I'm contemplating using BJU 5th grade science for my ds next year. Since I've never used (or even looked at anything from BJU) I'm wondering how it schedules science. Is it a weekly, 2x, 3x, or daily assignments? About how long does it take to do a lesson, I'm looking very general here (like 15 min, 30 min, 1 1/2 hr, 3hrs.)? Also if someone didn't like BJU Science, why? If you totally love it, why?

I agree with all the Southern Utah sites those are really nice. I like Capital Reef. If you are coming from Grand Canyon area then Arches is going to a few hours(I'm thinking at least 2 hours from I-15) out of the way just to get there. For Northern Utah: #1 Timpanogoes Cave in Provo Canyon is a nice hike and then a tour through the cave. #2 Bingham Copper Mine it is actually in the mountains on the west side of Salt Lake City. It is really specatular. #3 This is the Place State Park. This one is just out of downtown Salt Lake. It has a pioneer village. I think all of the homes are actually orginal homes from Salt Lake. Hogle Zoo is right across the street but I'm told that it is a small zoo. #4 Temple Square. There is always Temple Square in Salt Lake City. But April the tulips and daffodil are out and really pretty. If you can get a tour of the Conference Center that is really cool to go into and see how big it is. #5 Antelope Island and the Great Salt Lake. There is a causeway to get to the island from Syracuse, north of Salt Lake. There are wild buffalo herds on the island and one of the homesteads has been restored. #6 Golden Spike National Historic Site. This is a little farther off I-15 on the north side of the Great Salt Lake. This is where the railroads met to form the transcontinental railroad. I'm not sure if they have the daily recreation of the event going in April. #7 American West Heritage Center in Logan. But this might just be open during the summer months. So there are a few more ideas. P.S. So I totally missed the "natural wonder" thing although I did include a cave. LOL

Not sure if we are average but here is my 4th grade ds schedule: Spelling - daily/20 words a week (using SWR) Dictation - 2x week from a book he is reading Grammar - daily (using R&S 4) Math - daily (using R&S 5) Piano Practice - daily History - 3x week (using SOTW) Science - 2x week (some kind of experiment) Reading - 1 hour daily

I'm using a different program than you but my 2nd ds has the same issues. What I do is when I correct his math I circle any incorrect problems with a colored pencil, so he can easily see which problems are incorrect. Then he has to go back over them and find his mistake, showing all work. If he still gets it incorrect (which doesn't happen very often) I work it out with him on a white board, showing all my work. He then needs to rework it on his paper. He hasn't yet missed the problem again. (crossing my fingers;)) On tests when my boys get a problem wrong, I circle with the colored pencil again. They then rework the problem. If it is reworked correct then they get half credit for the problem. I have found that they usually really do know what they are doing and just made a little mistake. HTH

Fay, thanks so much for the comparison. I could have easily written the post because I have the same question. I'm looking at those same options for my 5th grade next year. I think you cemented in the one that I was leaning toward. For us it will be Ancient History based lessons.:)

We really like. It is really easy to teach with the TM. I have found that it is also easy to race ahead. My ds9 is very super smart in math so we have gone double speed this year doing two lessons a day. They teach the concepts in very small bits so it is easy to understand both lessons. My ds7 just does one lesson a day and does really well. Since he is just learning multiplication all the practice has been great. We do half the problems (every other one) everyday in each section that is taught. Another pro to me is how cost effective it is. HTH.

My ds9 will start a writing program next school year when he starts 5th grade work. He has had a pencil allergy and just this past month is finally getting over it. :) I'm very seriously thinking of IEW when we start next year. I'm thinking I'll wait until 5th grade of ds7 maybe even longer depending how long his pencil allergy lasts. Don't assume that my boys are not writing because they are. We do R&S grammar and do the writing assignments. I'm just not making them do a writing program until they can write 1/2 a page something comfortably. Last year we were in the ps district on-line school that used K12. Their writing program just about killed ds9. Way too many tears and pushing and . . . (I'm sure you know what I mean).

My ds9 is writing in cursive the subjects of spelling and dictation. Now that it is a new month I am adding grammar. Then it will be writing and then History/Science. My goal for him is to be completely cursive by May. I also do not allow half print/half cursive assignments. My ds7 is just learning cursive. He knows how to make all the letters so all his copywork is in cursive but everything else is print. This year my goal is to have him know how to write in cursive and be able to read cursive. Starting in September I will start adding subjects that will need to be in cursive. I believe that they should know how to write in cursive and they should be able to write it quickly and legibly. Just my two cents worth.

We are reading Treasure Island right now but will finish up in a day or two and then I'm thinking of Anne of Green Gables. We will see about Anne. ;) since my boys are 9 & 7. If not Anne then maybe The Hobbit.

Thank you so much everyone! You all came through great. I love knowing why people like the programs they are using. My boy and I are looking at the different options to find our best fit. And Classic Mom, I actually live in Clinton so I'm literally a jump, hop and a skip from Ogden.:)

We always do the oral review before the lesson, then the lesson. That is normally just reading the main points in the teachers presentation. Ds reads any boxes (the main idea of the lesson). Then we do the oral exercises orally, sometimes half if I think he has it or all if he needs some practice. Then he writes half the written & review exercises. I usually assign odds on odd days (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.of the month) and evens on even days (2nd, 4th, 6th of the month). We have a joke about how he doesn't do as many on even days. We also talk about how many sentences it is and how many are just asking for a couple of words.

I'm looking at my Latin options. I have actually started my ds 9 on Prima Latina but not sure about continuing with LC1 or switching to something else. He is okay with it but not too thrilled. We started a year ago but it fizzled out and we have just restarted it. He learns easily by reading and some discussion. But I also have a ds 7 coming up and he needs a lot more repetition then his brother does. Any recommendations for that kind of learner? I have looked at Lively Latin and Galore Park. I'm thinking I still want to research Latin for Children and also see if Latin Christiana is basically like PL. But I'm wondering how the different programs translate into lessons? Is it everyday, three times a week or something else? Do you just do one part of a big lesson each time or the whole lesson? How long does it seem to usually take? Are your children retaining the lessons? And finally how pick up and go is it? Any answers with personal experience would be helpful. I understand that every home is different but I like knowing how people do things, it makes my planning easier to have a jumping off point.

I'm still working on it but here is what I have so far: Math: R&S 5 & 6 (We will finish up on 5 and then start 6) Spelling: SWR Grammar: R&S 5 Writing: Looking into Writing Tales but I haven't fully made up my mind Latin: LC1 or LL, again I haven't fully decided History: I'm strongly leaning towards History Odyssey Ancients Level 2 Science: Totally unsure right now :confused: Music: Piano Lessons Art: Someday I will get art into everything but I'm not planning anything yet.