I would like to hear them....anything from a coffee pot to a chalkboard. :001_smile: What has made your life easier, what do you feel is a necessity, your favorites, etc. ? Thank you! :001_smile:

Thank you again so much!! :001_smile:

Any opinions? Both are appealing to me. This is for my 5th grade son. He is not a natural speller. What have your experiences been?

Thank you so much! :001_smile:

Thank you, Beth! As always, your input is valued and appreciated. :001_smile:

If so, how often and for how long? My DS (almost 10 and getting ready to embark on his first year of hs in the Fall) is a reluctant reader. I have been having him read aloud to me for about 20 minutes per night (we just began this about 1 month ago) and he clearly dislikes it. He often skips lines, adds words to the text and mispronounces many words. He loves when I read to him and he does read occasionally on his own and narrates back to me. Thoughts and/or suggestions for us? Blessings, Lisa

Have you had the opportunity to go through it yet? I am strongly considering it for my 5th grader to be. Any feedback? :001_smile:

That is one of my fears with CW Aesop.....my ability to teach it. It looks like WT2 would be easier but I seem to be drawn to CW :confused:

Thank you all so much! I guess I am pretty much set except I am still confused about writing/grammar so here are a few more questions. Do I need to pursue copywork/narration/dictation with him at this age? He is a reluctant writer although he can do it but not proficiently. Elizabeth, I am thinking that your suggestions about going through the WTM and looking at other writing (is notebooking considered writing?) will fulfill his needs but I want to make sure he is learning the basic writing concepts properly. Beth, I see you use R&S Grammar....do you use a writing program in addition to it? I am going to go with Themes to Remember....thanks for reminding me of this program, Hoggirl :). I remember stumbling upon it while reading Jessica's blog which I love. Wendy, did you have any experience with Latin before presenting it to your son? I do not. I guess I am having a hard time dropping a structured grammar program although my son does pretty well. I will have to look deeper at WT2. I want things to be fun for him. He is not at all enthusiastic about being HS but I feel it is the best thing. For socialization, we are going to do a PE group every Friday and I will also look for something for Art. The family that is adopting my foster son has two boys his age and they are homeschooled so hopefully we will get to do some outings with them. I cannot thank all of you enough for your input. This board is fantastic! Blessings!

Hi all: Below is a very rough draft of some of my thoughts for next year with my son (he will be 10 in April). I am particularly struggling in the grammar/writing area. Please help me tweak this. I am open to all suggestions and corrective criticism. :) Bible: Explorer’s Discovery ??? Math: Saxon 7/6 (He is doing 6/5 in school now) Spelling: Simply Spelling or Rod & Staff 5 Writing: Writing Tales 2, CW Aesop B (would I need an additional grammar curriculum if I use either of these?) Reading: Literature selections & narration/dictation/copywork/Harp & Laurel Wreath ? Grammar/LA: Rod & Staff 5, ILL History: SOTW 1/Kingfisher History/Biblioplan Science: Apologia Botany/Astronomy or BJU Art: ? Music: Themes to Remember Latin: Latina Christiana 1 - would this be overwheming? Thank you for all your help thus far. I am looking forward to your input. Blessings!

I was thinking along the same lines...that SOTW on its own would be plenty for him. Any more suggestions?

I am looking for suggestions for 5th grade for my son. He has never experienced narration/copywork/dictation in school that I have seen and has been taught BJU English for the last two years. He has not done much writing this year at all. :( What would be good for him, challenging but not overwhelming for either of us?

Oops...posted in the wrong place. Sorry!

I will begin homeschooling my son in the Fall and he we be entering 5th grade. He has not had much exposure to either History or Science. Should I use SOTW 1 with him? Do I need to supplement it with something? Should I go by the recommendation in the WTM for a 5th grader? Science has also been very lean thus far for him. I don't feel he has learned anything substantial. Any suggestions for us?

Hi....it's me again! Thank you to those who have provided support thus far. To reiterate, I am strongly considering HS'ing my son who will be starting 5th grade next year. He is in a wonderful private Christian school now but the drive is becoming very taxing (45 minutes each way) and I really think because of attention issues, he would benefit from learning at home. Here are my fears in addition to the normal "just starting out" jitters that I am sure everyone has. I am a foster mom. I will be completing the adoption of my 20 month old foster daughter and I also have a 20 month old foster son (not related) who will be adopted in a few months. After both adoptions are final, I will be taking placement of a newborn. I also serve on the board of directors of a 501c3 that serves foster/adoptive families and we are fairly new but growing by leaps and bounds. I can fulfill much of my responsibilities at home but still I am so nervous. Why? I know there are many here with lots of littles and various responsibilities so give me your best tips. How do you manage ? Looking forward to your replies! Lisa

Your advice and encouragement is very much appreciated. I do have TWTM and I am devouring it, however, I am going to add the other suggestions to my reading list and StacyTea, I am on my way to your blog right now! :) Bless you all!

My 9 yo can be the same way at times. It is with his peers. He always has to be in control. He does not have an "I am better" attitude, he is just very opinionated and controlling. He always has to have the last word. He is not rude in his words, just in his tone. It is frustrating, I know. I don't have any suggestions for you....just wanted to let you know that you are far from alone. :( Hugs, Lisa

Hi: I am new here and thank those who answered my previous post. I am strongly considering HS my son for 5th grade next year. He has gone to private Christian school since K4 and although I really love the school, he has a lot of focus issues and organizational skills. I think he could really thrive at home. He has been using BJU and Saxon 6/5 this year. He is an "okay" reader - he doesn't enjoy reading out loud (we are currently reading The Pilgrim's Progress) and does well on Spelling tests but only because of his rote memory. His writing is always filled with spelling errors. His writing skills seem average from what I can tell for a 4th grader but he really has not had much practice and he does not enjoy putting thought to paper. He struggles with this on tests where he has to come up with a written answer. He does an average job in Social Studies and Science. He is an all around A/B student with a C here and there. He does well in Bible. It is his favorite subject. With that said, can you give me suggestions as to what curricula you think would be good for him and that he would enjoy? Also, I would like something that is easy to teach as we are just embarking on this journey. Blessings, Lisa

Thank you for your reply. I was actually considering purchasing some sort of writing program for him to work on. He could definitely benefit from narration and all that goes with it. Any suggestions for me? Something that wouldn't be too overwhelming for both of us? Thank you again!

I just wanted to say that I experience everything you are and I am not even homeschooling....yet. In my eyes, you are amazing and I just wanted to let you know. Hugs and blessings!

The question as to why I didn't originally think I could HS my son was because, honestly, the show, "Are Your Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?", is really daunting to me. :( I worried that I would be unable to provide him with an adequate education (or that again, was my original thought). I feel that with my daughter we will be starting from the ground up. Also, if I am to be completely honest, selfishness was definitely a factor 5 years ago. I am in a different place now. :) With regard to his school, I definitely hear you. I do get help with the drive from my husband (he is a firefighter - 24 on/48 off) so I don't often have to lug the babies but I understand where you are coming from. Where I am (South Florida) it is my ONLY option other than to homeschool. The public school here is horrendous (I had a 4th grade foster daughter for a year so I saw it first hand) academically and socially. I really want him in a Christian environment - the school is a division of my church - as that is important above all else. I know I can also provide a Biblical education here at home but in my situation, I am the spiritual torch bearer and love knowing he is being immersed in his faith throughout the day. My thought regarding implementing something over the summer was as much for me as it was him. I will be taking a new placement (newborn) once my foster son is adopted and wanted to somewhat see how things would work out in the home. I wanted to see if I could present something efficiently - I guess as a confidence builder to me - and care for a newborn and toddler at the same time. I also serve on the board of directors of the foundation that is in my signature link. We are only operating for about 1 year and are crazy busy so that is a concern - how to balance everything. :confused: Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your friend's situation. I fear I may be in the same situation shortly. Much to think about. Blessings!

Hi Ladies: I am new here and I would be remiss if I did not say that I am completely inspired by all of you. Your commitment and dedication to your children is refreshing and empowering. Long story short (hopefully - :)) I am here for advice. I am a bio mom to a 9 yr. old boy who attends a private Christian school and foster-adopt mom (adoption will be completed shortly) to my 20 month old daughter. I also foster a 20 month old boy who is being adopted by my best friend. I have no doubt that I will HS my daughter when the time comes and have already ordered BFIAR for her. My questions pertain to my 9yo 4th grade son. I did investigate HS as an option for him but was nervous that I would not be a capable teacher. That is why I chose private school for him. This is the only school I woul send him to and I drive 45 minutes twice a day to transport him there. Although I love his school, I see that the education he is receiving is not what it could be. Also, he has been loosely diagnosed as having ADHD. He often gets off task at school and he NEVER remembers to turn in work no matter what we try to implement as a reminder. He is a low A/B and sometimes C student. This is because of his lack of effort, inability to turn in his work and focus issues. He is also sloppy and takes the easiest route whenever possible. Next year, he will be transitioning classes and I can't even imagine how he will manage this. I am thinking of doing something over the summer with him as a trial. What do you suggest? His writing skills really need work but he dislikes writing as he does reading. He also all but cries every time I mention HS as he really loves his school. Sorry for the rambling. There is much more to this "saga" but I thought this would be a good place to start. Thank you in advance for any advice you have to offer. Blessings to all!