I *think* you're referring to the exercise numbers to the side of the text? There will be some explanation, then at the side they tell you which exercises correspond to that information - does that sound like we're talking about the same thing? So...did you stop the video once Dr. Mosely reached the place in the text where it says "Exs. 1-6" (for example), and go complete those. Then go back to the video and watch until the text would indicate "Exs. 7-12"? (It would have been a great feature for CD to have put that info on the DVD.) Thanks for chiming in!

Well, if you don't mind comparing with me, could you tell me if, for example, the traditional teaches basically one construction per lesson? The Holt (high school level) teaches how to bisect a segment in one lesson, how to construct a congruent angle in the next, then how to construct an angle bisector in another - and there are about 4-5 repetitions of that one construction for each lesson. But, with the New Geometry, all those constructions (plus other stuff) was covered in *one* lesson. And then, I *couldn't* follow his (Mosely's) instructions to do just 15-20 problems or we wouldn't have even practiced all the constructions. As it is, ds only really did each construction once. I just don't see how that's gonna stick - especially for a test that we won't get to for another two weeks if we keep going at our current pace. Sorry - I know I have hi-jacked my own post - LOL! I'm *really* concerned, even though I chose the New course after reading through several posts on the boards. (I need to remember that my kids are very *average* whenever I read this board!) I realize it is teaching the same things, it is the lack of additional practice problems that really bothers me. But, maybe I could add in some of the Holt - but, golly, doesn't that sound like it just defeats the whole purpose of having the ChalkDust?

I'm not sure if he tried the cotton threads or not. (He did go get a cotton ball, but I was juggling the other two while he was experimenting - yes, he has learned that his mother is of no use when it comes to science!) I *think* he used the "food source" to focus - but we'll try again on Thursday and I will keep the cotton in mind. Good to see you!

Unfortunately I have the New Geometry, and it is *very* different from a high-school level text. There is just not enough drill, and I really think my ds needs to have a little instruction and then a little written work every day - and it just goes *so fast*. We've done 5 lessons so far (4 weeks of work!), but we've covered almost everything in the first two chapters of the Holt text I bought used. He wants to keep at it (my dh made sure ds knew how much $$ I spent on it :glare:), but if the first test is a bomb, then we'll start over with the Traditional. We'll try again for the critters. Thanks for your encouragement!!!!

There are no wiggly things in ANY of our water samples after 4 days. Do we wait a few more days? Start over? (put him back in public school?!?!?!?!?!??!) I don't remember this experiment being so hard when I was in school. We just looked at lake water with no added "food" in it and found amoeba and paramecium, no problem. I just can't imagine what we're doing wrong. My ds feels like a failure, and I don't know what to do or what to say other than sometimes science doesn't work like it's "supposed" to. (Or, in my case, that would be science NEVER works - LOL!). Between this and ChalkDust Geometry, this has not been a good day...

Basic Math and Geometry (what I have here) are both set up so that the student works for an hour daily. The basic routine is to watch the video once, then watch it a second time, stopping the video whenever a problem is introduced, working the problem, and then using the video to check your work. (Or, you can watch it once, stopping the video at each problem.) The written work is usually done on a separate day (or days), and you are to choose 25-30 problems for each lesson. You should not go on until each section is mastered. For Vocabulary from Classical Roots, I use the Teacher's Guide (a rarity here!). Here is a thread with my routine. This year, I am doing my planning at the computer, and typing in anything that would be a "visual aid" (just in WordPad - I use extra-huge font and then just scroll down to get to what I need - wish I could be fancy enough to do PowerPoint - LOL!). Anyway, it makes it a very fast subject to do. The other thing I've changed is that DS types the keywords and definitions now, then we print that out and put it in his notebook. (But, my ds is in 9th grade. Since he is encountering these words now, he is much more motivated to learn them!)

Oh, goodness, we didn't get through Dante and we're Christians - LOL! Good job! I don't know how I would look at Pilgrim's Progress if I were in your shoes. I *was* surprised how many other books refer back to Pilgrim's Progress. (I can think of Little Women right off the bat - but I know there were some others, not as obvious.) I guess I would say for your son to appreciate the world the way it is now, and to appreciate the changes of the past 500 years especially, it would be important to understand how Christians view the world. (Much as Christians try to understand how others view the world - so that we can all hopefully learn to get along.) And, I think the version in the logic stage list would be a fairly good "look inside" a Christian's thoughts. (I'm not sure that makes sense. What I'm trying to say is that just because we are Christians doesn't mean that we don't want to understand people who aren't. But, we need to study what they believe and why, as well as studying what we believe. Maybe that is a foreign idea to some who isn't a Christian? I really don't know - but I do know that my sons have learned to be much more understanding and loving toward other people (and very angry towards some so-called Christians) as we have been exposed to more than just our own little worldview. I hope that doesn't sound judgmental - it's certainly not meant to be!)

Why? Because Teaching the Classics does a better job at teaching the narrative arc - and is a very good overview of how to discover what the author is actually saying. It will also help you "see" what your job is during the discussions. Your kids could probably watch it with you - mine did in 5th and 8th, and that was very helpful. The downfall of Teaching the Classics (and where WEM shines!), is that the stories on the DVD are *so* well done. But, then you are left with a huge list of questions that *might* fit the book you're talking about - you will have to decide which ones to use. Until I started using WEM I felt lost trying to use the Teaching the Classics questions. (Tho' I'm sure not everyone feels that way!) I love WEM because you ask the same questions for each book, and you can easily fill in the Teaching the Classics "triangle" while using the WEM questions. (All the questions won't have elaborate answers for each work, but that's ok.) I have discovered so much on my own thanks to following WEM's questions for the logic-stage books - things I wouldn't have imagined *I* would ever "discover". I don't have any expertise, but I have come to really love some books that before I thought were totally boring. I have to credit WEM and the great step-by-step leading of the questions. I really think I wouldn't have chosen the right questions - and therefore, would have missed part of the book - if I had relied completely on TtC. Not sure that helps! =)

I originally thought by "read alouds" you meant mom reading out loud, which I think works wonderfully when you are trying to keep two kids together on the same topic, especially if the reading might be a little difficult for one. BTW, my boys are in 6th and 9th this year, and I'm reading The Wind in the Willows out loud after lunch, and they still love it. Last year, when they were together in history, I read out loud some things I knew the older *could* read by himself, but the younger wouldn't "get". Since we were doing modern history, this allowed us time to stop and discuss (or, just sit and process) some of the more disturbing moments. My boys don't like listening to each other read. But, if that's not a problem at your house, then I don't see why you shouldn't have them reading out loud from a book they're both going to have to read - no matter what the subject or their age. Blessings!

I have turned a linen closet into a "homeschool closet" (one year). I have a dresser rather than a buffet table, and use those drawers for stuff (science. "office-type" stuff, and 4yo dd's "stuff" this year). I used to keep school books in milk crates (which were put in the homeschool closet), and I've kept school books on book shelves in the living room. This year, for their school books, they have the plastic drawers (one of the alternatives to workboxes), in their rooms - with one drawer per subject. My teacher's manuals aren't so bulky for the boys, so they are in cubby holes in my "desk/armoire" in my room. Some of dd's things are in her closet (in smaller drawers, but up on a shelf so only *I* can get them out!), and some are on a lower shelf on one of our bookcases. White boards, maps, poster board, etc. are stored behind the affore-mentioned dresser, or under the kids' beds. (We have several white boards - LOL!) Basically, I keep things "in storage" except for what we'll be needing that day. I only get white boards out when we actually need them. HTH!

I'm so proud, but no one else will care.... But, *this* week, our church food pantry needed help on Tuesday, which on my "weekly checklist" I have Friday as our "lite day". So, that kind of messed up my check-marking system. (I used Open Office.) So...I was trying to cut and paste by hand to move Friday to Tuesday and still have everything line up. Then, it occurred to me to save both the "friday as lite-day" weekly schedule and a "blank" schedule. So, now I can copy and paste the "lite day" to any day from week to week. It's a little thing, but it made my day - LOL!

I can really relate to that. Being a very sheltered child, I just didn't "get" what was *really* going on in so many books. (blush!) I've been pleasantly surprised at how much more I enjoy them now that I understand what they're really about! I have to wonder if I had had someone whom I trusted to *really* discuss them with if that would have made a difference. I suspect it would have. I really struggle over talking about things with my sons, iykwim, but I have found that having a book to help us approach it from a less personal angle has been so very helpful! The boys are much more wise about people and motivations and the choices (& consequences) available to them than I was/am. I think it is because they are reading books which really require us to discuss and question and debate. There were a few books we dropped even from the 7th & 8th grade lists, and I anticipate there will be some in high school as well. I don't really feel qualified to decide those things in advance, but we'll play it by ear.

Christie, I would encourage you to look at the Wordsmith Series. You could start with Wordsmith Apprentice. I think it will start at being able to write complete, strong sentences, though I've never used it. I did use Wordsmith for a short time, while trying to combine with R&S-6. I personally preferred Wordsmith - it covered the same topics as R&S, and was a bit less stuffy. But, ds liked having one book, so we just kept going with R&S. Wordsmith is reviewed on pp. 360 - 361 in the 3rd edition of WTM, and it is very reasonably priced. Like R&S, you will want to apply the lessons to history, science, and literature each week to get in enough practice. hth!

Seriously. Sitton spelling from 3rd to mid-5th grade was disastrous for my ds, and yes, I think many of his reading and spelling issues would not be "issues" if he had had a phoncis-based spelling program. If your ds's school is using Sitton, you will definitely want to keep up spelling at home. I'm certain that every bad thing you've ever read about it is true. I can't post more without arousing extreme anger! The National Right to Read Foundation (?) has a very factual and intelligent report on the dangers of Sitton spelling. That would be a much better source of info (less emotional, anyway - LOL!).

Spill the beans, please! What is LFBC Physical Science? I was just thinking this afternoon how I miss the spell of an unused workbook - :lol:! I really hate them once they've gotten "messy" with writing, but brand new...just love them! Really, anything that holds your hand enough to let you know "this is what you need to learn next" is good, right? So, use what works and enjoy!

The information posted by Lauren is in the front of the Activity Guides for SOTW, at least in SOTW-3 and 4. Not sure about 1 & 2. Here is a post by SWB from an earlier thread on the same topic.

Just curious - why not the SICC? I'm debating between the SICC (level C) and the Elegant Essay for 2nd semester (for 9th grade). Thanks! Wishing I had found IEW sooner - I *LOVE* Andrew Pudewa's teacher training. Very inspiring words for ALL subjects!

We started SOTW-1 when my boys were in 2nd and 5th. They're now in 6th and 9th; we finished SOTW-4 last year. I used part of SL Core 6 to get us through Year 2 - LOL! Some differences between using it in grammar vs. logic in our experience are: SL Cores 6 & 7 (one way to do it) does two SOTW versions a year, and adds in other books (the Genevieve Foster books, I think). It has related readers and read alouds which help add to the history "experience". There are no written assignments given (such as outlining or narration), but you can always add some in if you'd like. The pace is really fast - much too fast for an average elementary-aged dc. (My younger ds did part of Core 1+2 when I used Core 6.) We did one SOTW volume each year, and really it was the "spine" - or, really, the Activity Guide was the spine. We started by having each dc read the pages in his own history encyclopedia (two different levels). The older child outlined and filled in a map. The younger just read and discussed, and filled in a map. Then, I chose to use SOTW to add some meat to that. (Invariably, there was always more info in SOTW than in the history encyclopedia.) I usually read SOTW to my younger ds, while the older liked to read it for himself. Then, we would discuss it, and they would either outline or write a narration, or use it to complete a R&S writing assignment. We added the Robert Johnston US History book to SOTW-3 and 4. Occasionally, I assigned books from the library. Occasionally, we watched a related movie. We sprinkled in some historical fiction amongst the lit choices in WTM, and read lots of historical fiction out loud. All in all, about 3 hours of work in history each week. It was a great first trip through history for both the kids. My 6th grader will not be using SOTW-1 as a mom-given assignment this year, but I have it in his "book box" ready for him to use as a resource if he wants it, or if there's nothing else, or if he just wants to read it during his quiet time. We are really trying to stick to a WTM approach, and use the library to give him choices in what he wants to pursue this year. I'm still waffling between using my old KIHW and outlining from that (easier for me!), or using the Internet-Linked Usborne and outlining "something" every week (more interesting to ds). There's really no "wrong" way to use it, as long as your dc is learning and growing while they are using it! (There are even other suggestions in the Activity Guides.) SOTW was *perfect* for my older ds's first time through history, especially since he didn't get those stories in elementary school, and SOTW allowed him to see the "why's" behind history (the ideal goal of logic stage, I guess). So, I know I could definitely re-do SOTW with my younger ds, and he would learn at a much deeper level than he did the first time through. (Trust me, they "why's" were pretty much lost on him most of the time!) But, I think *I* am ready for a change - LOL!

Being a girl who loves learning, who could never understand (when I was younger) why *everyone* didn't make straight-A's, and who has two boys who are just *so* not that way, yeah - I get ya! I think Classical Writing is the big "Awwww!" for me. I would have LOVED to have learned it, would have loved to have taught it, would have relished each hour spent - but after two weeks of it I knew in my heart that my "just the facts" boys would hate me. I did manage to sell that one, since I knew I could actually make a dent $-wise without too much trouble. But, I have other books I've picked up that I just like looking through - and would have "played school" with as a child, that I keep just because I think they're so genius. (Love the diagramming book - Mary Daly?? - will never part with it, even tho' I KNOW I'll never use it!) And, I have some books that were so bad, I can't imagine even *giving* them away, much less taking someone's money for them! Nor can I bring myself to trash them completely. Give me a few more years, and maybe then they'll look "old" enough to warrant getting rid of - LOL! But, no, I don't blame the board at all. I have always bought books. I refuse to seriously consider how much $$ I spent at Barnes & Noble in college (before Starbucks, even!) Oh, if only I would have learned to take advantage of the library sooner!!!!

My kids are older (6th and 9th - yikes!), but one thing I did *very* differently was to copy the TOC for each subject, put it in a folder with a routine, and go to a "just do the next thing on the list or routine" system. No more weekly grids, with assignments for each subject for each day of the week, that tend to get messed up and throw my whole next six weeks out of whack! Each one has a weekly check-off sheet similar to the system described on pp. 652-655 in the new WTM (ch. 38 - "Just When Do I Do All This?") to be sure we remember to do everything. And, that's it! No more feeling "behind" - yay! I also semi-adapted the workbox system. I'm really just using some plastic drawers (thank you, Big Lots!) as "lockers" for each subject. The boxes are in the boys' closets, and help keep school things from taking over our house. It's been very nice not seeing their school books on the book shelf - they just never looked neat no matter how we tried it. ETA: Reading SilverMoon's post reminded me that the REALLY big change this year is that I chose curriculum that would lead to more independence (and, since I have boys, expose them to men who are excited about learning). This means we're using Phonetic Zoo for spelling, IEW for writing instruction, ChalkDust for Math, my 9th grader is taking Latin II online. This has been a *wonderful* change for me, since I tend to be a "messie", but really need order to function. I've been able to keep the house reasonably clean, if not perfect, in spite of having football practice every night (three hours including drive time). But, the BEST consequence is that my 4yo dd now sees her brothers working on their own, and so she wants to be on her own, too! I'm definitely feeling more free to be "me" instead of "just Mom" if that makes sense.

Oh, goodness! I'll be praying for you!

There is virtually no difference, if any, between the 1999 and 2004 versions. The difference is between the Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World (mine is dated 1993) and the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia.

not only does it recommend all the books I already own, but the logic stage history and lit sections just fall right out - perfect for those times when carrying around the entire tome just won't do! :lol: (and, yes, I have SL, TOG, books at our library, and other lists gathered here and yonder penciled in the margins - in all three levels!) I have the new edition, and have read sections of it. But, I think I have the 2nd ed. practically memorized. I could never part with it!

I'm sure this is a thread I'll be revisiting often this next year! :bigear:

6th and 9th grade boys here, too. And, I wouldn't say I'm "burned-out", but I'm definitely NOT excited. I think I'm a little scared of 9th grade. Also, we're returning to Ancients, so the "newness" has worn off a little, if that makes sense. Oh, well. Nothing to do but just do it!