I'm not a morning person either, but my son is. I have his list ready for the next morning. He can start school whenever he is ready and not have to worry about waiting on me to figure out who I am.:001_smile:

I just have one, so ignore my response if you'd like! :) I give my son a list of things he can do alone every day. He checks them off as he completes them. Then, we check all his work. I am close by to answer any questions, especially in math. Nothing fun is done before school is completely finished. If I am not able to check his work right away, then he can start chores until I'm available. All work must be correct and neat, or he has to redo it. If we have a "difficult" day due to noncompliance, then he can't play video games or anything similar.

I give my son a check list every day. He does everything on his list. Then we check his work, discuss what was read, and do the few things that require more parent involvement. I also read aloud to him, which he still enjoys, even though he reads on his own as well. I am close by at all times for questions, especially for math. He's getting better at being independent, but it's a process.

You might want to pm Jann in TX. She uses the Lial books in her classes and was very helpful when I had some questions. I know she has answered this in the past, but I can't seem to find it now. She recommended the Introductory Algebra 8th edition to me. I think it has to do with layout and font size mostly, if I remember correctly. We are using BCM this year, and I already got the Introductory Algebra for next year. I have never been this pleased with a math book, and I especially love the price!

We used Lial's for Pre Algebra and will use it for Algebra I next year. We haven't used the DVT because the books are so good at explaining the concepts, but they are available if needed. I have been very pleased with these books.

Thanks for sharing this!

I'd love to know also!

I wouldn't rush at all. However, I would work during the summer, taking time off as needed. She has plenty of time to catch up. I'm not sure about MM, but most curriculums review at the beginning of each book. If she is not forgetting, don't make her go back through those lessons. If you think she knows that material, have her take the test. If she does well, then move on. It will help you get to the new stuff and keep her at a good pace.

I have another question. Since BJU is Christian, do you feel like they only share the "good" parts of history or slant things towards the Christian view. Obviously, history can get ugly, and I don't want that glossed over. I want my son to see the mistakes made. I used A Beka growing up and realize now that much of history was skipped. Anyone want to share what they think? It's the main reason why I've been leaning toward a secular text.

I didn't know this either! I'm so glad you mentioned it!

Thanks for all the information!

Yes, I used the 7th edition or 2004 edition. It's the one Jann in TX uses for her online math classes. (ISBN 0321257804). You don't need anything else since the answers to the odds are in the back of the book. It would be worth buying just to take a look at.

My son is using it this year for 7th grade. We will complete it this school year. Although, we are on track to finish a little early. I also bought the pre algebra book really cheap too, so I'll use those problems for review to finish out the year.

Have you seen any of the PH lit. books? I was wondering what their middle school program looked like.

I would look at Lial's BCM. That worked for my son after Zeta. It reviews all concepts and covers pre algebra. It's a great book, and you can get them really cheap used.

I was trying to decide on BJU press or a Pearson text. Now, I'm really torn. Since you aren't doing the entire curriculum in one year, do you even think it's possible? I wanted to throw in some good books too! We've done SL for many years, but we added in a older high school textbook this year. My son really enjoyed it, so I am leaning toward a more traditional textbook approach for next year. However, I just can't decide!

Thanks for the review. I have been looking at this for next year.

We did the second half of 9.4 in BCM today, and it was pretty challenging. Since you think Singapore 6 is more challenging, what kind of problems does it have? Singapore is one of the few math programs I haven't tried. Just curious.

Thanks for the information and the website!

What all do I need to purchase to teach this well? Obviously, I need a student edition. What else do I need? If you are using this or have in the past, what do you recommend? Teacher's edition or Kolbe plans or more?

We have used Abeka, Saxon, Horizon, and MUS. My son wasn't thrilled about any of them. For pre algebra this year, we are using Lial's BCM. It's been the best year we have ever had. I realize it's mostly a review, but it's a wonderful textbook. The explanations are great. I also loved the fact that after spending hundreds of dollars on math curriculum, I finally found something that worked for less than 6 bucks! I already purchased Lial's Algebra 1 book for next year.

Thanks for letting me know that once again, we can school at home. Like many have said, homeschoolers are underestimated. Thanks for reminding me!

I had to have it. My husband probably wouldn't, but for me, it was a must!

I'm torn about Apologia physical science. I would like something more rigorous, but I want it to be homeschool friendly. I was thinking about maybe DIVE and using the Prentice Hall text that they list as an option. I just can't decide. Kolbe also uses PH so I could go with them too.

We used Lial's BCM this year and will continue to use Lial for next year. The books are so easy to understand and are really working for my "math hater". I'm not sure what Geometry we will use though.