We may be relocating from Hampton roads VA to Beckley West VA. What can you tell me about the area and the homeschooling laws?

Not that anyone else should care but I needed to get that off my chest. Thanks.

But I'm sure the veterans know this already! Lately I have been rough on myself and maybe at times even hard on my kids when it came to learning. My boys are 6.5 and 5 and right now I feel dissapointed in myself for this. We enjoy our learning but now I know it's ok to take a day here or there. It's ok to just read all day, it's ok to let them build with their legos first thing in the morning. I have a friend who afterschool her kids and she stop pass to bring me our states curriculum guide for 1st grade and K and my boys have already learned just about everything in the state curriculum reference book. I know this shouldn't be a standard for anyone but it does let me know that we are on track and when I have to test at the end of the year for my 1st grader we are going to be ok! I will not tell my husband because he would probably say I told you to relax! Homeschooling does work and it is working for my family!!!!! But I never doubted that!:hurray:

This will be my first year really planning on paper. Last year I had a K and pre-k so we just did what came next in the curriculum. This year it's first grade but I decided that I would like to plan in Days and not dates(Like day 1-5). We have to use 180 days of school and I plan to school year round 4 days a week. Any ideas or forms I can use. I really don't like listing page numbers of curriculum or books but I do like moving on to the next lesson. I would also like to be able to write down what memory work and literature booklist we will complete for the year. This will help me to stay on task. Thanks for your help,

I personally think that MJ memorial service was very nice. He was a gifted and talented person and my heart goes out to his family just like any other family whose love ones pass on.

I have read Acts 1:8 several times in my life. My understanding of the holy spirit is that once you give your heart to Christ you have the holy spirit dwelling in you. I was always a little confused about the Baptism of the holy spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues or unknown language. The Pastor did teach that God has many gifts for the believers and the ultimate gift is salvation but we should not stop there. He talked about speaking in another language as edifying oneself and that God gives us a prayer language that is to be used in our personal life with God. I will continue to study and search scripture. I know there will be a lot of different views on this topic but if anyone has any other scripture reference please feel free to share. Blessings,

My husband and I started visiting a church and at last night service the pastor taught on the Holy Spirit and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I am a little confused but will try to do some scriptual study this weekend. What do you know or have been taught about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

I think he probably would have liked them to say something like "please don't talk to me that way". No they didn't cry or push they actually ignored it and continued to play. After thinking about it, I think they handled things well myself. My hubby probably was not having a good day. He usually plays rough with the boys and it doesn't bother him at all when they are playing. I think it will be wise to discuss what we feel is developmentally appropiate for them. Thanks for taking the time out to help me work through this.

My sons are 6 and 5. We were at the park today and their was a very rude little boy playing on the playground. He was talking to the kids very mean and really being bosy. I mentioned what happened to my husband and he made the commit that if the boys were in school they would be forced to know how to handle these type of things. My sons did continue to play with the little boy. I stood closer just to watch and the other boy mom was tending to a younger sister. I did explain to my sons that they can be nice and play nice but that doesn't mean they should allow other kids to talk to them any kind of way. Right now our boys are upstairs jumping up and down playing with a ballon they got from the grocery store. My husband makes the commit again, if they were in school they would not be acting like this. So now I have two problems here: 1.) My boys typically play very nice and really don't handle conflicts well and 2.) My husband all of a sudden is thinking that our sons can't get everything they need from home. He has always been supportive and see the benefits of homeschooling but now he's saying things like they need to be around large groups of other kids!

Yes that is it!!!! Thank you so much Ann you really saved my day!!!:lol: I would have been thinking about this for days!!!!!!

About a month in a half ago someone posted a website that sold classical curriculum and they several clearance books as well as some latin books for cheap. I ordered from this company and they called me weeks ago saying they sent my order to someone else and they sent that person order to me! I had to write refuse on the box and I was suppose to get my box in a week. Needless to say, I haven't recieved my items. I need their phone number to check on my order. Thanks,

I really appreciate you ladies taking the time out to give me some insight! I think I'm probably expecting a little to much(Okay I've said it)! Abbeyej- He never did book 1 because I knew it would be easy for him but like you said he would help with fluency and speed. I never thought of that so I'm going to buy book 1.5 today! Thanks! Elizabeth-Thanks for the encouragement! It's good to know that other schools don't worry about reading until 8yrs old! I can take a deep breathe! Overall he is not frustrated but he has his days because he likes all his work to be perfect. Lisa- I didn't think about adding spelling although we have done the spelling/word games in HOP. I was thinking about not starting spelling until we finished level 2. I'm going to look at all about spelling this evening. Good to hear how your daughter took off with her reading. So should I continue to move along or should I slow him down and review all of the books from Hooked on Phonics K, bob books 1,2, & 3? I know I'm going to buy explode the code 1.5 and look into All About Spelling.

This is the situation: My son is almost 6.5, just finished k back in Jan when he turned 6. We are using Hooked on phonics, he finished the first half of first grade book going into the red book which is the second have of first grade. I also just started supplementing with explode the code book 2 with him. He reads but he reads slow and sounds out every letter on the page, even his 3 letter words at times. Is this normal? He does not seem frustrated but it seems to me that this is kind of slow and I could be a little hard I don't no. My youngest son who is 5ysr old is reading much faster and fluently and hardly ever needs to sound out 3 letter words. Is there anything else I can do to help my oldest or should I just continue to let him practice and go at his pace? I did ask him today to try to sound out the words to himself and than read them out loud but he seems to really like or has gotten used to sounding out every letter, and reading out loud and being able to hear himself. Thanks alot,

Would it hurt to get the old edition of SOTW 1 book and the AG for my 1st and K son? Someone in my area is willing to sell it to me for only $15.00. Since I have this on my list to eventually purchaseAlthough it was the revised edition) I just want to make sure I'm not wasting money. So what do you think?? Thanks

Just wanted to give a review. I went to the convention for the very first time and it was inspirational and encouraging. I'm glad I had a list of curriculums and books I wanted to look at, there were so many curriculum publishers there I can see how some people may feel overwhelmed. It was also suprising to found out that some of the curriculums I thought I would like I really didn't like. I really didn't care for MFW adventures(very surprised about this, it looked sort of generic to me). I didn't like MP copy books(feel like what I'm doing at home is the same). What I did like: MUS SL Science 1 SOTW/AG WWE I SL Cores(surprised me ,I think I like it except the fact that they don't do a 4 year history cycle) Classical Conversation has now become an option later in our school

No, I'm in VA. Have fun!

I have a 1st grade son with a K son tagging along for the upcoming school. I just need some assistance in finalizing History and Math before I walk in the convention tomorrow. History- I like SOTW w/ AG but would like to add Bible with it. We are a christian family and I was thinking about using the redshift schedule for SOTW with the VOS Bible. Bible: http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/chowsotw.htm Or get MOH and SOTW and use them both together? The first thing that come to my mind is overkill for 1st and K!!! Or just MOH??? But I like the way SOTW reads for this age? But I also like the biblical aspect of MOH! Math- Can't make up my mind about MUS Alpha or Singapore 1A/1B. I used the spectrum math for K with tons of manipulatives and games. My son likes math just not sure which one to go with? Just want something that's solid. Bible-We used the Rod and Staff Bible and coloring sheets they did great with this. Anything else you would recommend for this age? Thanks

We were in the kitchen this morning cleaning up after breakfast and my soon to be 5yr old son said "Mommy I want to be a little girl". I have no idea how to take this, I asked him why and he said he didn't know. After he said that he ran off and continued playing with his 6 yr old brother. I called my husband at work and he didn't seemed to concerned about it, he told me not to put to much into it and he isn't worried. Is this something normal for kids to say? I know he's going to be okay but I was totally taken by surprise!

I'm loving all the great ideas and resources. I'm also happy to know that we are on the right track! We have already done the butterfly garden this spring and it was a huge hit. We had 3 baby robins to hatch on our front porch. I'm going to look into the mealworms my boys will love that. We also have a great library system and we will continue to utilize it to the fullest.

Yes I'm excited and a little nervous! Why I have no idea? We will have two official school age boys next school year(K&1st). We have all the basic down back except math for my 1st grader, I'm not sure what to buy for him, MUS Alpha or Singapore? They are only 16 months apart which means they can learn the extras together when we get to them(History, Science, Memorization, etc). And we are going to try schooling year round again with 4xw, 3wks on 1 wk off. :lol:

What have you done or what do you plan to do to make things fun? We have the KF first animal encyclopedia so we are going to start there. I have decided to allow my boys(6&5)to pick the animals they would like to learn about along with library book. I'm just wondering if you add any coloring sheets or something else to your animal study? They already have a love for science but I want to make sure it continues to grow!

Poly all the way baby! WE love it!:lol:

We school year round for 180 days. We have only a month and a few days before we start the new school year. We plan to school 3 days a week for that month. Do you typically count these days toward your school schedule?

My husbands aunt and her husband came to visit last weekend manily because my MIL was here from Arizona enroute to Alaska. It was nice to see them, we just don't get a chance to see them much. The husband is very kind and a few months ago he mailed the boys a box from Dubai. After they left our house the called and asked if we could stop by this week because the had two gifts for the boys. Well low and behold they went out and purchased a new computer and a telescope! I was so shocked. They said they did it because they can tell the boys love to learn and they wanted to be a part of it! We are so thankful for this blessing!:lol:

My husbands aunt and her husband came to visit last weekend manily because my MIL was here from Arizona enroute to Alaska. It was nice to see them, we just don't get a chance to see them much. The husband is very kind and a few months ago he mailed the boys a box from Dubai. After they left our house the called and asked if we could stop by this week because the had two gifts for the boys. Well low and behold they went out and purchased a new computer and a telescope! I was so shocked. They said they did it because they can tell the boys love to learn and they wanted to be a part of it! We are so thankful for this blessing!:lol: