Our local Audubon Society just hosted an event called "The Secret Lives of Fireflies" that DD and I went to on Saturday night. We learned some really neat things! For example, fireflies are poisonous, so most predators leave them alone. And there are some species of fireflies in which the female imitates the blinking patterns of other species in order to attract males and then eat them! Also firefly larva can live underground for 2 years, but then live only a few weeks as mature fireflies. And mature fireflies don't eat. Anyhow, there is a national project for citizen scientists to track fireflies. It's hosted by the Boston Museum of Science. You only have to commit to 10 minutes per week of counting fireflies in your yard, and then complete an online questionnaire. They're trying to determine what impacts the firefly population (location, light sources, lawn care, water sources, etc.). I think this would be a great homeschool project. Here's the link if anyone is interested: http://www.mos.org/fireflywatch

I think there are a lot of factors that will determine when we end afterschooling. DD just finished first grade and she is a curious and eager learner. This is fun for her, so I'm riding the wave. If I have to nag her, I fear I'll take the fun out of learning and sour her opinion on school overall, which I think would be really unfortunate. So, I guess one answer would be, "When DD wants to quit." Also, there hasn't been a ton of homework sent by the school - usually 10-15 minutes per night. I anticipate that at some point this will increase significantly, and then there simply might not be time to afterschool with a formal curriculum. I would place a priority on the work assigned by the school, since the grades she earns there will most directly impact her future choices for college. So, I guess another answer would be, "When there's no longer time for it." I will, however, always continue with frequent family trips to the library, modeling reading for pleasure, and fostering her interests through field trips, etc. Expectations to do your best will, of course, remain the rule of the household.

Happy birthday! My DH used to be a great gift giver (thoughtful, personal gifts, though not necessarily expensive), but with time and children, this has definitely waned. The icing on the cake (so to speak) came on my 40th birthday this year, when he gave me absolutely nothing. I thought a "big" birthday would result in a gift. To add insult to injury, my birthday is on Valentine's Day. I did the whole stiff upper lip thing in front of the kids and got Chinese food for dinner and made myself a cake. However, a couple of weeks after my birthday when it still bothered me, I decided to tell him so. I didn't do it in a confrontational way at all. I just explained to him that it hurt my feelings and made me feel unappreciated. I was surprised by his answer. He said that I usually say I don't want/need anything, don't want to waste money, etc. And he's right. I do say those things. We agreed that he would return to gift-giving, and I would stop pretending that I don't really want any gifts. He did get me a gift on Mother's Day (new sunglasses, which was thoughtful, since I had just broken a pair). Let's hope he keeps this up! Good luck to you!

Here's a link to another list of DRA 40 books. Scanning through it, there are a lot of good titles like James and Giant Peach, Misty of Chincoteague Island, Harriet the Spy, and Frindle. http://tveclib.pbworks.com/w/page/40924940/Leveled%20Reading%20Lists%20for%20DRA%2040-50 I'll second the idea of getting her some books below level and allowing her to just focus on enjoying reading at this stage of the game. It seems like her skills are really solid, so I'd be trying to build a lifelong love of reading. I just finished reading The Book Whisperer, so maybe I've drunk the Kool-Aid, but I think she may like choosing books on her own. My DD is the same age, and I'm just about to start on US geography with her. I've bought the Scrambled States of America book and game to do over the summer. I also got the 50 States app for my Android phone, which does little quizzes that I know she'll enjoy once we get started with it.

Recent hits here for my young 7yo are: Read Alone Amelia Bedelia Henry and Mudge Rainbow Fairies Daisy Dawson Ivy and Bean Read Aloud Tumtum and Nutmeg Charlotte's Web

From a business perspective, it sounds like your DH is in an industry that has resulted in the growth of "man camps" with lots of men following high-paying labor jobs and living pretty spartan lifestyles to send $$ home to families. Could you think of a business that would appeal to this market that you could do at home while you HS your kids? Maybe home-cooked meals that they could microwave? Laundry?

I don't think I saw anyone mention http://www.bookadventure.com . DD7 loves taking the quizzes and working toward rewards. My friends kids, ages 6 and 11, also love the program. I was surprised that it was good for the older child, since the prizes are only so-so. But she said the quizzes make him try to get the answers right; when she's the only one grading his work, he's not as concerned about getting a couple wrong as opposed to an external grader. I also found that I was nagging DD to read and making it a chore instead of a pleasure. To change this perception, I sometimes offer her reading time as a reward or an incentive, to make her feel more positively toward reading. "DD, you've done a great job with your chores this week. Why don't I set the table tonight so you can have 20 extra minutes to read your book?" She actually THANKS me :lol:.

Love this approach! I think that the advice about every teacher being different is quite sound. I know that this year DD's first grade teacher has taught the kids a bunch of different ways to solve problems, and she has expressly told them to "do whatever works for you." However, I have no idea what next year's teacher will have for a philosophy, and DD will have to work within that framework to succeed with that teacher. That's a lifeskill as much as anything else we can teach our kids. One of the nice things about afterschooling, I think, is that you can add to the information/methods being taught in the classroom. I think a pp described it as a toolbox, and I wholeheartedly agree.

My DD had the exact same symptoms. I took her to the doctor and she said it was Hand Foot and Mouth disease. I questioned her because I had seen pictures of it before and it seemed to be on the palms of the hands as opposed to the backs. Also, there was only one tiny spot near her mouth, and nothing on her feet. However, the doctor said that while it was unusual, it's not unheard of. Anyway, no treatment for it. Just had to wait it out for a couple of days. Hope she's better soon.

So far we've really liked Math Mammoth, and it does teach mental math, which is good. But the point I was making in my post is that DD was already learning mental math in school, so I didn't have to freak out so much that she was behind in developing foundational skills. You might be pleasantly surprised, as well, as you start working with your kids.

I'm new to formal afterschooling, too. At first, I felt like you do. I was completely overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of materials that it seems like other families are able to cover. Since obsessively stalking these boards, though, I've come to the conclusion that many of the lessons can be covered in just 10-15 minutes. Totally do-able. Also, I've decided to focus on the basics for now (math and reading for my first grader) along with lots of opportunities to learn through field trips and just following her interests (e.g., a robin's nest outside our window has resulted in lots of reading about eggs, robins, poems with robins, etc.). Once the reading is rock solid (and it's above grade level now), I can direct her reading to more history, arts, etc. Between her school and my work, there are only so many hours in the day, so I need to just focus on what I think will make the most lasting impact. As for math, I had the same questions as you. I (incorrectly, I think ) assumed she wasn't getting the proper foundation in PS so would have to start from scratch. I got Math Mammoth 1A and 1B a couple of weeks ago. Instead I should have done the placement test and bought just 1B. 1A is boring and babyish, and she doesn't need it and rebelled against doing it. In working with her on the lessons, I have been pleasantly surprised by the skills she has developed in school, including some mental math that I deduce from my reading on this board is taught as part of the Singapore Math curriculum. And this is achieved in a classroom that uses Everyday Math. We scrapped 1A and dove into 1B.

Same exact situation here. I was worried about the fluff factor since they're so formulaic. However, when I asked her if she could even tell the difference between the books, she surprised me by making a venn diagram to show the differences between two stories. OK. Whatever works, right?

If you follow Dorinda's link to the amazon listing and click on "look inside" the appendix with schedules actually comes up. (Not advocating skipping the book, but if you just need a quick/easy/free resource, it's there.)