Thanks for this thread. I was confused on how to change the time constraint. So far we love it here.

DS2 started Saxon 5/4 recently. Today I just realized I have a 2nd edition text book and 3rd edition tests. Is this a huge problem? Should I just order the 3rd edition text?

I'd never heard of G3 until reading another thread tonight. If you've used the French online classes, can you share feedback. Thanks!!

My kids all hate earbuds, so we bought a 5.00 converter that allows two sets of headphones at once.

The Jim Dale version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (my favorite line: "Have some wine," the march hare said in an encouraging tone.) The Family Theatre Radio Shows are great abridged audio books. All three of my kids enjoyed Little Women even though the boys wouldn't admit it. That was a great intro to LW, which is so long.

Can anyone suggest durable headphones for tablets and shuffles. I'm so tired of going through $5.00 bin target headphones.

:lurk5: I have never used an audible app, because the Audible books come straight onto the kindle. FYI: many audible books are super cheap if you buy the kindle book and they are whisper synced. I've saved so much money by buying both vs, just the audible book.

The Phantom Tollbooth Redwall books (over 20) The Mouse and the Motorcycle

6th grader uses Hake Grammar and Memoria Press Classical Comp; Saxon Math 3rd grader is just finishing Abeka 3 Math and will move into Saxon 5/4 after Christmas; He uses Memoria Press grammar and writing 1st is just finishing Abeka 1 math and will move into Abeka 2; she uses Memoria Press L.A. I also throw in Writing With Ease for the younger two when I have time. All three are using Spelling Workout for the first time. The younger two still get AAS with me, but SW keeps us on a weekly routine which we sorely need. I fit AAS in when I have time.

I don't know if you saw my post in another thread, but many moms, myself included, begin with mom intensive curr. such as RS Math and AAS. Then as more children get to school age we've moved to less mom intensive curr. but we have the knowledge of those awesome methodologies to pass on. I'm constantly throwing out wisdom from RS Math and AAS even when they are using other programs. Also, my middle two use dreambox math online and they've learned a lot of good math ideas that seem RSish. (such as learning how to multiply giant numbers by 5 in seconds by multiplying by 10 and dividing by 2.) So rest assured that you can pass those skills on even when you switch a curriculum.

My son loves Pimsleur French and is using it with his father.

Memoria Press

My oldest is using Hake for Grammar, because I wanted something he could pretty much do without me and had diagramming. He is used to Saxon and likes familiarity. Since we jumped into MP while he was older I picked that and it works for both of us. He started book 5 in March and is 2/3 through it. Over all we are pleased and he is learning a lot. I will probably stick with the MP for the others, because I'm trying to get them on the grade level planners where we can just check the box for sanity purposes.

I don't know if you have more children coming afterwards, but once you use any OG where you learn the rules as well as your child, you can apply those to any/all spelling and writing. I know that doesn't directly answer your question, but often moms use teacher intensive programs with their older kids and gravitate away from those as more kids are being schooled. I myself still use teaching techniques I learned from AAS and RS Math even though I'm not using RS at all and use AAS only when I can fit it in.

My kids are 12, 9, 6, and 13 months. Here is how I've learned to survive: 1) I switched to Memoria Press for most subjects. The continuity helps them become more independent. 2) I use DVDs and onlilne classes when I can. Your kids may be too young for that. 3) I start the first week of August and we may go into mid June. 4) When we don't have sports season, we sometimes do school on Saturday. 5) I utilize quizlet for studying for tests. 6) I have days of the week where I focus on one child. Usually Monday is the 9 year old. I get him started with the new material for the week. Tuesday I sit with the 6 year old. Wednesday is the 9 year old again. Thursday is test day for the 6 and 9 year old. Those two have Friday off. Friday is one on one with the 12 year old and test day for him as well. It isn't set in stone. Today I needed to catch up with the 12 year old. 7) I have all my kids constantly reading novels while listening to audio books. 8) We all take turns hanging out with the toddler his room while he plays or chasing him down. Best wishes

Thanks I will wait then!

What age are SWB's second set of history books geared toward? Two of the audio books are on sale right now, so I'm eyeing them. Thanks

Two more notes: My main beef with whole language and sight word, etc, is that so many children end up in remedial reading groups or sent to the resource teacher not because they aren't capable but rather they are being taught with a faulty method. While it is true that some children will learn to read not matter the method, it is also true that many children that would learn most efficiently with OG based methods and when they are ready will be mislabeled as dyslexic. Here was another interesting tidbit from one of my classes: dyslexia is no longer used for flipping letters or order of letters in the brain. It now means anything issue that arises in which a child is not learning to read on 'grade level.' Here again I see a commonality between the philosophies of the day: 'Let's throw everything under an umbrella' and 'changing the definition of a word to suit our practice.' I was also told that 'Sight Words' no longer refer to undecodable but rather words are instantly recognized, which is what we've always called automaticity. Second, picture clues and context, etc all fall into place naturally when sound phonics is taught. When phonics and loigical spelling rules are taught explicitly, all those strategies come about intrinsically. However the reverse is not true. For students that don't learn with whole language and are explicitly taught picture cues, etc..., phonics and logical spelling rules do not fall into place intrinsically. Other than phonics, the MOST important skill is reading aloud to the child above his grade level, or in my case playing audio books because I hate to read out loud. When a child has a strong vocabulary, they can easily decode new words when they come to them in reading. I also have my kids constantly listening to audio books while they read to help them develop into strong readers and speakers. To my dying day I will shout from the mountains if a first grade teacher doesn't tell her students that love, have, and give have silent e's because English words don't end in V, how is a 2nd/3rd grader supposed to understand how to spell weave, heave, or sieve, and a 4th/5th grader supposed to understand how to spell intuitive and fugitive. OK, one more...I will say I did learn about a neat study that shows a natural spelling development. I'd have to look it up, but it was valuable information.

I have a Masters in Elem. Ed with a specialty in ESL, and I learned more from 100 EZ lessons about how to teach children to read than two college degrees. I was never taught logical spelling rules that are included in Orton Gillingham based phonics. I took two classes recently from a 'top reading education' university. The professors and students (all teachers) had never heard of those rules either. The hailed program written by one of the tenured professors drove me batty when my own child used it in 2nd grade. It has the basic idea of sorting words with no explicit instruction on why they are spelled the way they are. My text book began with the claim that their is no one right way to teach reading (mmm where have I heard that philosophy before), but then the professor's power point slides slammed Direct Instruction with almost no explanation, and what was explained was false. Of course she neglected to say that DI is the only method proven successful by a ten year study. In addition to all the above, I spent a year in a first grade classroom after ten years at home with homeschooling mixed in. It is almost impossible to implement true phonics (not wannabe phonics in name only with a host of bad methodology thrown in) unless the entire school is set up for it and the parents understand it. I went back to homeschooling and would only reenter teaching if I found such a school or if I start my own classical school that is ungraded to 3rd grade. There is simply too much of a range in reading ability for me to do otherwise.

First, I would just go right into AAS2. I think it would be better to do that and stop in the middle for summer than just not moving along. But if you don't like that idea, I have 1-5 review lists here. They are not by step; they are true reviews assuming the level has been completed. Also, they include the extra words. I must confess I started using Spelling Workout with my kids this year, but the youngest two still get AAS. I needed something like SW to keep us on a weekly routine. I have had to correct the Level C book twice already for incorrect spelling analysis, thanks to all that I've learned from AAS. But I'm still glad I use it for organizational purposes.

For Carols: I'd start with O Come O Come Emmanuel or research O Antiphons for anticipation and then move into carols that celebrate the birth the closer it is to Christmas. A favorite for us is to listen to Classical Kids Tchaikovsky discovers America. If you have read any Little House books before, you could do some read-alouds from the Christmas chapter. Most of the books have a Christmas chapter.

Either Memoria Press Classical Comp Fables w DVD or online or IEW SWI-A w DVD or online. That's my vote:)

5th grade!!!

Root Ann, Thanks for this. I'm going to be moving my DD into Abeka 2 after New Year's and was wondering if kept moving as quickly as 1. I'm glad there will be lots of review.

I've just switched to Memoria Press this year and we are using English Grammar 1. It fits.