Is the best way to address this problem just to practice? Are there other drills or activities that would be more helpful? She also is a little weak in reading. Tests in the mid-80th percentile on standardized tests but reads slowly and with hesitation and rarely is motivated to do so on her own. I may have to end up having her tested, but the cost for a full evaluation is around $1,500 so I am looking to see what I can do to help her at home right now. She has mentioned wanting to attend middle school at some point to "have that experience," but I have seen the level of writing they do. It scares me to think of her struggling in that setting. I want to help her become more proficient in this visual motor area. Thanks! Susan

I loved Night, but I read it and The Trial Of God along with some other works in a religion course. Very intense books. A 13-year-old would have to be pretty mature to handle those feelings IMHO. We're not there yet, so I haven't had to ask those questions of my dd.

Thanks, I'll check that out. Just trying to decide if I should just stick with our free Basic access OR pay to add Plus to our Basic svc OR pay to add Science to our Basic svc.

Thanks! I'll take a look at that. :)

Here in SC, we get a free subscription to Discovery Education Streaming BASIC. HSBC is offer Streaming PLUS for $99 and Science for $129. I'm trying to decide if upgrading is worth it to us. What programs that you love do you NOT get with Basic? Are there additional teacher resources that only come with PLUS? We would probably use the service for History, Geography, and Science mainly, with a possibility of adding in Spanish and other interest-led topics. Thanks! Susan

I pulled my kids out of school after my oldest dd's 4th grade year and my youngest dd's 1st grade year. During the 5 years my oldest was in ps, I volunteered heavily. When the younger was still at home, I would help in the library (because they let me bring my younger and AWAYS needed help). The year my youngest started K5, my oldest was in 3rd. I volunteered as room mom coordinating activities in both of their classrooms. We coordinated Friday lunch coverage for the teachers, making copies for the teachers, weekly Computer Lab coverage for the teachers, monthly SEEDS lessons (reading a book and leading relevant craft) in the classroom, as well as tutoring in reading for the 3rd grade class. This was in addition to the constant requests from the PTA for people to lead/sell everything from Chick-Fil-A biscuits in the carline to the Fall fun event. During the last year my dds were in school, the younger was in 1st and the older was in 4th. I agreed to take on a PTA chair position and then got roped into being room mom for BOTH rooms again because no one would volunteer for those jobs. It was a nightmare. I had stuff falling down all over the place, because I was also handling multiple extra curricular activities as well as church. I know some people manage to do it all, but I am not one of them. I guess I see this issue from both sides. It does make the teachers' jobs easier if they can get GOOD QUALITY help in the classroom. The time parents spend making copies and doing lunch and lab coverage gives them time to get to a few things that would otherwise need to be done after school or at home. However, it can be very frustrating for the parents who volunteer. I know people work, and I appreciate that their time is limited, but I felt like because I was able to stay home with my children and didn't work outside the home, there was much more pressure from the parent groups to pull my share and make up the excess to ensure our kids had the BEST school experience. I really didn't mind helping. I enjoyed it, but I think there is a lot of competition to have more volunteers/hours than the school down the road. And no matter how much you are there, it never seems to be enough. The same group of parents practically live at the school. If you are looking for some of them during school hours, you know to check the school log first. As to the issue of privacy, I would have to agree. Just by being in the school during work hours, I heard things that were probably not meant for parents to hear. I kept my mouth shut, but things do have a way of getting around when you have people in the school not bound by the same rules as the employees. The problem is the parents are a benefit when they're helping kids with reading or math, but that does mean they know who's struggling. We just felt like ps was a roller coaster of never-ending homework and constant fundraising. If my oldest was not having issues retaining what was being taught, we might have stuck it out. However, she was struggling. I thought about leaving the youngest in school because she was excelling and top of her class, but I figured we could even go farther with that at home and completely jump off the coaster. We're happier now. I don't miss the ride. And the funny thing is, the other mom with whom I did much PTA work is also homeschooling this year. (We have a large community of hs'ers in our area!)

My 5th grader is in her first year of homeschooling. As far as I can tell, her grammar instruction in ps has been pretty light. We are in the first chapter and are really noticing how little she has been taught. That said, beginning in chapter 3, each part of speech has it's own chapter with thorough introduction. While the first two chapters may require some slowing down to work through them, I feel the rest will be easier on us because it's explained in depth. The stuff we're working on now is explained well, but it's her first introduction to some of it. Even with it being difficult, I would not have moved down a level. I think this is only hard now, because she has never been exposed to this level of grammar study. I am happy we chose English 5 for her and feel she will do well with it even with no prior R&S under her belt.

Thanks! I just can't seem to work SOTW in a way that they find engaging, and the geography the 5th grader is doing is just busy work to her. She does it to get through it but it's not really thought-provoking to get since it doesn't tie into the history lesson. I thought with HO having it all mapped out, she might be more interested with all the tie-ins.

Does anyone actually use it for all of these subjects without supplementation? We are struggling with reading, history, and geography. I thought I had everything planned out well, but I just can't seem to get into a good rhythm with my oldest who is currently doing 5th grade work. She requires a LOT of hand holding and still works very, very slowly. I find we are regularly running out of time and energy before we get to everything, and I'm wondering if HO Level 2 might be a solution for us. I saw on the sample that each lesson tells the student EXACTLY what to do and includes a checklist for them to be sure they have done all the work. Since it involves a good bit of reading, plus map work and writing/summarizing, I thought it might be able to be used to cover all 4 of the subjects above (reading, writing, history, geography). I also have Brave Writer and can use it later. If I could use HO Ancients L2 for the four subjects mentioned, then I think I could have more success with our schedule. We are having great success with Math Mammoth and with R&S for English and Spelling. We also are doing Dance Mat Typing, some Mind Benders puzzles, and Meet the Masters for art. We're a little bored with Harcourt Science, but I'm also looking into other science options. I just want to be sure we're thorough and not going too light for her grade level since we wants the option to attend middle school if she gets into the local VERY rigorous charter school (which is unlikely). I think I'm beginning to understand the appeal of unit studies. :)

I just used the Meet the Masters Supply Lists. It recommended soy crayons AND watercolor crayons (Prang makes both of these), colored paper chalk (bought a brand in art supply -not kids section- of Hobby Lobby), soft pastels and oil pastels (got from same area of HL), and newsprint. I had to get the Prang stuff from Rainbow Resource because nobody in my area carries it in store. Bought the newsprint there also, then discovered that at AC Moore. (It's different from drawing or sketch paper. It's actually called newsprint.) I also got a set of inexpensive Tempura Art Brushes in a pack at HL, then bought a nicer set of brushes at a big discount for watercolors. For construction paper, I bought the Super Heavy weight. I think it was 70# paper. I was able to get some of what I needed locally, but I got the Prang stuff, 5 long sheets of tagboard (only sold 100 packs in store), black conical markers (Crayola), and fine line NON-permanent markers through Rainbow Resource. Half my order was backordered at first, but I called them about dates and most of it should be here today. (They sent the backordered stuff 2-day delivery.) You may already know some of this since you are already using the program! I knew NOTHING about art supplies so I just look for what's on that list. If I didn't know something (like watercolor crayons), I would search it on Amazon for the reviews even if I was planing to order elsewhere! Btw, we haven't started MTM yet because I wanted all my GOOD supplies here first!!!

Ok. Found on ebay the hardcover in excellent condition and including the clean Student Pages for what I paid for a paperback. I'm sending the other one back. He listed it as a Like New hardcover and sent me a good used condition paperback for the same price!

Also, I ordered the two other guides as well. They are coming softcover with a plainer blue front.

The book I received is a textbook titled The Human Odyssey, Volume 1: Prehistory Through the Middle Ages, but it is a softcover book. When I looked at the K12 site, it showed only one hardcover purchase option. If your text is hardcover like the K12 book and the book I received is not but appears to be the same otherwise, I just wonder from where it came. It doesn't matter except that I ordered a hardcover book and received something else. I just don't want the seller to say "this is the only version of this book" when I make contact. Plus, the price I paid should be lower if there IS a hardcover since I wasn't comparing apples to apples. Thanks!

I ordered a used copy from an Amazon seller with the listing being "hardcover." However, no one had pictures of it, and the book I got is a stiff cover but is not a hardcover. The seller also listed the book as "Like New," and it is not. However, the price was reasonable even among lesser listings so I plan to keep it and rate them accordingly for their overly generous assessment. :P

I ordered a used copy from an Amazon seller with the listing being "hardcover." However, no one had pictures of it, and the book I got is a stiff cover but is not a hardcover. The seller also listed the book as "Like New," and it is not. However, the price was reasonable even among lesser listings so I plan to keep it and rate them accordingly for their overly generous assessment. :P

This is my first year homeschooling my 5th grader. She has attended ps every other year. While she always tested highly, she struggled to show that level of knowledge orally and loses focus very easily, forgetting what she's read. I really have no idea how she scored so highly on those tests, although I certainly believe in her ability to learn. :) I say all that to explain our usage of R&S English 5. I read through the lesson with my daughter, and we do both the written and oral sections orally. We do not write them down. If she has a problem answering the work orally, I go over it further with more examples and have her do some independent work in the worksheets to be sure she understands before we move on. We haven't gotten far into the book, but our first snag was simple predicates. She understood complete subject/predicate and knows what verbs and their helpers are, but the simple predicate thing just threw her for a complete loop. I think it was trying to pick it out of "all those other words." This is why I think this book is a good fit for her. It is taking each thing a piece at a time and the diagramming will be like an organizer for her brain to see where the words fit. Some kids may not need that visual, but it is a crucial component for my DD who may not have done grammar work to this extent in ps. ETA: The whole process on a lesson she gets easily takes 20-30 minutes. If I have to assign the writing in the worksheets, it can take FOREVER. She struggles with getting thoughts on paper.

This is EXACTLY how I feel. I fully respect their good intentions in providing a meaningful service to homeschooling families, but the books aren't free. If I am paying for them (just like with any other company) for their service, then I expect my order to be processed efficiently, or I will have to shop elsewhere. It isn't personal. It's business. :(

*their ( I hate those mistakes!)

Thanks, everyone! I knew they were a very highly respected company, so I was thoroughly disappointed by this. It still frustrates me that they didn't list the item as backordered before I went through checkout, but I will call them today about an expected ship date. I guess I'm just frustrated because it's hard to stay on plan when something like this happens. I normally order things like this through Amazon, so I'm am spoiled by their 2-day Prime shipping!!! Btw, about half of the backorder was Prang stuff (crayons, payons, paper chalk). The other half was powder paint. We have Hobby Lobby, AC Moore, Michael's, etc. here. Do any of them carry Prang? ( I checked HL, and they did not. They also didn't have powdered paint.) I went with RR because there prices were good, and I didn't feel like driving all over town to check each store!!!

So, I ordered 16 items from RR on Tuesday, August 20. Then, on Wednesday, August 21, I get this email from them regarding 8 of the 16 items being on backorder (none of which were listed as backordered on their site). "If the item is on publisher backorder and the publisher has provided an expected availability date, it has been included. If no date is provided, it is either a temporary backorder item we expect within a week or so or it is an item the publisher is unable to provide a date for. On expedited orders, all available items will be shipped within 2 business days. Backorder items will be shipped on a normal basis. If you have not already expedited your order, it can be expedited for a $10.00 fee. Please call our customer service department at 888-841-3456 with this request. On regular orders, we hold orders with backorders for up to 5 business days, hoping that the backorder comes in so that we can send the entire order together. If backorders still have not arrived after 5 days, we will ship the portion of the order that is in stock. The backordered items will then ship to you after we receive them. No additional charges for backorders will be made, as the initial payment included all items and total shipping charges. For our complete backorder policy, please see the Policy FAQ’s section at http://www.rainbowresource.com/policyfaq.php If you have any questions, please contact our customer service department toll-free at (888) 841-3456. (Due to time constraints, we are not able to respond to backorder status via email.)" Per this email, I can't tell if or when I'll get the items, and I needed some of them to start our art program. (They are fairly common supplies, so I feel confident they will be restocked. However, there was no expected ship date listed, and I did not pay the $10 to expedite my order.) I'm just wondering if this is common with them. I'm kind of a stickler about stuff like that. It REALLY gets under my skin to make the effort to place an order and not be told up front that it is not there to be sent. If it was one or two things, I could understand, but this is HALF of my order!

I'm glad that it worked out for you! I truly am. As the mother of 10 and 7 year old DDs, I couldn't help but feel for the younger girl. While a few people mentioned that the older child's feelings weren't being equally considered, I had to disagree. I felt that the older two would probably have time together during the daytime so having another body in with them at night wouldn't be such a big deal. She would still get tons of time to hang out with a girl her age. OTOH, while the younger DD plays nicely with the boys and could be allowed to sleep in the room with the girls, she may realize that she doesn't really belong with either group. As such, if I was her mom, I would want to at least include her in the girls "group" at night. Some might call it unfair to the older girl, and if it was JUST those three girls, I wouldn't force the issue. However, with 5 kids doing the sleepover thing, I could totally see how the younger DD would be hurt being the ONLY child sleeping with a parent.

We started today also! This is my first year HSing my DD10 (5th grade) and DD7 (2nd grade). My hubby flew out this morning for 2 weeks so I let the girls stay up late to hang out with him last night. As a result, we got started a little late, but the girls hung in there and managed to accomplish A LOT today! I was so proud of them both. DD10 was a little taken aback at the amount of work she had compared to her sister, but I explained the whole 3 year grade difference thing and she seemed ok after that. She did have a couple mini hissy fits over Chapter 1 of R&S English 5, but I knew that would might happen and was able to talk her down. (She's my S-U-P-E-R sensitive child.) Having just read someone ask about whether they should move their child down a level from R&S 5, I was able to show her how she would begin covering all the stuff she didn't know starting with Chapter 3. DD7 was a champ all day long. I love her with all my heart, but she is a child to whom most things come easy. She learns quickly and is very affectionate so having her at home really helps to even out everyone's nerves. :Angel_anim: She was actually thriving in PS but liked the idea of staying home with us so I really want to make sure she has a great year and isn't upset by the power struggles between DD10 and myself! Anyway, we got through all of DD7's work and missed only Science for DD10, but I'm not worried since we watch BOTH Latin DVDs today (SSL and LCI) and they were L-O-N-G!!! I think I'll try to do those on different days from now on since the girls enjoyed watching each others (well DD10 did anyway!). I'm excited and nervous and gaining confidence all at the same time. :tongue_smilie:

Ellie, I would never suggest anything of the kind!!! I was just wondering if I was a poor planner! I'll have to find out how many field trip days in SC can count as school days. The monthly activities I'm considering that would prevent schooling before include an educational class at the zoo. The time of the class would make it hard to school that day since it cuts right into the mid-morning, and I know the girls would want to stay for a bit after. :)

Ellie, I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I wanted to ask you about your schedule. I've seen your posts before mentioning it and am curious. It appears that your official school days (not including any educational field trips) consisted only of Monday, Tuesday, and 3 Fridays per month since Wednesdays were library visits and Thursdays were field trips. I feel certain that I would not be able to count weekly field trips as school days in SC (although I could certainly be misinformed about this!), so how did you get everything done in a 3-day school week? Did you school year-round? Were you an unschooler? I'm trying to make my very first homeschool schedule, and I find it hard to get everything in! We are lucky to have a multitude of homeschool opportunities here, and I am trying to whittle them down. :) As to the OP, I am running into the same problem as you. I thought that I would have no problems once my daughter (10) dropped competitive gymnastics, but I still have to schedule in weekly piano, religious ed, and dinner with a friend (and her kids) whose husband travels weekly! That's not to mention the monthly zoo and art museum offerings, as well as weekly homeschool PE classes at the Y. I don't want to overwhelm our schedule, but we do not co-op, so I want my girls to have interesting opportunities with other HS friends. I guess I always thought I would have LOADS of free time when I homeschooled! Now, understand the desire for people to school year-round!!!

There was a listing for this item at Rainbow Resource but no description of what was included. I used LiveChat to ask what was in the bundle, and the list above is what they sent me. I didn't realize until after I was posting it here that no paper was included in the list (even though it was included in each of the individual track bundles!), so I do not believe this list to be complete. Thanks for the comments on Dick Blick. That actually came up each time I googled, but I had not heard of that site so I wasn't sure how it was thought of by consumers.