We did options 1 & 2 last year for ancient history and really enjoyed it. At first I too thought that it might be too much, but it wasn't for us. We did history 4 days a week and it worked out well. We are doing the same this year for medieval. Kim

For my DS 11, it would be too much to do both. He isn't a strong writer. I think I would only do the Saxon writing that covered things not covered in WWS. Kim

:iagree: We love K12 Human Odyssey. We're just starting our second year using it. Kim

Hake/Saxon Grammar would be good. My ds 11 did very well with Saxon grammar after FLL. It has diagramming. It is spiral, just like the Saxon math program, so there's built in review. The Saxon homeschool kit has a writing component which you could just skip since you will be using WWS. Kim

Thanks! I really needed to read this. Kim

We still do read-alouds. My ds 11, who will be starting 7th grade next week, loves for me to read to him, for school and for fun. I do not see this ending any time soon. He reads very well, but enjoys me reading to him or listening to audio books while he builds Legos or colors. Kim

To my knowledge, it is not available in digital download. You can buy it from Rainbow Resource. http://www.rainbowresource.com/searchspring.php?q=All+about+spelling They will do international shipping. To properly use the program, you need the teacher packet and the student packet for each level. The student packet contains word, sound, and key cards you use for each level. You could make your own, but that would take a lot of time. The program is built around the use of letter tiles so you need those. They do not have to be magnetized, but I found that it was helpful because it allowed us to keep them on a board, in order, ready for use each time. It is helpful to have a box to store the cards in so you can keep them divided, but it doesn't have to be any fancy. HTH, Kim

As of now: Grammar: Analytical Grammar Writing: WWS, The Creative Writer, Killgallon Sentence Composing Vocabulary: Caesar's English I Math: Jacobs Algebra, LOF Beg. Algebra History: K12 Human Odyssey (Medieval), Oxford Press Science: ACS Middle School Chemistry Art at co-op PE at YMCA Kim

We have used the Usborne Encyclopedia of World Religions Internet-linked. It several pages on each major religions, as well as information on less well-known religions. It covers the religious beliefs and practices of each religion and gives some history on the religion. It even covers ancient religions. Kim

We tried one that was a little smaller, probably 24inx18in, and it was a little small. A 2x3 would probably work a little better. Once we had all of the tiles on, the board was rather crowded and we the work space was a little tight. Kim

I forgot something....we're really looking forward to NaNoWriMo in November! :001_smile: Kim

We are finishing The Kane Chronicles: The Serpent's Shadow at bedtime. My son loves Rick Riordan books. We're listening to the Lord of the Rings trilogy while building the Lego Death Star. And, we're finishing the Inkheart trilogy in the mornings. Kim

We usually take a break about every 10 to 12 weeks. We take 2 weeks at Christmas and a week in the spring. Over the summer we usually take 2 weeks off, one in July for vacation and one in August for a camp my son does every year. Going year round gives us more flexibility for when life throws us a curve ball and we need to take time off. Kim

I am most looking forward to ACS Middle School Chemistry & Caesar's English I. Fall should be interesting as we are changing most of our curricula. Kim

We hs year round. During the summer we do a lighter load and usually go 3 days a week. So, my ds 11 gets a break, but we still make progress. We are finishing math, grammar,and spelling this summer. We also started The Creative Writer, which my son enjoys and looks forward to. Kim

My ds 11 is on lesson 5. He has enjoyed it so far and looks forward to the lessons. He is very creative and has been working on a novel for a few months now. The Creative Writer has helped him think about things a little differently. Kim

We have been using Saxon/Hake Grammar for the past couple of years. I like it, but my ds is ready for a change. So, this fall we will be using Analytical Grammar along side WWS. Kim

I was able to download it. Thanks Dawn!! Kim

As of now, I am planning to print out the lessons as we go. Kim

Wow! Thanks for taking time for such an in-depth reply. You have given me a lot to think about. My son has always done so well in math and caught on quickly. He can usually do mental math very quickly and give the right answer, even if he has a hard time showing or explaining all of the details. Suddenly everything is a struggle. Maybe he just isn't ready for more advanced concepts. Kim

Thanks for the ideas!

Thanks Sarah. Maybe we will continue with LOF if the pre-algebra goes well. I already have Zaccaro's Real World Algebra. My son has enjoyed Zaccaro's other books so I think it will be a hit. Kim

My 11yo DS is a visual learner and I think a Visual-Spatial learner. For K through 2nd grade we used Oak Meadow, which he enjoyed. However, he was getting bored by the slow pace so we moved to other things. For math, we moved to Horizons. We saw it at a homeschool convention and he liked it. However, by the end of the 3rd grade, it brought tears every time the book came out. So, we looked at a friend's Saxon books and my ds liked that. So for the past 3 years we have been using Saxon. We're finishing 8/7 now and once again he is near tears with math. So, now I need to figure out what to use for Algebra this fall. Any suggestions? My ds is easily distracted so anything with blocks/manipulatives probably would not work. We will be using LOF Pre-Algebra with Biology this summer as a break from Saxon, but I do not yet know how it will work.. I would love to hear what has worked for other VSL learners. TIA, Kim

In my experience, no. We used Oak Meadow 1st and part of 2nd. My son is artsy and he loves stories. He loved 1st grade, but he was bored with the 2nd grade material. He didn't enjoy it because it just moved too slowly and he wasn't learning enough. We didn't even finish the second grade. Luckily, Oak Meadow has a great re-sell value so I got a lot of my money back, which went toward other curricula to finish 2nd grade. Kim

I've been thinking about this for months. :tongue_smilie:This is what I have as of now: 7th Grade: K12 Human Odyssey with Oxford Press Medieval & Early Modern Saxon Grammar 7 (I think) Grammar with Giggles Killgallon Sentence Composing for Middle School Writing with Skill Creative Writer MCT Caesar’s English I ACS Middle School Chemistry followed by Thames and Kosmos 3000 kit Algebra I – Either Saxon or Jacobs PE at YMCA Art at co-op Piano Gymnastics Irish Dance First Lego League for 2 to 3 months in the fall Kim