Maybe Living Learning Books or Noeo science both use living books for their curriculum.

I am using Mr. Q Earth science and RSO Earth science for a co-op. I am also using Great Science Adventures Earth science in another co-op. Mr. Q has some pros: He doesn't dumb down the information. My kids enjoy and look forward to it every week. The cons: No visual pictures to help understand the information. Because of that I feel like I have to find something to suppliment to help understand the material. I am not to fond of the cartoons. I don't like the ratio of the inforamtion for example 2 chapters on space, and 6 on weather. RSO Earth pros: 1 page of information is easy to understand. I like the teacher's pages to help explain the experiments. They have a list of library books, and websites for you to visit. There is usually more than one expermient to help solidify the information. My dd4 still remembers the layers of the earth b/c we made a pizza. The cons: Some of the experiments are daunting. Some of the info feels drawn out too long for my kids. Great Science Adventures Space pros: Lots of information on multiple levels. I love that some of the history behind space is included in the information. There is simple experiments for every lesson. There is a section to do more if you or your kids want it. The cons: lots and lots of cutting out. I am revising all of the graphics to fit on one page as a worksheet instead of the way they recommend. The only thing I will have to cut out is the mini books.

She says something (not quoting) about pinching your child when they get something wrong. When I looked at the reviews on Amazon there were a couple of people that were offended by that remark. I would have probably missed it if it had not been mentioned.

I agree with joannqn! :iagree: Take things one thing at a time. Say to yourself I am going to get out of bed. Then do it. Next I will take a shower and get dressed. Make sure you take a shower and put on clothes at the very least. Then the next thing you would do, but say it to yourself first. Then do it. Make a routine, but don't put times on it. Just things that you want to accomplish every day. For example take a shower, get dressed, do 2 subjects of school. If you do something for 30 days it becomes a habit. If you fall off one day don't beat yourself up about it, just try again tomorrow. No one is perfect. If you want to lose weight then get off your butt and do something about it. There is no magic pill to loosing weight. Watching shows like What Not to Wear show you that you can look good at any size. The Biggest Loser gets me motivated to loose weight. Watch tv shows that will encourage you to do what it is you want to do. Make time for yourself on a daily basis even if it means everyone has quite time or has to go to bed earlier. Do something for yourself. Read a book, watch a movie, or have a bubble bath. You deserve it! Organizing from the Inside Out is a great book. She also has a CD and DVD for those that don't or can't find time to read her book. When I want to get into an organizing mood I just listen to her for awhile. I would recommend is getting a journal. Write down your angst, fears, and problems. Don't keep them inside. Write them down, and let them go. Sounds stupid, but it works. You also might want to write down the weather. If it rains for days and days, it wears me out and I send to be short with my family. My dh always says you will believe what you tell yourself. If you are only telling yourself negative things then that is what you will believe. If your kids are behind make a plan to get them back on track. Feel better knowing that you are working on a goal. Even if you don't feel like doing something do it anyway! HTH

She is right there are different kinds of yoga. Some ARE meant for spiritual practice. There are others that stretch the body. There are some forms that combine the two. Most of the yoga studios do not teach the spiritual aspect of the religion. You do have to be careful about videos that incorporate some of the words like Omh and ying and yang. There is one I did wit the kids not long ago that was centered around the yoga poses that are animals. It was cute and fun!

I had picked up the SOTW books used when my ds was in k5. He begged me to start them right away. So we started in K. It will also work out for my dd who will start ancients with us when she is in 1st grade.

DQ Chili Cheese Dog with onions anything with fries-onion strips or rings-gravy my DH made the most wonderful brownies and we put Edy's Peppermint Ice Cream on top....:001_wub:

Fancy Nancy is big at our house, too. As a parent I like it 100 times more than Disney. I love that the books show to be fancy is also to be smart!

Living Math -My kids and I have been enjoying this program. We use it as a supplement. Classic Science -I have used this for the past 2 years. The only complaint I have is that it is not visual enough for me. I love the content, and the fact he doesn't dumb down the subjects for this students. TOPS science The Math Lesson -I like the amount of verbal story problems it has. It is also good review, and depending on how many you do it only takes minutes. The Reading Lesson -I do not recommend reading her suggestions. I know some people were offended by some comments she made in the front of her book. The program itself it great for my natural reader. It would not have worked for my ds. Salsa Spanish -free videos were gone, but are back! My kids love the videos, and it is an easy way to learn Spanish. I have seen some of these mentioned a few times. I loved the Jolly Phonics books that were at the library. I would have used it, but the price was too much for me. I wanted to add that I bookmarked some great suggestions from this thread.

In the back of the book is a timeline of events. She says she goes slightly out of order sometimes to make the story flow better. I have not figured out the timeline thing either, but I got the History Through the Ages CD's. I plan on printing them out and using them as a review for what we already missed. Then adding to it weekly from then on. Maybe Knowledge Quest maps?

Things are actually going well since the holidays. Before I was ready to :auto: Seems like the break (2 weeks) did the family some good. I also had time to change some stuff around like working on a 6 on 1 off schedule and making Friday a project/experiment/child led learning day.

I am working on our own AH curriculum for next year, so I have also started planning. I have about 1/2 of everything that I need. I have started picking up pieces as I see them on the board. I am going to try and coordinate a weekend to plan maybe at a hotel this year. I can crank out a plan if I get in the grove and I am left alone for awhile. 3rd I am adding cursive, latin, and american history most of everything else will be the same K5 more of the same. She is rolling along at a good pace so I am not sure what she will need by the fall. Feels good to get started so early. I kind of flailed earlier in the year and now our schedule is not on track.

I used this book in a co-op setting for my older and am now using it for my Ker. Children around the World I check the library for go along books. Then I pick and choose which activities we will do. We did the Japanese Zen Garden (very small version). She loves it.

See if your library has Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Homeschool. That could give you a feeling for what kind of curriculum is out there that may be more appealing to her learning style.

I guessed at what I put down since I don't have a budget. I buy what I need depending on where we are. I do lots of research before I buy so I don't waste any money though. I use the library a lot, buy used or thrift store books, and buy almost all curr used. I also try to snag any of the freebies of the day or week stuff. My dd will not use any of the same books my ds used :glare: so I do have to buy different things for her. Anything I don't need anymore goes to my local homeschool community for free.

I work full time at home and homeschool K4 and 2nd grade. My DH works during the day and I work at night so there is always someone to watch the kids. It is very hard, but with careful planning it can be done. School can be done in a short amount of time for your dd age. Your child doesn't need to be chained at home. He can take her with him most places. Find a homeschool group in your area and see if they offer field trips or classes when she is a little older. In my area we often have to turn down things b/c there is so much to do. I would also encourage you to talk to other homeschool moms that have older kids. Interacting with the homeschool teen group really set my mind at ease for the future. Kids don't need to be in a PS setting to learn the hardships of school bullying or teasing.

speak loud no mumbles watch the punctuation for pauses I also alternate reading so he can hear the flow the the sentences. I encourage him to alternate voices, but at his age I focus on the acutal reading. I just got this book: Medieval Tales that Kids can Read and Tell . After they read a simple 2 page story they are encouraged to put the story in their own words, use props and different voices, and to just generally make it their own. I haven't used it yet, but it looks good. HTH

I agree on the family dynamic. It is important and will take time and patience. I also agree with Jennefer@SSA. I usually have my ds7 exercise in the morning before school. I have him do sports or running with the Wii. I would use a treadmill if we had one. I also make sure my ds7 gets lots of protein and no sugar for breakfast. I have experimented with what he eats for breakfast, and it does make a difference for him. My ds needs to see an end to his school day. I have used a checklist and the workbox method with him. He likes the workbox method better, because I will throw in stuff he likes to do like drawing or legos. I put a time limit on those, and put them after a subject he doesn't like so much. When my ds was 3 I used the workbox method with her as well. I put stuff in like playdoh, books for me to read to her, puzzles, or coloring pages. She loved having her own stuff to do. You could also set aside a day for educational games/projects/activities. I had to be careful about what activities we did for history. My ds is not one for crafts, but I did find that he loves to do the cooking and other hands on activities that do not require him to use glue, scissors, or paper. We play Professer Noggin games for review, math games, and science projects on these days. Last of all hang in there and stay strong! It may get better when he knows you will not budge. HTH

:iagree: I use Right Start and this really helped my ds when we went through this stage. She has them start this way and then transition over to teen numbers once they have this down.

I will be reading The Parrot's Theorem, but I don't know if I will get thru it in time. I also have Organizing from the Inside Out. I have read it before, but I need to brush up on some stuff.

I usually get an idea of what I want to teach, and then see what the best curriculum is out there for that class. I have found that having a formula for teaching the co-op is best. For example read info, do experiment, discuss. Once I have that done I just plug in the info that I want them to learn. I also searched the internet for other people's co-op to get an idea of how others were doing it.

I 2nd Cathy Duffy's book. That helped me get a feel for the kinds of stuff that was out there. It also helped me narrow down what I didn't want. The Well Trained Mind is great for getting started, and trying to figure out where to go after you have started. I wouldn't worry about them being a little behind. They are working at their own pace as every child does. If you have any questions as you go down the road just ask/search the Hive!

I have not ventured into the University very much. My first impression was that it was mostly for older kids and adults. I did find NPR science friday podcasts. My ds7 just listened to one where they talked about the cheese making process. I have others loaded but we haven't listened to them yet. The Peace Hill Press store now contains MP3's of their lectures, and SOTW books. You can download them into itunes and sync them to your Ipod. I just did it with The Joy of Classical Education and If I Could do it Over Again. HTH

I happened upon this book when I was looking for something else. I peaked my interest along with my ds. I just got my order in today, and I love the book! :001_smile: I have decided to teach it at our next co-op session. It is called Hands on Science Mysteries. Hands-On Science Mysteries is to print what the popular Discovery Channel program, Mythbusters, is to television. Both invite us to reveal the truth, or lack of, behind intriguing, well-known urban legends. Students are guided through basic steps of problem solving as they call upon their critical thinking skills to solve each mystery. Can a person really drown in quicksand? Is it possible to lie on a bed of nails? Is there a lake monster in Scotland's Loch Ness? These questions will captivate the attention of students in grades 3-6 as well as their older brothers and sisters and parents. Seventy mysteries are presented in an easy to use format designed by Taris and Taris to promote the use of experimentation as a learning tool. Happily, common household items are used in lieu of expensive lab equipment. Intended to support the National Science Standards of using classroom activities grounded in inquiry to solve real-world problems, teachers will appreciate the opportunity to show students how learning basic science concepts equips them to answer real-life questions. Each lesson starts by providing a brief synopsis of a featured mystery. Students are then invited to conduct an experiment that will shed some light on possible solutions/explanations. By answering a few carefully worded follow-up questions, students are able to make use of the data they have collected to solve each mystery. Extension activities are provided for all the labs.

My family or MIL would not buy curriculum, but they will buy books and educational stuff for the kids. My MIL has gotten so excited over educational stuff that she now gives all the grandkids educational stuff :)