Both TWSS and SWI is redundant for most people. TWSS was their original product. SWI was the follow-up product for people like me who wanted more hand-holding than provided by TWSS and also wanted the sources/assignments laid out and ready to go. Most people shouldn't really need both TWSS and SWI, if you watch the SWI with your DC.

After doing an SWI, you don't do another SWI. You'd either do the relevant continuation course (SICC-A in your case) or move on to a theme unit. We did the ancient history unit after our SWI since it tied in with our history studies for the year and it worked well. Or you could just apply SWI concepts to writing across the curriculum on your own. Sorry, no experience with ATFF.

Thank you both. Your thoughts are very helpful!

Have you ever considered trying Math Mammoth, especially in regards to needing a solid review/remediation of fractions and decimals? I haven't used Singapore Math, but what I hear is that Math Mammoth is similar to Singapore Math in teaching concepts (teaching why, rather than plug and chug) but MM does so more slowly and in smaller steps than SM. MM is written to the student - the teaching and the problems are all in one worktext. MM has the regular "light blue" curriculum organized by grade level, but there is also an MM "blue" series of worktexts which is just the "light blue" series split into worktexts on specific topics. There is a "blue" series just for fractions and decimals. It is affordable too. The other thing I would have recommended is the Key To series, but you've already done that. It's great for review, but I found it doesn't have as much explicit teaching. We use Math Minutes to add in a spiral review component that MM is lacking. I like the way MM teaches concepts, especially fractions, but my DS needs a little constant review. Math Minutes is 10 quick problems a day. Any problem that happens to fall outside the S&S of our regular coverage, I just cross out. Hope you get more ideas. :grouphug: ETA - You mentioned algebra at the end of your post. I wouldn't even touch algebra until fractions and decimals are rock solid. But I think you feel that way too, since you posted. One thing at a time. Don't panic. :grouphug:

Thank you for taking the time to respond. It seems to me that the things CC does cover, it covers them very rigorously, which can be a strength, obviously. But it seems to leave little time in the rest of one's schedule for adding other key subjects or supplementing with other curricula at home, starting in the Challenge A level. A friend with a 7th grader in Ch. A expresses this to me regularly. Maybe that's just him, though. :) Also, I wonder, for those students like the ones in your DD's class who choose not to use Saxon math, do they perhaps feel left out or not part of the group because they use a different math program? If we were to join CC, a large part of our reason for joining would be for the social/community/peer motivation aspect, and I would be afraid that choosing to abstain from certain parts (like Saxon math) would make DS feel like the oddball, which would defeat the purpose of joining, for us. Do you think that is a big deal for those who choose to substitute certain pieces, like, for instance, their math program? Just wondering. ETA: OP, sorry for hijacking your thread! Hope this helps you as well!

As a potential CC user, I've found it fairly difficult to get straight answers about what exactly CC does cover and how the Challenge programs function, even after attending a seminar, personally speaking with two different directors, and studying the website and the latest 2013 catalog. Forgive me, but I've heard vague lingo and CC-specific terms (that mean little to an outsider) thrown around, but it all seems rather secretive and frustrating for those wanting to investigate further. But the PP's point seems valid about the science topics covered. CC apparently doesn't teach "science"; rather CC teaches research skills and applies them to science topics. Is that correct or am I misunderstanding? For a potential STEM student interested in the "whys" of math concepts and in-depth conventional science, I'm not sure CC would be a good fit. Your thoughts?

If you'd like to implement the CC Foundations memory work at home and you use an iPad in your homeschool, there are iPad apps for Cycle 1 and Cycle 3. The app for Cycle 2 isn't out, but I expect maybe it is in the works.

Here FS is Figuratively Speaking.

I totally agree with your suggestion - it's pretty much exactly what we've done here - but you meant K12, not ck-12, right? Just wanted to avoid confusing anyone who may be reading. :)

Are you thinking of Liberty's Kids? It covers early American history. There's also the America: The Story of Us documentary series for a decent overview of early American to current. Also Drive Thru History has done some American history topics (in addition to their world history ones). My DS10 enjoyed and learned quite a bit from all of these videos. ETA: OP, I noticed you asked for secular resources. Just wanted to mention Drive Thru History has a Christian perspective but it isn't overwhelmingly so. As secular homeschoolers we still enjoyed those and I don't recall anything offensive towards other beliefs.

I haven't used that one, but the TOPS website lists it as appropriate for grades 3 to 8. You can see recommended grade levels for each book here.

The ones we've liked best: Corn & Beans, Rocks & Minerals (definitely buy the kit), Electricity, Cohesion & Adhesion, Analysis. I went to the trouble of looking up the required materials from different suppliers before buying the kits TOPS offers. The TOPS supply kits are worth the price, IMO.

Yes, it's a Christian perspective. Here's a link with more info if you're interested. We school secularly and we enjoyed it. Don't recall anything offensive towards other religions or beliefs. I view it as cultural/social awareness woven in with history. The host is engaging and likable, has moments of slightly goofy humor - my DS really likes him. All the videos provide a good overview of each topic, not terribly deep.

Here are some video ideas to get you started. We've watched all of these via Netflix or Amazon and my 10 year old liked all of them. Some might call them edu-tainment, rather than purely educational, but we found them worthwhile and DS learns well from video/visual sources. Liberty's Kids America: The Story of Us Mankind: The Story of All of Us The Men Who Built America Drive-Thru History

Bumping for you. I haven't heard good things about GWG for true understanding of concepts (too easy to deduce the correct answer without really understanding, due to the decipherable pattern of correct answers) nor for long-term retention. Our brief usage of GWG made me see why. There are other threads here where that problem is highlighted. So be forewarned and watch for that if you decide to use GWG. We use Hake Grammar which is mentioned frequently here as a thorough and secular alternative to R&S. Hake is extremely spiral, which is part of what I like about it, and it's easy to skip or alternate if you don't need that much review. But if you don't like spiral, you won't like Hake. Hake is streamlined since the grammar lessons are all in one textbook. (There are a few lessons' worth of "extra practice" pages for grammar in the student workbook, but there's so much review in the textbook, we've never needed them.) I let my DS write in the textbook like a workbook. We don't use the writing portion of Hake and since that is limited to a separate workbook it is so easy to just set aside the writing exercises. It is written to the student. It includes diagramming too. My DS does Hake almost entirely independently (his preference - in logic stage and puberty fog hasn't hit yet) and he'll be using it again next year. I might recommend using only Hake 5 or 6 and then skipping to Hake 8, spreading each level over more than one year. (Level 5 and 6, & then level 7 and 8 repeat many of the same concepts.) Coming out of R&S 5, I'd think Hake 6 would be a good fit, then skip to 8.

Thank you! That's good to know.

Sorry, DP.

You might also want to check out the lit guides by Garlic Press. I've bought 2 for next year based on recommendations here on the board, especially Lori D. (I think), whose advice I always love hearing. As to your question, IMHO, reading a book for analysis purposes, after you've read it previously for enjoyment, seems like a good intro to lit analysis, at least for my DS. Perhaps being familiar with the story already will help focus more on the analysis.

We use Google Drive instead of Dropbox as well, for transfer and storage/backup. Love the autobackup feature. For non-PDF things that I used to print in hardcopy and now want to convert to PDF instead, I use a free tool called PrimoPDF (creates a PDF file out of the document for you), then use Google Drive to transfer the PDF to the iPad. It might sound complicated, but if I can do it anyone can. I learned about both here on the boards. :coolgleamA:

Me too! LOL. I figured I couldn't go wrong for a buck, but it looks like something I would be willing to pay much more for now that I've read it. I see that it's now 10 bucks on Prufrock since the sale is over, but still a great buy! My knowledge in this area is weak and I needed a guide like this.

Thank you for this!

Here's another suggestion for art: Smart Art. From the back cover: "It's easy and fun to be smart about art. Students will analyze art masterpieces, develop art vocabulary, classify and critique art, enhance thinking skills." The book is in black and white but it is easy to google the same images to view in color if desired. I heard about it here on the boards. Sounds like it might exactly fit what you're looking for.

I bet a strong reader like him could read through K12's concise version of Hakim's Story of US in one year. It is meant for 5th/6th graders to use over 2 years. There are 4 books in their version of the series. Secular, good depth for that age. There are student and teacher guides that you could buy on the used market too, but maybe reading and outlining would work better for doing it at a faster pace. That's all I got, I hope you get more ideas.

The 3 volumes of K12 Human Odyssey might be doable in 2 years, especially if you leave out the American history portions to study later. Just read and outline or something like that. Have you thought about what you want the high school history sequence to look like? That would be where I'd start planning, then work backwards to fill the gaps.

AAH and History of US are being discussed in this current thread, if you want to keep an eye on it.