We use Sonlight and they have Creative Writing built in - it is based on the literature (this year is US History and Literature)

We also use Engrade and I am also with those who prefer less structure. As a teacher I don't want to discuss the students with the other teachers - I have had amazing results from students who I discovered had been written off by some of the teachers. I don't want to have expectations of students based on other teacher's experiences with them and it is easy for discussions to turn into gossip (I know that is not what you would be happy with - just saying it can happen). I stay clear of the teacher's lounge area even. However, we don't have multiple teachers teaching the same curriculum which is what you seem to have - so I do understand that you are in a fairly unique situation. We also can use any curriculum we want - I couldn't teach from something I was told to teach from any more than Julie could. I communicate with the parents via email and the students via Engrade.

Quiz Up - for your oldest Hopscotch - programming through a game Kodable - same as above but can be used with younger kids Pictowords - critical thinking Infinity Ring - history - there are 3 of them and I really like them - different from other things available 7 words - vocab Start with Art - art These either have "lite" versions or are free or were free when I got them. I have paid for very few.

My kids used a number - and decided Word Power Made Easy was the absolute best. It's pretty cheap too (bought mine through Amazon)

Really Wild Animals - my kids loved those too!

We use it as a supplement. The points dd earns on Khan translate for her into money which she can use to buy what she wants (I give points for other work well done, good test scores etc). This way I don't have to fight with her to spend time on it - she is very motivated to do it.

LOF pre-algebra books, then Algebra.

My daughter took a free online Digital Learning Course - http://courses.homespun-school.net/ that is starting again in the new year. I also wanted her to be responsible to someone else. I think your daughter may enjoy that. If she likes that, there are others she can take from the same instructor. They make graphics and websites etc And I teach online programming classes in Scratch (and have a free Intro one you can see in my signature)

I just got a number of my co op students to write a blog post for me on their favorite board games - you can read it here. The reviews were done by 5th-8th graders ie the age you are interested in and most were boys. They have also written me 3 more (on CD Roms, building toys and toys that teach thinking skills which I am trying to get up). Their ideas may help you

4-H has been excellent in teaching my kids leadership and responsibility. Our local program and extension agents has really helped train them and has given them practical ways to learn these skills. I would suggest you find out if there is a local group to join and try it out.

I teach Geography to Middle School at our co op and I am thinking of turning it into an online course. I would cover each continent as I do in my classroom and use online materials (videos, websites etc) to teach plus online games etc to test mastery plus I would have other projects for them to do and turn in. Would something like that interest you? I have been wondering if anyone would want it - so was interested when I saw your question.

You are welcome - this is an area I am fairly involved in and I plan to learn as many of the options out there to teach kids to program so message any time you want advice. I am also familiar with Alice (more complex but also coding blocks as opposed to actual coding).

I wrote 2 blog posts on Scratch - you can find them one after the other here - http://fundafunda.com/blog/category/computer-training. You don't write code - you drag and drop code blocks. The second of my blog posts shows my favorite book. It takes students through 9 different games and they can copy the code. It is very easy to get coding quickly. I don't know much about GameSalad beyond what it is but it is also free - I know there is a paid pro version - but the basic one is free. Bottom line - you probably don't need to pay for anything for them to play with programming

We LOVED both - but I agree Golden Goblet first. Btw - we visited the Valley of the Kings a few years ago and I felt like I had just stepped into the book. So cool!!

How old are your kids? I teach Scratch as the first programming language for students. Usually start with 4th/5th but younger could manage. It is a free drag and drop language. She could buy them a book to go with it. There is nothing great in books ... am working on one myself but it won't be ready for Christmas!

As early as possible and as often as possible. As others have suggested I do the research and when there is no obvious 'clear' winner, I get my kids to sit with me and look over the options. Far better to get them to 'buy' into whatever you get. They will be more enthusiastic - and if it doesn't turn our exactly as you hoped, well, they can't blame you! I do talk through possible pros and cons and share info have found online in reviews etc. This is a great way to teach 'thinking skills' and 'research skills'. They will learn to analyze and many more things. And in the end, hopefully you will have found the best curriulum solution for them as well.

I used LOF as a supplement to Singapore until my kids reach Algebra. Then I switch to LOF as the main curriculum with Khan as the supplement. Now the LOF has extra problems for Beginning Algebra there is more practice available. At the same time I have got to know Khan really well. I am signed on as my daughter's coach and when I see she is struggling a bit with a concept in LOF I go and assign those on Khan (there is a feature where you can suggest what they do next). As Khan is a supplement, I encourage her to do it by turning the points she gets into rewards - for us, it is a dollar amount she can use towards makeup :). You could obviously offer different things to suit your own children. It could be an outing, extra computer time or anything. Works like a charm. Her math has improved so much (and she was good at it already) and she loves the challenge of getting another concept to turn dark blue in Khan. She is determined to finish all the levels asap! (I did explain she might find Calculus a little beyond her ...)

24 Math Game - card game - I use it for our math club and the students love it.

As this is a pretty big decision to make, it might be worth paying a 'pro' for their advice. A friend of mine used Jeanette Webb of Aiming Higher Consultants to help her two oldest sons get into Univ of Chicago and West Point. I think she really knows her stuff when it comes to getting homeschoolers into select colleges and I am sure she could give you good advice. Only piece of non-pro advice I have is to give plenty of weight to your daughter's feelings on the matter. She is the one who will live with the consequences this year, and maybe also into the future. If she doesn't care about finishing school with her class, then you can be more objective, but if she wants to be there, that does matter.

My 13 year old is currently doing it and enjoying history for the first time. All 3 of her older siblings did it and liked it too. My oldest daughter did it as an 11th grader - after she worked through the course she took 2 weeks and did review with a Princeton Review book and then took the AP US History and scored a 5. So, I can't understand how people think it it 'light' on history. We moved to the US when my daughter was in 8th grade and this was the first proper history course she did. And she aced the AP US History course. So - my vote is a 'yes'. We don't go through all the notes - we just use the books and do the questions. My kids have enjoyed it and come up knowing a lot of US History (both my boys were captains of our History Bowl team which at won a local contest between about 26 schools - questions were all US history - so it helped with that too)

What about getting her magazines? God's World News has ones for all ages that my kids liked. And there is Popular Mechanics. And lots of others. I agree with previous posters - just keep her reading. Don't worry about it being a 'long' book. You don't want to kill whatever love of reading she does have.

My son did re-take 2 of his AP exams. He didn't do well in 10th grade (I think he put in less effort than he said he did - boys!). So, what you do then is write to the Collegeboard and request the scores be removed. Doesn't cost anything. The instructions are easy to find. Then my son signed up to take them again. This time he studied. And he moved up 1 point in the one and 2 in the other. Despite not having done those subjects all year. So, I did end up paying twice for the exam, but he did eventually get decent grades. So , it is very easy to do. I would let her take it and if she doesn't score a 4 or 5, get the score removed and let her retake it.

The format of the SAT is changing next year - don't think I have heard how it will affect the PSAT but regardless of whether or not it will change, taking the PSAT this year won't even show you what areas to work on. And it is such a long way off before she would write it for real I would rather spend the money on a good brain teaser book (or whatever she enjoys doing).

For missionary biographies suitable for elementary as read alouds and upper elementary and middle school as readers I love the Geoff and Janet Benge ones (the covers are boring so don't get put off by that). And my favorite of all those would be the one on Gladys Aylward. Even my husband read it! It reads like a thriller.

This year my daughter is using Usborne Spanish (book) plus Duolingo plus StudySpanish.com (the free version ie she just does the quizzes). She has been doing Spanish at co op for a few years now so she isn't new to it.