I would suggest MFW just because it is so well laid out, the girls could work together on most subjects and it is much more affordable than Sonlight. I drooled over Sonlight for quite sometime until I just came to the realization that I just cannot afford it. It looks like a great curriculum, but having used MFW, switching away from it only to find school being awful, then switching back, I'm hooked for the duration! This is a GREAT program!

We used the Explorers and the Colonial Life study and we totally LOVED them! I printed everything out all at once and put it in a binder so it was ready to go. For the Explorers study, I had all 3 of my dc do all the activities and make their own lap books. But for the Colonial Life one, we divided the activities up between the kids and then put them all together to make one shared lap book. We added a related biography to what was already there, but only because we like to read together. There is plenty of info from the program itself, my kids learned sooooooo much, and had fun doing it!

:iagree: These are the same reasons we like it so much! That and the fact that the planning is already done for me. It's almost open and go, with the exception of making a few copies, and a trip to the library every so often. We switched away from MFW last year, and totally hated it! So we are now back to stay!

Do you use anything else with Queens? Or does it pretty much cover everything? I'm still learning about the CM style. Trying to break the "textbook" mold I grew up in.

I am trying to find a new LA program for my kids. We have been using Rod & Staff, but I want to start my younger children with more of a CM approach, and move my older girls this direction too, if possible. I have heard alot of terms on this board, but what would you suggest. I'm at a loss as to where to start looking. I will have a 1st, 4th (with very little grammar done), 7th & 8th graders. I also want to put a big focus on creative writing with my older 2 girls. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much

If so, what age was your child/children when you started? How did you use it, and how often did you use it? Did you use anything else alongside it? Thanks so much for the help,

Hi, I am looking at LLATL for next year with my 4 school aged children (speciffically grades 1, 4, 7 & 8). Keeping in mind that we have a new baby joining us in November, and a 2/3 yo running around, I would greatly appreciate you opinions on this curriculum. What do you like about it? What do you dislike about it? Is it easy to teach 4 levels at the same time? How much creative writing instruction is there? How much time do you spend on it on a daily basis? Is it easy to use? Is it open and go, or is there prep work that has to be done? Thanks so much for your help,

I think it depends on what gender you have first. We had 2 girls, then our son came along and turned my world upside down! He is so drastically different than the girls! He is now 9, and seems to be mellowing out some, but from the beginning he has always seemed to need more attention etc. than the girls. We have had 2 more girls since our boy was born, and our older girls are hitting their teens , so this will be a whole new experience too. While I don't think I would say that boys are harder than girls to raise, or vice versa, I will say that there is a DRASTIC difference between the two! I think since we had girls first, that was "the norm" for us until ds was born.

We have been using R&S English, and it is very heavy on the grammar, but not so much on the creative writing. Dh and I are looking for a LA program that focuses more on writing papers, brainstorming, outlining etc. We feel that those are very important skills to have especially if our dc intend to go on to college. Does anyone know of a good curriculum for this?

I have a very indepedent learner that will be in 4th grade next year. I am trying to decide if TT 4 might be the way to go for him. He often gets frustrated having to "wait his turn" for me to help him with his lessons (however, he is not a disrespectful frustrated, he just wants to get his work done). I don't want him to dislike learning, (also the more independent we get the less stressed out mom is) so I am wondering if this might be a positive thing to use with him. Any thoughts? Am I being overly concerned or does this sound like it might be worth the $$?

Well, the snow is almost gone. Already! I can't believe how fast it is melting. Yesterday is was winter (blizzarding), but today it is spring again. Our yard is almost all green, but after the snow melts I'm afraid I might have to mow it! Boy, the weather here is just nuts!

Thank you all for the advice. It has been very helpful. Thanks for the tip about having all my MFW photo copies done ahead of time. I hadn't even thought of that, but it will save a lot of time if they are already done and I just have to pull them out every day/week. I will also begin working on school and chore charts for my older children. I think that we will really benefit from this.

Dh and I just recently found out we are expecting, again! This was TOTALLY unexpected, but after recovering from the shock, we are very excited. I know that God is in control. Anyway, I know I have done this many times before, but every pregnancy seems so new all over again. My biggest concern with this one is that I am not in shape like I should be. Does anyone know of any exercises that are safe to do while pregnant that might help tone/build up muscles? Especially mid-section muscles? I was just getting ready to start trying to drop my extra "baby weight" that I have aquired with my other 5 children (30 lbs was the goal), but I guess that will be put on hold now. Is there a way to still, mabye not lose weight, but use the excess that I already have instead of gaining a bunch? If not, I am content to just wait another year. I will also ask my docter these question, but I have yet to set up an appointment, and I'm not a very patient person so I thought I'd ask for info here. I would also greatly appreciate and tips you could offer for helping school run as smoothly as possible next year. The baby is due at the end of November, so we will already be 3 months into our new school year. How can I best start preparing my children now to mabye be a little more independent in the area of school work? Thanks so much,

:lurk5: Did I write this subconciously? This sounds just like my house. I hope you find something that works, I am also looking for answers/ideas.

I have been drooling over the Sonlight catalog for a couple years now, but just can't afford all of it. But I am looking at their LA program. I have looked at their catalog, and on their website, but am still not sure how it works. Is there someone out there that is using or has used this program that could explain to me exactly how it works? We use R&S English right now, and we go over the lesson together, then there is "class work" to do together, and "written work" for the student to do independently. How does Sonlight differ from this type of program? I would greatly appreciate and info you could offer.

We were just outside in shorts, running through the sprinkler 5 days ago, and now there is SNOW on the ground!!! Can you believe it? I was so ready for spring and even summer, but now it's winter extreme all over again! I guess that's what I get for living in Oklahoma! 80 degrees one day, and 30 the next. You never know what tomorrow will be like. I'm afraid this is going to kill our pecans again this year (we didn't get any off of our tree last year because of a late freeze). I guess I shouldn't complain, it is really pretty to watch. So, does anyone else have snow?

Thank you very much! :001_smile:

I haven't ever seen it on sale or discounted. You might look for a used set on the for slae board, or on www.homeschoolclassifieds.com .?.

I combine everything but math and LA with my K, 3rd, 6th & 7th graders. We use My Father's World, and everyone learns on their own level, but we're studying the same things together. This is working great for us!

just got mine today. Haven't had time to look at it yet, though.

I keep hearing about these, I think LA programs, but I am not familiar with the abreviations. Could some one help me out? Thanks so much,

For K-2nd grade phonics: Adventures in Phonics A, B, & C from Christian Liberty Press 3rd-8th Grammar: R&S English Series 1st-8th Spelling: Building Spelling Skills 1-8 from Christian Libery Press K-8th handwriting: Christian Liberty Handwriting Series With 4 children, my total time spent daily on LA is about 1 1/2 hrs. However, my oldest 2 are getting more and more independent so will require less help from me.

I know that frozen lasagnas from the store (9x13 size) usually cook @350 for about 2hrs. They recommend 1 hr if it is thawed.

I love the feel of the dirt! I only use gloves when dealing with rose bushes or hauling wood.

If you feel uncomfortable with the shot, and your doctor is pressuring you about it, I would find another doctor! I have had an experience with a "pushy" (at the least) doctor. To make a long story short, my dh & I have decided not to have the rogham shot during pregnancies, well, this doctor was pushing me to have the shot behind my dh back and just not tell him! I was OUTRAGED! We decided that if a doctor was going to pressure you to do something you were not comfortable with, then there is no telling what he might do without you knowing. Just something to think about.