We go super slow here. My goal is forward progression while not hating math. Working very nicely so far.

My third grader has a daily checklist that is super simple: copywork (I choose one day, he chooses the rest), math 30-45 minutes depending on the topic/lesson, quiet reading (not assigned, but we select books together to make sure he reads variety and gets challenged), and free choice learning (1-hour minimum). I have a weekly checklist for everything else and work around my toddlers schedule :) Latin 3-days per week for 20-30 minutes Read alouds - I have three anchors through the day that I try and read Discuss copywork passage I chose (he does this first on Monday so when I have a moment I can discuss) Science History or unit study I am trying to get in more narration Free write Art Baking / tea time Anything else I think up :)

Thanks! That sounds like a good plan...

I just ordered Teaching Textbooks last night. In looking at the TofC it looks like my son would be about 1/2way through the level I ordered. The next level looked to hard and he needed some of the content in the lower level first. So, would you just have him do some speed review to get where he needs to be? Or would you maybe have him do just quizzes to check/confirm his understanding? I don't want to bore him, and I'd like to get to some new stuff fairly quickly.

Once upon a time I had a link to a great list of living science book by year? Anybody have any idea what I am thinking about? I know it wasn't a blog or anything, but maybe a science education website or something???

Thanks!

We don't have access to a good library and need to purchase...

I have never seen these but was considering order a few based on reviews. My questions is would they still be good for a 9-year-old? My son wants to study some famous artists and I was hoping this would be a good series. Also, which artists have been your favorites? TIA :)

No clue yet! I better get thinking. We love road trips so we are considering either the south or Midwest. I'd also love to rent a beach house somewhere for a couple weeks, just not sure where - any ideas (must be east coast since we live on te west coast!).

Thanks everyone :)

Well drats, the unit lesson plan is out-of-stock for an update until May. Maybe I could sway them to put it off a few months. They have a lot of other suggestions for units I could pull together instead... Thanks also to everyone else who chimed in.

Anybody???

I see two curriculum guides. Which one did you purchase? http://fortclatsopbookstore.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=24&zenid=d6949cfec5eaa000df451e636581567d

I'll take a look at their site. I didn't get much time in the bookstore myself thanks to my toddler. My guess will be we will hang out with L&C for a good 6-weeks or so. But really, who knows! We could follow lots of rabbit trails that is for sure. And I've got kids who like to do elaborate projects.

I am planning a unit for Lewis & Clark. These are the books on my shelf. Are there any gems missing to make the unit complete? Is there anything about the plants/animals they saw along the way? My kids would really eat that up. I'd like something about Sacajawea - Any suggestions? Before we dig in I'd like to set them up with how the Louisiana Territory was French controlled and about the Louisiana Purchase - any good books to do just that? Lewis & Clark & Me Seaman's Journal Seaman: The Dog Who Explored the West How We Crossed the West The Lewis & Clark Expedition: Join the Corps of Discovery to Explore Uncharted Territory Also, any good documentaries I should consider? We spent some time at Fort Clatsop recently so my kiddos are really excited about this study. I want to make sure it is a good one!

I am gearing up for a Native American study that will last about 4-weeks or so (really, until we have read the books and completed any projects that are started). I am looking to get my books in order. I need to purchase the books so to keep my wallet from exploding I need to get the best of best. This is my working list. I plan to use the If You Lived... books and add 1-2 other books per region. We did cover the If You Lived with the Hopi last year so that is not included. If you lived with the Iroquois *Need a book or two here If you lived with the Cherokee 1st Strawberries Sequoyah by Rumford Only the Names Remain OR Trail of Tears (I have both, but assume the story is the same - which would you read?) If you lived with the Sioux Buffalo Hunt *I'd like something else here If You Lived with the Pacific Northwest *I'd like something here Though there is no If You Lived book for the Inuit I'd like to cover them as well, but I have no book ideas yet. Longer Read Alouds. Not sure what we'll read, but these are the books already on my shelf. I am open to suggestions if there is something better. We've already Naya Nuki & Birchbark House. Om-kas-toe Moccasin Trail Indian Captive Sign of the Beaver Sing Down the Moon

Just wrapped up my first book of 2013 :) I should even wrap up a few more by the week's end. 1. Confessions of a Prairie B*tch by Alison Arngrim

Same for me :D I won't even order pizza.

Checking in for the week. Again my goals are to stay on budget (it is much stricter this month - it will be the end of the month that I really feel it) and to not eat out. Happy to report that so far I am under budget across the board. And that we have not eaten out even once. Though I do admit to almost going out for lunch yesterday but then decided to just pick something off the dinner list and deal with a cheap meal (or abundant leftovers one night) later this month. I am quite proud of myself for that one. I usually choose to just go out (especially on the weekends) and deal with not eating out tomorrow ;)

Okay, now I have Handmaid's Tale on my TBR list. Not sure when I'll get to it, but I am now intrigued. As for my reading this week, I'm still working through my stack that I posted last week. I got a little sidetracked reading French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon. Not sure why, my kids are great eaters. But it caught my fancy one evening and the next thing I knew I was nearly finished with the book. Turns out I agreed, and already practice, much of what as in the book. Maybe I'm part French somewhere in there :D My finished book still stand at a big zero. But at least I've got 5-6 started :) Hopefully I'll be back before the week's end to post some completed titles.

That is such a great idea. I am so doing this!

I'd start serving meals family style. They need to sit at the table for family togetherness, but they choose what and how much to eat of what you offered on the table. If they eat, they eat. If they don't, they don't. I'd try and include whatever healthy food they will eat as one of the options for lunch & breakfast, and occasionally dinner. I'd also stick to set meal times, not allow snacking, and let them figure out how to overcome their own pickiness, or starve. I've had several friends with extremely picky eaters use this above strategy and they have eliminated the argument and seen there food likes grow. Are they over the pickiness? Not yet, but they aren't starving. And because they are in charge of what goes on their own plate rather than mom putting it there, they are slowly starting to choose more because they are hungry. The biggest, and hardest, change was no snacking. But it was the one thing that made them hungry at mealtimes. Sorry if I sound hardcore, but pickiness for pickiness sake makes me bonkers. I get allergies and things like that. But to refuse food because you prefer junk is a pet peeve of mine. My husband was extremely picky when we met. Now he eats almost anything and prefers homemade to processes by far. But it didn't happen overnight, and he still says he has to remind himself that he does like certain things because he trained his brain in childhood that he doesn't. My kids are great eaters too, though my toddler looks at me like I'm nuts for some of the things I offer him. That doesn't mean they, or even I, will eat anything. We all have our preferences. Okay, I'm done :)

Okay, I've got two unused kits. I need to do this THIS YEAR!!! Wish me luck :) I am also considering working backwards, literally, on last year's album too.

I guess I should have linked to that one... I am on a quest to add color to my house. I'll be starting with our photo wall, which about 20 feet long. I'm painting the wall and changing my now b&w photos to color, and adding some fun color with wall art prints I found on Etsy.

I knew of it, but it still hurts when reality hits.