Yeah, that's what DH was saying...

Just sold something and have some cash burning a hole in my pocket. I'd like an iPad, but I don't know which generation I should look into. The iPad2 is about $100 cheaper, but the current 4th gen. has better resolution + other updates. I guess what I'm asking is: Anyone have the older version (2) and use it with homeschool. Have you had any problems with apps or other programs on it? Does the screen resolution seem sufficient (I'd like to do reading eggs and Starfall on it, so graphics need to be fairly clear/crisp). What about this Notability (do I have that right?) We're currently using Math Mammoth and I see people use that on the iPad instead of printing. I think DD would totally dig that.... does that work on iPad2 (vs. the newest gen)? Thanks! :) :)

Those look great -- thanks for sharing!

So this thread interests me... may I ask a question? Is the recorder an instrument in & of itself, i.e. "I play the recorder in marching band." Or is it considered a stepping stone to a woodwinds instrument? (I ask b/c the above sounds like it's a "real" instrument -- no offense -- but I've never seen it other than in early elem....) Thanks and sorry for the tangent! :)

We did one semester at a church-sponsored co-op. It wasn't a fit for us but the prices were about $20/semester/child and you got 2 classes/hours. The parent was expected to teach one of those hours & attend a bible study during the other. Supplies were provided in the cost.

Thanks again for all the feedback. They're all valid suggestions, but whatever the reason was (even if it's simply I'm overreacting) I'm moving on. My feathers are no longer ruffled. :p RE: the recipe. Don't think it's crescent rolls... I've made several casseroles with a crescent roll crust but this was more like a pie crust. But thicker and crispier. LOL, oh well... maybe I can at least look forward to having it again on the next church breakfast event. :D :D

My 6.5 year old DD is writing-resistant. Because she was/is a slow-to-read child, I didn't push any sort of writing program at the beginning of this year (1st). No grammar, either, or spelling. Basically, my sole focus has been getting her to read (and doing math). Now that she is reading CVC words (not with ease, but she can), I'm thinking we may be ready for writing. Also, I worry about her being behind her same-aged peers in public school. *I know, I know, all kids are at their own levels, etc, etc. But I taught 1st grade for 5 years and I know where my students were at this point. And she's not even close. If she's simply cannot, fine, but I don't want it to be from lack of exposure to writing, KWIM?* So, what's the gentlest of gentle writing programs? DD fights even writing just ONE sentence and struggles to sit still and focus. I want something that we can TRY, but won't overwhelm her or discourage her when she cannot do it. What would you use? (I'm considering waiting and just starting with something like Classical Writing Primer in the fall....)

Just wait. If you're doing the free trial, they'll start sending you coupons in your email. :p Wait and after a while, they'll send you one for $49 for 6 months, with 6 months FREE. So we never saw a coupon better than that (it equals the HSBC group buy). It's not FREE, by any means (or cheap, for that matter) but it's a great price!

Not a complete program, but I really like the look of these: http://www.creativeteaching.com/c-452-grammar-minutes.aspx

LOL, well now, I think you might be on to something! That sounds like a plan...

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Put this in the other thread, but ours came today.

We're doing a brief state study (mostly symbols, etc) this year. My girls are in 1st and PreK-4. We'll probably do it again when we get to US History, but with a little more depth (state history).

Woo-hoo! Mine arrived today! (Mine were also all in a large bubble mailer, but everything looks fine. FWIW, I do dvd reviews for a company and they always ship the dvds in bubble mailers -- no problems -- but these were all loose and shuffling around in there. But they all look fine.)

We started with Singapore 1A and got to the very end of it before I switched us to MM1A. I really do *love* Singapore and we enjoyed math time with it. It does such a good job at teaching the concepts (begins with hands-on manipulatives, moves to the visuals in the textbook, then the actual practice in the workbook.) I think that's really effective. That said, my DD doesn't respond well when I try to overtly TEACH her, ya know? Like, "Okay DD, let's sit down and here are some blocks and lets do ____." She resists that. So I switched to MM and decided to start at the beginning (1A) after seeing samples. It gives a lot of addition practice -- which I felt we were lacking & needed -- but I definitely think SM starts more solidly with lots of number bond work. I'm unsure if we'll keep up with MM or go back to SM after this interlude. :) DD is liking MM but it's missing that *spark* for me. Just feels like a bunch of workbook work; I don't get to see the wheels turning in her brain, see her making those connections (she may be, but I got to see it with SM and the use of manipulatives). Anyway, I do like that everything is all contained in the worktext with MM. And it's less expensive -- even with buying it printed/bound, like I did (MM=2 books/level while SM=6 books/level). And I do think she needed this break b/c SM was starting to tackle some concepts that she wasn't ready for...

Ooh, I'm in NC so fingers-crossed for a quick ship time. (on the downside, we're "O" on the alphabet, so we may be waiting for them to ship a while....)

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:blink: Well, I'd completely forgotten about purchasing this! Ran out to the mailbox...but nothing there. :p Maybe tomorrow!

We've done this: http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/letter-of-the-week And this (not hands on): http://www.starfall.com/n/N-info/abcprint.htm?n=downloadcenter

In a few months I will have to send in my Letter of Intent and register my homeschool. I've been struggling -- for the past 2 years -- to come up with a suitable NAME for our school since it's pretty permanent in NC and I don't want to write something *silly* on my child's diploma, if we make it that long.... Anyway, does it matter if you pick a name that is already being used somewhere out there? For example, I picked a pretty generic name, based on geologic terms (ie. Sandy Creek -- that's not it) and there's a school of that name in another state. Does that matter? I assume NOT, but I'm curious..... How hard did you work to make your school name unique? I'm not going to do (Last name) School, though that would be one way to do it...

My 4yo does church preschool 2x/week, but mainly to go play and give me some time alone with her sister. When at home, she does Starfall/Reading Eggs or plays when I'm working with older DD. When she & I are working together, we're using CLE's Kindergarten II program for written work/coloring/"school" time.

1st grade: Phonics Pathways / Reading Eggs Spectrum Writing 1 workbook Disney Skills Grammar 1 workbook (Tinkerbell! nouns! Tinkerbell! verbs!) LOE cursive