Okay. As far as the PreCalculus goes, could someone tell me if these items are what I am looking for? DVDs~~ http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0618643532/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2PWOBY9HJRJN7&v=glance'>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0618643532/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2PWOBY9HJRJN7&v=glance'>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0618643532/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2PWOBY9HJRJN7&v=glance'>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0618643532/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2PWOBY9HJRJN7&v=glance Text~~ http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0618643532/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A2PWOBY9HJRJN7&v=glance I have not found a Solutions Manual for that particular version of the text, but read that the odd solutions can be found free online?

I have been searching for the inexpensive Chalkdust/Dana Mosely PreCalculus DVDs and Textbook on Amazon and am now a bit confused. I notice that the ISBN's which have so graciously been provided on previous threads are for DVDs to accompany the 7th edition, while the Chalkdust site states usage of the 3rd edition Larson text. What am I missing here? Will I be getting essentially the same material by purchasing the 7th edition DVDs/Text through Amazon as I would from Chalkdusts' 3rd edition set? My original plan didn't include Chalkdust at all~~it is simply out of my price range. But if I can get the same benefit from purchasing through Amazon as from CD, I'd love it. Thanks for any clarification!

If you are asking me, I can only say that I've not used BJU, so I don't feel qualified to answer. My main point was not necessarily to suggest a specific textbook, but merely to encourage the OP that purchasing a prepared, all-in-one curriculum is not necessary, especially at her current place in life. I think she might be quite happy using textbooks for most everything and then throwing a fun science or history program as well...

I, too, think this is a great idea. Just yesterday I was thinking back to when my oldest ds was 10. I also had dd 8, dd 5, ds 3 1/2, dd 1 and I was pregnant with my youngest ds. We used Beautiful Feet Early American History (which is very light compared to what we use now) and Considering God's Creation for science, both of which are very open and go, do-the-next-thing programs. We did History two days a week, and Science 3 days each week. For read-alouds, I just started reading through great children's literature in no particular order. I also just picked some books for the older two to read independently as they desired. I vividly recall reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe all afternoon (began while the littles were napping) each day for several days in a row that winter....we stopped and made cookies and cocoa and cuddled on the sofa...those are some of our best memories. And you know what? That ranks right up there as one of my very favorite years of homeschooling. It was also quite successful. My oldest two absorbed soooo much from those studies, while we all bonded and enjoyed one another. Please be encouraged that using a textbook for your 3 Rs, or using mainly textbooks and throwing in a "light and fun" study for science or history, (I think SnowWhite's idea of a WP science program sounds good) will provide a very solid foundation for your dc, and might just leave you with a little extra time for those together activities that become much more rare as your children grow. I know you've heard it before, but please keep in mind that these precious years are fleeting! Don't overwhelm yourself so much that the time is filled with must-dos....

Okay, ladies. Thanks for your thoughts. I've always encouraged other moms to "go with your gut", so I guess it's my turn. Why do I feel so sad?

I have been wondering if perhaps I should have my fifth child, our newly-turned 8 yo dd, tested for dsylexia. I continue to waiver on this, however, as when I look at various "symptom lists", very few of the signs apply. Here are the issues that concern me: she was reluctant to learn to read, although I found that when I majored on fun learning activities, she was less reluctant. Also, in spite of the fact that dd tested as ready for SL level 6 readers (according to their free online placement test) she still seems to sometimes read a little...haltingly. She does not seem to be struggling to sound out the words or anything. She will just sometimes read with a tiny pause between words. In addition, when reading aloud she very often reads very quietly and I will have to ask her to please speak up. As far as reversals and such, she used to do that alot. That happens much more rarely now, but still occurs randomly. Another strange thing I've noticed is that, although she is very bright, she sometimes (actually very seldomly) uses completely wrong words for things. I usually cannot figure out any connection between the word she meant to use, and the word she actually said. Does this sound like something I should be concerned about? Her reading has improved so drastically this past year, and she has gone from not wanting to read, to looking forward to reading with me each day. And, in spite of the difficulities I mentioned previously, she loves to read dramatically~~when reading dialogue, she reads with inflection and sometimes attempts various "voices". She eagerly asked for books for her birthday, and dove right in once she received them. And yet I've noticed from other threads here that some dyslexics love reading! I suppose one of the reasons I struggle to know if these are issues to be concerned with is that her younger brother is extremely bright~~one of those kids who taught himself to read at the age of 3. He reads incredibly well and fluidly. I wonder if I am making too much of her "symptoms" because of how well he does? What do you all think? Should I be concerned, or do you think these things will go away as she matures? Thanks for reading all this~~I'm sorry to have been so long-winded:blushing:, but I do feel better getting this out there.

I think it's important to keep in mind that the Natural Language Approach, espoused by Ruch Beechick, provides foundation for the LLATL program. As such, it is not intended to be as "rigorous" as most textbooks. Instead, the idea is to continuously expose a child to great literature, relying on the "spiral method" to gradually ingrain proper grammar and writing skills in the student. Grammar instruction is delayed until a student is older and has already developed an "ear" for it through good writing. And the spelling portion is very light, relying mostly on copywork and dictation to do the job. I know others often suggest choosing a grade level ahead in order to "remedy" the delay. As for the reading, each year includes 4 book studies. The other lessons are drawn from excerpts of other books. I personally have (when possible) had my dc read those books as well. Both the book studies and literature passages are based on great literature. Some titles include: The Courage of Sarah Noble, The White Stallion, The Boxcar Children, Sign of the Beaver, Mr. Popper's Penguins, Trumpet of the Swan, Stawberry Girl, Amos Fortune, Caddie Woodlawn, Carry on Mr. Bowditch, Bambie, Prince Caspian, The Bronze Bow, Swiss Family Robinson, Swallows and Amazons, Black Beauty, Eight Cousins, Star of Light, Much Ado About Nothing, Gift of the Magi, Tale of Two Cities, Across Five Aprils, Black Arrow, A Lantern in Her Hand, and God's Smuggler. Although we have not used the lower levels of LLATL, (due to my already owning a phonics program prior to finding it) we have used from Yellow to Gray, almost exclusively. I sometimes felt nervous when others mentioned how "behind" LLATL can seem, but made the decision to trust the approach and await the outcome. For us, the results have been wonderful. Both of my two oldest are excellent readers, prolific writers, and overall very comfortable with all things Language Arts. And, FWIW, my oldest did quite well on his first ACT, including in the Reading and English sections, scoring a 35 in the former and a 34 in the latter (out of a possible 36.) All that being said, I do not think one would be happy without additional writing instruction. Indeed, the publishers recommend the Wordsmith series, which we have used following the Gray book, and been quite happy with.

Thank you very much for your reply. You've spoken to a number of my concerns, and that is a great help. LOL. This is very like me. I seem to be constantly combining curriculum~and we've soooo enjoyed the results. For various reasons, however, I'm really feeling the need to eliminate the combining and just go with one. But I like aspects of both. Sigh. I guess I really need to spend more time in prayer.:) Thanks again, for your thoughts.

Well, we've used SL, and the amount of reading hasn't really been a problem. I have occassionally gotten behind in our Read-Alouds, but my voracious readers are more than happy to read those on their own. I do agree that it would be interesting to use SOTW alongside Hakim, though. That really sounds like a wonderful combination.

Ah. I have been wondering about that "flexibility" issue, so thanks for sharing this. As far as the time line and mapping, do you use the BP products? Thanks for your help!

Thank you so very much for this detailed reply! This answers so many questions~~I really appreciate it. I'm thinking that it really might be less costly to go this route. Wow. You're getting a bunch of books for $500. That sounds wonderful! Yes. History is definitely our favorite subject around here, so I can relate. I am trying mightily this year to avoid going overboard out of my sheer love of the subject:D.

Ah. Thank you. This is helpful to know. Even though I generally love to plan and "hunt", I'm not sure that I want to have to do that year after year. Could you tell me, are there many books to choose between? Do you follow the schedule pretty closely? My understanding is that BP schedules about a book a week~~would you say that's true, and if so, do you follow that? That is another issue I've been pondering. I feel at sort of a crossroads here. I know that if I continue with SL, I'll either have to really tweak to follow the 4-year model, or I'll need to let that go. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me. You've given me a much clearer picture of BP from which to decide!

I've searched the forums regarding Biblioplan, but I've not found many posts from those who have used Sonlight and then switched to Biblioplan. Biblioplan actually looks very similar to SL to me, minus the Discussion Questions, Vocabulary and Bible schedule, and I think it could be done less expensively than SL. My major qualm would be regarding whether the book selections are as engaging and thought-provoking as SLs. Has anyone here used both? In your opinion, how do the book suggestions compare? Are there any aspects of Biblioplan that you prefer to SL? Or, conversely, did anyone find that they greatly preferred SL to Biblioplan? Thanks in advance!

Yes, I agree with the previous poster that the books add enormously to a student's learning. SL schedules some of the best-of-the-best historical fiction, and reading them greatly fleshes out the time period being studied. IMO, connecting one's imagination and heart with the learning really helps with retention. I will also add that we always enjoy when we encounter something/someone from our history reads in a RA or Reader. For example, we covered President Monroe and the War of 1812 in our History Reading, and then had those brought to mind again later when reading Justin Morgan Had a Horse. My kiddoes really enjoyed that.:)

I used QAW as written. For QMA, though, I used MOH 2 for about the first half of the year as WP scheduled, trying to give the tests and quizzes (much) later than scheduled just for the fun of it. (My kids were asking for them because the older two remembered them from going through MOH 1 a few years prior.) However, I finally opted for revising the WP schedule in order to utilize MOH 2 chronologically. I'm not sure if it was worth the work or not.:001_smile: Rescheduling the readings wasn't a big deal, but the website and dvd suggestions took a little time. I've corresponded with Karen Brooks about this issue, and she explained their strong feeling that students will retain more history if studied by culture, rather than chronologically. It is quite interesting to really delve into Egypt or Greece or Rome for a period, so I can see her point. It was just a little difficult for me to use MOH that way, as it is written specifically to present history chronologically, and to integrate Biblical history with secular. Obviously, studying Ancients by culture didn't kill us, so I try not to make too much of it. It's just something for people to consider.

Hi. We've used AW, QAW, QMA, and are now using AC1 (combined with SL 3). Here are a few thoughts... The Good: WP uses some terrific spines! We especially loved MOH 1 & 2. Many very visually appealing history reads. IMO, WP does a great job of not only covering the facts of history, but also of giving a great feel for the culture of each time period. I would say this is my favorite aspect of WP. The Brooks are absolutely wonderful people to work with. I have only had one difficulty in receiving an order, but they did their utmost to make the situation right. The Bad: We were a little disappointed to find the MOH lessons not scheduled as written. WP chooses to schedule the lessons by country, rather than chronologically, (and I do understand their reasons for doing so) thus really eliminating the possibility of using MOH's pre-tests, quizzes or tests. (I wouldn't normally test for history, but my kids love Linda Hobars' tests! It was kinda like a game for them!) And I had to edit several times on the fly when reading something like, "As we read yesterday..." or "Remember when..." because we had not actually read the lessons being referred to yet. My kids have not been very impressed with the craft/activity opportunities. They enjoyed Hands and Hearts kits much more. In using QAW and QMA for high schoolers, we found that, although the reading wasn't difficult, WP took alot of time to complete just due to the amount of books/activities scheduled daily. Some mature content is scheduled without prior warning. You know, the more I've considered the WP/SL comparisons, the more I believe it is an apples/oranges thing. They really are very, very different. WP is not about learning from historical fiction at all, while SL is all about that. Just my two cents.:)

Thanks so much for this. I have been planning on math each year, but was uncertain which courses to plan, so your input has really helped. Thanks again!

Okay. I am not a mathy type. Received "A"s in high school maths, and even in College Algebra, but I went no further in that field. So, I now have two Science/Math kids planning on entering medical studies in college and have a few questions with regard to upper level math. First, could someone please have mercy on me and tell me the difference between Trigonometry and Calculus? Are these separate subjects, and, if so, should they be studied in a certain order? Second, which maths would you suggest for students preparing for Pre-med and Physical Therapy? Thanks in advance!

Have you looked at God's Design for Science? I know geology is included in that series. Also, Christian Kids Explore Earth Science covers quite a bit of geology. Not sure how those would work with regards to worksheets, (I've not used either program) but if such are not included in the texts, I'm certain one could find a simple workbook to provide them. And, if he were willing to consider something different, WP has an interesting looking program here. HTH some!

Well, thank you for clarifying. I obviously misread your intent.:001_smile: You may be right about it being the WP history spines rather than read-alouds being touted as more age-appropriate...though I know that I've heard the latter mentioned as well. Thanks for joining in on the discussion. I appreciate it.

We've used Physics I, Biology II and now Chemistry II, and my sciency dc have enjoyed them all.

Yes. This is absolutely true. So could I just state again that the reason I mentioned the mature topics found in WP is due to the fact that I've always heard WP presented as more age-appropriate? I thought it might be helpful to people who are considering combining jr./sr. high students with their middler students in WP themes to be aware of what might come up. Again, I was not slamming WP. Typically those who use SL have been made aware~~especially from the company itself~~of these issues. (SL makes crystal clear that they do not attempt to shelter users from these things, but that they expect parents to use these opportunities to teach however they see fit.) Only providing further information for those interested.

I agree with the previous poster that Mr. Notgrass writes from a Christian perspective. In fact, in the very first Bible lesson (regarding determining one's worldview) he states that his curriculum "approaches history with the belief that God created the heavens and the earth and that He continues to guide the events of the world." This is not to say, however, that every lesson is filled with "Christian commentary". As the pp mentioned, the text is not "preachy". With regards to a "providential view", I think it necessary to clarify terms. I've recently read others who think of "the providential approach" as believing God is at work in history. If that is what one means, Notgrass is providential. The author states that he see the hand of God both blessing and chastening Americans~~which I believe is true of other nations as well If, otoh, one considers "the providential approach" as the idea that America is a new, chosen nation, you'll not find that in Notgrass. I've spoken with the author personally on this issue, and he is not providential. He makes no bones about appreciating this country, but he is also objective and unafraid to deal with America's faults. There is a fair amount of reading in EA. The text is straightforward and not difficult, so that doesn't take long at all. Some of the primary documents (of which there are usually about 3-4 a week) are more difficult, especially in the earlier lessons. As the year progresses, those readings become easier due to the writing becoming more "modernized". As for the literature selections, they are usually scheduled to be read over one or two weeks, although allowing an extra week or two is viable since there are breaks between readings. (My dc, who are doing a separate literature program, read them as part of their history credit and haven't had difficulty in keeping up.) Another thing to keep in mind is that Notgrass is a very flexible program. I don't think its' overall effectiveness would be hampered by deleting a reading here and there, if one felt that necessary.

Sorry. I just thought that a "straight-from-the-horse's-mouth" answer might prove more helpful than the statement of someone who hasn't yet used all the programs. Given your thoughts above, however, I'll just say that we've used Physics I, Biology II, and Chemistry II, and have found no references to creationism.

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