The first year we did SOTW, I just purchased the AG and spent forever copying pages! This year I bought the AG and the pdf student pages, and it help tremendously. It seems an added expense, but I felt it was really worth it. I am sure I spend alot on ink, but I try to buy the office max generic brand which is far less expensive than the name brand ink.

We usually only do one side. I save the sheets for review during our "days off" and "summer". It is a quick and easy way to help him stay up on his math skills.

Awesome. Thanks!:001_smile:

I keep wanting to try this. Maybe now is the time! This was one major thought I had this year. I have been trying to do more "classically" and stay away from workbooks, but perhaps it has been more draining and less productive. I just resigned as a tutor for a well-known co-op! I had an over-loaded year between tutoring and my own kids. I know next-year would have been so much easier had I stayed, but another problem I was having was our schedule. It was conflicting with my husband's; he is off on Friday and Saturday. Trying to finish on Friday was really stressful. The kids were distracted with Dad home, and Dad was bummed that we were otherwise occupied. This played a Major role in the decision to withdraw. I (and my boys) are grieving the loss of our community, but it is the right decision. I am sure that is why I have been so exhausted. Thanks for all of the insight. It has confirmed what I was intuiting.

We used IEW for 1 1/2 years via their Theme based writing lessons. This was a wonderful experience to help my struggling writer (and teacher) because it provided a structured and logical way to approach writing. However, this winter I began noticing how dry and mechanical his writing was. Now, DGMW, I was so happy he was actually writing something, but the program, for me, became sort of "dump and stir". So, I went back and took another look at CW. I decided to take the plunge with OB and am very happy. It has improved his writing tremendously, and his is much more thoughtful about how he structures his own thoughts, is aware of how words can have subtle differences in their meanings and can rearrange his sentences in several different ways. He has learned how to identify an author's emphasis and recreate it within his own writing. He filled out an application to volunteer at the library on Saturday, and his responses made me realize how far he has come in such a short while. I will continue to use the IEW techniques because I believe they do have value. They lend themselves to research-based writing and do help when he gets stuck. But overall, I am content with the direction we are going.

Has anyone gone through a Major Burnout? I have to say, after this year, I was about ready to throw in the towel. I am feeling better now, but, though I have plans for the summer, am wondering if I need a breather. (I just hate the thought of having soooo much to review in the fall!) We've actually taken a break for 3 weeks, since our co-op ended. I hope I am not the only one who has felt this way! :confused:

:iagree: Our first year I tried to do WAY too much! I ended up dropping Latin and writing for a while while we adjusted. Then I added things back in slowly. I even started my preschooler the same way. I know if I am burning out, my dc are probably there with me!

Hi HappyGrace, We stated CW Older Beginners this spring and are using Harvey's along with it. We have used Shurley Grammar and Essentials of the English language in the past. We make and use the Grammar notebooks with Harvey's as CW instructs. So far it is a review of all the ds has learned, but we both enjoy it. We also use the Harvey's student workbook published by CW. It helps as my dd is dysgraphic, and it makes it easier on me! I heard Andrew Kern speak a few months ago, and he mentioned his preference for Harvey's Grammar. He basically said that if you master Harvey's, then that is all you will ever need. However, I plan on using R&S for high school to cement Grammar in the Rhetoric stage. I'm like you; I enjoy using different programs and seeing different approaches. We love Diagramming, and I also plan to buy Mary Daly's Whole Book of Diagramming at some point. I personally think Harvey's along with Homer is plenty. I has been good for my ds to have an "easy" time with Grammar while learning new skills in writing. I has taken some of the pressure off of him. Of course, Writing has been a challenge here where Grammar has not. That is what we are doing and I am pleased so far.

Angela, Do you have them write a paper or just take notes? Just curious...

Chris, Thanks for the advice. I have been hearing the need to beef up the history portion a bit, and I think I will take your suggestion. I LOVE hearing from you veterans! It seems a bit daunting, this path we've chosen. :001_smile:

I bought the teachers manual, but I've only glanced at it a few times. My oldest has basically taught himself the program by reading the instructions in the workbooks. He has done just fine.

:iagree: Spalding used here. We went back to learn phonics with our 12 year old. I finally realized after 3 years of Homeschooling that he NEVER learned phonics at PS. I couldn't figure out why he couldn't sound out words, duh.. Live and learn, right. I just purchased the Wise Guide by Wanda Sensari. It has the Ayers words and sentences organized in a different, more user friendly format. I think switching to Spalding has been one of the best decisions we have made here. It has a learning curve, but it is more than worth the time invested.

We couldn't do Saxon without the Dive CD's. I tried to read through the text, but the way the CDROM teaches it is much better for us. My son hates the CD, so I have to watch it and make notes to teach him. This might last through Algebra II...

The Activity books are a huge help with narration. We do very few of the activities, but the coloring pages and maps are wonderful. Well worth it for us.

:iagree: The VP cards are beautiful. The pictures selected are thoughtful and appropriate. No concerns here.:)

Hi ScoutTN, http://www.notebookingpages.com has several free pages. I haven't bought anything yet, but have enjoyed the free ones tremendously this year.

I definitely laminate our VP History Cards and anything expensive that will take a beating over time. I don't own a laminator (yet) so it can be $$$. Someday...

Yes, it IS expensive. I tried to find used books online, but they were almost the same price as used. I figure I might as well buy the new ones to make sure they were of good quality. I seem to always miss our local curriculum fair, UGH! Oh well, hopefully it will all work for the little one coming behind...

:iagree: I'd love to have a companion package of read alouds for SOW! A kit of pre-selected books along with the Activity Guide would make my life soooo much easier!!:001_smile:

Hi LisaTheresa, I have found the solutions manual to be very helpful. If my son find himself with the incorrect answer even after reworking the problem, he can then independently look at the solutions manual to check where he may have gone wrong. It puts the onus on him, and it sticks with him better. I also use the Dive CDs, but most often only for myself to ensure I am using the correct terminology when I teach him.

Thanks so much! I went ahead and bought it since it is already cross-referenced. I hope it will be worth the $$. :>)

I am thinking of using the Student Seminar for Diogenes but am wondering if I should just try out the webinar. Has anyone used either or both? Are the seminars worth the money?

We are starting Omnibus in the fall, and I noticed that SWB recommends Kingfisher History Encyclopedia for the Logic stage. Can I get away with using KHE for a couple of years, or should I bite the bullet and order Spielvogel?

Has anyone subscribed to the Online Tutorials for CW? I am thinking about enrolling my ds in the Diogenes recorded student tutorial, but there is also the Diogenes webinar which costs much less. Any thoughts on one vs. the other?

Thank you for posting this! We are in the middle of OB and reading this thread was clouding my mind about CW. However, in thinking back over the first half of OB, I have been amazed to watch my ds12 learn to distinguish the author's emphasis and essential components along the way. He can write a decent summary sentence for long passages and is growing more and more adept at multi-scene outlining and identifying Acts. We were feeling bogged down, so as CW recommends, we took a break to study Poetry for Beginners. At the end of week 3, my ds commented that, though he struggled getting started, his heart was always glad at the end of the poetry lesson. Sigh... It has been the respite we needed, and I think we will be refreshed going forward. I rely enormously on the Student books, and when the model is long, I have my ds only use a portion of it for imitation. Otherwise, we'd be spending half the day on CW. As long as I feel he understands the technique, I don't see the need on making him trudge through what might be an overwhelming amount of work just for the sake of completing the assigned material in the guide. We often only do one of the six-sentence shuffles and I reduce the amount of copywork. We have 11 more weeks of OB before Maxim, and I am encouraged to hear Diogenes is easier to implement. Homer hasn't been difficult, just a bit time consuming. Well worth it IMVHO. It's like picking away at a piece of marble hoping, at the end, a beautiful sculpture will appear!