I went to file folders this year. We used to do 3-ring binders, but there's some gene in our family that apparently makes it impossible to actually remember to put things in the right section of a 3-ring binder or to remember to clean it out every so often. ;) So, this year for my 3 youngers each had a file folder for each child for each subject. As something was completed, it went into the appropriate folder. I kept a file folder organizer on the top of my kitchen island and we just slipped all the folders into that. At the end of the year, each kid put together their own portfolio for our state evaluation. I just handed them their folders and they pulled out examples from throughout the year. Easy peasy. Getting them to let me throw away the rest...eh, not so easy. But I can throw them all into a file box if need be. We will keep the portfolios and ALL art projects (because art is important to us). The rest will eventually go away. ;) My high schooler does use binders, but he has a separate one for each subject. Similar process for portfolios, though I will be keeping most everything he does.

I think it looks pretty good for 6. I second the suggestion for using smaller lines---I have found that when the lines are too big, kids are "drawing" their letters instead of writing them. You might switch to just plain wide-ruled notebook paper (you can use two lines for one line, iykwim?). Or even blank paper (for some of my kids this has been preferable).

Katie, you sound a lot like me in some ways. This is from the heart---I had a big ole plan for history and literature this year for my 3 youngers and it got pushed aside. It was too much. What happened was we were filling up our days with "school" and they were not having enough time for free exploration. We are all happier when our days are not completely filled up with the "plan". So I pared history down to a spine, we read and discussed, and they narrated. We reduced the number of lit read alouds and we picked what we felt like next as we finished one. I also gave the two older kids a book basket they could select from for their "assigned" independent reading. They learned soooo much and had so much time for their other personal interests. Granted, my kids are a little older, but there will be time later on for yours to read more. I vote you do the DIY. It will give you the flexibility to pursue rabbit trails (something I didn't have time for the year I did Sonlight), and you can do a topic that will be fun for you.

Thank you for posting your reactions. I can strike this one right off my list. My own background is in literature and philosophy---there's so much wrong with what I see available on the market in these areas. I really think my family just needs to read good books and talk about them.

You could list it as postage included for media mail and offer the option to give a quote for expedited shipping if anyone wants it quicker.

I think a lot of it depends upon where you are at. In our previous state, we had a great garden, high yields of tomatoes, peppers, cukes, zukes, various herbs, and the kids would snack on the sugar snaps right off the vine. I was a bit of a lazy gardener (yes, weeds can be very effective mulch after the plants have established themselves), but our garden did very well each year and probably saved us lots on produce. We only really bought corn and fruit during the summer. Since we have moved here, it's like I have a black thumb. One year we planted and got very low yields on everything. One year we had to plant late due to various circumstance and also got low yields. One year a critter (or a herd of critters?) bit off every stinking plant that we had established overnight (beans, tomato plants, etc) and we gave up for the year. One year a ground hog set up residence under our shed and by the time he moved on it was too late to plant. This year I want to plant something, but our spring was cold and so rainy that we haven't gotten started. Now it is hot, hot, hot---not sure I have it in me to get the garden ready. I'm getting the distinct impression that I'm just not meant to have a garden. :lol:

:grouphug:

Our group used Homeschool-life before Big Tent. The price is about $8 a family now. The reason we switched is because there were some glitchy bits and things you couldn't do that made the admin (ME) batty. So we switched to Big Tent. Big Tent is easier in some ways, less glitchy, and free.

Our group uses Big Tent. It's free and you can set up your own forums, news blasts, etc. We had yahoo once upon a time but nobody liked anything about it except the fact that they got it automatically in their email and could respond to it directly through email. We will probably never use FB because we have several members who aren't on FB and don't want to be. Big Tent has its minuses (there's a little bit of a learning curve), but you can set it up so that people get things automatically in their email like they do with yahoo groups, you can upload files, create different forum groups, subgroups, etc. You can also have a "public" webpage that directs people to how to join your group.

Snickerplum, I just had a treadmill stress test last week. What they told me was that they do however many increases of speed/incline they need to until they reach your target heart rate. The number of increases (or lack thereof) isn't indicative of a problem. I was on the treadmill for roughly the same time you were and my cardiologist said I did well. I would wait and see what your cardiologist has to say after he/she sees your data. ;)

Yes, a number of items are selling elsewhere for less than the "value" price given on the BYB pages. I found some that were listed at a lower regular price (not on sale) on the publisher's site. I was sort of interested in the 2 upper level bundles, but too many of the things have no or very scant samples available on the publishers' sites, so I'm not able to tell for sure that I would actually be happy with them. I suspect I would be disappointed. It may make more sense for me to just pick up the couple of things that I know for sure I would use and buy them from the publisher. Or not. Honestly, I don't NEED any of it. I may be better off just putting on my blinders and sticking to my actual "to buy" list. ahem. :lol:

Mystery Bundle contents---for those who would rather be surprised, I've put it in white text so you can scroll by without seeing it. Just highlight it to read. Spoiler below: 1. Their Blood Tingled: Junior High Literature and Writing with C. S. Lewis' The Magician's Nephew from Writing with Sharon Watson ---must be new, there is no info on this on her site 2. Excavating English---this one is by Ellen McHenry's sister (if I recall correctly, I owned this one already) and you can see samples on her site. 3. Lewis & Clark Once a Week Study from Homeschool Legacy 4. Portfolios 101 from Amanda Bennett 5. 99 Fine Motor Ideas for Ages 1-5 by multiple authors---Nicely produced, but not anything I can use. 6. The Homemaking Series Bundle by Sheri Graham---this one is like 10 booklets packaged in one 500+ page plain jane pdf with NO table of contents. Oi! 7. Keyboarding for the Christian School 8. Science in the Kitchen by Susan Stewart---This is not an open and go program, it is more along the lines of how to develop your own course. 9. Calendar Math Made Easy with Differentiated Calendar Books from Raki's Rad Resources 10. Expedition Short Vowels from Moms for Literacy---short early reading workbook 11. Antonym Ant Puzzles by Susan Brown---these are full-color 2-piece cards that you cut apart and then have the child put them back together. The other sets are the same type of thing. One set sells for like $2-3 on the gal's website. 12. Homonym Butterfly Puzzles by Susan Brown 13. Twenty-Five Days of Christmas Quotes for Copywork by Betty Eisenhour @ Peace Creek on the Prairie 14. Homophone Rabbit Puzzles by Susan Brown 15. Synonym Dinosaur Puzzles by Susan Brown 16. Character Trails Curriculum (includes flashcards and mp3s) from Character Concepts---I already owned a hard copy of this. 17. US National Parks and Historic Places Activity Pack and Game from Write Bonnie Rose 18. Set of various writing prompts ebooks from Write Bonnie Rose 19. Across the USA: Geography Printables for all 50 States by Annette Breedlove---each state is a separate file, so it's easy to navigate

Give me a few minutes to round up the mystery bundle contents---one of my peeves is that when you download the files they are named "mystery1, mystery 2, etc." so you have to open each file to view it and then rename. Bit of a pain. ;)

I also found that the sale did not live up to the hype this year. I took a chance and got the "mystery bundle." With my 10% coupon it was only $9, so I thought I'd live dangerously. I will probably use a couple things from it, but for the most part I was underwhelmed by the quality of the products in it. Oh well. I do not feel it is really worth anywhere near the $200+ value they are putting on it. eta: I'll add that a few of the better things in the bundle are things I already own. ;)

The three youngers finished yesterday. :hurray: No, the math books aren't completely done---if they were in school, the school year wouldn't get extended because math wasn't done, right? We'll do "fun" math over the summer and pick up where we left off as necessary in August. The two middles were getting bogged down on a couple of math skills anyway and need a little break. I suspect that the things that are tripping them up now will be a piece of cake later. Oldest has about 2 weeks worth of work to finish and I will be also working with him to do the biology labs we haven't done yet---I get to focus primarily on him for a bit which I'm looking forward to.

Yes, loose black tea in an infuser (or an herbal if you want no caffeine). It really is completely different from tea bag tea. Mighty leaf is pretty good, though (they use whole leaves instead of microscopic bits).

Honestly, I think typing tends to be harder for young kids due to their hand size. Are they using a full-size keyboard? I'm planning to teach my two middlers to type either this summer or this fall. Previous attempts fizzled, but now my dd's hands are nearly the size of mine. I may end up waiting a bit with her younger brother (he insists he's fine hunting and pecking). Oldest taught himself to type in short order once he was a teen and types quickly.

I think as a 10-year he is doing quite well. :)

Ah, perhaps this is it? http://english.a222.org/wp-content/uploads/501_Reading_Comprehension_Question.pdf

The link in that thread is old and now redirects to a corporate home page. Does anyone know if this ebook is still available somewhere on the web?

Part 1: http://blog.knowledgequestmaps.com/on-curriculum-and-common-core/ Part 2: http://blog.knowledgequestmaps.com/on-curriculum-and-common-core-part-2/

Oops, wrong thread!

Thanks. It would seem that the authors of this program have no issues with editorializing. ;) I noticed some similar type things in the sample unit and wondered if that was the general tone.

Layers of Learning

Can you share some examples? I keep trying to find some real reviews of this product, but without luck. :D