Here is a thread that really helped me specifically with whether or not to use the Self-Teaching Guides (we are using them - Astronomy last year, Physics this year): http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/283802-science-self-teaching-guides-recommended-in-wtm/?hl=%2Bstg&do=findComment&comment=2844133 My son is a math-lover and a reader, and has read a book or three on string theory, too. :D We have not delved deeply into doing experiments yet, as we have been putting more focus on developing his writing/reading/research skills (with WWS). We haven't delved deeply into the "history of science" books, but I do check them out of the library periodically and hand them to him to look over. I give him leeway with these - he can read them if he wants, but he doesn't have to do so. At least he understands that he can read those in order to gain a better context for the development of science ideas. What we have done (so far - I hope to develop this more in the next semester) is focus on reading and extracting (via some of the reading and writing skills he has learned) concepts from the STGs, and then doing deeper research (we have great libraries around here - several university ones, too, that we use now) on topics he wants to understand better or learn more about. I am happy with what has happened so far. He will come out from a reading/notetaking session and tell me he understood this and that, but didn't quite understand something else, but then he will mutter that he will just go back and reread it and do some research about it. My next plan of action is to get him researching and writing about science topics from is current science readings regularly throughout the next semester. Time will tell if I am being naive about high school science study, but to me, this is what I have wanted after all these years of sweating through teaching him (and me learning!) the academic skills that enable him to get to this point - for him to know how to further educate himself and learn from others, whether it's authors or real-life acquaintances. I fretted for years about using these books and these methods. But after showing my son some thick science textbooks, he got overwhelmed with the prospect of having to read all that, digest it, and answer questions about it. (As did I) And I talked with a friend of mine who is a MD and who knows what the universities around here are like. She kept telling me that if he knows how to read critically, how to write about what he reads, and has some basic conceptual knowledge in the major areas of science, and has a solid grounding in math (he is getting that - thank you Jane in NC and Kathy in Richmond for talking about Dolciani over the years), he will do very well in uni science courses. And her biologist/MD friend backed her up on that during one conversation. And she has observed ds in action, and thinks he will be fine. I also had that nagging little voice in my head telling me that he needed to learn how to handle the thick texts now so that he could do that in uni. But, I now know that because he is learning to handle text in smaller chunks, he will eventually be able to handle it in bigger chunks. Oh, and the Teaching Company science courses are wonderful supplementsl!!!! And this is the time of year when they go on sale for their lowest prices of the year (why haven't I see threads about that yet - where are those coupon codes, people?! :D ). p.s. Also, I think that what constitutes a "good way to go" for high school science is a bit subjective - depends on so many factors.

Something I forgot to mention - I think, too, that the recommendation in the audio is also a recommendation for the ideal lit. course. But of course we have to make it fit among the other courses our kids are doing in the big picture. Still, I find that the way SWB lays out everything in detailed ways is so helpful for me to be able to KNOW how to make these courses and how to make them all fit together.

I will try to do this next week. :D

After having been immersed in Writing With Skill for a couple of years now, and having listened to all those audio lectures, here is my understanding. It's important to practice persuasive papers and lit. analysis papers regularly *throughout each school year.* You get to decide, based on the student's skills, how often each one will happen in each content area (history, science, literature). In our situation, my son is just now starting to do one paper per week (as well as continuing on with WWS). I try to rotate every three weeks in those three content areas. I base what I assign to him on the WWS skills he has learned, and leave the specific topic up to him. WWS has taught him how to come up with topics, research them, and write about them. My notes from the audio lectures also help me to refine what I assign (there are questions in there that help the student to think about how he wants to argue the topic). I haven't gotten very far yet into this part, but we will work on it for the second half of this year. Lit. terms book - I have this book, too. And I started to have my son do the suggested study pattern from the audio. But then I realized that he was already studying the terms via WWS, so we stopped. Yes, I believe on the audio the ideal was to start in Grade 9. I don't know how long it would take. But if you go that route, you can always incorporate the terms your student knows into any assignments. Hope this helps somewhat.

We've had two snowstorms this week, so there is snow on the ground. But it could melt before Christmas. I am so, so, SO excited for you and your new adventure!!

Oh wow, Nan, congratulations!!!!!! I'm so glad, too, to see your website and paintings finally! Beautiful stuff! And I miss participating here on the forums regularly, but this conversation (and your mullings and new questions to yoursel) is capturing me. I'll be back to check up.

Thank you! It was fun to make.

I've sure missed participating in these threads!!! I did more back when Jane or Rosie was doing them - glad to see that the threads continue! I made this bag recently - it's upcycled linen lined with cotton. I decorated it with pieces of batik cotton, silk, and sequins. EDIT: I can't seem to attach it - here's a link: http://colleensharpe.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/100_2671.jpg

You know what, I think you're right. She probably hasn't had a chance to update her signature.

Hugs! 13 is a tough age. My son is 15.5, and he has started saying things like, "Wow, was I really like that?" when he sees his sister, um, acting out. He also tends to give her big-brotherly advice now, such as, "Sister, you know Mom isn't going to tolerate that - why do you bother? You should try this tactic instead, if you want to get anywhere with her." lol, but usually the tactic is something reasonable like talking and reasoning, rather than huffing and resisting.

http://www.peacehillpress.com/audiobooks-lectures/the-well-prepared-student-how-to-get-ready-for-the-high-school-years-mp3-download/

I see learning the topoi, picking topoi to use for a composition, and putting topoi together into a composition after doing all the reading and notetaking, as thinking practice. Learning some tools to use to think your way through reading and research, so that you can write an interesting compostion about your subject. To me, it's like learning math concepts and tools, and grammar concepts and tools. It can make a composition a LOT more creative, too. I use WWS pretty much as written. Parts of it are independent and parts are teacher-intensive. I pretty much just follow The Brain of the instructor guide and direct my kids back to following instructions.

pssst....you're not using "to" as a preposition here.... ;) yup. This is why I am glad I started teaching my kids in Grade 1 (FLL is so easy to use; and yes, adaptable, as others have said). Back then it was mostly about memorizing definitions and lists, even if they didn't quite grasp concepts. They eventually did over the first few grades (simple concepts such as what the various parts of speech were and what some simple sentence parts were and how to do simple diagrams to see those relationships). In middle grades they got into the more complex concepts. I am soooooooo glad my son went all the way through R&S (and, he did books 9 and 10 in one year, Grade 9, so his formal study is done. From here on out, it's application of his knowledge to his writing projects, with the Handbook at his side). All that training is serving him well now. He is not hindered by wondering what I'm talking about when I point out a grammatical error that is making his writing unclear. And my daughter is in the Charlie Brown teacher stage at the moment ("wah wah wah wah") - if I hadn't taught her the more basic grammar concepts/definitions/lists when she was younger, she would be having a really hard time by now. This describes me, too. With what I now know about grammar, there is no way I could have taught all that within the context of writing. Not unless I had been thoroughly trained in grammar and composition myself during my school years, and had practice. Which I wasn't and didn't. Read the last two paragraphs of p. 8 and all of pp. 10-13 here: http://peacehillpress.com/media/downloads/pdfsamples/wwesample.pdf Part of the writing training in WWE is talking about grammar. It will be easier to talk about it if the child knows what you are talking about. Suffice it to say that I am extremely glad we started grammar in Grade 1, because it gets it out of the way for the later years. Oh, and R&S 9 and 10 were EASY to do in one year, because they was 99% review, and half of each book was composition which we skipped in favour of another writing program.

Ugh, ugh, ugh!!!

Makes sense. I guess that latest revelation about the FBAR forms still has me upset. We don't make much money. But we do save up through the year to be able to pay various bills (property taxes, veh./home ins., etc. etc.). That plus the month-to-month food/mortgage/electricity/etc. money sometimes tips us over the balance threshold for a day or two. So because of that day or two, I have to file the FBAR most years. Oh, that and because I am joint owner on our chequing and savings accounts. So, just because my name is on the accounts. (That also goes for if I would be a cheque-signer on any other organization, be it work or volunteer!!!!!! Which I'm not. But still....) On accounts that hold money that wasn't even earned in the States, in an American company overseas, or by an American. Even my non-American husband feels invaded by this. It is SOOOOOOOOOO annoying.

But don't you hate having to file in the first place? And having to do those FBAR forms every year? And knowing that your foreign bank account info. may soon be reported to the IRS without your permission? This is what makes me so mad! Feels so Big-Brotherish to me, when I don't even live there anymore and likely won't again.

Yup. I hear you. I looked into giving up my citizenship a year or so ago. Then I found out that in 2010, the gov't. put a $450 fee on renouncing citizenship. It was free before that. Coincidental timing? I think not. The whole situation just feels like a chokehold, and my tax situation is not complicated. What are the "few extra forms" you are referring to? And about the other form from the Cdn. gov't. - I just learned about that a few months ago. If I start earning self-employment income, I will get that form and send a copy to the IRS. But boy that is annoying to hear that even though you send a copy every year, they don't seem to know!!!! It *is* worrisome, isn't it! Like saw said, it's the whole hassle of the rules and regulations and changes and wondering if you have done everything correctly or not. I spent a solid week last year, with piles of paper all over my kitchen floor, trying to figure out how to do the FBAR form that I had never in nineteen years been aware of before. Catching up on six years' worth of "negligence" and then writing a letter begging for forgiveness for not having filed it because I didn't know. I know there were lot of other ex-pats in the same situation with that, too. Why is it lame? Why should banks in countries outside America have to bow to the IRS because of huge penalties? I don't think the IRS should require tax-filing based only on citizenship in the first place. If an ex-pat is established elsewhere in the world, it just feels like being spied on every year. Yes, it's automatic. Extension til June 15. But any taxes owed are still due April 15, so if you pay late even when allowed the filing extension, you'll owe interest.

Yep, the recs were changed because of the older rec'd books being OOP. We did logic stage science using recs from the 2nd edition, and it went pretty well. Experiments/demonstrations are explained in the books, and you could read and experiment cheaply from the same book. But you have the right idea - read, experiment, write. And often you can find experiment materials in thrift stores or around the house.

:smilielol5: :smilielol5: :rofl: :rofl: :lol: :lol: Dawn, you are killin' me!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brooches of all sorts are all over Etsy and other parts of the internet!! I sell handmade brooches (not metal), and they are meant to be fun accessories. You can wear a brooch any way you want - on a lapel, on a bag or purse, on a scarf, to pin a scarf together, on your coat or shirt or sweater, on a hip - have fun with it!

And another great product from PHP - this is great!!!

You're going to do VERY well.

A kilt, of course! :D Stompin' Tom Connors music CD

deleted due to my misunderstanding

The Well-Trained Mind book. It's not a boxy box; it's a jelly-like box that doesn't have to be cube-shaped. Shows you how to teach the basic skills (math, reading, spelling, handwriting, grammar, composition) and gives resources for those. Also gives you *flexible* plans for teaching history, literature, science, art, and music. And with the writing programs put out by Peace Hill Press, you can easily fold reading in those content areas into composition lessons each week. Then you can say you "did history" or whichever this week. You can "do" history, etc. simply by reading and writing periodic narrations or copywork/dictation from the reading. You can decide, "This year I want us to study ancient history and literature," and then spend the year checking those types of books out of the library. You can decide, "This year I want us to study biology," and do the same thing - books upon books about plants, animals, and human body. There is no end to the fascinating things, within broad spectrums like this, your kids might find at the library. And you DON'T have to get a specific amount of "history, etc. work" done - not specific amount of books or narrations, etc., as long as you are working on the *skills* regularly (as in, however many times per week you think it necessary for your child to be practicing copywork or narration). The actual content learning will come naturally if you keep feeding them library books. And you can keep music and art instruction "for fun" whenever you WANT to do it. Or you can hand them art and music supplies and let them have at it! :D I have used this "box" for ten years now, and it has been a most interesting journey. And I am now starting to see the results of focusing on "learning how to learn" (math, reading, composition, grammar, spelling, handwriting). And no, I've never regretted not using what people commonly call boxed curriculum (A Beka, Sonlight, Rod and Staff, BJU, etc.). I LOVE that my kids are learning how to learn, and that I finally understand what that means. p.s. And yes, I am one of those who really needed, in the beginning years, to rely on someone else (WTM authors) to tell me what to do. Only after I saw that overview and had implemented it for a few years did I finally get some understanding about how to tailor things to my kids.