Depending on how mathy he is, he might really enjoy The Great Courses "How Music and Math Relate". I watched parts of it with my DS a couple of years ago (he was 9 at the time). Some of the math was too advanced for him, but we watched together and paused it periodically to discuss (and some parts I just told him not to worry about for now). He really loved it, but we didn't finish it because I got distracted with other stuff - so thanks for the reminder to get back to it! Btw, I would recommend the video not the audio version, since IIRC there were various graphs of sounds and such that did help with understanding.

This microscope is awesome: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006MX03Q0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The best part is that we can connect it to the computer and everyone can see what we are viewing. Looking through the eyepiece is still a bit better, but the camera is so helpful, and makes it more fun for everyone. And yes, brightfield means it is lit from underneath the specimen. So, the specimens must be very thin to view, because the light passes through them in order to illuminate them for viewing.

Do the students in his online classes get to interact with each other during class? I know there is a chat box during live classes, but I seem to remember that only he (the teacher) can see the chat, not the other students. Is this the case? I guess I'm wondering if anyone has kids in his live classes and if there is any comraderie that develops within the students. Or if not in the live class, what about on the forums?

It's apparently due to the anti-net neutrality decision that happened in December, which affects small businesses who are dependent on online resources. I don't really know the hows or whys of it all. Does anyone else? It also makes me wonder about other small online providers... I think most LP courses are continuing the rest of the schoolyear, but are going to switch to evening times as Ms. K will be teaching at a school during the day.

Thank you so much for the recommendation! They look great, and will fill some gaps around here, I think.

Firstly, I don’t understand people who say they don’t want money. Don’t you like to give money away?? Don’t you hear of people trying to raise money for tons of good causes all the time like I do? I think it would be an incredible privelege to be able to pay for adoptions for families. And to give kids scholarships to schools. And to help immigrants get settled. And to help families with dire medical needs. Who can help, if not people with money? Secondly, (and I have said nearly this identical thing on another thread that was started by a new poster and then turned nasty – this seems to be a pattern, for some reason) am I the only one who thinks several of the responses to the OP in this thread are kind of out of whack? Whether or not you agree, it seems to me like he was merely trying to initiate a discussion. Maybe you disliked his tone or disagreed with his points, but this barrage of rudeness is simply bizarre to me. It’s ironic that we are attempting to be classical educators and teach our children the arts of logic and rhetoric, yet the minute a new poster steps into our little “club†with a point of view that we object to, or which offends us, or doesn’t fit with our worldview, we often don’t even listen to what the OP is saying and respond to the actual points made, but rather jump all over him or her, misconstrue his argument (e.g. responding to him as though he is advocating utterly selfish materialism), and then resort to ad hominem attacks (“troll!â€). Am I the only one to see the irony in that? I can’t imagine it makes the homeschooling community look anything but foolish, rude, closed-minded, insular, and emotionally fragile.

DS11 is taking it in January and we have done no prep at all. In fact, I know very little about it. Is it just like the SAT? Will SAT prep materials work for it? Or is there something better to use? I'd love an recommendations. Thanks!

I think I'd really like a live online class option for Omnibus/Great Books for DS11. We are currently doing the Omnibus I Secondary books using the VP self-paced omnibus online. I was planning to use the Omnibus I Primary videos after it (DS is in 6th now, so I figured we would start the primary books this spring or summer). The thing is... he LOVES discussing ideas, and he LOVES interaction with other kids and teachers. He is currently in an online lit discussion class (Angelina Stanford) and it is his favorite part of the week. So now I'm thinking maybe we should find a live class for Omnibus instead. Also, while we have in some ways enjoyed the VP videos, in other ways I have been less than thrilled with them... Sometimes there are things in them that just feel a bit like time wasters. He enjoys them, but I'm just not sure they are the best use of our time, kwim? But OTOH, I love that we can do them totally at our own pace and schedule, and that we don't have lots of piddly assignments and grades that distract us from our actual learning (ironic, but it does happen in live classes, IME!). So I'm investigating our options for next year. So far I have found: - Wilson Hill (Great Conversation I) (run by Bruce Etter, but he would not be the teacher) - Veritas Press Scholars Academy (Omnibus I Primary) (this year taught by Scott McQuinn and Corey Piper) - Logos online academy (Integrated Humanities A) (this year taught by - VP Omnibus I Primary videos (Bruce Etter is the main teacher) I'm not necessarily committed to Omnibus; I would consider other Great Books courses, as long as they: - have a Christian worldview - are focused on ideas, and - cover a decent breadth of material Thoughts? Reviews? Comparisons? Other suggestions to further muddy the waters for me? I'm really wrestling with this!

I think I'd really like a live online class option for Omnibus/Great Books for DS11. We are currently doing the Omnibus I Secondary books using the VP self-paced omnibus online. I was planning to use the Omnibus I Primary videos after it (DS is in 6th now, so I figured we would start the primary books this spring or summer). The thing is... he LOVES discussing ideas, and he LOVES interaction with other kids and teachers. He is currently in an online lit discussion class (Angelina Stanford) and it is his favorite part of the week. So now I'm thinking maybe we should find a live class for Omnibus instead. Also, while we have in some ways enjoyed the VP videos, in other ways I have been less than thrilled with them... Sometimes there are things in them that just feel a bit like time wasters. He enjoys them, but I'm just not sure they are the best use of our time, kwim? But OTOH, I love that we can do them totally at our own pace and schedule, and that we don't have lots of piddly assignments and grades that distract us from our actual learning (ironic, but it does happen in live classes, IME!). So I'm investigating our options for next year. So far I have found: - Wilson Hill (Great Conversation I) (run by Bruce Etter, but he would not be the teacher) - Veritas Press Scholars Academy (Omnibus I Primary) (this year taught by Scott McQuinn and Corey Piper) - Logos online academy (Integrated Humanities A) (this year taught by - VP Omnibus I Primary videos (Bruce Etter is the main teacher) I'm not necessarily committed to Omnibus; I would consider other Great Books courses, as long as they: - have a Christian worldview - are focused on ideas, and - cover a decent breadth of material Thoughts? Reviews? Comparisons? Other suggestions to further muddy the waters for me? I'm really wrestling with this!

The conjugations are simply patterns of spelling/conjuugating (and maybe pronunciation) and have nothing to do with the meaning of the word. In my experience, there is no predicting what conjugation a word will be in based only on its meaning. 1st: -Ä stems (e.g., cantÄre, stem: cantÄ-) (Imperative = CantÄ!) 2nd: -Ä“ stems (e.g., habÄ“re, stem: habÄ“-) (Imperative = TacÄ“!) 3rd: consonant stems (e.g., pÅnere, stem: pÅn-) (Imperative = PÅne!) (also 3rd -io is a variation of this) 4th: -Ä« stems (e.g., audÄ«re, stem: audÄ«-) (Imperative = AudÄ«!)

DS11 and DD8 love these and are writing some fan fiction. I've never read one but am always wary of popular kids' series... So, are they well written? Thoughts?

Oh, I also remember that it felt a bit "childish" compared to what our kids are used to. We tend to talk to our kids like adults. The teacher for the class was nice, but the delivery sounded kind of like a little kid Sunday School class. I don't meant to sound so critical, but just giving my and my kids' opinions based on the first couple of chapters covered.

We tried the 4th grade science DVDs a couple of years ago (actually, IIRC, we used some sort of streaming option, but I assume they are the same videos). For us, yes, they were too long, and just generally too slow and schooly. The teacher was nice, but when we go through the text independently, I freely skip things that I thought were a waste of time, and we discuss things in a more efficient manner. The videos might be effective (I have no idea) but for us, they were simply too long and slow. We only made it through maybe 2 chapters before I threw in the towel on them.

Yes! List, please? Or is there a new thread?

Yes, this is what I do, too. But sometimes I just forget stuff is in the folders. It gets a bit cluttered as the kids get older and I collect more stuff, so then I create subfolders. But it seems like the more levels down I go, the easier it is to forget about things. Also, I can't figure out how to make this work for things that are streamable with nothing downloaded. How do I remember that I have access to a video course on some random website where I have nothing else, and there is no downloadable component? I need to figure out how to organize a megalist, I think.

I'm talking about streamable stuff, as well as downloaded materials. I tend to remember Audible and Great Courses resources, since we have a bunch of those so I'm on there often enough to review my libraries. But random resources I have downloaded in the past or can stream from other sites I tend to just forget all about. Technically I "have" a process for keeping track of things... I guess I just need to be more faithful about *doing* the process as I acquire things so I can keep things current. But I also just want to think of how to make it all easier to manage! So... how do y'all do it?

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree: Yep, Anki!!!! It is beyond awesome :-)

nevermind, figured it out :-)

Not sure which step of the process you are having technical difficulties with, but I highly recommend checking out their tech support site at https://anki.tenderapp.com/discussions/ankidesktop. They are quick to respond with helpful advice! Good luck to you. We are Anki nuts at our house, and I can't imagine homeschooling without it. As PP mentioned, there can certainly be a learning curve, but once you understand the way it works, it really is quite fabulous! :001_tt1:

Check out this thread. Post #8 includes my opinions about a few Udemy courses DS and I have been taking. They are remarkably inexpensive ($10 on sale / with coupon) and I have been so pleasantly surprised with how much we are both learning! Starting any of the Udemy courses will, in my experience, include installing a tool or two to get started. So far the apps we have had to install have all been free, but it would be a step that would probably require some assistance from you or your DH, unless your DS has experience with finding, downloading, and installing apps. It isn't hard, and the courses do pretty much walk you through the process, but just thought I'd mention it. Once the initial tool(s) are installed, he can make some good progress through the course before more tools are needed. In my experience, all of the tools they show you end up being very helpful, so I would not recommend trying to do the course without using them as recommended. Hope that helps!

Hmmm, I get a Page Not found with the link because it's got some extraneous characters at the end for some reason. Deleting them makes it work, though. Anyway, you can count us in for one membership. I'll PM you :-)

Hmmmm, breakfast or lunch instead. Honestly, I think really I just don't like eating together as a family. Don't get me wrong - I adore my family! But mealtimes are just so loud and busy and intense (yet I don't really want my kids to feel like they have to be quiet, since I make them be quiet during so much of school, kwim?). I just like to eat quietly and slowly and without a thousand interruptions. Breakfast isn't really possible since we eat at very different times (DH and DS11 eat together at 6:30, DD3 joins them at 7:00, I eat my breakfast while I'm getting ready for the day around 8:15, and DD7 usually gets downstairs by 8:30 or 9. We could change it, I suppose, but I'm not really sure any of us want to. DH usually works through lunch with just a short break to get something to take back to his desk. The kids eat lunch together (sometimes they picnic outside, sometimes they watch Veritas, other times they just read), and I usually eat at my desk while prepping for school. Sometimes at supper I will read aloud to the family while everyone eats, and then we do family devotions for 45 min or so, and then DH takes everyone upstairs for bed and then I eat alone. I like reading aloud and it keeps the meal somewhat quieter and also keeps it from dragging on for.ev.er. But it does seem somewhat "unfriendly" to me, for some reason. I just struggle with feeling guilty about it, like it is somehow inappropriate.

I know that having dinner together is regularly touted as a good thing for lots of reasons. Of course it is a good thing! And even moreso when everyone has been running around in different directions all day with kids at schools and activities and parents at work or other things.... In that situation, I can see how it could be a nice time for everyone to see each other and catch up on everyone's day. But what about in a household where the family is all basically home all day every day, including DH? We have very few outside activities, and DH works out of a home office (with a flexible enough schedule that we see him and talk to him regularly). Ideally we would sit down all together to a lovely family dinner every night. But honestly, I seldom want to! I'm **beat** by then, and I just don't want to hear any.more.talking! I am extremely introverted, and family suppertime and devotions at the end of a long day piles exhaustion on top of exhaustion. Even when I try to give myself a break beforehand (such as when I am cooking dinner and I send the kids outside), it is never enough to recharge, but just enough to make me wish I was done for the day, LOL! (Plus I really don't like cooking, so taking a "break" to cook is really not enjoyable in the least.) Can anyone relate to this? What do other similar families do?

I paid $125 last year for the Edhesive Intro class for my DS11. I liked that it was Python and didn't require any other software since all the coding is done online inside of apps. DS loved it, but honestly there was a lot less to it than I was hoping, and a bunch of things I'd consider kind of "silly", like creating music with programming or something like that. Anyway, DS loved it and did learn some things. However... We have now switched to a couple of *really excellent* Udemy classes. I used to be a programmer, but it has been a lonnnnnnng time. But I knew I didn't trust just "anyone" to teach my son (and me, since I've been learning along with him). I searched and read and researched and decided on a couple of courses that we have been quite happy with, AND we got them for only $10 or $15 each during a sale! Their sales happen often, and even if they aren't having a sale sometimes you can google around and find good coupons. Seriously, do not pay more than $20 for them, but know that they are worth thousands (I have learned SO MUCH MORE from them than the classes I took in the 90's that really did cost me thousands!). Here are the classes we have tried out so far, with some notes: 1) Web Developer Bootcamp with Colt Steele. This instructor is unbelievably good (he teaches development bootcamps irl and clearly knows that he is doing), and this is hands-down what I would recommend for a newbie programmer. He is extremely incremental, but keeps it fun and really teaches well, with just the right about of explanation and challenges for a newbie. It does not cover Python, but what it does cover is pretty impressive. Also, it has an active Q & A section with a TA who seems to promptly answer questions, which is SO helpful. 2) The Complete Python 3 Course, Beginner to Advanced with Joseph Delgadillo and Nick Gervais. We started this course right after Edhesive ended. Edhesive was a decent intro for it (Edhesive's Intro class, IIRC, probably teaches what is in the first 4 or 5 sections of this Python course), but then this class moves pretty fast. We loved the instructor (Nick) and found the projects fun (the second project was an RPG script, which my son thought was the best thing ever), but his style is quite different than Colt's. We had to pause the video a LOT and make sure we were typing in everything he was typing in exactly right and following what he said to do. He doesn't explain as much, and his style is more about *modeling* how to program something. I actually really liked it a lot, and we did learn a ton, but once we got to Section 10: Web Development, we simply didn't have enough background knowledge and found that it was too fast for us. At that point, I switched us over to Colt's Web Dev class. Once we make some good headway with Colt (maybe even finish his class completely), we will jump back to Nick and finish out the course. We just needed something a bit slower for now. 3) Complete Python Masterclass with Tim Buchalka Another **excellent** instructor who teaches this stuff professionally. I have watched about 10% of his class, and he is fabulous. However, he is kind of the opposite of Nick, giving a bit *too* much detail and explanation. We really do need that, just not yet. So I plan that we will take his course after finishing Colt's and Nick's. There is some duplication of this course with Nick's course, obviously, but I think his more extended explanations will be helpful, and review is always a good thing in my book. 4) The Complete Web Developer Course, 2.0 with Rob Percival And another *excellent* web dev class. I actually started this one (watched 25% of it) between halting Nick's Python class and starting Colt's Web Dev class. I really like that towards the end of his class he teaches about using Python on the backend of Web dev, which combines the two technologies we started learning with Nick before getting a bit lost. That said, I switched us to Colt first, since I thought his explanations were a bit clearer and my son would do a better job with him for now. Anyway, I hope that helps. I have been so pleasantly surprised with these courses and still can't believe how dirt cheap they were!

We school year-round, and there is an ebb and flow to pretty much all our subjects depending on how quickly we are progressing through our material and what else is going on in our lives. We usually go pretty hard during the summer since the days are long and hot, and not interrupted with lots of out-of-the-house activities. That being said, at the moment I would say we are "heavily emphasizing" writing, history, art history, computer science, Bible, drawing, and piano, while only reviewing in science, math, logic, Latin, and Chinese. I expect in a month or two history, art history, and computer science will enter a "review only" phase, and we will get back into new math, science, and Latin work.