Yes, that's a curiosity to me. For us, it has everything I'm looking for - written grammar component, diagramming, writing. And it's recommended in the WTM, so I'm not sure why it wouldn't be more popular. FWIW, we are also using FLL with the boys, which has been excellent for them (the redundancy made it a point of contention with my now 10 yo daughter in first grade, though) and I feel like they are getting a lot out of it. Voyages, at their level, just provides a different approach to the same thing - a visual reinforcement - plus a gentle introduction to writing that I don't see them necessarily getting through their copywork. Sigh. I may just end up going page by page through their books and putting them into HST+. Thanks for bumping for me. :001_smile:

I do that now!

Yes. I do wish you would have posted the warning BEFORE the 80s nakedish Cher video was wormed into my brain. :D

Thanks!

I'm not sure if it's what you're looking for, but have you looked at Joy Hakim's "The Story of Science" series?

We are using Voyages in English this year, for my second graders and my sixth grader. I got the books, and they were exactly what I was looking for. I printed off the grade 6 lesson plan/ schedule and got it all into HST+ this afternoon, oh happy joy... But I cannot, canNOT, figure out how to schedule the grade 2 lessons. The basic calendar setup in the TM doesn't seem to correspond to the actual lessons... Further confounding is that no search of the boards or even Google has given up anything like a schedule. I'm at a loss. Is there anyone here who is using -or has used - VIE grade 2 with any sort of a schedule, and would grace me with some of your wisdom?

I agree with Ria, in the entirety of her response.

The oversight is interesting to me. Maryland is considered "high oversight" (read: undesirable) on the usual charts. You have to notify your county annually (by form the first time, just in general -email, letter - the rest of the time) and select one of two review options: 1. County review where a representative does a portfolio review with you twice a year. You only have to demonstrate you're covering the subjects normally taught at the same grade level, regularly, by showing samples of work. The reviewers may be retired teachers/administrators, bureaucrats stuck with the job or, in at least one county, homeschool moms contracted by the school district. 2. Umrella school, which is a church-exempt education ministry or church school, approved by the state. Because we (I direct one such umbrella) are church-exempt, the only burdens placed by us are administrative. Like parochial schools, we each set our own academic standards. It has been my experience - and our group is set up to be unschooling friendly - that umbrella schools have much higher standards than the counties are allowed to impose. (and my unschoolers are tremendous educators - it's just not my, personal, style) There are flakes and skates in every batch, but the umbrellas here tend to return the one's who can't meet standards back to the counties.

We hang the commercial water-in-a-bag fly traps (with the garbage scented lure in them) outside the immediate area. It takes them a day or so to get it, but then they're fighting each other to get in.

<affecting my best Bill Engvall voice> -ahem- Here's yer wine.

I've had a couple people call me because their kid was either on the verge of being expelled or failing all of their classes. The "plan" was to "homeschool" for the rest of the year so these things did not make it onto the official transcript; then they would be able to get into a private school. (I referred them back to their counties for review. We don't provide a shelter for that.) Those people are rare, in my experience.

She was convicted of a misdemeanor. Jail/fine in this case serve no purpose to correct the behaviour that led to the conviction. If she fails (under the terms of probation) to correct the behaviour, the punitive sentence will be enforced. The same holds true (here anyway) for misdemeanor traffic violations.

I know those people. I deal with them in our umbrella group ("What? I didn't know about the reviews that are outlined in the paperwork, and you sent out multiple reminders about..." "What? I had to re-enroll this year?") and dealt with them in our co-op (sign your daughter up for an 8-week book discussion, then never, ever procure the book?) Interestingly, my friends who do not homeschool for academic reasons - health issues, freedom to travel - have a family culture that values education, and that is definitely reflected in their standards for their children. Some of the others who list academics as their number one reason, not so much. I feel the same way. And I know lots of people (IRL and here) who feel they are not ambassadors for homeschooling, but when their laxness in meeting standards - of education, of timeliness, etc - is used to define the rest of us... well, whether we want to be or not, every one of us is a de facto ambassador of homeschooling. There are comparatively few of us, so the conduct of each is often the sole impression of the group. Sorry, I seem to have skewed off course a bit.

I'm feeling as though I missed something while I was sleeping... I'm always up for a good non-bashing of my spouse though. :D

Based on what, I wonder? My 10 year old is taking two languages and a logic class that is a 300-level college class. But she didn't do state history in 4th grade, so that would make her behind, right? She hasn't completed fractions, either, so that would be another thing... I've heard that comment, too, and I think it is definitely a case of children for whom homeschooling is not working, or families who have been compelled by the court to send the children to school after years of unsatisfactory reviews (and no attempt at correction) or because of horrific home situation, more than anything else. Not to mention kids who have learning challenges that would have resulted in an IEP early in ps, but they don't have one because, well, homeschooling is individual.

Us, too, though we are fortunate with his schedule that both of us do the homeschooling. When we were married, I was the primary wage earner (IT consulting pays better than civil service). It was OUR money then, too.

Yes. This. (as in, no I don't consider it a slur but anyone can use pretty much anything as a slur if they try hard enough)

I may have to print these and tape them over the computer as a reminder! Thank you, ladies! :D

In our home, it means I am constantly looking for a better (lower impact) way to do just about everything. I am always asking "could I do this with less/different/something else" until I find the balance in function. But, then, I tend to think of that as basic economics.

We use HST+. I can reschedule the entire assignment list in a couple of clicks. ;) And, yes, life does happen. If we don't have a plan, though, we get off track more because the adults in the house find themselves unprepared.

:iagree: I tend to subscribe to the Michael Pollan school of thought on this: anything with more than a few, readily recognizable as food, ingredients is a "no" in my book. There are obvious exceptions to this, though. Anything with cheese as an ingredient tends to have all the cheese ingredients broken out, so the list gets longer. Gluten free breads tend to have an extensive list because they use multiple types of flour for consistency, etc.

Well, there is clearly some kind of bad parenting going on, if these two have a sense of entitlement that huge, isn't there?

Any more than I have. So, I guess 5 and up. Yes, some seem like a lot more than they actually number, but without personalities, 5 tips it for me. :tongue_smilie:

I know. Now I'm hungry. It's even better if you grill it. :drool:

What an excellent surprise day! Happy birthday, boys!