:iagree: It is about an hour a day 4 times a week. Some assignments take 5 or even 6 days. It is a very complete writing program.

I pulled my son out at the beginning of 3rd grade. I usually say just start with math and then add slowly, but if the husband wants a plan that is different. Math, can she keep the tutor? I would stick to the program she is in as everything else is going to be changing for her. I would get Life of Fred Apples as a supplement. It is fun, and it really helped to remediate my son who was struggling with Math. If they are not keeping the tutor, Kumon really helped to bring us up to speed. We did it for 9 months just for the catch up aspect. If she has not bought and read The Well Trained Mind, that is a great resource to have. Most libraries have it, I just find I need it on hand. It is also an impressive book to hand to a husband and say "this is what I am doing." I would also get the Complete Writing with Ease Instructor text. This goes more into the "why" of writing, and gives instruction on how to teach at all 4 levels. She can start with level 1, if that is too easy move onto level 2 etc... Once she has found her stride she can get the workbook if she wants for ease, but the book should be enough for now. Grammar, I would not jump into FLL. With everything else I would get MCT grammar Island and read through the book together for the rest of this year and call it good. Then maybe FLL3 next year. Spelling: All About Spelling level 1 is great. Teacher intensive, but fun and really holds your hand through it. History: The Story of the World is available on Audio. I would get that and listen to it in the car. Pick a time period and listen, and then chat about it. Maybe get the activity book to do maps and drawing. It also has questions to ask. If she is a good reader she can read the text while listening. My son enjoyed listening and coloring a page from the activity book in 3rd grade. Science: This year, Magic school bus books and DVD's from the library. Popular mechanics for kids, etc.... Maybe get the big bag of science from Timberdoodle. How is the handwriting? If her print was good and she is transitioning well to cursive, keep going. If not, HWT is a great program. Christian Ed; there will be lots of advice here.

Both kids are doing IEW's Linguistic Development through Poetry memorization and enjoying it. It is nice as my 5 year old is able to use the cd's (we have it in a box with a discman) and even with just learning to read she can memorize poems. She listens over and over to them. My older listens once and then just works from the book. It has Jabberwocky The Charge of the Light Brigade The Tiger and tons more, we are having a lot of success with it. Then, they also have Awana:001_smile:

We are really liking Rod and Staff. It is what a lot of people transition into after FLL. It is religious, but my son likes it. He likes the workbook, and he even took a test and liked that. He was ok with MCT (Liked Grammar Island the most), he really did not gel with FLL. Best of luck

Totally Spaced! November and all is going well. I think I am going to have ds retake the DORA test in January and see if his spelling has improved.

I don't play it, but my BIL convinced me to get it for ds10, he loves it. Most I can figure, it is a little like electronic legos. Once it is downloaded you don't need internet unless they want to link and play with a friend. As for screen time, we just use a token system. I got the idea from SWB, and it has been working great here. The kids get tokens on Sunday. For us they each represent 15 minutes. They can earn and lose tokens during the week. If it is not interfering with anything they can use them as they want. 10 year old gets 5 hours a week, 5 year old gets 4. (in 15 min increments). It resets every Sunday. It is for all screen time (ds, itouch, tv, computer etc...)

I mean really, does anyone ever buy things from this? I am trying to look at curriculum, I do not want to see ads for drugs. I just don't get it. I guess they just have nothing better to do..... Vent over.

Way to go Brandi! I think I will be vacuuming my dryer tomorrow as it has been 5 years....:auto:

There definitely are different ways that people "share" their wisdom with you. I think the OP is just having a vent after having some run in's with the more annoying kind. If you have experienced things working on your kids, great! Seizures, diabetes, pretty much all ailments are different in different bodies. I am going to give the OP the benefit of the doubt that she has looked into things, and they are not working with her kid. Just because someone else's kid was cured with it does not make the OP a mom who is doing something wrong. She is dealing with major health issues in a child and has had a frustrating day. Chickenpatty:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Mt. St. Helen's, I remember the grey snow falling. There was also a flood and an ice storm around the same time (with in a few years) There was a hurricane Christmas of '95 I think. That was pretty crazy, 80 hours with now power or heat in December. Just little earthquakes so far. I think 5.7 in 93 was the biggest. A few ice storms and snow storms. Nothing to major. Our friends were in Japan during the quake and had a baby the day before. Nothing compared to that. Oh, and around 79 a tornado in Houston. I only remember being woken up and moved to a make shift bed in a bathtub and a mattress on top.

:iagree: You don't know how her side of the family was told. We just lost my Aunt, we all knew that she was ill, and everyone was told. Posting the day after is fine.

:iagree: We haven't really gotten into history and Geography yet, we have watched some videos etc.... but I am waiting until soccer season is done before we start that. This year (year 3) I was a lot better at not getting things I won't be using.

23-25 hours a week over 4 days. We have been doing 4 long days, but with all our activities we are considering changing to a 6 day week (still the same hours).

We love Phonetic Zoo for spelling, almost completely independent.

that is the one!:D

We are doing 5th this year. I was really panicking about moving into the logic stage until I went to a convention and got to listen to SWB and Andrew Pudewa. Everything sorta feel into place after that and 5th grade has been our best year yet. So, I highly recommend SWB's audio lectures, really helped a lot. We have made a big move this year toward more independent work and my ds taking charge of his education. I am teaching less and mentoring more which is nice. Language Arts Literature, he is reading. About 1 a month I pick a book we read together and then discuss Spelling: Phonetic Zoo Handwriting (as he still needs this) Handwriting without tears Grammar: Rod and Staff English 5 and IEW's Fix it Writing: Writing with Skill Math: Teaching textbooks 5, finishing LOF elementary and moving to Fractions after Christmas, and Beast Academy Science: OUr core is Galore Park. We are mixing it up with snap circuits, chemistry kit, a biology dissection, and simple machines. History: We are using SOTW Ancients and he is using his outlining skills from WWS on the Usborne encyclopedia reading that goes with the chapter. Galore Park Latin Prep which he is doing with my father (good Catholic boy) Greek: He is doing Hey Andrew this year on his own (Next year we are thinking of First Form Greek through Memoria Press, but he is teaching himself the Alphabet this year) He is also doing Linguistic Development through Poem Memorization (IEW) I think that is it.

What age are your kids? Galore park English has everything (lit, grammar, vocab, writing etc....) Heart of Dakota has something. I am spacing the name, but there is a teacher manual and then 3 student books. Each should take 2 grades per book. However, I also strongly recommend reading TWTM literature part. Read good books and discuss.

I have been watching a lot of Khan academy (which is free) to teach myself and then working with the kids.

Here you go: Just Visiting for the first 10 posts Hive Mind Larvae for 11- 40 Hive Mind Worker Bee for 41-100 Hive Mind Level 2 Worker: Nurse Bee 101 Hive Mind Level 3 Worker: Honey Maker Bee at 161 Hive Mind Level 4 Worker: Builder Bee at 210 Hive Mind Level 5 worker: Forager Bee at 310 Hive Mind Level 6 Worker: Scout Bee at 410 Hive Mind Royal Larvae at 550 Hive Mind Queen Bee at 750 Empress Bee at 2500 Amateur Bee Keeper at 3500 Apprentice Bee Keeper at 5000 Qualified Bee Keeper at 7500 Beekeeping Professor at 10,000

Empty is fine. I have a bobble That I fill at the water fountain after security.

I didn't read the whole way through, sorry. There is a famous singer in the UK Ronan Keating I love the name, and his voice (and someone Cat Stevens will sing with for charity :))

I had them when I was a kid. Clean the cage A LOT! The fur gets mixes with the poo and is a horrible mess. They were lovely and soft and really cuddly. I adored them (even with all the poo cleaning)

You know the quiet time that SWB recommends? I love it, my mom did it with us, it helps my sanity. We just do it after breakfast rather than in the afternoon. I have two hours to play on the computer, drink my coffee and slowly wake up. DS uses his to get his independent work done, and dd plays on her own in her bedroom. In fact, it is 11 am here and I am just about to start...

Every October so far. This year not as bad, but when the weather turns. My sister is a music teacher in PS, she had a really rough week last week herself. The winter settling in is hard for everyone. You should do a poll!:D

I was fortunate enough to listen to Andrew Pudewa last spring. I haven't yet gotten enough money to buy the writing program, but the part he did at the conference was amazing. We have 2 IEW products that we are very happy with. Phonetic Zoo and Linguistic Development. I was comfortable buying them as I was assured by Mr. Pudewa himself that if there was any reason we didn't like the program to please return it. Any reason at all. I have not heard of anyone having a problem with returns with this company. I have asked my mom to buy me the writing DVD's for Christmas.