and wondering if I'm doing it right. I bought the workbook, but I'm wondering if there was something else that I should have to go with it? There's not a whole lot of help with pronunciation or making the lesson flow smoothly. My kids really want to learn it, and we're having fun with it, but I suspect that it could be going better. Any thoughts??

Wow......I never dreamed that we may get to meet JW. That would be so incredible. Thanks for heading this up!

reading something about this, too. I'm thinking it had something to do w/not previously recommending R&S b/c of no higher grade material. But now recommending it b/c it does provide high school curriculum. I could be wrong, but I think that's what I remember. FWIW!

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Thanks for the great suggestions and advice. I am getting really psyched about being there. I'm a little nervous, too, b/c we're uncertain what we're going to do w/our children. My dh wants to be there, too, if possible. But if he goes, we have to take our kids along. Is that frowned upon at things like this? Are there many children there? Our kids are well-behaved, but they're kids, ya know?!? I do hope to make it in time for the opening address by Jessie Wise. Looking forward to it much; would have LOVED to hear SWB last year, too. So, are you saying the ladies from this board meet up w/each other at some point? That is so nice! One final question....am I correct that this conv. takes place near the Sharonville area? My hubby used to work in that area and always got GREAT deals on hotels through priceline...I mean like $30/nt. Does anybody have some good lodging advice? Thanks, ladies!

This will be my first time attending a homeschool convention. I enjoyed all the great advice given on a thread a couple of days ago about how to get the most out of a convention. I am mostly looking forward to the encouragement, "shot in the arm" as a friend of mine called it, and to hearing the various speakers in sessions. Jessie Wise, Andrew Peduwa, and Jim Weiss are the ones I'm most looking forward to. My question is for anyone else who may be going, or who has looked at the list of speakers/sessions: are there others speakers who you consider "NOT TO BE MISSED"? I'm not familiar w/all the names, and if there's someone who's especially awesome that I'm not aware of, I want to know!! The list can be found at www.cincinnatihomeschoolconvention.com Thank you!

I submitted a similar question here just a few wks ago myself! We were doing the Abeka DVD program this year for dd8 and ds6. My kids absolutely hated it; they were just miserable. I asked the ladies here for some advice, and they all advised me not to wait to make the switch if I was that concerned about squelching the love for learning in my kiddos. SO, within the last two weeks, we have been transitioning from Abeka to WTM style of classical learning. All I can say is, WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! We are so loving this approach to schooling; the whole family is happier. What we have done is this: structured our school day to reflect what is laid out in WTM, and I went ahead and invested in some of the curriculum choices now, like First Language Lessons, Prima Latina, etc. I'm gonna finish this year out using the worksheets from Abeka Math and Grammar for my 3rd grader, since I already paid for the stuff. We sent the DVD's back. By next school year, I plan to follow the classical pattern exclusively. It's late, and I'm probably not making much sense! LOL! Just wanted to encourage you that it IS possible to change horses midstream, and if your family is like ours, you'll be the happier for it. Blessings! Tara Married to highschool sweetheart for nearly 12 yrs DD8-3rd grade DS6-1st grade DD5-Kinder DS1-toddling around and into it all! :)

Yes, it's all there. I remember now that I looked more closely; all the stuff that's there I remember being there when I visited a few days ago. I think you're safe!

I visited your blog last week, I think. Don't remember it in detail, but it looks fine tonight. I use blogspot, too, and know how frustrating it can be to change things around and then get lost! :)

I feel so much better, and just such a sense of peace since getting the advice from ya'll to just go ahead and switch. I sat down w/my WTM book and made a sensible plan for each of my kiddos to finish out this year. I went over it with them this morning, and they were so excited and eager to learn and "do school" again! That's worth a million bucks right there. It's just not worth it to stick with something that's not working at all for your family. What a relief to have peace about the decision. One other question: what recommendations do any of you have for necessary "drills" for each student? What do you consider to be essential for 1st and 3rd grade drilling and memorization in this "grammar stage"? Thanks so much ladies!

Hi, I'm new to this board. I am in need of some direction and practical advice on making the "switch" to classical homeschooling. I have 3 school-aged children. Oldest DD is almost 9 and in 3rd grade. She went to a private school for K, and then was brought home and did the K12 program for 1st and 2nd, which I was very pleased with overall. This year we had a new baby and I decided to go the Abeka DVD route for her and her younger brother, almost 7 yrs. THEY HATE IT. I don't know why, they just absolutely hate it. For the first time, I have had to coax them into "doing school". So I finally stopped the DVD's, and am just teaching them the material myself. But I have got to make a change for next year. Our next youngest daughter just turned 5, and is chomping at the bit to read and write. Over the last three years, as I have tried to make homeschooling decisions, I keep coming back to the Well-Trained Mind book. I read it, and I just long to try that approach. I think my kids would flourish with the classical style. But given that I've waited and they'll be straddling the stages, I am nervous. And I'm so scared that I'll screw it up and they'll miss something important that they should know. So, in a nutshell, I'll have a Kindergartner; a 2nd grader who has lagged behind this year due to hating the curriculum and whose poorest skill is penmanship which Abeka is death on; AND a 4th grader who will be at the final "grammar stage" grade level, whose weakest skill is Math, but who is an excellent reader and writer. Any advice for me on how to make the switch midstream....and since they dislike Abeka so much, should I just make the switch now, this year? And any advice on doing the classical approach w/ kids who are all 2 years apart in age? Sorry this is so long. Thanks for any help you can give this frustrated Mama! :)