I didn't say that everyone needs to take a class. I said that I am not convinced that every student will absorb technology and that some students need direct instruction, some prodding, or at least some encouragement. I have two older children who were given computers and basically unlimited Internet access. One came to high school pretty tech savvy, but the other needed both prodding and instruction. Just my BTDT experience. Mandy ETA- my older child still writes things out. He writes fan fiction and writes out everything by hand including character lists with descriptions before he types anything. He didn't grow up watching me write anything by hand, so I have always been baffled. ETA- he is 23, so I don't suspect this will change.

I just don't want anyone to read this thread and think that their child will readily absorb technology. If they have been allowed very limited exposure or if they show no interest, expect to spend some time utilizing direct instruction.

I am not saying that families do not have computers. I am saying that it seems that a lot of homeschoolers pride themselves in not allowing their children to have screen time. I am also saying that, as in the case of my oldest child, some kids, who have laptops and pretty unrestricted use, just choose not to use them. Sometimes direct instruction is necessary- especially in the two situations I mentioned. Mandy

I am talking about children who were not allowed to use a computer at all or very little in elementary school. Then, in middle school/ jr high they are just learning to type. Typing takes so long that they would rather write their papers. How many posts do you see here about children's screen time being strictly moderated and only a short period of time allowed daily or weekly? How many posts do you see inquiring about typing programs for children in grade 4 or later?

I don't even have PowerPoint on the computer and don't know what Ubuntu is. My children never made a movie or poster on the computer or anything like that to demonstrate mastery of material. I did go to the little scratch thing a few years ago with my youngest, but I had no idea what to do with it. He couldn't figure out what was supposed to be fun about it or how to create anything, so that was the end of that. My oldest had more aversion to the computer than any of my children. In high school, I sent him to a tutor for math and made sure he was taught how to use a graphing calculator so that wouldn't be a stumbling block in his college math classes. I had him dual enroll in an intro to computer applications course. I am glad I did these things. Not knowing how to use a graphing calculator would indeed have been a stumbling block going into college math where they provided no instruction and just expected that he knew how to use one. I do feel like the intro to comp applications course helped to expose him to things that he never would have explored in his own. My middle ds did make movies and stop animation and played with some programming. He did these things in his free time. He is majoring in computer science now. Anyway, no, I do not believe that kids naturally pick up or enjoy or would choose to do things on the computer if given the option. My oldest is living proof. He would have been that 16yo who didn't know what to do. I do think that some kids have to be told to do their papers on the computer. If they aren't doing so by middle school/ jr high, I would have them start doing so at least some of the time. If you have a child in high school who shows no interest in figuring out how to use technology, I would suggest being proactive in making sure that they learn it. Yes, I do think not being familiar with these things will be a stumbling block in college no matter how strong their math and writing skills. Yes, I do think the people who responded in this thread have a lot of technology in their homes that they allow their children to access freely and have at least one parent who knows how to use it. No, at this time, I do not think that this is representative of the majority of US families. Think of the number of threads here that discuss not allowing any screen time, moderating screen time or use, not allowing Internet access, having to teach keyboarding and/ or word processing skills to students in middle school/ jr high. Obviously, 10 and 12 yo students who are only allowed to touch the computer for 30minutes a day or only 30 minutes on Sat and Sun are not doing programming, animation, or stop-motion activities. These things take more time than a lot of students are allowed to even spend on the computer. If the threads here and in my local homeschool groups are to be believed, there are many homeschooled students who are not exposed to and who I am not convinced will learn to use technology without some instruction or perhaps some prodding or at least some encouragement. HTH- Mandy

I agree with everyone who has explained that you need to meet her where she is rather than where you think she should be. As far as results from a standardized test, those results may very well say that she is working at or ahead of grade level. Being able to perform well on a standardized test will not tell you what level of ABeka grammar she should be using. Welcome to the world of why so many homeschoolers don't test or don't put much emphasis on test scores. :) I also agree that a product like ABeka or Rod and Staff or any other grammar heavy product used at grade level is probably not a good choice coming out of the ps where grammar study was probably minimal. Either go back a grade level or use a program that doesn't assume prior knowledge. Saxon 54 may work out fine. You may just need to move slowly and use something other than their drill sheets for math facts. In grade 4, I also agree with not going over 30min in a subject unless she is really into something like reading a book or working on a project. One way to do this is to break down the lesson. For example, do math drill, and then do phonics. Then, do the reading portion of science. Tandem read the science. You read a section or paragraph, and then she reads a section or paragraph. Then, go back and do the mental portion and teaching portion of Saxon. Do a bunch of other things before having her come back and so the problem set. Some kids find schooling this way to be less exhausting and produce higher quality output than when they try to spend longer times fighting their way through. HTH- Mandy

Guest Hollow's Extras to use with WinterPromise Sea and Sky http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/extras/seaandskygravy.html :)

You can assemble folders, but, instead of using file folders, use folders with fasteners. Hole-punch everything you can and stick it in the folder. When you get in the car hand each child his folder and a pencil. This is a lot easier to keep up with than a bunch of textbook or workbooks. You can also stick the paperback they are reading (if it isn't too thick) in one of the folder's pockets. HTH- Mandy

I loathe Ken Ham's brand of religion, but, as far as Christians go, John is pretty laid back. As far as Christianity goes, John tends to be someone I feel I can have a chat. What is it about his religious views that you loathe? Genuinely Curious- Like I said, I could say exactly the same thing about others, but have never felt that way about John Holzmann. Mandy

So, you are considering homeschooling for medical reasons and your son also has an IEP? Without knowing the specific LDs, the types of input and output that work best for him, and at what level he is working, it is very difficult to suggest anything. ;-) However, I did want to wish you well and suggest that you post on the learning challenges board and include more details about what you are needing. HTH- Mandy

OP- I am keeping BookShark on the radar. John used to post in the secular SL yahoo group as well as the SL forums. I like the way he thinks. I like his guides and his ability to discuss a different POV. However, it is a lot of historical fiction. There isn't a good balance between historical fiction and other genres. It also works best with a child who is able to develop a deep empathy with fictional characters and connect this empathy with what he/ she is studying in history. It makes the history more real and aids in retention for this type of student. My oldest son was this type of student, but I am not sure if it would work this way with my youngest. It sure didn't work for my middle ds who didn't like historical fiction much and didn't make any connections between the fiction and the history unless I connected he dots for him. So, while I will consider level 7 when it comes out, I hesitate due to the lack of diversity in reading material and being uncertain if my youngest is the type of child with whom this type of history learning would resonate. HTH- Mandy

Ken Ham slammed SL for years and John Holzmann specifically for not being "Christian" enough for including books that he (Ken) didn't feel that Christian children should use. The outcome of this was that SL was basically banned from the homeschool conventions in their own state (Colorado). John Holzmann discussed a lot of this on his blog as well as his thoughts on an old earth. His was very clear that at one point he was suicidal. John pulled away from SL, and Sarita has done whatever to keep their Christian customer base. If you want to avoid something based on principle, avoid Answers in Genesis as a highly judgemental, holier-than-thou, if-you-don't-fully-believe-our-brand-of-Christianity-then-you-aren't-Christian con that uses this method to run competitors out of business. John loves writing homeschool materials, and he is good at it. Due to everything that happened, he has chosen to market to the secular homeschool community. Sarita has chosen to continue marketing to the Christian homeschool community. I don't know that John will ever be secular enough for some secular homeschoolers or that Sarita will ever be Christian enough for Ken Ham. I can only imagine that these were hard individual decisions, difficult decisions for their company, and had to involve thoughtful discussions in their relationship with each other. HTH- Mandy

I have said many times that, if I had it to do over, I would not use a math program at all prior to middle school level math. I would use dominos, playing cards, dice, number boards/ hundreds charts, felt shapes, pattern blocks, c-rods, duplos, a ruler, a yard/ meter stick, a tape measure, measuring cups and spoons, a clock, a calendar, and other manipulatives to explore one-to-one correspondence, the four operations with whole numbers, parts of a whole, shapes and space, sequences, similarity and congruence, measurement, time, and numbers and math in general. I am just at a point where I find elementary math delightful and view full blown math programs with little people as a hinderance rather than a help. (OTOH, I acknowledge that beginning in middle school, I would purchase a curriculum, and undoubtedly there are plenty of people who are comfortable exploring middle school math without a full blown curriculum, so this is in no way a bash on anyone who is using or wants to use a program. So, if you don't feel comfortable without a product, certainly use one. ;-) ) However, if you want your young child to explore math without using a program but are not sure how to encourage that exploration, there are books like Kitchen Table Math that can help suggest things to do or books like What My <blank> Grader Needs to Know that can give you a general scope and sequence if you just want a general checklist to make sure that your child has opportunity to explore a variety of topics. I definitely wanted to encourage anyone who is on the fence that you don't need a textbook for kindergarten math. Your child can explore beginning math concepts without one. :) HTH- Mandy

My middle one would have had me dreaming of air soft guns if I had known what one was at the time. I think I just dreamed of duct tape. My line was that it was fine the be angry or upset, but it was not alright to vomit that emotion all over everyone in the house. I would walk him to his room and tell him he was welcome to come out and rejoin us when he was in better control of his voice and body. I hate to make this comparison, but it really was like a crate trained puppy. He learned to remove himself from situations that were going to trigger inappropriate behavior, and his room became his safe spot. I also used the boy who cried wolf explanation and told him that if he were screaming like that he better actually be injured when I arrived. As a point of hope, this middle son who was the little tasmanian devil screamer was a much easier teenager than my oldest who was super easy when he was little. Mandy

By age/ grade cut-off in TN, a child turning 12 in October would be in sixth grade. As a homeschoolers, if an elderly lady at the supermarket or a kid at the park asks my child what grade he is in, I have told him to respond with the grade appropriate to his age level cut-off. These people don't care about the different grade level products he is using for different subjects or even (since in the state of TN you must be registered somewhere) what grade he is registered for with his umbrella. They are basically just asking for a ballpark age. I would also use the state cut-off for things like rec league sports teams where grades are listed and stuff like that. Other situations might be determined to need more or deeper information, but, generally speaking, I just go by state cut-off age/ grade. HTH- Mandy

Not a problem, but, then, I am not a type A personality. I think I am more of a B/C person, and my dh is more of an A/D person. Anyway, no, I don't feel like I have failed in some way if every single thing isn't done every single day. I figure doing some of it joyfully is better than trying to do all of it and being miserable. I like clean clothes and clean plates, but clean floors are a losing battle. Short on time- wash the clothes and dishes, and skip the floor. Is school taking a long time? Frozen pizza for dinner is fine. There are only so many hours in the day. Do whatever school is the most important to you first and rotate the rest in second, third, fourth slots. Some days you may do it all, but some days the last thing/ things may just move to the next day. With that big of an age spread, you will have two only children. Will you be able to hover over both of them simultaneously and control every aspect of the environment where you have a perfect house, a lovely hot dinners every night, and complete every item on your rigorous homeschool checklist just like you do now? I am not going to lie to you- probably not. Is that really the goal? However, by the time you will be homeschooling the little person, the oldest will be in high school and then graduating. You are not going to have to worry about teaching them at the same time. The older had you to himself as a little person, but the younger will basically have you to himself the same amount of time. Anyway, plenty of people are perfectly happy with their only. If you are happy with your only and don't want to have another one, don't let others try to convince you that you should. ;-) HTH- Mandy

Tutorials are typically a drop-off situation, whereas co-ops require a parent stay in the building. The liability with tutorials requires that they meet guidelines similar to a daycare regarding things like insurance, fire codes, and such depending on the number hours and days they meet and the ages of the children involved. While there are a ton of homeschoolers in my area, there isn't a meet-all-your-needs group like I have heard some people describe. Families often build community around those families in their co-op or tutorial. So, although there might be a huge field trip or homeschool day posted to a lot of message type boards, you can show up and not have anyone speak to you or your kids, because people tend to have these smaller groups. Here is a registration page for a tutorial near me, and this certainly isn't the most exclusive in the area. http://www.westharpeth.org/Tutorial/Registration.html Mandy

Where I am it is common for tutorials to not only require families to sign a statement of faith but to also require a letter from a pastor verifying that you are an active member of a congregation. It is not uncommon for tutorials to require high schoolers to write a statement explaining their personal relationship with Jesus or for the tutorial to require an interview with the student where the student is asked about such things. Generally speaking, the Protestant tutorials here are very exclusive- much more so than the Protestant private schools in the area. I vote to do your own thing. Are there yahoo or FB groups in your area where you can send out field trip information? If so, join those and, whenever you want to go somewhere send it out to all the groups you are on. Start the e-mail/ post with everyone welcome. :) If you are excluded, I am sure there are others being excluded and others who think the exclusion is awful, and you only need a few of these families to build a more inclusive situation for you and your child. HTH- Mandy

You most certainly can pick and choose! Adapt the methods of whomever you want in order to create your own method that works for you in your home with your kids. I promise no home education police will show up and give you a ticket for incorrect use of another person's educational philosophy, and really how could they after you name the amalgam the MusicMomma Method. ;-) HTH- Mandy

I have a one star rating, too! lol I don't like those things exactly because I feel like it says more about the person who left the rating. Also, once I accidentally gave a thread a one star rating while I was on my phone, and, if you can change it, I sure couldn't figure out how! So, maybe I irritated someone, but, then again, maybe the person was on her phone, did it accidentally, and couldn't change it. :D I don't ignore anyone, because I would be too curious and look every time anyway- kinda renders the feature useless if you look anyway. Also, I am horrible with names, so, if there is a thread where I disagree with someone, I am not going to remember that person when I "see" her again in another thread. After all these years, there are only a couple of handfuls of people here that I remember from one day to the next. (Sometimes, if someone changes her avatar, I "loose" her for a bit before I make the connection.) Anyway, I figure anything said here isn't personal because the person saying it doesn't actually know me and probably won't remember me tomorrow. Mandy

If she is a little reader, can't you use a literature based program for science and history and, then, ACE for language arts and CLE for math? Could you use something like Sonlight or BookShark for history and science? You could put sticky notes in the books telling her how much to read. When she is finished, she can move the sticky and place it where she stops. Honestly, for second grade, you could just get library books each week on science and history topics and let her read. Then, on the way home, she can tell you what she learned. HTH- Mandy

I have plenty of spiral notebooks, coloring pencils, scissors, glue, and the like. Earlier this summer, I bought a giant box of cheap mechanical pencils. Today, I bought some highlighters, a new protractor/ compass set, and 32 paper folders with pockets and fasteners. I think that covers all my office/ school supply needs. :) Mandy

While I do think that 6th/ 7th seems to be the first year that many of the schools here drop spelling, whether you drop it should depend on your dd. My middle ds did spelling through grade nine. He finally began to spell well in grades 6 and 7. In grades 8 and 9, phonics finally made sense. He used Apples, Daily Spelling Drills for Secondary Students in grades 8 and 9. However, he also used Vocabulary for Enjoyment those two years. This isn't a homeschool decision I would change if I could go back and have a do-over. However, current rising sixth grader will be doing vocabulary and not spelling this year. My oldest did used Spelling Workout and Wordly Wise in grades 6 and 7. If you have any concern whatsoever about her spelling, do it for another year. If you don't, then drop it. HTH- Mandy

My favorite poetry anthology for elementary school is The Random House Book of Poetry for Children. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0394850106/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1405723889&sr=8-1 I have implemented poetry/ artist/ composer study different ways over the years. Artists and composers, I almost always do a different one each trimester. Sometimes I have followed suggestions from AO and sometime I have just selected my own. I have used Classics for Kids frequently for composers. We have also just studied composers whose music happened to be at the symphony that trimester or a composer whose music Doodle was playing. I have selected artists based the historical period we were studying and on who happened to be at the art gallery. I have done a poem a week, a poet a trimester, poetry tea time and used poetry programs. When all my boys were home, I really enjoyed poetry tea time and discussions. I haven't found those to be as fun with an only child. Now, I am fine just using a poetry program. I enjoy studying art that we can see at the art gallery the most because the actual art has more impact than a print or a book. I think Doodle remembers the composers he is playing more than even the ones he hears at the symphony. I do think it is going to look different for each family and will change as your kids grow, but I wouldn't suggest doing one poet, composer, or artist for the whole year. HTH- Mandy

For example, can you take Language Mechanic and set it up as a hands-on project. (I don't know anything about Language Mechanic.) Are there sentences that can be typed out as strips so that the parts of the sentence can be cut apart and analyzed on a cork board? Or in an ongoing journal type book where she can paste things? Or leave out a white board where she does the work there instead of a workbook? Is is set up in units where each unit could be assembled as a lapbook? Is any of this possible? Would it make it feel less workbook-y to you? Would your dd like it? HTH- Mandy