:bigear:

:lurk5:

I have been using the free version of HS Tracker for several years, and have been happy with it. Next year ds will be in 9th grade, and I am wondering if the additional features in the Plus version are helpful for additional reporting/tracking needed for high school. Anyone find there are great advantages to the upgrade? Also I use Microsoft Access to set up some custom entry screens & reports. Does anyone know if this is still possible with the Plus? Thanks! Kathy

:iagree: Along with test grades though, I do adjust it for attitude and how hard they try. My dd attends public school and they include this in the grades, as well as attendance & preparedness (is the homework done). Now ds is here every single day, and does not get away with not doing homework, so it generally comes down to attitude.

I would pick this one because it doesn't appear to hide the fact that she was homeschooled, yet it is not the first thing you notice about it. Plus if she has a 4.0 I would definitely include that. :bigear:

That truly is the great thing about IEW. Later on they do need to figure out the "what" more and more, but to start out, it tells them exactly what they should write for, literally, every single sentence (not the actual words, but the idea for each).

We have used IEW for several years & I think it is a wonderful program! If you want your children to do the lessons with the DVDs you will need the Student Writing Intensive set (SWI - level A). Some people use just those, but I would also suggest getting the TWSS program for YOU to watch so you are able to be more helpful to them. It will give you more confidence in your own ability to guide them. I know the cost for both programs is quite high, but you can usually pick up some used ones and they are fairly easy to resell when you are finished - it's kind of like renting them... My son has made remarkable progress with this program. It allows them to concentrate on "how" to write and make it sound great, before having to worry about "what" to write.

I found this to be a great program. It really teaches kids to think about the story rather than just hear it and be done. We started it with ds in 7th grade, so I had him watch the DVDs with me. We also used the lesson plans which I downloaded (I think you have to buy these separate now) - they use O. Henry short stories for practice. This worked wonderfully for us. For a first grader, you would probably just watch the DVDs on your own and then teach it to your children. The O. Henry lessons may be a bit beyond them too? After that you may be ready to continue on your own using their socratic list (questions to ask the student). If you want more guidance, the Center for Lit (Adam and Missy Andrews) also has other resources to use after TTC. There are 3 levels of Ready Readers that use their method. I would think the stories in the first book would be great for your 2 older daughters. Here is a link where you can see samples: http://www.centerforlit.com/Materials/RR.aspx I actually used this with ds 8th grade, and though the stories were definitely for much younger children, the analysis helped me feel more comfortable continuing the method on our own using our own books. Hth, Kathy