I really like your DR table. We have an Amish table, and your table looks Amish made as well. Your area looks very organized. Good Job!

Because of the teacher's unions, someone like Bill Gates is not "qualified" to teach public school students in a Computer Science class. I am not a fan of them.

My mom has been a public school teacher for 35+ years, and she has NEVER joined the teacher's union. Many teachers are pressured to join it, but some resist. I admire the fact that she has the backbone not to join this union.

That is good to know. So far, it is the only writing program I own. My kids haven't started using it yet. I know SWB highly recommends it. I will not know if it works for us until awhile from now.

That is a great idea. I like to add visual aids and get creative whenever possible to make things more interesting.

I'm probably not the best person to ask. Since Math/Science are my favorite subjects, I tend want to get Reading/English out of the way first thing in the morning so I can focus the rest of the day on Math. :tongue_smilie:

When working a year ahead, for example Saxon 2 for a first grader, I would not completely skip the meeting book. I'd still do it at least once or twice a week. :iagree: , there are valuable things in it. For us, doing it everyday was too much.

I'm not sure that is the "Primary Language Lessons" you are looking for. This is another website for it: http://www.allcatholicbooks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ACB&Product_Code=VA20x1

After reviewing both SWR and WRTR, I went with WRTR and got the TM from spalding.org. There are many things available their to get you started if you go that route. I know that Classical Writing goes well with WRTR for composition.

If you are interested, you could read this http://www.newmanreader.org/works/development/ which is an essay written by Venerable John Henry Newman.

My children do Saxon one year ahead of grade level and one day a week we do Singapore Math CWP or workbook. It's worked well for us.

I haven't yet used Writing Strands, so I cannot say for sure. When I went to a homeschooling conference recently and spoke with a representative for IEW he told me to not start writing with my children until at least 4th grade. I was surprised that he didn't even try to sell his product to me. I also spoke with a local lady who runs a homeschooling store and she said the same thing: wait until 4th grade to start formal writing. It can be confusing with so much conflicting information. :confused:

I've only ever owned Writing Strands. My children are still very young, though, and we'll just be lightly starting writing this fall (3rd grader). I enjoy hearing what you all have tried and your likes/dislikes of each. :)

Mari, My children are about the same ages as yours. I, too, have wondered this same thing. I have used Rod & Staff and really like it. I have only looked at Seton online, so I cannot give a true comparison. But to have every detail worked out and not have to constantly be searching for that "perfect curriculum" is one of the positives about Seton. I have heard and spoke with people who are very happy with Seton and claim that the Seton Reading & English are top rate. I've decided to go my own way for now, but I would be interested in what others have to say about this as well.

I think everyone on this board is a "smart cookie". Homeschoolers also demonstate (imho) a certain amount of moxy.:thumbup: My intention for SWR is mainly to teach my son to read. The spelling part would be a bonus. I will use it for my daughter, too, but probably add to it with a specific grammar/writing course.

Has anyone used either of these and would like to share what they like/dislike about either? I have been considering using these for my son and daughter. SWR will have a training session coming to my area at the end of August. Has anyone here ever taken one of these sessions? Are they worth the $100 price? I also noticed that if you go to Spalding.org (SWR and WRTR are based on the Spalding Method). It has teachers manuals, flashcards, etc. Has anyone gone this route instead? THanks for sharing!

:iagree: She looks so silly in that video, almost possessed! :lol:

Hi, I've used Saxon with mine as long as I've afterschooled/homeschooled. I also use Singapore for variety and to encourage problem solving. My daughter tested at Saxon 6/5 at the end of second grade, but I'm keeping her in Saxon 5/4 for the time being. I want her to feel confident and not push her too hard. She finished Saxon 3 and Singapore 2B last year. (For second grade). Saxon 3 does get challenging towards the end. She was learning square roots, graphing on a coordinate plane and identifying a function rule already. 5/4 does look easier. It has lots of review. I did see some new things,though. Saxon 5/4 looks more like a typical Math book than the previous levels. There's no meeting book, but I haven't been using that much anyway with my 5 year old who has nearly completed Saxon Math 1. The transition has not been hard in my daughter's case. In my experiences teaching math, if you as the teacher understand the material well and are not afraid of it, your student will pick it up easier and feel more confident. It is always good if you can draw a picture or have a manipulative on hand to make it more interesting. Hope that helps. :)

Hi, I've used Saxon with mine as long as I've afterschooled/homeschooled. I also use Singapore for variety and to encourage problem solving. My daughter tested at Saxon 6/5 at the end of second grade, but I'm keeping her in Saxon 5/4 for the time being. I want her to feel confident and not push her too hard. She finished Saxon 3 and Singapore 2B last year. (For second grade). Saxon 3 does get challenging towards the end. She was learning square roots, graphing on a coordinate plane and identifying a function rule already. 5/4 does look easier. It has lots of review. I did see some new things,though. Saxon 5/4 looks more like a typical Math book than the previous levels. There's no meeting book, but I haven't been using that much anyway with my 5 year old who has nearly completed Saxon Math 1. The transition has not been hard in my daughter's case. In my experiences teaching math, if you as the teacher understand the material well and are not afraid of it, your student will pick it up easier and feel more confident. It is always good if you can draw a picture or have a manipulative on hand to make it more interesting. Hope that helps. :)

I was a mathematics doctoral student at a university on the East Coast. I taught Calculus and other math courses to college Freshmen and Sophomores. I completed all four of my doctoral qualifying exams, and have a love for mathematics. Math is much more beautiful at the upper levels. However, I love being a SAHM, and I consider it a blessing to be home with my children. :)

That's funny. I get that same confused look when I tell people my husband is an actuary. :lol:

I haven't heard my husband's occupation mentioned yet. He is a Corporate Actuarial Executive, (Fellow in the Society of Actuaries). He is very good at math! We both have advanced degrees in Mathematics. However, I am enjoying being a SAHM. :)

I taught courses in mathematics at a state university on the east coast including Calculus. We had a two hour training session the Saturday before the first day of classes, and that was it. ;) I did fine, though. I did take some education courses including a mathematics education course at the undergraduate level. I have a book about teaching mathematics from this class, but I didn't use it beyond the class. The best advice I could give you when teaching is to really know your material before you enter the class. And do not be afraid. :) That's probably not much help, but that was my experience.

Children benefit from repetition. Students don't have the many years of experience using math like we do. It's difficult to compare math programs for several reasons: 1. The teacher's ability and motivation 2. The student's ability and motivation 3. The curriculum itself in relation to 1. and 2. 4. The communication of the curriculum Saxon is expensive, time consuming, and repetitive. Yet it builds a strong base. I use it one grade level ahead for my children, and I supplement with Singapore's Challenging Word problems for variety and to help develop strong problem solving ability. I allow myself the freedom to skip things that I don't think are necessary. When you're starting out it's wise to stick with programs that have been around for awhile - programs that have proven results.

Do you have the Saxon manipulatives? Has she been reading the 100 number chart every day? It sounds like an issue with base 10. Have you done the '10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,BLASTOFF!' ? I'd stick with Saxon, but use manipulatives of some type for these issues. My son just finished Math 1, and his favorite part is using manipulatives. I would encourage patience, too. I think she will pick it up soon. :)