Glencoe World Geography is physical and cultural geography. We used Oak Meadow with it, which I regret. When my son studies it, I will use: Teacher's wraparound: http://www.amazon.com/Glencoe-World-Geography-Teachers-Wraparound/dp/0078607000/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2R25179TXRPON&coliid=I388JE1N7TR2AL Student text: http://www.amazon.com/Glencoe-World-Geography-Student-Edition/dp/0078606993/ref=pd_sim_b_1 Student notetaking workbook: http://www.amazon.com/Glencoe-Geography-Reading-Note-Taking-Student/dp/0078679893/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2R25179TXRPON&coliid=I1DGWDC9TSRSCK OR Student reading essentials workbook, for struggling readers or more simple approach: http://www.amazon.com/Glencoe-Geography-Reading-Essentials-Workbook/dp/0078653266/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y The Glencoe text website has online quizzes as well.

I never used to, but I started a few years ago. I see people looking at my hands with troubled looks on their faces. I have no idea how to quit doing it, or why I started!

We have done a survey of bible as literature. I can't stand Gilgamesh, but will consider if it considered a must study....

Thanks. We read that this year, with middle ages history and Lotr.

Here is the 2012 schoolroom blog hop link: http://www.ihomeschoolnetwork.com/nbts-blog-hop-school-room-week/

This is for literature. I'll use Omnibus volumes and Sparknotes to discuss. We read adaptations of many of these in the logic stage, so I want to read them in literature, since we'll study early modern history next year. Shakespeare will be covered with brother in history reading. I'm skipping Herodotus, Livy etc bc they are more history than literature. My list so far. Needs to be doable in 36 weeks, my downfall! We will follow Omnibus reading schedule for each work. Iliad Odyssey Greek Tragedy, Comedy Aeneid Beowulf Song of Roland Canterbury Tales Dantes Inferno Paradise Lost I think this is MORE than enough, considering this year's LLfLotR schedule is hard to keep up with, in addition to reading in other subjects. Should I replace anything, or cut? Thanks for any help.

Ok,thanks! If BJU Biology is in 2 volumes anyway, I think we'll stick with Apologia. I would love anyone else's feedback about Apologia not matching up well with Dive lessons. Has anyone else felt that way?

I found the syllabus link in the Dive website for combo Apologia Bio/Adv. Bio Anatomy texts scheduled in one year. The lectures, workbook, tests and lab would be on the Dive cd. The Syllabi for Bob Jones Biology and Chemistry look better. There is less to read, 1 text instead of 2!, and the chapters are scheduled in order. It looks as though he planned his Dive course from the BJU text. So BJU texts appeal to me, but my daughter has loved Apologia General and Physical. She reads along while listening to the audiobook on her ipod, which BJU doesn't have an audio component. She doesn't want to give that up. She literally has a 100% ave. in Apologia scince. Would you switch texts to BJU or stay with what she is comfortable with, Apologia?

I have the full Hakim set. We will use HO with WTM 4 year schedule. Early modern time period next year(late 1600s to 1849), and modern time period the following school year(1849 to cold war). So, just part of book 2 for next year. Not really sure yet. It seems rushed to study revolutionary war and civil war in one year if I include more American history. I guess I need to see how HO breaks up the chapters...

I have the full Hakim set. We will use HO with WTM 4 year schedule. Early modern time period next year(late 1600s to 1849), and modern time period the following school year(1849 to cold war). So, just part of book 2 for next year. Not really sure yet. It seems rushed to study revolutionary war and civil war in one year if Iinclude more American history. I guess I need to see how HO breaks up the chapters...

Has anyone done this? I'll try to line them up when my HO texts arrive. I'm wondering if HO even includes enough US history to make adding in History of US feasible? Thanks for answering all of my history questions this week.

I couldn't make it work with 4 year cycles. I also need more of a history based program for the background knowledge necessary to tackle a program like that. We use Omnibus just for Great Book lit study. We also want to have our children take AP courses in high school, so 6 years in Omnibus wouldn't work for us. In my opinion, it would be a rare child with enough background knowledge in history to comprehend Omnibus in 7th grade onward. I obsessed when my children were your children's ages too. :) We bought Omnibus volumes as we read Great Books. We have read about 25% of the ancient volumes and will make it through more about 33% of Middle Ages volumes. It is still more economical than buying study guides for each individual work. I also like to use it with what I would consider more "devotional works" included in Omnibus as well as fun books like Narnia and Tolkein series, even in the summers if need be. Hth.

Ok we can drop Sotw. Tq pages are just topic pages to write a summary. I.e War of the Roses with clip art and title. Thinkwrites questions can turn to persuasive essays, as in WTM. There are only 13, so I'll come up with more. I'm not going to get HO student or teacher pages since they aren't available for book 3. Thanks for the input...

I edited my original post with my "gameplan" to schedule next year. I would appreciate any thoughts you have about my plan. Thanks!

Thank you, this is helpful. I think discussion is key to retention. I'm hoping that it will be easier when I simplify the number of spines I require.

I saw that when googling. I actually ordered all three used for a great price. I can just let HO be their primary spine, and drive the schedule, and add in Truthquest commentary. We love Truthquest, but my children are longing for a colorful spine with maps and pictures, after two years of Mills, Guerber, Coffin etc. :) They miss the picture books from TQ AHfYS. We will use the WTM early modern and modern year divisions, so I will have to plan that. I still like the Biblioplan sample, but I want something that is ready to go for next year in case the year 3 update is delayed. I think we will keep it simple instead of ordering student and teacher pages. They will outline chapters, biographical and topic summaries, and TQ Thinkwrite essays, same as this year. I don't want to add too many spines, but will probably have them read History of the US, by Joy Hakim. I would love a schedule of that!

How do you use this? We need a more visual spine for history. I like the 3 week sample of Biblioplan companion with the workbook pages, but they are still working on year 3. We have early modern and modern coming up. This is what I am planning to schedule: Early Modern History schedule 36 weeks: 1600-1849 History Odyssey chapters Sotw 3 TQ AOR 1&2 commentary Famous Men of Modern Times and workbook History of US, Joy Hakim Notebook: Spiral notebook for HO chapter outlines Topic summaries, print out appropriate TQ topic summary pages TQ Thinkwrite persuasive essays Famous Men workbook Too much? Just right? I'm not sure if I will follow TQ or HO order, depends on if HO is chronological? This is for 9 and 7th, they can write quickly and well. They just can't go on with "vintage spines", i.e. Coffin, Guerber, and Marshall. Thanks for any help.

Thanks for sharing. I can see why it seems unneccesary for younger grades. We used TQ AHYS (with lots of picture books) and SOTW. Lots of retention. My children are very visual. We have used just TQ for Ancients and MA, Renaissance/Reformation. We have moved on from picture books and their spines are very thorough and well-written, but dry. Their notebooking consists of 2-3 topic summaries per week and I have to help come up with persuasive essay topics. The notebooking companion I bought to go along with TQ is very disappointing, terrible maps and timeline. So, when we looked at the 3 week MA sample of Biblioplan Companion, they begged to use it next year. It has definitions, summaries, maps, tons of pictures and photos, everything a visual learner needs for retention. It schedules Hakim US series in year 3, which is perfect for visual learners. The Advanced Cool History pages have fill in the blank, short answer, and persuasive essay topics weekly that can come from the Companion reading. More retention. The weekly maps and timeline look well done. We will use the Companion, Famous Men, Hakim, Trial and Triumph and TQ commentary (I'll plug that in) as spines. Even if I have to plug in my own readers and read alouds (from Omnibus), the schedule provides a framework so that I don't overplan. I just can't see a downside for Logic stage and up. BP say they are still updating Year 3, so they will send it out piecemeal in ebook form in Aug. If it isn't ready, we may study Year 4 first. That is how much we want to try it. I'm really curious to hear especially from those who used the updated version with older kids and didn't like it. Or who reviewed it and found it lacking. Thanks.

1. The Middle Ages, Dorothy Mills 2. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee 3. Life Skills for Kids, Christine Field 4. The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin 5. The Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids with Asperger Syndrome and similar ASDs Real-life Skills for Independence, Patricia Bashe 6. Social Skills Success for Student's with Autism, Frank Frankel 7. The Story of Europe, H.E. Marshall 8. Happier at Home, Gretchen Rubin 9. If I Stay, Gayle Foreman 10. There She Went, Gayle Foreman 11. Safe Haven, Nicholas Sparks Next up.... 12. The Tiger's Wife, Tea Obreht

I can see why the updates wouldn't be useful for grammar stage, but it looks great for logic and early high school ages.

We love Tq for the commentary and booklists. But, my highly visual learners need help with retention, and black and white vintage spines aren't helping. The updated Companions look perfect for that purpose. We would still read the Tq commentary and follow BP scheduled spines. The advanced Cool History worksheets even provide essay topics that can be turned into our weekly 2-3 persuasive essays. I will have to substitute my choice of readers and read alouds from Omnibus, but the schedule will provide accountability that my reading list is doable. I've searched BP online and on the boards and so few are using BP. Have you researched and decided against it? Even after reviewing the updates? Why? The free 3 week samples provide the best overview of the updates. http://www.biblioplan.net/2011/03/biblioplans-free-samples-free-sample.html

We will be in early modern for our history cycle next year. That is the only non updated year for Biblioplan. I downloaded the 3 week Medieval sample. My visual learner son thought it looked much better than TQ for retention. We like the Companion for visual interest, summaries, defintions and review work. The worksheets and maps are excellent and far better than the new Tq worksheets I bought. Biblioplan can only send out piecemeal ebooks for the year 3 Companion and extras. I think we really need hard copies. I can't decide if Biblioplan is sooo much better for retention that we should skip ahead to year 4, Modern. Or stick with TQ next year. I wish I never looked at the BP sample!

I really like what I see in the Biblioplan companion and cool history worksheets, tests. The samples look incredibly professional and great for my visual learner's retention. I have been disappointed in the Journey into Learning notebook to go along with TQ.  My only concern is that BP year 3 updates will be released gradually in Aug. 2013. I may do year 4 next year, and go back to year 3 the following year. My children are old enough and have enough history background, that they wouldn't be confused. I hate to mess up the flow of our history cycle though. I also schedule too much history into our week, for my children who will specialize in other things... So, since I have the Tq Aor guides, I am hoping someone has already combined them with Biblioplan year 3 & 4?Â

I really like what I see in the Biblioplan companion and cool history worksheets, tests. The samples look incredibly professional and great for my visual learner's retention. I have been disappointed in the Journey into Learning notebook to go along with TQ. My only concern is that BP year 3 updates will be released gradually in Aug. 2013. I also schedule too much history into our week, for my children who will specialize in other things... So, since I have the Tq Aor guides, I am hoping someone has already combined them with Biblioplan year 3 & 4?

I don't think our cons require a switch. It is just an adjustment. The Larson text has harder problems, which can be frustrating, but will probably be good for them in the end.