I haven't got it yet, but this book has really good reviews, plus the reputation of the author: http://www.amazon.com/Real-World-Algebra-Edward-Zaccaro/dp/0967991528/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1PVQ38AOMJIZ5&coliid=I2GEJRQ965K52P

Wow. Sounds beautiful and amazing. And I love it when weddings have personal touches unique to the bride and groom.

Thanks for the suggestions. Yes, I am pretty sure we will stick with Saxon. He likes straightforward explanations. But I'm looking for some things for "fun" along the side. I was looking at Zaccoro's books last night, and put some on my wish list. Just wondering what books--math or actually science as well--would continue to feed his interest and excitement. He has also really enjoyed Science Matters this year.

We like Hake as well. It doesn't take a very long time, and is very thorough. One thing my factoid ds enjoys is that each lesson uses sentences covering some theme, and he enjoys the random information he learns as he does the lesson. I don't use the Writing portion, but we do like the grammar lessons.

28. I found this interesting. I generally read people very well, and expected to score a little higher.

Thanks, all! I think we will get them for next year. He's studied Roots of English this year, and I don't really want to do a formal vocabulary study because we already have a lot planned for next year that will be pretty heavy. But I thought this looked like a fun way to add it in.

what else will he love? This is my 12yo. I am in the middle of trying to figure out what to do with him for math next year, and have posted several questions on the different boards. He likes Saxon because their explanations are so clear. He did not like MM. He is interested in engineering. I am thinking of using Saxon but with some of the Singapore books for "fun" (CWP? but do they just go through 6th?) Or maybe just other books like Perilous, in order to stretch his mind in ways to use math. Or maybe switch to Singapore, but I'm in a muddle as to whether this is wise at this point without having done Primary with Singapore. Arghh. He has finished Saxon 7/6 for this year, and we are just filling in with this book for fun as we finish up our other subjects. TIA

So cute! It really shows off her features.

I, too, want them for a middle schooler. I want something that is different from working through a vocab workbook, but that stretches his vocabulary a little more than simply reading. This looked like a rather painless option.

Has anyone used these? If so, what did you think? Helpful or not?

When one of my daughters was using Keystone, she took their Honors English 9 class. It was a good class, and she learned a lot. The Honors class had to do some journaling along with the reading that she said was a benefit over the other class, because it helped with other assignments that everybody had. I think their listing said it took about 20 hours over the other class to complete the work. She started out a little bumpy, but then I advised her to write the teacher back and ask her to clarify what she wanted as per some of her comments on the work. DD was glad she took it.

No, I wouldn't switch from Saxon due to their paper. I will try to get used hardbacks instead. I just included that info to show more the type of "look" he prefers--he likes a clean, uncluttered look, and is sensitive to the presentation, not just the material, if that makes sense. I posted some other questions on the high school board, but since we are talking about starting in 7th, I posted here. I will probably stay with Saxon for prealgebra, but add in some Perilous Math, logic books, etc., for this year, and then either continue that or go with Algebra I: A Fresh Approach. The switch would be because I want to make sure he is getting a broader look at how to use mathematics, especially since he is interested in a STEM field.

:iagree: I have written a document similar to this (not using the word "custody") in case of an emergency where a hospital visit might be involved, etc. This was when we were leaving our kids with my parents to go overseas for an adoption.

We found SOTW late, and I am glad we did. It has been a better fit for my older son than my younger one, understanding and interest-wise. We started at grades 5 and 2, respectively, and my older son is advanced in his comprehension. But he has followed and retained much more from SOTW than my younger son without being bored or feeling that he was being "talked-down" to, which he despises. Because he didn't have to work so hard to follow it, he was freer to enjoy the material and mentally play with it more.

Last night, I downloaded the sample chapters for Alg. 1 and Geometry. The pages are straightforward and clean. The explanations are nice and clear. I think this will be a good fit for my son--but I still have another year to agonize over the decision. ;) http://www.aplusses.com/zencart/

Ok, thank you so much!

Bump and a clarification question for Miss Marple. So, do you feel that A Fresh Approach followed all the way through would have given an equivalent background to Singapore through the same levels? (I guess that would be the three books FA books compared to the three DM books?) How do the explanations compare, as in ease in understanding what they are trying to explain?

I'm trying to figure out what to do for my ds12 for upper math. We are planning to do pre-algebra next year. He has preferred Saxon so far, but since we are at the break between elementary math and pre-algebra, I want to make sure we are headed in the direction we want to go from here on. I tried Math Mammoth for a few months last year, and he hated it. He felt that the explanations were not clear, which is what he likes about Saxon. He likes to play with ideas, but the "discovery method" for daily math would not be his thing. (He likes the Perilous Math book, for instance, and loves logic.) He wants a clear presentation/explanation, no frills, and then let's work the problems. He does not like the Saxon paper (for the homeschooling packs), and I do not have the hardbacks, at least not yet. He does not like lots of sidebars and a busy page, though color is okay. He is interested in engineering. I cannot really tell yet if he is "mathy" in the algebraic sense. Geometry, spacial skills, conceptual physics, etc., yes. I did well in math through Algebra 2, but never cared for it except for geometry, which I loved. So I need for the books to explain the problems well. So, here are my questions: 1. Would Singapore be a good fit for his learning style? (Mastery approach is okay if there is enough review along to keep previous topics fresh.) I.e., if he dislikes MM, will he dislike Singapore? 2. If so, NEM or DM? 3. What books are needed, i.e., do you get the workbook as well as the text? TIA

Thanks, Cynthia. I am not familiar with the way Singapore is organized. We will just be doing pre-algebra next year, but I am trying to look ahead. Ds did not like Math Mammoth at all ("they don't explain things well"), yet he seems to be mathy in a very organized, linear way. He prefers an approach like Saxon, but I'm planning to add Alcumus (sp?) to the mix to see what he does with it. I don't think AOPS books would be a good fit for him, yet he is thinking that engineering is in his future, so I want to make sure he has a strong background.

Has anyone taken a look at this? It was mentioned on Cathy Duffy's latest email review. Here's the review from her site: http://cathyduffyrev...-Geometry.htm�� Looks interesting, and I'd like to hear from anyone else who has reviewed it. ETA: Link doesn't work. Not sure how to fix it. Let me see if I can copy the email: A Fresh Approach High School Math Series Author: Christy Walters The Fresh Approach high school math texts look like typical, hard cover school textbooks on the outside, but the insides are not typical.... In the algebra texts most lessons begin with relatively brief teaching of a new concept, generally followed by not just one, but perhaps up to six examples with thorough explanations. Examples sometimes use real situations or applications that make it easier to grasp what you are trying to accomplish. Walters teaches by "showing" through the examples rather than just presenting information. Examples are followed by many practice problems so that students master each concept. The Geometry lessons include detailed explanations and examples but these are generally prefaced with more teaching and presentation of postulates and theorems. Walters' teaching style is "user-friendly" with a conversational tone. She walks students through concepts as if she were sitting next to them, noting pitfalls to avoid or potential difficulties to which students should be alert.... For each course, the text is divided into chapters, and chapters are divided into "Parts." Each Part teaches a single concept.... Read my full review here... See the complete review for more details on each course. The first chapter and the Table of Contents for each book are available for download so you can try before you buy.

Okay, well, I've got to have a good talk with him about all this, and see again just what he's thinking. He is using Roots of English (Memoria Press) this year as well. I was planning on using Galore Park's Spanish OR Latin, but will take a good look at Duolingo first--I hadn't heard of it. He may have to experiment a little. This is a child who has gone along, bright, but no areas that just seemed to jump out academically. Until this year. Now his interest in science is skyrocketing, he's playing classical guitar, he's loving playing around with logic (games and Art of Argument), and his reading interests have jumped up a notch in difficulty. I feel like I'm just hanging on for the ride. I may do like Alte Veste, and get a new Latin book to leave lying around "just in case." It's fun just hearing different takes on it all.

Thanks for the input, all. We'll see how it goes. I feel that if he does Latin, he really needs to buy into it himself. That isn't my general attitude toward his studies, but I just can't invest the time into it myself right now to learn it, at least not well. I would love for him to study it, but there are other ways that he is stretching himself as well, and we are going to have to prioritize, considering all things.

The More-with Less Cookbook mentioned above, and Whole Foods for the Whole Family http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Foods-Family-Cookbook/dp/0912500433/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367179976&sr=8-1&keywords=whole+foods+for+the+whole+family are my go-to cookbooks overseas. Many US cookbooks are useless overseas, because they call for so many processed ingredients that are not available. These two books call for basics.

For Christian parents, Age of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp.

Ds did most of Getting Started with Latin last year. He enjoyed it, but I didn't bring it stateside with us because of how far along he was in it. However, my impression was that he would need to move on into a more formal approach afterward, to get more advanced. He did it all on his own. Showing my ignorance here, but what does an "inflected" language mean? Maybe this really does sound ignorant in comparison to Latin (which is why I am asking questions), but Spanish seems pretty logical to me as well. He loves Art of Argument, and we will continue studying logic after that, with a formal logic program. As for Spanish, we would definitely expect him to learn it well enough to actually converse naturally. We lived in a Spanish-speaking country, away from any ex-pats, for quite a few years, but before he was born. I guess I am saying, "Convince me that the difference in teaching him something I already know well, and his self-teaching in something I do not know is worth the effort. Or . . . let me off the hook and ease my feelings about just going with Spanish."