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My daughter did Derek Owens prealgebra for 7th and will be continuing with the program for Algebra in 8th. She is good at math, but she has never really enjoyed it (she loves language arts). I wouldn't say that she loved math last year, but she didn't really complain and expressed that she wanted to continue with the same program this year. This was huge as she has always complained about not liking math and tends to drag her feet over it, and she has never before been happy with a math program that I have chosen for her. I think that the videos of Derek Owens teaching the concepts were very clear and thorough. The "note-taking" that goes along with the program was beneficial. Coming from Math Mammoth, most of the concepts were review, but she needed that before moving into Algebra.

Thanks for this!

Derek Owens Algebra 1 Excellence in Literature - Introduction to Lit Hands-On Essays, Thinking in Threes Civics - pull together from various resources Derek Owens Physical Science plus extra labs Spanish outsourced Dance

Hits: - Derek Owens pre-algebra - math mammoth - outsourced science class Misses: - FLL 3 - LL 7 (it was ok, but won't do it with my younger kids)

Have you looked at Adventures in America? You can get the digital download for about $15. It's light (my DD really liked it in 1st grade). It does come with a state study too, but you could skip that. http://www.elementalhistory.com/index.html

Thanks for posting the link.

We did it for 1st (with 2 other younger children) and my DD enjoyed it. It was easy to get done. We added Liberties Kids DVDs, which were a huge hit. I think it would work well in the situation you describe. Good luck!

Retirement: this is a priority for us and I am comfortable with our current retirement savings College: We just started saving for our oldest a few months ago, and we're doing what we can. I'd love to be able to cover 4 years for all of the kids, but it won't be happening. We'll help as much as we can when the time comes.

Sounds completely normal to me. :) I learned to read on my own as well, but none of my children have. I really relaxed after going through the process with my first. Your daughter is doing just fine.

I really didn't think it was obnoxious - just struck me as funny. :tongue_smilie: My kids have all been different, and I wouldn't say that I really have lesson plans in kindergarten either. I do have things that I want to get done, but I'm pretty laid-back about when those things get done. My child who will be in kindergarten in the fall wants to "do lessons" like her older siblings, so she has some things that we label her lessons and bring out when her siblings are working (HWT, ETC, etc). She does sit right next to me and I do assist her in making sure that she is writing correctly (although I need to work on the pencil grip one of these days - sigh). While you look at a wide variety of things that get done in the normal course of the day as school, I look at all of the learning that occurs during most of the day as just life. :001_smile: I don't think that we're really that different to be honest - I think it's just the way we talk about things (or maybe I'm wrong). :)

My DD is doing MM6 currently. She is good at math, but she doesn't think so (because it's the one thing that she actually has to put effort into). Next year she will be doing Pre-algebra (Derek Owens) to solidify everything/build her confidence before moving forward into Algebra. This still keeps her on the course towards Calculus in high school, which is my goal for her. I think that some students could probably jump straight to Algebra from MM 6, but it's not the best course for my particular student.

Well, all kids are different. My oldest wrote constantly like you're describing. She is very strong in language arts skills, which have always come naturally to her. My next child, on the other hand, seems to be a late bloomer with the physical act of writing (and I think my youngest is following in the footsteps of my first). Either way, they are free to do what they want in their free time. However, when they are young and we are actually doing lessons (or if I happen to be with them in their free time and they're writing), I sit with them and correct writing/proper letter formation so as to avoid the formation of bad habits. My kids prefer that I be there with them anyway during lessons when they're young. I could walk away and let them do it their own way all of the time, but in the end, that will create more work for me. Do I discipline them for writing when I'm not around? LOL Umm....no.

The same as everyone else. I still sit with my 2nd grader through almost everything as well. My 6th grader does a large amount of her work independently now, and I did the same with her in the early years.

My middle child was the same way. She really wasn't interested in doing much, so we were very light. My youngest though wants to do everything! :)

My kids love our timeline - I'm so glad we have it. Someday I'll resell it, but I'm guessing that it won't be for many years as even my 11 year old still likes it. I think it's so sad that she's no longer selling these!

With My First Piano Adventure, does everyone use the writing book as well? I'm not ready to start my youngest with my other kids' piano teacher yet, but she wants to learn, so I did buy Lesson Book A with the CD. Is it important to have the other book (theory maybe?)?

KIndergarten starting in the fall Science: ES Intro. to Science and sit in on sibling's science when she wants to History: Story of the World 2 with sibling on a basic level (she sits in on SOTW 1 now and colors, does mapping, and whatever projects we do most of the time) Math: Probably a combo. of things. Right now she's in K Essential Math B and does it whenever she feels like it. We'll probably play a lot of games, maybe do McRuffy K Color Math as I have it, we'll see Reading: Combo. of things continuing on from where she is now - OPGTR, I See Sam books, Reading Eggs, etc.... whatever works for the day; I have a lot of phonics things here (I'm not a curricula junkie or anything haha) ETC (in Book 1 now - we just do it when she wants to) Probably try Zaner-Bloser writing. We've done HWT, but the line thing is confusing for her when she writes anywhere else. Home Art Studio Kindergarten (will include at least one older sibling in this as well) Dance classes

I've ordered some things as I've had money or found something I want used. I have everything I need for my youngest other than I need to print out the ES Intro. to Science book for her (already purchased for my middle child a few years ago). I have most things for my oldest, but it's my middle child that's causing me issues. I have part of what I need, but I haven't decided on everything for her yet, so it's making my life difficult. :)

Thanks! I'm going to check it out further later, but it looks good so far!

Short i - all of the listed words short i as well. I am on the west coast.

My 4 year old LOVES doing Draw Write Now. She likes to copy the name of whatever we are drawing, and then I write whatever sentences we agree upon for her (older sibling copies the sentences herself). We all draw together, they color the pictures, and then we each say something positive about everyone's drawing (but it has to be specific - not "I like the whole thing," but "I like the colors that you used for X" etc... Next year as we progress she will physically write more herself.

MM 3 SOTW 2 & will probably continue with CHOLL MCT Island (prob. give it a try as it's sitting on my shelf) Science - undecided - may do 2 different programs concurrently Maybe some MBTP Lit. units Probably going to do a mish-mash of writing things Definitely a spelling program but undecided still on what Year long American Girl study with a group of girls Piano, dance

We've used ES Intro. to Science for Kindergarten as well as Logic Stage Biology. Both have been hits in my home. I'm not sure if I'll use a grammar stage program from ES ever, but I may give it a try during the summer sometime just to see if my kids and I like it.

I used ES Intro. to Science 2 years ago and will be doing it again next year when my DD is kindergarten age. It was fun, easy, and got done (very gentle). ES didn't sell any kits to go along with the curriculum at that point (I don't think), but I didn't find it hard to find the needed materials. My kids also sit in on their older siblings' science when they're interested, but they like to have something of their own at that point too.