So many games in Logic of English! Lots of fun!

I agree with the above. I'm an evaluator and I just work with the methods that each homeschooling family uses.

I like The Well Trained Mind. I also enjoyed listening to SWB's lecture on writing. I'm just looking for some more resources to educate myself, including different methods, or perhaps just different ways to flesh it all out.

I am not looking for a writing curriculum. I am looking for some books to read to improve myself as a writing teacher. I need a book that gives me a big picture of how to get from point A of reluctant elementary school writer to awesome high school writing. What do you like?

I have done the Storytime Treasures and More Storytime Treasures and I really liked them. We don't do much with literature guides in upper grades because I just like the read and narrate method, but I sure do like MP for first. You could continue with phonics if you feel your child needs it or you could jump into a spelling program if phonics are secure. I don't think both are necessary at the same time.

I think it will be absolutely fine to skip WWE if you are doing R&S thoroughly.

Thank you!

The recommended ages on these appear to be 6th grade and up. Does that seem accurate or would they be appropriate for younger children as well?

I would (and did!) choose it again. I love the games and hands-on activities that build phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, fine motor skills, and so much more. I knew that my older daughter needed to stop and break after Level B, so it was no surprise when my second child had to do so also. Logic of English is so thorough and enjoyable, that taking a break does not damper my enthusiasm for the curriculum.

Thank you for all the happy suggestions! I now have about 5 or 6 books coming to me from amazon. So many awesome ideas!

I just finished reading aloud Number the Stars. Although it is an excellent book, I now really want to read something light-hearted and fun. What comes to mind?

I'm on my second child using LOE Foundations. With my first child, after level B we took a break to read books and readers to gain fluency. She read from the McGuffey, Art-Literature Readers, Pathway books, CLE Readers, and the Victory Drill Book. I'm now on lesson 79 of LOE Foundations B with my second child. We are not going on to C at this time because she cannot read fluently. This time we are going to take a break and use the Victory Drill Book and Pathway readers. The Victory Drill book totally helped all my children gain fluency. I'm not sure why the end of Level B seems to be the point where we can't keep up, but it is best to get the fluency in order before adding on more phonetic rules.

Thank you for taking the time to give your thoughts on how that combination went! I appreciate it.

Thank you so much for making a suggestion. My son and I looked at samples of Wordsmith Apprentice, and he really wants to do that one. I think it is a great match for him!

This was helpful. Thank you. I think I'm going to go with doing Sentence composing once a week.

Next year school year I really want to use Writing with Ease 4 with my fifth grader. We did WWE 1 and 2, and then broke from that and did ELTL and then this year W&R Fable and Narrative 1. My son is a reluctant writer and clearly I have had trouble deciding what to do each year. So next year, I want to do WWE4 to get back to working on summary narrations and longer dictations. I'm tossing around the idea of also using: Killgallon Sentence Composing for Elementary School W&R Narrative 2 OR Igniting Your Writing. Has anyone used Igniting your Writing or Killgallon as a supplement? Any thoughts?

I completely agree with this! For me, when I first came on the WTM boards, I kept looking for the PERFECT curriculum, and at times it led me to ignore my own teaching strengths and weaknesses. Hunter showed me that embracing who I was as a person and teacher was a much better way to go, and to relax! I have happily used so much Amish/Mennonite curricula now because it fits with my heritage and culture, and I don't think I would have had the courage to see the value in it if Hunter had not encouraged me. I'd still be trying to fit in what I perceived as the ideal box.

Thank you so much!

My boys recently had spelling dictation sentences about Siegfried and Fafnir and are interested and reading this myth. Do you know of a book that contains it? Thanks.

The content is the same except for the optional literature. The literature changes whether you want more primary level books or intermediate level books. All the literature books are optional and not integrated to the program. Yes, FB and the email list are the best ways to hear about sales. They will most likely have a sale between now and the fall. They usually do. I would call about the free trial. Lessons take usually as long as 40 minutes on a long day or as little as 10-15 minutes on a test day. Most days are around 30 minutes.

I appreciate all your responses. I like the idea of having a big towel as a rug by the door. I should keep rags there to wipe the dog's paws everytime. I think I just have to do it! We already require the children to take their shoes off in the house, but I like the suggestion of the dedicated outdoor shoes--like rainboots. Thank you for the ideas!

How do I stop all the mud being tracked through my kitchen from the back yard by the dog and the children when I have no mud room and no covered porch coming in? I have tried outdoor mats, but really, since the porch isn't covered the mats are soaking wet and only add to the problem. I have considered rugs at the entrance inside, but then I guess they would need to hold up to many times a week washings. Fall, spring, and winter are all nightmares of mud. The obvious solution is that our backyard should be fixed for better drainage, but that isn't going to happen. Any advice for dealing with muddy floors?

I haven't seen the dollar days in a long time either.

Good to know!

I'm wondering if you went ahead with this plan? We are finishing Horizons 6 and I also was considering the Khan Academy and Zacarro Real World Algebra combination as our Pre-Algebra.