If you would like to save money, just buy the teacher editions. You can work with your student directly from them. He has bundles on the website marked "basic bundle."

The books titled "Practice" are the practice books. ie Practice Town in the Town level.

MCT is more than just enjoyable... It makes grammar meaningful. DS9 learned solid grammar from R&S (we typically take a secular approach, but that was a very solid grammar program as well). However, MCT has bumped it up a notch-- it helps him see why all the parts of speech and parts of a sentence and phrases and clauses work together the way that they do, and how vocabulary, poetics, and grammar interact in clear writing. MCT manages to simplify things (yes, you really can get the main grammar program done in 6 weeks, and grammar is non-intimidating when you see just 8 main parts of speech) yet in the daily practice through the rest of the year, it really sinks in, particularly as you set into infinitive phrases and gerunds and practice spotting prepositional phrases and appositives over and over, discusing poetic use and vocabulary as you go. I would say that MCT makes grammar a living, breathing thing. I don't regret the purchase.

Ummm I think you have it backwards ;). Without any reference to any standards, I gave my kids the Stanford Achievement Test, cold-- no test prep, knowing there were entire areas we had not yet formally covered because of our planned sequence. They both blew the thing out of the water by several grade levels in every area-- even my special needs student. If you homeschool your children well, and foster a healthy sense of curiosity (ie they are reading and playing on their own time in areas you haven't yet even covered just because it's cool) there is no chance your child will be behind any PS kid. My kids are learning how to think, analyze, read critically, and make real connections among all their subject areas. We school in a manner that makes sense and has order, not the chaos imposed by teaching down to the state "standards." Hence, no matter what we cover, my kids will be ahead of their PS peers. Why raise the bar by teaching in an organized, logical fashion, then screw everything up by failing to stick with the plan by tossing out random information that is completely disconnected, so that your kids can benchmark to a far inferior system? Frankly, the states set the bar so low that you kind of have to make an effort not to be ahead even after a pretty short time homeschooling. No, not following state guidelines s not planning to fail. It is freeing your kids from an anchor.

There is no flipping back and forth between books involved in teaching SIngapore. 1. Read ahead (as you said you do) to figure out the concrete part of the lesson. No HIG needed during lesson. 2. After the concrete part of lesson is done, open the textbook, and teach as many sections as you want to teach that day. Teach teach teach. We have done problems orally, on the white board, with manipulatives, or on paper as the situation has warranted. Put the textbook away. 3. Either later that day, or the next day, or right after, hand the workbook to the child, and the child can then go and independently do the relevant workbook sections. Done. Put the workbook away. I would never stop at each workbook marker in the text and then go back to the text and then back to the workbook; that would make me nuts. But the way outlined above involves no flipping between books-- just get out the text and workbook at the appropriate times, work through, and put them away when you're done, just as you would any other book. I personally love little post-it flags to make turning to the correct page extra fast :) Every school book in our house sports one :).

Teach those other things integrated with fractions (this happens quite naturally in Singapore anyway). Fractions and division are almost impossible to teach separately anyway. You can hardly move far into fractional division without doing multiplication (and multiplication with fractions is way simpler than addition with fractions anyway!). Fractions lead directly to decimals, which leads back into place value. So, f you are teaching fractions, no need to backtrack into anything-- all of the topics you mentioned will be included anyway! Fractions are easy, and a fantastic way to start tying everything together; they're a great way to start teaching your kiddo that all this math stuff is one thing and not a list of unrelated skills at all!

DS9 is in 5A... Still have not noticed any of these conceptual leaps I keep seeing mentioned. Singapore seems very incremental and organized. Skipping the workbook could work, but I would do it when subbing in the IP book instead for a bright student; I wouldn't just skip workbook entirely. MM is an excellent program, but its teaching style and problem approach is different enough that I would either tend to use it as a supplement to Singapore or instead of Singapore, but it could be a bit of a mental clash to use it instead of just the workbook-- the pages reteach everything, and in a different way; the Singapore workbooks are for giving the student independent practice of what you already taught him, so the two don't serve the same purpose. Yes, MM is cheaper than Singapore. I agree that it is disappointing to see topics removed. Many kids can already easily cover 2--2.5 "years" per year or more, so adding material should not really be a timing problem, even for public school use. I get (dislike, but get) publishers pandering to the CC, if they quit dumbing things down by removing topics. Being CC compliant is just about market share if your materials are used in schools. Too bad so many districts and publishers misinterpret the cc to be limitations instead of minimum standards. Maybe we need to campaign for "Homeschool Editions" with much higher standards than the school materials?

It really varies. I don't use the HIG, but I do introduce the concepts concretely before opening the text, using what I read in the text as inspiration, so I suspect it is about the same. Then we cover the text and work the sample problems together, generally on the white board, until I see the lights go on. If he looks pretty solid, I give the lesson an extra chance to sink in by waiting until the next day to have him work the workbook pages. This gives his brain more time to process what we discussed and time to figure out what he did not realize had failed to sink in. If he looks confused or we only cover a very small amount, he can start workbook the same day as the lesson and spread it to two days as we continue to the next topic. We wouldn't even consider doing every question-- he would quickly hate math. We too started by remediating behind his grade level (two years ago) and he has soared back and now ahead... 2 entire chapters in 2 days. Maybe 30 minutes -- 35 min per day for my 9YO. 45 min if he drags his feet, nearly done with 5A.

I love Fraction stacks, because my son saw very quickly why you would want to find a common denominator to add or subtract, and why it was legal to do so. He could see the concept of "the denominator tells you how big the pieces are/how you divided your whole, and the numerator tells you how many pieces you have!" Measuring cups are good too (liquid measures... Add 1/4 c to 1/2 cup, how many quarters??). A 12" ruler is terrific, or a series of paper 12" "rulers" you make yourself that can be colored, written on, or cut. 12 is a great number to practice with, since it divides by 2,3,4 and 6, allowing for many fraction possibilities. If you cut it 12x1 (I suggest inches rather than cm just because a 1x1 cm square can be hard to manipulate) you can make unit squares to play with. A paper plate is excellent when cut like a pie. Cover a practice clock and tie 1/4 and 1/3 hr blocks to units of time. A big pile of colored pencils is fun. Mary gave away 1/3 of her colored pencils. She broke 1/4 of those that remained. She had 20 colored pencils left. How many pencils did Mary start with? Give your child a bucket of pencils and encourage him or her to figure it out.

We really enjoyed History Odyssey L1 Medieval. The library book suggestions are great or each unit, and it is very easy to tweak.

Okay, first, take a deep breath. I think it's possible to all remain calm and friendly here :). None of this is personal, after all :) It's just a textbook series, not a child in danger or a matter of national security. However, because I do believe in fairness, I did post the author's own words in the most recent thread so that people could simply decide for themselves if they happen to disagree with me, based upon what the author herself has stated. I stand by my opinion, also based upon the author's words. Second, no, there is no drama involved. I also (thank you very much) have an extensive science background, as a former bench scientist in genetics and not too shabby training in mathematics and a few other fields as well, and an extra degree in linguistics on the side, as do many, many others on these boards; such credentials are not exactly unique around here :). I'm glad that you enjoyed the books, because despite the ID slant to them, I agree that they are pretty well-written for their topics and intended audience level. I personally dislike the idea that the ID slant is not more openly explained on the website, as I feel that if a bias in the sciences is going to permeate the teaching, such ought to be stated openly at a point prior to purchase. That is my personal opinion, and it's perfectly okay with me if you disagree with me (see, no drama-- easy :) ). Third, as to the rest of the paragraph, I think we'll agree to be polite and dismiss for the most part, as it makes very little sense, is rather histrionic, and is largely a non-sequitor; none of this has anything whatsoever to do with SWB. Pointing out that the program promotes ID is not a protest against Christianity, nor is it any indication that I (nor anyone else who agrees with my statement) has any kind of a problem with RWK's personal beliefs (another non-sequitor). The fact that we disagree does not make me illogical, and personal attacks are not appropriate on this message board. I will remind you that person to use the words "horrific" "brain washing" and "conspiracy theory" would be . . . you. If you like it, and it works for you, it's a fine program to use.

It isn't a neutral curriculum... It's Intelligent Design. See many, many threads on this topic.

We don't get the book switching frustration... We don't do a lot of book switching. I teach from the text, make a note of which workbook exercises were relevant, then he does the workbook exercises on his own. Voila-- no switching. If we use the IP book, we use it on a different day, so again, no switching involved. There are already way too many problems and too much review in the US Edition anyway, so we don't bother with the CWP or EP books, and I've never yet needed the HIG; if I did, I would read it ahead to teach the concrete portion, and not use it at the same time as the text, so again, no switching involved. Just store them together with a sticky bookmark in place and easy-peasy.

The only thing to consider regarding start dates is when they get older and you start rolling into those final four years and you have to think about transcripts and testing. Certain scholarships may only be qualified for if applications are filed in a particular "year" or tests taken in a particular "year." At the end, when preparing to graduate, if you are gunning for fall admission, it old be awkward to only complete half of your senior year courses (or you could plan for half a year of volunteering or work experience or travel or early admission or...). There is room for flexibility and doing your own thing; just be aware of the need to plan ahead for how it will impact your student.

When it's a continuation, I just start the next when we finish the last (sometimes we take a break or do a short unit study first for interest). For starting a new subject as they grow older, I look at age, maturity, and scheduling (do we have time for this right now vs other activities-- I don't want to cause frustration? Is the attention span ability there to add in more work yet? Is there a need to have any "down time" (ie a lighter schedule for nice weather or a holiday approaching, or a sense of moving up a stage in life in another month or two)? Otherwise, just start it when it comes in the mail all shiny and new if you're both ready to go :)

I don't teach to any standard, and yet, I anticipate my kids will have zero difficulty exceeding the standards of the Scholastic Aptitude Test/SAT for college admissions. We just shoot for solid learning across the board, and that should satisfy any testing. For now, my kids take the Stanford Achievement Test and blow it out f the water, even considering there are topics we have not yet covered with them at each grade level because we do not pay attention to standards or test prep. It is about quality of education, not specific metrics. A solid education will see you through.

I would never do my kids the disservice of teaching down to the disorganization and low bar set by our state standards. Grab a copy of The Well Trained Mind and get Story of the World or History Odyssey (essentially a calendar of coordinating reading, discussion, maps, crafts, activities, etc) for history year by year, that you can still customize as you gain confidence.

Don't try to read the "whole thing." Pick one or two sections-- start with the text, and read it-- really read it. Read the thought bubbles. Read the hints. Work through the examples and do the initial exercises. Don't even crack open the HIG until you have done this-- it will start to make sense, and you will realize, "Oh, okay, I can do this." Then you can open the HIG if you wish-- most people do seem to benefit from it. But just remember, you don't have to teach the entire program at once; focus on the concepts being presented. Singapore is pretty incremental, and I haven't seen it make any big leaps anywhere; we've used it from 2A through 5A so far; I'm a pretty math person, but this style of presentation is light-years away from the way I was taught any of these concepts, and when I take the time to look at it, I can kind of look it over and think, "Oh, right, that does make sense." Different does not have to mean scary :) It can be good, and in this case, it generally is.

Singapore and LoF elementary. Surprisingly, he often learns things in LoF before we get to them thoroughly in Singapore. They both get into topics more deeply than the other, just from different directions. (Note: I do not let him sped through LoF the way he would love to; we take our time with it and really drill the math that is in there out of it. NO WAY can you really "do" one of these books in two weeks and truly absorb all of the available math, ESP later in the series). DS9 is blasting his way through Singapore 5A with no problem, and we are finding Jellybeans to be a nice companion at this level. I am thinking that over the summer we'll do LoF Fractions and maybe start Decimals and Percents, taking the summer off from Singapore if he finishes 5B around May, and then in August we'll figure out if we want to start NEM or just run straight LoF like big brother.

These are very popular kits... Surely somebody knows?

I have been reading the descriptions of Thames and Kosmos Physics Workshop and Physics Pro on both Amazon and on the T&K website, since the price on Amazon today seems pretty good, and we are doing physics next year. What I cannot get clarity on, however is this-- Is the Physics Pro just a bigger version of Physics Workshop, or is it more of an "extension set?" ie, does buying Physics Pro negate the need to buy Physics Workshop, or should you get both? (in the Chem series, you would not buy the C2000 and C3000, as everything in C2000 can be found in the larger set). No guesses, please-- I can guess and peer at the photos on the website too-- does anybody have actual experience with these sets and can tell me? Thanks!

The answer will change over time and even with each individual topic. Right now we are studying Modern Africa in SoTW4 for this week, and DS9 is loving reading a geography book, a book about elephants, a fact book, a book of African folk tales, listening to African music and seeing African art. We may look for a biography of Livingstone in the library tomorrow (this week we only go up to 1900). Even in high school we were taught that there wasn't much to know about African history :( My 9YO is getting a better education than I had in what was regarded as one of the top public school systems in the country. But I digress... We will stop reading when he no longer finds it enjoyable. We tossed in some geography, and plenty of discussion as well. I have not uncovered much in the way of science or herbalism to show him yet, though such things may simply not have been well recorded. So my answer is... Pick a variety of topics and read to the extent that you have time and they have interest. The stories are what they will remember. It's fine to include fiction.

The entire program is loaded with review, just in the way that it is designed; it just doesn't have pages labeled "review." If you start in Fractions, then move on to Decimals and Percents, the D&P book will constantly use what they learned in Fractions. A few of the Bridge questions that test knowledge at the end of each section will even ask questions that require recall and use of things taught earlier in the series. Then if you move through the Pre-Algebra books, those books continuously use problems involving Fractions, Decimals, and Percents. You simply cannot solve the problems asked of you without using the skills you have already acquired, hence the built in review; you will be constantly using fractions, decimals, and percents (and other related skills learned in the first three books, such as introductory geometry and some measures). When you get to Beginning Algebra . . . well, you cannot really do algebra without continuously using fractions, and all of the stuff you learned about fractions (reducing, factoring, common denominators . . . ). Relating fractions to decimal equivalents and computing in decimals is also in constant use, so a separate review is not really needed-- you are already using it and doing it with each lesson; the "review" is that you see the stuff in the problems you work every single day. If you are using factoring and finding the LCM and GCF to solve problems daily, you probably won't need to go back to review it as a special topic all by itself. I went through and counted once-- the Fractions book is the smallest book in the upper series, and for a one topic book, it alone has over 700 problems. The remaining books get progressively larger (and Beginning Algebra has optional Home Companion and Zillions of Problems books with additional problems). It is still an unusual series, with a set up that looks very different from the math we grew up with, but it's working great for us as a standalone. It is teaching DS12 more than just math though-- he is learning (sometimes the hard way) the difference between just reading a text and *really reading* a text for information. He's learning that the "Yup, okay, I got that!" method of reading will not always cut it, and sometimes he has to actually go back and question what he is reading. When he does that and takes his time, he finds he gets it quite well and is very successful. When he tries to rush it, it catches up with him and he knows he has to go back and read it again, a phenomenon he is not accustomed to having to do!! I'm pretty glad he's learning that at home at age 12 instead of at 18 as a college freshman :)

I will double check, but the stuff in my son's Magic Lens book looks like all the other diagramming we've ever done...

See above. MCT does cover diagramming, but in the Magic Lens level. It just isn't the central focus of the program, but it is there.