In Word, go to Insert, then Symbol. You should find what you need in the list.

Mine stopped--at 5 and 3.5--when the dentist had a chat with them about it. (She initally spoke to me, but I told her I didn't need to quit!) My older has always listened to reasonable authority figures. My younger has always competed with her sister. ;)

No, it hadn't occurred to me. SilverMoon, thanks for this suggestion!

Copywork isn’t happening on a daily basis, and I need something that I don’t need to manage (At the moment I am typing simple quotations.). Plus, my first grader’s spelling could stand improvement….This looks interesting: Learning to Spell Through Copywork (https://www.queensho...products_id=348) I would prefer something secular--or something not overtly religious--and though much of the Queen’s curriculum doesn’t fit this description, the sample appears so. Has anyone used this? If so, what are your impressions? I would appreciate a quote-based copywork schedule, but the appeal of this LTSTC is the emphasis on spelling, and the fact that it is ready-to-go.

Thanks, Laura. I did a quick check; PGL looks promising. I'll spend some time googling later.

bump My MIL may not be physically able to visit us anymore, so I am trying to think of some ways for her to visit with the girls. I would also like for my older to attend a summer camp…. Ideally my daughter, who will be seven in May, would attend camp for a week before spending a couple weeks with her grandmother.

My husband said summer camps were not popular when he was young, but things may have changed. If so, can someone recommend some nice places for primary school-age children?

You should be able to find kraft paper at a large, office supply shop. When we made our bodies we recycled a couple of those air-filled plastic bags Amazon uses in its packaging; they made nice stomachs. We also colored some body parts from the Scholastic $1 deals e-book Human Body: Easy Make and Learn Projects by Donald Silver. The book has some fun activities and is one of the Scholastic e-books I have really used.

I don’t cover etiquette with a curriculum but these are some things we have enjoyed: Goops and How to Be Them: A Manual of Manners for Polite Children is an amusing poetry book written in 1901. An Amazon link follows to an adapted version—the one we own—but I am pretty sure you can find it free somewhere (Hopefully, someone will chime in if the original is problematic .). http://www.amazon.co...words=The Goops For simple place settings I like this: http://www.amazon.co...g place setting Ever-so-often my girls and I have a meal in a nice restaurant where we dine and talk about how one should conduct oneself. One thing I feel awkward about recommending is Everyday Graces, a book with stories, excerpts, and poetry with commentary. It is not secular, but one could adapt it (either skipping works, or changing the message). That isn’t the reason for my reluctance….Unfortunately, the edition I have has a foreword by Joe Paterno…. The PP poster mentioned character traits; depending on what you want, you might wish to look at the following: The Cookies books by Amy Rosenthal (Here’s a link to the first book: http://www.amazon.co...&pf_rd_i=507846) The Children’s Book of Heroes by William Bennett: http://www.amazon.co...=bennett heroes

If tarantulas are on the radar, the following is very good. http://www.amazon.co...ntula scientist The last year we found a tarantula in the yard, and the girls asked to add it to our menagerie. It has been interesting, low-maintenance and an excellent pet for us.

The BrainQuest Workbook K level http://www.amazon.co...ds=brainquest#_ might be something to check out as there is some coloring--but not too much--and it usually comes in the context of something like coloring the Ts to make a picture, etc. The contents of the workbook are ABCs, phonics, spelling and vocab, 123s, shapes and colors, patterns, sorting and matching, time and money, community, science, fun and games. Last year, my (then) kinder enjoyed the BQ exercises, but I would not have been comfortable with it as a stand-alone program. (We used Five in a Row, OPGTR, ETC, Singapore/Earlybird and some Miquon, HWT, and other things.) Though it would not be in WB form, you might look at What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know (CK) which suggests activities for history, art, math, etc.

Sorry for the delay in responding – internet issues. I didn’t realize you’d be there for an extended period…so sorting a home library may make enormous sense if there aren’t any libraries or bookshops where you are going. For our homeschool I ordered reference books for a foundation and continue to flesh it with other reads. My husband and I keep a collection of scholarly works related to this area and its people, and we also keep serious collections of books related to our hobbies. Something I have found useful is having a PO box company in the States which sends me a small monthly pack of mail; the service is kind of pricey, but it has been worth it to me to quickly receive magazines and books I want or need. In the past I have ordered a good bit through Better World (though less now that their rates have increased). Unfortunately, Book Depository books seem to be packaged individually…. On a personal note, I realized I visited your website before….Your selections were a lot of help when coming up with my daughters’ reading lists. Thanks :). Good luck!

We have a great number of books, and I order things quite far in advance; however, I know we’ll be here for some while. To answer your question, sometimes I guess on curriculum and other items. At the beginning I accumulated a number of things we probably won’t use. But now I’ve had a bit of time to get my feet wet, see what is available, and understand my daughters’ learning styles I’m making better choices. I don’t have all the materials I would like but know that if I had to I could successfully homeschool with far less. If I were only going to be gone for a couple years I would minimize books as best I could. There will be a number of items which probably won’t be readily available in your location (spices for cooking, skincare products, comfortable underclothes, etc.); one has a limited amount of luggage space/weight, and books just aren’t travel-friendly. There is so much to be found on the internet nowadays, limiting hard copies isn’t the hardship it once was. May I ask how old your children are and what you are currently using?

I love the labyrinth idea -- thank you!!!

:iagree: I read the OP and just went :confused: ... doesn't the bag of guts usually include the feet?

The readers are okay, but they are definitely not an integral part of the program. You won't miss much without them. Our order was shipped internationally....I believe I purchased them through Rainbow Resource.

Thanks, FairProspects. The books would be for my husband but should contain projects that would be fun for both he and the girls to complete. (Of course, at this stage the girls will mostly watch, but they should have a desire to help.) I’ll take a look at TOPS, but I can’t imagine he’d be interested in following a curriculum. To give you an idea of what our household is like, my husband and the girls are currently building a push go-cart. I’ve listened to my older explain how to insert drainage holes/pipes. My husband is constantly cannibalizing pieces from electronics--which don’t last long near the sea--and my older does the same. He has shown her how to work a soldering iron (supervised). There is always something being built around here. I’d like to capitalize on his interests and skills, add to the father/daughter time, and have the girls see "their own" projects through. The More book looks great; I can imagine him doing something with it. The problem with ordering kits such as SCs is that there is a good chance items will be stolen or overtaxed. I’ve never had a problem getting books; they seem to have no value ;).

:o I did hijack. Not my intention.

I didn’t want to hijack this thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=428629 , so I’m starting another. I am useless when it comes to making things not involving a glue gun or duct tape, but my husband is capable of following, improving upon, or adapting any sort of technical instructions, and I am sure he’d love do engineering projects with the girls (They are five and six, and the older seems to be following in his footsteps.). After reading the thread, I am going to gift my crew with the Make book that someone mentioned, along with a box of bits-and-pieces. Are there any other good books for parent/child projects? Kits are out; books are about the only things which reliably make it through the mail system.

Sprinkle it on a chicken before baking. :tongue_smilie:

I have The Parent Connection and would not recommend it to other homeschoolers. The intended audience is school teachers, and it was written to help them discuss the Singapore program with parents. I did not find it useful, and I wish I had not made the purchase.

I just finished three days of cat care for a friend. She gave me a key and asked that I come by to feed, water, and change litter. I did that—and nothing else. Not that it matters, but my friend lives in a penthouse apartment with a terrific pool. I doubt she would have cared if I had hung out, but she’d asked me to feed, water and take care of litter. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing anything other than cat duty. Those people are completely untrustworthy. What a sad lesson the mother has taught her daughter!

Make a few quick, frozen burritos for the child with meat (plus seasoning), tortillas, and a small box of refried beans. That should work for a quick-and-inexpensive dairy-free meal.

:iagree:(Bold mine) I (unknowlingly) purchased a censored book as well :glare:.

Thanks everyone!!! :001_smile: