I will be ordering this for my 9th grade DD soon, but am stuck on exactly what to order. I have been in touch with the Pearson science product specialist (Eve Collins), but only via e-mail, which makes it hard to get a thorough understanding of this curriculum. She sent me a PDF file listing all products available for this science program, a lot of which was geared towards public schools (i.e., bulk pricing, transparencies, etc.), but, obviously, some of it is available and appropriate for our needs. So I for sure will order a Student Text. Do I need the Teacher's Edition? Eve mentioned that most high schools also purchase a "Reading and Study Workbook" (http://www.amazon.com/CONCEPTUAL-PHYSICS-GUIDED-READING-WORKBOOK/dp/0133647390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376512596&sr=8-1&keywords=guided+reading+conceptual+physics). I'm presuming this would be the written/comprehension work to be used as the text reading reinforcement. So I'll probably order that. (the PDF file seems to offer a very reasonable bundle price of the Student Text and this Workbook. Wondering about quizzes/tests....are they built into the student text or do I purchase separately? And what about the "Concept Development Practice Book"? (http://www.amazon.com/CONCEPTUAL-PHYSICS-DEVELOPMENT-PRACTICE-WORKBOOK/dp/0133647307/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y) As for labs, will try to do labs here at home on our own using this site: http://www.arborsci.com/conceptual-physics-supplementary-labs (thanks so much Michelle J. for this link!). Don't necessarily need DD to have a lab course this year, but will do our best to make this a lab course to be safe with regards to her transcript and science credits. Boy oh boy, I hope all these questions make sense. We have only used Apologia for the Middle/High School sciences, so switching gears this year is really stretching me out of my comfort zone! :huh: I am going to try and reach Eve personally in the morning to hammer out these questions and finally place my order. But thought I'd reach out to you all and see what advice someone might have who has done this curriculum. I will follow-up tomorrow (hopefully) after I've talked with Pearson and Eve.

Any time there is an audiobook done by Jim Weiss, that automatically gets my vote!!! Have wanted to purchase "Swiss Family Robinson" done by him for a while, but have found that the price is a little prohibitive.

Yeah, this was my husband's reaction too, Sue......"easily explained." I personally just don't want the headache or the stress if there was a question or concern raised by the two different scores. All of this homeschooling high school/college/NCAA/scholarship stuff is anxiety-producing enough for me!!! :001_huh: :001_smile:

My non-science DD has used the following lapbook/notebook product alongside Apologia's General Science (7th) and this past year Physical Science (and I have purchased their Biology lapbook that she will use in 10th): http://www.knowledgeboxcentral.com/ This company ALWAYS has great sales going on, so I don't think I ever paid more than $15 for the lapbooks (pdf file).......a great deal. The OYO questions are pre-printed and lines are given for the student's answer; the study guide questions that are in the science text are what are to be done as lapbooks. You also get lab report sheets.......blank if you want your child to practice filling all of it out or filled in for the first few sections. I love these lapbooks! Highly recommended.

We have been long-time R&S users; love it! thanks to my good friend mjbucks, who introduced the curriculum to me years ago!):001_smile: My kids consistently do well on the English portions of the ITBS, and my 8th grader just scored a 31 on the English portion of the ACT (and a 30 on the Reading). It must be working! Yes, it is tedious, it is repetitive, it can be dry, but not sure there is a "fun" way to learn most grammar concepts; and, yes, my kids are not thrilled to know they'll be doing R&S as long as I am scheduling it (we will continue through 10th grade around here). Yet, all these things that make it not so fun are what I love about it, if that makes sense. To call it thorough is an understatement! I used to make my kids do most every problem, plus the worksheets; I am a perfectionist when it comes to expecting proper grammar, speaking, etc., out of my kids. Now, we do a lot orally, but they ALWAYS do any diagramming. :001_smile: Keep this in mind about R&S.....it has way more than just grammar in it. The writing instruction is superb (my kids also do as many of these as their schedule permits); it has poetry; it has speaking/oral report instruction; it has reference books instruction. It is simply chock full of any and all things English-related. Just my .02.....

Okay.....just got off the phone with ACT Customer Serv. We get 4 free score reports up until Thursday Noon AFTER just having taken the test. If you wait to see scores, and then want to submit the scores, you pay no matter what. So not sure whether we will send them after all. What would you do?

Sue - Thanks for bringing this topic up to be on everyone's radar screen, mine included! I'm being dense, I just know it.....I'm not seeing the 4 free score reports option on the ACT website. Was going to submit my DDs score to the NCAA and they want $10 from me. Help? Also, I'm a bit perplexed about what Kevin told vs. what he just told me today. My DD is in 8th grade and scored well (27). I asked him about sending that now, and then not ever again....pros, cons, etc. He said we really should keep them in the loop each year our child takes the ACT/SAT, presuming better scores each time. He said a problem could arise when my DD is a junior and getting recruited and a college coach sees her current (hopefully high) ACT score. They may go to the NCAA, they will see her lower, 8th grade score, and wonder why the NCAA doesn't have her more up-to-date score? That may not look good. Wondering why he told you a bit differently. Anyway, I'm going to send it now (hopefully for free, with your assistance), but I will continue to send updated scores as she takes the test each time. Just chiming in with what I know.....

My 8th grader scored a 27!!!!! :001_smile: (will be submitted.....with pride.....for our state's mandatory testing requirement for 8th graders). Room for improvement in math and science (24 in both), but that will come as she takes upper level classes in both. 31 in English and 30 in Reading. She had the biggest grin on her face.....priceless!

Want to chime in here with my thoughts on WWE. I do have to correct the one comment that stated that it eases into diagramming. That perhaps is true of the 3rd and 4th grammar programs (after FLL), but not of the later WWE levels. Maybe getting the two confused? We have used WWE Levels 3 and 4. My opinion is that WWE is the PERFECT early elementary beginning writing program. I wholeheartedly believe that to understand how to string together original thoughts, a student must first practice stringing together thoughts based upon reading quality writing (the narration/summary part of WWE). And before a student can do THAT, he should practice copying and writing down from dictation good quality sentences. So, I guess I do believe that WWE does "teach writing" because these concepts.....copywork, dictation and narration......are the beginning fundamentals/foundations of writing (along with a grammar program). In a heartbeat, I would recommend WWE to anyone looking for an organized approach to beginning writing.