We've tried several spelling programs, including the much talked about all about spelling, but none have been a good fit. I'd like to find something more than just lists of words. The issue is that many of the highly recommended 'freestanding' spelling programs I look into is structured so kids start the program from the beginning and relearn how to spell from the ground up. It's turned into a yearly cycle. Try a spelling program, start with 'what sound does the a make', kids get bored and think it's so simple it's not worth the effort, try to deal with it/move more quickly until a higher level, get discouraged, try new program, etc.... We've used three programs in three years and are not interested in starting over again. If math programs are able to assume kids understand the basics and can begin the year with a bit of review then delve into new material a spelling program should too. What are the options for a complete spelling curriculum (not just a workbook with weekly lists) that does not assume everyone has used it all along or wants to start an entire subject over?

When using math u see we used the 'expanded form' of numbers as s way of thinking about and remembering a concept but not as the only way of thinking about it. I really wasn't comfortable with the kids using 'weird' words for numbers, even if it does make better math sense.

I wanted to add that when our kids were in a private school they offered before school care. It was $75 per week per child. It was any portion of the hour just before school started in the morning for the same price.

Sounds like she found a good deal and is taking full advantage. I don't think it's so much the hourly wage when it comes to mornings but more the inconvenience of watching extra kids every day for under an hour first thing in the morning. In your shoes I would ask $10 per day plus vehicle expenses. I think milage reimbursement is typically something like 22¢ per mile for wear and tear plus the cost of gas. For example, if it's a 10 mile round trip and your car gets 20mpg you would get $2.20+1/2 the cost of a gallon of gas in your area+your hourly rate. If I were hiring an experienced parent (not a teenager) I would expect to pay a bare minimum of $10/hour for school breaks with some sort of daily cap, perhaps no more than $80-100 total per day. Before/after school and school breaks are very high demand hours and babysitters can and should charge more. To put it in perspective, we pay teenage babysitters $10-20/hour (depending on experience and demand for the time we're going out) and they're earning money for several hours at a time. No getting up early to work for 45 minutes, taking other kids out of the house first thing in the morning, spending money on gas, or dealing with drop offs/pick ups. One of the nanny/babysitting websites has a calculator based on your zip code, the number of kids, and years of experience. I would use that as a starting point. The prepayment suggestion makes sense. Maybe write down the hours, the cost of gas, and the cost of wear on your vehicle and show it to her or put it in an envelope with a polite letter. If she sees how little she is really paying hopefully she will do the right thing and pay you what you deserve.

We have five kids and the oldest isn't even 9 yet, my husband is frequently away for months at a time. What has helped the most is getting paper plates/bowls/plastic flatware to use daily and packing things that are laying out making a mess. The house is still messy sometimes but it's much easier to keep up with things when there are fewer things to keep up with. Just from the kid's rooms we bagged up a dozen garbage bags of toys, clothes, and books. The rooms stay much cleaner. Paper plates helps in the kitchen and lining pans with foil makes cleanup easier. What about making extra meals on the weekends and freezing them in disposable pans? I don't cook much during the week since it's so much easier to just grab something from the freezer and heat it up. Maybe find someone to watch your older child for a weekend day so you and your husband can spend the day cleaning to give yourself a fresh start? I'm not sure I would trust a nine year old to do all their own laundry but they could defiantly carry it to the laundry room and put it away when it's done. Maybe offer an allowance for help with chores?

The pick a brick online is really neat. There are thousands of different styles and colors. IMO they're reasonably priced (most are 10-25¢ each). It can take a long time, several weeks, for the company to pick out your items and ship them to you. The pick a brick at the store is fun too but there are maybe 1% of the choices available online. The small cups (maybe 2 kitchen measuring cups worth) is around $8 with the large cups (about twice the size of the small one) being double that. The mini figure pieces cannot be put in the bulk cups, you can assemble three figures with whatever accessories you want (that fit on them) for $10. The parts are available a la cart online too.

Mailing it back sounds like a good idea. Maybe, if you're willing to, take the boys on an outing to volunteer for a charity that helps former prisoners get back on their feet? Even a homeless shelter, some of the people there are likely homeless due to criminal activity. Sort of like that scared straight show where they show teens that are starting delinquent behavior what their lives can become if they don't stop.

I agree with others that taking it back could get both you and your son in trouble. Not sure I would have a sit down talk with the other kid or call his parents. I would probably mention to the kid that since you have heard that he might have stolen something you will not be taking him on any more outings or allowing him in your house unsupervised and you are there to talk if he would like to. I wouldn't make a big deal about it and wouldn't call his parents (although if they ask outright why their son isn't going anywhere with your family I would tell them what you heard and you're trying to decide what to do). In all fairness, you're hearing your son's side of things. I wouldn't claim to know what really happened. An adult assuming they know something based on what another child said can be difficult for a kid to live with. If you bring it up to him and something doesn't seem right or you can tell he's lying then maybe put the friendship on hold, if he admits it or seems to be honestly telling a different story then maybe there is more to it. It does seem really strange that a teenager goes on an outing with you, steals a small item (when they must have known a store clerk was following them around), leaves it at your house, and your son tells you he feels guilty about his friend's behavior. Something doesn't sound right about the whole thing. Not sure what but the story just sounds off. If that is all there is to it I can't say it sounds all that unusual, especially for a kid from a home where the parents aren't always around. I wouldn't be overly concerned, just watchful that my child doesn't do it. Assuming it was a low value item (not something to resell) the kid was probably just looking for attention or to know they could get away with it. Saying something, especially if it sounds like you saw something first hand, might very well put a stop to it.

We're using first language lessons for 3rd without having used any of the other books or ever doing formal grammar. It's working out great. A lot of what it teaches is repeated from earlier books. Most kids should be fine jumping in and learning what a noun is and how to diagram a sentence without any 'remedial' work. It starts pretty slow.

We use it as reinforcement/review rather than teaching. My 3rd grader, who polishes off a chapter book in a couple hours with no problem, is on book six. My 1st grader, who is just starting to be able to comfortably read chapter books, is on book two. The books seem really easy for them and several pages are done in a minute or two but it seems to be improving their reading.

I agree with the other poster that like the MUS blocks. Although we use TT the MUS blocks stay out and are used frequently. IMO they are way better than cuisonare (not sure on the spelling) rods. We had a set of c rods that were returned because the MUS blocks made so much more sense (not having to memorize, remember, and associate that dark green is a certain number and pink is another). I also agree with their review of the MUS dvd. It's a home movie, the sound isn't very good. The units are pretty repetitive. They were spot on when they said it's skip count by 2, then 3, and so on. Several months of exactly the same thing is good for mastery but it gets really boring.

We prefer TT. MUS is a good program but we found it to be somewhat dull. The best way I can compare the dvds is that TT has a cartoon style (fun little sounds when they get the correct answer, little animated drawings, etc.) while the MUS dvds are more of a documentary style. It's the MUS guy in front of a white board explaining things, some lessons have a class of children there as well. My favorite part with TT is that it is interactive. With MUS you or your child have to stop, turn the tv/dvd back on (or leave in on while doing the lesson in the book), wait for it to come up to the lesson you just watched, press the back button, and listen to things over again if something is not understood. TT seems to have a better flow. When a problem is solved after listening to and watching the lesson there is immediate feedback as to if the problem was answered correctly or not and, if not, it is explained again in another way. If it is answered correctly you can still get further explanation if desired by clicking a button. What I don't like about TT is the fact that the dvd lessons are basically animated versions of the lessons in the book. If your child really likes to use the book then the dvd lesson will seem redundant (although the explanation part of the dvd lesson can be viewed/listened to without doing the problems). My only other issue is that each dvd allows just two students to use it. I'm not sure if there is a way around it for a family to keep using it or to be able to sell it. I can maybe understand them not wanting it to be sold over and over and therefore only allowing two families to use it but if I find out that I'm not going to have to purchase a new $100 dvd set for every two kids to use I'm going to start looking elsewhere for math programs.

To each their own. Curriculum that is so boring that kids have to be bribed or screamed at to get them to do it is, IMO, something that I am going to rule out. Same would go for something that is 'hard'. I wouldn't give preschooler college level work. Why? It's too hard for them. I'll pick something right for them and wait until they're ready for what is too difficult now. A good, solid foundation can be had without work that makes everyone hate learning.

I bought the book, skimmed it, read a few pages here and there, put it down, tried reading more of it here and there, didn't care for it, and sold it after awhile. The method and huge book (and other) 'checklists' didn't appeal to me. I felt it is too rigid and non science oriented for us. I also don't agree with all the copy work, I've thought a lot about copy work and have decided that it occasionally has it's place but isn't really something I want to spend time on constantly. I'm religiously opposed to her history books and am not willing to use them but I do like most of FLL and parts of WWE. I do like how grammar is emphasized. I guess it comes down to me wanting my kids to read about what interests them instead of books someone else has decided are appropriate. Part of it is probably that there are too many kids for me to sit and quietly read to them, ask questions, and listen to their retelling of a story (writing down what they say when it comes to younger ones). It would be great if I could do that but there just isn't time. There also isn't time to convince each of them to do work we all find boring and repetitive.

This is an interesting conversation but, to me, it's comparing apples and oranges. Of course a school that must pay for teachers, administrators, custodians, buildings, maintenance, insurance, etc. in addition to basic materials is going to spend more than a homeschooler where the cost of everything except some specific purchases is not counted (nor is the teacher paid). I will say that it's sometimes difficult to imagine what exactly they're spending money on, especially in districts that are spending 25k+ per student. A family with, say, four kids could do some amazing things with $100,000 per year. Was it Chicago that spends something like 70% of their budget on retirement pay and benefits? That seems like a big budget problem.

Be careful about buying computers, iPads, printers, copy machines, furniture, or reference sets (like encyclopedias). Things like that can be counted as assets and taken by the court to pay your creditors. Even microscopes and telescopes might be counted. Things like books and school materials will probably be safe. If I had to buy ahead and spend that much on non big ticket items I would get: several levels of teaching textbooks (they can be resold easily) a big snap circuits set museum/zoo memberships - ask is 2+ years can be prepaid science kits (rocks/minerals, seashells, etc.) k'nex or lego education sets lots of math manipulatives good quality art supplies including lots of paper since it will last a nice pencil sharpener basic supplies like pencils, a stapler, three hole punch, graph paper, etc. art portfolios, file boxes, and other organization items lots of children's literature that will last for years, amazon has lots of these books buy 3 get 1 free if you like them, explode the code and beyond the code books for each of the kids for several years if you like them, writing with ease and/or first language lessons to last each child for several years

The part that gets me is the last sentence. "The compelling need for equal schooling". I'm not sure there is a compelling need to take away anything that makes anyone different. If funding is a measure of equality in education then suburban kids are getting the short end of the stick, around here low performing city schools get significantly more money per student. I agree with the post that said compulsory boarding schools where kids from all over the country have their names pooled and are sent to random schools would be the only way to make things truly equal. Then what? Mandatory daycare followed by babies being raised in government institutions where they are assigned a number so their diverse population of equally trained and qualified caregivers won't be biased by their names. Wait. Wasn't there an episode of the twilight zone like this? :glare:

I don't enjoy reading aloud to the kids. We have five, a baby up to a 3rd grader. The kids seem to get bored easily, don't really follow along, daydream, and don't have anything to say about what we just read. Honestly, I don't enjoy reading out loud. The two kids who are old enough to read do so on their own and don't seem to have problems with comprehension or writing about what they read. That said, I'd like to read to the younger ones. Any suggestions beyond basic picture books? I'm searching for books in-between a picture book and a chapter book that are interesting enough to hold their attention (and discourage frustrating interruptions) without so many pictures that all the kids end up climbing on each other and me to get a look. Thanks!

Doesn't bother me if they want to do it but I'm not going to petition for it. We take a standard deduction anyway so a tax credit doesn't make any financial difference to us. There are plenty of tax deductions for things like mortgage insurance and having more children that don't come with all kinds of strings attached. Not sure why people are so worried it would come with stipulations. Take mortgage deductions - the government doesn't tell you what house to buy, where to buy it, what improvements to do, etc. but still give a deduction. I do think vouchers would come with too much regulation but I don't think a tax credit or deduction would.

I have good memories of reading that book. I recently purchased it so my kids can read it too. What's wrong with saying 'oh, don't cry' to someone? It's a normal response to try and say something to help to someone who is suffering, it doesn't always come out as helpful. What should someone say? 'You should be crying, keep crying'. That seems mean.

Teaching textbooks is like that. Open to a lesson. The lesson is titled with 'multiplying by fives' or a similar descriptive tittle. Then the lesson starts with reading about the concept. There are a very small number of review problems (I think there are five every day but maybe the days each have a slightly different number). Then there is new work with some recent review interspersed. I like mm too but not the lack of explanation. I need something that explains what is going on in the lesson and not just presents a bunch of problems. We haven't used mm past first grade, maybe they add in written explanations later.

Thanks for this post. It'll drive the price up when we drop ours for something without a ton of little cards, letter tiles that keep getting lost, and 'not scripted but not unscripted' lessons that are a pain to decipher and teach :p

About two hours of actual sit down instruction and bookwork. This doesn't include several hours of independent reading, around 30 minutes a day on music lessons or practice, a weekly phys ed class, art projects, and playing around with science experiments and kits.

We've chosen not to use a full Catholic curriculum after looking over most every option at a conference. If I were to use a packaged Catholic curriculum it would be Seton. We use some of their materials, particularly for religion, but not the full program. I found that for things like math and grammar which don't really need to be religious different programs work better. More than trying to use Catholic materials I focus on avoiding Protestant books, especially history, that portray events like the reformation in a positive light. For what it's worth, we don't formally study the bible. We learn other aspects of Catholicism and sometimes read the bible. When they're older we'll do more in that area but I think it's better to use time on other religious learning.

Our oldest used to do this. I would sometimes correct it, sometimes not. I would really depend on how it was misread. If it was just a word that didn't make a difference in the meaning of the sentence being overlooked I ignored it. If it was a word being assumed as being something else (like bug being read as bag) I corrected it. It turned out to be a phase.