Maybe your 8 yr old can read the books himself but expecting Apologia to be done in one day a week plus experiments and notebooking might be a lot to ask unless it is the only thing done for the day. This is a great curriculum and easy to do however it a great amount of info being leaned. To process it takes time. However my youngest son did these books when he was in 4-6th and did them solo. He was able to do them all by himself, just needing me to listen to his oral narrations and gather supplies. What he learned he retained and still talks about those books today(he is going into 10th). Elemental Science is an extremely easy curriculum to use. 15 mins a day/4 x a week. You read one page, child narrates and you write down his narration for him to copy on the notebook page. He colors and cuts a picture to past by narration. One experiment a week that uses NORMAL household items. Multi ages can do this.

You mention you might not move fast. This was mentioned in another post on this thread. This brings the question of if you don't move fast through the book can you fit in all the necessary High School math? I can see from what others have said and the response I got that Introd. to Algebra will give 2 credits in HS math so taking long (2 yrs) will not matter much...but what about the other books? Will a year be enough to cover the Intro to Geometry for the average student? Can Intermediate Algebra count as Trig? I am worried I might be setting my son up to fail if he is just an average math student and he attempts these books. However I know what he does learn from them will be immeasurable in the long run.

We plan on using it later on this coming year with my ds who is in 10th. He is starting to take a real interest in learning (not just doing whatever is scheduled) and this is one course he said looked interesting and would take a new spin on the same old thing.

We use spelling words. I teach what needs to be taught, meaning I do not follow any specific order. I wrote dd's words out in script and she copied. If she needed help with a specific letter I show her. Then I wrote them out in print and she copied them in script. Copywork is another way we practice handwriting. I use to buy handwriting curriculums but figured it was wasted time/busy work. Incorporating it in with another subject helps keep it from being tedious.

This looks terrific. Thanks for sharing.

Don't get caught up in the actual "schooling" and become a machine having to get x # of lessons done by a certain time or day. Take each day and make it enjoyable with your children. It is better to spend time reading a book or taking a walk, making mud pies, and blowing bubbles then doing 5 pages in math. Little things can be learning experiences and will have far more impact then a lesson in a book. Rigorous is not always better just more. No matter how much time you have with your children it is never enough. They will be out the door and on their own before you know it. Make each moment special.

They also have these for Colonial America.

Landmark books have Meet George Washington, Ben Franklin, and so on. These are great readers for a 1st grader or read alouds.

According to my son, who used this book in 5th grade, it was the best book ever. He loved this book, carried it everywhere and when he walked into a room he would ask "Did you know?" then proceed to tell us a new fact he learned. He still talks about the book. He did do the Apologia books on his own (for school) and was older so it could have something to do with how much they were enjoyed.

I got a response back: **Our Introduction to Algebra book covers most of the material a typical school includes in Algebra 1 and Algebra 2, plus various topics that schools don't include at all. Our curriculum is designed for students who are looking for a greater challenge than they can typically find in a typical curriculum. That said, our collection of Introduction-level books should give your son a strong foundation that will serve him well in his later studies. However, he'll have to be ready for a much greater challenge than he's had in the past. One reason you might want to start with Introduction to Algebra is that the next level of Algebra (our Intermediate Algebra) is a really tough place to start with the AoPS curriculum, since we assume that by that point students have a lot of experience with the sort of problem-solving challenges we offer in our Introduction-level books (but which students are unlikely to find in other curricula). **

I use both and find it to be a perfect combination (the best I found after 19 yrs of looking for a great science curriculum). ES gives you the book info and jumping off points and RSO gives you the interesting hands on learning. Add in the two together does not add that much more to the day. I usually did RSO on Friday since it is scheduled as a make up day in ES. I will add that if you could only do one I would go with ES. It takes 15 mins a day 4 days a week. Easy to do....read a pg in book, child narrates, either you write down what they say or they do, color pic and paste. If an experiment is given it is a fast easy to do thing that usually uses house hold items. ES is a science that can be done even on the most hectic days. RSO is mostly labs. It does have a Blurb page that the child (or you) read but for us it was more a summation of what we read with ES. There is also a list of books you can read for RSO but the hunt and find was too much work for us although we did use some as book basket books. I think RSO is more an add on curriculum then a stand alone, but an excellent add on and if possible one not to be missed.

Last year for dd we ditched the basic curriculum and did hands on math while creating a notebook/journal. I used Katheryn Stouts Maximum Math as a guide so I knew what skills she needed. We played math and recorded it with pictures, drawings, narrations and other ways. This web site has great ideas and can be used alongside anything (LOF). I used the weekly print outs for logic ideas and to give me an idea of what needed to be covered. http://mathlearnnc.sharpschool.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=4507283&pageId=5048438

For us having a goal will keep my dd from just running wildly about. A goal can be looking for spider webs, seed pods, mushrooms, a yellow wild flower. It helps them to start looking. Another fun thing we do is go back to a specific spot and look for changes. Take a picture of it so you can compare it to the last time. Make collections for a 3d nature journal. Make charts (temperature at a specific time each day, time the sun sets behind a tree, sky conditions) or lists (we just did a bird study and listed the birds that visited the yard). Specific nature journal pages give focus but letting them draw what they want also gives incite into what catches their eye. When we do this, the one rule is it has to be nature made (I have gotten pictures of a hole, poop, and a crushed bug before). If your child can write, make then date the drawing and add a caption, I make dd add date, specific name if known (we do try to look it up in nature guides) a description if needed, and location. If you really want your children to keep a nature journal the best way is to keep one yourself.

My oldest got a credit in robotics for HS. He went through the Advanced Electronics Lab from Radio Shack then went through these two books http://www.amazon.com/Robot-Building-Beginners-Technology-Action/dp/1430227486/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342695107&sr=1-1&keywords=building+a+robot http://www.amazon.com/Intermediate-Robot-Building-Technology-Action/dp/1430227540/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b and built 2 robots. He learned so much and the knowledge he gained from this helped him on his ASVAB and in the career he has with the Navy.

This sounds good. I am waiting for a personal recommendation from AOPS but this is probably what they will say. Can you do Introduction to number theory alongside Intro to Algebra?

According to to AOPS recommendation page, if my ds has finished Algebra I (not using their program) then he should do the Into to Number Theory and Counting & Probability then refresh with Intro to Algebra 1 since there is some Algebra 2 being covered it it. If I do this should I call this an Algebra 2 course Using all 3 books in a year)? Ds took the diagnostic pre test for Intermediate Algebra and missed 2 problems but took the post test for Introduction to Algebra and missed a good portion. I am thinking he needs to do the Intro to Algebra.

I have been doing a lot of thinking and evaluating ds's math and I think I want to go a different direction or maybe just deeper into it then traditional Math. I was looking at Beast Academy for dd and started looking at AOPS for ds but now I am worried we are too late in the game to utilize this program. Can I just jump in to Intermediate Algebra without ds using the previous courses? Or should I back track and double up to get him up to level? Also how are the books scheduled, a book a year?

I had a copy of MOH sitting on my shelf for many years. I bought it and it just did not click. After our move I came across it again when I was unpacking books and looked through it...looking at it for HS instead of elementary, and was wowed. We used it this past year for ds (9th) and he said it was the only history he has done that did not put him to sleep and demanded we only use MOH for the rest of his history courses. He did do a lot of research and writing but I cut back on his English writing to compensate. He was constently coming to tell me what he learned..."Did you know?" happened frequently after doing MOH. Thought I would mention since my ds is a mythology junkie too that this year for English and Latin he is using Classical Mythology and More along with Latina Mythica.

We used it before with a 4-6th grader who used it on his own working through 2 books a year. This year I am going to be doing Astronomy with a 2nd grader using the Notebook journal from Apologia. They scedule reading/notebook 2x a week but I think the readings need to be less each day then scheduled so we are going to work on it 4x a week.

Thanks all. I think I am going to try it as a supplement and just teach her methods as we hit them. I might get the CWP and IP though just in case we need a more concrete lessons then ones on the fly.

I looked at the assessment questions and how they answered the problems and realized our math curriculum does not teach to think this way. We have always used a traditional math program but I am wanting more for dd. Looking at the solutions I know dd would have NEVER approached the problems like they did, she could have answered them, but she would have lined the numbers up and added or subtracted the old fashioned way. How can I get her ready to use Beast Academy? I plan on only using it alongside our main math. Could I use BA and teach her the mechanics as I go? or should I get her thinking a different way before attempting BA?

Anyone near Iowa City?

I'm in. We have 2 weeks of nothing to do. looking at mammoth bones would be cool.

Here.:seeya: I have been a SAHM for almost 22 yrs and for most of those years have made no monetary income. And yes, I feel like a dying breed. I have been looked down on, thought ignorant, and lazy by people over the years. I love the 'What do you do all day" question I get sometimes or the 'I would love to stay at home and not have to work" comment:glare:

:iagree: