My oldest ds is in 7th grade this year, and there is a possibility that he may go into ps for high school, which in our town will be 10th. I've decided that if and when that day comes, the transition would be smoother if I have in hand more of a transcript for the next three years (I realize I'll need his 9th grade stuff for his college transcript regardless). Anyway, I'm having trouble deciding how to weight grades. For example, when I was in school, I remember being told that homework counts for x%, tests x%, labs (for science) x%, etc. It seems like some assignments, like math homework, points were issued for completing it. How do you ladies do this? TIA!

For my two boys, we started ETC Book 1 in 1st grade. My dd was ready to start Book 1 in K. She was writing well, knew all her letter sounds, and was starting to sound out words on her own when she started book one,

There are a couple of different feelings on this. First of all, to answer a couple of your basic questions, I would log math computer games as math. Reading games under reading. Spelling and vocab do go under language arts. Some people log everything to the minute. If they spend 14 minutes on math, they log 14 minutes, etc. If the child measures the brownie ingredients, that's ten minutes more of math. If they go play in the sprinklers, it's 43 minutes of PE, etc. Most people interpret "hours" as "units of instruction." For instance, my two youngest do Horizons for math. Horizons is divided into daily lessons meant to cover one full grade level of math. We do one lesson a day, and I log it as an hour of math, even though I don't think it's EVER taken us a full hour to do a Horizons lesson. Soccer games or a family bike ride on the trail I count as PE, but I don't count the time they spend goofing off on their bikes in the driveway with the neighborhood kids. This is the same directions friends of mine have gotten at homeschooling conferences. This is also the same instructions that Families for Home Education (fhe-mo.org) used to have on their website. (Now they want you to by their "First Steps" book instead. It is very helpful, and I do recommend it. It's only ten dollars last time I checked.) Anyway, my understanding of tracking hours is to be able to go back and prove that you're covering the appropriate amount of grade level work. *IF*, for some reason, I had to go before the "officials" and prove that I'm doing what I'm supposed to do, I feel I would have much more credibility if I walked in with my log with an hour of math a day with our neat little checkboxes next to each daily lesson, our lesson plans with our list of books on science and history we read together, etc. I think lists of things like: "fifteen minutes of math: we went to the store and talked about prices, Science - two hours of animal planet" would hold less water. Maybe here or there would be fine, but if you ever have to show your log to someone, that person is likely to be suspicious that you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing. They're going to get awfully tired of sifting through detailed logs. Even though I *do* believe your kids can learn a lot from those activities, in my opinion, that's not what they would be looking for. And, for what it's worth, I don't know of a single person that has ever had to show their log to anyone. The only local family I know that's had any hassle over homeschooling has been a divorce/custody issue where the father has not been in favor of homeschooling. And there's a whole 'nuther side that story that I'm not even going to begin to get into. My sister in Louisiana just has to keep a daily attendence log. Oh, how I wish I could just do that! Best of luck. Every new Missouri homeschooler freaks out over the hour log, but it doesn't turn out to be that bad once you get used to it.

Okay, please hear my "tone" in this. Picture me, sitting at your table, coffee in hand, saying this gently and softly, with a kind smile on my face. I'm confused as to what exactly is the problem? Your original post implied that you were unhappy with how your days were going. That you were having trouble getting it all done, and that your kids were dawdling. Now you're saying that your kids have plenty of free time, that they love everything they do and are having a great time. If that's the case, why change anything? If you need to cut the day down for your own sanity, that's okay, too. There are times when I've had to make curriculum decisions based on what *I'M* able to do with the time and energy I have available. I hesitated posting the first time, because these posts go this way every single time. Almost every time I've seen a post where someone has been told they're pushing their littles too much, they always backpedal and say they're really not doing THAT much, really. Those of us drawn to classical education tend to put great importance on education. We tend to have high expectations for our kids. We're the type that read baby development books just to see how far ahead our infants were. We get this. We understand where you are, and we're trying to help, because WE'VE BEEN THERE OURSELVES. We get it. We're not chastising you. We don't think you're a bad mother. We just don't want you to make the same mistakes we've made. The days I made my son cry over math? I can't have those days back. But I CAN try to help you not make the same mistakes I've made. It really is okay to cut back. Even if the kids love it as much as you say, SOMETHING compelled you to ask how to shorten your days, and we've told you. Even if we've totally misunderstood you, and you just need more time to sit and stare at the wall for YOURSELF, it's okay to do that. Believe me, in just a few years, you'll be able to send them off to work independently while you stare at the wall for a bit.

Maybe I'm just dense, but I'm starting my 5th year of R&S grammar with my oldest, and I'm still benefiting from the refresher each year. I can't remember the exact quote, but SWB says grammar should be repeated each year until it's automatic - which usually means through high school. Yes, you can be a good writer without knowing all that stuff, and many are. But I do think you will be an even better writer if you do know all that stuff. I have a much better understanding of how words work together in sentences thanks to using R&S with my kids, and that has in turn made me a better, more confident writer. I'm suddenly very self-conscious about whether I'm using proper grammar in this post... I do R&S orally with my dc. If there's a worksheet, they do that. It really doesn't take a lot of time that way. I vote to stick with it.

I've been on these boards for seven years, and these kinds of questions pop up from time to time. It's great that you're so enthusiastic about homeschooling. It's great that you have all those plans. Save it, because you're really going to need it later. I would not stress about composer study and artist study and character study. You know what? Your kids aren't going to remember it. I'm on my second history rotation with my dc. They have an excellent understanding of the flow of history, but all those books that I oh-so-carefully chose to mesh so well with SOTW? All those details we talked about? Pfft. A few really captured their imaginations, but most of them are long forgotten. And honestly? *I've* forgotten a lot of what we covered the first time through. What my kids do remember from those years is that we read books together. They remember the day that E had to get stitches. They remember the day that the dog died. They remember the time that J slipped and fell in the lake at the park. They remember that Daddy read the book "10 Minutes Till Bedtime" every night for about two years. They don't remember a blasted thing about the spreadsheet I made to coordinate SOTW with Sonlight Year 1 and Biblioplan. You don't want your dc to remember the fact that Mommy had them on such a strict schedule that their lunch was timed. Perhaps it came across much harsher than what it really is like at your house, but that sounds a little sad to me. Read. Do phonics. Do handwriting. Do math. Character study, artist study, composer study, and history can all be made a part of your read-aloud time. Read a book about Beethoven one day AS your read aloud. When my kids were your kids ages, I got SO TIRED of people telling me to enjoy it because it goes so fast, but it does. I have five years left with my oldest. ONLY FIVE YEARS. I love this soon-to-be teenager, and it's awesome seeing him grow. I understand that you have to teach him, and nobody is telling you that academics aren't important, but you really can cover the basics in less time that what you're doing.

This link might help: High School Credits for TOG I just glanced at it, but it appears that generally if 3/4 of the R assignments are completed, it's a high school credit. I'm tired, so I'm not sure if you are getting ready to repeat year 3 for R, or did it last year. But, since I don't know beans about awarding high school credit, I can't be much help anyway. :)

:iagree:

I like it more every year. My oldest ds does "get" grammar. He still struggles with punctuation, but that has more to do with the fact that he's dyslexic than the fact that we're using R&S. :) Based on his scores on the chapter tests, he would have made a solid "B" in the class if I had issued a grade. My dd has done very well with it. Younger ds will start R&S in 3rd. I enjoy using First Language Lessons in grades 1 & 2. I'm sure that levels 3 & 4 are excellent, too, but they were not available when my oldest was that age. Since I own R&S and it works, I'm just going to stick with it.

That's how I explain TOG most of the time. Most homeschoolers I know in real life have at least a passing knowledge of how Sonlight works. TOG is similar. Like Sonlight, TOG pulls in living books and historical fiction. But, you have a little more freedom as to what books to use (they give you a few choices. Sonlight is specific to the books they choose.) TOG also provides worksheets, discussion questions, and extensive background notes for the teacher. The price is just for the year plan. The books are separate. It's expensive but it's all reusable. That's it in a nutshell. I love TOG, but it's not for everyone.

I've done Flylady, and she helped, but this planner works much better for me: motivatedmoms.com It lists you chores for the day. Everything is broken down into manageable chunks. There are probably 30 minutes or so of tasks listed for each day. In addition to that, there are also chores listed on the side that you take care of every day: (dishwasher, wiping out sinks, etc.) When I follow this list consistently my house is very clean. When I fall off the wagon - not so much. But I'm falling off the wagon less and less these days.

During soccer season, I often cook "hamburger-based" meals ahead of time and then put them in the crock pot on the "warm" setting. So, tacos, spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes, dirty rice, etc. Then, it's ready to eat when we get home. I've also recently subscribed to e-mealz.com. For five dollars a month it gives me a shopping list and meal plan. There is usually one crock pot meal and one super fast meal each week. Most of the other meals can be done in an hour or so. It would be hectic getting home and having to launch right into cooking, but if you already had the ingredients on hand and the recipe right in front of you, it would be easier. I am very excited about e-mealz. I've been doing it a couple of months and it has been wonderful. I think it will make this school year run much more smoothly, and it's saving me money.

I haven't updated my signature line, but we're starting TOG 3 this year. My dc are 7th, 5th, and 2nd. My youngest ds does FLL and WWE. My older two do R&S and writing per WTM recommendations. I own Lost Tools or Writing, but I'm going to wait until January to implement that with my oldest. I transition my dc to R&S in 3rd grade, because FLL 3 was not available when my oldest was in third. Since I own R&S, know it works, and spend too much on school as it is, I'm staying with it. I'm sure FLL 3 is excellent, though. Like Siloam said, it's easy to just skip TOG writing. They are very different philosophies. I think my middle dd would do well with TOG writing (she's bright and very motivated), but my sons, who are both slightly dyslexic, would flounder. It's easier for me to keep everyone doing the same thing. I will probably use TOG for ideas for essay assignments, but I doubt I'll ever follow their plan exactly.

I don't have a LOT of personal information, but I went to school across the park at St. Louis College of Pharmacy, and know a few people that have gone there. Most of my knowledge is twenty years old, though. For example, I had no idea that they didn't call it "Wash U" anymore. :) Anyway, even though it's on the border of St. Louis city and Clayton, the area still has an urban feel. Clayton has a downtown of it's own. Suburbs, to me, mean cul-de-sacs and subdivisions. I feel very much in the city when I'm there. I worked for a while at a pharmacy in Clayton, and it was an interesting patient mix that ran the gamut from the wealthy upper-class to poverty stricken. As for St. Louis, I love St. Louis. If I had to live in a city, St. Louis would be it. It isn't without it's problems, but I enjoyed living there, made friends easily, and for the most part found the people friendly. But many people I know who attended Wash U (and bear in mind, this was twenty years ago - at least), have remarked that the school has a very "East Coast" feel. Many of the students come from some of the nations elite prep schools. All due respect to our friends from the East Coast, but the people there have a reputation (whether it's deserved or not, I can't say), of having a bit of a harder edge. The small town farm kids I grew up with found the atmosphere on campus unfriendly and intimidating. This assessment comes from a friend who actually graduated from there, so while a couple of people might have sour grapes because they may have not cut it academically, even my friend who did well felt that way. That being said, a friend of my best friend's son, who is also a small town farm kid, is attending there now and loves it, so perhaps my friends were there at a particularly bad time, or maybe I just have friends who are social misfits and thin-skinned wimps. :) Best of luck in your college search. St. Louis is a neat city, and academically you can't go wrong with Wash U.

I think sometimes people mistakenly equate having a degree with being intelligent and interesting. It's not always so. Some people are determined to remain superficial and unengaged in the world around them. A degree sometimes changes that, but I don't think it's always so. I don't think it makes a difference to people who get to know someone well. I can't imagine a man becoming unhappy with a wife he otherwise finds interesting and fun simply because she doesn't have a four-year degree. I am a stay-at-home mom, but I have a professional degree. I have experienced people treating me differently after they find out about my degree, but it's usually people who have their own hang-ups, and not people whose good opinion is terribly important in the long run.

I don't think that's what people are thinking. I get the feeling that people are saying that if her dh has reservations about her being able to do it all, and the next year descends into chaos, the homeschool door is going to be closed forever. It may be better for her to wait a year. You've gotten a lot of good advice already, but I do want to echo a question posed earlier. Your dh knows you a lot better than we do, is there a reason he thinks you're not organized enough to homeschool? If he thinks you're having trouble staying on top of things right now, it would be understandable for him to be hesitant to see you adding homeschooling to the mix. I just know in my marriage, I tend to be the compulsive, emotional one, and my dh is the logical one. Sometimes when my dh and I are in disagreement about an issue, my dh's arguments have been logical and wise, and all I can offer is the hope that it might just magically work out if I want it to bad enough. :) There are three kinds of personalities that I think would have a hard time homeschooling in your situation: 1) the low-energy type that has a hard time getting things done or following through, 2) the type-A perfectionist who gets very stressed out and irritable when things don't go perfectly and 3) the type that is always overestimating how much she can really get done in a day, and as a result is always running around trying to play catch-up. I would sit down and let your dh tell you honestly his concerns. Try not to get defensive. You may have to work hard to get you and your dc on a more productive routine, cut out extra activities, relax about pefectionism... who knows what he's thinking. But really listen. It's very easy to gloss over perceived problems when homeschooling is being discussed, but problems WILL arise when you start doing it. Your dh is probably the best predictor of what those problems could possibly be, so listen to him and try to come up with ways to realistically address his concerns.

We're conservative Christians who read and watch Harry Potter and enjoy it. Now, if I felt the writer or creator of the movie had an agenda, and that the movie had an underlying theme that was hostile to Christianity, that would be different.

I might not have been clear when I was talking about my dh and I. Saucony does have shoes designed for people with high arches, and Asics has shoes for pronators. Just like the other poster who said Saucony shoes don't fit her right, Asics don't fit me right.

I like the regular L&O, too, but Criminal Intent is my favorite. SVU is too icky for me.

The best way to find running shoes is to find a sports store with knowledgeable clerks who can help find the best shoe for you. But, there's no such animal in my town. There is a woman who works at my local Lady Footlocker who runs and knows a lot about the different shoes for different strides, but you could just as easily get a college kid who doesn't have a clue. I spent a lot of time on Runner's World website. They have a "shoe finder" function on their site that reviews different shoes. The most important thing to know is what kind of arches you have. Are you flat footed? Do you have high arches? That makes a difference on what kind of shoe you need. I have low arches, and tend to walk/run on the inside of my feet (that makes me a mild pronator in running lingo). I need good arch support. People with high arches need more cushion. Anyway, Runner's World website explains all that VERY thoroughly, and even tells you how to figure out what kind of feet you have. Asics is a very popular running shoe, but they tend to run narrow. My husband (who has high arches) runs in Asics and really likes them. I like Saucony (my last three pairs of running shoes have been Saucony). I have bunions, and Saucony has lots of room in the toebox, which I need. I run in the Saucony Guide, which is the lower end Saucony for pronators. I tried the next step up last time, and didn't like them as well. HTH.

My dd could easily be working at two grade levels above where she is. And, in a way she is. We use TOG, and I bump up the reading difficulty quite a bit for her. But, for our "graded" subjects, like math and grammar, I keep her on grade level. She's never had trouble finding another book to read, or something to draw, etc. This is the child that will spend hours in her room constructing things out of cardboard. I never felt the need to take away all that free time to be creative just to do harder math. She also has, much to our surprise and delight, turned out to be gifted musically. Keeping her on grade level has allowed her to devote a lot more time to piano.

I just bought Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God by Bruce Ware. I haven't read through it yet, but I really like the parts that I have read.

After 1975, it's my understanding that they started taking out some of the more challenging problems to make room for computer programming using BASIC language. And then, apparently, from the late eighties on, they revised them further, but I'm not sure I remember just how. I used the 1981 versions in high school, so that's what I'm buying. Nostalgia certainly plays into this. I enjoy seeing the pictures of the early eighties teens at their Radio Shack Tandy computers. :) When I first started reading about Dolciani math books, I really didn't understand all the fuss. Then, when I got my hands on them and compared them, I understood. Teaching the axiom and then proving it was how my math teacher taught algebra, and I guess I assumed all books approach it that way. I was not a math major or a star math student, but I did notice in college that I had a better grasp on how algebra "worked" than many of my friends, and I think my excellent math teacher coupled with the approach taken in those old Dolciani texts is the reason.

It was only for the Old Testament books, because ds had already learned the New Testament. It was to the tune of Ten Little Indians. I burned it on a CD, played it in the car, and voila, he learned the Old Testament books. I would imagine you could find some on there for New Testament, too.

I have a used 1996 version that I got for fairly cheap. I'm using it for my 7th grader this fall. I like that it introduces a lot of the simpler algebraic concepts (negative numbers, solving for a variable), but doesn't get into the more difficult, abstract concepts present in a standard algebra I course.