Yep. We're taking next week off. This is why I'm forever rearranging my daily and weekly schedules, then I start messing with the yearly schedule and asking myself things like, "Do I take the summer off. Do I school 6 weeks on, two weeks off. Do I school 3 weeks and one week off." I've tried variations of it all, and I usually dig out the schedules and start messing around with them when I'm tired and bored and unmotivated. Oh, and I rearrange the furniture, and rearrange the house. You've been doing this way longer than me. But I just know I need a break.

We have pretty much the same set up here, with dh being home most of the day and going out afternoons and evenings to work (self-employed, traveling guitar teacher) - so he is home a lot, too. And I do like that the kids get to see him a lot, etc. etc.. I know what you mean about not having new things to report about the day. I sometimes wonder if that's good or not, because of hearing about what another family's life is like, but then I just think, "who cares, we're fine with this phase of life." This is where we are at right now and we've come a long way from him being gone 12 to 14 hours a day at a low paying, stressful job. I'd rather have a more calm, "boring" life right now while raising my kids. :) Oh, as to enjoying each other's presence - no profound thoughts. Although I did read somewhere one time that in a marriage (or really, life in general I suppose) that there are times of peaceful silence, and times of all sorts of interesting things to talk about. My current conclusion is that there are just phases to marriage, just like there are phases of kids growth. :)

I love the Golden Children's Bible!! I like reading it out loud to my kids.

Huh. You never know what you are going to learn by reading these boards! I never would have thought up this question. :)

My kids are younger than yours, but we are also using SOTW 4. I do find this volume a little harder to get through because it's war and conflict galore, and so much is going on. My kids don't find it as interesting as the other volumes, but I just tell them it's because there is so much war going on. And when they do their narrations, and they tell me it was too boring to narrate, I go back through the chapter and zero in on *something* that I think has caught some of their interest. Then I help them find three things to write about that, and then we're done (and have had a good conversation about the previously boring section). And I just let them read freely from the library books I've found that go along with the chapter. I don't try to make them learn something in the chapter that *I* find interesting, I let them choose. Perhaps you could skip over any chapter or section they find exceptionally boring? Or hand them a stack of library books of information or biographies for them to peruse through at their leisure? I find if I can just extract three things from the SOTW 4 chapter that my kids did find interesting, that's good enough - and then they can just pick through the library books. They learn a lot that way. And it's the material that they find interesting that is easier for them to write about. As long as I stick with my overall plan of SOTW one chapter a week. As for American history (and Canadian history here - we are dual citizens), I just keep getting library books out that pertain to either what we have read in SOTW 4 (only one chapter in there about Canada, but that's OK, cuz we have the library), or are on CDN/AMER. subjects/people I think my kids would enjoy reading about. My key here is: stick with my overall SOTW reading plan, write once a week on what the kids found interesting, and keep the librarians busy with my book reservations. :)

Kumon is meant to supplement whatever math program the child is already doing. So if you are looking for a supplement, Kumon is an option, but there is that monthly fee ($80-100 around here). I'd probably go with a comprehensive math program and/or a tutor who could zero in on her needs and work more efficiently than all those worksheets.

I worked with YWAM from 1986 to 1994 in various parts of the world, with hundreds of different people. I still have friendships with many of my YWAM friends around the world. I had great experiences with YWAM (including meeting my husband ;)! :) I've seen some of the negative articles online, but they are not representative of the majority of YWAM bases/leaders around the world. Where is your nephew going to do his DTS training? Please feel free to PM me if you want to chat off-board about it. I'd love to talk with you.

I started using R&S 2 and 4 last year with my kids, and plan to continue all the way through book 8. I switched *because* I had seen descriptions of its thoroughness here on these boards, and *because* I'd read over and over again that it *would* prepare my dc for high school math. If you are happy with it, and your daughter is learning through the R&S methods, then stick with it, as was your plan. You can also ask at the high school board for suggestions on high school math to use after R&S math 8. Ask the math gurus there if they think R&S through book 8 will prepare for upper level math. It has been my impression over the last several years of reading these boards, that most think it is good preparation.

Yes, I'd like to hear more about this, too.

Huh! I never thought of that. I'm glad I read your post!

Hi Rhonda, it's me again! :) I have and use the KQ maps for my kids. But what are these two levels you are talking about??? I bought my CDs about 3 years ago - have they changed them since then? Or do you mean the difference between the labeled map exercises and unlabeled map exercises? Phew, if so, I have been having my kids do too much!!! Please let me know! :) (Not that I'll condemn myself, but it would be nice to know I could let myself off the hook officially, and save those until later years - and I've been thinking of using the KQ maps again for logic stage - unless there is good reason to use the Geography Colouring Book which I haven't seen yet) Georgia, the KQ maps are great. I just print off the whole year's worth of maps every summer, hole punch them, and put them in my kids' history notebooks. As for the AG - if you have the WTM, you can always use the book list/topics/people list in there by which to reserve library books.

I've always been a natural speller. Entered and won spelling bees, aced spelling tests, etc.. About 8 years ago, I began learning the spelling/reading patterns (phonogram sounds and rules) taught in WRTR. My ability to decode words in my reading greatly improved - I no longer gloss over words I haven't seen before or memorized as a kid. Now, as I sound out a new word for the first time, my mind is analyzing the pattern and absorbing the proper spelling. My understanding is that kids who don't pick up spelling as easily will struggle harder (even with the rules/patterns) to absorb the proper spelling as they analyze a word. But I think that a "natural speller" will benefit from memorizing the rules and patterns - I think it comes in handy later. Ds is a natural speller, but memorized the rules and patterns, and I still review with him periodically. I know the skills he learned will come in handy for him as he reads higher level books (new words!) and writes more complex papers (he'll have to find the correct spelling of a word he is unsure of, and analyze the pattern so he remembers the spelling) later on. Sure, there is spellcheck - but to me, it's another mental skill to add to the toolbox that is used in clear thinking/writing/communicating.

I think I gave up my fairytale image of homeschooling a year or so ago...LOL! But I still obsess about my schedule - trying desperately to fit in things I want to do - I'm constantly changing it around. So I obsess on. One more thing - one big reason I like WTM is the fact that I can train my kids to think clearly (through all the helps in there like logic, outlining, narration, reading, rhetoric training, etc. etc. etc.), whether or not they go to to college. I didn't go to college myself, but I was not *really* prepared to go, even if I'd wanted to (which is probably partly why I decided not to go). I would have floundered because my mind was not trained to think clearly. I am only now just learning to think more clearly for myself instead of just parroting opinions. That's why I obsess over how to do outlining and the millions of other things I worry about! :) Anyway, I hope you find that thread for your family homeschool. It's there, and it's meant for years, not just this year, and I'm sure you'll find it. You've got a great heritage. :)

OH! Well in that case, you should go rearrange your living room furniture, or better yet, see if you can reconfigure rooms in your house. That's what I do when I get bored, cooped up in winter, and need a change, LOL! But y'know, there is nothing wrong with thinking about diagraming at suppertime, either. Just think - with being cooped up, you'll get all this thinking and considering done, and when it's warm enough for you to get out and garden, you'll feel refreshed because you have all sorts of new plans made up for when you start school again. Why, I just (finally - I've been meaning to do this for months) got all my Writing Without Fear notes typed up. It seems ridiculous to take all those notes, only to turn around and type them up - winter boredom plays a factor, but I also couldn't stop mulling it over in my mind. The act of typing it up, rearranging ideas so that they made more sense to me, and cleaning it all up into my own thoughts, helped clarify more of the writing process for me. I know there will come a time when I won't need to struggle through these questions anymore, but for now, this is what my thinking life consists of - "Do I use Kingfisher or SOTW for outlining? Do I do the 4th grade R&S writing exercises or not? Should I try to read, outline, and rewrite from an outline myself to see what it's like?" Oh the things we obsess about, LOL!!

In the morning, I tutor the 9yo in his individual skill work like math, grammar, writing, memory work (I used to combine, but my kids memorize at different rates, so it got frustrating for 9yo), Latin - then send him off to work his math problems, fill out Latin sheet, read his literature book by himself. Then I tutor the 7yo (who plays while I tutor 9yo, but catches a lot from listening) in her skill work. None of their skill work can be combined because they are not on the same levels. But I combine history, science, art, music, and reading aloud, all in the evening hours. We read from SOTW, do a science experiment, read the science book together. So they are getting the same information, but I can still work on the individual narration skills during that time. While one is narrating history to me, the other is drawing a picture to go with her upcoming narration. Then they switch. So, basic skills are individualized in the morning, content is combined later. But even in content areas, I have to help them with individual skills. But it's the most efficient way I can think of. The content areas are the thread woven through the skills. I use as few materials as possible for the content areas, and I use each item in as many ways as possible. I try to find an "anchor" that will be useful for both kids. Like SOTW. Or the Physics for Children book. We all do the science experiment, read the same part of the science encyclopedia, then write individual narrations. Each kid's narration will have different requirements, but they are narrating from the same experiment or book. Art - we do the same art project or drawing lesson. I just gear what I'm saying in the drawing lesson to each child - what I know they can and can't do. Their drawings and projects will use individual skills, but they come from the same lesson or project. Music - dh teaches them piano from the same book. He takes them through the same lesson, but has each kid practice according to his ability. One kid might have to play the piece five times, the other kid might have to do it three times. I just find it much easier, with all I have to juggle, to use as few materials as possible, and make those materials work efficiently to give the kids what they need. But the key for me is the content areas are the thread, and I teach individual skills through these. You'll understand this - I liken it to: If I had to choose one, should I buy flour or should I buy cornmeal. I would buy the flour because it's more versatile - I can get more variety of baked goods out of it. But flour is the thread. Maybe you could use the nursery rhyme pockets as part of a family read aloud time. Have that be part of your family literature study. If you want more details, let me know. I'm really tired right now (why am I talking about flour and cornmeal in this post?? LOL) and feel like I'm starting to ramble! :) One more thought - maybe if you posted what you use for each child for each subject, someone could help you see where you could combine and find a thread.

Hi Rhonda, I do have the 2004 Kingfisher History Encyclopedia. And your explanation about the expository writing vs. narrative writing makes sense to me. Also your info. about the timeline being incorporated into the text makes sense, too. I had a quick look at that. I'll have to examine it more closely sometime - because maybe I can figure out how to teach my son to outline from it anyway. I HAVE seen other people here talk about still using KF with no problem (but I don't know which version of it). I just wondered if there might be advantages that I should consider as far as having ds outline from books by various authors, rather than just one book. But I would like one book (whether KF, Usborne - which I also have :), or SOTW) to be our anchor for history study. I guess I have four years, I could pick a spine, start outlining from it, and as I get more comfortable teaching it, I could have him do an outline here and there from different books from the library or whatever, if it seems appropriate. Maybe I'm just analyzing too much right now! LOL I will have science spines for ds to outline, too, so there will the variety I was wondering about. I just forgot about that part when I posted last night. :)

I forgot to factor in science spine books. I am planning to use those for outlining, too. And they are by various authors. Thanks for reminding me, those who mentioned science! I'm also using R&S for grammar, so I'll have a close look at the outlining lessons and see if we can go by that for now, before I think about buying another book to teach outlining.

I'm starting to plan for next year for my almost 10 yo. People here have said that SWB no longer recommends using the Kingfisher history encyclopedia for practicing outlining skills in history, because of the difficulty in finding one main point per paragraph. I've also heard that she recommends using other books (biographies, information) with which to practice outlining in history. I also have read that many people use SOTW in the logic stage to practice outlining. So - I am thinking of NOT using KF for outlining, and thinking of re-using SOTW with which to practice outlining in history through the logic stage. I already plan to use SOTW for the reading aloud part, since I have a 7yo, too - and will give outlining work to the 10 yo. My questions: are there compelling reasons to use a variety of good writers on which to practice outlining skills, rather than just outlining for four years from SOTW which is by one author? Is there any detriment to just using one source for outlining? Or is it beneficial for some reason to stick with one source? Or does it not matter either way? :) If you have an opinion either way, can you tell me the "why" of your opinion (it helps me think it through)? For me, it would be *easier* to use just one source for outlining - SOTW - but I am completely open and willing to do the variety thing if there are good reasons to do so.

Well, using WRTR spelling instructions will help get him reading, LOL! I just didn't want you to get overwhelmed by all the writing stuff in the book.

For decoding, such as ow, have him try all the sounds of ow (or whatever phonogram) in the word, until one of them makes sense as a word or in the sentence. For a 7yo, it might not matter right now *why* have doesn't rhyme with shave - as long as, in the spelling lesson, he is hearing the word pronounced correctly, and you are teaching him to spell it correctly and explaining the rule very simply (in shave - e lets the a say its name before a single consonant, or, in have - e is there because English words don't end with v). In other words, don't bring up something he isn't asking about - just let the rules and sounds sink in for each word of the spelling lesson. It will start making sense to him as you continue spelling lessons, and he'll start identifying the patterns more easily. And as you do spelling lessons consistently, reading will become easier because you actually practice reading during the spelling lesson! Kids usually discover the patterns for themselves as they go along - like the long sound of o can be spelled many different ways. But if you practice the spelling lessons as instructed in WRTR, they usually come to know which spelling is used - because they are analyzing each word, which helps them to retain it better. No reading of strange symbols under words. In the spelling lesson, the child marks the words for the spelling patterns, but that is only for the purpose of analyzing the word. Just explain simply that we only do this in our spelling notebook - in regular books, you just read the word (and show him how to do this by sounds in the syllables). FWIW, I only use the spelling part of WRTR - I teach how to spell and how to read with this book. I think the depth of writing and reading comprehension lessons are too advanced for young children - I like narration and copywork/dictation methods much better.

To those who have just started homeschooling, or if you joined these boards when they got changed a few weeks ago - a message: It's so FUN to read all your posts! I just want to say welcome, and thanks for joining in here to add your perspectives/experiences/questions/answers.

I decided to order all 7 books - from Beginning Book 1 to A4. Ds enjoyed doing the sample of BB1, so I think he'll enjoy those beginner books, including Warm Up. If he breezes through, great - he'll have a positive start on this type of thinking. So will I, LOL! :)

WRTR is what we use here, and I've tutored other kids with it. It's a multisensory method, meaning it uses seeing, saying, hearing, and writing to teach kids the phonograms, how to spell, and how to read. There is much more to it, but it is a good program for various types of learners.

http://67.202.21.157/articleindex.php Look under the "curricula" section for some helpful Charlotte Mason/WTM articles/comparisons.

The WTM is a wonderful guide to get you started. Begin with teaching basic skills: - math - spelling - grammar - reading - writing You can add in history and science in the four year cycles suggested in WTM if you want to or when you feel ready. You can arrange literature reading to coincide with the history cycle. You can use writing skills, as they are learned, in all three content areas: literature, history, and science. WTM has great suggestions for spelling and grammar books - just pick the books that work for your dd (you already have FLL for grammar, right?). There are reading lists in WTM that coincide with history - use this to buy or get books from the library. As for writing, there are various suggestions in WTM for programs, and explanations in the history/science/reading sections about how to teach and use writing. But, IMO, Susan Wise Bauer's new book for teaching writing in grades 1-4 offers much better explanations of how to teach writing. If you go to http://www.peacehillpress.com, you can see a couple of chapters from it, that explain WONDERFULLY the whole overview of teaching writing in grades 1-12. There are samples, too. I think the book is meant to lead the teacher step by step in teaching what is laid out in the (grammar stage) writing sections of WTM. Hope this helps clear up any confusion. One more thing - I have also heard that when a child gets taken out of school to be homeschooled, sometimes there is a need for "decompression time." So try not to worry too much right now - if you are doing math with her and she is enjoying it plus the reading, that's a good thing. You can spend a little more time over the next few weeks, just getting a plan and more books and stuff into place. You can always add in other things like art, music, foreign languages LATER - as in, when/if you want to. :)