Why would you need to put Easy Peasy on a transcript? After all, isn't Easy Peasy just a collection of available internet materials? Can't you just call it a course like any other course, and explain the materials used as if you cobbled it together yourself?

Another option we have used more successfully than Power Basics, which we tried for Biology, are the AGS and Pacemaker books...lower reading level, high school content. I have several developmental learners who are ELL's and have a few other challenges, and these books were better to "get 'er done" for us versus Power Basics because they were more engaging visually, and offered far more critical thinking type questions along with tasks that helped encourage the development of other skills needed for higher education learning. Pacemaker is much lower, but AGS is more along the lines of Power Basics, but with full color photos, charts and graphs. There are also Globe Fearon books out there as well, which are also a step up, but not quite a standard textbook. We supplemented with documentaries, and Teaching Company lectures to create a rich course, despite the lower reading level textbook.

Teaching Textbooks (Math was KILLING us timewise! Almost ruined homeschooling.) Essentials in Writing (Like it much better than IEW) Nancy Larson Science, truly open and go Growing with Grammar, Soaring with Spelling The rest is not because I LIKE teaching and don't really want something I am not as intimately involved with.

We are a 7 iPad family, if you can believe that one!! I couldn't imagine NOT having them, they have enriched our schooling in so many ways, and not necessarily for apps, though there are some good ones. We gradually purchased them one by one, and my kids bought ME one as a "We love you Mom" gift after they all got theirs. We use them every morning for current events, and each checks out several news sites. We use them to type on, and though it is easier on a full keyboard, it can be easy for short notes. We use them for Kindle books with the Kindle app, saving HUNDREDS of dollars a year. A family account means the same book can be downloaded onto all iPads with only the purchase of the book one time...no multiple copies of books, and it is legal as long as it is the same account. When reading Kindle books, we have ELL learners, and the automatic dictionary entry that pops up when you touch a word is invaluable. Having Dictionary.com immediately available in small format on the table,rather than keeping a laptop open, means it is used far more often. We assign projects of making keynote presentations to document learning or present research visually, then we display it on the big screen using Apple TV Access to Wikipedia and other references in a format that is quick, easy, and immediate means things actually get looked up. To Do lists used daily Downloads of pdf's can be shared and viewed easily, saving printing costs like crazy. Then there are apps...of all kinds...some a waste of time, some very helpful

We have always done Current Events...we call it "talking around the table at breakfast"...Hahaha! We ARE intentional about it though, all snark aside. We have what we call "Morning Meeting" most school days, and everyone has to read the news for 10-15 minutes on their iPad, then everyone takes turns sharing the details of a story they read, which gives them practice a little public speaking, and we critique if they shared enough so we understood the entire story. At the same time, I have maps of the world and US that are placemats, and we look up where anything happened to see where it is located, and I'll usually ask a related geography question or two. We also use Connect the Thoughts as mentioned above, and work through one of their units using it twice a week. Right now we are currently doing Terrorism. We have always done this, and I can tell you that over the course of the past five years we have embedded in our kids a true love of the news. All day long they are reading and learning, watching video clips, and are more interested innately than most adults I know. It worked, just making it a morning ritual, created the habit and the desire to know what is going on in the world. It is one of our homeschooling accomplishments I am most pleased about.

There are many books from Pearson and their AGS or Pacemaker lines that are specifically for ELL learners, many of which are well suited for adult learners, too. Message me or email me CyndiLJ@aol.com as I'd love to talk to you about it, it is something I'd like to eventually do one day when we are through homeschooling. We have 3 ELL learners who I am educating :-)

And as usual, Lori, you just answered a question so thoroughly that even folks who didn't ask it learned something new! I have a son who took a year of AutoCAD last year, and another semester specific to advanced 3D CAD design which he is completing now, and I was uncertain how to classify it. Thanks for the help!!

We were not all that schooly when we attended PS through 4th grade, so there was little we cared about bringing home. Every time I have suggested school type things, my kids all look at me quizzically, wondering why in the world I would think that is important! LOL! We do try to do a Not Back to School day, and when the kids here locally started school last week, we were driving home from a camping trip. I also have a composition book for each of the kids and we have each journaled in it at the beginning of each semester, writing to our future selves, and then I write something in it for all of them each time. That is a ritual they seem to enjoy. We do the big Walmart school supply shop, even though we usually only need a few things. I thought that as we hit high school age, my first son at that stage might want a letterman jacket, a class ring, or something along those lines. We thoroughly intended to purchase them for him, but he wants nothing to do with it. Our daughters have said that they might want a class ring or necklace, and my other sons want a ring. Other than that, we just do our thing with little fanfare, I suppose, having more family rituals than school associated ones. I think that is probably better anyway.

I would add that we found Connect the Thoughts curriculum to be terrific for engaging critical thinking, far more so than any of the Critical Thinking Company tools.

I have three son, ages 15, 15 and 11. One 15 year old was never much of an imaginary play sort of kid but he built serious things with Legos by the hours...and I mean DAYS worth of hours. He is an extremely mature but not a prematurely teenagery kind of kid, just a nice, solid young adult who has always been quieter and more reserved. Son #2 at 15 is developmentally delayed, came into the family from a rather poor orphanage setting at 8 1/2, and is really more about 11 or 12 years old in most ways. He and my 11 year old are a perfect match, and play imaginary super heroes and battle scenes every single day for at least an hour or two. I love hearing them create involved scenarios and act them out. None of them are very sports oriented, and they have lots of time for free reading, trampolining, etc. Play is good for all kids, for as long as their minds allow it. I noticed when we pulled our quieter 15 year old out of public ed at 5th grade, within a few weeks he was more creative in his thinking and freer to be himself. With no peer pressure and no input that tells them they ought to be behaving in a particular way, I think most kids will prolong childhood. I know I still played some at 13 or 14.

We just watched it, then had a discussion after each session. The notetaking session was not a system that worked well for us, but overall there were some great ideas shared.

We love Connect the Thoughts! We are not using it for high school history other than in a limited way, but used it for the early years and it was incredible what our kids got out of it. Terrific for developing critical thinking skills which our kids sorely lack. We are currently using the Current Events series, and will likely use all of those courses over the next couple of years.

Actually, I found the instructor guide super helpful. It helped steer me toward much more thought provoking questions, as well as a lot of concrete ones as well. It was a far better teacher's guide than some other products. While it is expensive, if you really tend to actually teach literature rather than just read together, this is the single best tool I have had in 5 years of homeschooling for literature. I really, really love this company and its products, it helped us achieve MUCH greater fluency and vocabulary development with our ELL kids adopted at older ages...so much so that they tested out of ELL in two years total. I was incredibly careful about the materials we used, because they came to us so far behind. This was instrumental in their reading skills development, with pointed work that was not at all a waste of time. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did/do!

We have used them all the way through, and I can tell you they are FABULOUS...I am always surprised more homeschoolers aren't aware of this wonderful anthology series and how rock solid it is. One thing I have found interesting is that we have used them with both our ELL/ESL and LD kids as well as our gifted kids (we have a nice array around here! LOLOL!), and every single one of them has benefited hugely from Mosdos. What I like about the textbooks is: 1) The accompanying workbooks (purchased separately) are not busy work, they are well devised activities to develop literary analysis, critical thinking, and vocabulary. They are somewhat graphic in presentation. Do NOT miss out on using the workbooks, even if you select pages here and there and don't do all of them. You will really miss something helpful if you don't use them. 2) All the best authors, ALL the best are represented. Our kids were introduced to authors many don't encounter until high school, and it led them to look for their full length works at the library. 3) Their story selections simply can not be beat. I can't begin to tell you how many times after finishing a story that our kids all exclaimed, "That was SO good! I love that story!". 4) In particular I really appreciated the morals and character development through literature. They do a fine job of this, more than anything else, and without coming across as preachy. They sneak it in, and kids don't realize they are being indoctrinated into a world of thinking about their actions and trying to do the right thing at all times. 5) Quality materials...the textbooks are beautiful to look at, with nice illustrations throughout. 6) The literary analysis begins early on, and it is repeated at ever increasing levels. By the time our kids are through with 8th grade, they already know more about lit analysis than most high schoolers do. Last year I had my first 9th grader, and we jumped into an 11th grade textbook because it was American Lit and followed our history. It was a very challenging textbook, but he did so well with it! It was clear he had been stretched a lot by Mosdos, and extremely well prepared. If you like Mosdos Press, and are looking for what to use for high school, I highly recommend the Implications in Literature series from http://www.textword.com/ . It has been the perfect pairing for high school coming off of Mosdos in elementary/middle school. It is very rigorous, with the same attention to thoughtful selections to be included, and a very nice combination of work to do after every story that is not at all busy work. It takes it all to the next level, and your child will be extremely well prepared for college if they use this series.

When our highest grade level son hit 5th grade and way ahead of his classmates when we started homeschooling. I knew it would be best for him, and I knew another son would be needing to come home as well for he was sinking quickly. If I am being brutally honest, part of me really wanted to do it, and part of me selfishly clung to the concern of losing who I was and time for myself in all of it. I also had a sneaking suspicion that once we started, we would never return to public school, I just had that gut feeling it would work for us eventually, even if we had a rough start. I was right on that count :-) What I didn't realize was how much I would enjoy it, and how that made a huge difference in how I felt about losing "me time". They are older now, and I can leave for a lunch out sometimes, and I am intentional about being with friends one evening a week to get outside adult conversation with other women. As much as I fretted over feeling trapped, it has never really happened.

I am playing Devil's Advocate here, not because I want to start a war, but because I myself have been internally debating this issue for awhile now. We have LD kids and use a nice combo of both video and text, and I believe in that strategy for our unique situation. But let's think a bit here about non-LD kids and the population in general. Based upon a lot of things I have been reading the past couple of years, and my own observations as well as those of others, it may very well be that we are entering a completely new era, a paradigm shift of massive proportions. We have somehow labeled video or screen learning as somehow less rigorous or less valuable, yet our entire culture is leaning more and more toward visual learning styles. Take, for example, the uptick in the use of Infographics, interactive media, and other multimedia presentations. Our very brains might actually be in the process of rewiring or engaging more with visual material than the written word. When you think about it, the written word is limited in what it can express...think about the emotions that play across an actor's face in a really well acted scene...can mere words really capture that? But our brain can instantly connect with it. We have somehow managed to elevate one form of taking in and processing information over another. Reading is good, viewing is bad. One is passive, one is active...and yet there are those who present interesting and thought provoking arguments to the contrary. http://macalawright.com/2014/05/the-rise-of-visual-culture/ Check out this TED conversation, where you can read some interesting thoughts on this topic: http://www.ted.com/conversations/6719/why_is_visual_literacy_discour.html Wondering what others think...

Oh, how I recall those emotions!! We are in our second year of high school, headed into 10th grade with our first one. I actually had those concerns way back when we started homeschooling when he was beginning 5th grade and we pulled him. I just knew in my heart we would end up doing it all the way through, and I wanted to prepare myself emotionally and mentally to be committed to make it through the long haul. It took a lot of inner work and conversations with myself to convince me that indeed we could do it. Then high school arrived, and though we are not at all unschoolers we had already worked through some thoughts we had about what we wanted high school to be...and that was NOT for our kids to go the traditional route. We knew we wanted nothing to do with SAT prep, high pressure college application padding, etc. We also were seeing that our kids were going to be non-traditional in many ways, as many want to be entrepreneurs, or are so self directed they want to learn outside the "system". We unintentionally created little rebels here, I think! HAHA! I am not saying college is precluded, but if we do college, it will be CLEP'ed, hacked and Community College'd as much as possible. But truthfully, as we entered high school, we began to see that it was just another year. Nothing big, just a little more recordkeeping. It was just another step up the ladder, like every other year, and there was no reason at all for my fear. It has been amazing. Awesome. Wonderful. I am honestly filled with gratitude every single day that I am spending so much time with my high schooler. I love the kid so much, he is so easy to be with, funny, bright, and we are reading together, debating issues, sharing things found on Reddit and other oddball news sources. He is learning more than I ever thought possible, largely on his own and outside our curriculum as we provide opportunities and turn him loose. I am even luckier, I have four more coming along behind him! The next few years are going to totally rock!! High school is a joy, not a burden...don't let the system ruin the experience. Don't get so caught up in all the testing, AP this and that, etc. that you forget these are some of the best years you'll ever spend with your child. Seriously, the best. I feel as if now I am reaping the harvest of years of hard work put into him, it is all so much easier now!

No, we didn't. He was in 9th grade, but reads at a much higher level and we needed a bit of a challenge. Additionally, we are studying American History so I used the 11th grade level to tie in with it. I am more loosely organized than many homeschoolers are. We don't really schedule anything, we simply keep working through our texts, and because we work regularly, we have never had a problem finishing by the end of the year. We did English 3 times a week for about an hour and a half, if that helps any. You might really like it, we so enjoyed the selections!

We are using Implications in Literature 11th grade level this year. It is WONDERFUL. Very well done, a complete English curriculum, really, as the amount of writing required would be enough to satisfy just about anyone if the majority of the assignments are done. The questions are thoughtful and not mere busy work. The selections are some of the best literature available with higher level vocabulary than you might ordinarily find. We thoroughly enjoyed using it this year.

I have asked myself this a lot, and find I am somewhere in the middle. We have kids that are English Language Learners, but who are 14, 15 and 16. Two have been here 4 years, are very mature and self-directed, yet I KNOW FOR CERTAIN that though they are capable of mostly independent work, they will never get as much out of it as they need to if it is not teacher guided/directed. We do tons of learning through Socratic style discussion. I teach science, history and literature, Teaching Textbooks does math (Thank you SO much for that one!! Hahaha!), and writing we use a DVD curriculum, still talked through with me. But once I give assignments and we have had our learning session, they are on all on their own and go off to do their thing. I think whatever works for each kid and mom is what is best.

So we have five kids, all adopted internationally, all on their own schedule and doing very well...as long as I am realistic and NOT pretending they are further along than they really are. Meet her where she is at. Seriously important. Don't play head games about it, it will harm her in the long run. She might very well be capable of college work eventually, but NOT if you move her forward simply because her age doesn't match her grade level. Right now, I have a 16 year old 7th grader, adopted at age 11 (1 month away from 12) who is truly 7th grade level and moving along just fine. She is doing some high school work, such as history, which is easier to work with, but she is only 7th grade when it comes to reading and writing level. She is progressing appropriately, but you simply can't rush it. In our case, our kids adopted at older ages had to learn English...but they also had to fill in basic knowledge gaps that most kids would not have to fill. While she may or may not go to college, by giving her the gift of time, she will be fully capable of doing so should she so desire. I second the comment above about checking out Walch Publishing titles, but also check out Pearson's AGS series...it is more graphically presented information broken down into clear content...far more like older style textbooks that explained things better. They have a full line of high school content, lower reading level materials that are well done. Let her move forward in the subjects she can...maybe with ESL textbooks, and then let her be what she really is in the subjects she struggles with. It'll make all the difference in the world.

If you use blogger from Google, there is a way to simply email your posts.

I am pushing 50 as well, and I am not attractive. I am not pretty, beautiful or even "good looking" in any way, shape or form. I am clean, neat and can't really be classified by most as "ugly", either. I am just plain. What I also am is warm, funny, loyal, appreciative, and kind. And I use my not-so-attractive smile at every opportunity. You know what? That alone makes me beautiful to the right people. And that is enough for me.

So I have a different take on this one. Our pastor has ALWAYS emphasized that worship is NOT a performance. NOT a performance. It is our way, collectively, of worshiping our God and of offering our voices up in praise. If we stink as singers, so what? And I say this having been in a very good small church choir for 9 years, and also being good enough of a singer to be in Sweet Adelines. I would never concern myself over someone in worship, leading singing or otherwise performing with the choir, who couldn't sing very well. It's not about that at all. I also have been blessed to have this pastor invite our then 12 year old son, who has serious speech difficulties due to bi-lateral cleft lip and palate, to be the liturgist 3-4 times a year. It was a delight to him, and actually brought tears to the eyes of other parishioners who saw his courage and grace doing something that was very difficult for him. Not a single person ever complained, and many, many were proud of him and quite vocal about allowing him to remain as a liturgist. Again, she reminded me that corporate worship is not a performance, and the minute that takes precedence over our desire to serve and worship with our hearts and souls, we are failing as a church.

Our son attended encampment two summers ago, the one at the Air Force Academy that was cut short due to the fires in Colorado Springs. Though it was definitely military style, and there was some yelling, etc. which was to be expected, he found it to be well run, professional behavior, and a great experience. As others have said, I think it varies widely depending upon those running the camp.