It doesn't look like too much in theory to me. Maybe you could combine the reading activities (do target skill from the library book.) And I would think 1 pg of Singapore (unless there's like 2 problems / page) Xtra math is boring - maybe try timez attack - you can try it for free and it's much more fun. Also, maybe you can take spelling words from CAP and drop the Sylvan book? Esp. if you are working on specific skills with her. But honestly, I don't think it sounds like too much for 4th grade. My 2nd grader does as much. But I will say that incorporating some online stuff in the mix has helped (VP history, timez attack, TT.) The time she spends doing those things doesn't seem to register as work :)

For my lefty we're using HWOT because it s upright - esp in the first book. I'm not lefty but I read (on here somewhere) about how some slanty styles slant way to far in an awkward direction for lefties. Anyway, HWOT is going well. :) I'm also not crazy about the way HWOT looks but my dd just turned 6 and she has plenty of time to stylize later... I think.

Can't say enough good things about Calvert's K program. Both the math and reading/ phonics are fantastic. The lesson manuals are awesome and we had a great time doing it. That said - I wouldn't recommend Calvert for the older grades. It's tedious and textbooky. But K was great!!

CLE doesn't but I use MUS blocks with CLE very successfully. Whenever my kids have a problem I tell them "go get the blocks." and we work it out with the MUS blocks.

I kind of agree with EndofOrdinary. Maybe just tell her "you are going to have to stick it out until Christmas." And then lay back. Give her the support she needs to address the problem herself either by speaking to the teacher - or by ignoring the work and suffering the consequence. It's probably a good, albeit painful, lesson. But if I understand, she's already at least 1 yr ahead by age so it's not a matter of keeping her on track. If she wants to prove how much she knows, she will have to do the work - better than everyone else. If she wants to prove that she is miserable, it will be easy to ignore the work and get a grade that does not reflect her intelligence or readiness. Maybe explain that to her and give her a couple of weeks to try to work through the potential consequences. Really, you can pull her at any moment so giving her a chance to learn a valuable life lesson about expectations, consequences and defining oneself in a community (esp an institutional one) may be a good educational choice. Of course, you know her best and if you don't think she's emotionally ready for that kind of responsibility or that she would suffer too much in the environment, just take her out and don't look back.

in your state would it be an option to use a virtual school (partially or completely)? That may be a good transition for both of you esp. since your time is rather limited - though you may still face some of the school frustrations. There are sooooo many options for curricula and philosophies to follow but really consistency is the key. Maybe start by tracking down some local homeschool groups/ coops etc and see what activities you could participate in. From there you'll likely find local families willing to help - to share advice and curricula and maybe even some of the teaching. When I pulled mine out of school I just stopped sending them one day when I was totally fed up .... They never did collect their gym bags and pencil boxes - OH WELL :) Good luck ...

The Mult/Div cards work the same way as the +/- ones - so if you plan on using them as intended you'll need theirs. As for explanations, the TM's do a pretty good job of introducing concepts but the style of teaching is much more mechanical than conceptual. When a new concept is introduced there is a short lesson and explanation. It is also well illustrated in the LU. The one thing you won't find is a thousand different examples of how and why or a bunch different approaches a la Singapore. CLE says "This is how you do the problem. Now here are some problems to practice." Then it says the same thing again the next day and the day after etc... *I* think the TM is really helpful actually. Remember, if you are looking at the 201 lessons/ LU that is supposed to be a review of the 100's so you may see less explanation in there. Have your dc's started using it yet?

Megawords might help. The focus of the program is learning to spell through reading fluency (of large spelling lists) and recognition of vc patterns for chunking, also using syllabication and meaning in context to decipher words. Basically everyday she would read a long list of words and see how many she could read in 1 minute (you don't have to time it if that would stress her out or be pointless.) Then do some exercises with the words in the workbook. Once she has mastered the first word list (i.e. reads it fluently.) She moves on - that takes a couple of weeks. There are very few and very short spelling tests in the program as it basically tests recognition of a pattern. But it will teach her to quickly chunk words and build her stamina by re-reading the same list each day for fluency. I'm not sure this would be a complete answer, but it's surely not babyish and would likely help. It could be paired with something like CAP or WWE where you could have her read the passage outloud after you read it to her.

I'm Canadian too and I'm using VP self paced history courses for mine. They have an integrated literature component and follow the same basic timeline as SOTW. I also had trouble getting SOTW done - but with the online course, it makes it easier to add to and if I don't get to something, I know it's still getting done and the kids are doing their independent reading too. But Canada might be fun. Good Luck Canuck!

I also have a boy ;). If he has access to a computer there are a couple of fun educational things that I think have a lot of value and are really independent. He LOVES the VP self paced history course he's doing (it's still on sale for $99 I think.) He LOVES Teaching Textbooks - which we do as "extra math" for fun after all the other stuff is done. He LOVES LOVES LOVES Timez Attack (so much that I have to tell him to cut it out ! :glare: ) He loves logging his books and browsing books on Biblionaseum. And he Loves Hour of Code (free coding lessons for Java etc..) All of these things are completely independent and high motivation - also super educational. I know they add to screen time but honestly, we've replaced almost all "entertainment" screen time with these activities, which I'm thrilled about. Another thought would be to get him involved in a martial art that would require him to practice particular sequences and moves... alone, and possibly outside - which is another thing that keeps my ds busy.

So I know it's been a while but - this thread got me thinking about doing unit on evolution too. So I bought they BYL unit and then I found these resources that I thought might help. These videos http://www.currclick.com/product/38970/1859--The-Theory-of-Evolution?it=1 are $1.99 at curclick and this is a PBS site dedicated to evolution http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/ and there's also this Intellego Life Science unit on evolution http://www.currclick.com/product/65983/K2-Life-Science-Evolution OK, that's all. Now this thread can die......or evolve :tongue_smilie:

Don't be discouraged. It's probably good that your dd is breezing through these first days hschooling. It will build her confidence. In the meantime you can find some more challenging materials and figure out where her interests and abilities are so that you can cater to her better. For something cheap, good and totally different from Sonlight, check into CLE. I use CLE Math along with TT. My dd is using TT 1 year ahead but is challenged by CLE on grade level. She does TT in the afternoon when everything else is done and it's fun - but I know it also reinforces concepts she's learned. CLE LA is also comprehensive (includes spelling, grammar, etc..) and I use it alongside WWE and have used it with FLL - though when I did we did not use the WKBK, IMO CLE LA grammar is slightly more advanced than FLL though FLL is probably more meticulous. The best part - CLE is inexpensive and can be purchased in chunks. You can see samples here http://www.clp.org/store/by_grade/4 If you like the WWE style, but want a bit more creative writing, you might try CAP. - And to add to history you might try a VP self paced ancients course (they're having a sale now $99 - which is half off) That would be a great addition to your reading. Good Luck!

Another vote for CLE - Math and LA. They are inexpensive, easy to use and excellent. You can see samples here. http://www.clp.org/store/by_grade/5

Calling a curriculum "light" is not "bashing" it. Many people, myself included, read this forum to hear other HS'ers opinions and experiences with particular curricula. I have made most of my curricular decisions based on research I have done here. I think it is valuable to hear other people's impressions of the depth and scope of different programs. Of course, it does not always mean that they are right and certainly, a program that is effective for one child may not be for another. For us, TT has been a wonderful supplement that my dc's love. It's very high motivation, well organized and easy to use. That doesn't change the fact that I would categorize it as "light" in terms of how efficiently and deeply it covers topics and how much review is included and how its scope and sequence is organized. My kids have less retention with TT and a harder time applying concepts introduced there to other situations. That's my kids, not everybody's. Compared to other programs that I have used TT seems slower and more periphery. That's my opinion - but maybe my comments will be helpful for others who are researching the program. I am not "bashing" the program. I actually happen to think it is a great program just a bit light. Like the previous poster said about the EM books, some people may turn their noses up at them but that doesn't make them any less effective for her child. Her comments about the efficacy of those materials in her home may help another parent discover that the EM materials are perfect for their own child. Comments that people make about their impressions of TT may also help other parents. We are all just being honest about our experiences and impressions, not "judging" other people's academic decisions for their own children. Obviously they know best what is right for their own learners and any curriculum is the right one when kids are learning from it. I think shaming people for their opinions and causing controversy where there is none is "unhelpful." But that's just my opinion.

I also think TT is light. We use it 1 grade level ahead as a supplement and my dc's are not particularly mathy.

Maybe check BJU Math. It's clean and traditional - similar conceptually to MM but with way less on a page. Also you can use the distance learning and she can watch the video - you can see samples here http://vimeopro.com/bjupress/grade-3-distance-learning-sample-videos/video/58550998 Another suggestion - worked well for ds at some point would be Developmental Math. It's thorough but follows a different scope and sequence. Last, I would consider MUS - but personally I think the pages are BORING. We use and love CLE but the lessons are longish - you could always try it though, a unit is only $4.00.

Thank you so much Dmmelter and Farrar! :seeya:I really appreciate you taking the time to explain all the nitty gritty details. You answered all the questions I didn't even know I had! I'm embarrassed to admit that we didn't do the last test because l couldn't figure it out on time. (Hence the early start for this year.) Now I know how to move forward. My ds will focus on the main test this year. Thanks for the heads up on what to study! We just finished the MP guide on D'Aulaire's so that'll be a good resource. And yes, scantron will be fun. Cheers!

Can anybody explain how this works? I really want ds to do it this year. Do we have to get the prep materials? How do they choose different "optional" sections of the test? Can somebody who's done it explain the process to me of preparing and registering etc..? I keep going back to the website but I'm not sure what to buy and when to buy it. Thanks!

Some that my ds liked: Ralph S Mouse books Ramona Frindle Freckle Juice Bunnicula Velveteen Rabit Pippi Longstocking Stuart Little James and the Giant Peach Danny the Champion of the World

We love CLE. The good thing about it is that it is easy to try out. You can buy a unit for around $4.00. If I were in your place I would either take the placement test or just buy the 210 LU for LA and give it a try. The #10 LU's and #01 LU's have basically the same information in them. (301 is a review of 210 - so you start the new year with a review of the old grade.) CLE is very thorough and IMO easier to use than R&S. That said - they're both excellent and you will do great with either!

Do it. We use both math and LA, they're both excellent. The only thing you really need to add is quality reading. The early CLE reading programs are VERY heavy on little macron marks and making phonetic marks all over words. It's very technical and boring. Apparently the later grades are very good though I've never used them. We used MP lit guides grades 1& 2. The grade 1 Storytime Treasure guides are fantastic and could also be appropriate for a 2nd grader. They are not parent intensive if the child can read the books independently (even just outloud within earshot of mom.) If you're working with an emerging reader I would think just doing one BOB book or another phonetic book everyday and maybe adding plaid phonics (B or C) would cover it - Plaid phonics is good for K too. I've used CLE with WWE and ignored most of the CLE writing assignments (except the book reports and friendly letters.) The CLE LA 1 is actually very good too for a new reader. It goes over many of the phonetic and spelling rules. Good Luck!

Maybe Youth Digital coding classes or EPGY. National Mythology exam. Brain Pop, discovery kids, supercharge science.....

I posted a while back asking about a website called Biblionasium. Turns out it's awesome! My kids love it. They go on and log their books, browse books they want to read, review books they've read and do reading challenges that I set up for them. It's Free! https://www.biblionasium.com/ If anybody is interested, I think it would be cool to create a WTM group on there so HS kids from all over the world could see each other's reviews and reading lists. It's set up so that there is no way to accept friends without the parent's permission and no way to communicate directly with other users - they just see what books their friends have read.

Yes. It's even a bit advanced. The 200's CLE's walks the student through writing a book report, introduces diagramming and teaches cursive just to name a few things. Don't let the simplicity fool you into thinking it's easy. My only complaint is that they say "action word" instead of verb and "describing word" instead of adjective. I just cross that part off and write the correct term.

I would suggest you look at Megawords which teaches syllabication. It's designed to start around grade 4. There's a detailed explanation in this thread. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/523544-is-anyone-here-using-megawords-for-spelling/?hl=%2Bmegawords&do=findComment&comment=5894110 (I don't know the fancy way to quote another thread)