Do you mean Bible Study Guide for All Ages? If so, we have used Unit 1 twice over the years and used it effectively for our whole family. We were never very good at working with the timeline because we didn't have a convenient place to hang it in our school room, but we used everything else. I usually split a lesson into two days of about 20 minutes each. Janet

The first few times we had chicks we used a rabbit cage (it had a plastic bottom not wire) and kept them in our kitchen with the heat lamp above them (I taped posterboard around the cage to keep them from flinging the wood shavings everywhere. For a week or so even a large laudry basket or a rubbermaid container would work depending on how many you are getting. The last batch we had too many for our little rabbit cage so we knocked together a four-foot x four-foot plywood box (only four sides) - put a bale of wood shavings in it our in our garage. When they got bigger we stretched some old chicken wire over the top because the little buggers were escaping. When we moved them to the barn we just pulled the box into pieces again ready for the next time. HTH Janet

Laughing here because I just started Horizons today with my ds and yesterday I was wondering the same thing about the flashcards. I finally figured out that I think you are to make them yourself. The instructions are hard to find but by reading the teacher's manual in a few different places, I determined that, for instance, when they say drill addition flashcards #1 - 9 they mean all the addition problems that equal 9 or less and they also want flashcards with the problem AND answer on one side, and just the problem on the other because you drill with the answers for several weeks. The other trick I noticed is they want the kidlet to read the problem with the answer then reverse the fact and say it again. i.e. 4 + 1 = 5, 1 + 4 = 5. Now someone with more Horizons experience can tell me if I'm right or wrong! Janet

I'm just doing this now, though we are only 2/3'rds through Alpha. I ordered Horizons 1 thinking that we would just do the second half of the book. It arrived yesterday and I think he could make it past the first test at lesson 10 and then he would be lost so I guess I'm starting almost at the beginning. Have you downloaded the placement tests Horizons has on their website? I'm guessing the main problem you are going to have is that the scope and sequences are so different. If you want to start with Horizons 4 you may just have to plan on slowing it down and creating extra worksheets on the concepts that haven't been introduced in MUS. HTH Janet

My daughter is using TT pre-algebra this year. The lessons are divided into "chapters" and at the end of each chapter there is a test. There are no chapter reviews but each lesson has review built into it. My daughter has not had any trouble with the tests as far as not having enough review. The chapters vary in length probably between 6 lessons and maybe 10. There is a lot of review built in (my kids say it is formatted a lot like Saxon which they have used in the past). It's been perfect for my daughter this year as she had gotten a bit behind in math and needed a pre-algebra program that would beef up her fraction and decimals skills as well as introduce basic Algebra concepts. She had finished MUS Epsilon last year and didn't really have time to do both the Zeta and Pre-Algebra book this year. HTH Janet

What I've had to do with my Zoirushi is use the programmable feature and greatly decrease the baking time in order that the bread is softer (Believe it or not it was my Dad who clued me into this when he would stop his preprogrammed bread machine before the time was up in order to get softer bread). I just went and checked and I have my bake cycle for my whole wheat bread set to 44 minutes. I think the regular setting is at least 60 minutes (?) To make the bread last longer I think the secret is to add gluton (especially if you are using whole wheat flour) and/or a Dough Enhancer (I find mine at the Amish stores in the area or you can order online). It makes the bread a little lighter and makes it last longer. HTH Janet

Hi Laurie - The UPS man stopped by and now I can confirm that the "5" book is spiral bound. It is thick though and I'm not sure it would be very comfortable to work in it - my son has been using scrap paper anyway when he's been working at the computer (We've had the first two disks for a while and I've been printing off the first lessons on my printer) so I'm not sure which way he'll choose to do it now. Janet

They are spiral bound (at least the Algebra I and pre-algebra are). I'm assuming that 5 will be the same. I'm expecting mine to be delivered today, so I will post again when it arrives. Janet

I started Latin with my kidlets years ago having never even read a word in Latin. I just tried to stay a week or so ahead of them in the book we were using at the time (Latin Primer). I'm still just working week by week to stay ahead of them now in high school using Latin in the Christian Trivium. If I had to do over again, I think I would use something like Lingua Latina ahead of time but if you can't do that, don't worry. You really can just learn as you go and it has always motivated me to do more chanting aloud of paradigms and vocabulary with them. That way I can learn the chants and vocabulary at the same time I'm teaching them. Janet

Thanks Jann, I appreciate your responding to my question and you have relieved my mind. I had somehow missed that your major concerns were in the Algebra II and pre-Calc text. I'll follow your advice about having him finish TT Algebra I. Reviewing while doing Geometry was something I had planned anyway. Thank you so much for your quick reply. Janet

He is on Chapter 9 of the program and doing really well. Now, from reading some of the posts here I'm wondering what to do - I have a perfectly fine copy of Jacob's Elementary Algebra sitting here but didn't use it at the last minute this year because I was suffering the trauma of "nine-month pregnacy brain" syndrome. He's a freshman this year - loves math and all things math, hates science and doesn't seem to be heading toward anything in the science or engineering field but really doesn't know what he wants at this point. I'm contemplating jumping him over for the rest of the year (we have school until the end of June but he could work through our summer break) into Jacobs - maybe having him take the tests until he gets really stuck - then continuing from there and hopefully finishing the text early in our next school year so that he could go into Jacob's Geometry with Ask Dr. Callahan DVD's if I decide I need the help. Has anyone else done such a thing? Another option I had considered was to let him finish the TT Algebra this year, then do Jacob's Geometry this year then follow that with Dr. Callahan's plan for Algebra II with Trig the next year but I'm afraid that will be too much of a jump from TT. Any suggestions will be most welcome. Thanks Janet

I don't think you want the Lifepac version - that's different than the SOS version talked about here. My son is using SOS Spanish 1 2007 edition and the ISBN is 978-07403-1367-7. HTH Janet

I just dug my copy of this out last night for my first grader for the rest of the year as a break to what we were doing. Each country has listings of other books that go with the unit and I just use those plus others I find at the library - I have none of the books you referenced, and though they are used throughout the book, I don't think they are really absolutely necessary. If you have a good library (either public or personal) you'll find lots of replacements available except maybe the Heaven's Heroes (our library doesn't stock many missionary stories). HTH Janet

Thanks for your reply - the independence factor is a big one here, also. Do you feel that Trisms literature is complete enough on it's own? Erek's Mom said she changed the literature choices - I was just wondering if you felt the a lack, or if the Shakespeare study was due to a special interest, not a lack in Trisms? Thanks Janet

I've tried it several times (even purchased it twice after selling the first copy - LOL) but I do not like it. The one part that drives me absolutely up a wall is the "think babi to spell baby". Sorry - just cannot get past that one and I've read the explanation many times - and I understand the theory (I think). Also, all the marking gets on my last nerve - We're using All About Spelling now and it makes much more sense to me. That reminds me - I need to put my copy of SWR up on the sale board :) Janet

We have nothing bad to say about TT here. We're using Algebra and pre-Algebra and Grade 5 and it's going great.

I really, really like Sonlight - I'm using Core 100 with my ninth grader this year and have thoroughly enjoyed it - though I've not been able to keep up with the history reading like I should. Only slightly concerned that a lot of the questions seem a little superficial for the high school level - I've been using Teaching the Classics with the literature to add in literature analysis and it's been going well BUT I don't have time to keep up with the reading to have those great indepth discussions so he's been writing out the answers to the study guide questions which is fine but . . . The main issue I'm trying to address is the number of different educational levels I find myself working with - this year I've got first grade, fifth grade, eighth grade and ninth grade going and I need to fold a kindergartner into that mess next year with two preschooler to boot :) I don't feel like I'm going to be able to keep going with Sonlight without a lot of tweaking so I'm consider Trisms for the olders and just using something more simple with the youngers (biblioplan or maybe just STOW) so that I can keep us all in the same history cycle and I just can't get past loving that four-year rotation outlined in WTM. I agree Songlight is the tops in pick up and go - but for me - it's not quite as pick up and go as it could be - Even with clumping kids together I think the fewest number of Cores I could realistically use is three which is really, really, busy! Janet

Thanks for your input - now I'm really going to have to rethink the whole thing because I was thinking that Trisms might be more "pick up and go" than TOG was. Granted I was using the classic TOG, the new redesign is very different from what I understand. Janet

Hey - I have an idea - I'll trade you my TOG for your Trisms (LOL - just kidding, my TOG is the old classic and is all marked up and a general mess!) Here's the question I need to ask: Why are considering switching to TOG and leaving Trisms behind? Is it the cost of the fourth year or something else? Just curious. Janet

I'm a TOG drop-out of a few years ago but am finding myself intrigued by Trisms for next year. We're currently using Sonlight but I have several cores going, not using their writing assignments and while I feel like my kidlets are learning, I feel like we are doing a lot of reading without much discussion/narration/research, etc. going on (the meat of classical education!) I'm thinking of maybe using Biblioplan for my youngers (up to sixth or seventh grade) then using History Makers than Trisms for eighth grade and high school. That way we would all be basically in the same time period again (except for the one kid at a time in History Makers) From looking at Trisms website it seems that Trisms might be more specific than the classic TOG which was the problem for me. I like the idea of research and the making of a coursebook. Is there anyone who didn't like TOG and went with Trisms and likes it? Any feedback/advice would be appreciated. Thanks Janet

Thanks Jean - I think we'll do it open notebook. My son is much relieved! (so am I)!

I have a son who is struggling also - as am I. I really thought I was ready for the first quiz (LOL) and didn't bomb it but scored a really solid C. I'm scared because it's only the first quiz (my son got a D). We did it closed book but would it be acceptable to do open notes on these? I don't want to cheat but it seems that the computer grading is just a little too strict sometimes - I guess in the finaly analysis I do want to cheat the computer just a little :). Janet

http://www.soundfoundationsbooks.co.uk/

Not Michelle - but I'm using Apples and Pears (just finished Book A) with my almost 11 yods so I would think it may work for your 10 yo also.

they are working: Apples and Pears Spelling for my squirrely middle son has improved his spelling by leaps and bounds with very little pain on either of our parts. All about Spelling Level I is giving my younger son an amazing start so that hopefully I won't have to use Apple and Pears during the middle school years for him. SOS Spanish I has been a surprising hit here as my kids usually hate computer program based education but my ninth grader is actually doing his Spanish and going above and beyond the daily requirements.