They have great customer service here. I called them recently stressing over my last years test results (again) and she went over the test assuring me we did not fail. Plus she recommended another company with a different kind of test. It's from Hewitt Homeschooling (just do a search on google for it). It is called the PASS test and the company said it was more homeschool friendly. I used the PASS test last fall and it was easier to administer than the CAT test, mostly I think because it was shorter. It also wasn't a timed test which helped us because my son doesn't do well with test taking. But I still loved the customer service from FLO...now if they had the PASS test it would be a winning combo. Alison

Just curious if the chant cd bothered you? I just heard the sample and I was wondering if it would be confusing to kids the way they say all of the Spanish words, then say their English traslation? Of course all chant cd's might be like this, but it's the first one I've heard of.

I don't even know if KY is in the South, I always thought of us as Midwest, but we might not be West enough. Anyway, around here the right church is usually Baptist...but there are quite a few Methodist's around. Plus several Catholics. In our local homeschool world I think the non-denom. is winning. I also don't know anyone in mixed marriages except in our homeschool group which has two families from mixed marriages. It's no big deal in the group. Does every area have a church on every corner? I live 5 minutes from a mall, but still out in the county. In those 5 minutes I could drive to 1 Methodist, 1 Baptist, 1 Assembly of God, 1 Cumberland Presbyterian, and 3 non-denominational. And that's pretty typical for our area. Alison

A year ago I would have laughed in the face of boxed mashed potatoes...well, this year I'm not laughing :001_smile: We actually had some last night. Look at your labels, some are just potatoes, some have other stuff of which I can't recall. For quick potatoes to ease your life then go for it. However, do actually follow the directions on these. I usually don't follow directions on recipes, but on boxed mashed potatoes it really helps. Alison

Let me just say that I'm finding this thread so interesting :001_smile:. Our county is maybe 40,000 (that includes the city also). We're the largest town between St. Louis and Nashville. In general we will smile and wave, etc. There are nicer people and those that won't give you the time of day. When there's a funeral people cook (and I assume this is everywhere) and pull over for a funeral procession. When someone needs to get through while driving they will be let in, but not by just everyone. When a Yankee is around I've noticed you can usually tell because they are way more blunt...to the point that it's hurtful until you figure out they are a Yankee and that's just the way they are. All of my family members from Detroit smoked and tended be more loud and one woman I know just dropped the F word around people like it was nothing. However, there are plenty of rednecks that think nothing of cussing in front of you and your kids...just not the F word. My husband is from an 30 minutes away and he complains that people aren't as friendly here because they don't all wave. Oh, and sometimes I think the churches outnumber the houses. There are alot of churches in our town. Alison in KY

Wow, what a problem to have. Dare I say some TV school? Sessame St., Word Girl, Letter FActory videos, Animated Hero classics videos. They'll just have to learn you aren't a slave to "school". Include them on small chores like loading the washing machine, taking the laundry basket for you, making their beds, etc. I love it when my kids save my back by loading the washing machine. It will happen. Just slowly and lovingly change a few things so they won't totally lose their zest for school. My kids have NEVER been excited about school:confused:

Mine are 9,7, and 5. We'll roughly get started around 09:00 and hopefully end by 1:30, but that includes lunch. I was ramping up the time for my son this year, but I've decided it works way better for us if I use those short Charlotte Mason lessons. I'm getting more done in school and with the house, so I've got a better balance here. During or after breakfast and all kids combined for approximately 15-30 minutes depending on our talking and clowning around: We'll start with Heart of Dakota Bible, storytime, poetry. Go over our Old Testament books that we are ALL trying to learn:001_smile: Go over VP cards Block 1 - 9 yr old: 20 minutes of Bible/MUS online facts, and one quick page of a science workbook -7 yr old: Bible and OPGTR -5 yr old: computer programs like Reader Rabbit Block 2 - 9 yr old: 20 minutes math -7 yr old: HWT, one pages of easy spelling workbook, MUS online facts -5 yr old still on the computer or playing Block 3 -9 yr old: 15 minutes Typing or Music Ace -7 yr old: math -5 yr old: playtime or maybe a Rod and Staff workbook if I can juggle both the 7 and 5 yr old together Block 4 - 9 yr old: 15 minutes HWT and GWG -7 yr old: WWE -5 yr old: whatever Block 5-9 yr old: 20 min or lessCLP science oral reading of 1 page and WWE -7 and 5 yr olds playing Block 6 - 9 yr old: 10 minutes AAS Block 7 - 9 yr old: 15 minutes Abeka 3rd grade history -7 yr old whatever -5 yr old school...a small phonics and/or math lesson if we didn't get it done yet Block 8 - All together: 30 minutes or less of HOD history reading, possibly science reading, possibly a small activity Wow, that comes out to 2 hours and 55 minutes or less. It never goes that quick though, as you can see from my top...but it looks like I need to try and get my kids to move faster

If our grammar know how is nil at this point, would you recommend HA 2 then? I'm so confused on greek right now!

I did the same thing. We're on level 2 now and my son (not a great speller) will be turning 10 soon. What I started doing first thing is reviewing a few of the rule cards he needed work on. Then I'll orally have him spell out 10 word cards. I'll then just move those to the back of the deck. So if he misses one, I'll pull that card out and he'll go over it the next day along with 10 new word cards. It goes by pretty quick. If he were a better speller I'd probably just occasionally review, but we're always running across words that he has done correctly (human comes to mind, he doesn't know if it is human or humin) and he'll miss them the next time we go through them. We started out in order, but after advancing along and adding our new cards, plus him missing cards, they are basically mixed up. I think if they are getting the rules okay, probably the best thing I feel is the writing of the phrases and sentences...that's where I feel like we're getting the most bang for our buck. HTH Alison in KY

How did the talk go? Alison in KY

I just figured out that my son can't remember how to subtract those large numbers which require borrowing (those biggies from Beta). This is the first time I've had an issue with MUS. I guess it's my own fault for not paying attention. Anyway, do you just occasionally work out some old problems? Will Delta have any addition/subtraction in it? Any ideas on what has helped you out? I'm pretty much an open and go person, so this has slightly messed me up. Thanks, Alison in KY

I've got one. You know you're a homeschooler when you receive an email from ToysRus about a discount on a WWE dvd that has just been released, and you go there because you're so excited you think SWB has released a new writing DVD...no such luck, it was a wrestling DVD. ( Don't ask me why the ToysRus wasn't a clue that it wouldn't be homeschool material :D).

Thank you. Are there any other Greek programs out there that are liked? It seemed like someone here gave me a teaser on one, but I don't know what program it was.

I was thinking about using Hey Andrew or Elementary Greek. There are probably others out there that I haven't heard about. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I'm an organizationally challenged mom of 3 who knows nothing about Greek. I'm looking for something pretty easy and not to writing intensive. This would be for my wiggly not so academic (still wanting to play and not caring about a foreign language) 9 yr old son. Alison in KY

bumping and hoping for more suggestions

Scarlet, a :grouphug: from me. Every year I think I'll hear something like that from my husband, so no, you are not the only one. I get depressed knowing how many of my friends husbands are totally on board with homeschooling and how many hubby's go to curriculum fairs. I just have to put blinders on for my own sanity. My son is soon to be 10, with two more girls, all two years apart (so 10, 8, and 6, well soon to be :001_smile:). When my son was 5 I talked my husband into "trying" homeschooling. The next year I was so stressed out wondering if my trial period was over. I feel a certain weight on my shoulders just from this issue, but I haven't found a solution. In our case, it's more an instance of my husband doubting my teaching ability (which stinks) and thinking our kids would receive a better education down the road. Some of this stems from my using programs that are more relaxed (not standard schoolish stuff), but other of his reasons is just because we handle things differently and he thinks I'm just a slacker. Well to be honest, I have been pretty slack over the past few years...some of it was my going at the kids pace, and some of it is just me not being very organized, thinking those early years they can play play play. Then I see what some ps kids are doing and it wow's me into the reality that my kids are "behind" based upon our ps....which wouldn't matter one bit if I KNEW we were in it for the long haul. Anyway, that's my quick summary. Recently my husband mentioned again that he thinks our kids will be better off in ps. He doesn't want our kids to be older, down the road, and find out that they aren't at all prepared for college or anything like that. I can appreciate his concerns, I wish he'd just jump into homeschooling a bit more positively and maybe offer to teach something but that hasn't happened. He also grew up in a really small nice public school, so I'm sure his school experience is helping him with his decision. In the end, he's got a right to say they need to go to public school and he has allowed me to homeschool for 5 years now. I'd still cry my eyes out and feel like I was throwing my kids to the wolves. His short answer is that it's fine for everyone else (pointing out people we know with good kids that do public school) and that we didn't turn out so bad. He has his points and I have mine. I hope I can keep doing things my way forever, but that may not happen. Someone told you they'd fight over the issue and win. I have done that to a point, and I'll continue to do so, but in our case with two hard headed adults we'd honestly just end up in divorce court over the whole deal and it certainly isn't worth that (if I did that I probably wouldn't afford to homeschool anyway). Anyway, I feel for you and you certainly aren't alone. Hopefully you can offer up some suggestions that will work for you and your husband (join a co-op or start one, etc). God bless and let us all know what happens after the talk. Alison in KY

Sorry AbbeyJ, I don't know where I came up with Song School Greek...it probably doesn't even exist. If you've used the greek code cracker, what other greek beginning programs would you pick, or have you used? I thought most people enjoyed Hey Andrew or Elementary Greek. I'm not going to get my hands on anything at a curriculum sale this year, so I'll have to go from everyone's opinion and the smidgen of samples I see. Thanks for the suggestion. Anyone else?

Thanks for the suggestion, I really like the looks of the Greek code cracker book. You also suggested Song School Greek? Where is that found at?

Thanks, I didn't even think of that. Alison

Well thank you, that's the nicest thing that's happened to me today :D

So for the Jonathan Park series, your saying it discusses time frames and when things happened...so it disputes old earth creationism? I really don't know anything (and I mean anything) about the series, other than it's Christian and it was suggested to me. TIA, Alison in KY

I'm considering testing my dd, who will soon be 8. She's a nut :D and I love her to pieces, but I don't get if she's "getting" things at all. She will do okay on math, not as quick as her brother, but still slowly making progress, then we'll not do something for a little bit and she'll be lost on something easy...like adding 10 plus 10 easy. Also, I'm going through WWE level 1 with her and when i read the sections, she has a difficult time picking out one thing this story is about, plus she usually can't answer the questions. It's really hard to tell if she isn't paying attention or if she really has a learning issue. She's no dummy, but at the same time she doesn't really seem to excel in any area (maybe it's a middle child thing :glare:). I can't decide wether to be frustrated with her or laugh at her, because as I've said, she's pretty nutty. I hope no one has the wrong impression here, we're a pretty loving family and I don't talk negatively about her to her face, I just can't quite figure out what her learning style is or what to do with her. Understand? Alison in KY

So the reader goes with level 2, I thought it was it's own program for pre-school? I'll have to admit, the information was sorely lacking on the Hey Andrew site. Oh, and I'll be ordering my stuff from Rainbow Resource. Alison in KY

I just thought of a question on the Mind Benders and Reading Detective cd's...do kids have to actually type in words or can they point and click to answers with the mouse?

I am planning a RR order and these are a couple wants but not really needs. I think the Reading Detective and Mind benders is on computer cd. Any other fun yet educational suggestions? Alison in KY