This is what we are going to do as well...DH is getting it set up right now. I think he picked a different one that was maybe $12 for a month of unlimited or something. I am :angry: that NBC won't let us just pay for a pass to watch their streaming. So even though the VPN route is not totally legal, I feel perfectly ethical given that I can't even pay for it if I wanted to for internet only streaming.

Do you think the third sound of "a" might share more in common with the sound of the "aw" phonogram in some dialects/regions? I can hear that subtle difference in my own Midwestern dialect, but if I imagine a southern "y'all" for instance, it seems far closer to "aw".

We're not all the way through the right start levels by any means (we are mid way through C), but from what I gather on the Right Start yahoo group, some users go right from Geometry (aka level G) to video text A (which I guess is pretty equivalent to pre algebra) at what ever age they are either done with or part way thru G. I thin you can do parts of video text A concurrently with G (again from what I have read, not personal experience). But, some people feel their child is too young or not well enough prepared for VT level A (could be as young as late 5th grade if you started RS A in K and were able to do one RS level per year and wanted to start VT when the RS author recommends it, half way thru G). So some people use other programs in between. I thin it is pretty common though for students to take more than one year on at least one of the levels, which would bump up the age and maturity for starting VT A.

Just to clarify, I did page protectors in a "regular" spiral binding last year at the copy shop - I didn't get the pro click until January. But just for kicks I did try a page protector in it just now. It worked, but it was a bit tricky to get it lined up in there just right to get the holes all the way on the plastic. I'm probably not going to do page protectors this year because the proclick is so easy to add/remove pages from. I think if you need page protectors though I would go with the lightweight ones - they might be a bit easier to punch.

Here's a post I wrote about my planner from last year (and what I'm planning for this next year) with links to quite a few free printables: http://homeschooldiscoveries.com/2012/06/20/p-is-for-planner/ Hope that helps!

Not surprised that Moby Dick is a top choice for this question...I had to read it for a college lit class...I will admit I skimmed a lot. Since I didn't have to read it until college, I would have no qualms with not teaching it before that. I think I could have lived my life just fine, in fact, having just read a plot summary Instead of the whole book. :lol: Not a classic at the same level by any means, but i have a strong memory of hating Johnny Tremain as a 7th grader so I just don't know if I can bear to add it to our studies. :glare:

:iagree: This is exactly what we are doing this year. I took a calendar colored in a different color for each unit or time period (they aren't all the same length, as there were a couple things I wanted to spend more time on). Then I made up a spreadsheet with a few key texts to use, historical fiction for read aloud, historical fiction for independent reading, a "book basket" of non-fiction and picture books, and some activity books/lapbooking/notebooking resources for each unit. I'm not planning each week out at all -- My plan is to ask DD to spend 20 minutes or so reading independently from fiction or the book basket, and I'll spend time each day reading to the kids outloud as well (some days I'll pick what we read and some days I'll just ask them to pick something from the book basket). Some longer books will be bedtime read alouds with just DD (we read 30-45 minutes every night before bed). I'll assign maybe one or two written items per week (notebook page, lapbook piece etc) and then just provide the activity/craft books for them to peruse on their own. They love doing crafts though and will totally pick up an activity book and just start "doing something." Then after the designated # of weeks we'll just move on (unless they are so into it they just beg to continue...if that happens I guess I will just cross that bridge when I get to it.). You can download the spreadsheet I made of our plans from this post on my blog, if you want to see what I planned (and I know we have more on it than we would read...I just wanted lots of choices in case we couldn't find some of the books, some books didn't work out, etc): I'm viewing this as a great intro to US History for two older ones...they'll both get it again anyway when they are older! :001_smile:

I have this one, and I like it: http://www.amazon.com/GBC-ProClick-Desktop-Binding-Machine/dp/B00006IAS3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330574233&sr=8-1

Thanks...I'll check out some of these links and do some pinning at some point today! :001_smile:

How do you handle screen time with multiple kids that want to watch what the other kids are doing? I'm thinking of iPad or computer/web games in particular. I give them each a 15 minute turn (8, 5 and 3 year olds), which feels short to each kid, but it really adds up to 45 minutes of screen time (I think anyhow) if they each watch the others. Do you allow your kids to watch each other for screen time? If not how do you monitor/handle that rule? DD has been fine with me just telling her not to watch the boys (well, she might grumble a bit), but the boys just seem to not "get it" when I have tried to have them not watch each other play and unless the one playing is in a locked room or something the other one ends up watching. :lol: And when it comes to tv, same thing...either I have to let them watch an hour plus so they can each pick a 20 minute show (because even though they never agree on what to watch, if the tv is on it is like a siren call and they watch shows they claim not to like!), or they argue over whose turn it is to pick if they don't all get to pick or I have to be the "bad guy" and pick the tv show knowing I'll disappoint someone because they have such different tastes. Or I can be the really mean mom and allow no screen time some days (totally happens, partly because of all these issues), but to be honest I also like having that break or time to cook or clean without kids underfoot quite as much. I know, I want to have my cake and eat it too. :lol: Advice on how to handle these game and tv issues?

Wow...I started writing my last post (above) about two hours ago, then my Internet connection melted down. I hit send then, but it looks like it just posted now. Anyhow, you need both an invite to Pinterest and either a Facebook or a Twitter account to set up a Pinterest account. They make it complex, don't they. If you don't want to be on FB, it isn't too hard to set up a Twitter account and mark it private, and then just not add or follow anyone there - just having the account is enough. Not sure why they do that at all. If you do want an invite, PM me your email addy and I can send you one!

I'll invite you to "join" those boards as a pinner, then you should see the BFSU boards in your list of options when you go to pin something. After I reply to the other poster who asked a question I'll add you, and you'll get an email from Pinterest saying you need to accept the invite in order to pin to those boards.

Of course I don't mind... :001_smile: One can't take too much credit for great ideas when it comes to Pinterest though...it is so easy to click "repin" and so hard to actually follow through and DO the things you pin! :lol:

Bump for the evening crowd. :) Thanks for the encouragement so far...I've gotten a nice handful of new followers on the boards. Hoping more of you want to be added as collaborators? Would it be rude to just send out "invites" to join the boards as collaborators to those who decided to follow just the BFSU boards? 'Cause I'm thinking about doing that so I am not the only one trying to find pins for these boards. ;-)

When previous little ones were toddlers, I put child proofing "locks" on cabinets with art supplies, games and manipulatives since those seem to be most at risk. Big kid(s) can figure out the "lock" but a tiny tot can't. My current baby isn't crawling yet...I hope he takes his sweet time learning! :auto:

we liked that one earlier this year! I like to do a series in the summer so it is less decision making on what to read next. :lol: We're reading through the Little House on Rocky Ridge series (the Rose years series that follows the original little house series). We are on book three. Enjoying it so far, though I don't think they are quite as good as the original series of course! I think my favorite read aloud this past school year was either Hitty: Her First Hundred Years or Wheel on the School

I think I came up with a (maybe) really useful idea for all of us BFSU (Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding) users -- I created a Pinterest board for each thread, plus a "general resources" board, that I hope many users will collaborate on to find pins that relate to the BFSU lessons. I find one of the big weaknesses of BFSU to be the lack of printables and the fact that there are no visual aids at all that come with the curriculum. I thought if various users add to the pinboards with the lesson code (C-7, D-8 etc) in the Pin description, it would be so helpful for everyone! Here's my Pinterest page (BFSU boards start in the second row of boards). Message me with your pinterest username or leave a comment on a Pin if you want to be added to be able to add pins. Anyone (with or without a pinterest account) should be able to view the boards. Hoping this is a helpful resource for BFSU Users...Others may find this useful as well to find science ideas!

Last year they had a big back to school sale with many things deeply discounted at the end of August.

We are using Logic of English, and it is (as the name implies) very focused on learning phonograms and spelling rules in a logical way: http://www.logicofenglish.com/ If you search for LOE or Logic of English on the forums, you'll see a number of recent threads about it.

:lol: And I thought I was the only one who did this... :lol: DS3 has been telling me he wants to learn his letters...time to pull out the DVD! I tried and failed at a couple preschool curricula when DD and DS5 were younger...I now do what a lot of other people in this thread are doing them and just only teach my preschooler as he has interest. I may "plan" a few special things (craft/activity books, classic picture books to read, etc)....but mostly just to keep him happily occupied while the older two are doing "real" schoolwork, and so that I don't forget to read some of the classics or do some fun things at his level just because I'm too focused with the older ones.

I doubt it. I barely even remembered how to write cursive myself, and after just practicing once or twice on the letters I was rusty on, I was just able to show DD how to form the letters and then she practiced on her own. We just jumped right in with book C and spent about a year and a half on it.

My dd is so similar! I gave her a quick reading level test and she scored similarly...but the words she got wrong, she got SO wrong. She often just guessed some completely wrong word. We're working through Logic of English, so I'm hoping that will help eventually with this issue too (she's a really poor speller). I might check out some of the resources in this post too. The comment someone made (sorry, I don't know how to quote multiple posts) about working memory rings a bit true though. I find that when I am spelling out loud a word for DD to write down, she will totally lose track of what she is writing down if I tell her more than about two letters at once. Though I am not quite sure I understand how poor working memory would lead to not being able to out? I can see not being able to blend, but would it lead to her just guessing at big words? Or is that maybe just a bad habit and the potential issue with working memory is maybe separate.

Bump...anyone? Or does this lack of response mean I don't really need one? :lol:

I added this one to my "maybe" list previously but the lack of reviews made me nervous to spend the money. Thanks for the good review. I must not have had the right search terms because I don't think I saw any of these others though... Off to check them out, thanks!

Hmmm...yes, I think my DD might be turned off by those covers too. I think I should bookmark those for my boys when they get a bit older.