How do you not have kids just sitting there waiting for their lessons? Do you quick-assign something independent to olders and then start with the youngest? Do olders ever teach youngers? I know that teaching something is a good way to make sure you've learned it thoroughly, so that makes sense, but how does it *work*?? Anyone have any book suggestions on the topic?

I second livemocha. I like it better than Rosetta Stone , and it's free. Mango Languages is also available through many libraries free.

Absolutely...and in rainbow order, too. All pinks/reds in a line, transitioning from the purplish-reds on the left to the orangish-reds on the other, then oranges, then yellows, then greens, then blues, then purples/pinks. Peachy pinks go with the browns. Then Gold, bronze, and silver. I always have a hard time deciding whether to put gray after silver or between black and white...for the record, between black and white usually wins. Now if only I could take that tendency of mine and direct it out to my house in general...I actually think I'd be very organized if we had places to put stuff. We don't even have cabinets or closets :glare:

I'd teach knitting first...knitting requires the use of both hands, so it's easier to transition from knitting to crochet than the other way around, IMO.

and decided that I like the Golden Children's Bible best. It seems the most complete and the King James language is a good thing to get used to young.

:iagree:

It's in the reply window. You type the words you want to display, then highlight them and click on the little earth up at the top under the white smiley face (it says insert link when you hover your mouse over it). Then just enter the url you want to link to in the little box that pops up :)

The Baldwin Project has Stories from Plato and Other Classic Writers free online, or available for purchase, and geared toward 6-9 year olds. Here's the link: http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=burt&book=plato&story=_contents

Composition: Aesop and Homer in a Month starts on Monday! I'm working through the pre-class reading assignments. Math: I'm almost finished with LOF Fractions and will be moving on to Decimals and Percents Latin: I'm taking the Mom's Latin Class from Beth's Bookshop, which uses Wheelock's. Piano: I'm working my way slowly through Accelerated Piano Adventures so that I can stay ahead of my son, who about 1/2 way through My First Piano Adventures. Luckily for me, I played the flute for years and only the bass clef is new to me :001_smile: Religion: I'm reading A History of God and taking a class from the Wilmette Institute: The Baha'i Faith: A Comprehensive Introduction I'm going to get the Well-Educated Mind as soon as I have some spare cash...I keep borrowing it from the library, so I know it's a keeper. I'd like to read Don Quixote in the original Spanish, though, so I'm also reading some easy novels in Spanish to up my comprehension level. Formal written Spanish is often much different than the slang-filled spoken Spanish I'm used to, so I need practice!

Ds has had Spanish (informally) since we moved to Mexico when he was almost 2, and we study Latin, so I chose Latin as 3rd. However, we are going to add Greek and most likely Arabic after that. He really enjoys learning languages!

My last purchase was the 1st ed. of LCC...I already had the 2nd. Now I can't decide which I like better! I also have WTM (2nd ed.), Rebecca Rupp's Home Learning Year-by-Year, and Nebel's Elementary Education. My LCC books are by FAR my favorite!

HTH!

I'm taking Aesop and Homer in a Month, as well...it's only $75 and doubles as a teacher training course!

:iagree: This is what we do, too. It typically takes ~2 weeks to get through a lesson for us.

Last year we went through Minimus. This year, I'm using Wheelock's for myself (taking the Mom's Latin Class offered at Beth's Bookshop), and teaching my son with the Big Book of Lively Latin. We will definitely move on to BBLL2 when we finish. After that, I don't know what we'll use, but we'll definitely continue our study of Latin. We will also add in Greek at that point. Spanish is being learned in an informal way by playing with the neighborhood kids (and hubby is trying to remember to talk to him in Spanish more and more.) Ds has a long list of languages he'd like to learn, so we'll see what we move on to when he has a couple of years of Greek under his belt...probably Arabic and/or Persian, since our scriptures are originally written in those languages.

We do 4.5 days...our half day consists of piano practice, memory work, science, and art :) I think 4 days is reasonable at the elementary level. Both WWE and CW both schedule for a 4 day week ;)

My favorite: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0763636479/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance The illustrations are FANTASTIC.

Our days start and end later than most so that DS gets to see his daddy (who works AND goes to school full-time). School day: 8:00 -- wake up/play 9:30 -- breakfast, usually accompanied by a book to read while he's eating 10:00 -- plays with neighbor kids for an hour while I give their mom an English lesson (he sometimes chooses to bring his grammar and/or penmanship to get a head start on his day) 11:00 -- start school 1:00 -- lunch 1:45ish -- back to school 3:00 -- Wii 4:00 -- he either goes to play in his room, or if he still wants to play on the Wii, it has to be Wii Sports 5:00 -- snack, then back to playing (or reading, which he often prefers) 8:00 -- dinner 9:30 -- brush teeth, shower, and jammies 10:00 -- bed On non-school days, we either get up early to cross the border and go to the library, or his day looks the same except all school has been replaced by playing and reading. He's a bookworm.

Can you enlist your 4th grader to read STOW to your 2nd grader in the car or while waiting for the Dr. appt? Spelling Workout would probably work for carschooling/waiting room too. Music appreciation can be accomplished in the car, as well. I would still suggest the Math Games book and cards from Rightstart, that way they are practicing their math facts without even realizing it. This could be done on Monday or on Friday with daddy (most of the games take about 20 min, though some can be longer). I've not seen either of your English/grammar programs, so I can't comment on those; however, I think doing language arts over 3 days would be just fine. You still might want to do PP for just 5 or 10 min. on your Monday or Friday, though that's entirely up to you. Latin chants can be said in the car, as well, and if you speak Spanish yourself, just try to speak to them in Spanish for a bit on the days when you aren't using your curriculum. Good luck!

I assume that since Mon. and Fri. are their daddy days, your husband works on Saturdays; is your family willing/able to homeschool on Sat? Your 3 day idea could work, but I personally don't think I'd be comfortable doing math less than 1/2 the week. Could you maybe add in math games on Sat or with daddy? We have a library day, too, and on that day we do only memory work, art, science, and piano practice (which here is done daily). If you're really set on doing 3 days, it can be done...take a look at the Highland Latin School website. They are a 3 day cottage school.

I'm just slightly under 5'4", with a medium frame and short torso, and feel best in a 6. Right now I wear an 8 (pants) and they are slightly too big, but a 6 is just a bit too tight. I need to start exercising again! Any time I've let my size 6 get loose, I start to get the "you're too thin" comments, so while I never thought I was too skinny in a 5, apparently my best friends and my husband think I look emaciated at that size.

I second Abigail Grace. Also: Abigail Louise Abigail Elizabeth

Thanks! I will definitely break it up during editing. I wasn't sure of the conventions for dialog in fiction, so I just wrote it without worrying about that. Your post helped a lot.

:iagree: Also, the Teaching Company video called How To Be a Superstar Student is great for getting ready BEFORE the test.

We just started CW Aesop. This is my son's 1st writing project. He dictated it to me, so spelling and punctuation is mine. I don't really know how this should be edited. :001_huh: Help??? I'm SO glad they have a teacher-training session coming up! The Hare and the Tortoise, by Adam (age 6) The Hare was once bragging of his speed before the other animals. "I have never yet been beaten," said he, "when I put forth my full speed. I challenge anyone here to race with me." "I accept your challenge," said the Tortoise quietly. "That is a good joke. I could dance around you all the way," said the Hare. The Tortoise said, "Keep your boasting 'til you've beaten. Shall we race?" So a path was fixed and a start was made. The runners started off. The Hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the Tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The Tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the Hare awoke, he saw the Tortoise just near the winning post and could not run up in time to save the race. Then the Tortoise said, "Slow and steady wins the race." Thanks! ~Jen