[S--L--O--W Moving Child]

I have one just like yours. Sorry no help, I am constantly encouraging him to move faster, stay focused, etc. I am praying he grows out of it.

[My son loves CLE's speed drills !]

My kids LOVE CLE and the speed drills. My older does her speed drills well. My younger is still learning, so not as well.

[Help! How do you work with 5 different kids effectively?]

Hi Judy,

I have five also. It is very hard. I do have a schedule and when everything goes according to schedule things do get accomplished. However, things rarely go according to schedule.

 

My practical tips are:

 

• I had to ditch Saxon, as much as I and my children loved it, I simply did not have the time necessary to devote to it. I ended up switching to CLE Math which has really given me much more time.
  
• I use a schedule similar to MOTH. If I actually follow it everyone gets the time they need from me. The biggest problem with the schedule is ME!
  
• I use the computer as part of the schedule. I use educational games/programs for each child to give me more one-on-one with each student.
  
• I combine our afternoon study of History, Science, Bible together using MFW. This is a big one. I know I don't have the time to devote to each individual child in each subject but by combining these together we have the time to delve into these subjects and learn together.
  

 

I hope this helps you some!

[Trying to decide about MFW 1st....]

I LOVE MFW K!!

 

I don't LOVE MFW 1st. It is totally different than K and my child bombed it. I wish it would work but there would be entirely too much tweaking/restructuring to make it work for my particular child.

 

I'm sure it works well for very quick learners with high retention rates without much review.

 

I am a huge MFW fan, just not of MFW 1st.

 

If you are comfortable with Abeka 1st then I would stick with that.

[Stocking your bookshelves]

Why are you moving?.....and

Can I move there? ;)

 

I've never wanted to be more Canadian than I do at this moment...after reading your post.

 

Personally, if I needed to buy books for the future, I would buy reusable textbooks, and use the library for literature.

 

Buy what you like. I personally like R&S English, so I have it up to 6th grade. I buy what I like ahead of time because I know I will use it. Other than any workbooks you think you will need, I think you will be all set.

[R&S vs CLE--consumable]

Yes, CLE has more workbooks, but I really like the way they are set up. I currently use their Math. I love keeping track of the speed drills as well as quiz and test scores right in the workbooks. It makes things much simpler. I do use R&S English and I use the worksheets but I would love it if it was all in workbook form. It is these small things that make homeschooling easier for me. Just something for you to consider. ;)

 

I'm currently looking into CLE LA, in part because of it's ease of use.

[farmers- help keeping cow's water unfrozen]

We have several Richie waterers(sp?) which are rather expensive. However for the few pens that don't we have a Submergible Tank De-Icer

You can buy them at just about any farm supply store or over the internet. They work like a charm. Don't worry if it is far away, we have a very long extension cord for one of them.

 

Editing to add that your hose has to be drained of water in freezing temperatures. If that is a problem, you need to unscrew it and drag it into a warm building during freezing temps.

[SIGH......I have been slack and now my 6 yr old is behind]

Writing With Ease (Level 1 wkbook) is great for 6 year olds! I love that the student is required to answer your questions in a complete sentence. My son wrote a few sentences today with ease because he's so used to answering questions in complete sentences. - Another great resource I've found this year is AAS if your son needs help with spelling. Also, remember that he has an advantage being a homeschooler- one on one teaching is so much more effective than one on thirty!

 

I second AAS!

[help! math and 2nd grader]

I have a 3rd grader who struggled with her math facts in 2nd grade. I think it is fairly common.

 

I bought a Flashmaster and she does that everyday. I think it is really helpful! It didn't happen overnight, but slowly she is getting those facts. I have started to have her practice on the weekends also. It's really easy to use she can do it independently.

 

When do you do it? I found that if I don't do Math first thing, after Bible, then it is going to be a hard day. Her mind needs to be fresh in order to handle it!

[Falling Behind...Need Advice Please!]

A schedule is a MUST! If I didn't have some sort of schedule then I would be a wreck and no schooling would happen. I set benchmarks in my day that help me stay on track. Up, dressed, breakfast, chores done by 8a.m. some days it doesn't happen but I do have a goal!

 

AAS is great! Get both kids together and tackle that first off, then get out whatever math you have and get that done. I like grammer after that but it really isn't a necessary evil...yet. I would get the phonics/math done first so you know you have that covered. My 1st boy does phonics/ reading/ math and then in the afternoon we do MFW Adventures.

 

I would agree about just waiting until January to start MFW, but for us it is a REWARD! We get to do the fun stuff if we get all our other school done. I honestly look forward to the read alouds as much as my children. The crafts are a small part of the curriculum. For me the read alouds and book basket are the best part!

 

If you need help getting a schedule I would recommend Teri Maxwell's book Managers of Their homes. I don't agree with everything she says but I do like that it got me ( a very non-schedule person) to give a schedule a try. I'm still tweaking mine, it's a never ending tool that you use to help you, not a master to work for!

[Farmer Boy--anything similiar?]

Pelts and Promises my son LOVED this book!

 

"Farming with Father by Rod & Staff, is a very accurate story about a day in the life of a farm boy.

[MFW K with kids who know their letter sounds?]

My daughter started knowing her sounds but MFWK starts them on blending sounds on week 8 and then quickly moves on to reading words. I've often heard that it is not very challenging for kindergarten but I don't agree with that at all! If you actually have a child already reading then I wouldn't recommend it but if they only know their sounds I think it's perfect!

[Has anyone made a list of chapters in SOTW that may be objectionable to Christians?]

I find that the myths intertwined with the true biblical accounts are somewhat confusing for my dc.

[If you try to follow WTM rec's- tell me how your gr.3 day goes]

I understand.

 

8-8:30-Music.

8:30-9-Bible

9-9:30-Bible Worksheet

9:30-10:15-Math

10:15-10:30-handwriting

10:30-11-All-About-Spelling

11:1130-Grammer

11:30-12-WWE

12-12:30-Lunch

12:30-1-Piano Practice

1-2-Break/outside

2-3-Latin

3-4-History/Science

 

A schedule helps tremendously! I need that hour break to decompress! Then I am ready to tackle those last subjects!

 

HTH!

[Need help finding American History program for early elem.]

We are LOVING MFW Adventures! Highly recommended!

[My name is Michelle and I am a spelling snob.]

My problem is not so much with a lack of education; it's with the lack of enough concern to LOOK IT UP.

 

 

I TOTALLY AGREE! I have 3 Dictionaries by my desk and if I am typing and I know I am spelling something wrong, I obviously look it up. I wish more people would too!

 

I automatically judge someone who spells something wrong, I wish I didn't but I do!

[If you use CLE Math for younger grades, do you supplement something else, also?]

I use flashmaster to supplement because my daughter struggles with her math facts.

[BJU reading?]

I've done BJU Reading 2 & now 3 this year. My daughter can do it independently when I need her too but I do love the comp. questions.

 

I do sit and go through the whole lesson with her on Skill station days but that's about once a week.

 

The worksheets are fairly self-explanatory. So depending on your child's reading ability and speed....

 

It takes us about 15 min/day.

[All About Spelling?]

We use it and love it! I'm using it with a 7 yob & 8yog. Two totally different levels of reading. One is using beginning readers the other is reading at a 4th grade level.

 

It works. Start with level One and work your way up!

[US History that tells the truth?]

What a great question!!!

 

I have to say that we are doing MFW adventures and it has really been eye opening to say the least.

 

My husband and I both have some Native American ancestry (so that's something close to my heart!). Honestly I have never felt as much empathy for Native Americans as I do now, after reading some of the selections MFW has put into the Adventures program.

 

The first few read alouds I have read are:

Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims (this totally made me cry and I never realized the trials that Squanto went through)

The Courage of Sarah Noble (again another cry fest, I just LOVE the relationship that Sarah develops with Big John)

North American Indians (a very detailed picture book briefly describing many of the tribes across the US, my kids loved peering at the pictures long after we were done reading it!)

Sign of the Beaver (our current book basket selection, some more tears, the respect that Matt develops for Attean is just amazing)

 

We also read another book called Pocahontas and Her World which gave us really inside perspective on her life but I just added that into the Unit on Pocahontas.

 

I highly recommend MFW Adventures!!! I think your husband would love to read some of these stories too!

 

Some other add ons I have are:

History Pockets: Native Americans

Dover North American Indian Designs stained glass coloring book (A MUST have!) It is so cool!

[If you eat mostly organic, how do you afford cheese?]

Have you checked out getting into a buying club? I know you can order bulk quantities of cheese that way.

 

Also consider checking with Organic Valley directly. You may be able to get a bulk order shipped out to you.

[Quick question about CLE flashcards...]

You could make your own but they have them in perfect order for you if you order the set!

[Grammar for 2nd grade DD: If FLL, where do we start? Alternatives?]

I would just use FLL at full speed. Combine lessons if necessary. It's very good!

[Day 5 of R&S English, and my kids are totally lost]

I would personally put them all in level 3. Buy three workbooks and then pass out the worksheet after you have taught the lesson. I was considering dropping it myself but I was convinced not too, (Thanks to this board) now I am glad I didn't. It does need the mama teach them. The best part is I am learning right along the way!

 

 

I have found the worksheets to be invaluable! Do the exersizes in the book orally and then give them a worksheet. It really helps!

 

I'm sure after your older children complete level 3 they could jump up a level. That would give them the foundation needed for the upper levels.

[Anyone catch Wide-Angle on PBS tonight?]

I've also been thinking about letting my kids watch these. Had you considered that? They have just been sitting so heavily on me since I saw them that I was wondering what my kids would think of a look at their global peers.

 

I have that same thought. I wish I had a DVR so I could have recorded it last night but I'm sure we can all squeeze in front of the computer too! I think it would give them a perspective on their life as compared to children around the globe. It will be very interesting to see these children again in 2012 as they near adulthood.