I was not implying that we would use the lecture for the complete course; maybe I was not clear in my question. I am trying to figure out how some of you who have used it integrate it with other sources to create a complete course and how you decide what percentage of the grade to assign to say "quizzes" from the lectures or writing assignments versus the other sources you use. Also, what exactly is in the "guide book" with "recommended readings"? I am truly looking to create an "Adavanced Astronomy/Cosmology" class as I have not been able to find any class that would meet his interest (other than CTY summer classes in cosmology). I was thinking of combining "Understanding the Universe" (96 lessons), with several Hawking books, Richard Feynman's quantum mechanics lectures, and other items. My son has exceptional retention so I am not worried about that at all. Simply trying to figure out how to balance all of the items, account for them on the transcript, and weigh each portion of the class without completely overloading one subject and turning it into much MORE than a single high school credit. And KarenNC, thanks :) We watched both of those right after we watched the new Cosmos this fall.

DS is really interested in cosmology/planetary science right now and wants me to investigate "advanced" astronomy classes (he is taking ES Earth Science and Geology now). The Great Courses has "explore the universe" and I am really looking at it while it's on sale for use next year. We've never used a "Great Course" before so I am interested how you use them and award the credit. TIA!

Makes perfect sense, Lori D. :)

Thank you ladies. Lori D., is there a specific reason you decided to do them in reverse order the second go round?

Hey All, I have been absent from the boards for a while. My entire life was turned upside down in early November when my amazing husband and soulmate for 24 years died in a boating accident. I am now homeschooling our three kids while running our business. I tell you all this NOT to gain sympathy or anything like that, but to give you a frame of reference for my question. I want to stay as engaged as possible in their schoolwork, but now have to have them be much more independent than they used to be because our business MUST come first or no one eats. So... For DS 13, my voracious reader, I KNOW that we will do LLfrom LOTR in 9th. He has done tons of MBTP units in the past and several John Hopkins CTY classes. I am looking for something different for 8th and like the looks of LL8 (even though he has read The Hobbit many times for fun and once for MBTP). Thoughts? Can he do this pretty much on his own with a little discussion with me and it still be a good solid step before LOTR for 9th? Anyone have any other suggestions? TIA! MMM

I read Apples thru Edgewood aloud with 2 kids. They alternated pages and then wrote the answers in separate notebooks on their own. I anticipate that we will continue this through the entire elementary series. Other than occasional dabbling in RightStart, it is our primary math.

See my post here...http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/477990-whos-used-life-of-fred-middle-school-books-starting-with-fractions/?do=findComment&comment=5040536 My oldest (DS12) in PreAlgebra does 30 min per day. Sometimes that is one chapter, sometimes it is 3. My younger 2 (DS7 & DD9) do 2 chapters per day in the elementary series books.

Our start in LoF was Fractions. My oldest has done Fractions (at age 10), Decimals (age 10), Physics (age 11), Pre-Algebra with Biology (age 11) and is starting Pre-Algebra with Economics in August (age 12). He went from CTY Accelerated Grade 6 math into fractions so he did have some experience with fractions before. He loves it and has retained it awesomely. I dislike Physics greatly and he is head and shoulders above my understanding even after 2 semester of college physics. He is 100% independent. He sets a timer and works for 30 minutes 4 days a week. Sometimes, that 30 minutes is 1 lesson and your turn to try, sometimes it is 2 or 3 lessons. He occaissionally needs multiple tries at a bridge but if it gets to that point, I figure out what problems are causing him trouble, spend a few minutes teaching them, then just assign those questions from the remaining tries for that bridge. I completely disagree that LoF does not teach. It is our sole math curriculum, and I do not see us going back to anything else. CTY was great but at $285/mo per child, I just can't afford that any more, and LoF is the ONLY curriculum I have found that I like as much as CTY. I think it goes back to the learning style of your child. Things with lots of practice and drill destroy math for my crew. They are grab a concept and go type learners. My littles did LoF Apples, Butterflies, Cats, Dogs & Edgewood from Christmas to May this year at ages 7 & 8, and are starting Farming in August with the plan to complete Mineshaft by the end of the year and start them on LoF Fractions next year (at ages 9 & 10). They each alternate reading pages to me for 2 chapters per day and then do the your turn to try. They started in Saxon (OMG we all almost died), then tried RightStart (B was great but C started to move too slowly even with me changing everything up on the fly), then tried Math Mammoth (again...waaaaaaay too many problems to do) and ended up in LoF when my oldest started loving it. My youngest (7) told us the other night there was a 25% chance we were eating a fish he caught because he caught 2 of the 8 fish. The only place he has learned this is the odd statement thrown out by Fred.

my guys - 7, 9 & 12 - get 1 hour of video game (iphone, iPad, wii, club penguin, whatever they choose) per day per child Mon to Thu and 2 hours per child Fri to Sun. It drives me nuts enforcing it but if I didn't my 7yr old would play video games from the moment his eyes open until the moment they close.

That's great to know! I am not a big Christie fan so I wasn't sure. He reads Paolini, Riordan, etc. so violence doesn't bother him a bit. Thanks.

it's awesome!! They have a younger one as well :)

I come up with a list of things I read, should have read, am just now reading or I have seen mentioned in WTM, BW, etc....I throw out things I know they will find and read on their own (my oldest and youngest are VORACIOUS readersI)... play around with it a while... and then ask Lori D :) I shoot for... 6 read alouds 6 non-fiction or historical fiction readers 6 fiction readers for DS8 and DD9 and 12 fiction readers for DS 12 I try to keep DS8 and DD9 reading different books (or different short-stories in the same collection) because 1. Their reading level is drastically different --DD9 reads at a 2.5 while DS8 reads at a 4.5 2. They are extremely competitive, and 3. That way each has something to narrate to the others about in our weekly lit discussion

Thanks, Lori!!! He read the Baker Street Irregulars with CTY a few years ago and LOVED it. I knew I could count on you :)

For our mystery unit, we are reading Read Aloud: Murder at the Rue Morgue - my GT teacher read this aloud to our class in 6th and I was mesmerized :) I think I still remember her because of this book. DS8: The Hardy Boys 1 DD9: Nancy Drew 1 DS12: The Hound of the Baskervilles AND ________________________________ I really want to fill the blank with an Agatha Christie but I am concerned about content. Right now I am leaning towards Murder on the Orient Express. My husband has all the Rex Stout's so I may replace Christie with Stout if I can't decide. Suggestions....reading level is no issue (he reads at grade 18) but content is. I would like to stay away from mature and suggestive themes...

YES :hurray: and it's FAST!!