 months of expenses. I own my own business that is very successful, so I don't forsee losing that job ever (unless all homeschoolers stop teaching grammar then ... well ... LOL). Hubby is a defense contractor, so he's pretty safe. I agree that it's dependent on your family circumstances. We have a LOT of home repairs/upgrade to do when we're done with BS2. I CAN'T WAIT!

Tammy, I converted to Catholicism in 2001 when my husband and I married. I had never been to mass before I started to attend with him. Looking at the order it may seem complicated, but it's basically this: Welcome some singing or the "I confess ..." scripture reading Gospel reading Sermon (homily) singing offertory (pass the hat) communion singing recessional There are certain things that are said and done which are memorized by Catholics. You don't need to participate in them if you don't want to, but they are in the hymnal books (Missal) if you want to read/recite a long. Stand when they stand, sit when they sit. We kneel during communion. You can feel free to do that, too. We do it since we're in the presence of Christ at that time. It's a beautiful ceremony steeped in hundreds of years of tradition. I've grown to love it very much.

"I don't believe in homeschooling." Really? It's not the tooth fairy ... it really DOES exist! LOL