this coming year for my 4th grade son. He asks a lot of more recent history questions. I know SWB recommends staying in order, but after doing SOTW 1 this year, I'm observing that he rememebers just general principles, and not much detail at this age. In hindsight, what do I remember from elementary school history. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Jenny - so are the labs included, or do you need to come up with them from elsewhere?

With these Prentice Hall books, is it an actual curriculum, or just reading about the topics? Are there experiments? Could you provide some more detail about using the program?

Gosh - I totally failed at this, and that's partly why 3rd grade ds went to ps 2nd semester. I also fell behind in some work. It was a heartbreak, but what was more of a heartbreak was having them both home and trying to hs ds, while dd monkeywrenched everything. After ds went back to ps, dd and I have had a lot of private time and our relationship is much better. She will go to ps for kgarten - she already has her lunch box packed. Then we'll see for 1st grade....

...should read SOTW not STOW....Next fall, I'm buying the cd's for STOW II. I'm hoping it will be a time saver - something we can use in the car, or while doing other things. Should I still get the book? Should I ask ds to read along with the recording when we're home? Any suggestions?

Great site - thanks - we live on Mt Shasta

Here's a good source of secular stuff http://docsdomain.net/blog/?page_id=711 Also Singapore is secular, and http://www.gravitaspublications.com/about/faq/ REal Science 4 kids may appeal toyou

If you get the home instructor's guide,they list manipulatives for each unit.....

Thanks, Felicia, and if we're doing Level 1 Chem, do you think it's necessary to get a periodic table?

To experienced users, does it matter in what order the topics are studied? biology, chemistry, physics? Thanks!

Another vote for Elson Readers - quality literature from over 100 years ago compiled by the "Fun with Dick and Jane"author. Teacher's guide has good discussion questions and grammar/writing assignments, too. It's how we start our day.

I would tend to follow advice already given and just relax about it. With my first dc I (as many parents of first children do) promoted early reading and worked with my dc. Then, over the last few years I met several unschooling families who waited until their dc wanted to read (frequently around age 9), and found that within six months, the children were reading college-aged texts. So with dc#2, I don't promote it at all, and when she asks me questions we work on what she's interested in. I also support the advice of prioritizing reading aloud to her............................Best of luck, and relax and look at her and be thankful......

I'm really happy with my present curriculum, which on any given day includes a reading from our Elson Readers (which I won't drop and includes a short discussion), 1 hour of writing/grammar, 1/2 hour of vocab/latin, STOW Vol II twice a week,and then other non-language arts topics. Our academic day is 4 hrs long. In addition to this, we do 1 1/2 hrs music, and then I assign 40 minutes of pleasure reading and 10 minutes of journal writing each night. So my dilemma occurs when I look at all the supplemental reading folks are having their kids do (mainly in history), and I honestly can't find the time. I want ds to enjoy reading - he's a bit advanced in reading, but NEVER picks up a book on his own. His daily reading sessions usually begin with some bickering between him and I about starting, and then once he starts, if I interrupt him he can't hear me, so I know he's enjoying it. Now, I have spent a bit of time researching reading lists for his age group and just about salivate when it's time to start a new book because I love what we're doing, but if I were to assign more history reading, then a lot of these classics would go out the window (unless he awoke one morning and decided he wanted to read). So, how do you parents find time to get your child to do this wonderful supplemental (history) reading?:)

Also - I wouldn't buy a violin - rent one. Several places rent them through the mail. I have rented from Ifshin Violins in Berkeley, Ca for years without ever showing up there. They can help you measure your child and then send the correct fit. They have very economical rentals up through more expensive. Kids grow quickly and violin size changes, so I urge you not bo buy. There are many other outfits that will rent also - and do it all remotely. If your son is determined, besides the great web sites that Susie recommended, just get on youtube and you'll be amazed at the free instruction. I agree - give your child the gift of music, just be aware that violin is HARD and it will take years to sound good. Best of Luck!

I guess my feeling here is that these go-it-alone ideas presented may work after some in-person instruction. I wouldn't have a child start learning on their own. If they have some formal instruction, even infrequent, then they can work on what their teacher presents. I think it's imperative that they start learning under the guidance of a teacher. jmho

We have PL and are thinking of jumping to LL afterwards. Do you folks still recommend the flash cards in that case?

everytime I try this link my computer just about explodes.........

but I soooo don't fit the profile of an engineer and in graduate school I slunk in the hallways and hung out with the scientists...........

I guess I'll break tradition here and say that for next year we're going for the 4 day school week. Day 5 is for field trips and BEING together, and yes, I think we'll be learning on that day. Floridalisa's post:"a gentle proposal to moms of youngers" is something we all should consider......

Well, being a mom of fiddler for 5 years, I will tell you that I wouldn't even try to learn to play the violin without real in-person lessons. I can't tell you how much angst we've gone through with the subtleties - the bow hold - wow - ask any violinist/fiddler and they'll tell you stories, bowing techniques, etc. Learning to play an unfretted stringed instrument is probably one of the hardest musical tasks there is. If your child learns some on his/her own and then encounters a teacher, I can almost guarantee you it will cause grief. I can't recommend it. I grew up playing piano, and now being in the violin world - all I can say is it's a real eye opener, and very difficult. Just think of the whole intonation issue that pianists don't deal with. Yikes! If your son really wants to learn, I think he's got to have lessons.....Best of luck to you...

I'm not trying to split hairs and, yes, I realize that what I think is great might bomb with my kids. I've experienced that with picking teachers, but it always worked out in the end. I'm just trying to analyze these programs as best I can long-distance, and without the possibility of returns (my program doesn't allow returns). I think all your comments have been so helpful. Writing is the only program that I have put this much thought into. I really want my kids to think intellectually - not just scientifically as I've been trained. I REALLY appreciate all the effort that have gone into the lengthy responses from everyone. It's a daunting task for me because I haven't been confronted with this decision before. And yes, it may be for one year - who knows, but I don't want to curriculum hop more than necessary. Plus, I have a difficult time analyzing my kids to know "who" they are academically. If their like me, it will take a few decades for them to decide themselves...................:)

I didn't think your comments were hogwash - far from it!! I loved the insight and I really enjoyed how you elaborated on it. Pretty funny that I put your own post in front of you:). I'm just so curious about all these writing programs (could you tell?!) and am taking it all in. I am a science type with a masters in engineering and so envy some of the more liberal ed folks who have had such wonderful writing instruction. It's so much more than I had, and I did well in writing in college. I think the dialogue is great and I'm learning a lot here............

think of this categorization of the goals of these programs. If my ds is headed for science, should I abandon plans for WT or CW? Is this hogwash? http://classicalreadingandwriting.wordpress.com/2007/04/28/iew-classical-writing-or-writing-tales/

Elizabeth - what would you recommend for my ds? We will hs next year. He's in 3rd grade. 1st semester we hs'd and did a little of R&S 4. This semester, he's in ps and I don't really know what he's learning. I think he's a decent writer but probably a bit sloppy on getting all the grammatical (punctuation, capitalization, etc.) details right. His reading comprehension is high and I think he reads at end of 5th grade level. So I'm wondering between WT1 and WT2. These both appear to be full year programs (unlike Aesop A and B), so I feel a little more compelled to get it right.......any ideas?

well fiddling is done mostly by ear. So, you could use mp3's of fiddle tunes that you like and use,for example,the Amazing Slow-Downer software to slow the tunes down without changing the pitch so he can learn them that way. There are also an amazing amount of youtube videos out there on all aspects of violin and fiddling. I use the freeware of amazing slow downer which has some limitations, but you can buy the full software. Also, just keep going in any sheet music books so that he learns to read music......