My children started Prima Latina in 3rd grade AND Latin's Not So Tough (start with book 2 - it mirrors Prima quite well, and has fun pages to complete for your young children). Both are very gentle programs. You are lucky in that you have time to complete one or both, yourself, and move onto Latina Christiana (or another program). In doing so, you'll always be one step ahead of them. I really like the SSL idea beforehand, and wish we knew about it "then".

We've looped for a couple years, but we did not have a name for it. People who follow TJEd - often loop, but it's not named as such there either. If you talk with veteran homeschoolers, many will tell you that they fell into this pattern, or that their students found the pattern. It allows the student to study a few subjects in depth each day. Schools teach in sound bites - homeschools do not have to - we have the flexibility to stretch out a few lessons over one day rather than try to insanely cram everything into one day. I love calling it "looping" because that is exactly what it is! This type of scheduling was explained to me by number of subjects that you rotate through. Try to limit younger students to 5 subjects per day (e.g. math, language arts, science, history, Latin). Each day, you work on 3 of those subjects, over three hours. You will then rotate to the next two subjects and loop back to the first subject on the next day - and keep on going with that routine each day. During that time, YOU (the parent) are present and engaged in the mentoring process. The rest of the day, you can move onto your own interests. Of course you are available when needed, but you do not need to be hostage to a kitchen-school table. With looping, you also gain freedom to get work done AND take field trips. It's been very easy for us to have a field trip AND do our three hours together, even when that time is split during the day. Older students typically have more "subjects". Ideally, you would help them whittle down the subjects to seven subjects (e.g. math, spelling, grammar, writing, science, history/geography, writing). With seven subjects, you'll need four hours per day to rotate through the schedule. You can trust the advice, or work out the schedule yourself - but if you follow the 5 subject/3 hour loop or the 7 subject/4 hour loop - you WILL complete everything during the year in your textbooks. The philosophy that you want to instill in your child is to not just work on one assignment per day - rather, work forward in the book. The next time you go back to that subject, you begin where you left off. Some high school students loop whole books at a time. They'll spend three months doing only math and grammar. Then two doing science and history. They'll get bored and go back to a new math book and move forward - then they'll want to go back to their history or science loves. Looping gives them the freedom to do this. School does not typically end after the three hour loop ends for students that are in the Logic and Rhetoric stages. They use additional time during the day to work independently, and in depth on their assignments beyond the time spent with you. When you draw this schedule out on paper, it you can see how you can divide your own time up with each student during the day. You can also make two separate loops and work with each student independently through the day on their loops. We have a family that loops their older students in the evening for two hours - so dad can be involved. All in all, as you go along, and as your student begins to take on more of their work, you'll probably evolve into a loop schedule. I say start looping as early as you can! Enjoy your new found freedom too!

How about geocaching? You know... you could read the Cub Scout books and get TONS and BUNCHES of ideas that aren't crafty - but are WAAAAAAY practical. Look online and into some of the BSA sites for belt loop, pins, arrow point and merit badge ideas.

We have never had assigned reading. I think is zaps all of the joy out of reading - especially reading science and history. We've always been library regulars, choosing books each visit for our current topics in history, science, art/music, practical arts, literature/poetry, and math. Once those books are chosen by the kiddos, they are free to check out anything their heart desires. Because they have chosen the books based on their interests, they (almost) always get read. Letting them choose will also take the stress off of you to follow someone else's book list with books that may not be in your library. For those books, you can interlibrary order them ahead. I wouldn't stress about read alouds. There are plenty of things on CD, and you can go to any site with books (Baldwin Project) and click on the voice on your computer and have the voice read to your kids (some voices are better than others, but they are all pretty silly). When this is done (by CD or on the computer) you should be in the room to moderate and get info for your discussions after. The other "thing" about read alouds (I'm for them actually) is that if you do not read aloud, you might want to read their books so you can engage in conversations about those books. The discussion is, imo, more valuable than putting pressure on yourself to do a read aloud. HTHs - Cheers!

I'm sorry, Tapestry of Grace Level 2...

You could also do Tapestry of Grace 3.

Sonlight Core 3 history Order the books, either from them, or through B&N, or Amazon. It's my opinion that if you (together) read and discuss Sonlight's suggested book list for this Core, you will not need their TM materials. Just read and soak it all in:)

Exactly what she said - a winter garden. I'm trying to convince DH on a raised garden for next spring. It's sooooo much easier to harvest from!!!

It sounds like an intellectual group! You could start with anything having to do with good v. evil, (CS Lewis is a great place to start), but... you should also look at what your denomination teaches on the subject. There are sometimes great doctrinal differences. Once your own church doctrinal works are examined, you could work with the actual teachings of others (Martin Luther, Paulinian, DL Moody, B Graham, Puritan pastors, Popes, Welsh writings, etc.). You should also review how you are going to define spirtual warfare: Simply, Good v. Evil?, or one of many views, some including: Satan v. God? Satan's Children v. God's Children? A spiritual undercurrent happening within each of us in the form of Demonology v. Animism? Societal Sin and Temptation v. Discernment and Good Works Throughout your process, it would be helpful to not let the group dwell on an us v. them mentality. It's also helpful that the group does not get caught up on how to get to heaven. The goal of spiritual warfare is to find practical ways to fill your own life with works of Christ - live as he would have on earth (A Red Letter Bible would be a helpful reference tool). In reading how he countered Satan's influence (or the influence of "evil") you will gain insight on ways to improve and grow your own life toward harmony with His vision for you. HTHs!

I could be exercised induces asthma. Your MD may recommend an inhaler to use when you have symptoms. Hope you find health soon!

Whew! I had to catch my breath after reading that list:) You CAN do it all. You just need to figure out what you can combine. Here are some possibilities: Start your day with History, Bible study and throw in geography about the places you read about. Combine math and logic. You can do two things with grammar, spelling and Latin: 1) drop grammar and go solely with Latin 2) combine spelling and Latin (both have smaller, less intensive daily lessons) If you are doing Latin, drop Wordy Wise - it's just way too overkill to do both. As you get deeper into Latin, you'll probably pick up a word root program (WTM recommend this in 7th grade). That program will probably have Greek word roots too - your child will get plenty of vocab with Latin and word root study. It's better to concentrate now, on the basics (math, grammar, Latin during the Logic stage), while adding onto your base in history and science. Drop your extra report writing and writing - and stick solely with Writing Strands. Drop the handwriting program (unless your child is just beginning to learn cursive). Handwriting may be practiced while working on lessons. Nice handwriting usually doesn't kick in until 6th or 7th grade. This is because kids can hold a number of thoughts in their mind - and can double up those thoughts (hmmm, I'm writing a sentence, but I also need to slant all my letters, hmmm, remember to make even loops, whoops! correct that misspelling)--kids can think through more at this age. A fifth grader us JUST BEGINNING to be able to pull these things together. If you are doing Rod and Staff - you will naturally be combining, grammar, spelling, writing, and vocabulary. Go back to your grammar program. If your child is writing out sentences everyday, they are learning the basics of grammar, spelling and vocabulary. Often small reports are given as grammar assignments. If you are doing Writing Strands and R&S, you'll have everything WELL covered. Combine report writing with Science narratives, research methods (simple if, then examinations), materials used, step-by step processes, and so on. These are all found in fifth grade grammar programs. Double up these two areas and you cover both in one shot. As you look over your curriculum choices, student talents, and educational goals, you'll probably begin to see areas you can combine. Good luck!

I believe without question, that he did. Below is an excellent book full of information. It has oodles of citations pulled together from a variety of resources on the areas that the Polo's most likely did, or did not visit. The information is too coincidental for the trip to have not happened. http://www.amazon.com/Marco-Polo-Venice-Laurence-Bergreen/dp/140004345X/ref=pd_sim_b_2/104-2735441-0583911

When Knighthood was in Flower by Charles Major You can read it online at Project Gutenberg. It's a refreshing account, or story of Mary Tudor. It was a runaway seller in the early 1900s. Beats some of the contemporary historical fiction stories of the same era hands down.

I use Amazon quite a bit as well. It's just as convenient to call in an order to B&N and have it shipped to the store. When I go to pick it up, I use my educators discount card too. It's a great little thing to have:)

We did and it worked beautifully. We also did CHOW. Both were great to combo wit SOTW during grades 1 - 4. For grades 5 up, we have been using The Story of Mankind (van Loon). You may also want to add FMo...series along with SOTW during both stages.

We did one lesson per week books A - D. Two lessons per week books E and F. In books A - D, we followed this schedule: Monday: read the first page and circle the bold words; discuss look over the TIP box; discuss take a pre-test Tuesday: complete page 1 complete 1/2 of page 2 Wednesday: complete the other 1/2 of page 2 complete proofreading study bonus words by writing them five times each Thursday: Write study bonus words again Friday: Rewrite day if needed Spelling test HTHs!

I agree that you do not need a formal progym program. We started out with CW when it could only be ordered online through Lulu - a few years ago (Aesop, poems and eventually Homer came out). If frustrated me to no end to figure it out. Part of our problem was that we were also doing R&S. Another factor, we had to wait around for CW to "catch up" their writings to stay on our schedule(it took almost two years for Homer to come out). CC wasn't around. All the while, I knew that there was something true about following the progymnasmata, so I began to research it on my own. I read the following books: Crowley, Sharon and Debra Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1999. D'Angelo, Frank. Composition in the Classical Tradition. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2000. In doing so, I could see the "whole picture" and how to progress through the writing stages. Once I had the basic framework in my head, and after looking at a few hs writing programs, I realized I could choose virtually any popular hs writing curriculum that was not progym based, a be "okay". I decided to continue to follow the WTM curriculum suggestions. We did SWO, R&S, and tons of Latin. I chose Writing Strands for the emphasis on basic mechanics. I am now able to add suggestions, and "spin" each lesson to incorporate the progymnsamata. I would suggest, to keep up with the grammar and try to add Latin. Read all you can on the progymnasmata. Choose a writing program that you will enjoy and that will fit the needs of your child. From there, everything should fall into place. I knew that Latin studies AND rigorous grammar program made our hs writing process easier - but I could never explain why. This article will: http://gemini.utb.edu/achurch/progymnasmata.html#anchor138886 I'm now in a classical book/writing group. Once the progym is explained to "newbies", an AHA! moment occurs. They realize that they can experiment with writing in many different ways. Writing becomes fun when they can choose between formats. It's neat to see them start out writing narratives and reading them to the group, and a few months later, write formal letters and short regulatory/law briefs to change local ordinances. I hope you find a comfortable path. It's a hard one to follow if you don't have the time to put into learning all the nuances.

Oh, and :grouphug: Hope the results are on the simple side!

You need to get to an MD. Shingles, MRSAl, simple skin irritation - find out. Since it is in the arm pit area and down the torso, it is also near lymph nodes, and could be a number of "things". I wouldn't hesitate on this one. Public health maybe?

This is sort of off... I'm wondering if the school is truly private? (as in they do not get any money from the state per pupil) If they are not truly private, they would still be bound by state ed rules - right? (meaning they get $$$ each day for school, and $$$ each day per student for their lunch program) Knowing they were getting full or partial funding for your children to fill seats and be in school over the lunch hour, would that affect your decision? Are THEY maybe struggling a bit? I have a friend that works in a school under a similar situation. She gets to dual enroll, but she must have her children in the school a certain number of hours per day, and preferrably over lunch so the school can "collect" on them.

Hmmm...someday she might, oh don'cha know.:001_smile: Have a great day!

Kitchen???????? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! I just endured a summer indoors! This is the time of year we to GET OUT and enjoy the weather. On a lucky day, we'll even get under 100 degrees! :party: I do have to venture in (dare I say) "there" tomorrow evening... I put a case of pears in the refrigerator to stop the ripening process. They cannot wait much longer. It's still not that comfortable during the day to heat up the kitchen AND not be able to open the windows to let the steam out. Date night with the stovetop tomorrow... whoo. hoo. :001_unsure:

:grouphug: My best to you and yours as you venture onto new endeavors!

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4447945n Enjoy, it's got a positive spin:001_smile:

:lol: Yikes! I missed that one BIG TIME!!!!!! (blushing while laughing!)