Galore Park's Spanish program runs from middle school through high school age.

I order directly from Ms. McHenry's website. I feel like that supports her the most without giving a cut of her profits to Amazon, RR, etc.

I bought the student book and the teacher book that go with Human Odyssey 1 (they're entitled Intermediate World History A, for others reading) and ended up only using the teacher book. We did all the review/comprehension and connections questions verbally, didn't write them down. I ended up feeling like I needed only the teacher book, using it in that manner. If doing written, I'd definitely want both the student and teacher books. We also did some plain old narrating and outlining from the HO text. I'd estimate that about half of the activities in the student/teacher books are designed to be done online as a student enrolled with K12. Still lots of stuff to do offline, though. I never felt like we needed more doing it offline. The fact that HO isn't a traditional textbook with review questions built-in, chapter summaries, etc. was a plus for me. But I knew that when I bought it, based on the samples and researching it here. Many textbooks are overdone with annoying sidebars and distractions filling every page. HO isn't like that. The best thing about HO, for us, is that we used it alongside the white Kingfisher encyclopedia, and HO took the place of all the various library books that WTM recommends. DS doesn't love history, so it isn't a main focus in our schedule, and having HO there for all his extra reading made my life easier. And, FWIW, I think those prices are really inflated right now at $35+ due to the time of year. I bought mine for less than $5 - $10 each as I recall now; however, it was during the "off season" (i.e., not summer). Additionally, I believe I read here on this board that K12 has decided to stop producing the hard copies of the student and teacher books (didn't hear the effective date), so the used ones out there now will be more in-demand as the word gets out.

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All Elemental Science elementary levels also include the option to buy supply kits for the labs, just in case you didn't know.

We like Elemental Science quite a bit. We did the logic stage biology last year and returned to ES again this year for earth/astronomy. My DS enjoys the Kingfisher science encyclopedia and the DK books used at the logic stage level, but he doesn't care for the Usbornes (too "young", too blurby, not enough detail) so we've moved away from the Usbornes as much as we can. (I know many kids don't do this, but he takes science encyclopedias to his room for bedtime reading, LOL.) I like ES as a spine. I like the way it is organized, open and go, and I appreciate the discussion Q&A, the vocab and memory work, and weekly hands-on. I do not make DS do all of the writing assignments though - I pick and choose. And, like I said above, we're adding the CPO Earth science text as additional reading, along with the TOPS Rocks and Minerals book & kit, plus a weather study kit and a few other things I bought at Home Science Tools, and fun things like Basher books and documentaries. I feel your pain. Aside from regular textbooks like CPO or Holt, there aren't many good middle school geology/earth science programs out there.

We also are doing Math Mammoth 6 and we like Math Minutes workbooks for keeping things fresh. Ten quick problems per page (designed to be one page per day) that review everything DS has learned so far: the four basic operations, fractions, order of operations, decimals, etc. Goes through grade 7. Grade 6 sample pages here. ETA: Also, for anyone else reading, the author of Math Mammoth just came out with a line of review workbooks. She says they would be redundant if you already own the Light Blue program though. And they currently only go to grade 5, so no help for those of us that are past grade 5 already.

Another one for you to consider: VisualLink Spanish. My DS11 really likes it, better than anything else we've tried, and this is his second year using it. It is entirely independent, on the computer, and the combo of visual and audio teaching works really well for him. It has improved his pronunciation due to the "listen and speak" feature, done with a headset and microphone. It recognizes his voice and guides him to speak correctly. This program is clearly not as good as a local, live native-speaking tutor, but way more affordable for us. (And DS has some anxiety that precludes Skyping with a tutor he doesn't know. We might invest in a local tutor if he continues studying Spanish into high school.) VisualLink has no books, no hardcopy lessons, no writing involved, but we supplement with Spanish readers and a workbook called Practice Makes Perfect: Basic Spanish. You can also do a free trial of VisualLink. (If you decide you like it, I recommend buying the download saved to your computer vs. using it entirely online - we had issues with loading/speed using the online only version.) The various levels go on sale frequently, so if you sign up to try the free trial, you can get email notices of their sales.

Based on what you've written, that your DS wants to study geology, doesn't like reading from encyclopedias, and I'm assuming also wants geology-related labs, I don't think Sonlight Science G will give you what you want. It is labeled as "geology, physics and origins", and it is really just a mish-mash of different things, not specifically focused on geology at all. I own six of the seven books (not counting the TM) used in that program, including the two TOPS lab books (and supplies). If you look at the book list, only one of the books used is specific to the study of Earth science/geology, and it is the Usborne Encyclopedia of Planet Earth. So, it's just an encyclopedia, which you said you don't want, and only about 150 pages, not enough to last a year. Cool Stuff 2.0 (talks about technology) and What's Science All About (another Usborne volume, a broad summary of biology, chemistry, and physics) are neat little books, but they were below the level of my DS last year as a 5th grader; he actually scoffed at them. :laugh: They're both full of nifty info (for a younger kid, perhaps) but its just snippets, nothing in-depth. Another book (and a DVD) in the program talks about evolution vs. creationism, and the last book is about life science topics like botany and ecology. The two TOPS books are chemistry-related (Analysis and Cohesion/Adhesion) - again, not geology. DS used both of those TOPS kits last year, and we liked them pretty well, though. Sorry, that's probably not what you want to hear. Sonlight's science programs for level G and below try to cover lots of things at a high level all in one year and the output is quite worksheet-y (fill in the blank, matching, etc.) That appeals to some kids but not others. The TOPS labs are usually pretty good but you don't have to get them from Sonlight, you can buy them directly from the TOPS website and I've seen them on Amazon too. I can recommend the Rocks and Minerals TOPS book with kit, as a supplement. My 6th grade DS is using it this year and he loves it so far (about 4 weeks in). He can do it independently. We're also using Elemental Science logic stage Earth/Astronomy (which you said you didn't want) and supplementing with CPO Earth for extra reading. Hope that helps some.

I've used K12 Human Odyssey volume 1 and the related student pages and teacher manual, and I own all 3 components (text, student pages, TM) for volume 2 . . . but I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say "Your Passport to The Human Odyssey sheet". Can you elaborate or link? Maybe then I or someone else can answer your question.

Could it be that his writing is becoming more complex, so he is thinking more about *what* to write, rather than *how* to write it, i.e., the correct spelling of every word? If he re-reads his own writing after putting it aside for a bit (later that day, or the next day), does he recognize that he spelled some words incorrectly? If either of those answers is yes, I wouldn't worry. He's probably just growing in his writing ability (like a physical growth spurt) and wanting to get things down on paper that are more important to him than spending the time it takes to slow down to spell every word correctly. Maybe? I'd probably not add spelling back in as a subject to cover, rather just continue having him correct misspellings in his writing and/or keep a running list of misspelled words to review/quiz at the end of each week or so.

Thank you!

As for building vocabulary . . . all the options you've listed have merit. Since he's an 8th grader, and not new to homeschooling, has your DS expressed what he'd like to do? Does he have time in his schedule currently to add in a full Latin program, or is time more limited? Does he retain vocab learned exclusively from reading, or would he prefer explicit lessons? Does he enjoy language or just prefer to get it done? What does he want to do in this area? My DS is younger, but he enjoys doing a vocab workbook (Wordly Wise, great for lessons & practice in context), and I'm adding in more focused root study this year with Caesar's English and English From the Roots Up. The later books in the Spelling Workout series cover a lot of root study, so having completed that series I bet your DS has mastered quite a few root words already and probably has a good base to build on no matter which way you go. Re: writing . . . have you considered Writing With Skill? He's not too old for it (I only say that b/c some people use it with younger students, but can certainly benefit even high school and older), and if he hasn't used a formal writing curriculum, I think he'd gain a lot from WWS.

I'll take a stab at it, since we use a lot of the same curricula as you. I added in some days and times to your list above as a starting point to give you an idea of what I expect from my DS. With your list of subjects: Mon - grammar, writing, lit, math, science - approx. 3.5 hours Tues - spelling, writing, lit, math, history - approx. 4 hours Wed - grammar, writing, lit, math, science - approx. 3.5 hours Thurs - spelling, writing, lit, math, history - approx. 4 hours Fri - grammar, logic (or writing catch-up?), lit, math, science - approx. 3.5 hours I expect my DS11 to spend around 5 hours per day on schoolwork for 6th grade, not including independent reading and hands-on science activities. We do vocab instead of spelling, but the rest of your subjects are pretty much the same as ours. Additionally, we do Spanish every day, and health, geography, and art/music appreciation each one day per week. (Sometimes those once a week electives are covered by a documentary during lunch.) Not saying you should add anything but just something to think about. I haven't used Duke TIP Reader's Journey, but I gather it is pretty challenging and would probably overlap WWS1 quite a bit (esp. literary analysis) so you really want to watch for duplication and/or burnout if you use both at the same time. Reader's Journey is a rich program, more than just literature. IMO, Lightning Lit would be less workload for your DC than Reader's Journey, just depends on what you're looking for. Hope that helps a little.

Thank you!

It *should* be unnecessary to confirm ISBNs with a seller, but I've learned that simple step upfront saves me time and hassle. It would be nice if everyone followed the rules, but the reality is, they don't. I've become more proactive, and since then, I've been disappointed way less often. I look for detailed seller descriptions, not generic ones; I check buyer feedback; and then I send a quick email to confirm before buying. I'd rather attempt to eliminate the bad listings up front. That's better than being disappointed that I didn't receive what I ordered, especially after waiting a week or two or three for Media Mail, and then starting the hunt all over again. YMMV.

If it helps for your next attempt, I have the 1993 edition The Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World, 40,000 BC to Present Day, with white cover and 761 numbered pages plus an index at the back. The ISBN is 1856978621. I recommend always confirming the ISBN with the seller before buying . . . I learned the hard way not to rely on pictures or descriptions. Sometimes the seller just finds an existing listing that is close and they add theirs to that listing.

It depends on the source where you get your testing done. You don't have to wait until the end of his 4th grade year if you don't want to wait that long. For grades 3 and up, there is a normed group of ITBS results based on kids who took the test in the fall of the school year (i.e., a month or two into 4th grade), and another normed group who took it in the spring of the school year (i.e., almost finished with 4th grade). ITBS testing can be done year round with some providers. For others, there is a fall testing period (the month of October, I believe) and a spring testing period (mid-March to end of April, I believe). So just ask your provider or look at the websites of the providers you might be considering. ETA: You may already know this, but you can either go to a testing center or use a co-op that offers testing, or you can also give the ITBS yourself, if you meet the criteria: http://www.bjupress.com/category/iowa-tests-homeschools: For The Iowa Tests the tester must Have a Bachelor of Arts or Science degree OR Be a teacher, certified by a state department of education to teach in a public school or other conventional school (homeschool or local association certification does not qualify) OR Be or have been a full-time academic classroom teacher in a conventional school (not a homeschool) AND Be listed with us as a pre-approved tester for this series by completing an easy online application

Sorry, Susan, just saw this. DS just reads Basher books for fun, over and over. I don't feel a need to interfere with his enthusiasm by doing anything formal with them. But he loves science - he often picks a science encyclopedia for bedtime reading (I know, right?!!). Maybe just let your DD take a look and see if she takes to them?

Sounds like you've made your decision, but just an additional piece of info we were given, the CogAT is supposed to measure achievement potential, which can be compared against the ITBS measure of actual achievement. If there is a wide disparity between the two, I suppose I'd want to do further testing for specific learning disabilities. Some kids are gifted and also have learning disabilities (a.k.a. Twice Exceptional or 2E), and sometimes the LDs are masked by their giftedness. Since we did not see a disparity between CogAT and ITBS results, I doubt I'll do CogAT again, although I've seen it recommended every two or three years. FWIW.

For CTC's Word Roots, using both the software and book is redundant, you'd want one or the other, in conjunction with flash cards for extra practice only. There is a free software download you can try on their website. However, I can't recommend Word Roots. I bought the workbook, but there wasn't enough instruction nor practice nor meaningful exercises to make it interesting. I thought maybe the software would be better, so I downloaded the sample and it wasn't very well done at all. It was clunky and boring too. I was disappointed with it. YMMV. We do use English From the Roots Up. Again, both book and flashcards is redundant, you really only need one or the other. We use the flashcards and fill in notebook pages that are available free on this website: http://www.cyncespla...m-the-roots-up/ I believe Lori D. has posted before about fun ways she came up with to use the flashcards with her DC. I've never tried nor looked at MP's program. I agree with the previous rec for Caesar's English. It's the most engaging root program I've found.

To answer your question, SWB was working on a middle school grammar series, called Advanced Language Lessons, but it has been shelved indefinitely, while she works on the Writing With Skill middle school writing series. I've read that she feels there are already good grammar options out there and the market is more in need of a middle school writing program. SWB recommends Rod & Staff for grammar in WTM. In addition to the other grammar programs mentioned already, I also see Easy Grammar, Analytical Grammar, and KISS Grammar mentioned frequently.

You didn't say what info or website you're looking at, but I suspect the price difference has to do with the additional optional CogAT aptitude test that can be taken with the ITBS, if you choose. This BJUPress testing website has info on both tests. I had my DS take the ITBS + CogAT the first time at the appropriate grade level for his age. I felt that would give me a good baseline to work from. He "hit the ceiling" on that first test, so I had him take ITBS (no CogAT) above his grade level in subsequent years, in order to get more useful information. I do not test to meet any state requirements, just for personal use.

Also, if cost is a big factor, perhaps look at KISS Grammar. I know nothing about it except that it is available online for free. Not sure about grade levels, independence, etc.