You might want to look at a book called Natural Speller (or something like that). It has word lists that are related, similiar to seq. spelling, but the words are in grade levels, so they are shorter, less writing, etc. I like the book, but my son is a really really bad 9 yr old speller. I'm trying All about spelling right now, but I haven't used it enough to give a verdict. Good luck alison in ky

at this point i can't afford to pay for it...maybe when high school comes around, but that is a while away. thanks for the answers. alison

bumped

I know I should be doing something, but I have no idea what. I have a 9, 7, and 5 yr old I'm homeschooling. I've looked at every Latin program out there and I think they all look good. I've also looked at Hey Andrew and I liked the looks of it. I want to do one or the other (Latin or Greek) but I don't know which and I don't know what program to pick. I need something with decent review and not alot of writing. What's normal??? I see people who are starting with one latin program then after a few years they go to another one to advance but how did they figure out that, how do you kow where to begin and where to end and when to end. Do I do this for a few years now then move to something more common like Spanish in high school...I just don't get it and I don't know which way to go. Thank you, I'm frustrated. Alison

hoping for more responses

I have 3 kids, all soon to be 9, 7, and 5. I have a bad attitude about teaching a foreign language (unfortunately). For some reason, okay, I'm lazy, I just dread it. I feel like I can barely keep up with things as they are...but I always vow to improve. Anyway, I feel like I should be doing something, but I just dont' know when. I know I am supposed to start with Latin, but I just saw the Hey andrew website and I liked the looks of it better - but I have no idea what the benefits of Greek are over Latin...or when I should do one or the other. The only thing I do know is that sometime before my kids graduate I would like them to study spanish...because we have alot of Mexicans in the area so it just seems to make common sense there. So, I guess I need help planning out a future. I take the path of least resistence usually, because again, I still struggle with organization. So, what and when should I/could I start with? And do I teach all 3 at once, or one at a time? Can I do Greek for awhile and switch to Latin...or is that not a good idea because....? I just don't know where to begin on this and I can't comprehend the bigger picture to well at the moment. Thank you, Alison in KY

I love the idea behind sonlight, so I'm just putting this out there in case your like me. Anyway, for me alot of the read alouds are way to mature subject material for what I want my kids to hear. I haven't tried a whol package since we did the pre-k pak a few years ago, but even then I thought the RA's were too intense. Hmm, an example I can think of is Gladys Aylward, it's either a RA K or 1 I think. Anyway, although it's probably a great story overall, one of the first chapters has Gladys being a missionary to prostitutes. To me, I don't even want to discuss things like that until my kids are older (like teens and they understand the birds and the bees). Then, one of my next chapters (still giving it a try and stumbling/skipping over the prostitute talk), there is a soldier who is getting rough with her and the book states something like "it was apparent he had other things on his mind". I mean you could tell by the dialog that the guy was intent on having sex/raping her...So it's just not something I want to have to skirt words around. The only other ones that come to mind is a little girl who is beaten and locked in a shed because she questions her parents about God, and another missionary story where the couple thinks there heads will be cut off by this tribe. Anyway, I don't want a debate, I just wanted to say that if you are like me and consider that stuff to mature, then you might want to try something else. I don't think the readers are as bad. Alison in KY

This is my year for trying lots of spelling programs I just received all about spelling and it wasn't quite as clear as I expected. First, are the steps lessons, like one a day, or are they just incremental levels that you do however you like..set your own time limit, etc. Second, when you review, are they expecting you to review all of the cards, or just the cards that are NOT mastered? Third, why are we supposed to pull down the tokens; seems silly and I just don't get it. Fourth, am I better off applying the magnets, or will I regret that decision (sometimes it seems those magnets don't pull off the magnet board very easily. Okay, that's all I know to ask right now, but if you have any explanation as to how you do things above this, then please please enlighten me. I'm starting with level 1, I'm not much on spending tons of time on spelling (drudgery) so I'd like to keep the lessons from 10-15 minutes long. I'm starting at the beginning with a bad 9 yr old speller. And lastly, I'll have to admit I'm torn between them just learning how to spell the word (as in sequential spelling) vs learning all of those rules - that seems tough to me because I can't seem to remember anything. Thank you. Alison

anyone have anything to help?

Hi Quiver, from what I remember it doesn't teach spelling rules. I believe it's just basically drill...It starts off slow, like maybe 5-7 words, then will gradually increase. It was too tough for my very bad spelling boy. He was too easily frustrated. You have to type in the words which was another problem for us. Then, at the beginning sign on you have to make sure you do your name with a capital letter or it won't accept it. Anyway, for us it just didn't work out. One other suggestion, which is similiar but for me much more user friendly is called Phonics Solution. My version does have a few glitches...and I can't quite figure out how to find the results file on my computer...but usually my son tells me how much he got right or wrong. Anyway, with this program you use your mouse to pick the letters. For the first level I think it begins at 5 words, then it might increase to 10 (can't remember)...but once you log on then there are spaces (at level 1) so you know how many letters are in the word. You use your mouse to click on the letters, you can delete letters also with the mouse...then if you miss something it will give you one more chance, deleting only those wrong letters. So if you spell the word spill as spile then it will come back a 2nd time with spil and give you one more chance to get it right. Then after the 2nd chance it will say no sorry and let you see the corrected word..you can also see the spelling rule which it comes from (but my son never voluntarily looks at them so I don't know how good this feature really is). Overall, it's pretty easy for the teacher and student, I just don't know how effective....my son stinks at spelling and I really can't tell if he has improved or not because I don't stay over his shoulder when he does his test. The program will bring up frequently missed words and re-use them over and over in the lessons until the kids get it right. I think it has 6 levels, and not all of the levels give you two chances and show the spaces for the words. I still look around for spelling programs...but again this is low maintenance for me to use, I just click on the icon, then log in and go to spelling. the picture of it on their website is exactly like what the kids see (blue background with the words highlighted.)). Good luck. Alison

just bumping up

I am looking for something that has a schedule with books organized in increasing difficulty. I've used and really love the way sonlight has their readers, and I might stick with it; but I was wondering if there was something out there I hadn't heard of. I'll be needing something around 3rd/4th grade reading level. I would also love some great read-aloud packages..similiar to those sonlight offers but I'm always disappointed in several of sonlight's suggestions. No offense but books like Gladys Aylward being an early read aloud...like level 1, then the book references prostitution and her nearly getting attacked/raped. That is what I'm trying to avoid in a read aloud. I don't want to take the time to read ahead in the read alouds, and I also don't want my kids to hear about sex at this time...or people getting raped, heads cut off, etc (in the context of true life stories that is, such as some of sonlights missionary stories). While I'm on the read aloud topic, I was wondering if someone could explain something about a Child's History of the World. I've heard wonderful things about this book for years...then I started reading it and was stumped by the forming of the Earth stuff...the beginning of our world and a little past that. So much so that I thought I might wait because I'd be diving into questions I really wasn't sure myself on how to answer. Even my husband said last night he'd never heard the theory that the Earth was created by the Sun. Anyway, that's a bit off topic, but if anyone can give me a non-technical non-offended light response, I'd be interested in hearing it. Thank you. Alison in KY

I just received Spellwell because I wanted to take a closer look and see if it might help my horrible bless his heart 9 yr old with spelling. I bought the A and AA book and guide. I guess my biggest question, other than I would like to hear some comments, is how do you perform the pre-test if the page is folded over and you can't see the word list. That seemed so weird to me and I'm thinking there is something very simple I'm missing here. Thank you for any info. Alison in KY

I did go to Tapestry of Grace several years ago but it was a turn off because I couldn't figure the website out and even understand what kind of curriculum it was. I'll go look again and see if it's improved. Is it a fulll curric., or just history??

has less progressive/mature RA's than Sonlight? I like the concept behind sonlight and use alot of their books for reading, but for RA's I'm increasingly disappointed by the subject material being more mature than what I want my kids to hear about at their age....It began in pre-k with the books like the girl being beaten and locked in a goat shed for talking about Jesus...not something I wanted my 5 yr old to hear about. Then a month ago we started doing the RA Gladys Aylward to my 8 1/2 yr old and one of the early chapters mentioned she was a missionary to the prostitues working on the streets...that's a level 1 RA and I just don't think I will be discussing a prostitute until my kids hit puberty and we have "the talk"....so Every RA that I have of theirs I'm paranoid to start reading because then I have to kinda look ahead and change the wording...I'd rather not have to worry with that. Any ideas. Alison in KY

Hi everyone, first another apology because I really don't spend near as much time here as I would like...I used to be addicted and then I found a cure, but now I just don't seem to have the time :). Okay, whining and an apology is over. Now, I'm just wondering where you go to buy beds, bedroom furniture, and mattress for your kids on a limited income? I prefer new; I really don't want a used mattress and can't seem to find the right used beds. I priced a mattress I liked for all 3 kids, but it would be 1200 to just get the mattress and springs. I really also want to get them real beds instead of just a frame... We currently have a 9 and 7 yr old boy and girl sleeping together in a full bed which the mattress is way sagging, and a 5 yr old still in bed with me (although I'm really going to miss her, my dh won't so much). I'd like to get them all set up with beds, mattress, and maybe even functional dressers, shelves, etc. Right now we aren't very stylish...way opposite, but it's also just not functional. We dont' have a real spot for toys or even clothes. I have two bedrooms that I plan on painting and buying for, with both girls in the bigger room and my son in the other. I know this will take quite awhile to do, since I'm going to be paying a little bit at a time...but I'd like to get them into something decent yet affordable. I definitely can't do high dollar, but I don't want the furniture breaking down until they are hopefully grown. And bunk beds are ruled out by dh...by reason of safety statistics. Oh, also, I can't decide if I should buy twin beds or go ahead and buy twin XL beds...since I'm hoping they will have the same bed through the time they turn 18? But I looked around and I really couldn't find and XL twin bed, just the mattress, so I didn't know how that works. Please help...also if anyone has any mattress suggestions, please let me know. Thank you so much. Alison in KY

I'm just wondering if I'm that bad of a parent or if it's the breed of boy. My 8 yr old, going on 9 in one month, is pretty big for his age. He's probably as tall as a 10 or 11 yr old and has a bit of a belly. He weighs about 120, although he doesn't look greatly overweight, he is a bit overweight. So what I'm wondering is how to control him. He's rough, rough, rough and he gets loud and wound up. He thinks he can even wrestle with me....but he's just too rough, like doesn't get his own strength. (No, he's never seen WWF or anything like that). He also has started making a comment to everything...like I might say "put it back on that horse show" and he, under his breath says "horses are stupid". It seems that I"m constantly getting onto him...I mean I feel like Hitler mom, but I want him to change...I want the additional comments that aren't required to end and I want him to quit tackling me like he did when he was 2 and I could handle it. Is this normal or am I raising a freak of nature? On a slightly different subject, I've noticed that when my kids start playing it's loud and wrestling (one boy and two girls)..and they ignore me when I tell them to stop. We're trying to not spank them...they've been spanked in the past, but unfortunately when my husband and I spank it's when we're really mad....so I'm working on a family calmness. I'm trying not to yell but I have to yell over their loudness. I'm sure I'll get interesting suggestions but I would love to know if my boy is normal...I'll prepare for the worst though :) Alison in KY

100 isn't enough...it helps me with my ...hmm...hormones?? anyway, i'm less irritable with my kids when i take it.

Hello

It does seem like you have some red flags going up...that YOU have a problem with. I think it'll be the same old thing at public school with something always cropping up here or there. I'm not trying to sway you one way or the other, but just consider what you can live with. I mean you'll always have to handle one situation or another when they aren't in your sight. Personally I'm a bit surprised that they have that unit in 1st grade. I would think kids should be older. Alison in KY

it's sucanant with honey. I don't really know where it ranks, but it's a bit less strong than sucanant. i know breadbeckers sells it. i use the sucanant for some brown sugar replacements and the sucanant with honey for some white sugar replacements. alison in ky

To answer some questions, he does understand it mostly, but just doesn't like it. He's overweight and would love m and m's, but....i'm trying to get him smaller which hasn't happened in years so i'm failing miserably at that...if anyone has any love weight suggestions for kids i'd love to hear them :) hmm, his lessons are limited to about 35 minutes. he's like the last responder...he of course could do his work alone, but he's all boy. he plays with anything he can get his hands on the table. he also becomes very helpful while he's supposed to be doing his math, so if he can answer anyone's questions on anything else he will. i don't expect him to love this, just to get the work done and hopefully feel a bit better that he has accomplished something. sometimes he even likes it. he's a very moody guy who has a problem with making up his mind but i dont' think that's bothering him with the math. anyone else...i'm dreading the math this morning.

You would think after nearly 4 years I'd have these down swings figured out, but I just don't. Anyway, my whine today is that it took us 40 minutes to complete 4 problems today. Okay, I must admit that he not only had to work the problems but he did have to check his work, but even with that it's 5 min. a problem. So, he's 8 and average and he's getting on my nerves with his attitude. He is not excited about math and I don't know if he ever will be. He dreads it. I'm using MUS, which is the best program I've found for him, after tons of diff. programs I've tried. So, do you just have them do it no matter what, or do you give them a break or what?? Seems like if I just drop it I'll still not get anywhere. Thanks in advance for any ideas. Alison

Okay, I admit it that 4 years ago I bought the wood pieces, music cd, and a little personal chalk board with the program. The wood pieces were swords and the chalk board wound up being broken. I really only use the workbooks. And then I don't give much instruction except to make sure they draw the correct line first. I think somewhere along the way I have used the same book over again for one child, but the books are cheap so that's not a big deal to me. Alison

I've been using it for about 6 months with some pretty good success. I've used singapore, and love it, for about 2 1/2 years but I think it just moved to fast for my kids. I started alpha in August with a 3rd grader. He quickly moved through it and is now almost finished with beta. It has finally helped him to "regroup" math problems. We had to stop other programs because he just had no clue what to do. Alison