Thank you so much everyone! Bill - Your suggestions were spot on and I'm going to go forth and buy the HIGs, IPs and CWPs (if I can find them). :001_smile:

YES! Typo!! He's in 1A... She's 3A. :blush5:

If you want them - I'd be more than happy to sell them to you! I just hadn't had any interest expressed thus far... Let me know. ;)

I enjoy reading in my 2nd language - it just takes me longer so I don't get to do it often. I find it difficult to find time to read leisurely in my 1st language. When the kids get older and more self-sufficient - I know I will resume reading in my 2nd language.

We went swimming yesterday afternoon and had the pool entirely to ourselves, as we do frequently. :)

Great idea, Karen! :D

We have been using Singapore Math since we began our homeschooling journey. I did the suggested placement test for DD when we first started (she was then 5) and thereafter purchased the US Edition textbook & workbook for all the levels 1A/B - 4A/B. I absolutely love the program. DD (now 7) is presently in 3A and DS (nearly 5) is in 1A. Both are doing well. DD is very strong in math and frequently jumps into the workbook lesson with little/no instruction from me. I introduce new concepts briefly and she's off and running. Moving forward, I am beginning to see the value / need for possible supplemental books; particularly the Home Instructors Guide for the answer keys! Of the following - which do you all feel would be worthwhile? Extra Practice US edition Intensive Practice US edition Challenging Word Problems US edition Also, beyond 6B - where do I go? The website states they have 4 options: New Elementary Mathematics (most challenging), Discovering Mathematics, New Syllabus Mathematics, and New Mathematics Counts (least challenging). I'm leaning towards New Elementary Mathematics. Has anyone here used these? Thoughts / Opinions ?? Thank you!

When I first started using SOTW1 - I made the mistake of going to the library with each new country or region introduced and checking out a bunch of books. For example, when we came to Ancient Egypt in the early part of the book, I basically just checked out anything the library had on the shelf. As we sat down to read them, I discovered that much of what was explored in the book wasn't yet introduced in SOTW. This also caused us to move very slowly as we were sometimes reading dozens of books. I know make a more concerned effort to review & find the books suggested in the activity guide. We thereby read 1-3 additional book and we move more quickly. SOTW spirals through history chronologically... so rest assured that you'll cover the major events in history... though you'll jump back and forth to different regions. I was concerned about this at first, but when I sat down and discussed it with my DD7 - she assured me that it wasn't confusing. She said, "I like it because I know what is happening in Mesopotamia at the same time as what is happening in Greece." .... to some degree anyway. :D

We, too, chose simplified. However, after reading the posts here in this thread I see value in learning both. I had previously mistakenly purchased some materials in traditional - but will hang on to them now. Thank you! :D

I, too, try to follow a more relaxed schedule and I don't assign times (9:30-1:00 Math, for example) to our day. The past few months, I have felt overwhelmed with outside activities and obligations (self-imposed). I was teaching a science class for middle level/logic stage homeschool kids and though I was enjoying it - I knew in my heart that my own kids were losing out. I had less energy to prepare for our own lessons so I've thereby let that go. I've thereby reorganized our schedule a little so I don't have to 'go out' so frequently. Part of that was getting a piano of our own so we didn't have to do lessons elsewhere. I have a weekly plan (subjects, etc. not specific lessons) of what I like to accomplish as well as a goal for each year. This is my newly revised plan for the winter 09/10: Monday Language Arts Math & Logic Poetry Reading / Memory Work Science - Reading Taekwondo 5:15 - 6:00 Tuesday Language Arts Math & Logic Current Events Science - Hands-on Taekwondo 5:15 - 6:30 Wednesday Language Arts Math & Logic Poetry Reading / Memory Work History - Reading Free Swim @ 1:00 Mandarin @ 2:30 Library Taekwondo 5:15 - 6:30 Thursday Language Arts Math & Logic History - Projects Passports Club (2nd Thr) @ 12:00 Piano @ 2:30 Taekwondo 5:15 - 6:30 Friday Language Arts Math & Logic Poetry Reading / Memory Work Saturday/Sunday Independent Reading Picture Study Composer Study Fine Arts & Handcrafts Activities with times attached are lessons with others and/or activities that are scheduled regularly. Otherwise, the subjects are what I hope to do doing the day. More frequently than not, however, we get math and language arts completed - others subjects get pushed aside. For example, we started SOTW2 in Sept. and yet we've only completed 4 chapters. Taekwondo is available 4-5x a week but we generally go only 2x. I also swim myself so MWF we have less time for formal lessons. I still need to get accustomed myself to incorporating daily practice time for DD's Mandarin lessons. Now that she is doing private lessons rather than the 2x week immersion class, I feel I need to encourage her to practice more. I'd also like to resume Spanish immersion daily - we did so for a month or so but it is the first thing to get dropped when we get busy.

Thank you, everyone! We watch movies regularly at home (Friday Night Movie Night) so I really want to avoid getting a DVD in the car, too. Shawna - I'll definitely pick up My Chinese Coach since you liked My Japanese Coach. The Professor Layton games are on my Amazon wish-list so we'll have to try one of those, too. I think BrainQuest is a good bet - we have the card version and we've enjoyed it. Emily - Scribblenauts sounds promising, as well. DD is weak in reading/writing, so this would give her some practice. :D

I recently posted on the For Sale boards a few Mandarin literature books for sale. Thought I'd post here to assure the parents of children learning Mandarin see it... Magic Tree House books in Mandarin :) They've been sold... sorry.

My daughter wants a DS for Christmas. I've held off for as long as I can. She is 7 and we go on frequent (once every 5-6 weeks) long car rides (5-6 hours). We don't have a DVD in the car and most of her friends have one. I hate to say it, but I'm becoming a conformist. Anyway - she doesn't play with toys much and this is the only thing she's mentioned, so I figure I might as well. She loves history and says she'd like to be an archeologist so I got Amazing Adventures: The Forgotten Ruins. What educational games would you all suggest? Is anyone familiar with My Chinese Coach (or similar language games) ? Thank you!

I wasn't previously familiar with Active Chinese! It's great! I wish they had a CD version to purchase... I'm a little leary about the subscription rate. Perhaps they have a monthly rate... ? I have created a list of resources at Squidoo... Fun With Mandarin. Please let me know if there is anything else I should add.

I copy & pasted it back into a Mac Pages document and the formatting returned! Yeah! Thank you so much!

I, too, would recommend finding a native speaker as a tutor. My DD has been studying Mandarin for almost a year now - though DH and I do not speak it at all (I'm learning as we go along though). DD teases me that I don't have the tones right. The tutor we found speaks little English - we found her through our local community college... I tutor her in English / she tutors DD in Mandarin. DD also participates in a 2x week immersion school, though so she spends 8+ hrs a week studying Mandarin. It's her passion. I created a Squidoo lens to organize some of the online resources I've found. Perhaps it can help you... Learning Mandarin. :001_smile:

I was about to respond the same way. Perfectly said.

btt

We're learning Mandarin (my daughter primarily). I've compiled a list of resources I've found at Squidoo. Fun With Mandarin

You might consider reading the book The Klipfish Code by Mary Casanova. It is set in Norway during WWII and gives a Norwegian perspective on the German occupation of Norway.

Glad I could be of some help! :D

Have you seen this website ?? Mr. Walker's Memorizing the United States

A related ?? : If I buy RS now... my DD is nearly 7... will I need to buy another version in a year or so or will it grow with my child. In other words - if we use it regularly (say 30 minutes a day 5x week) - will it last a 3-5 years ??

Is there a weblink where I can learn more?? My DD, though only 6 years, is passionate about learning Mandarin and has been studying for nearly a year now through an immersion preschool. They are not moving fast enough for her and I've tried finding other classes locally but there isn't anything.

From Jimmie's Squidoo Lens: "Books that are so engaging you don't want to put them down. Your children will beg for "just one more chapter." And you, the adult, even enjoy living books. They are classic. When the book ends, you feel sorry that there is not more. These books engage your thoughts and imagination with the vivid narrative and realistically portrayed characters." Give your children living ideas, encounters with great minds, and they will never forget them.