Tentatively... ETC 4 & 5 finish Phonics Pathways Getty-Dubay Italics Ambleside Online literature/poetry selections AO composer study AO artist study or Artistic Pursuits Either SOTW plus AG or History Odyssey Ancients Level 1 Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding by Nebel Nature Study, perhaps using Comstock's book Miquon Orange and Red RightStart B and math card games various other math games Salsa online videos (Spanish) and other Spanish resources continue piano begin to learn recorder, knitting Seems like a lot. Like other posters, we'll move at a leisurely child-directed pace, adjust goals as necessary, keep what works, discard or replace what doesn't work, etc.

For a high schooler, The Double Helix by James Watson. It is the most realistic characterization of how scientific discovery really happens that I've come across.

Yep, that's possible. Our home is 2000 square feet, everything electric, and our winter bills are ~$550 per month when the temps are in the 20's and 30's. It is still cheaper than using oil. ;) But we could probably do better if we replaced our refrigerator and our very old windows on the first floor. What have your outdoor temps been lately? And how high do you keep your thermostat?

LOL. Yes, it is a joke. Here's the source: http://www.larknews.com/ Wander around the other headlines and you'll get the idea. ;) And there's a disclaimer too:

A Duck Tour! And Plimouth Plantation is worth a visit if you can squeeze it in. :) Carolyn

Hmmm...well sometimes it takes a long time to come up to pressure, but I think I have to blame my stove for that. ;) Other than that, there's nothing I don't like about it. The bottom thickness is great for avoiding scorched-on food. I have one called the Top Model, which has a turnable plastic top (link) instead of a stem. I ordered it online a couple of years ago, and didn't know I was getting that one instead of the regular one, but I'm very pleased with it. I like that the Top version has a couple of settings for releasing pressure, but it is a little more fussy to disassemble/clean/reassemble than the stem version. I also got a trivet and a plain glass lid (for non-pressure cooking) with it, and I use them both. I haven't used any other pressure cookers, so I can't say whether it is worth the extra $, but I don't regret having bought it. :) Carolyn

I have a 7qt Kuhn Rikon, which I use for cooking artichokes, potatoes, and once in a while I make a dinner entree in it. So while it sees some use, it could probably be working harder. ;) The cooker itself is fantastic. I love it. I've got a couple Lorna Sass cookbooks, and they're good. :) Carolyn

I've compared these to the run-of-the-mill preschool/kindy workbooks, and I agree that they are much better. If not buying from Sonlight, you might want to consider getting these workbooks from Amazon: link. They qualify for the 4-for-3 promotion, so if you're buying all 4 it works out to ~$7.50 each including free Super Saver shipping. And of course if you don't want all of them you can mix and match with other 4-for-3 items: link to 4-for-3 Books Store. Edited to add: I'd suggest using colored pencils to complete the workbooks. On several pages it mentions using markers, but they bleed through too much, which is distracting when you get to the next page! Also, it helps to xerox the two instruction/answer pages at the back for easier reference. :) Carolyn

Regarding the original post, I personally do not think it is okay to enroll a child as a K'er when s/he is so far from K eligible age. Just to clarify this, for Six Flags a younger child does not have to do the reading themselves. A parent can read aloud to the child. From their FAQ:

Ooh, thanks for the link to the first Salsa episode excerpts! Looking at archived copies of the page at archive.org, it looks as though the first episode used to be available online. I've emailed them at ask@gpb.org to request that the link be fixed. Maybe it would help if others asked too. ;) :) Carolyn

Yep, the deal through Homeschool Buyers Coop is the best I've seen. Their price is $30 for a lifetime subscription: link. Can anyone comment on how far the reading instruction goes? A comparison to ETC workbooks or Phonics Pathways would be the most relevant for our situation. Also, is there much reliance on sight words? I'm shying away from introducing too many, and in the sample it seemed as though they regularly introduce sight words.

We're not there yet, so I don't have personal experience with either, but have you checked out the preview on HO's website? For Level 2 Middle Ages, they include 34 lessons in the freebie, which is about 1/3 of the course. http://www.pandiapress.com/index.htm Scroll down on the page to find the Try It Before You Buy It links.

Yup, that's what I think too. Some of it was a little too carefully done, as if it was planned out. Maybe it has something to do with the documentary (or perhaps more accurately, mockumentary?) Casey Affleck is making about him...

:sad: Bummer. Thanks to you both for checking, because otherwise I was going to sit here for a long time trying to make it work!

Could someone else try to watch one? I can't get any of them to play, and I'm not sure if the problem is on my end or on PBS's end. Here's a link for the first set of epidodes. The first one (101) doesn't have a Watch Now link, but the others do. http://www.gpb.org/salsa/term/goldilocks-and-the-three-bears :) Carolyn

I have the last two Kindergarten editions. The 2008 one has an orange cover and the 2003 edition has a green cover. The 2008 edition is quite a bit longer, but it does not include reproducible gray block and lined pages you can xerox for additional practice. (I guess they want you to buy those now.) I prefer the 2003 edition in terms of instruction. The newer one dedicates a page to each letter, but at the same time it inexplicably leaves out the verbal cues for teaching each capital letter that were included in the 2003 edition. I also find the newer version to be somewhat unorganized and more visually chaotic than the 2003 edition. Neither has much instruction for left handed writing instruction. The 2003 edition has a single illustration showing how paper should be slanted for a lefty. The new one has 2 pages dedicated to lefties, but there's little text. It points out that lefties have a hard time seeing the left side of the page, so they may hook their left hands to see better. That can become a bad habit if not corrected. There are suggestions for how you might help to make it easier, such as xeroxing an extra copy to place on the right, or making your own worksheets which ask the student to write below the model or to the left of the model. There is one helpful tip regarding horizontal lines, like those in E, A, H, Ff, Tt, etc. They suggest that lefties be allowed to cross by pulling in to their hands if they prefer, rather than using the same direction righties use. HTH!

Activities for the ALAbacus is still available: link. And for the RightStart card games, I believe it is cheaper to buy the Card Game Set rather than the book plus the decks: link. :) Carolyn

I'd respond in kind. If she starts her emails with "Hi Sue," I don't think it is a problem for you to "Hi Jane" her. Most of the PhDs I know aren't picky about being addressed as Doctor, though it is an appropriate form of address for a PhD.

I'd say stay, unless you can rearrange your schedule to be available another day. The driver might not be comfortable leaving it, or may not be able to leave it if a signature is required.

Yep, just for fun here too. But DD did learn her short vowel sounds really well by listening to the short vowel songs. That was kind of nice, because sometimes I have to stop and search my brain to make sure I'm saying the correct vowel sound when I'm reading the syllables and nonsense words in Phonics Pathways. :D

Amazon :D Microcosmos Genesis Winged Migration :) Carolyn

We've had the Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD out from Netflix for a while. I don't get the appeal, but my almost 3 year old seems to like it. Mind you, I don't think she's really learned anything from it, nor do I care. ;) Both my 5 year old and the almost 3 year old are really enjoying any and all Reading Rainbow DVDs I can find. Our discount store has been selling box sets ~ $10 for 8 episodes ~ so those have been a good value for us. Along the same lines, they've enjoyed the Scholastic Video adaptations of picture books. Last year we gave them a 16 DVD set when Amazon was selling it for 60% off. But I've seen lots of those DVDs at the library too. If you're looking for nature-type documentaries, Microcosmos, Genesis (not religious, just referring to beginnings), and Winged Migration are all fantastic and not inappropriate for younger kids. Good luck! :) Carolyn

Yep, Lyme testing asap, because of the migrating pains and fever. I'd insist that they add other tick-borne pathogens as well, because some of the others have very similar symptoms. Contrary to popular belief, a bullseye rash is NOT required for Lyme disease, and in children the rash is very often absent. It can be hard to convince a doctor to do testing in an area not known for Lyme disease. But that doesn't mean people aren't acquiring it. It just means it isn't being diagnosed. :glare:

Today's Homeschool Freebie of the Day has a link that helps you make your own tangrams, as well as a small PDF booklet on tangrams to download: link. The link will expire at the end of the day, so if you want it you should check it out sooner rather than later!

It is good for practical jokes! I used to work in a lab and had ready access to dry ice. We'd put a small piece in a small plastic tube, cap it, and then casually walk by someone else's lab bench and drop it into their waste basket. A minute or two later the tube would explode as the dry ice melted and the gas expanded. Great fun! We'd do a similar thing in the lunch room. Drop the capped tube into an empty soda can, and then leave it on the lunch room table where others were eating. But that probably isn't the kind of thing you're looking for, right? :D We'd also put a piece inside a latex glove, tie the wrist shut, and then let it slowly expand into a big hand-shaped balloon. You could try the same thing with a balloon to demonstrate how the volume of the solid dry ice is much smaller than the volume of the "melted" CO2 gas. :) Carolyn