We've enjoyed Elementary Greek this year with ds9 and dd7. We are planning to do the next level as well. One caution: buy the cards. I started off trying to make cards for all the vocab. Yikes- writing the Greek letters takes some practice! Anyway, I ended up buying them after about three weeks, and that may have been the smartest thing I've done all school year!!

Sorry to see this so late ... the questions are within the lessons themselves. I find that some of them are quite challenging, but they don't call it that.

I plan to look through year 2 and hit anything that I feel she needs more work with. I specifically like the challenging questions in MEP. I might use some of those in year 2. At that point, I will move to SM 3A. I would like to go back and forth between the different approaches . . . but the best laid plans, you know?? I think MEP and SM can work together. They seem to correlate well, but the approach is different.

I have done both with dd7. I love MEP and the questions they ask- the depth they provide. Dd, however, loves the mastery approach. She has a hard time keeping interested with spiral approaches. I plan to get back to MEP when we finish 2A and 2B. We just started 2A and she is flying through it- I think thanks to MEP!

Our schedule is crazy with classes outside and piano during the day. Still, I would guess that we average about 5 hours/day. He is busy and he is a quick worker. I stay on top of my dd, though. I am often sitting at the table with them or just a yell away. They need me to do that, and I think it helps them stay on task. Ds does Bible, memory, math, LA (spelling, cursive, typing, grammar, writing), Latin, Greek, and either science or humanities every day. Music and art come as they can on Fridays.

We have gone to WDW 5 times since 2008- so I guess that makes it about once a year. But we have gone 18 months between some visits and 6 between others. We love Disney. We try to stay a week or more when we do go. There are so many things to do. Like so many others have said, this is our "memory making" time. We have bought into DVC and we enjoy taking other family and/or friends along. It's been a real blessing to all of us. The next trip is at the end of February- sans kids! That is a first for dh and I. We are really looking forward to it!

I don't know much about MP(though I like what I see). When I look at materials that are packaged together, I often hesitate to purchase it because it might be an inappropriate fit. It might be too much here, not enough here . . . or I would have to add this or that, etc. Also, I agree with pp- it is difficult to say where children will be in 6 months. I have also wasted money with buying what seemed right at the time, but didn't seem to fit when we went to use it. :( I do use TOG, however, and the flexibility between ages/stages is what convinced me to do that. Not to confuse the issue ... I am interested to hear what other folks have to say.

I really love MCT, but since you are asking . . . I wouldn't use it alone. I use FLL for grammar (though I'l probably be switching to R&S for Ds next school year). I see MCT as icing on the cake. It's fun. On the other hand, you could try it for a bit and if it doesn't seem to be enough, start R&S again.

We do- but VERY lightly. Piano, short math work, and reading. It's all good for this week. :laugh:

We have used WWE 1,2, and are over half through WWE 3. What I like is that my son is able to summarize the readings quickly, but completely. He has grown to understand the main points of the selections with very minimal prompting (sometimes none at all) from me. He is writing his own narrations (we started that at the beginning of 3). We look over the sample sentences and we talk about how some are better than others, and how his fits in. I love it.

We do memorize scripture, and I feel there are lots of advantages to that alone, but we also memorize facts, poetry, rhymes, etc. I do this to give a strong foundation on which to build. For example, when the kids were little we memorized the months of the year and the days of the months (30 days hath September, April, June, and November, etc.). Of course they can look it up, but they don't have to. When we discuss how many days/weeks, etc. to Christmas or to a birthday or other special day, they can count without my help. That is a simple example, but you get the point . . .

Just listening in . . . Ds is ready to move on to WWE 4, but I've been wondering if I should just go to WWS?

I'd love to hear how you do both Greek and Latin. I am rolling it around in my head now . . . I don't have a good answer. Can you suggest anything?

My current 2nd grader is doing: Daily (abbreviated on Fridays): Memory work, Bible/Catechism, Math, Writing With Ease/FLL OR MCT (in other words- we do an every other day rotation), choice reading, Greek, Piano Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs: Spelling, HWOT, and TOG- which includes assigned reading, map work, vocabulary, discussion Fri: Science, Music, Art (only scheduled if they have completed all math and writing requirements for the week; happens about 75% of the time) I am attempting to add EM Daily Science and Prima Latina. We'll see if that works . . .

This year MIL got me a candle for which I asked (Yankee Candles- great, but too pricey for me to buy on my own) and 3 cookie cutters with a spatula, along with the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie dry mix. It wasn't bad . . . just odd. Dh is the cook in our home so I just gave it to him. The weirdest thing was my BIL and his wife: they opened presents from MIL and said thank you, etc., but never gave anything to MIL. When we inquired as to why they said, "We dislike the materialism of Christmas. We may get her something for Valentine's Day." What??? This is the BIL who feels he has something to teach everyone. :(

NM

Dd7 got her doll on her 6th birthday. We told her we would get her one IF she read all the Kit books. She did. BUT, she didn't really start to love it until around this past (7th) bday. She asked for another doll for Christmas, but we said that she would need to find another way to get an additional doll because we were only buying one/kiddo. She asked for money from other relatives, saved her allowance, and is buying her very own soon. That is how much she likes it now. :laugh:

Thanks all! Yes, dh actually has the Sister Bernadette book and we looked through it together. It looks crazy, but fun. Actually, it is very readable. I will check the Mark Twain resource, too!

My son is near the end of FLL 3. We are flying through it, but he likes diagramming sentences and could do something more challenging. Can anyone suggest something for us to move onto? I know that we could go onto to FLL 4 or Rod and Staff (which we may do eventually), but I thought it would be fun to challenge him a bit on this. I thought someone here has used a book for sentence diagramming?? Am I remembering incorrectly? Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Agreed- this is where I started. I read those books, took a long look at my family's values, considered the available options, and then re-read it all!

Dd5 heard about it on our Christian radio station about 2 seconds after I turned the car on. Sigh. But when we discussed it in general, vague terms at dinner with all three kiddos, it provided us an opportunity to pray for the people and families. We don't have TV, but if we did I would probably keep it off. I don't want to keep my kids from the world, but I don't think they have to be immersed in it, either.

I was advised (by folks here) to get similar books for lower grammar from the library and buy only upper grammar books if I can't find them at the library. I find plenty of books for the topics that aren't on the list (for lower grammar) and I use STOW as a "spine". As I mentioned above, I do upper grammar, too, and I only buy upper grammar books if they are used (in the curriculum) for more than two weeks. I am blessed with a good library, however, and I think I would have a hard time spending the money on all those books if I wasn't near such a good system. Next year will be year 2 for us and I have decided to purchase in the same manner. Here's hoping it works out as well . . . :drool:

I use MCT with WWE/FLL (not AAS). We do two days/week of WWE/FLL and then a combination of Sentence/Practice Island and/or Music of the Hemispheres (I turn this into an outright poetry-fest!). They work well together. I love MCT for the "fun of it". I am not that thrilled with the price tag, however. My kids get excited about it, though, and that means a lot to me.

Ok, fair enough. Thanks for the replies. :)

I know that some of you on this board have their child/children prepare for and take the National Mythology Exam. My question is: why? I ask because dd7 saw this over my shoulder and expressed great interest in it. I don't feel strongly for or against it; I don't know what to think about it. Is it simply a unique challenge? Does it prepare for something else? Anyone more experienced feel like giving a newbie some guidance here? Thanks!