Sonlight and Notgrass!!! Simply amazingly interesting history programs---we use both together and LOVE it!

We used Mosdos for a little bit this year---and the HUGE difference between the two is that Mosdos is one textbook anthology of literature excerpts and LL uses real books. Mosdos was VERY teacher intensive too---the TM actually had way too much information and I pooped out within 2 months of using it with dd. We are doing LL next year because it is much more independent--and really much more interesting. I have found the questions and information in the LL guide (Am Lit) much more thought provoking and intellectually deeper too.

I personally would go with what she is interested in---and it sounds like BJU 8th fits the bill. The new 2nd editions of Apologia are GREAT---and so easy to use at home, but definitely not as specialized as BJU for 8th.

I have dd enrolled for next year in a class from Oak Meadow. It looks fun--

We are going to finish up TT Pre-Alg and start TT Alg 1 and also use Life of Fred Decimals/Fractions/Beginning Alg for 7th. LOVE these 2 programs:tongue_smilie:

I wouldn't change ONE SINGLE THING!!! :D Seriously. My grade schooling through private Catholic school full of mean, rich snotty brats and then on to an exclusive private college prep high school full of more rich snotty brats and teachers that played favorites prepared me extremely well to homeschool my kids!!! I got a great education academically but was socially miserable. We were also latchkey kids so mom and dad could afford those great schools----so learned to be very self reliant and independent early on. I was very adept at waiting until the last minute to study or write papers or whatever, and usually ended up passing everything. Did great on SATs and got into every single college I applied to. I happened to pick the small, exclusive college in Illinois full of-----yes, rich snotty brats once again :confused: I lasted 2 years there---burnt out on academics and was ready to really live life. I ended up getting my "MRS" degree----and have a wonderful hubby who fully supports me staying home to homeschool and raise our kids! Without all that awful life experience under my belt---I would have been clueless to what was going on with dd in the public school---and more than likely I wouldn't even have kids because I would be like all the kids I went to school with who LIKED their lives---and are still single, childless, with lots of degrees OR just starting to have their kids towards the end of the healthy biological years. SO---I would have to say all those events in my life have led me to the wonderful, beautiful, privileged place I am at right now---and I wouldn't change a thing :001_smile:

Well---you could look into BJU or Abeka DVD science courses. They cost BIG bucks---but are very rigorous and definitely college prep! You can get all the supplies to do rigorous lab experiments at home from http://www.hometrainingtools.com/ ---also quite expensive. :glare:Another option is CC courses---college prep level for sure. If you really want to use Apologia because of ease of use or teaching----you can always email the company with your concerns and questions to help make your decision :001_smile: and/or point you in the right direction for giving your son a pre-engineering prep degree. :D

Does this type of trait apply to Sagittarius too??:tongue_smilie:My kids are older (7th and 10th) but I also need a plan to see where we are going, so I have and have had their plan all penciled out for years. Yes, the plan changes if something does not work---but we are flexible! I have tried many things, want to try many others and ditched lots over the years. I also have HUGE wishlists on paper and on my favorite curriculum buying sites :D

I am not sure about the religious content, but I plan on using it with my dd next year. It is a very up to date program that seems to address all the advertising propaganda thrown at kids these days. I think all the modern ad-type pictures really help make the study of informal fallacies relevant...

YUCK! Hated the old SL LA---hated the new one! It went from too hard to too loosy-goosy! I have 4 half to barely used programs sitting around here as proof---I suggest going with R&S or...basically anything else! :tongue_smilie:

The reviews here sound great! I also have LL7 for ds next year and also got the Am Lit programs for dd---they look awesome and comprehensive---just what I have been looking for. :)

First of all---don't stress! Those test results are for you to know what areas need work---and you do now! I totally understand your frustration, though, because writing has always been my thing too---and both my kids are HORRID at the mechanics of it!!! Their testing this year only clarified what I already knew---we more work in these areas. I am going to use Hake next year with ds 7th because he has a horrid time remembering mechanics---daily. I also know that my weakest spot with them is proofreading their written work. I am thinking that a daily reading of what they write, a daily correction and then daily reminders of proper form will make a big difference (I am NOT doing this!)

We are going to use both actually!! I was very put off initially by all the bad talk about TT---but my kids LOVE it, never complain anymore and did very well in their testing this year:) Also---hearing Christy's testimony to how well it has served her and her brother reassures me even more. LOF is GREAT, hilarious and really gets you thinking mathematically! You can get through each level in a very short amount of time also. I just thought that LOF would be a fun addition to TT since there really is not all that much practice in the LOF books.

Well---I have felt since we began homeschooling 8 years ago an intense desire to make education not only interesting and fun, but an experience that makes my kids WANT to learn! This desire is totally based on my own schooling experiences-----my parents sent us to the BEST private schools they could afford, including an exclusive private college prep high school. We had SO much homework---and the focus was SO narrow---yep----shoot for the Ivy League---nothing else mattered. cram sessions for SAT, East Coast college tours, 4 hours of homework a night----:ack2: By the time I got to college----I was totally burnt out and just wanted to party :cheers2: and live life. Two years into college---I was done. I was sick of school, so I met the love of my life, got married and started having kids. NO degree! :D So I am being VERY careful not to focus too much on academics with my kids----I want them to have a well-rounded LIFE, not just education! College for them IS important to me----but I am being very careful to make sure they want it too. So I am pushing the academics I guess in a very careful way. At this point---dd who will be in 10th is VERY motivated and WANTS more work and WANTS college. But she is very artistic and musical---so she has plenty of time to nurture her true loves---and if that is what she wanted to major in---I am fine with that. My parents---though----would NEVER have allowed this type of pursuit. :glare: There will be NO AP classes in this house, NO cramming for SAT/ACT, NO obsession with credits etc......If a college has a problem with us not lining up in this manner---well, to another college that IS okay with our way of doing things it is..............

My kids are really liking TT with Life of Fred. Saxon was a no-go here also----and these 2 programs have been lifesavers :001_smile:

WOW Michelle! Thanks so much for such a detailed, helpful explanation! So my next question is----would it be too much to add in WS if we choose to use the comp portion of Abeka? Going by your signature, it doesn't look like you have added an additional writing program to Abeka G&C?

bump---anyone? anyone?

Hi---have been a lurker for years, and have made a few posts on the old board! I am wanting to try the WTM suggestions of Abeka grammar/WS, but I do not understand one thing---what is wrong with the writing in Abeka?? I have both Abeka W&G III and all the WS---and I just don't see what the HUGE difference is :confused: Abeka seems to be more clear-cut and stuctured to me, whereas WS includes much more creative writing and topics---not so easy for my non-creative writing kids. If we don't use WS and just use the Abeka writing (along with LL and Notgrass), will my kids not be ready for university writing like WTM says?? Honestly, just reading through WS makes my head spin :glare:---the method for writing in Abeka just makes sense to me and the curriculum guide has it all laid out soo nicely............:tongue_smilie: