why not try the Magic Treehouse series? My kids loved those and they include historical information, information my kids retained like Shakespeare, Plato, King Arthur...the wording is not difficult -though I would not say all the words are easy-and the story is easy to follow.

My 8 & 9 year old are loving it. Next we are going to Swiss Family Robinson which we are going to love. Anything written by Edgar Allen Poe is a creepy possibility if your family is so inclined. He is the father of modern horror. Speaking of which, I think Mary Shelley's classic "Frankenstein" might be a good read or "Dracula" which is scary and a great read. How about "Fahrenheit 451?" I love that book. Maybe Moby Dick, especially the first couple of pages about "a cold November in my soul." So many, so little time. Have fun.

generally I can tell age range of person doing the answering based on their books. perhaps mine will be no different. Black stallion series A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (I remember LOVING that one) Nancy Drew Series Hardy Boys Series All the books about dogs and animals in general And my first adult book read in the 6th grade was the East of Eden, Travels with Charlie and Tortilla Flats all Steinbeck books. He was from Salinas and as a fellow townsperson I felt connected to his writing.

we live in New England and every year I buy my chlldren's Halloween candy for something they want. It makes all of us happy. This year, my youngest ds had talked us into buying a scorpion!!!!! An Emporer Scorpion which is big and ugly. A live one! It freaks me out. Gosh I hope this works out. I can't imagine being attacked by a legion of them. I hate bug movies, they scare me silly! He reads about the deadliest, scariest creatures known to this earth, says, "did you know...and it can kill humans?" and I'm beginning to dream about them. New idea! Why don't you just send them up here? The post office will let you right?http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/images/icons/icon5.gif

and I've had to cut my work schedule (I own my own business) to part-time so I can stay home more to HS. I didn't read all the responses carefully but I have some thoughts to share as I've been thinking about all of this stuff for some years since we decided to make this shift in our lives. First of all, it is subtle, the insidious part of our culture is that we are not supposed to enjoy our children. How many times have you heard yourself and/or your friends say, "I just can't wait to send the kids back to school, they are driving me crazy!" I've definitely said it in the past. And they did drive me crazy. But, I decided that because I am aware of that, it is important that I rework that attitude within my own heart. The truth of the truth is that I love my kids and I love being around them. I just think that we are told again and again that it is not okay to want to be around your kids. People kind of recoil when you say that you want to homeschool to be around your kids. Some people spend alot of money and time to minimize their contact around their children. One of the reasons our culture has some really messed up aspects to it. But now you are faced with them; so think about the fact that our culture largely does not support you wanting and choosing to be around your children; all the time. In my job I have met many mothers from different cultures and they all say the same thing to me. "We are not like Americans, we don't seek to get rid of our children when they grow up, we never want to get rid of our children." Now, that kind of sounds creepy and needy to lots of Americans. But most people in the world want to be with their children. The other thing is that my dh reminds me that when I leave the house to go to work, I am gone. He works from home. When I leave to go to work, I don't deal with the kids fighting, interfering with business related phone calls, complaining of boredom etc. That's why people don't like to be home...it's messy! And it is. No doubt. I had to admit, going back home to be with my kids seemed ridiculous on some level since our public school is actually pretty okay at educating the kids - at least academically and all of our friends send their kids to the school. And the first week I had to strongly resist the strong impulse to call the school and tell them I made a terrible mistake and the kids will be getting on the bus the next day. The kids questioned my every move and my every motive. They decided I was unfit to be their teacher. We fought. They cried. We have a friend staying with us that I could feel was internally shaking his head at this nutty decision to hs. My dh would teach them math and they would regale him and his teaching skills while telling me, "you are not nice like papa." But I have persevered. I have created a rewards system. I have developed a schedule that doesn't change on some days. I have joined every Homeschool thing their is to join. We go to homeschool swimming lessons, homeschool nature walks, and hs art classes. I introduce my kids to every other hs kid we come in contact with and strike up conversations. I have exhausted them with social stuff. They have become nicer to me. I ask, and they respond in a relatively timely way because they want their reward (are we really so different from dogs?) and because they just are getting used to it. And so am I. And most importantly, they are beginning to see that I really do like them. I smile with them. I want them to come with me places. We are learning Chinese and Latin together. We make fun of our horrible accents and how funny another language sounds to our uneducated ears. They are writing a report about dogs after seeing the film "Hotel for Dogs" and they want to adopt 2 small dogs (we already have one of those kids!) I love my job and get lots of positive strokes from what I do, but I am finding that truly, I love my kids more and want to be with them. Sorry for the long winded post. Feel free to ignore it; it was simply cathartic to write it!

(for the cost of this book) by LauraMaery Gold and Joan M. Zielinski gives more than 1,400 smart, effective, and practical resources for educating your family at home. (I've read this from the book jacket). She has a section on internet links for Personal Finance. basics of savings and investing: finra.org/Investors consumer rights & protection: lectlaw.com/tcos.html 13 steps to becoming rich, rich, rich...slow, slow, slow: fool.com/school.html (Motley Fool) Investing for kids: library.thinkquest.org/3096 Investing for your future: investing.rutgers.edu Investing in youth: philanthropy.ml.com/ipo/resources (this looks particularly interesting) Money math for life: tinyurl.com/moneyfile My money: mymoney.gov Teaching your children about money: family.go.com/tagsearch/money There are a few other website suggestions but I'm thinking this will get you and any other interested parties started. My oldest loves and desires money so we are trying to get him to see the "evil" of desire and to try him to hesitate before buying. Lack of parsimony is indeed a countrywide problem so he comes by these desires honestly. If you can't find the link perhaps I spelled it incorrectly so try googling. If that fails, email me privately and I'll see if I can help you straighten it out.

to their style. We are just getting started on Singapore and I can see that the math word problems are challenging but I think in a good way. Perhaps as everyone else suggests, slow it down, give less problems in areas that are new to him. But think about breezing quickly through parts you know he understands (cuts down on boredom) and just give him the chapter test. We only do math 3 times per week and already my kids are ahead of their ps counterparts at the same grade level. Also my kids have fun with math games so maybe adding some stuff you find on the internet to keep it interesting and keep it less workbook dull?

Some of you folks out there are the best kind of genius. Independent of thought but reaching out to the larger arena for help when you need help or support. I wish I were better at that. There must be some kind of rhythm to developing an education plan at home. Something like: 1) philosophy you like; 2) philosophy struggle; 3) find new philosophy; 4) darn it doesn't work; 5) start kind of smushing a bunch of philosophies together; 6) nothing makes sense; 7) finding who you and your family are as people; 8) children go to Harvard (okay I'm kidding about that). It seems that if one starts with what they want to do, that might be fraught with error. Part of the challenge that all homeschooling parents seek (it really is good for our children to see that struggle) is to find yourselves. I like CM. I also think she developed her philosophy time/place dependent. I don't think she was a country girl. It seems that she made NATURE precious, in the way some people talk about Organic food or farming today. If she were Laura Ingalls Wilder for example, Nature took on a different meaning. Beautiful maybe, but terrifying and potentially life threatening. Learning to read and write took on a much larger importance than nature walks. The struggle is the point to skill building and knowledge And I hope I remember all this lovely advice I'm doling out especially when I just threatened to throw away all the legos in the house if they don't start on their sentences. Almonzo's mother never threatened him!

I have 2 boys, smart, no ADHD, same issues. Oldest (9) blew through Harry Potter series in the second grade. And I know he understood it because we quizzed him. This is his first year homeschooling and I can get about 1 hour 15 minutes out of him before all hell (pardon my French) breaks loose. I can now sympathize with his 3rd grade teacher. DS the younger, is more cooperative and even though he doesn't always like the work assigned, it is easy to get him to do it. He gets it; once it's done than Mama is not on him. I feel your pain. I really don't want nor do I think I am doing him any favors by babying his antsy-ness. Yet, I can't beat him can I?????? How about that eating thing???? In the end, it is a beautiful day and they are down by the river throwing sticks and getting their shoes wet. Someone will eventually hire them to do something...I hope. If nothing, maybe it will teach them to have fun in life and not worry too much. They have parents for that. If this helps, all the research on kids says that the kids that do not settle down, are in and out of things all the time do pretty well in life. Maybe these little guys will pull it together when they are good and ready.

and I've got to say that most of what I know about western herbal medicine I learned from my patients. A word about homeopathy. The best homeopathic remedy company is Washington Homeopathics in I believe Virginia. They sell kits with 40, 50 or some sort of number of the more common remedies. When my kids were little I would bought 3 basic, anyone can do this kinds of books on clearance sale by different authors and I would compare the remedy recommendations. That worked really well. Cured a ear quick onset ear infection in 5 minutes as well as minor colds etc. Homeopathy works so well on kids that everyone should become familiar with the most common remedies for the most common problems. It will require you to be able to identify the particulars of an illness. For example (I've kind of made these up by way of example), does it come on suddenly, does the left side of the throat hurt more, do she/he hate lightening storms, is the child clingy and crying etc. I liked another participants use of oil of lavender and aloe vera. One thing about aloe vera is that it is most likely to work if the aloe juice comes directly from the plant itself, so please buy one. We use a sweet fern decoction for poison ivy. An old Native American remedy. Just pour it on, itch stops immediately, pi dries up soon thereafter. We're going to be selling it in my clinic soon...great stuff. For bruises, try arnica cream. What does work better than arnica is a Chinese herbal mixture called amber salve...you can get it from Spring Wind in Berkeley Calif. It even works for bone bruises that are slow to heal. One patient used it on super flaky feet skin and it took care of it. For bronchitis I tend to use 2 herbals. One is ESSENTIAL oil of oregano because it is much stronger than oil of oregano. Drink one drop in a cup of warm/hot water per day. Add to that chuan xin lian (AKA andrographis) 1-3 tabs 2-3 times per day until symptoms abate. For ear infections that are not ruptured, olive oil infused with garlic, mullein and St. John's wort is just fabulous. Gaia herbs makes my favorite. For plain ear pain, try sesame oil, couple warmed drops in each ear. Also don't forget to include a chiropractic visit, I've seen miserable children walk out of chiro offices smiling after a head adjustment. The chiro should be a child specialist cuz not all chiros know how to adjust kids. The last remedy that I can think for a common ailment is alfalfa for hay fever/allergies. I've been recently told that alfalfa is phytoestrogenic but I've not looked into that. I've never found one herbal gold mine. Like homeopathy, I would recommend that you buy 2-5 books for comparison purposes. Make sure you know where you will purchase the herbal decoctions etc. Lack of supply can stop any good herbal idea in its tracks. I specialize in Chinese herbal medicines, I both customize and sell patents. My reportoire of treatments in American herbs is limited. Generally though, you have to be a bit more patient than with antibiotics but also consider upping a dose of something before giving up altogether. I could say a ton more about this subject but I think I've written enough.

We live in Central Mass. on Mt. Wachusett.

Hi, I think this will be the first forum where my DH (is that dear husband in hive speak?) and I will be posting. He usually is involved with sailing forums or guitar forums and I am usually involved with a community acupuncture forum. This is a very active and lively forum I can see. Some very active opinions too (wow! a discussion on the confederate flag!). Since I am new to the forum, instead of discussing the merits or demerits of flag flying, I'll be lurking around trying to dredge as much information as I can to help our family with homeschooling 2 boys 8 and 9. Once we are well underway, I will pop up with an opinion or 2. I can see by the volume of comments, people really are using this forum as a social outlet and as such have found some cyber-friends AND cyber-not-so-friends. One thing I noticed on the community acupuncture forum I am on is that my feelings about some of the ppl posting have changed over the years. Some pple I at first didn't care for their opinions, but over time, I have come to value them, different as they are from mine. Others, whose opinions I felt were like "preaching to the choir" have over time, become annoying and empty just like my own opinion if I feel like it is becoming too one-sided. So I hope to become like a good neighbor to you my HS forum community. It is such a privilege of the internet that we can draw from such a vast swath of the earth to create community. I also like to remember that there is a vast swath of the earth that has been unable to access that privilege and we can all hope that one day we all enjoy the same access even as we don't see the world in just one way. :bigear:...but I hope that I can give as much as I think I'm going to get on this forum. best, tess