We have SOTW. However, I did it more like a unit study (Prehistoric unit, Mesoptamian Unit, Egypt Unit, Greek Unit, etc). In that unit, we listened to the relevant stories on cd, I read several books as a read aloud at night, put some that they can read in the reading baskets for their reading homework, try to do a couple of the activities in activity guide on the weekend, have them summarize what they know about that time period for our Book of centuries/make a lap book. We try to rent a few documentaries, etc.

Dont' worry -it's not YOUR homeschooling... My gifted dd who is in public school and is afterschooled by me daily and is an award winning artist and prefers to watch HGTV decorating shows over any other tv and has had 64 ct crayons sinces she could hold them came home upset because she didn't know what maroon was either _she knew it was a color by the context but two of the four choices were a color and she picked wrong one.

I have a rising third grader too but we have not done any structured science at home or at their school (unit studies only). I am interested in it too. It looks like it does cover it depth enough for the next year and half for filling in gaps, especially with a few rabbit trails. Then do the next volume 2for a year and half for the latter half of 4th and all of 5th grade.

We do a word of the day and grammar (FLL) in the AM (school does not do grammar the way I would like -copywork, memorization, etc. My son especially needs help in penmanship) Singapore in the PM (school uses reform math and they end up confused and need me to help them with the memorization of math facts, etc. Plus we need to accelerate to their level which our school won't accelerate). we do SWR (spelling) on Saturday Mornings (NC does not believe in spelling rules) We listen to SOTW on occasion and read supplemental books but we do history more Charlotte Mason style with a nightly reading of a living history book at bedtime. (w/narration and discussion) (Our school does not believe in history for younger kids unless it is the same black history stories that they learn every February -completely out of context). They are required to read at least one chapter a day in an approved book. (Both my kids have maxed out of reading for district and so my son who reads at HS level in 2nd grade has not been given any book to read at school this year and my dd who is about 5/6 reading level in 3rd has been given 2 picture books to read in school this year. My son will read on his own but only fantasy book and my dd wouldn't read at all if not required to do so -she likes to read just lazy) Of course I read aloud too -but I try to put thought into those read alouds- living history, good literature, first book in a series to get them hooked, etc. I'd love to Afterschool science more formally but haven't found anything that is easily implemented yet structured. We do zoo trips, watch magic school bus and discovery channel, go to museums, but nothing formal. My son needs me to afterschool him in writing but our school is very intensive on writing so that when he gets home writing is just not feasible.

I am looking for a vocabulary program for my son who is going into 3rd grade and daughter who is going into 4th. I want to do something roots based but there are so many choices that I can't decide which one. Here are the details of us: They will be 8 and 9 in the fall Both are way above average academically but my son hates to write, especially creative writing. The 8 yo boy will be homeschooled and 9 yo girl "afterschooled" Part of DS's homeschool will be done with DD before she leaves for school: Grammar (FLL) and Vocabulary. I will probably have to alternate days.

I would do excel -as the others said Word is easy to learn on your own -my young kids can already navigate word.

I have used some of the things: Great Stories of Americans for Little Americans -Eggleston Among the Meadow People MEP Math Seven Sisters (a geography book) First Lessons in Geography (as jumping point for map drills at dinner -very outdated though) portions of a lot of the books that go with a cultural study

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My child who is in third grade in public school has not started cursive beyond learning to write her name (which I taught her already). I don't know if they will get with it this last quarter or not.

Someone mentioned Black Beauty but I would skip that for her. I am reading it now and my 8 yo still cringes at times because of the cruelty to the horses. Milly Molly Mandy, My Naughty Little Sister, Beatrix Potter, James Heriot, Paddington Bear, Heidi, and the Raggedy Ann Stories are pretty good.

We have it and used it. We had used 100ez with my dd but she hit the wall and didn't like it. She is very visual so Rocket Phonics worked well for her (my Son who is Audio did fine on 100 ez and Leap Frog Letter Factory) Rocket Phonics is fun -starts off with games like bingo and go fish with phonics cards. The first few things they learn to read are jokes and some simon says directions that are funny (and we really overdid them to make it fun). The stories are good -Aesop Fables and Fairy Tales and intertwined with facts and jokes and things to make it interesting. It has built in testing to keep track of reading level (goes up to 5th grade if I remember correctly) The author and his wife were always on hand to help me out and answer questions for me. They were friendly and very quick to respond to emails. Cons ** If you are Southern like me, it will be harder to teach because of how we pronounce words down here lol. To me sink, ring, etc have a long e sound and not a short i sound. Hank to me has a long a sound and it used as a short a sound in the book. Anyhow, I think that the choice of words they used in teaching a new sound could have been better for that reason. **Some kids may not like the visual cues so that part would depend on the child's learning style. (my son didn't care for it)

Is Noeo very hands on? My son is very hands on and is very scientifically oriented. I've never done a science curriculum but we've done tons of science projects here.

I will be homeschooling my son next year for first time. I have been supplementing him since he started K so we are used to a lot of the materials and to working with each other. I have a rising 4th grade daughter who I will continue to supplement Here are my thoughts: Literature: Mainly I have a list of books that I gathered from various lists that we will work through. Reading: Drawn into the Heart of Reading (He reads on a 8th or 9th grade level so I don't know whether to get 2/3 or 4/5 and include dd when possible) Grammar: FLL 3 (we are in middle of 2 and it works so no need to change) Vocabulary: I would like to do a word root based program but I can decide which one is best. I have rummy roots already but we've not done anything with it and I don't even know where it is currently :001_huh:. Spelling: SWR (we do this on weekends now and will continue) Pemanship: HWT for cursive? or just print some sheets. I am not worried too much about cursive. My now 3rd grader has only learned her name so far in school. **Copywork from FLL and other sources Compostion: I am thinking of this: Imitations in Writing (his choice of which) over summer with both. Then switch him to Writing Tales in the Fall and supplement with Igniting Your Writing on days when dd is home. **I am holding out to see WWE but I don't think I'll do it without the workbook. ** Narration from other subjects too Math: We are in Singapore and plan to stay in Singapore as base with Miquon an MEP supplement (he loves all three and loves math). Logic: Mindbenders (he loves these) Science: Here is an area where I am at a loss. I plan on doing BYFIAR with him and may just use it as a science but then he's very into science and a has natural gift in that area so I don't if I should do more or not. The issue is I am a Christian and DH is not and he adament about no Creationist Science curriculums (even though I try to tell him that most that I have seen are still basic science). It's taken me 4 years of the kids in school to agree to let me homeschool one child so I don't want to push him in this area this year. I would like to do a Charlotte Mason Nature Journal with him too but I am not sure how that will go. (Note: in 3rd grade here they cover space, human body, and plants and bees but I don't think they covered anything in dd's class that she and he don't already know) Geography: Geography related books and mapwork a la Charlotte Mason History: SOTW volume 2 (we are almost finished with 1) Foreign Language: Rosetta Stone Spanish Art: Artist study every quarter as we do now PLUS I will do I CAN DO ALL THINGS with him about twice a week Music: Composer Study (we already do) PLUS guitar lessons PE: Either a homeschool Fencing or a martial arts class PLUS football and baseball via parks and rec **we spend 30 min-1 hour at a creek with their school friends everyday and he will be able to continue that since I have to go there to pick up dd. OTHER: He is switching from Boy Scouts to Young Marines next year (unless we can find a daytime Homeschool Scout troop). I am hoping to join our church Homeschool Co-OP and they have a weekly thing on Friday with 2 classes. I am hoping to be able to arrange some playdates and things too. Am I leaving anything out? Too hard? Too Easy? Any ideas for science?

We had same issue with the pencil exercise too in Writing Strands. It didn't work for either my reluctant writer or my prolific writer.

We are studying Greece right now as afterschoolers w/ 2nd and 3rd graders. Listening to SOTW and doing some of the activities and supplemental books. So far here are the hits: ALexander the Great Rocks the World-Schecter -We just love this Biography. It is very funny and yet packed full of information. Each chapter tells a bit about Alexander's Life plus has a lot of information on Ancient Greece -Olympics, Aristotle, Weapons, etc. The chapters are short and broken into segments so it is easy to fit in a little here and there. We had D'Aulaire's Greek Myths and the kids liked it okay but they much prefer Greek Myths and Greek Gods and Goddesses by McCaughrean. The writing style is funnier and bit more updated. They loved One Eyed Giant and Other Monsters from the Greek Myths -Dornish. They both read this one a lot on their own. The stories are two pages so it is quick to add one in here and there. We have read the first book of Mary Pope Osborne's Odyssey series and like it. Your 5th grader could probably read it by himself/herself. The third grade maybe able to do it too. My kids read the Magic Treehouse book and it was fine but might not be interesting/meaty enough for the 5th grader.

I like the looks of Writing With Ease but I hate the wait. I would also like to see examples other than Year 1. DS would be Year 2 or 3. Writing Tales looks interesting. I stumbled across Igniting Your Writing? Anyone have experience with that.

I am planning on homeschooling my son next year for third grade. I have pretty much decided on what I am going to do in all areas except writing. He is a reluctant writer. He currently has a 504 plan for writing in his public school. Part of the issue IMHO is that NC writing standards are not developmentally appropriate for the fine motor skills of the age and this is even more an issue as he is the youngest in his grade AND has sensory issues that led to fine motor delay. The other is he gets mental blocks and has a hard time being "creative" -he is an perfectionist and has meltdowns when something is perfect. He doesn't like the idea of having to practice lol but we are coaching him through that. At home, he does some copywork for penmanship and then I let him do creative writing on the computer. He has the ability to be a great writer and when we can get him to write, he does amazing things but the issue is getting him to do it.

We are going to homeschool my youngest (in 2nd grade now) starting in the fall but leave my oldest (3rd grade) in public school. My oldest does well in public school with supplementation at home. Our school has a lot of opportunities that support her social and academic needs (Odyssey of the Mind, Daily AG pullout, Hands on science and social studies, great programs for specials, working in library and preschool room, etc). Her particular grade at school has a unusually high number of gifted kids and a great deal of kids with parents working at the school. She is gifted but not at the level of DS and she is more creatively gifted (art, writing, drama) than he. She is the teacher's pet kind of kid. ON the otherhand, my son is not doing as well. He has ADHD and Sesnory Issues and has many Aspergers like traits though no diagnosis of Aspergers. He is one of the youngest in his class. He made the cut off but since he entered, the cutoff has been changed and we would not have made it. He would be in first grade in many states. He has maxed out the county's reading level and gets no reading instruction beyond the 2nd grade Houghton Mifflin curriculum as it applied to whole class. The school refuses to accelerate him in anyway. They refuse to cooperate on him having an IEP (doesn't qualify because his academics are high). We do have a 504 for writing but no real implementation. His particular grade level has a lot of less academically gifted (and those the school puts in that category are actually age wise 3rd grade as delayed a year starting) and most are girls. There is a high number of gangster wannabes in his grade level (yes -7 yo's beating each other up over colors and gang signs and the administration does nothing). Whereas my DD thrives on variety etc, he does not transistion well and he has a lot of transitions in his day (recess, lunch, specials, modules, AG pullout, etc). We've been blessed with 3 great teachers so far but they are limited by county policy, school policy, and having to deal with a school that is mostly title one and no time leftover for him. We get called constantly to come pick him up etc and it never stems from his teacher but a specialist, an aide, an administrator, a sub, or a teacher from another grade who doesn't know him. I've asked for 3 years to have the specialists be on the same page as the classroom teacher and been denied time and time again. I just don't think the school can balance his academic needs with his behavioral and social needs and in the end, all is sacrificed.

When I afterschooled my dd in Kindergarten (full day), I used FIAR afterschool. I did some math games on weekends and read aloud a lot and let her read whatever she wanted.

I guess it has a lot to do with: **the kids (mine are sponges and WANT more), ** what they teach in school (my kids school has a lot of fun things and enrichment but no accelaration and is slack on basics -math facts, scientific method, phonics, spelling rules) ** and the child's progress in school (My 2nd grader maxed out of reading test FOR LIFE in the first week of first grade!! -he gets no individualized reading, no reading groups, no assessments, just does the group part/homework of the 2nd grade Hougton Mifflin reading curriclum). ** the parent's style -I tend to be fun and interesting ** what reason you are afterschooling (is enrichment, accelaration, supplementation, or tutoring in a weak area) ** and how you afterschool -(we listen to SOTW and other books on audio on our commute to and from school, read great books at bedtime and they narrate back to me whatever we read the day before so I can find my place in the book ;), play grammar games at breakfast, play math games after school w/ one extra worksheet for homework, we study art appreciation by picking a new picture from the artist we are studying to be our new background for the computers each week, we do map work on the map placemats at dinner time, snacks that double as science projects, everyone in the house having a commonplace book and a journal, and weekends with nature walks, museum trips, or just lying in the yard with a pile of books and a big bowl of popcorn. **and what would they be doing if not afterschooling (watching tv, playing computer games, fighting with each other)