I do keep grades and I do give them report cards. But, my kids are very motivated by grades and always want to know if they "got everything right." For their regular daily work, they have to correct any incorrect answers. But things that are going to "count" as grades cannot be corrected (usually things like spelling and vocabulary tests, math tests, etc.). I do tell them ahead of time if a particular assignment is going to be for a grade, that way they can be sure to put forth their best work.

I have tried this. I also read his work back to him today and he didn't hear anything wrong with it. Of course, he does tend to talk this way, too, rambling on and on with barely a breath.

Thanks for the suggestions. I was actually already looking at Growing with Grammar, but I was looking at the 3rd grade book for next year. Maybe I need to take a look at the 2nd grade book instead. Would I use GWG for grammar or writing or would I just consider it both? I like the idea of sentences with the spelling words, too. I'll have to try that, though I think I'll start small, with just two or three.

Thanks. I'll look into the Remedia stuff. I don't think the tiles are what I'm after, though. If he's given the words, he can arrange them into a sentence without a problem. But he cannot seem to compose his own sentences. In fact, when we do narration, he runs on and on explaining to me what he wants to say. Why use five words when fifty will do? :001_huh:

I am using a Harcourt Language Arts workbook. It covers stuff like nouns, pronouns, verbs, etc, but does very little with sentence construction. I'd like to keep going with the grammar because he does need to learn the part of speech and all, but I'm thinking I need to add something better for writing, something that focuses on the parts of a sentence and sentence construction. So far, all of the writing curriculums and workbooks I have found are more about writing stories and brainstorming ideas and such and I think he's just not ready for that yet. I need something much more basic. That also explains his frustration with having to write ANYTHING that he cannot just copy from me.

We use a lot of workbooks and I don't tear anything up. Instead, I list the workbook and pages to be completed on the weekly assignment sheet. For example, DS had this for his reading comprehension this week: Monday Spectrum Reading p. 24 - 25 Tuesday Nonfiction Reading p. 22 - 23 Wednesday Spectrum Reading p. 26 - 27 Thursday Spectrum Reading p. 28 - 29 He just goes to "his" shelf and finds the right book and does the assigned pages.

I am having the worst time teaching my DS to write! We do narrations for history and literature (he dictates, I write it out, he copies it) and he does a writing workbook where he brainstorms ideas and we work together on writing a short story. Then he copies our story into his notebook. But I think all he is doing when he copies is copying the letters. He's not really reading the words or the sentences (even though I have him read it back to me before he goes to copy it). Today he had to write two sentences in his grammar book. Here's what he wrote: Lucy wint back home and took a nap and nap and nap until she. Woke up and aet and aet until she stop and drink and drink. UGH! I'm getting really frustrated. He doesn't seem to understand where a sentence should start and stop or that it should contain a complete thought. What should I do? Is there something out there that is great for teaching sentence writing? Does he need something that I am just not seeing (besides more spelling work :tongue_smilie:)?

I have an extremely stubborn, wiggly 7 year old, too. I have a couple of things that usually work. First, he has all his assignments for the day and the week laid out on a chart in front of him. He can pick and choose what he wants to work on and when. Sometimes he's just not in a creative mood to work on writing but is more inclined to do math, or whatever. Second, we do a four day school week with Fridays being "free" days. Unless the work for the week isn't finished. Then there is "FRIDAY SCHOOL." Boy, they don't like having to give up their free day because they didn't finish their work. That's usually motivation enough but a relatively easy consequence if not.

I'm not sure but you might check with an aquarium store. Sometimes they also sell things for terrariums (sp?). When my DD needed a snail for her ecosystem project, we went to a regular pet store that sold fish. They had water plants and the snails. I know this is probably a different kind of snail but it might be worth a try.

I think it's Heart of Dakota, though I could be wrong.

I'm trying to figure out the same thing. I am going to use Voyages in English for grammar but it does have some writing exercises, too. So, I'm thinking I'll use Killgallon in conjunction with the writing parts of VIE as our writing curriculum. As for consumable, I think you're supposed to have them copy down the exercises, although I guess they could write in the book if you wanted. I'm planning on using it again for my younger child so I'll have DD copy the work onto paper.

My kids have a weekly chart that is broken down by day and subject. They can see exactly what they have to do that day plus what they have to do for the week. When she gets motivated, my DD will work ahead and try to get the whole weeks' worth of work done in just two or three days. DS, on the other hand, does tend to dawdle and waste time. One thing that helps him is that he can choose what subjects he does in what order. So, if he's tired of pencil and paper work, he'll go do one of his online subjects for awhile and then come back to the table for the rest. It makes him feel like he has some control over his day and how things get done.

My kids are 7 and 9. 15 minutes before school, we are all still asleep! LOL.. We do school the first thing every morning. They are not allowed to get out games or toys or turn on the tv or anything. They MUST do school first. That said, we usually start our day with literature read alouds during breakfast, even on the early days when we have to take DD to gymnastics first thing. I will say, though, that by doing things this way, we have zero transition time getting ready to do school. They get up. They "go to school."

I think our day is usually 4-5 hours (incidentally, our state requires an average of 4.5 hours per day, five days per week) but that does vary. Yesterday, for example, both kids spent ALL DAY on schoolwork, DS (2nd grade) because he was goofing around, did the wrong lesson on the computer, chatted with another kid instead of doing his work, etc., and DD (3rd grade) because she had gymnastics and then came home and did two days' worth of schoolwork. Today has been a little more normal. Both kids were up and doing their work by 8:30. Around 9 we fixed breakfast and I read literature to them while we ate. Then we did history, which we also do together. After history, both kids moved on to their own work. As DD was so far ahead from yesterday's marathon, she was finished within a few minutes. DS is still working, having taken a break for lunch. He is up to about 4 hours so far today, but he's almost finished (and he did have a little bit to do from yesterday that he never go to). Having said that, we also try to have Fridays "off" from seatwork. That makes for longer days M-Th in order to get everything done for the week. The kids have done it both ways (4- and 5-day weeks) and they prefer this way because they like having Fridays free. So they're willing to put in more hours and effort during the rest of the week.

Both my kids (DS 2nd grade and DD 3rd grade) started using college-ruled notebook paper this year. DD can write on anything and DS really does much better when he can write smaller.

Thanks. I am actually thinking about using both. WW has 20 lessons per book, which is not enough for a full school year (we do one lesson per week). But, VfCR has 16 lessons, which is exactly enough to complete the year. I'm thinking about having her alternate books each week, then she gets both and fills the school year schedule.

I like WW for the most part but then I discovered Vocabulary from Classical Roots. DD will be starting Latin next year (4th grade) and I'm really considering using this book as her vocabulary instead of WW. My only concern/complaint is that I also use the vocabulary words for spelling and VfCR only has about 8 words per lesson, which doesn't seem like much of a spelling lesson. She is a really good speller so I don't feel the need to have a separate spelling curriculum. So, WW or VfCR? Opinions?

Thanks, ya'll! We do literature read alouds with books that are above grade level or books that they wouldn't choose to read for themselves. I think I will forget about vocab for now. I started vocab with DD early but she's a very advanced reader and an excellent speller. I think DS will do better focusing on spelling for now.

Thanks. That's kind of what I'm leaning toward. I'm thinking maybe I can just do spelling and continue with the reading comprehension stuff instead of starting vocabulary just yet.

I am using Wordly Wise 3000 for DD9 and just making sure she also learns to spell the vocabulary words each week. However, I don't know what to do about DS7. He really needs spelling AND vocabulary. He still needs work on spelling rather easy words (the Dolch lists) but I also want to build his vocabulary. I originally thought about just doing spelling with him but I really like Wordly Wise. Then again, is WW too advanced for a kid who still can't spell? Do I try to do both or is that overkill? Right now I'm looking at Soaring With Spelling and Vocabulary or Spelling Workout for spelling but I'm also considering WW for vocabulary. Which one? Or both? Help! :willy_nilly:

I used to do history twice a week but I found that it kind of broke up the 'flow' of the lesson so now I do it in one long session, usually 2 hours or so. We read several pages from Usborne Internet-linked Encyclopedia of World History. I read aloud while the kids look at the pictures (they like the pictures and photos in the book). Then we visit any internet sites for the lesson followed by any additional reading (I supplement with the You Wouldn't Want to Be.. series). After that, we do any map work (Knowledge Quest Blackline Maps) and then any activities or projects (I'm using History Pockets Ancient Civilizations). Lastly, we do narratives (depending on how much other work/activities/projects we've done). Next year I'm looking at adding World Geography to our curriculum but I'll do that as a separate lesson on a different day, though I'll probably follow the same general plan.

DD is doing 3rd now and DS will be in 3rd next year. DD is currently doing: Grammar: Language Arts, Grade 3 (Harcourt Family Learning workbook) Writing: Write 4 Today, Grade 3 plus history and literature narratives Spelling: Zaner-Bloser Spelling Connections 5 Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 3000, Book 4 Reading: Nonfiction Reading Comprehension workbook; daily independent reading Literature: family read alouds; weekly narration or assignment, activity or quiz Math: Harcourt Math, Grade 3 Science: Scott Foresman Science, Grade 3 History: Prehistoric/Ancients to 400 AD using Usborne Encyclopedia, the You Wouldn't Want to Be series and Knowledge Quest Maps of the World PE: Competitive Gymnastics Misc: Memorizations; quarterly reports And for next year, DS will do: Grammar: The Complete Book of Grammar and Punctuation Writing: Prompt, Plan and Write, Grade 3 Spelling: Spelling Workout C Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 3000, Books 2 and 3 Reading: Spectrum Reading, Grade 3; daily independent reading Math: Teaching Textbooks, Grade 4 Science: Aha! Science Logic: Mindbenders; Logic Countdown; Analogy Challenges Literature: Family read alouds History: Medieval 400 - 1500 AD PE: Community Sports At least, that's the plan so far. :D

Wrote you back. ;-)

Here's my plan: Grade 4- Latin I Grade 5- Latin II Grade 6- Latin III / Spanish I Grade 7- Latin IV / Spanish II Grade 8- Spanish III / Choice I Grade 9- Spanish IV / Choice II Grade 10- Spanish V / Choice III Grade 11- Choice IV Grade 12- Choice V I hope I'm not starting too late but I want them to have a handle on English/grammar before tackling other languages. If this plan works out, they'll have a solid foundation in Latin and five years of two modern languages (Spanish plus a language of their choosing) when they graduate.

I have Horizons TM for 2nd and 3rd grade as well as the 2nd workbooks for each that I'd like to sell. PM if you're interested.