Oh my goodness you all rock. I contemplated this all night. My kids are just really disliking the Easy Grammar. I switched them from Growing with Grammar and I am not seeing a lot of retention. Having said that we have some learning challenges in LA and Spelling. I watched a Youtube video where one mom has it and she showed some pages as 'samples' so I hope I have a better understanding of it. I have not fully grasped if I should do the whiteboard approach or copy the lessons for them. I am out to have them grasp the grammar concepts but also the double edge sword of added spelling etc... I did order the TM, I figured that was a given. We just began our year being year round so I am only out a couple of weeks. I did decide to start at square one. Figured it could not hurt. Thanks

I am eyeballing this for my boys. I know the TM comes with a printable file but I am curious if I could get by with 1 student manual for 2 kids? Am I understanding 99% of this is not completed in the SM itself but it is completed in a spiral or other notebook paper source? Any cons to this program? I switched them this year to Easy Grammar and they really are disliking it. I would also prefer something more spiral. Warmly~

Greetings fine peeps! I did not want to flood the board with small posts so I thought I would do one and see how it goes. I am a year round homeschooler so 'our year' will academically start back up in January. We are not huge box, textbook people and approach our style as more eclectic in nature. I have two boys, 14 and 10, on the spectrum. We will be doing TTB as they have always done this and enjoy it. However, I am going to slow my 10 year old down. He is reaching some ADHD/ASD mixed with early hormones that are making something really difficult. He is smart but focusing issues right now are problematic. He is also starting TTB 7. I was thinking of slowing him down to stretch that out so by the time he is going into 7th (late birthday) he will then start Pre-Algebra. What I would love to do here is find a workbook that would allow him at whim to 'do it on paper' because he has problems showing his work. However, I must not be googling correctly because I do not want an elementary workbook nor a whole years worth of something like Singapore. He also will willingly pop on and do things like Khan etc. I just want something to say hey lets do a couple of problems today in black and white based on his level. Second, my 14 year old, also ASD is wanting to switch to Easy Grammar. I am not complaining. He grasps this well. He can diagram a sentence like no tomorrow etc. I was looking at the plus and can not seem to find the correct answer on how many lessons, tests etc there are. He likes grammar and enjoys doing it. Wordlywise3k online, do I have to pick a grade or will it figure out where the child is level wise? I can not seem to find recent reviews about this. Audio, visual is a bonus for my two. Both boys need help due to their communication delays that has carried over into writing. The day is heck if we have to do this. I am prepping them for the year of the pencil. We have been in OT & PT. Their spelling eeek, retention wise is poor. We have used AAS, Spelling Workout, games you name it. When they are ready it will click, till then we keep throwing mud at the wall and wait for it to stick. This year I wish to add more in the way of copywork. My oldest has a fond liking to cursive now and it looks beautiful compared to his print. Problem is he connects everywordtotheother. <--- Is there a free site or a book that has print outs we can use? Mercy, that is a lot. Just like many of you in the summer prepping I am now only my focus is changing somewhat with the needs. Open for suggestions. Warmly, Emagine

I am looking for a software or other electronic means on the computer that will allow me to put in a whole years worth of lesson plans only. I do not want to enter grades, attendance etc. I just want the planner part but I need the flexibility (with ease) to move things around due to field trips, sick days etc and have it bump the whole rest of the year accordingly. The few I have found want to do incomplete, have bells and whistles. I just want the pen and paper in puter form because I will need to move and erase a lot.

I admit I am not a veteran to HS but I have been around the block and have had my share of curriculum failures and rants while trying to follow the crowd and at the same time learn my children way of absorbing. I am pleased to say I feel accomplished that I brought home a confused, lost, autistic and highly filled anxiety stuffed kiddo in 2009 that the IEP team and principal stared at me saying there was no more that could be done. Just shy of 2 months into the school year they had given up and told me he was not capable. Fast forward, from square one, rinse and repeat, with some strengths and a delay here and there we are soaring to heights I never thought imaginable. His brother less of 3 years, also on the spectrum, following in his footsteps. What has helped? HS and letting go (in my best Frozen voice). I have had to struggle with crawling out of that big box. Glare away from the long highly embossed signatures that Johnny is doing 8 million things a day plus 4 languages and Sally, oh Sally she is a famous gymnast to be. Lots of emotions. I have came, I have seen and I have burned the books. We have a routine, a different routine than the normal. We have a spectrum routine that makes things work and flow. We HS academically the things that I have found that work for us January till Fall. My oldest could not grasp the whole altered calendar. To be honest I love having Oct-Dec off for fun, review, reading, make up days or just what ever. it is a busy time of year for us. I will begin in January with our 'New Year' which means new grades, moving up. We are not what I consider the traditional WTM family any longer because I found I tried some of the popular items and was in tears myself because of the meltdowns. Was not worth the battle. I have found what works and hope it continues. It has brought a kid who learned to talk at 5 and half to near peer level. I will take it. Where I need help now is how do I fill in, document and let me go where I know and feel I can let go and know it is ok. Here is how I see it... both SN kiddos beginning in January. just turned 12 yr old.... soon to be 9 yr old boy... Spelling - Past All about Spelling, Rod and Staff. January - switched to non secular Spelling Workout D (the bible parts in the new book threw my literal, perfectionist kiddo for a big loop) Math - 12 - 6th grade TTB and Khan 9- 5th grade TTB and Khan Reading - Books, mostly of choice with some thrown in but they read daily. Grammar- 12- 5th Growing with Grammar 9- 3rd Growing with Grammar They have never been kids for Science or History Curriculums but will listen to SOTW in the car so will finish Vol 1 and go into 2. They will not do anything but the CD. I bought Liberty Kids, we have Netflix etc... They will willingly and with out asking pick history and science shows over cartoons. We do tons of Field Trips. They will however read anything science I have laying around. They love any book I have by Nomad Press, from Bridges and Tunnels to Robotics. I am thinking about ordering The way things work???? <---anyone have???? We have snap circuits, we have completed WeDos, we have Mindstorms, etc... we attend stem programs when they are local. Geography we sort of ditched. They hated anything I did. Workbooks, forget it. So we play with maps, we travel in our minds, we learn about areas from the news, etc. We play Scrambled States etc... We are on a Challengers League that is year round for sports. That will continue. This was a mix match of last year and how I see the upcoming year. It sort of fell into this pattern. I would love to know if there is anyone else on this board who has ended up on the road less traveled on this site. I would love to know things you do, find what works for your kiddos that learn this way etc... I know I can not be alone. I also know with math, grammar and spelling I would have to do this with them. Anyone?????

We have the Snap Circuts, Geo Puzzles, Wrap Ups, Scrambled States, Brain Games etc... My boys are very hands on with learning and I want to add to the collection. I am just not sure what is worth the money to purchase. What are your favorites? My kiddos are 12 & 8. Very much into science, geo, numbers etc.... Ty Kindly!

I did not do the LOF but ordered some DL Unit Studies and 3 of the ones in the bundle are giving me damaged and can not DL errors. They are saying it is my end. Also my first order :(

*sigh* Yep, same here. We tried aloud, with the Audio etc... I was told one day flat out it would make great paper for the fireplace. *eyeroll* We read Beautiful Feet to them. We make several of the books into our lives. Leif became Viking Week. We became Viking. Yep, we are nuts. They enjoyed that aspect of it because we do not mind getting crazy with them. Our neighbors are also the ones who are cool with helping to modify a youtube contraption to make it better. They are 8 and 11. My oldest is delayed in some areas so he is not grade level when it comes to grammar/spelling. He began to talk at 6.

THIS! They are really into Science. These kids can take apart and build anything. Some days I am scared to see what they have dismantled. They are always wanted and creating inventions. I never heard of the 'Inventions you can make yourself' but found some on Amazon with a quick c&p. They will sit and watch shows with us, movies etc. If I can only find something that is not over their heads yet will let them go upon the first humor of a Fart as in Horrible Histories. They love HH but only because of the gross parts, they are not recalling anything, they laugh and mock the actions. I have Liberty Kids but it is a struggle because it is a cartoon. I am hitting that middle ground of 'MOM' verses they are not really as mature as they think they are. However, with every year that passes I feel I lost I learning op.

Yes, I have the Audio and the Activity book. They love any activity no matter the subject, but excel in Science ones. It is like Christmas Day with that. Coloring/Drawing - forget that stuff. When we trace regions and places on maps it is a race to finish. Now you want to build something, blow up something, etc... you have their attention like nothing else. It is amazing! Checking out the link now.

I think this is the one subject that really makes me want to cry. I sit, research, google, fill up shopping carts, find something else and nothing. I just do not know what to do. I am stuck in a big way. I will admit first off, History is not my thing and I grew up in a district that the history were the football coaches so I learned way more about the field then the world. I have SOTW, the set and I like it. My kids want me to burn it. They are not the type of kids who will willing pick up a reading book or a text book and read it. I can not really feel sure they will read it if I make them. We set out on Beautiful Feet next. All was well, but we began to have issues with attention while DH and I would take turns reading to them. We asked, what would you like for History. They want it fun. These kids crave colorful, hands on, learning. They bore easily and can not stand to be on the same topic for too long. I looked at HO and I love the timelines. I have looked at Horrible Histories and while they like the videos all they take from it is the boy humor and I hear it for days. When I ask if they remember anything else, no. I do not know really if I should do a unit study approach and if so how would I even attempt to put one together when I do not know History myself that well. With their Autism and ADHD they can over stimulate easily but are capable if I can find the right fit. I wonder if there is a list of teachable moments I can go from and go from there? I really do not know how I am going to teach History to the boys on a scale that works. *breath*

ACK! I am at it again. We HS Jan-Oct and here I was thinking I was set. I began Trail Guide World and book D in Maps, Charts and Graphs but my kids are wanting way more. They are into Maps and exploring the world, landmarks and such. We have crafted a few things along the way and they love it but they are not into the whole book, read aloud stuff. We can not keep their attention. Too ADHD, too sensory and Autistic. We have all the Geo Puzzles, we do Seterra, etc. I thought about going back to SOTW that I attempted a couple of years ago also knowing it would tie into History and Geo. I have the complete set including the Audio CD. It was a flop last time. I am on the fence. So far we have tried just living books, Liberty Kids, etc. Science, oh Science... my kids LOVE science. We do AHA, we do Evan Moor Daily. We are about to start Lego Robotics. We also watch a ton of shows, do a good bit of exploring, experiments, snap circuits. I started Sassafras and they hated it. Another have too 'book'. However they will read books if I leave them around and I am so far ok with that. I just hope I am not missing something by not doing a curri. I just ordered a Nature Study book and a Young Scientist Kit off Amazon. They are very hands on with learning. Am I missing anything with them? I also am not doing a Foreign Language. My oldest is delayed in Spelling and such and I just have not wanted to go there with the struggles. My kids age wise are 11 and 8. Would love some out of the box thoughts. I feel ok in other areas for the moment.

We had a DK one that was great but was damaged in the move. It is not holding up. At first I was sad but I am noticing some of the words my oldest is looking up in his 4th grade LA is not available in it. The boys do not like the Webster's ones because they are over whelming to them. Both boys are on the spectrum. I was thinking of maybe one with large print. Both can use a dictionary and understand how on their own but do not like the over crowded look of Webster. Any tips, ideas? I do not always want to resort to the internet. I like the good feeling of a book for hands on learning and the mixture of internet for the way we are.

Have you ordered any and they proved to be good? I looked at the tin can robot, reviews were not good. We have all the snap circuits and the kids love them. We have built some kits from Lowes. The boys crave more. We have tried some kits with volcanos and such and some flop some are 'ok'. My kids are constantly begging for more, more, more. They are not text book kiddos for things like this and I am just tired of throwing away money on useless activities. Right now we are doing Celery and food coloring. Easy, to the point but not hands on and creative enough but I needed something to fill a gap. I seriously need some help. Boys 11 & 8 who would sit with hours with stuff like this. I want to feed the need but their speed is killing me lol. Thanks.

DUH, why do the simple things escape me. TY :)

Greetings, I was looking at G4 R&S Spelling. I noticed the words go to all cursive. While we are working on it this year I am a little concerned. With both of my kids being spectrum kiddos, one has a pencil grasp issue and I am not confident yet in the ability to read or handle cursive. They are doing well and both doing G3 this year. Tips? Thoughts? We are working on it but I do not push it because right now that is not a main focus. We love R&S though.

I have two boys. One is 11 and the other just turned 8. Both immature and in some areas higher or delayed depending on the subject due to Special Needs and Autism. They LOVE science, watch the shows on History, Netflix, Discovery. Love that. They like AHA Science, Snap Circuits and Brain Games. I have tons of Usborne books they read as I am a consultant. This year I bought Evan Moor Daily Science G3. There are some things in it I do not think they know. IMO, it is just busy work though. They like experiments, when you can get them into them. I was given Sassafrass but we struggle to do the extras like that. Is there something I can do say 2 x a week or so that covers outside their realm but not too intense? I know they like science but finding a good fit outside their wants on their own time is hard. Thoughts?

Just moved back to the Upstate for the first time in nearly 20 years. We moved here from NC but we have lived in various places. I would like to find groups on fb etc that HS. We joined an OPT 3. Now we need to connect to the area. We live in Pelzer near the Woodmont HS. Local friends would be great for socializing.

I had AHA Science 2 years ago and now my youngest wants to do it. I remember when I signed up it was like $15 a year and easy to do. I am having trouble finding where to even sign up at. *confused*

I grew up in SC and miss it :) Are you under OPT 3? I am having a tough time finding out who to go under.

We have a contract on our house and will close Nov 20, not too long. I know about Opt 3 and will be moving from NC. I am just not sure who I should go through for OPT 3. I will be next week looking at houses anywhere from Easley, Simpsonville (desired area) to even TR. Any insight would be helpful. Feeling very over whelmed. I have to figure out how to go from one state to the other and get it going. We HS year round Jan to Oct 30. We normally do review days in Nov but this year will be moving days lol. How does this process work and is there a time frame? I need to make sure my basics are covered. TY kindly

Not to sound bad about my child but he is just slow, like turtle perfectionist slow. He is also on the Spectrum with other issues and delayed. However, he gets GWG with out issues. He has built confidence in the little student book being able to use it open book style and aces his test. It is just a very long ordeal for him. We do the lessons as intended. It can just take a very long time to accomplish. I am proud in hindsight but ............

Yep, and that is the thing. You give them a book and the OCD evilness kicks in. It HAS to be done. All of it, in one day boom. I was able to do a Highlighter game with CLE when they became sick of the review but they never reached the UGH stage with GWG. It was eager to do, eager to finish and really they did do it well. Great grades. So with you. You did each lesson but only did the odd numbers etc? Reviews, because I know they can be a few pages, over 2 days. I would even tell them 'lets finish later'.... they have to finish what they start. Was odd. I can not complain from the grade point of view. I am just looking ahead though. It was rough because I would try to make things easier and nope, would not fly lol. GWG gets a lot of flack on here but they both learned with it. I just have to figure out how to use it with my two or what a great plan would be for them. I thought about even doing WWW one day and GWG the other. We do 4 day weeks. Sigh....

Does DG have instructions? I think that might be part of the hang up with the two. They like the resource book till they learn it and as EG flows page to page you lose that little bit of help. Is this also from the same company?

Luckily we are coming to an end of our year round and will start over come January. We did one complete year of GWG for each kiddo in addition to WWW. Both loved WWW and we have kept it. They do it with out fuss. They are on their last lesson this week for it. When we finished GWG 3 for my oldest he complained it took too long, and it did. Some days he spent well over an hour. Some times it was nearly 2. But he is one of those kids he has to finish. He did get good grades and mastered diagramming. GWG1 ended easily, kidlet liked it. Because we do more than 180 days I tossed in Easy Grammar for review and to see how they do. Of course my oldest loves it takes a few minutes to do. He wants to keep it next year but I feel it is not enough for him. No middle ground met here yet. My youngest struggled because there is not enough instruction like in GWG. For example the whole post on Caps a few posts down. He is in EG2 and a hint higher than where he left off in GWG1. He wants to go back to GWG. I do not think FLL and MCT would fly with my Autistic kiddos. I tried CLE and they despised seeing the overload of repeat. It was a day in and day out of whimpers like I was punishing them. I have not tried R&S but they do like their Spelling. To me though the Grammar looks similar to CLE. I just can not seem to find my Grammar for them. Neither want to listen to a lot of instruction and they are go with the flow sort of kids and will ask for help. They will easily correct when need be and so forth. I just need the right sort of plan. UGH...