I haven't tried it, but you can buy an individual subscription for the online version of Wordly Wise currently for around $40 through Homeschool Buyers Co-op. https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/Wordly-Wise-3000-Online

Thank you *so* much! This is extremely helpful!

Woot! That is exciting. Good job!

The lessons vary in length, but DS normally spends no more than 30 minutes on each lesson, which includes reading the course text and the actual music listening. The course is a PDF text download and it really is just a basic spine that organizes a systematic progression through the history of music, from ancient times to rock & pop music. It isn't incredibly detailed but it serves our purposes for a wide exposure and appreciation. You can see some sample pages if you click on the cover page image on the right side of the linked webpage. As I mentioned before, the course relies heavily on the internet (online searches, YouTube, etc.) for resources. Sometimes specific links are included in the course text but typically it just tells the student to listen to X, so we just do an online search for excerpts for that particular instrument/song/composer. Every lesson includes a few questions designed to get the student to think more deeply about the topic. We go through the questions verbally after DS has finished the lesson, and I haven't required any written output so far. It would work fine either way, however you need to use it, written or verbal. The text also includes a few tests if you want to use them. So far, we've had coverage of some instruments (search for X to view pictures and hear what it sounds like), basic music terminology (harmony, a capella, melody), as well as coverage of the different eras and styles of music, and well-known major composers. A recent lesson that DS did, for example, provided a one page biography of Beethoven. The lesson then instructed him to listen to Beethoven's 5th Symphony, and asked a couple of questions about it (how does the composer use harmony to create a dramatic effect on the audience's emotions?). Next, it instructed him to listen to The Moonlight Sonata and then asked another question (what did you visualize in your mind or what emotion did you feel as you listened to the piano music?). Finally, the last part of the lesson was to watch a section of Fantasia, based on a Beethoven symphony. So some of the questions are more concrete and some of them are much more subjective, i.e., what do you think of X or how did you feel about X? The website says the course would take 180 to 220 hours to complete the 92 lessons, so 2 hours per lesson, but I haven't found that we spend nearly that much time on it so far. It would definitely take longer if I required DS to write out the answers to the questions, rather than just covering them verbally, but that's probably what the publisher's time estimates are based on. For the price - I think I paid less than $20 on a Curr-Click sale - this course is working out well for us. HTH.

Just curious, and I hope you don't mind me asking, are you planning to use the Jousting Armadillos, et al, series as your DD's core math program for Pre-Alg through Alg 1? I'm still exploring options and would prefer to use the same program for the next few years if possible instead of hopping around, so I'm wondering if you think the JA series would be good as a core for "most" kids. My DS is good at math but doesn't love it, so I think intense discovery programs like AOPS would not work for him. I understand JA is discovery also, but much gentler. Your opinion on that? Thanks!

Yep, this is exactly how we used MM4 and up too! Worked very well here.

Do you mind sharing what programs you're using? Thank you.

I agree with recommending K12's Human Odyssey series for history, for your kids' ages. It is a thorough overview that gives more detail than an encyclopedia like Kingfisher or DK, yet is not as detailed (and overwhelming, for MY DS11) as the books by Oxford University Press, for example. For the whys behind cooking/baking methods & techniques, we enjoy watching the Good Eats shows by Alton Brown. I can't link right now, but I've seen them available on streaming from either Amazon or Netflix. Mr. Brown's shows are both entertaining & educational. I myself learn a lot from them.

My DS11 is working through this online program by Connect the Thoughts. He chose this himself & he really likes it. He is definitely not a musically inclined kid, but he appreciates learning the history aspect and this program is fun for him. http://www.connectthethoughts.net/upper--arts--music-theory.php?course=21340 It is listed under Music Theory but is really a music history course. Requires access to YouTube or another source for listening to the pieces covered though, which some families may not like. ETA: It says directed towards students grade 6/age 11 to adult, and that seems correct to me so far. Designed to be done independently.

Are you looking for suggestions for an expository writing program, or do you already have one in mind and are wondering if it will complement WWS? We used IEW's SWI-B for 5th grade, before starting WWS1 in 6th grade. IEW and WWS are quite different from each other but I think they're complementary, and we haven't found that they contradict each other. In his WWS assignments, DS uses many of the techniques he learned from IEW. In 5th grade, we also skimmed through sections of the Writing Skills series by Diana Hanbury King. It teaches expository writing in a very basic, no frills way. That also helped DS improve his paragraphing skills and built confidence too.

We did MM as written through 5B, then skipped around through MM6. The parts of MM6 that we reviewed thoroughly before moving on: integers/negative numbers, factoring, ratios, and getting very comfortable doing all four operations using fractions, decimals, and percents, especially focusing on word problems. Re-teaching wasn't so much an issue, just needed to reinforce and re-familiarize. I've found that even after successfully completing those chapters individually in MM5 and/or 6, we still need to review and keep the skills fresh, or else puberty brain fog sets in and DS might sometimes looks blankly at me as if he's never seen those types of problems. We heavily relied on MM chapter reviews, chapter tests, and the MM worksheet generator. I don't regret taking the extra time to review. The sections of MM6 that we skipped in favor of coverage elsewhere: geometry, statistics, and probability. HTH.

Thanks for posting this. Due to this thread, yesterday I decided to purchase a subscription too. Can't wait to get started and try it out.

spellingcity.com or quizlet.com? We've used both and we're currently liking quizlet a lot.

Not sure what type of lessons you want (painting, drawing, etc.) but my DS11 likes Mark Kistler instructional videos for cartoony 3D drawing. There are several free samples here. We started with those and ended up subscribing through a deal at HSBC.

Things we haven't used before that are hits for us this year: Mosdos lit Caesar's English vocab CPO Earth science Writing With Skill 1

If I were you, I would pull my kid out of the tutorial. You said you can't get your money back, but it sounds like you're also losing much more in terms of valuable time, and dealing with unnecessary frustration, by sticking with it. You said you could take over teaching your daughter at home, so is there a reason why you can't just do that and drop the tutorial? If you're looking for permission to do it, that's definitely what I'd do. And if dropping it is a realistic possibility, I'm sure we can come up with curriculum suggestions if you can share what your daughter has used previously and what she liked or disliked about it. For science, what does she want to study?

My DS11 uses Visual Link Spanish level 1 with no problems. I don't think it is inappropriate for a middle schooler nor too hard for a motivated beginner. DS started it last year as a 5th grader. Prior to that, we dabbled in GSWS (I like it but DS didn't appreciate the format) and he also uses Duolingo sometimes for a fun supplement. As a sidenote, if you decide to use Visual Link, consider buying the download version rather than relying on the web version. We have pretty decent DSL service but experienced lots of issues with lag time and slowness with the web version. I've seen others mention the same problem too. The downloads go on sale fairly regularly and if you're subscribed to their emails you'll get the sale notices.

Thank you for pointing that out. Actually, its well over half, almost two-thirds, according to a comparison of the TabletClass course descriptions online. Going strictly by the lesson titles listed by bullet point for each chapter, 53 lessons in TC pre-algebra are repeated in TC algebra. If I compared correctly, I think there are 32 new lesson topics in TC algebra that aren't also covered in TC pre-algebra, out of a total of 85 lesson topics. (~62% repeats.) I'm trying to figure out where we're going next for math curriculum, so these details are important and I've been comparing S&S for several. :lol: :tongue_smilie: The repeats/review may very well be necessary for some but it is nice to know up front before purchasing.

A firm foundation in arithmetic is so important. You're right to recognize this and take action to correct it now. If he loved math with BJU before he switched to Saxon, and only switched to Saxon for the video instruction, was there a reason you didn't purchase the video instruction that goes with BJU? If you're sure you don't want to continue BJU, have you considered Math Mammoth? I'd try that before resorting to a tutor. MM can get him well-prepared for pre-algebra, and at that point your choices for math programs with video instruction open up greatly. I highly recommend MM and many here like it as well. It teaches conceptually and the instruction is written to the student. It is very inexpensive compared to everything else you've listed too - a full year in pdf download format is less than $40. If you're not sure exactly what his gaps are, you could buy the light blue curriculum for either 5th or 6th grade, and have him do the chapter reviews and tests until he hits the topics on which he isn't solid. (MM is considered to have an advanced sequence so look at the placement tests.) Then have him go in-depth through the lessons for only the topics he needs. http://www.mathmammoth.com/complete/grade_6.php I wouldn't use Lial's BCM with my 6th grader. Due to its format and context I think it really works better for older students. I own the Chalkdust pre-algebra DVDs (bought a used Houghton-Mifflin version without the Chalkdust name for very cheap) and I've previewed them in my search for where to go for pre-algebra next year. The video lessons are very long and dry. The instructor is clearly knowledgeable but he takes forever to get to the point most of the time. : ) So if their Basic Math level is anything like their pre-algebra, I agree, it might not be a good fit.

Pen, thank you for responding to my question and, although I didn't quote it in its entirely, for your thoughtful post above. This thread has been so helpful.

Pen, a lot of what you wrote above is really resonating with me, as I think about my DS and teaching writing. I know you said you're not currently using a formal curriculum, but do you have any links for further info about the 6 Traits curriculum you mentioned? (I'm somewhat familiar with Bravewriter but I need something more concrete, for me as a teacher. I wonder if 6 Traits might help me.) My interest is piqued and I'd love to learn more. Sorry for the hijack. This is a great thread, Rose! Thank you!

There's also this: http://myhomeschoolmathclass.com/index.html It uses a standard textbook (Lial's) and, I believe, the classes follow a set weekly schedule, not self-paced. I have no personal experience with it, but the teacher is also a member of the boards (Jann in TX) and there are lots of posts/reviews if you do a search.

My DS prefers working independently. (He's introverted, self-motivated and loves working from a weekly checklist.) To give you even more curriculum ideas, here's what he used in 5th grade that I feel good about recommending: Math Mammoth IEW SWI-B for writing - we watched the DVDs together once a week or once every 2 weeks, approx. 30 min. each time, depending on the lesson, and then he worked independently - I just checked his papers and helped him revise Hake Grammar Wordly Wise 3000 vocabulary workbook Lit was nothing formal, just a list of good books from which he could choose, followed by brief, informal discussions but not for every book WTM-ish history using an encyclopedia (Kingfisher) and K12 Human Odyssey for additional reading (K12 HO saved me from struggling to find supplemental books at our small library for every topic) Elemental Science for the logic stage, encyclopedia-based and WTM-inspired, very open and go Sheppard Software for geography Visual Link Spanish offers free trials For art & music appreciation, DS liked watching DVDs such as Sister Wendy and Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts

My DS11 likes Drive Thru History. It's not animated and not a complete history but does give an overview of certain time periods with some humor included that keeps it fun. There are episodes on world history and separate ones on American history. Has a Christian perspective, but we also enjoy it as secular homeschoolers, if that matters to you. On Netflix: http://dvd.netflix.com/Search?oq=&ac_posn=&v1=%22drive+thru+history%22 If you want more resources to go with it, there are free downloadable discussion guides available on their website: http://www.drivethruhistory.com/downloads/ Another vote for Horrible Histories here too, both the BBC version and the cartoon version.

I own the white Kingfisher, all three volumes (ancients to current) of K12's Human Odyssey, and two volumes of OUP's ancients series, as well as a Famous Men book and a couple others. I have a problem with collecting history books, LOL . . . find just the right fit is especially hard for us in history. I voted for K12 HO as my favorite for middle schoolers. I like Kingfisher as a spine for organizing an overview with more study added as needed/desired. The white Kingfisher is more narrative and better aesthetically, IMO, than the newer red one. (I haven't seen the very newest Kingfisher though.) The white is less choppy, although still very much at a summary level, with a few paragraphs on each topic, not just lists of bullet points. The writing style worked fine for WTM-style list of facts notetaking & beginning outlining when DS was just learning how to outline but he can easily handle more now. So it was great in 5th grade and good for 6th grade, but I doubt we'll use it past 6th. I wanted to like OUP a lot, but was disappointed in the lack of organization and flow in the one we used, just seemed to jump back and forth a lot within chapters. Lots of people here do like them so the series overall must be good. But my DS just doesn't want to spend as much time on history and OUP was way more detail than he cared for. I think OUP works well for those who enjoy history and really want to dive in deeply. K12 HO is in the sweet spot for us. It is a complete series from ancients to current times. Readable flowing narrative, not overwhelmingly long or detailed like OUP (for us), outlinable, visually uncluttered, focused on themes and connections (vs. just facts & dates), non-Eurocentric, secular, appropriate scope and relatively balanced, appropriate/relevant primary written sources and artwork. The reading level increases in each volume, so I think we'll probably stick with the series through middle school. K12 HO combined with Kingfisher is all we use most of the time now, rather than trying to find supplemental books at our small library. The text itself doesn't contain chapter summaries, "goals for reading", review questions or anything like that, which was a plus for us as it ends up being just a book to read with no clutter. I bought the related K12 teacher guides used very inexpensively (for offline parts only, which is still more than I need) and find those useful for mapwork, essay questions, discussion prompts, etc. As a side-note, we're doing world history on a 3 year rotation (5th, 6th, 7th grades), followed by American history with K12 American Odyssey in 8th grade, so the K12 books fit that plan perfectly. (Schools in my state have shifted to American history in 11th grade due to testing, so we're probably going to do that too and won't have Am history back to back here either.) One K12 volume is just the right amount for us to get through in a year.