I couldn't find a rough 36 week schedule for History of the Ancient World that utilized the entire book and that was organized by civilization, so I made one. I scheduled the book and study guide for my upcoming freshman. He is a fast reader and is allergic to writing. I have also scheduled the first 34 lectures from The Great Course, "The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World." I have some videos scheduled that are mostly in my public youtube list--HOTAW. This is a rough draft. I just finished it today and thought someone might want to take a peek at it. I've uploaded it to my dropbox account, here https://www.dropbox.com/s/9w381q0ow416j5z/History%20of%20the%20Ancient%20World.docx?dl=0 The last page (12) is typed out for a bookmark, and lists all the chapters per civilization in roughly chronological order. Our family's strange sense of humor might not be to your liking, but it's at least a start of a schedule. Hope this saves someone some time!

I have used both! I did FLL 1/2 and FLL 3. It was good--not too much writing for the writing phobic. Clear explanations. Fun poetry memorization included (and review built right in). Great for an auditory learner. It can get repetitive and I never used the scripting. The children who used it tolerated it. They prefer CLE. I needed something that didn't hinge on me teaching every single thing. The memorized definitions from FLL have helped in CLE--especially the list of helping verbs that are memorized with clapping. You need to add handwriting, spelling and composition to FLL. You can (but you don't really need to) supplement CLE with an extra writing program--like Writing with Ease.

I've used R&S grammar grades 2-6 and CLE LA grades 2,5 and 7. I greatly prefer the spiral format of CLE. I think that the compostition portion of CLE is stronger than R&S while at the same time appearing less intimidating to the student. I am actually giving away all of my R&S grammar books because we like CLE so much more.

I've used CLE for LA 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 7th grade so far. I've also used Writing With Ease and Writing with Skill, spelling workout, all about spelling, handwriting without tears, Rod and Staff grammar, and copywork/dictation. CLE replaces all of the other programs quite well. It does have copywork (7th grader was just copying from the Declaration of Independence) It has word root study. It is quite systematic and easy to implement. If you really wanted to supplement for writing, I would use Writing with Ease/Skill. I've been pretty pleased with the writing instruction though. More writing doesn't always equal better writing, and the way the writing is presented is CLE is less intimidating than other programs I have seen. There is still much wailing and gnashing of teeth by my older children.The CLE 7th grade combination of LA/Reading reminds me strongly of the content presented in Writing With Skill level 1. It is more user friendly and less intimidating. However, the lit selections and examples in WWS are much "prettier." I plan to add in some real literature and discussions to supplement CLE as I have time because I LOVE books and just can't imagine my children not reading certain things. In 2nd grade so far my little man has copied poetry and has been directed through giving an oral book report (with a self-drawn illustration of the favorite part of the book) He is only in the fourth of ten "lightunits" because we completely overhauled our curriculum last December. I was going to attach a document from the CLE yahoo group that lists all of the writing topics for each grade (3-7) but can't figure it out. Sorry for the long copy and paste below. The 3 digit numbers refer to which Lightunit the assignment is in. CLE Writing Program grades 3 through 7 Units without specific writing assignments and not listed here usually focus on grammar, usage, and mechanics. EVERY unit, including the ones with specific writing assignments within the lessons, has time for “creative writingâ€, with suggestions from the book On Teaching Writing. 301 Friendly letter 302 Paragraphs topic sentences; writing a paragraph 303 transition words 304 thank you notes 305 more active verbs 306 oral book report; taking notes; practicing; presenting 307 preparing a report; finding information; writing; revising, rewriting 308 writing a paragraph from notes; editing 309 writing a prayer 310 writing a report;exploring, first draft; revising; editing and final copy; presenting thank you note 403 friendly letter 404 thank you notes 405 unity in paragraphsfriendly letter 406 listening and taking notes (from a sermon in church) taking notes from written sources writing from notes 407 choosing a subject taking notes from several sources writing the rough draft; revising; editing activity: making a report cover 408 writing a paragraph, making sure it makes sense 409 clustering (generating ideas) a how-to paragraph writing a paragraph from clustering 410 friendly letter; postcard interview an older person – report – rough draft; revise, edit, copy 501 using specific words (rather than vague ones) 502 outlining (from an essay) 503 topic sentence personal narrative 504 writing a story using the spelling words 505 compare and contrast – revise and edit; final copy 506 writing a summary; revising a summary using concise words to replace awkward phrases 507 RESEARCH PAPER step-by-step 508 writing dialogue 509 business letter; reply to a business letter 510 oral book report 601 writing good sentences 602 transition words; writing a paragraph 603 supporting the topic sentence with reasons 604 supporting the topic sentence with a story 605 chronological order in paragraphs 606 paragraphs in order of importance 607 comparison and contrast paragraphs 608 spatial order in paragraphs 609 character sketch 610 writing a news article 703 conducting an interview for a news article writing questions for an interview contact; first interview; second interview first draft; editing and revising; sharing the article 705 using precise and vivid verbs 706 outlines writing exposition; rough; revising and editing 707 NOVEL STUDY But Not Forsaken There are only a few specific assignments for writing in this unit, including writing a description of a character and an evaluation of a character. There are, however, many “writing opportunities†within the unit, if you choose to take them, including writing about the characters’ feelings; research topics about WWII, rationing, the SS, and so on; interview a refugee, war survivor, or emigre; explain what a character meant by what was said, including references to Scripture; summarizing events; research Paraguay, immigration standards for US or Canada; Interview parents, teachers, pastor about views on drama, Christmas decorations, aid to people. What does the Bible say about these things? Write a different ending to the novel.

I second the CLE for LA instead of Rod and Staff. I've used both and find that CLE's LA is much easier for the children to use independently. Plus it has spelling, handwriting and greek and latin root word study(7th). Look at CLE for reading as well, especially for 7th grade. We are using it this year and it teaches a huge amount of literary analysis and critical thinking-stuff that I didn't learn until high school--stuff that I thought I would just teach through discussion (ha). It's my first year using a "reading" program and all of the kids have loved it. Story of the World on audio is great. I would think that you would want to do the third or fourth book of SOTW for a 5th and 7th grader. Get the activity book pdf. Only do the mapwork. If you want to make mapwork independent, take an evening and cut and paste the map directions from the pdf of the activity book into a document. Print it out and give it to them. _ta da-independent map work!They can cut out the timeline cards and keep them in an index card file box to review if you want to get fancy. They can also use the activity guide as a resource if they are really interested in a subject and want to independently do a project. Apologia General science with the student notebook has been independent here for 7th--and we don't do the experiments. The text tells you what happens in the experiments anyways. The student notebook has a schedule with checkboxes in the front. Ignore the weeks and the student just checks stuff off as he goes. Open and go. Or use the online at your own pace class (with quizzes and tests graded for you) available at http://www.virtualhomeschoolgroup.com/ Look at Rod and Staff science textbooks for fifth grade. Just let them read it--or read and answer the questions that are after every section. For the two year old--keep play dough in a baggie in the diaper bag, Throw a couple of bean bags in there too. A roll of painter's tape is fun--and you could tape off a square on the floor for the bean bags to be thrown into. An aquadoodle mat would be easy to transport and not messy. Board books. Two year old's have the attention span of a gnat and thrive on routine--big hugs and lots of chocolate to you for the tough time you have ahead of you. Little Bear, Max and Ruby, and Stella and Sam cartoons could save your life here. The first two saved mine the year that I was on bed rest with a two year old because the shows weren't overstimulating and I could stand to listen to them over and over. If all of that is too much--have the kids do math and read books. Have them take turns entertaining the two year old and helping do laundry and cooking. Call it good. They will be fine academically if that's all they do for a year. hugs.

CLE. I used to use an eclectic mash-up of WTM and Ambleside Online. As my health deteriorated and I had more children, I added more CLE to our school. This year we are almost all CLE and the other subjects are textbooks. I offered to let them all go back to our normal WTM/Ambleside online routine next fall. They ALL want to stay with CLE--except the younger boys want to go back to Story of the World for history! These are boys who abhor the physical act of writing. I'm still wallowing in my shock. CLE is rigorous for us. It's very predictable, clean on the page, and independent in the later grades. CLE's Learn to Read program in first grade took two of my boys who said that they "couldn't read and turned them into book lovers who read way above their grade levels. (ok, the fact that i've been reading to them forever, try to find them awesome books at the library and am always reading myself probably didn't hurt) I never did the first grade LA or Reading--might do it this time around. It hasn't been a problem for my 2nd grader to jump into 2nd grade LA and Reading. Buy the phrase flash cards. Buy the math flash cards. Buy an egg timer. Teacher's manuals are essential in the lower levels--first grade is not independent.

Visual latin is taught by video that you download to your computer or Ipad. There are also worksheets for each lessons and an answer key that you download and print or lazily do on the computer like us. I'm involved--I sit and watch each lesson with my son and then he does the worksheets orally. I'm able to give help and feedback as necessary. It takes between 10 and 20 minutes per lesson for us. :001_smile:

We use Visual Latin http://www.visuallatin.com/ We did do 3/4 of the first Latina Christiana before burning out on that. Ideally, I would use both programs. I should mention that I did take 4 years of Latin in highschool which I vaguely remember! Dwayne's explanations of grammar concepts are the best I've ever heard. Best of all, he makes my son laugh and want to do Latin every day!

We had the same problems (used primer through gamma) with fact retention. I switched last month to CLE math and love it!

You could take a look at Christian Light Education's 1st grade math. I just ordered it after almost finishing MM1 and the first half of MUS alpha when I realized that my 7 yo still makes tally marks to count (did it on the diagnostic test) anything beyond +2's. It has the flash cards scheduled in the child's workbook and the flashcards are organized very nicely. Math mammoth didn't have enough scheduled review for me. If you don't tell me when it has to happen, it doesn't happen I guess! I didn't want to move him to the concepts of borrowing, and carrying until he has his facts down. Conceptually, he understands math. Now he justs needs to be able to do it in a timely fashion!

We are actually using Penelope Gardner's Italics handwriting program right now after using HWT for K through 3rd and having it fail spectacularly. I bought the e-book for 10 dollars and use it for my 1st and 3rd graders. It is actually working for my 3rd grader! Huzzah! Each letter has about a paragraph of explanation on exactly how to write the letter--which really helps my third grader who loves reading but hates writing. He is actually proud of of his handwriting now and asks to hang his work on the fridge. Just google her name to find her site!

We have been studying Latin for 10 weeks now with LC1. Last night, my son was playing Star Wars Battlefront online (multiplayer) when he ran into a player named S.P.Q.R. (The Senate and People of Rome)--my son remembered what it meant. He actually was able to correct this player when he was typing in cibum to mean hair, remembering that capillus means hair. Luckily the other player wasn't offended!The other player's war cry was, "Bellum!" My son got to learn that bellum means war. He was really excited to tell me all about it this morning. I was excited that some Latin is actually sinking in and is relevant in his life. You can't get more relevant then his favorite video game! Woo Hoo!

Had a conversation late Sunday night with my SIL who was, of course, very defensive of her choices. My SIL is in total denial and believes that her daughter is just being lazy. She just needs to, "turn her brain on and work harder". Now, I've only been teaching her for a month and haven't been her mom so it's hard to say if that's true or not. She was able to score 100 on a couple lessons on Friday--because her dad apparently offered her a surprise if she did well that day. SIL wants to give it a month of my niece doing hard work and the reevaluate. LD testing, btw, is done by "quacks who tell you whatever you want to hear and then suggest medication" according to my SIL and what her experience was with her oldest, now married, daughter. Laziness or ld? I'm about ready to say i'll give it a couple weeks and then test her or I quit. Sheesh. I sure don't want to make things worse for my niece.

Check out www.oldfashionededucation.com and www.amblesideonline.com They both have tons of links to free materials even if you only use some of them!

It looks fine to me--I could be wrong though. I'm not an English major or anything!

Thanks ladies! I don't feel so alone now. It would be a little better if I felt that my niece was even making an effort but I think that she isn't. For example, I wrote out two pages of notes on how to study for her quizzes, complete with clues to what would be on the quiz and what to take notes on (went through it verbally, too) . I was concerned about the difficulty level of the quizzes, given that she was failing the lessons. I told her I'd allow her to use her notes during the quiz. The quiz was also open book on SOS which means that they can save and exit the quiz and go back to the material at any time. She didn't study. She said she couldn't figure out how to open her lesson on the computer. She didn't ask her parents for help and didn't call me either. I gave her 20 minutes per subject to review and made her take the quizzes --which she failed. I don't even quiz my kids! I don't like this modus operandi of homeschooling. (hey those 4 years of high school Latin have to be good for something!) :bigear:

I hope I quoted that right--I've never used the quote button before! I didn't ask for payment, it's family--you know. However, my SIL wanted to pay me and offered $200 twice a month, so $400 a month. My mom thinks that's pretty laughable, but I'm not doing it for the money. Still, she has only paid me $180 so far and it has been a month. I'm not too upset about it, although it would be nice to have since we live on a single income. Think of all of the books I could buy! I didn't know I would be pregnant when I agreed to this. I am only 8 weeks along and was put on bedrest a week and a half ago. I want to be loving and helpful and kind but I just don't know how to do that right now. I told the parents before we started that there was no way I could even get her up to grade level and that they shouldn't be expecting that. I'm sad. I feel like I'm just going to be the bad guy in all of this. My niece's nanny for the past 3 years has been a special ed teacher and she hasn't seemed to help. There has got to be more going on the just mild ADD. BTW, I think grade levels are pointless as are "grades" for my children. We learn where they are at and stay there for as long as necessary. I've homeschooled from the start, so the "grade-level" way of thinking is just foreign to me now. On a side note, perhaps my children can learn some science from all of the organic material building up in my carpet since I can't vacuum! Thank you ladies for all of your wise words. I'm calming down a little at least!:tongue_smilie:

Very good advice, thank you. We had a series of discussions with my sister-in-law and her husband before I agreed to HS my niece and my husband and I thought everyone was on the same page. Our goal-and not a secret one-was to gently lead my sister-in-law into homeschooling her children herself. WE have always had a good relationship with them--very close--and have expressed concerns with my sister-in-laws choices to them many times. I refused to HS my niece originally because of these differences. I couldn't hold out against the thought of my sweet niece being bullied (and she was) and hating life in general (and she was) because of the terrible school situations and my SIL is known for getting what she wants. She just doesn't give up! My opinion of my sister-in-law has steadily plummeted over the past month. I just don't know how to kindly address the situation. I might have to have my husband do it because I'm just a ball of pregnancy hormones anyways right now. You're right though--how can I mentor and teach someone else's child when I don't respect what the parents are doing? I would never say anything negative to my niece about them--ever, but still.

I need the collective experience of the Hive! I reluctantly agreed to HS my 12 year old niece this year. Her parents say they "have" to work (to pay for their huge 600,000$ home)but don't want to send her to the public middle school. She couldn't get accepted into the private christian school her older sister goes to because she is behind in every subject. She had an IEP at her public elementary school and supposedly only has mild ADD. I thought the parents goals were similar to mine (safe learning environment where she could work at her own pace). However, after I agreed to HS her I find that they want strict grades and recordkeeping. WE live in IL and don't have to worry too much that. So I suggested Switched on Schoolhouse. Not what I'd use for my own children, but I only havev so much time in the day. It took them 3 weeks to order it. Meanwhile she was at my house every day for 9 hours (breakfast and lunch) and I cobbled together a program for her from things I had around. When they ordered the SOS they went against my recs and ordered 6th grade bible, history and science. She tested into 4th grade LA and is using teaching textbooks 4. She is now failing everything but LA and math. She has no comprehension. She can't spell. She can't write a correct sentence. She cannot do any math (2 + 2) without counting on her fingers every time. Her mom tried to tell her dad to order TT5 without me knowing about it, saying I said TT4 was too easy. I had to call him and tell him that this was untrue. Her mom, my husband's sister, only really seems interested in appearances and keeping my niece at "grade level". HA! I never would have agreed to that. She lied to me, basically, and told me what she had to tell me to get me to agree to HS my niece. I sent home a huge file folder of failed lessons, quizes, grades and a couple projects for her parents to look over this weekend. I asked her Dad on Thursday to call me or email me to discuss my niece's situation. I told their friend who picks up my niece for them to have them call me. Now it is Sunday and I spend my time and energy this weekend researching learning disabilities while they gallivant around town and don't bother to call me. I've about had it. I have children of my own and I'm pregnant and on bedrest with another. So I'm considering telling them (by email, because that same friend drops her off for school) on Monday, oh so sweetly, that I will babysit my niece every day and they can do school with her at night unless they want to discuss switching curriculum and getting her tested for learning disabilities. Any advice or opinions are welcome. Is it just pregnancy hormones raging, or would this drive you all batty too?

Well, my boys love Elemental Science! My third grader is doing Chemistry and my first grader is doing Biology. Both levels are about perfect for each boy's level of understanding, although my third grader follows the teacher's manual by himself most of the time. I just have to ensure he actually writes his narrations (he'd much rather dictate to me or skip the writing all together!)

Maybe try Rod and Staff English and Spelling programs! My oldest learns best through mastery programs and finds Rod and Staff's programs very manageable. He is retaining so much! The programs are so reasonable that if you buy them and hate them, you aren't out very much money. The english program now has worksheets available (I cross out about half of the questions). There is no schedule, but we just do the next page, day after day! Easy.