Perfect! Thank you so much!!

I'm not real up to spead with downloadable audio (pay-per-song thing). We've just memorized the Books of the OT using the Sing the Word CD from Sonlight. I just don't want to spend the money on a whole new CD this month to get the NT books, so I was hoping someone might now if there is site where I can get a similar type song. Thanks!

We made some cute Valentine's for our gym class party today! Otherwise just me blah, blah, blah-ing about our week :)

I use Homeschool Tracker software for my 3rd grader. I've been using it for 2.5 years, and just love it. I would have a hard time homeschooling without it. For my new-ker, I'm using a piece of paper with all the pages in his math &critical thinking workbook broken down into lessons; I just cross off what he's done. I'm still setting up his K program (just doing skill subjects right now) and do not want to spend time plugging it into HST. Plus, I'm still trying to learn what programs will work for him and how to integrate his program with is big brother's.

Our family goal is to not let the government hold our money for us -- we'd rather take it to reduce debt, save, etc. So, for us, getting a very small return is our goal. Several times during the year (usually right after I figure our taxes, mid-summer and sometime in November), I run dh's paystub through the IRS Withholding Calculator You can plug in your itemized amounts from the previous year, or just stick with a standard deduction. It will then tell you how much you would owe/ get back at the end of the year based on those figures. And, they'll advise you on how many deductions to claim, and you can even print out a new form, hand it to hubby (have him sign it!), and turn it in at human resources. I've been known to hand dh a new withholding form mid-year to make our tax return as close to zero as possible.

Click on link in signature. It's a bathtime picture -- gotta love those!

LOL! I know the feeling!

LOL! I like speakers, but I agree, if they are they to obviously sell something, I am a little circumspect about the whole deal.

and tend to I tutor with content subjects.

But now that he knows cursive, we are not using a handwriting program. Just copywork and dictation (he has to use cursive now for nearly all his writing). For ds#2, whom i just started with his K program, we did 2 sheets from RFH when I dropped it. We're going through the preETC books, and we'll add in some copywork and dication, too, so I don't know if I'll ever use the rest of the K program. I have Startwrite, and it really a great program. I use it to make all sorts of notebooking pages and copywork pages.

I'm a new part of the steering committee for our homeschool support group. Some of our topics are just getting "stale" to me, and I'd like to get some other ideas of what groups talk about during their meetings. These are evening meetings w/o kids, and new people are always welcome. So, what do you do? Do you have speakers? What do they talk about? Thanks!

After a year and a hlaf of good intentions, ds has finally "taken me up" on my offer of a Pizza Hut pizza through PH's Book It program. I wrote about how I am using the reading incentive program on my blog here. So, this year, I've got him reading for variety. Next year, I'll change it so that he's reading (1) longer books (2) better books (less twaddle, no picture books). I know this approach isn't for everybody, but perhaps it'll give you some ideas on ways to structure his "free reading" time.

We tried the mastery approach with math (MUS) and it just brought ds to tears. Then we used a more spiral approach (both Exploring Mathematics & Singapore), and he was much more receptive to it -- which meant no more tears! That is the beauty of homeschooling -- we aren't confined to one type of philosophy because that is what is required by a principal, school district or superintendent. And, we can use different methods for different subjects and for different kids based on their strengths, weaknesses, gifts and temperment -- and what God is calling us to do for them. When I find a tool that helps my child learn, I use it.

Yes! That's it, thanks!

First of all, it is important to know that I don't have to test this year. We've used portfolio reviews for the past two years and I'm perfectly content with that model for assessing my son's learning skills. That being said, though, I do want to "train" my son to be able to take a standardized test -- it is just a part of life. So, I thought I'd go ahead and get a Spectrum test prep book and walk him through a little of that and then give him the CAT-E from Seton Hall. It only tests LA and Math skills. I initially though doing the entire CAT-5 would be really unfair of me, since our scope and sequence for social studies and science (more WTM than non) varies significantly from what would occur in public school -- or private for that matter. :confused:Does this (CAT-E) sound like a good idea? Or, should I subject ds to a CAT5? :confused:What will I learn from the CAT5 in my situation? :confused:And what about the PASS? I can't for the life of me locate my bookmark for this homeschool friendly assessment.

Click on link in signature. We had another great week with SL Core 3!

Rebecca, They are similar in tone and feeling and the variety of exercises (with reminders to review poems as in the first book). The biggest difference is that the student has the workbook. For diagramming, for example, they've scripted out questions to ask of the student as they figure out verbs, then subjects, then direct objects or predicate adjectives, then adverbs and adjectives,etc. You, as the teacher, guide them through this process. HTH!

Well, FLL3 is different than the 1&2; you'll want to print off samples and look through it to see if will be a good fit for your child -- that is how I decided between FLL3, Rod and Staff and GWG. It has been a good fit for us, even though ds says he doesn't like it. It takes us 20 or so minutes to complete a lesson, which is about twice as much time as FLL2 took, so you may want to consider that. There is writing involved. For me, I like that it's got my bare minimum requirement of copywork, dication, narration, poetry and addition to grammar. It helps me to have one resource cover a couple different areas.

if that is the Lord's plan for our family. When people (who are skeptical of homeschooling) ask, I say we're prepared to go through HS as long as it is a blessing for our family.

Nice to see so many here!:)

He's not much into cutting. We only tried the Ancient Civilization one, though, and we had a ton of other "fun" stuff we were doing at the time.

I don't have to track anything for our state requirements, but this helps me see what we have to do in one day -- I am a visual sort of person. I also print out a schedule (assignment calendar) for my son, so I can build in some independence and responsibility for him. It works great for us. And, when ds2 hits 1st grade, all my assignments will already be in HST so I don't have to re-do everything. Just a word of warning: when I tried the free version, I gave up quickly because it was quite cumbersome. Please don't judge it by the free version. The plus version is amazing, and once you purchase it, you'll get lifetime downloads as it is upgraded. Their customer service is incredible, too.

As my oldest (my guinea pig) nears 4th grade in the fall, I am seeing where WTM recommendation have worked really well -- things I definitely want to continue with my next-in-line guinea pig (he'll officially be K in the fall). And, I can see where things we've done a la WTM haven't been as natural or won't work for ds2. SWB's recommendations for early elementary writing (copywork, narration, etc.) have been spot on for us (...and for me, too. I always hated the emphasis on 'creative writing' in the elementary years. Too contrived). I love the 4 year history rotations from TWTM. There are some fun units we've completed in those grades that I wouldn't have wanted to miss for the world -- Egypt, Rome, Greece. Renaissance. Middle Ages. We've always used Sonlight's Read Aloud list to cover our bases for good children's literature. RAs have always been a huge hit in in our family. We're now using Sonlight Core 3 to make my life easier and to spend some time just in US history. I think ds will benefit from seeing the Big World Picture better during his logic and rhetoric years.

by Lisa Welchel. She has some good off-the-beaten-path suggestions for Biblically correcting children that you can incorporate into an if-then type chart of your own. I find in our house, that the biggest thing that brings dh and I success is writing down what the consequences are for each type of infraction. If we rely soley on our memories, we're likely to discipline differently and inconsistently. Blessings,

...didn't post one last week, so I put two in for this week!