"And again, there’s nothing that a homeschooling situation can do that a public educated student can’t do, in addition to having the chance to attend a public institution and participate in the WORK of action-democracy (action, because it’s “live†being lived)." Was that really said by the OP? Really? Wow! Saw that quoted here and yeah...just wow!

My suggestion would be a little different I guess. How bout picking two you know you are pretty settled on, Saxon and Spelling Workout (Handwriting for the K), and introducing them along with some reading off the Newberry List for about three weeks. In the meantime, take a dart let each child throw it at a map of the world. Each child will thus have a country or body of water selected. Hit the library, let them learn about their country and present to the family about a week later. While at the library have them each pick a book on a science topic of their choice. This will buy you a little more time. Smooth the transition and give you a chance to see how they do with what comes in curriculum wise. Then before you spend more you have more time and data from working with them to guage your choices, but they are still learning in the meantime. We liked Story of the World and Real Science for Kids. I spent a good bit our first year on what I thought would match, to find out in doing a bit so much that guided me well. Just a thought, and they come cheap :001_smile:.

Homeschooling is growing and I suspect we will all see much more of this type of thing. I have had several teachers tell me that between homeschool, charters and privates they feel more and more the public schools are struggling to keep high performing students.

Far more people are choosing to homeschool today and even with the recession it seems the numbers continue to grow. I am not sure it is possible to make many blanket statements about homeschool today. The growth is such that you have people who were homeschooled now dealing with their children's education.

Not only would I look ridiculous even attempting an arabesque, it might result in an injury to myself, another or perhaps something of value. Thus, my daughter learns to dance from someone who does. I don’t play guitar, my singing makes the dog howl and I have no business producing or directing a play. Thus, those skills I employ others to teach my child. If the point of this thread is that it is possible to be in over your head in some arenas and thus need be savvy and seek out those who can, then I would agree. Shucks, I farm the creativity, experience and work of others who have and are homeschooling highschool frequently on the boards, in real life and otherwise. Thank goodness the option is available in this day and age to tap these resources. One distinct advantage of homeschooling is that I can constantly assess, innovate and adapt as necessary. I can choose the most valuable lesson in a particular matter may be sticking with it despite the challenges. I choose that sometimes the most valuable lesson to model is the wisest choice is to cut your losses and move on to another approach. I can choose. If I choose wisely, my child and I both reap rewards. If I err, we either learn to learn from our mistakes or we pay the consequences (or sometimes both) and that is teachable moment. I am grateful for the freedom to choose.

The buzz acronym for a over a decade has been STEM. I have to wonder if the focus on math and the sciences by parents and schools has been to the detriment of verbal skills and at best maintenance of math results. Please don't think I am suggesting the maths and sciences should be less a focus. I am just a bit cynical on the ability of the educational system to walk and chew gum at the same time. It seems trends take hold and the rest falls by the wayside till the next alarm rings.

2nd / 3rd grade D (still in school) developed the belief she was "bad at math". This all stemmed directly from her not being able to complete the "mad minutes" in a minute. What she completed was accurate, but the speed wasn't there. I knew from messing around with her at home she could solve for x, approached problem solving from a variety of approaches and enjoyed the process. When I pulled her from school, one goal was to eliminate the "can't do's" and build math confidence. I did not drill multiplication. I did assign multidigit problems and wait (sometimes a long time) for her to work them out. I would gently say, "you know how, you just need to know what and with time and practice that will come." It did and she loves math. My thought, if it is discouraging a child or making them feel they are inept it may be worth allowing them to move on, if you are confident they understand why the facts work as they do.

We view college as a privelege, but one we have prepared to pay for when the time comes. I like others found myself caught in the trap of being excluded from financial based aid due to parents income but left to pay for college on my own. Fortunately, I qualified for many merit based aid options. Something the experience left me with is the strong desire to offer my child a graduated experience in assuming the responsibilities of adulthood. The types of jobs a 17/18 year old generally can do will not generally afford them many choices. The freshman year is an adjustment with or without the additional demands of assuming all responsibilities of adulthood as well. Thus, we intend to help our daughter while gradually allowing/encouraging/guiding and at times forcing her to gain financial independence. Even now we take steps to assure she acquires the confidence, skills and opportunities to practice this. She knows that money is a tool that buys access to opportunities and decisions have consequences. We are her chief employers for many years to come, complete with medical benefits/vacation/per diem.

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=309533 about mid-way thru the responses. Is this what you were looking for?

Wordly Wise 3000, and I don't buy the teacher's edition or test books, just the workbook.

We just use the workbooks for Word Roots and it works out to about one set of roots a week. This year we are making flash cards with the root on the front and definition on back. About every six weeks we will self quiz with our card collection. I can't speak to the other products, our goal is a simple visit to it weekly. I second what was said about trying to use the words from Wordly Wise. D usually has a favorite word from each week I will see appear in her writing or conversation.

Have you googled your state's department of education or instruction. Several I have looked at include learning objectives, curriculum suggestions, pacing guides and so forth for every grade level and subject.

After a couple of years of not starting literature "on time", I tried a different approach this year. I decided to start literature with simply reading a novel a chapter or two a day for the first three weeks. I read over WTW and EE and decided before we started into them fully, I would use this three weeks to generally introduce some broad concepts from each. No formal analysis, no papers, just read and point out the direction we would be going. Conversationally I highlighted something like "did you notice that allusion used? or "Isn't it interesting how the point of view the author chose worked to build suspense." It bought me a bit of time to get the routine going for everything else, we enjoyed a great book. I don't feel this time like we didn't "start on time" and it gave us a chance to ease into the many changes that seem to come with the beginning of the "school year".

We actually use both. Word Roots has rather short lessons and I think actually enhances decoding words as well as spelling a bit. Meanwhile Wordly Wise, if done one section of the lesson per day, gives them five times a week exposure to context and usage.