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:grouphug: Praying now!

I just went through the TWSS this summer. I LOVED it! I have never in my life felt that I could teach writing until this program. I covered it in two weeks and watched with a friend. I only wish I had used this earlier with my dd. Thankfully she was able to take a free writing/literature/vocabulary class for 2 years with a retired English teacher. I don't exactly what you mean by the three things you need to know ahead of time, but I personally feel that Units 1-3 are the essentials of the program. Units 4 and beyond take what you've learned in 1-3 and apply it to different situations.

We are out more now, too. Is it that the older a child is, the more you do out? Sundays - church AM, Cub Scouts 2 afternoons a month, church youth group PM Mondays - enrichment co-op 8 weeks each semester, Cub Scout pack meeting once a month, homeschool group mom's meeting once a month Tuesdays - Venturing 2 evenings a month Wednesdays - church Thursdays - dd has high school studies skills class (Cotillion next semester); ds has music class the same time We are usually home on Fridays and Saturdays, but ds's Upward Basketball starts after Thanksgiving.

Anyone?

Does anyone use this curriculum? What are the video lessons like? What is your experience with the program, and do you mind to share if you plan to continue it or not? Thanks for any thoughts!

Public school textbooks often have additional workbooks for teachers to use in addition to the textbook when a child needs extra work on a lesson. The Reteach workbook is to actually reteach the lesson that was learned in the original textbook when a child didn't get it the first time. The Practice workbook is to actually be used as like homework or something to practice when a child needs extra practice on topics. The Extend workbook is to offer something a little different or challenging to the student who understands easily or is advanced. The Reteach workbook is probably the only place you'll see the lesson taught, although it will only be an abbreviated version. It's all meant to be used with a textbook, McGraw Hill Language Arts for the grade level you need. You might find a used textbook on Amazon or something that would go along with the grade you plan to use. I found these for diagramming. This website has grammar practice and diagramming examples of lots of kinds of sentences. This website has lots of sentences to practice diagramming and answers are included, too.

I asked this on the high school board and haven't received many responses. Does anyone here have any good ideas? Thanks for anything you're willing to share! We are using Biblioplan which includes weekly map skills and geography tests. These all cover the maps and physical geography. I would really love for dd to have cultural geography, too. My dh is a public school teacher and has brought home some textbooks for me. I would love to do some type of unit study over each area/unit and even include my 3rd grade ds. Does anyone have any suggestions of free/inexpensive lesson plans/resources that would compliment something like this? I could use a textbook as her spine, but I'm not sure about ds.

We are using Biblioplan which includes weekly map skills and geography tests. These all cover the maps and physical geography. I would really love for dd to have cultural geography, too. My dh is a public school teacher and has brought home some textbooks for me. I would love to do some type of unit study over each area/unit and even include my 3rd grade ds. Does anyone have any suggestions of free/inexpensive lesson plans/resources that would compliment something like this? I could use a textbook as her spine, but I'm not sure about ds.

I was going to begin this with dd in a week of two. I started looking at it and realized that the lesson plans seemed odd. Have you asked for help on the Yahoo group?

This week we are reviewing the Bible verses we've learned from Jennefer's family rules acrostic. We are beginning Ozymandias. Ds needs to work on his 4s multiplication/division as well.

A Place in the Sun for our Ancient Egypt study and Because of Winn Dixie for the book/movie club I'm leading.

I'm using Biblioplan Year 1 this year with both children. I've never used Truthquest, but I visited the site and looked at the samples. This is my thoughts on comparing the two. Biblioplan seems a little more scheduled than Truthquest, but I will say that I wish the high school assignments were more scheduled than what they are. They give you a list at the beginning of each unit as to what needs to be read, but it isn't scheduled out over the unit. I personally didn't like the manner in which Truthquest's lessons are written. I don't usually like a writer "talking" to me in that way, though. I think the Biblioplan Companion is written more for an informational purpose. I assume you are wanting to use this with a high schooler, and Biblioplan does offer the written work that I think is necessary for high school, questions, short essay questions, map research, and tests. I'm only reading some of SOTW to my 3rd grade ds. I already owned MOH, Usborne, and Kingfisher, so I pull from all of them depending on what I like. Kingfisher isn't scheduled in Biblioplan anymore because of being out of print, but I have an old copy that includes it. Dd is mainly using Glencoe and A Beka for her spines in order to compare the different world views. I had her start out with Glencoe and BJU, but she really didn't like the way BJU was written. She likes A Beka better. If you have any specific questions, just pm me.

I put together my own US History study last year for my 2nd grade ds. I picked my own spine books and scheduled them myself, and I found library books, crafts, etc. over the topics covered. I did my research, then just scheduled it each week on his planner.

If you are still considering a spine, I'll share our experience. Dh is a history teacher and looked at Notgrass's samples and didn't like the way it was written. We're using Biblioplan and planning a 4 year cycle. Dd is reading Glencoe's World History as a spine and was using BJU's World History as well but no longer. She likes Glencoe but really didn't like BJU. I let her read a chapter in A Beka since I had one, and she said A Beka was much more of the facts and less Christian thought interjection where it didn't seem to belong. This was her complaint about BJU. My thought was for her to read both spines and be able to compare the different approaches, secular and Christian.

Why don't you contact the store and have them give you the dimensions of the actual box? Dd has the one that's half that size (5x32") with a desk attached. It fit in our Honda Odyssey van, and it was easy to put together, best I remember.

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who likes them! I've heard it said that the BEST curriculum is the one that actually gets used. If textbooks are how you can get it all done, then it is the best curriculum for you.

My dh has read a some of this with my son, so I wanted to add his opinion. He says it's well written and good information. He is a history teacher, so he should know some of what he's talking about. ;)

I picked up a book, Stories of Freedom, at a thrift store, and ds is really enjoying it. It has 14 stories of battles fought for freedom from Ancient Egypt until WWII. It was a supplement to the World Book Childcraft series. It has lots of artwork, maps, and some photos. Enjoy!

I rarely do, but I would for going in places that I really don't want to carry it. For example, I was on a field trip at a ranch this week, so I left it that time. I would say it's the more outdoor things. I try to make sure it's not in view or put it in the trunk.

I did the poll. I'd love to see the results.

I'm so sorry. I'm thankful you are all able to find something positive in it. I pray that she is somehow able to get an attorney to help her. I can't believe a judge would not even allow her to speak on her own behalf. That is not what our founding fathers would have wanted when they set our whole justice system in place.

I pray things went well. I have a nephew that is a special needs child. I can't imagine if someone took him away.

First- My dh and my mother Second- My dh, my sister, and my mother-in-law

Thanks!