Can teaching textbook be used with just the text? Is the lesson scripted in the book or is all the teaching on the disks?

A while ago someone posted a link to a blog (think it was a blog) with a picture tutorial on how to make weighted blankets. Anyone have that link?

Nursed all of mine till they weaned themselves (about 15 months each except dd who weaned herself at 9 months)and never slept with any of them. They all slept through the night by 6-8 weeks. My babies sleep better in their own room. They were all tummy sleepers also.

Thanks for the link.

Thanks. I never really looked into LOF because I always thought it was more supplementary...but you say the Geometry is rigorous, hmmm. Does it cover proofs also?

Yep, got the same question the other day at a picnic when the person heard the ages of my children.

Has anyone used the Fresh Approach Algebra II or Geometry? I posted on another thread I needed Algebra II and Geometry curriculum and one of the suggestions was the above curriculum. From the sample pages they look good but has anyone used them? I would love feed back.

This was my biggest concern with Saxon. Thanks for the heads up, I will not be ordering it.

Thanks all. I didn't realize there were so many out there. This list will give me a direction in where to look. None look expensive and if I can find them used I might try them all to see what will work. :001_smile:

Haven't heard of either of these. I will look into it...thanks.

I thought of Saxon but I'm a little leery about Saxon, the two times we tried it it was a fail. I did find the ones I would need on a used board real cheap...might try it and see.

I need curriculum ideas for these courses. Text needs to be student friendly, non-DVD course, and problems fully worked in answer key. Something that will not hurt my pocketbook is a must also.

We had a small bookcase for dd when she was in pre-k. I swapped out stuff weekly: -Sequence/opposite/letter picture puzzles -board puzzles (regular and the ones with locks or zippers/buttons/other closures) -Flash cards on large ring (numbers, colors, shapes, plus opposites, letters, and more...each type had it's own ring) -magnets -folder with coloring pages I printed (usually having to do with what we were covering that week/month) -math manipulatives -play animals (different sets put out each week) -Nature box with magnifying viewing box (this was a permanent fixture but the contents changed) I also kept some things on permanently: Colors/markers/pencil colors Dot paint sticks Playdough with tray and toys lacing beads and large buttons(the normal block kind and the plastic small beads she strung on pipe cleaners to make bracelets) A seasonal page (to show season and weather and what to wear, had velcro backs on each piece) drawing paper construction paper scissors (regular and the ones that make fancy cuts) glue stick Sand paper letters That's all I can think of off hand, iff I think of more I'll add it.

The only complaint I had with Abeka science was the experiments. Very few and very traditional. It is heavy on memorizing info but I did not mind this. My son can still remember the names of insects and flowers plus more (I think this was in the 4th grade book). Other then that the textbook is informative and not dry.

43 yrs living in Louisiana and I knew what to keep on hand for hurricanes until Katrina hit. If a 'real' hurricane hits, no matter how many days of food and water you have on hand it will not be enough. The 'experts' tell you 3 days supplies for each member but if a hurricane hits the area a minimum of a week for anything to get up and running if the hurricane is not too destructive. The normal shelf foods plus: Fill tubs with water to use for non drinking water. Baby wipes As many jugs of water as you can possible have (we went through a 5 gallon jug in one day for a family of 6) Medical supplies Batteries Extra Gas in cans. Put your cars in different locations. We saw many families stranded because the cars where on the driveway or in the garage and a tree landed on them or blocked them in Have a special location away from the city you make as a meet up point just in case you split up and have your children marked with name and other important info plus the meet location. We met a family who's child got swept away in the flood. Another man who was separated from his wife. And as another poster said...have a gun or other means of self protection. We lived in a crime free area but after a Katrina it was not safe.

I remember in the summer playing outside and swimming till 10pm with the neighborhood kids so I have no problem with this. It does not get dark until 9 here. I do have a rule that lets the neighborhood kids know if it is okay to knock or not...if the blind on the door is down then don't knock, up it is okay to knock.

Elemental science and Real Science odyssey. ES is mostly read about different animals and narrate with an experiment weekly. RSO is mostly interesting experiments and will teach the classification system of the animals. Put the two together and you have a science curriculum that is out of this world. Both are easy to use and the experiments use household items. You can take each weeks work in ES and match the work with RSO pages then add as much or as little as you want, but just doing the basic from these two will give you enough for science. Each day doing the basic is about 5-15 mins work. I have tried many science programs over the years and these two combined make an easy to use and full science curriculum.

For 19 yrs we have used BJU for one or more of my children each year. One thing you must understand, BJU for elementary is TM intensive. The workbook is extra work. If you use the TM you will be approaching skills in different ways, with and without manipulatives, mental math, story problems given and student created, and review. It is strong in memorizing factors using fact families and daily factor review is given at the beginning of each lesson. Each elementary level has a main character and his pet with a theme (K is Farmer Brown and Cheddar/farm theme, 2nd is Matt and his pet Paddy/homes around the world theme) which is carried throughout the word problems and pictures on the workpages. The TM has a cd with extras on it. These contain fact review pages (I use them as timed factor work) and Logic problem pages. I have found BJU math to be an extremely thorough program leaving no gaps if following the TM.

On the actual Adventures schedule there are spaces for math and other subjects not included in Adventures. I make a copy each week of the Adv. schedule and write our math and other needed info on my copied schedule. Toss when the week is up.

A few weeks ago I posted how I am not able to loose weight. Many said my body was "starving" and needed more food and the right foods. In the last few weeks I have actually lost a few pounds(yes, weight fluctuates through out the day, week month and it has been taken into account). The only things I have changed are eating more smaller meals and eating more home made meals. The meals I am cooking are more from scratch and using healthy alternatives (wheat noodles to regular, wheat bread instead of white, fresh over canned). Most of my groceries have come from the outer edges of the grocery and the healthy food section. I am also changing what I get when we eat out. More grilled over fried, salads or vegetables instead of potatoes and only eating half the portion of main meal. Thanks to all the ladies who offered advice. With these changes and keeping my days more active I might just get rid of these pesky pounds.

My dd is ahead because she started early and she devoured school work. From age 3-6 she lived school. We finally decided she needed more challenging work so we moved her up. With all curriculum we move at her pace...fast and combine lessons if she gets it and slow (a lesson over 2 or more days) when she needs processing time.

I found BJU had teacher support because of the way the student books are written. They are designed to be used alongside an instructor. Apologia is written differently. If the student needs help the support Apologia offers is very child friendly and gets feed back quickly.

My ds did BJU Life then did Apologia Physical. No problems at all. He never felt he was 'missing' something.

As others have said...what you do in your homeschool effects the homeschool community. I have personally witnessed very poor homeschooling methods that border on neglect and when those children entered the public school system an example of why homeschool does not work is given to the powers that be. With that said, I think a "my way IS the right way" some feel the need to express in a forceful way and then get insulting if you don't follow their advice is sad. I do find homeschoolers, for the most, are a passionate lot that feel strongly about what they are doing and how they are doing it because they have spent countless hours wrestling over how they need to school a child that their passion might come across as aggressive.

I would not use a curriculum instead use a book that lists the skills needed. Maximum Math by Katheryn Stout. You go through the skills one by one making sure he gets it, spending as long or as little as needed with each skill. No workbooks to skip through so no wasted money.