My 8th grader did it to tick off the annual state testing requirement. According to my child, it was difficult, especially the science and math. We knew going in that math would be quite the challenge because we have not done HS geometry. My child guessed on a lot of the math and ran out of time on the reading. :sad: We are not expecting a high score, it was more of an opportunity to expose my child to a test of this magnitude and take care of our end of year testing.

I am sure I put way more thought into than necessary many years ago when I had time to ponder such things. Now that I have an almost 9th grader, I can tell you any ruminating I did on it was not a great use of my mental energy. My vote is for finding a way to enjoy history with your children. SOTW might be perfect for you for a couple of years, but that may change, and that is totally fine! You may develop a love for writing your own history or creating your own path. I certainly didn't have that confidence when I was first starting, but some of our best history has been when I got right in there. Who knows what history looks like in five years, but when you get there the picture will probably be a lot clearer. :001_smile:

I didn't use the word clueless in my original post, I think I said bad judgement. Given the info from OP, I seriously doubt this adult is clueless.I don't think you are out of the loop at all. I think he is using his position to see how far he can push the boundaries. I have no idea why, although I can speculate. The crux of the situation for me is the fact that OP has made several attempts at opening a dialogue and this adult continues to refuse. That, along with the other information she has shared tells me this person does not respect OP as a parent and does not respect her boundaries. Yes, I happen to see all of those behaviors as typical predatory behaviors, but even if I didn't I would not allow my very impressionable young teenage girl to be around someone who has no respect for MY boundaries. I think it is a very poor model for my daughter to be in the middle of. It sets up conflict (which OP has already said has become problematic) and is not a behavior I would want to normalize for my children. Personally, I would not put any more of my energy into this church. It sounds like there are enough other issues of concern that lead me to believe this is a systemic problem and not one I personally would want to stick around and try to fix. Count this a learning experience and get out! PS~5of5, I just quoted your post because the clueless comment stuck in my head. My post isn't really directed at you, it was just my springboard. :)

Adults that repeatedly ignore my requests do not get access to my children. Period. As I understand it, you have asked repeatedly to be included in the communications when plans are made. To me, it doesn't matter if that request is overprotective or is something other people are comfortable letting their own children handle, YOU want to be included in those communications, and the other adult involved is repeatedly ignoring that request. Perhaps it is just poor judgement, perhaps it is something more nefarious-do you really want your child around an adult that can't respect your boundaries?

Mine will continue to have their nightly story, although I will try, try to pick one to read aloud to all because late night playing disrupts our evening story time. I say that every summer, but it never works...maybe this is our year! Last summer I assigned the two older kids a book a week. These were works I wanted them to read, but they probably wouldn't have picked up themselves. They read an insane amount, so this didn't curb anyone's enthusiasm. It also helped keep them reading some higher quality material amidst all the summer brain candy. I did not require any output other than a little weekly informal chat about the week's reading. We go to the library several times each week, and that continues through the summer.

I am making these. I will leave off the cheese on some for the dairy free folks around here. I will also use homemade mayo and will probably skip the butter in the sauce.

They also combined Odyssey and Muse according to the issue we received earlier this week.

Yes, I sometimes think the desire for lessons from those 4s and 5s is because they realize that is how they can get some one-on-one time with Mom. And then there are some who are just ready! :001_smile: Mine will bring the math book to the table and request we do a lesson, but it ebbs and flows very much. When I have planned lessons, there isn't really a desire to participate on a regular basis. School is a way to connect with me during the day. Anyway, I hear you on the immense challenges juggling multiple learners! It is really hard sometimes. My last two tips for avoiding burnout-take care of yourself and try not to let school consume your everything (I am very guilty of the latter because I really do love all things education, but I have realized it is good to have something outside of that for me).

:grouphug: I am so sorry you are dealing with this. I think you have been given some tangible and useful strategies for preparing your son. Like someone else said, I would focus on hitting the basics and making fond, loving memories with your son. As my child who tried school earlier this year said, "There were some things I didn't know as well as kids from school, but there were other areas I knew better." I think helping your child with universal skills such as keeping an assignment book, asking for clarification or help when confused and test taking strategies would be the most useful skills. :grouphug:

At my house your 4 wouldn't really be getting folded into the mix formally. Now on my fourth and final (!) kindergartener, I can say we approach kindergarten very informally. I make sure we read aloud daily, play games a couple of times a week and generally make space and time in the schedule to explore, wonder and be. I have some math and phonics activities available for when the k'er wants something more focused, but I would say that gets chosen maybe 1x-2/week. My current k'er is very into science, so we have purchased a couple of science kits to explore as desired. The next two oldest help the k'er if I am otherwise engaged. I agree with 8 and others that scheduling is vital. I have the tendency to just keep barreling through school because, "Yay! We are getting so much done and taking off will disrupt our momentum!" I have finally realized we all do better with a little regular down time and taking breaks allows us (me!) to regroup, refocus and refresh. I also find automating reoccurring tasks to be a huge help in managing our house and avoiding burnout. I am not always great about this, but when I have tasks such as dinner and laundry clicking along life is much smoother. My oldest had many more formal science and history lessons than my others. I have sort of dropped that for my youngers. My 11 year old prefers a more unit type approach for history and science, so we've tackled it that way the past two years. My current 3rd grader gleans from the older kids' lessons and any picture books we read. Next year we will take a slightly more focused approach for grade 4. This all makes me sound very unschooly, which I am decidedly not. People who know me IRL would completely crack up at that thought. I just realized at some point in the last few years that I was burning myself out trying to get everything done in a highly structured, formal manner. We work consistently and diligently on a daily basis. I try to cover a variety of topics via read aloud for my youngers. I am ever mindful that these elementary years are not forever. I don't want to burn them (and myself) out doing a bunch of formal lessons because they can do it, when in a few short years (middle school) they are developmentally and naturally ready for a more focused approach. Again, I find working diligently and consistently to be the key for us. I keep the end goal in mind and spend the early elementary years working incrementally on acquiring the skills needed to be successful learners throughout their school careers. That has been the best remedy for avoiding burnout.

My oldest used two of their guides this year. They were fine. I wouldn't say they were a favorite or anything. I would use them again, but probably not more than 2-3 in a school year, but that is just my personal preference. Generally, I prefer to write my own literature units, if we are choosing to study a book in that manner. The MBtP guides cover various writing concepts, but unless you are doing all of the units for a given year they feel a bit random.

They do! http://oakmeadow.com/courses/integrated-health-and-fitness/ Under the book list it says "View curriculum samples here" and the here is a link to the syllabus. HTH :)

Actually, I am talking more about our lives integrated with our technology, which is what Amazon's new Dash is. It is more about our technology being synced with us. We already have a number of appliances that can be controlled remotely-Nest Thermostat, crockpots, washers and dryers to name a few. Those are household appliances and systems that are integrated with our technology. So when I refer to a smart appliance, I am talking about more than the machine sensing dirt or load size. It's your machine running during the most cost effective time of day. (FWIW, I agree, there is often a disconnect between design and end user functionality, but writing software is hard). The Internet of Things is the idea that our physical objects or "things" will be embedded with sensors, software etc. that communicate with our devices. It's your refrigerator recognizing you are low on milk and letting you know. In the future, I think the concept of a "smart" appliance is going to look very different from how we currently define it.

They have a built in safety net against erroneous ordering. Amazon confirms the order before sending any product, so if it was accidentally ordered you just click their link and stop the order from going through. It's not just that Amazon wants to integrate into our homes; it really is where technology is headed, I believe. Smart stoves, smart crockpots, smart refrigerators, smart washers and dryers to name a few. Some of these are not quite to production (although most are), but there are companies working very hard on bringing them to a retailer near you. The integration of technology and our everyday lives took huge leaps with the Smart phone. The Internet of Things is a real concept, and it is coming. Not everyone will choose to participate, but I really do think this is where we are headed. Amazon just happens to be the first company you see doing it because they have a huge platform and the a sophisticated warehouse process. edited because my goodness, I cannot type coherent sentences!

I know, right? I am cracking up. We loved that song.

I know you said board games, but my kids really enjoy Monopoly Deal. It is quick to play and I find it enjoyable. So much better than straight up Monopoly! :) Oh, and another vote for GUBS, although that Dangerous Alchemy card gets me every time (at least it feels that way!).

Oh, I would be shocked if it was a joke. It is the Internet of Things, and I think you will only see more and more of this in the coming years. As a matter of fact, I think the Amazon version is pretty clunky, and in years to come we will look back and chuckle about that, much like we do about old cell phones and other technology that are now mainstays in our lives. edited for some terrible typos. Yeesh.

"Your references are not universal." We are loving this show. It is funny, smart and full of 90's references. We have not finished, but I am really hoping there is a second season. We love a show where every line counts. I think they credit the guy from the Ohio girls' rescue as inspiration, but there was a guy from 2010 that is my first memory of the songified interview. Google Antonie Dodson for the interview and subsequent song.

Oldest and I will wrap up A Tree Grows in Brooklyn tonight. Next up is My Family and Other Animals. Eleven year old and I will wrap up Double Dog Dare in the next week or so. Next up is the sixth Harry Potter The littles and I are about halfway through The Green Ember. Hm, not sure what will go for next. I am thinking The Rats of Nimh. We read The Enchanted Tree by Enid Blyton, and they adored it, so maybe something along those lines. During the day the littles and I will probably start the next Boobela book some time this week. I also have Understood Betsy slated for the spring, so maybe we'll follow with that. I would like to read the Anne of the Island with all, but that will probably wait until late spring/early summer when the days are long and time stretches before us. I am reading The Book Thief, but also have The Well Educated Mind and Smart but Scattered: Teens on my nightstand. In all my free time, ya know? :001_rolleyes: edited for the one grammar mistake I caught, ignore the rest. ;)

I think you have been given a pretty comprehensive list, so I can only add one or two. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Einstein Adds a New Dimension (you all have probably done this since you have a STEM kid) We followed up with The Time Machine We will be doing The Devil's Arithmetic and I Am David along with The Book Thief (and watching the documentary Paper Clips this month) We will be doing an author study next month. I think we are going to read a Mark Twain biography and then read a couple of his short stories and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

You may want to check out Thornton Burgess' numerous books. We've only done The Bird Book, but he has so many including one about the seashore and animals. We had The Year Round by Hylander and The Book of Virtues in our basket this year. What about A Beatrix Potter Treasury or The Milly Molly Mandy Storybook? Plug the term 'treasury' into Amazon; I found a wide variety of books that may be what you're looking for. Farmer Boy, Homer Price, Centerburg Tales are a couple of chapter books that come to mind and sort of have the feel you may be looking for. Happy reading!

Ooo, this is pretty genius. I think I may give this a go. I just bought a role of peel and stick magnets, but it drives me batty how easily those tiles come off the board. One little knock or bump and they are dropping all over the place. Thank you!

I wish they offered a summer school class of this! Even a short intensive. I would love for my 8th grader to take this before heading to high school. We have been working on study skills etc., but I love the "life coach" analogy and think this particular student would really benefit from that. Well, at least I have a bunch of kiddos; one of them can take it! Lol

It has been a while since I read some of these, but here are a couple off the top of my head: The Language of Flowers A Tree Grows in Brooklyn The Bean Trees Cold Sassy Tree Mists of Avalon

Thanks for sharing the final list. You have some gems picked. I am thinking about approaching the remainder of my 5th grader's lit this way. I do believe it would be enjoyed ever so much more.