If you live in the middle of the United States, and are near a Menards, they have 6 quart storage boxes that would serve well as a geobox (CPO Earth Science) or a contour model box (retail $18.95 at home science tools) on sale for $0.88 right now. You'll have to supply your own "island". They don't have the box listed at their website, but the one linked below shows about how clear the lid is, even though it's much larger: http://www.menards.com/main/home-decor/crafts/totes-bins-baskets/clear-containers/bella-nx-54-quart-clear-storage-container/p-1520898-c-12668.htm You know you're a homeschooler when back to school shopping happens at the hardware....

We went through the whole book last year- grammar and everything. We also did Lively Latin 1 at the same time. The two complimented each other well. Next year we are doing all of Lively Latin 2- without the history- in place of grammar and vocab, and the Spellwell books for 5th grade (d and dd, I think). The year after, we might do some intensive diagramming, and possibly the LoE higher level list and continue with Latin (probably Latin Via Ovid, unless BBLL3 is available). Dd learns as much language arts from Latin as she does any English program. I really like LoE Essentials, but I know I paid $75, and I think it's more than that now. It's not worth $100, as good as it is.

I hide all of dd's books until just before we start. It's our official "box day". I always throw in something fun and unexpected.

Post #42 here: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/439214-math-mammoth-revisions/?hl=%2Bmath+%2Bmammoth+%2Bcommon+%2Bcore+%2Bscope&do=findComment&comment=4477148 has a link to the tentative scope as of about 18 months ago. HTH :o)

Because it looks like "buying ahead" is the safest plan, I thought I would put this schedule together for comment, and to make sure I don't have any holes. DM 7 DM 8 DM 3 + a couple of chapters from Chaukrin Geometry or other text to cover proofs- (we have a copy of Chaukrin, and I can see this kiddo doing SAT subject tests for math.) Pre-Calc with Trig (Foerster and Derek Owens are both set up to cover both. We already have the Foerster Pre-Calc with Trig book.) -or- take a College Algebra, then Trig class as early college classes. Would this work? Thanks!

FWIW, I don't know what level your student is, but Iwuld be inclined to use the Mr. Q as a spine, run it along side the MIT open course (but stretch it out over a school year). Use the rest of your resources as nice add-ins. I think you could award a science credit that way.

Mr. Q's Chemistry is pretty much all food: http://eequalsmcq.com/CSAdvChemChapterDwnld.htm Harold McGee is very good (the Culinary Institute of America used it as a textbook when I was a student). Not sure what else you are looking for. Let me know your goals. I've taught baking science before, and it's heavy in changing one variable and comparing. I have some handouts at work about ratios in place of recipes, etc.

This thread is going over at the high school board, and does have some updates from SingaporeMath.com. similar to Jen's correspondence, but may be of interest. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/521727-if-you-have-used-discovering-mathematics-singapore-math-would-you-please-share-your-perspective-on-pacingscheduling/

What g1234 said plus the questions are there, which is handy, although the student pages are not replicated. Working through the first chapter last night I had a question where I wasn't sure what they were asking. With a quick glance at the teaching notes I realized it was a LCMS or GCF question (I don't exactly remember now).

Thanks! We aren't starting back up for a few more weeks, but I sat down last night and worked through the first chapter in the text myself, then went and looked at the CBD sample for the workbook. I see better how it all hangs together. You're right. My dd will find the "good stuff" in the workbook. Now how to schedule it? I may just have to order it and throw it in the Friday "logic and problem solving" pile. We're more than halfway through most of those books, anyhow. Or maybe do it instead of Alcumus, although I like having AoPS as a backup option for after 8b... Thank-you!

I guess I didn't really ask very well. Everyone who talks about scheduling DMCC says there is too much to do all of the questions. So if the best questions are in the workbook, would it make sense to just assign those? I only have the textbook right now, and am trying to decide if I should add the workbook to my RR order. DD actually does okay working in a notebook she's still very s.l.o.w., so striving for efficient assigning here. :) Thanks!

Coffeemama (or anyone else whose done DMCC)- Did you use the workbooks? With PM Standards we did the textbook on the whiteboard, but did the written assignments from the workbook. What if we did the same with DMCC? I have a math-strong kid who is just getting used to writing math out in a notebook, so I would like to be as efficient as possible with written assignments.

Jenny from SingaporeMath.com filled in some more information this week about the DMCC editions: And regarding what to do after various levels of Singapore (The question was regarding what to do after DMCC8.) HTH

It's a copyright conflict. Singaporemath.com will not continue DM 3 and 4, but for now it seems available through Rainbow Resource and CLB from Star Publishing. Rainbow confirmed they will continue to carry it as long a it's available and speculate a DMCC may eventually be available.

Look at Oak Meadow's high school Environmental Science. I would consider it to be high Middle School level. I bought a state edition of the text book, and the pages line up pretty closely, but the price difference was significant between a used Florida edition and Oak Meadow's. http://www.oakmeadowbookstore.com/Curriculum/High-School-Courses/High-School-Science/Environmental-Science-Syllabus-p2022.html

Yikes. I can't believe I've been fussing with this since winter. My weekly spreadsheet is done for the year, weekly checklist forms are ready, and I refuse to think about it until August. I did detour to sketch out a rough plan to high school to make sure we were on track long-term. Decided to streamline LA and do double pace Lively Latin 2 + spellwell, CAP W&R and Figuratively Speaking. Added Elemental Science Biology to have a note booking spine for the Life Science portions of BSFU 2 and 3. Went with a slim Ancient Geography workbook. Dropped French and added a Greek Alphabet code cracker. Added DK illustrated Bible for both a religion study and because dd has read much of the reading I had planned for history. ETA: Drat. I just looked at the QSL Life Science kit again. I must decide today. Not thinking about his anymore. ETA2: Well, in a complete about face, we are doing CPO Earth Science. Done. I think I have most of the lab supplies, even.

Do take a look at CAP Writing and Rhetoric. I find it very user friendly,

This is true. I would need to find 4-5 texts I want to live with for the next 4 years to do that (Americans split Algebra into 2 different years). Not a bad idea, really. Especially if you thought you might need to push through and finish up a course to go into B & M school. For us, for now, Singapore is working well. The CC edition uses American terminology and at least somewhat covers the same ground as the American course sequence, while most other "quality" integrated texts align with O levels. The Singapore format is appealing to younger students. The books are somewhat smaller than the American high school texts. I'm glad the DM series isn't going away completely.

Okay, I see. It looks like from the sample CBD has the Starpub version available. We may go ahead and just switch to that after 7A. I do like the looks of the CC edition. I'd stay the course if there were a "CC 9" in the works that wrapped up Alg 2, Geometry and maybe Statistics. Thanks!

That's a good question, Crimson Wife. SGbox.com doesn't seem to carry Discovering Mathematics, though. I find their website tough to navigate. It feels like an off shore pharmacy that sells books.

I'm reviving this old-ish post b/c I was looking at Singapore Math Website this morning and noticed this: "Due to trademark issues, we will have to stop carrying Discovering Mathematics after December 31, 2014. This will affect all the Discovering Mathematics titles that we now carry. We currently have no plan to replace these titles. " Is anyone else aware of this? With NEM discontinued, that means no Singapore after DMCC 8, unless they continue the Dimension series. I posted a Q on the Forum, but haven't gotten a reply yet. We are starting DMCC 7 next week. I might just do 7a as a pre-algebra and move to regular algebra if there isn't a clear path after 8. Thoughts?

If we are doing all of the harder sections in the TB + Alcumus, are we missing anything by skipping the workbook?

I'm looking at this as well. DM is meaty. Even with some PreA under our belt, I really only plan on doing 7a this year, so we can dig into it and leave a little time for some other math topics. I also plan to do basic practice on the whiteboard. We do math almost year round, but I'd be afraid it would be a slog to push through. We didn't do Standards 6, so I feel like we bought a year. HTH

Maybe look at Classical House? http://www.classicalhouseoflearning.com/logic-stage-literature.html Some historical lit, but more focus on classics. There's some others... Ambleside, others with book lists, etc. A good read of Well Trained Mind is actually a good place to start. I actually avoid Sonlight books unless I can get them at the library, because the used market for them is overpriced most of the time. In looking over Robinson, I didn't see anything there that makes it easy to use, appealing to my kiddo (or me), or even great lit. The argument that ancient history etc, hasn't change since the 1920's is actually incorrect. Archeology has become more scientific in the last 100 years. I would not use an out of copyright book as a history spine. Both Sonlight and Ambleside were originally created for missionary families, with an assumption those families don't have access to libraries. If you do have a library, you can put together what ever book list you want (including many free classics through Gutenberg or Overdrive.) Just search here for reading lists, literature list, etc. Create a routine for reading/ writing/ talking about those books. There's lots of great resources out there that are much less expensive in terms of time and money than jumping through hoops for a "free" curriculum. ETA, I did go look at both Robinson and AO again. I do think AO's program is much easier to use than when we used it. I also guess Robinson has a Yahoo group. Just my .02 Good Luck!

It works better than I originally thought it would. It actually allows for more frequent tweaking than a daily list b/c if you get behind on one day, you are not automatically behind overall. I do a spreadsheet at the beginning of the year so I know what our pace needs to be. I spend maybe 15 minutes per kid (I tutor) planning what they need to do in each subject for the week. It also allows for subject binges if your dc likes to stick with a topic for longer on one day. Going into fifth grade is a good time to require more "long term" planning. It frees me up b/c I don't have to keep on top of the next thing every minute. They can just look at their sheets. HTH