I am switching my daughter to Saxon after years of Singapore, and I've read that the older Saxon is slightly better. If you've noticed this, exactly what edition does "older" refer to? She will be using 8/7. Thanks!

Hello, Would anyone who has this still has the test file being willing to share? I would appreciate it very much. :)

My dd scores have been posted, and I know they aren't bad for an eighth grader. Now I'm curious what is a good score (not an amazing score) for this age. Any suggestions of a site with average scores by grade?

I hadn't tried skype. I'll see if I can find a teacher that way. Mandolin is one of the instruments we already has that she could play. She isn't interested because she plays fiddle and the left hand notes are apparently the same as fiddle and therefore not very interesting to her. She started working on guitar last night, so hopefully that will satisfy her for now.

Thanks for all the replies. I should have been more clear. My dd10 absolutely wants to continue learning, but is just unable to progress without a teacher. She did choose to stop lessons, but her teacher had run out of things to show her, and she hadn't learned a new song in five months. We are looking for a teacher, but clawhammer (old-time) banjo teachers are in short supply, and none that we can find are taking students. The girls have each competed in only one annual competition (three times) and both did well. Last year, they each won their division, so it isn't that she lacks talent or interest. Their father encourages contests, and he wants them to enter more. I tell him to enjoy music for themselves and for the pleasure others get from it, not to prove they are the best. They always decide whether to enter a competition. I discourage competition between them, but their interests are always the same so I expect there will always be some at this attitude. My husband, however, thinks it is a good motivator and does encourage it. DD13 says she doesn't just want to learn because it is DD10's instrument, but I have my doubts. The other instruments are also strings, and she loves listening to all of them, so I wonder why banjo is so important NOW. We have a piano which both girls play around on, and we are getting dd13 a few lessons to improve her technique. I don't really feel like we can hold her back by withholding the banjo. She has the other instruments she can learn. I totally agree that music is not and should not be the most important thing. Music is important to me only because I want them to use whatever gifts they have, and they both are very talented. They both would love music even without pressure from their father. Still, he places a huge emphasis on music and it is the main way they get praise or interest from him. Of course it shouldn't be that way, but I can't seem to change that.

We are trying to decided whether to allow our 13yo, who is very musically talented, to learned to play her sister's instrument now or wait a few more years. To be clear, I mean instrument in the generic sense (ex. piano), not the one particular one (ex. Kimball). I'm just not mentioning which instrument so it doesn't cloud the issue. For background, dd13 plays one instrument very well (winning contests at 10) and can learn a song, without mastery, on any of the instruments we have within 1/2 hour. Most things come easily to this child. She excels at academics, dance, and music. She loves music and is self-motivated in that area. She tends to be very competitive and although she does fight the urge to brag and never does with others, she IS likely to remind those within our house if she can do something better than they can. She wants to play her sister's instrument because it seems more fun than the others available and the kids in her music circle can usually play more than one instrument. My dd10 is also musically talented, although probably not quite as much. She has been playing three years and loves music, but she is easily bored and doesn't want to play if she can't learn something new and challenging. She chose to stop lessons when her teacher stopped giving her new material. We haven't been able to find a higher level teacher yet (which her previous teacher had recommended), so she stopped playing as often. She is not ready yet to learn very much independently and she loves playing with people, but she can't get her sister or her father to play with her often. She still practices 2-3 times a week and is very against her sister playing the instrument because she says she'll pass her in a month. My husband very proud of their talent (in large part because he is a musician and they "get it from him"). He wants them both to play as many instruments as possible. In the past, he agreed that dd13 should not play dd10's instrument yet. He has changed his mind because he says dd10 doesn't show enough interest and dd13 might be great on it. He says if she does pass her, dd10 should be happy because then she can learn from her. I admit I am a worrier and have been told I think about the feelings of others too much. That said, I'm afraid dd10 (who is against this and can be very stubborn) will just stop playing if her sister passes her. She already feels her sister can do everything better than she can. DD10 always seems to have to work harder for the same result, no matter what they are doing. She is also more sensitive to the feelings of others and seems more easily hurt. The girls have a very close relationship, but are somewhat competitive (dd13 more than dd10). I feel like dd13 should wait a few more years before she plays it, so younger dd10 has time to grow a little musically. I don't want dd10 to always be in dd13's shadow any more than she has to. DD13 has four other instruments available in the house that she hasn't learned to play yet, but she shows aptitude for all of them. So what would you do? Make her wait a few years or let her play it now?

Thanks! I just ordered from CBD.

I started to buy 1B last night and found it is being replaced by the Common Core Editions. Have any of you had a chance to compare the editions. Singapore says it hasn't been made easier or any concepts removed, but I'm skeptical.

My daughter also reads mostly historical fiction. Some she has read and reread (and reread) are: The Master Puppeteer Carry on, Mr. Bowditch The Witch of Blackbird Pond Johnny Tremain

1st costume per class per semester is $20 (you keep all costumes), 2nd is $15, 3rd and any above 3 are $10 each.