I've heard of parents doing this with math homework and having their kids do the challenging math that the parent is afterschooling while the parent does the inappropriate / unchallenging math homework. I don't think there is a shining correct option because the homework isn't appropriate. Perhaps one thing to be aware of is how your child feels about you helping and passing off your work as his own, especially as he gets older. Is this a slippery slope that will make it easier to order papers off the internet instead of writing them himself because he already knows how to do it? I'm really asking not judging. Also, adults often do have to do work that is boring. At what point/age do you teach a child how to do the work when he is bored out of his mind? Is being in a classroom day after day enough to teach this? I've contemplated this as it is a "skill" that can make or break a budding career. Currently, I have a child who views homework as handwriting practice, which she loves, so this isn't an issue for us yet. I think it will be at some point.

Thank you for all the replies. Living Memory is on my wish list but I am trying to be frugal. You have all given me lots of ideas to pursue and keep us going for awhile. I had never heard of Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization before. I really like that Linguistic Development has CDs that we could listen to as we drive around town.

It keeps changing as to what works best, partially because we have had to adjust to new requests from the school and violin instructor. I have three lists- one of "to do every day", one of "choose one to do a day" and one that is stuff waiting in the wings for when the kids need some direction. It hasn't been going as neatly as my paper plan but we are further along in everything than where I thought we would be for January. Some days not much gets done and then other days we do a weeks worth of curriculum in one day. Perhaps homeschooling is like that for some people as well? Lately what works best for us has been teaching during supper. The kids eat better, aren't tormenting each other at the table and are somewhat quiet and still while I blaze through things. We do about 15 minutes of short lessons, including FLL. This works well for us partly because Dh isn't with us for supper.

DD had something like that. We don't have magazines in our house and the ones MIL gives us are not for children. I googled a bunch of coloring book images, cut and paste them onto a word document and printed them off. Then DD could do the coloring, cutting and pasting but the searching for images was done. I had more images than she needed so she did have to make some choices. SKL- Are your girls going to care if one kid has one set of images and the other has another? My kids want to have everything the other one has- so my preschooler did his own version of the homework project too. :rofl:

I am curious as to what the science lab has for materials. I have the book 730 Easy Science Experiments. It uses everyday household objects and is divided by the materials needed (as opposed to subject). For example the first section is "Clutching at Straws" and has 11 activities/experiments ranging from making a straw, to making a water trombone, to finding the center of gravity. You don't need a science lab for these experiments but it would be easy to organize. http://www.amazon.com/730-Easy-Science-Experiments-Materials/dp/1579126138/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357757672&sr=8-1&keywords=730+easy+science+experiments

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Anyone care to share what they are doing for memory work? We started this last month and have been working on the serenity prayer, basic latin phrases and the FLL poems. I'm looking for inspiration on what to do next. :)

Here's the TV links: http://eclectic-home...ids-online.html http://eclectic-home...s-for-kids.html and a reading link: http://chinese4kids....ources/reading/ and Better Chinese is free online for 30 days: http://www.betterchinese.com/ Hopefully, wehomeschool will let us know if I missed something. My bookmarks are in multiple folders on my computer. (You would think Chinese would be one folder but no.... :) )

Thank you Quark!

It seems some posts have disappeared, including the one where I thanked all of you. So once again: Thank You! :)

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I'm looking for ideas for enrichment that my k'er (and possibly the preschooler as well) can do on her own or with a little help from me, something to amuse her while I'm cooking dinner or playing legos with her little brother and to help her keep up her Mandarin come summer. She's doing the 36 Better Chinese books at school. I don't have experience with any of the other materials offered by Better Chinese and there are not many reviews for their supplementary material. We can't spend a lot on this and Chinese is completely new to me. Thank you in advance for any ideas.

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Perhaps keep a record for both your daughters. It doesn't sound either child's needs are being met in the classroom.

Please, make sure she is not alone with a teacher who is stressed and dislikes her. I was a quiet, accomodating kid who unintentionally highlighted a lazy teacher's poor grading methods. I ended up with a wooden spoon hovering two inches from my nose one day during class. Thank goodness she stopped before hitting me with it. Even the best people can crack sometimes and I don't think you are dealing with the best.

I don't agree with an hour of detention for a six year old. (Feel free to disagree with me! :) ) Is this teacher going to be with her during that time? Will there be other kids or another adult? What does your DD do during detention time?

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Thanks Jen. :) This group of ladies is fairly excited about education (or have husbands that are)- so then it comes down to the food; dividing the cost of that and feeding the masses gracefully when a good portion of the kids and adults have dietary restrictions.

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