I suspect by the time DD is 7 like DS she may be a big more apt to write more, as she is a doodler and likes to write already. But who knows. DS is 7, and I don't know why I always feel like he should be writing so much. Writing is still a chore for him, he still somewhat "draws" each letter. He needs his writing to look very good and I compliment him on that. Sometimes i tell him "why don't you try to write that letter quickly and see what happens?" Often he does and it is perfectly legible, though he prefers slow. Most of the writing we do now is daily copy work. I dictate everything else. He likes to write things for himself, such as a secret codes for their hide out, plans for him and his best friend to build a gate between their homes, grocery lists for me, Christmas/b-day lists. I have decided that most definitely counts!

All I do is write a list, in nice bold letters with definitions, and post theme on his daily board. Same with frequently misspelled words. When he starts spelling correctly he crosses it off. This was my impromptu method while I though of a better way, but now he's kind of stuck to it. I think he likes crossing things off the list himself LOL. Sometimes he will rewrite the list sans the cross offs and spell them correctly, then that list goes away. So far it's working. Instead of extra work it's just kind of a reminder. With vocab words we have a spot for words of the week. I just keep them on top of his shelf of work boxes in a little open box and he reads through them from time to time. It may be every day or twice a day or every other day but he knows them. I use index cards and print the definitions. After the week they get moved to a larger box with the previous weeks. I'm sure I won't keep them forever but for now we have an ongoing box of them. Like our own little dictionary. I actually have HIM look up the word in the dictionary and read what it says to me, then sometimes he rewords it a little or I help him, and I dictate for him. It help with his alphabetizing skills also!

I am going to try to take a pictures of the kids little study nook later, or sometime very soon when I get our books put away neatly. The main bookshelves used to serve as hiding toys away but now that is not so necessary as they do not play with tons of toys during the day and have more grown up rooms now. Maybe someone can give me ideas of how to up the personality. The IKEA trofast work great for workboxes but I wouldn't mind something a little different. I have a hard time filling the workboxes up because soem things we do together, and some don't really need a box. I may try to have more of a "schedule" and they know where and which books/things to get out. I would love to make each a type of inspirational board for them to each hang their calendar, and tack up spelling lists or things like that for the week.

WEll that is nice to hear. I am always thinking "where am I going to hang maps?" But it's hard to see if they are too high anyways so I was planning to buy a nice atlas book instead. I love the cute homeschool rooms but it's just not me! I do have the IKEA trofast tower but it's cute enough, and the green bins are not too offensive. The schooling nook is straight ahead when you walk in the door. I guess no one is coming to my house for a BHG shoot anyways LOL, and I DO have kids and I home school so it' s not going to look magazine ready anyways. I guess I had better get over that one. I just found an older thread with some pictures and they are such nice separate schooly looking spaces!

I have been searching for threads or inspirational pictures or something. WE do NOT have a huge room to dedicate to homeschooling. I guess we could, but would have to reorganize the entire house. Upstairs i have a landing with a smaller bedroom that is kind of the play room, with a guest bunk bed. My initial motive was to repaint a lovely color, and fill with desks/books and maps/etc. This did not work out. The kids still need a room besides their bedroom to have random play sets left out and make forts. Downstairs i have a den which i use as a sewing/craft room. Our main living space is a great room concept and is huge. There is a corner nook area where the kids have their desks and ikea trofast tall towers for workboxes. Does anyone have their HS area in your main living space? I hate to admit this, but I do not want my living room walls covered in bright maps and things. We have bookshelves everywhere but I like to keep clutter to a minimum. No matter what they want to be in the main living area anyways, and it's easier to keep a handle on things. Also they have laptops and internet access so I like to keep an eye. Anyone want to share pictures of their learning space? or is there a thread about this some where I don't see? I would LOVE to get some ideas. Every picture I find is like a huge basement or extra wing devoted for school and I just don't have that. I feel kind of bad for not wanting to give up my sewing room for a school room but I don't know if that would even be necessary and they love to be crafty in their anyways.

This is how my 5 year old DD is. Granted she's younger than your son and not reading books yet, but she was an early schooler. SHe actually LOVES spelling and trying to read, but she gets a little frustrated that it is not getting much easier. I think her problem was just saying the words faster, putting all the blends together and not having to sound everything out. we JUST got AAS, and I have to say I think this is the ticket! She LOVES anything she can do on her own. WE have not even formally put it in to action because I only had it friday, but she spent a long time just arranging tiles and finding words. for both my kids it seemed like phonics/spelling went together and then after they were reading better, language arts and grammar. I think it depends on your child but for DD, she loves to write a little and my problem with say, the Spelling workout books is that even level A requires more reading than she can manage right now. But she is very capable of learning proper spelling.

Oh I know, i should have lengthened that sorry. I meant to say that it seems in the classical method there is so much writing.... narrations, dictations etc. It seems to be an overwhelming mount for us right now. We do plenty of writing for what they are capable, but I dont' want to take it to the point of tears, and THEN back off a little if that makes sense. I would rather not get to that point. I guess it also depends on your kids. Mine are not apt to complaining about work so I know when upset happens, it's usually the work load or being overwhelmed. I don't know many people in real life who HS so it's really hard for me to gauge how much we do or if it is "enough" for this age. I tend to be very critical of myself if I read a book on a method and can't put it to practice 100%

Even the most "schooly" home school situation is faaaaar from public school. You could even try to avoid it but at home kids experience real life all day long. I think my kids are very prepared for life AND academics. In school they have to try to assign everything to a class/lesson. My intention was to be very classical, and I do think we fit that somewhat. However I also enjoy that at 5 and 7 they have some free time in their little lives for things they enjoy doing. We learn Polish and music also, and they need a little abstract time to get into creative mode I notice. We do 2 chunks of time. Either math/seat work, then break, possible quick errand/outdoor play, whatever they want, lunch, etc. Then another chunk of more creative things such as art, literature, read alouds, art, music, Polish etc. Or the reverse. The blocks of time and what we do within them stay about the same, but sometimes they just wake up in a different mood and are eager to get going on something specific. We also enjoy science much more now that I have found how to implement it more regularly but they don't really see this as part as the school day. Sometimes I get a little self conscious when I read how unbelievably creative and ambitious some other kids are. I do not have notebooks full of great stories and my kids don't beg me for work LOL. Maybe to me sometimes it doesn't SEEM as schooly but i think I like that better. If you asked them a bunch of questions they could ramble on forever about things they know and are interested in. DS 7 can talk for hours about our living 75 gallon aquarium and the ecosystem and how it thrives in it's totality. And then he will go on about exactly what tools were needed and the process of drilling a hole in to the garage to pipe a sump pump to cycle the water, which then leads out to the garden......then he will go on about the gardening process. I do NOT have word of this on paper. I don't need to! Hands on experience here. I do not feel the need to have "proof on paper" for everything. They will learn to write well, have good math skills, read books etc. All in due time. For now I want them to see the benefit and enjoy the process. Sometimes whipping out the notebook and pencil just kills the interest. I would like them to be well rounded but most people have certain interests and skills that they build on and become an expert in a particular area. For this reason I like to see where they want to take things sometimes. So, I guess we do school at home, but it's "our" school and I love it!

Thank you all, it's helpful to hear supportive opinions. I have definitely heard the other side so need to make a decision. I will admit that I get stressed when I hear too much negative about something I thought was such a good idea. I am not a math whiz. I did ok and got good grades even through calculus, but I definitely lacked basic math skills. I was taught memorization, and never learned re grouping and number bonds etc. It seems that there is an opinion of Singapore that it is far beyond anything else, and just don't want to switch curriculum though I would if I needed to. DS likes TT. It's easy right now, and all the reviews of it being too easy or not rigorous worries me. I definitely have a math inclined kid, it's the one subject he NEVER complains about. I just want to make sure he will come out strong in math. Maybe there is a need to supplement here and there, but I don't know with what or when/how.

that's what i thought but then when I look all over the internet there are so many reviews saying kids don't test well or fall behind with it. I don't know, maybe I should just stick with it for a while. Maybe I should just look ahead and start somewhere further in the book. Or I should just stop reading reviews of math!

Long story short, I just thought this was such a great idea. DS in 2nd grade probably won't learn anything until the end of the year having to do wtih numbers. They do have some parts about lines/angles, days/months but we would do that regardless. Same with clock/money. My fear is that I DO NOT SEE MANY NUMBERS LOL. Anyone use this with success? I am hoping everyone just says ditch it and go wtih the math mammoth I already have and used last year to make it easy on me, so I don't spend any more time wondering what to do. I don't want to switch curriculum much, but math is the one subject he is inclined to do without any fuss, and I think he has a natural knack for it. It would be between MM and SM which I have never used, but I already have MM. I'm new to this board and a lot of the posts/reviews are helpful. I want this to work because it is independent and frees me up a little but that is NOT important if it is going to leave us behind.

I bought the uncle Josh's map CD. You can register it and get all the free online updates. They keep it very current. I was thinking of printing them in color and having them laminated to make our own atlas book

DS is 7, and I purchased the MCT complete HS package. I think I am missing a concrete teacher's guide regarding what to do when/what day etc. I am NOT great at teaching language arts. I want my children to have and appreciate good language skills. DS cannot handle another dry curriculum and I believe this is a good fit for us. I am just lost as how to put together a solid daily plan. Help?!

I have always used Bastein. They have a primer level A and B geared toward kindergarten and very young musicians, and another primer level geared toward 7-11 year old beginners. After either primer progression is completed they are ready to move to level 1. They are wonderful books! http://www.amazon.com/Bastien-Theory-Technic-Young-Beginner/dp/B000UWLWPK/ref=pd_cp_MI_3

Piano/vocal/flute is my background and both my kids wanted to play very young. While i think keyboard skills are important with any instrument, early on I think it's just good exposure to play any instrument. I have a full sized drum set with damper pads for my 7 yr old 2nd grader, and my 5 year old DD is learning guitar. Don't let age be a factor in deciding what to play! I began flute at 7 and played all through school/college. At some point we will start piano but right now they have plenty to do and I don't want to force it.

Or is there a long thread about this? I was trying to search for one.... We have used a sort of workbox system type before I knew there was a book and such about it. I actually got the book to see what it was about and decided it is most definitely not going to work for us in it's totality. One of the reasons I love HSing is I already see the independence my kids are acquiring. They seem to have no problem finding things to do on breaks or for parts of their day when the assigned work is done. I can't even think of that many fun and interesting things to give them! And i'm not sure I want to fill up their entire day with things *I* think they should do, if they are keeping busy on their own and getting the work done. So I'm wondering how do you present all the work? I bought 2 talll IKEA trofast towers with bins but I have not put it into full effect. We do the same few things every day and rotate others. Some things they do the same, such as read alouds, history, science....so who's box do I put it in? I was thinking of maybe just having a schedule posted with numbers, and numbering the bins. Any clever systems that work well? I feel like I am giving them things one by one and that was not my intention

thank for the Mallorie I will go look into that. I am still not familiar with all the abbreviations so I plan to look it up. For DS 7, he is pretty far beyond the typical 2nd grade and he does NOT like extra fun things. Get to the point, give me a list, black and white text, etc. DD: anything that sparkles or has pictures or activity based is right on, but she is only 5. I guess i just need something basic. Maybe DD would have fun with the all about spelling, though it is pricey! I guess I could just stick with ETC workbook for her. SHe likes it and does it without trouble all on her own. SHe is only 5 and learning to read but LOVES spelling and the spelling Workout book A requires more reading that she can handle right now.

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Thank you! I think I may order all about spelling. I already have the spelling workout books A and B. DS would be ok doing the end part of B, which i had him do today and he said "this looks totally boring." LOL I have considered just gathering spelling lists of useful words or ones that are commonly miss spelled and go that way with him. He worked all through Explode the code 6 and is a pretty good speller. He just really tires of workbooks, so maybe the AAS would be a good fit. If not i'll add it to my sell pile LOL!

Hmmm well after I posted I looked further through the book. Maybe we should start somewhere in the middle just to get used to the format and do a page a day or two at a time a few times a week. I also realized there are big holes in the ETC as in they do not explain in the student books what a contraction are and such early enough. I think I need to better plan the language arts week so we are hitting everything but not over doing it.

I'm new here, not sure why I haven't become a part of this board before! I think I am afraid of sitting at the computer too much reading posts lol. I am setting time limits for myself... I guess we are classical educators. I love the book, though not everything works at the same time or in the exact order so I end up feeling like I do not belong LOL. Take spelling. My kids are both natural spellers. I've never had a terrible amount of reading, writing, and spelling in the same day as they feel overloaded and the work is not great in return. I am finding the Spelling workouts to be too much. We have a great language arts program, read a lot, write some, etc. I like them in theory, maybe I should just use them a few days a week and not everyday or something? DS is 7, writing is slow for him. We are doing a lot of narration/dictation and he is working on becoming a more confident writer with HWOT. It is going well. I want to have some kind of spelling help, but not sure what to use. I have looked at all about spelling, and while DD (5) would love the magnet tiles and such, DS is a more to the point type and does NOT lilke extra busy work. We also do dictionary look ups and he has his laptop and is constantly asking how to spell something, and it seems to stick. I was looking at the Spelling workout A and B which I bought but never used last year, and he is far beyond the level B SPELLING part. I like the editing, paragraph writing exercises etc I think it's a bit much on top of everything else. So what do you do for spelling? I don't know why I feel like I have to do the same things every day. I am trying to get better at planning the week and doing something different in the language arts area each day. We were using Explode the code but he thinks it's too childish now. We went through book 6

OMG I'm laughing LOL!!! I live within 5 miles of my parents, and since I can remember, my dad is worse than the guy on Christmas vacation, and we are close behind. My kids are obsessed with Christmas, we all are. I don't know what it is. It's NOT just the presents LOL!!! It's like once summer is over we are in Christmas mode. My mom and I joke about putting up the tree because every year we swear we will wait until after thanksgiving. My dad gets up the ladder I swear an extra week early each year. His neighbors think it's hilarious, but he started a trend and now the whole street gets traffic and people leaving baskets on his doorstep with thank you for lighting up the city cards :lol. My sister is so bad about it I can't even explain it. She has worn out several copies of the original Home Alone and can quote every single child hood CHristmas cartoon word for word. I think people must think we are just nuts, but all in good fun. We probably go over board in every single way, but the kids just love it and we do alot of donating things and time , and baking for people etc. This is my favorite time of year.

Bill thanks for your input it is reassuring! I have to tell you, my husband seriously taught this to me and I am a grown up graduated college with good grades and all LOL! I was NEVER taught regrouping. I focused on math facts up until 10 and then being able to regroup, or make ten/complete the next ten and it made a world of difference. At one point it seemed we took a step back because it does take a while to learn, but then DS grew leaps and bounds! He's 7 whizzing through math 3rd grade now. He STILL does not have everything memorized, but he is very quick at regrouping and uses strategies like doubles for 8+7 or something, since he memorized doubles. I never did flash cards. My husband uses math/physics every day and he is really good at explaining to me HOW to teach/explain things. I did pretty good and got through calculus, but I never learned basic math as I should have. I actually have not really looked in to singapore. Right now we are doing teaching textbooks and DS loves it.

i must have not read close enough i missed that he is 9! Well, it's all good advice. The attitude problem is tough because who wants to be around a complaining kid! My DS will do JUST enough to eek by LOL. He is VERY clever.

This is my first post.....I have gone through these things with my DS (2nd grade). I discovered he is a little bit slow to write. He is very bright, reads at a high level, but I have discovered that he still basically "draws" when he writes. We are going through the HWWT printing blue book. I NEVER sat down with him while doing this (shame on me) until a few weeks ago. It's the one thing I"ve always felt confident was pretty straight forward and didn't need me standing over him. The other day we were doing the letter "Y." I suggested he just tried to write it quickly and see how it comes out. Turns out he can do it. He is just not a very confident writer but it is getting much better now. I realized MUCH of his frustration was attributed to this . It took him SO long to write everything down. We have switched to more dictation, and he works on becoming a better writer before I make him write everything down. Is it possible that one of the curriculu is just not clicking with him? Maybe there is one thing leading him to frustration. I know with my DS if there is something he deems hard, as in writing he gets really stressed and it comes out in a bad attitude. Once I told him for a while I would do more writing it was like instant different child. For example we do dictionary look ups with words of the week and he writes a definition in his own words. Then he would have copy work, and a few more sentences for something like science, history, language etc. That was WAY too much writing for him. He LOVES anything that can be done on the computer, and we use teaching textbooks which is THE best thing to ever happen to our day LOL. We have also had talks together about how blessed we are to be in this situation. I make no bones about the fact that his friends are up at 7, rush to eat and out the door, gone all day come home with homework. I don't want him to have a horrible image of public school but i also don't think it's the ideal place for him, and want him to know that I DO put alot in to this, and we all need to contribute to the family by having a good attitude. It's not a guilt trip, it's just talking with him in an age appropriate manner that we have it pretty good. I don't expect him to thank me for giving him school work, but I DO expect them to have a gracious attitude toward life and our day in general. I try to keep pretty straight faced and un emotional in my reaction to complaining etc. It is very rare now. Also I've been doing this sort of workbox idea before I even knew that it had a term and a whole book and we do NOT use it to a T as described in that book, but DS needs his whole day upfront. This has become somewhat rambling...sorry. I just reread your post and the last line you said "he doesn't want to write." Do you think he could be like my DS and it is very hard for him? One day I just basically wrote everything down for him except for his little bit of copy work/penmenship practice and he had SO much to say! That is when it clicked, that some kids are just slower to write, and when the writing is frustrating and taking so much time it takes away from the intent. You could try that for a few days and see if there is any improvement. Just focus on getting him to be a more confident writer before having him write too much. If your DS loves work on the computer have you looked in to teaching textbooks for math? I see you are using math u see and I'm not sure how committed you are to that or if you would want to try something but it is a really great program. It basically changed our whole day.