We're happy with AAS, with minor adaptations, so far with Button but he's not a particularly precocious reader. We use Phonics Pathways for phonics, and you can easily use it (see author's online site for more specifics -- here's a link to a page with a free how-to) as a spelling program. That might be less tedious, but still thorough? I started that way, but Button detests phonics (well, he hates starting it but cheers up as we progress; if his happiness curve went the other way, I'd find something else) and AAS makes things _more_ fun for us ... a handy consideration: you can prob. get a copy of Phonics Pathways through your library and give it a whirl free-of-charge.

There are certainly lots of experimental kits out there ... if you're keeping costs low, you might want to start with experimental science books from the library. You could start with one, or some, of Janice VanCleave's books though their target age is a little younger than 14, I believe. At any rate that would get you to the right spot in the stacks! You might want to look also at this book of experiments by Steve Spangler. It's very highly rated and might be just the thing. Mainly, I'd consider putting her in charge of the experimental science thing by hunting down some good books and coming up with lists of supplies and help she needs. Perhaps you'd want to insist on supervising, though. :) good luck!

Thank you so much, Melissa, for the thread links -- I usually search those first, but just plumb forgot to! and for the heads-up RE writing and complex problems. Graph paper can't solve everything :D Wendy, thanks for the reply & for the SM comparison. We're using SM's Challenging Word Problem series as we go so that may help me compare. [gratitude icon :001_smile:]

I've been reading through the thread ... thank you to the OP and all the PPs for an engaging, thought-provoking conversation. (I'm psyched RE the vintage Chemistry book!) Regarding the OP, there's a disjunct btw. America's standardized scores and the performance of American scientists that is, I think, telling. The scientists produced by America are second to none, and have advantages over many -- and I don't mean just the scientists coming out of grad school, but the scientist-students too. The American culture and system, when it is working at its best, inculcates an independence of thinking and a proactive approach that is extremely valuable. I'm too sleepy and don't have time to flesh this out fully right now, so I'll quote from something: the instructions for an innovative-science grant application hubby's working on. "... qualities common to many highly innovative people include an interest in, and the ability to integrate, diverse sources of information; an inclination to challenge paradigms and take intellectual risks; persistence in the face of failure; an ability to attract the right collaborators; and the energy and concentration necessary to plan and execute effective strategies for accomplishing goals." America is pretty good at developing that. Two anecdotal but telling stories I personally know of: A truly excellent neurosci. grad student and native of Sweden, returning from a visit to relatives there, commented that he would never want to live in Sweden because he loves pushing the envelope and being excellent, and in Sweden there was a strong cultural sense that one shouldn't want to be "better" than everybody else; that excelling was narcissistic, more or less. A Nobel laureate native of Japan said he could never have gotten his Nobel if he had stayed in Japan to practice science, instead of coming to the States, because the scientific system was so hierarchical and constrained that he could have never done his original, groundbreaking work there. Obviously the US system is heartbreakingly neglectful of many, maybe even most students, and should learn from nations that serve their children better; but we need to appreciate what we do exceedingly well if we are to design the educational system we want. RE Penelope's comment that the grammar/rhetoric/logic division doesn't work well for science: :iagree:!!! And, starting with an expression of my profound gratitude for what SWB and Jessie Bauer have designed and shared, in SWBs case while raising and educating her own children, managing her career and supporting her husband -- despite my deep appreciation, I think the grammar/logic/rhetoric division doesn't apply at all. It makes almost no sense from the child development perspective, except insofar as it assigns simpler tasks to younger children and harder tasks to older ones. As others have pointed out, it is not really classical but I gather has taken significant guidance from Dorothy Sayers, who may have written some good books but was no expert on children (read one of the books!) or on education. And the WTM idea that, for example, early elementary children are good at memorizing but that categorizing is better saved for the middle school years is counter to my understanding of the child development literature and my experience teaching young children. And for my own child, I cannot imagine teaching him much without tracking through the logic. However, it seems to me that the method works pretty darn well anyhow, and probably because what was effective for SWB and others in real life has merged with a theoretical framework that provides useful structure and an organized conceptual strategy. ... I'm curious what those of you think who have been using it for more than a year [imagine a "sheepish" icon here :blushing:]... just my 2 cents. and thank you again to everybody in this thread ...

... American caucasians are much more ethnically diverse than the Finnish variety; and American asians much more culturally diverse the Japanese, Chinese or South Korean (I edited to add "culturally" there in place of "ethnically" b/c there is an enormous ethnic diversity across the breadth of China; but the government's done its best to homogenize the culture in a way not conceivable in the States). Not saying that accounts for the difference, but just saying.

No, but I do phonics (Phonics Pathways) and a spelling program (AAS), whereas it seems many folks start spelling after Phonics. We do use a reader separate from our phonics program, because that's a different skill and Button's readers have rich, somewhat archaic language that stretches his comprehension. I added spelling b/c Button was sometimes wanting to be able to spell words, but he doesn't enjoy Phonics Pathways so I didn't want to use it for spelling. AAS got good reviews here and so far is working very well for Button, and he tolerates it :)

I'll answer that as best I can. Books for the primary grades: Bite-sized Science: Activities for Children in 15 Minutes or Less (ages 3-8) by Falk & Rosenburg. Sandbox Scientist: Real Science Activities for Little Kids (ages 2-8) by Ross. Hands-down, the best science book for littles I've seen, it's all mucking about and trying things. Some of the projects require daunting supply lists, but some are things like oobleck; don't feel guilty about what you don't do, and it's a terrific multi-age science "curriculum". Making Magnificent Machines: Fun with Math, Science, and Engineering (K-8) by Carol McBride. I think K is a bit young for this one, and wouldn't start it myself until the oldest child is 2nd or 3rd grade. Montessori Manuals available from MontessoriRD. They are meant for Montessori teachers, and assume Montessori puzzles etc; but the lessons for preschool and primary years are thorough and if you don't want to buy a Montessori classroom's worth of equipment you can adapt and overcome :001_smile:. Samples are available online. Or find another resource you like; you could download cards free or cheaply on the topics you teach. Valerie and Walter's Best Books for Children may have titles you haven't seen elsewhere, and includes a topical index. Schlessinger Videos and other science videos: SWB poo-poos videos as primary learning material, but if you have the child watch a science video they love as many times as they want, they'll gain a lot of knowledge and a good deal of passion. My scientist buddies usually LOVED Nova, etc. as children. For the middle years I am sorry, but I have almost nothing. 'Cause Button's still so little and I myself had a lot going on in my life in middle school and didn't do much science reading; the WTM recommendations here seem adequate for a knowledge base. As a PP or two have mentioned, complicated projects that require perfect execution for success are a waste of time and will turn the child off science. However it's the perfect age for Backyard Ballistics (written for grown-ups) by Wiliam Gurstelle, if you have a backyard or other area for the projectile projects and a handy grown-up. Not every book by this author is as good as this one. The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science (9-12) by Sean Connolly isn't one I own, but is in a similar ilk. *** if your child ends up at CalTech, they'll thank you for the two above ***:) Girls are often esp. interested in green technologies (think green Snap Circuits kits) and in the social sciences. Don't fret if she doesn't love experiments, have her read; grades 5-8 are wonderful for reading accessible scientist biographies. When she's up to the reading level, she could try Nobel Prize Women in Science by Sharon Bertsch McGrayne, an excellent book for a strong reader. Have the child build anything. Toys for a younger sibling; furniture; a safe zip-line; a treehouse; a dollhouse. Have her wire the dollhouse for lights if you can. This is what scientists think their own children should be doing, hands-on wise. High School: By the end of high school the child should be able to read, and able to enjoy reading, the best popular science on topics they enjoy. A Short History of Nearly Everything could be read aloud to kick high school science off. When they are able, they should read each year's Best American Science and Nature Writing ed. by Tim Folger and a guest editor that changes yearly. Not the same as Best American Science writing; better. If you are young earth/creationist, read it first and prepare for discussions. The Economist magazine has excellent science writing for the advanced reader/thinker, though it may not be worth a subscription. :001_smile: The New York Times newspaper has science writing that tends toward the sensationalist and oversimplified; in 11th and 12th grade, you could have the child find how some of the headlines are different to the actual conclusions reached by the scientists quoted. This can be done by simply reading the article carefully and applying logic; not all articles are misleading, naturally, so you might need to try a few. The American Scientist magazine is a great investment for a child who is headed for the sciences or who loves science; it is what Scientific American used to be but isn't any longer. Advanced reading. Oxford's Very Short Introduction series can be consulted on any topic for which there's a book; search Amazon, the quality is quite variable. Newly available is the Scientific Revolution: A Very Short Introduction which would be a terrific accompaniment (or prelude) to Bryson's book at the beginning of a year. for Biology: these come to mind. On The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. It's huge, and the prose is Victorian; but it is clear and brilliant, and a child reading the classics should read this. You might want to read it together, depending on the child's reading level; expect to use a dictionary occasionally ... Read Watson and Crick's original paper on the structure of DNA, available in the public domain and in annotated versions. Be familiar with DNA first. Genome by Matt Ridley. An excellent popular work on genetics. Phantoms in the Brain by Ramachandran and Blakeslee, on the mind. One of the best books written by a practicing scientist; Oliver Sacks is also good. Mother Nature by Hrdy will be of especial interest to young women, should be previewed carefully by a parent if the child is in 9th or 10th grade; and is the only book I suggest be avoided completely by creationists. Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical drawings, with perhaps a biography of da Vinci. You could just look them over in a library. Consider: the state of medicine before, and after, scientists began dissecting corpses. For Astronomy and Earth Science: Asimov on Astronomy and Isaac Asimov's Guide to Earth and Space to start. Cosmos by Carl Sagan. Hawking's A Briefer History of Time or A Brief History of Time, whichever the child prefers. An junior or senior young woman might be interested in the story told by Hawking's wife (well, ex-wife) Music to Move the Stars by Jane Hawking. I think it gives an important insight into the more complicated side-effects of Hawking-level scientific achievement/prestige, and is a humane story. The beginning chapters of Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything. Chemistry: A Short History of Chemistry and Asimov on Chemistry by Isaac Asimov. a good biography of Marie Curie Lunar Men by Jenny Uglow or another bio. might fit well here. Sorry, chemistry's my weakness. I hated it until Asimov, and was doing past-grad biology by the time I read his version ... Physics: *** don't be put off by everybody who says you have to know the calculus, if you don't know it. They're just meanies ;). Seriously: I am aggressively pro-math, and think anybody who can to TWTM can do calculus and ought to really; but don't let a lack of math prevent you enjoying physics. *** good biography of Newton. For a student okay with a very adult book: Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. a good biography of Michael Faraday, a brilliant and admirable man. Understanding Physics, Three Volumes in One by Isaac Asimov. I've given the Amazon URL so you can find the individual titles easily. Relativity: The Special and the General Theory, a Clear Explanation that Anyone Can Understand by Albert Einstein. General relativity is much harder than special, since it includes acceleration; and the whole book is good to read but don't let the student fret when she gets caught on problems, just read it (maybe with pencil and notebook handy), find another good book or film on the topic, then maybe hit it again. Physics for Poets by Robert H. March which, unlike Einstein's book, anyone really can understand. QED by Feynman. For somebody who loves physics. Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman by Feynman. Might spark an interest, esp. in boys; it's a memoir. Godel, Escher, Bach by Hofstadter for somebody interested in artificial intelligence. The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. Quite challenging. It Must Be Beautiful: Great Equations of Modern Science is an anthology so the quality is uneven; try "The Best Possible Time to Be Alive". and I can't think anymore. Hope this is helpful.

This is a thread I on a topic I'm passionate about, and will have to come back after the littles are down :001_smile: While I think the WTM doesn't really get what science is about (it is about knowing what happens in the observable world: knowing what the world is, what we are, what is scientifically knowable and what is beyond the reach of scientific methods), I think the divisions can apply nicely. I'd say the Montessori materials are robust for grammar stage, though the method isn't classical at all and need to be overhauled for classical education. For botany/biology, you start with observing plants/animals, you learn what it means for something to be alive, what are some categories of living things, what living things require to go on living, what are the characteristics of different groups. You could add interesting books on living things, and labs if you wanted. I think middle school is a great time to start doing science, and following with reading stories and biographies of scientists, and a text book if you want. Experimental science should begin with a student "playing around" with the materials: using the microscope, sprouting plants, trying to observe animals or hatch some, observing the night sky regularly, whatever's topical. They can move on to projects once they have some understanding to test. For physics, the Backyard Ballistics book and others by the same author would be a marvelous education. This experience should allow the student to follow the arguments put forth by scientists and principles that are foundational. The child should understand what a scientific proposition is (chiefly, falsifiable), what constitutes scientific evidence, what constitutes scientific proof. In high school, along with a mastery of the principles and general knowledge of the different fields, the student can address the fundamental questions of knowing. Is anything truly knowable by scientific means? What makes a scientific statement true? What makes it false? What propositions fall outside the realm of science, and why? Hippocrates is not necessary reading (though I love Hippocrates' work, and esp. how little changed in medicine btw. ancient Greece and the England of Jane Austen) but Darwin should be: he was a terrific writer, the work is readable in the original language, and no matter which side of the fence you are on you almost certainly don't understand quite what he was saying until you read it yourself. He should be read when biology is studied. Similarly, you should have a child read Hawking, or Asimov, or Feinman, or Einstein -- he wrote a popular book on relativity that can be read a few times for a great step forward in understanding -- when those topics come up and not at the correct historical time or they will miss too much. ... and now Bot-Bot needs a walk! :001_smile::001_smile::001_smile::001_smile:

... it's hard not to agree with that. ;) Rather the difference between skimming the surface, and plowing through.

:iagree: thank you for expanding that ... I would have to agree. We've supplemented the logical and critical-thinking aspects throughout, and have just begun adding multi-step problems a la Singapore's challenging word problems. Those have been a bit of a handful! but Button really enjoys them, presented at his level ...

good question; I'm looking forward to reading the answers ... 1. A visiting friend (neuroscientist) reminded us of basic behavioral training: respond as neutrally as possible to mistakes, and respond Very Positively!!! to things done well. This has turned me into a much more enthusiastic and positive teacher, and is working so well for Button's attitude and for his learning. 2. Ambleside Online's ten or fifteen minute lesson rule. We don't follow this always, but when we hit a block I keep it short, sweet, and focused on that particular spot where he's challenged but the work is possible. Sometimes one or two math problems at a time, for example, until we've moved through the trouble spot. 3. Milestones Academy's reminder that God did not give us children so we could vent our frustration at them, He gave them to us so that we could grow into good mothers and kinder, gentler people. I am not Christian nor even really deist, but this has gotten me through rough spots. ... I have _not_ found the Ma book esp. helpful, but I haven't finished it yet ...

... I realized I might need an exit strategy. :) MUS has been great for Button, with the mastery style, clean pages, etc. but I don't want Algebra Lite for sure. We're just wrapping up Gamma (multiplication), and I'd planned to take him through MUS division and fractions, and maybe the post-fraction level (negative numbers, etc; he does work with negatives now, I just thought we could cement things). The end goal (high school) is through AP Calculus BC, and ideally into linear algebra; definitely statistics. Where would you go from MUS fractions/"pre-algebra"? Straight to AoPS? --I have a strong math background, and my husband has an excellent one. a post-script: I'd planned to start Life of Fred in the next year, Khan the same; and maybe work through Hogben's Mathematics for the Million after MUS fractions. but it's all quite vague ...

... is that true usually? I've moved Button quickly through Math-U-See and it hasn't been a problem; when he learns something, we move forward. Though there have been sticking points for facts (I stopped the worksheets and did other drills for a while) and also for the "regrouping" problems both addition and multiplication, just b/c he's still so young and all the accounting involved can get confusing; but we solved that with 1/2 inch graph paper and a gentle increments of difficulty. MathUSee is "mastery" and not spiral, so in that sense he may not be accelerated at all, just progressing as he masters stuff ...

We're doing WWE (because I ordered it before we saw WWW and we liked it; and I thought of doing both a la Angela and Satori but Button's not advanced in writing at all, and I don't want him writing more than he is now). He really, really enjoys WWE! So we are doing 2 lessons a day, the copywork in the AM and the narration in the PM. If we keep it up, I may cycle back through WWE again this year, doing the lengthier copywork, or may try WWW ... FLL1 was a total, hilarious disaster here. Button never says anything remotely like the script. And he wasn't trying to be difficult; he just thinks differently than most. So it was not an option. I'm keeping it in case it is workable for Bot-bot. Button enjoys GWG perfectly well but doesn't really love it like he does WWE.

bump.

oh, this thread is so encouraging! First grade is seriously kicking me in the [pants :001_smile:]. Here's what we do. I'm dissatisfied with the lack of fun extras so this is a work in progress, but Button is learning well and thriving generally. Also his math is well ahead of his language arts (though he speaks beautifully) and he doesn't read a lot on his own, so I prob. feel we need more language arts than some of you with littles who read a lot. Each day we school: AM, while I work with baby and help Button a bit: handwriting page/copywork from WWE (lightly supervised, which is officially not ideal) math review (2-10 problems of operations he knows; this is only b/c he's accelerated and needs to practice regrouping regularly or he forgets how) math fact review (10 problems) a Kumon time or money page -- play break, 15-30 minutes -- 2 pages Phonics Pathways, one old and one new usually AAS review 15 minutes "free reading" PM, during baby's nap: New math lesson WWE1 Growing with Grammar Reading from Free & Treadwell reader AAS A short Latin lesson (we just added Latin this week) ideally, a reading from literature, history, science, or living math but we're not regular with this. In between, lots of outside time. I am content generally with our coverage of math and reading, which are laying excellent foundations, and our tons of outside/play time. I am would like more literature reading, science reading & experiments, art, history, and living math -- and Button would like those things, too! But with the timing of Bot-bot's nap, this is about all we can manage. I am thinking of moving some PM things to the morning, but our morning work already runs us until 10 or so and I'd like to get out to parks and hikes more often and earlier. In the evening I do not read to Button b/c with my husband's schedule, DH ends up spending time with Button while I put Bot-bot to bed and then I'm exhausted. However, there's 20 to 30 minutes btw when baby goes down and Button goes to bed where I could add some reading when I'm sleeping better and not so fried. and, this thread reminds me that we're not memorizing yet! thanks to the OP and everyone else. This is helping me think better about my days ...

Seconding (or thirding :001_smile:) the Hugg-a-Planet. There's a moon, too. Our world map is on the wall, and I haven't figured out where to put the US map so it's rolled up and we unroll it on the floor when we use it. This works surprising well, thought it's a bit dented from being crawled on, but of course it isn't up all the time which is not the best.

Bump. also, I imagine you're talking about this. None of their products are single-serve, they are aimed at teachers for classrooms; I don't know if there's anything quite like it. Our grammar (Growing with Grammar) and AAS spelling include regular review; I do morning review sessions with math; and most of our other programs review somewhat regularly. You could search the threads for strategies for regular review of memory work, if that seems relevant; often it is something like study daily until learned, then review weekly for a bit, then monthly, etc.

I added it to the list (we're going to learn the Greek alphabet with Button this year, heaven willing and the creek don't rise ;)) partly 'cause I've thought it would be fun to learn; partly for the English roots/Western Civ. reasons others have listed; partly b/c Button's curious about Greek letters since his MathUSee books come with Greek letter names; and also because the Romans and Jews contemporary with the Greeks believed it was a language particularly well-suited to expressing subtle and precise thought. I hear Persian is also a language par excellence but if you think it's hard to find classical Greek resources, try Persian! Also: I am fluent only in English, and if we study classical Greek the accent doesn't matter. At least that's what I tell myself so I can sleep easy at night :). So we may stick with Latin and Greek 'till they're old enough to make good use of language learning software. For Western Civ, I am thinking of adding the Arabic alphabet and trying a year or two of Arabic but that's a pipe dream at this point; there's actually a reasonable chunk of free resources on this b/c of the need to teach Arabic to Muslim children. The Teaching Company's History of Science lecturer convinced me that Arabic is the third key language for the history of Western Civilization.

:lol::lol::lol: I just posted a question RE science help! this would be two-for-one ... thanks so much!

If you have experience with either of these, do you have any guidance to offer? The Home Science Adventures is much less expensive, which is certainly a plus; either will suit my goal, which is to provide Button with some fun science this year when I'm busy with the house, Bot-bot, helping my sweet husband a bit, and teaching the more foundational parts of his education. That is to say, since my only focused teaching time is during the baby's PM nap, we aren't managing the kind of open-ended, exploratory science we did before! and Button loves science, so I just want to keep the fire lit while Bot-bot gets older and we get our basics down ...

Thank you so very much for the thoughtful and kind replies. Michelle, I also have in-laws who live with us (in an attached but separate space, in our case; maybe you could say we live with them!) and in the back of my mind is what to do if and they need more intensive care or end of life care . After the other responses I'm leaning toward trying to adapt TWTM instead of using TOG, but I think I'll keep tabs on TOG as an alternate for a year (or years) when our family's energies shift toward our elder members. Thank you for the perspective, and blessings for you and your family. I've been looking at the replies over the last couple of days, and re-reading portions of TWTM, and looking a bit at TOG (it's hectic here! I'm sure you all understand :001_smile:). I think a good strategy would be to read carefully and then teach the TOG sample I have, or at least work through it far enough to get a good feel for it. If TOG seems to add enough to our homeschool to balance the different religious perspective, maybe I can try to incorporate it during one of our elementary years. Either way, I'll hit the books and read TWTM's later-years guidelines, look at the AP resources a la Janice's suggestion, and plan to do a TC video series with an eye to using them as spines or supplements. -- I am watching their History of Science course (sporadically ;)) at the moment and have been seriously tempted to run our history along those lines -- except that I'd have the same feeling after watching their art and music histories, so I guess I should just plan on coordinating them all and having a truly fabulous lesson plan. Until that magical moment, I'll keep winging it ... it was wonderful to hear that the general questions approach has served so well; I'll be getting a copy of WEM to help me with that. than you again. I'm very, very grateful, and especially that you have been so tolerant and encouraging of my grand hopes & my looking far ahead!

Welcome! What a marvelous introduction! You certainly have your hands full. I am sure you will soon have more replies than you know what to do with, and most of them with apparently contradictory advice. If you read them, maybe do some searches for other relevant threads, let it sit with you (and pray about it) I think you'll find fruitful advice. Regarding history, which seems your biggest unsettled: why not go with Story of the World? The history series authored by Susan W. Bauer. You can buy an accompanying student guide, teach the same era to both your older children (or all of them together) and have a year to feel around for another solution if that one doesn't fit. Esp. if you are traveling and since price is a concern, you could also look at the Ambleside Online history, but I think you will find STOW much more straightforward, esp. for the first year. An advantage of Ambleside Online for the longer term is that many of the books recommended are available online and are in the public domain, since Ambleside is concerned with providing a low-cost and highly portable education. I think your plan to go with Saxon sounds incredibly sensible. We do not use R&S grammar because we are not Christian. I am using Growing with Grammar (GWG), and I must say that my little one enjoys it pretty well (though not as much as S.W.Bauer's writing series, Writing With Ease). Some children were not retaining the grammar learned with GWG but it has apparently been reformatted and now includes frequent reviews and tests. -- I am sure other posters will have good feedback regarding R&S. Until you find an art program you like, you might consider using Ambleside Online's art study and perhaps drawing instruction like this one for young children. I've found some excellent resources simply by Googling for art lessons of the appropriate age, or the grade level + "homeschool". You sound content with science, but I personally detested Mudpies to Magnets. Bite-sized science suited much better. You might enjoy the Apologia books, esp. for astronomy and the life sciences; they have an elementary series and free samples are available on their website. They are young earth, but even if you are not the Christian families seem to find it simple to adapt Apologia to their own Creation beliefs. again, welcome; best of luck; and blessings.

:001_smile::001_smile::001_smile: I wish I'd thought about/known about this. I just kept rereading the pertinent Rumpelstiltzkin paragraph 'till he could hold on to a name or two ... doing it in chunks the first time makes much more sense.

Hi Janice! (friendly wavey icon here, too :001_smile:) Thank you so much for the reply, and for helping me clarify my thoughts (which are not well-formed, and I have a head cold besides ) I have a horrid educational background pre-college (not good schools), an art history degree from a good, small liberal arts school and a masters in Neuroscience (I left the PhD program to homeschool). I have read some selection of Great Books but not all: the Bible a few times, the Iliad and Odyssey, Paradise Lost, some Dante, and a few more modern things; some theology and philosophy. Everything translated into English, which is my only language. I'm hoping HS will be a good time for Button to read widely and deeply and work through his own sense of meaning. Aside from that, I'd like to make sure he gets a good foundation in music & art history, is able to enjoy poetry and good literature, has an excellent history background and a sophisticated science understanding. (not much to hope for!) and math is very important, fun too I hope, so we're planning on moving past calculus to linear algebra/fancy statistics. this prob. sounds horridly arrogant or ambitious. but it's just a dream at this point. I'm psyched RE high school, but DH frets we won't be able to provide a truly excellent education RE the private schools who have teachers with advanced degrees in their fields. also he mourns the lack of an air table for AP Physics :001_smile: but thinks we can prob. work around it. I've read TWTM, incl the hs section, and WEM but not lately (years ago). I've just started looking at the TOG sample and like much of it, but of course our worldview is different. I'd start ancient history with the diaspora from Africa and prehistory, ideally ... -- thank you again for your help focusing my questions! and please forgive any abruptness/apparent over confidence; it's dinner hour here and my oodles of caveats/insecurities may not be coming through....:D PS (adding as an edit): what I thought TOG could specifically add was accountability, guarantee of topical coverage and guidance with in-depth analysis. I also had thought of maybe VP for grades 2-6, then switching to Kolbe, but wasn't sure if the umbrella program idea is best for us ...