We used Jacobs Algebra here with no problems. It is laid out with several sets of problems. Generally we did sets 1,2 and 4, without much need to do problems in set 3: Set 1 = review of past concepts Set 2 = gentle, gradually increased in difficulty in problems using the concept explained in that lesson Set 3 = same as Set 2, if you need more practice Set 4 = a "challenge" problem Since the problems in set 2 moved very gently/incrementally, not having a solutions manual never was a problem here. re: recommending a pre-algebra program Don't know what to tell you there. We did Singapore up through 6A/B, and the first half of Singapore's NEM1 before doing Jacobs, and that seemed to work great as prep for Jacobs Algebra. That was with older math-minded son. Younger math struggler son connects with Math-U-See, which he's been using since 5th grade. This year (8th gr.) he's using MUS Pre-Algebra supplemented with Keys To ... workbooks and Singapore 6A/6B. Next year he'll do MUS Algebra, and we'll supplement with Jacobs. I guess I'd say, if your child connects with whatever you're using right now, and the program goes up through pre-algebra, algebra, etc. -- stick with that. Understanding the approach of a math program is esp. helpful as you move into the higher, more abstract math programs. BEST of luck finding what fits best for your family! Warmest regards, Lori D.

"Figuratively Speaking: Using Classic Literature to Teach 40 Literary Terms" by Delanna Heidrich published by The Learning Works $16 ($12.25 at Rainbow Resource) paperback; 136 pages (exercise answers included in the back pages) Figuratively Speaking is a good resource to use in the middle school years to become exposed to 40 literary elements/terms. Each literary element is covered in 3 pages: - definition of the literary element - examples of how its used in well-known literature - a page of exercises for practicing seeing/using the literary element - ideas for further exercises or writing assignments using that literary element We have used Figuratively Speaking by doing about 2 literary elements a week (each takes maybe 10 minutes). As mentioned by others in this thread, Learning Language Arts Through Litertaure is also a great way to learn/practice literary analysis. (See sample pages at: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?Ntk=keywords&Ntt=learning+language+arts+through+literature&action=Search&N=0&Ne=0&event=ESRCN&nav_search=1&cms=1&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go Also, for 7th and for 8th grades, you might be interested in Lightning Literature & Composition. (See samples at: hewitthomeschooling.com/book/blight.asp) BEST of luck in finding what fits well for both of you! Warmest regards, Lori D.

1. God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah (Living History Library) - Joanne Williamson 2. Hittite Warrior (Living History Library) - Joanne Williamson 3. Victory on the Walls: A Story of Nehemiah (Living History Library) - Frieda C. Hyman We've read these 3 from your list. I have 8th/9th grade boys and they liked #1 and #2. Number 3 did not have very well drawn characters, and seemed fairly predictable (though it was certainly not poorly written). Just my opinion: you could get either God King OR Hittite Warrior and you'd be good on ancient Israel historical ficiton. Warm regards, Lori D.

A good book for the middle school years to learn about various literary elements (and then we can point them out as we see them in various literature we read) is "Figuratively Speaking: Using Classic Literature to Teach 40 Literary Terms" by Delanna Heidrich, published by The Learning Works. Rainbow Resource Catalog sells it for $12.25; it is $16 elsewhere. Paperback; 136 pages, with answers included. We do about 2 literary elements a week (each takes maybe 10 minutes). Each literary element is covered in 3 pages: definition of the literary element; examples of how its used in well-known literature; some exercises for practicing seeing/using the literary element (with answers in the back of the book); 1-3 ideas for further exercises or writing assignments using that literary element. Just wanted to let you know that Tolkien, the author of Lord of the Rings, was a Christian, and his Christian worldview is subtly but *beautifully* woven all through the trilogy. Also, the authors of Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings (LLfLotR) are also Christians, and have placed optional, extra questions throughout the study pointing you to Scripture, or to Christian morals/interpretations. It will certainly be more subtle than Omnibus, though. If you can *at all* work LLftLofR into your schedule, I *highly* recommend you do so. We are doing it this year with our 8th and 9th grade boys ALONG with 4-6 ancient classics, PLUS a variety of solo reading that either goes with ancient history or that are classic works that 8th/9th graders should read. The discussions we are having as a result of LLfLotR keep carrying over into our discussions on the ancient epics -- wonderful way to begin literary analysis and see how it applies to all types of literature! We're doing LLftLotR aloud together, skimming the vocabulary and comprehension questions, and spending most of our time on the "meat" of the program -- the additional notes for each chapter (in which literary terms, themes, and other topics are discussed), and the discussion questions, and the additional units (which include abridged analysis of Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and some poetry). The readings take us about 2 hours a week (we do it in the evenings together as family time), and doing the study guide takes about 2 hours a week. See sample pages of LLftLotR at Home Scholar Books: http://www.homescholar.org/samples.htm One other thought is the Lightning Literature and Composition for 8th grade -- a full year of reading complete classic works (realistic novels, fantasy novel, biography, short stories, and poetry) and exposure to specific literary elements, plus beginning literary analysis (especially by the end of the program). Knowing what a full schedule Omnibus gives you, you could very likely do both LL8 and LLftLotR in 8th grade (along with Figuratively Speaking), and move onto Omnibus in 9th and have a VERY solid foundation in understanding what to look for in literature and how to write about literature. See sample unit at Hewitt Homeschooling: http://www.hewitthomeschooling.com/book/blight.asp Sigh... So many good programs out there, and so little time! BEST of luck in deciding! Warmest regards, Lori D.

I really don't know much about how Lulu works at all. I'd suggest starting with the information on their website about publishing/buying/selling etc.:http://www.lulu.com/ I found out about the book I listed above because I was at a homeschool convention at which the author spoke, and she directed us to Lulu when she sold out of copies of her book. Also, those homeschoolers with websites could market/advertise through their websites. Other than that... not sure how'd you go about it. Perhaps send free copies to a couple of well-known homeschoolers who have websites and get them to review/promote your book?? BEST of luck to your friend! Warmly, Lori D.

Here's how we used EFTRU as a sort-of game: Each page of the book is laid out so that the top half has the root, and the bottom half has first a list of words using that root with their definitions, and then text that goes into more detail about that root. 1. We cover the page we'd marked as being the next page we were scheduled to do, then reveal just enough to see the root. Based on seeing just the root, we try to guess what it means by trying to look at the root and guess what words it is a part of. (ex.: "porta" -- we guessed it meant "to carry" because we came up with "portable", "transport", and "important" as words that *looked* like they could come from that root. 2. Then we reveal the root and read about it. (In above ex.: surprise! we were wrong! "porta" means door, gate, entry, and words that use it are: port, portal, portcullis, etc. -- however the NEXT page had the word "porto" -- and yes, *that's* the word that means "to carry", and all our guesses were right for that one.) 3. We make an index card for the root, jotting down the words/definitions that are listed in the book, then we use the dictionary and see if any words we came up with that aren't in the book also use that root. We also look in the dictionary for any other words with that root. That's how we found the word "decimate" comes from the root "decem" (tenth) -- the ancient Romans would conquer an area, and if the area rebelled, the Romans lined up all the men in that area, took every tenth one and killed him -- they would "decimate" (reduce by a tenth) the population to quell rebellion. From there, the word has come to mean "a drastic reduction". Cool, huh?! You can use any root words book and keep adding on to your index file this way. Every so often, review the words -- you can make this a game too: "Hangman" style of game -- show the root word on the front of the card; child guesses meaning of the word; you draw a "gallows" and then each turn thereafter, a body part to "hang" a stick figure for each wrong guess -- I allow them after a wrong guess to ask a yes/no question ("is it a verb?"; "does it have to do with animals (or numbers, or....)"; "does the word .... use this root?") to narrow down what the word could mean, and the turn passes to the next child. They try to guess the word before the stick figure is completed and "hung". Enjoy! Warmly, Lori D.

Love this resource for showing you how to count credits, make transcripts, create a course and how to count it towards high school/college credit, etc.: Vicki Bently's "High School 101: Blueprint for Success" http://www.lulu.com/content/346549

Brings back so many great memories of wonderful books, programs, and fun extras! Non-curriculum items: - white board and colored markers - a globe and laminated maps (they love to mark/erase/mark these) - "fidget" toys to occupy "busy" hands we're reading (tiny metal slinkies; magnets; pipe cleaners; tiny "etch-a-sketch"; "koosh" and squishy balls; etc.) - "fun" pages: book of mazes from Creative Child Press; Puzzlemania books; books from the "Talented and Gifted" series; etc. - using games for school: Set; Scan; Mastermind; games with money for counting change; etc. Curriculum items and curriculum "extras" Bible: - Jesse Tree Bible study (designed/made our own ornaments) - Millers series of books - A Hive of Busy Bees - Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends Reading: - Python Path game (beginning to blend sounds into words) - Reader Rabbit computer software - What Your ... Grader Should Know (we really enjoyed reading through these, a page or two a day; and doing the "adages" section as a "wheel of fortune" style game) - lots of books from Sonlight lists Writing: - Peggy Kaye's Games for Learning -- idea for encouraging writing -- take turns, roll a die and that's how many *words* you get to write in a story; pass the die and paper to the next person - Wordsmith Apprentice (both writing phobic boys here enjoyed it!) Grammar: - Schoolhouse Rock video: Grammar Rock - "Mad Libs" - "Grammar Ad Libs" Geography: - Beautiful Feet Geography Guide & the 4 Holling books - Complete Books of Geography and Maps Science: - 365 Simple Science Experiments book - Reader's Digest "How Earth Works" and "How Science Works" - "sun print" paper; magnets set; gears & pulleys; any kit with mixing, heating, exploding things! Math: - Miquon math (really! my older son esp. loved this) - manipulatives: geoboards; pattern blocks; fraction circles/bars - also booklets like "Math Discoveries with..." or cuisenaire rod books - Math Blasters computer software Logic: - Dandylion series: Logic Countdown; Blastoff with...; Orbiting with... - Think-A-Grams, Plexers, Word Winks and other visual word puzzles - Fallacy Detective, Thinking Toolbox Vocabulary: - English from the Roots Up (we've made it more like a game)

- grammar instruction: Winston Basic, then Winston Advanced (parts of speech, noun functions, sentence types, etc.) 3x a week, out loud together/on whiteboard -- 8-10 minutes per session - grammar mechanics: editing/word usage/punctation/etc. practice (various things) 3-4x a week, 3-5 minutes per session - grammar discussion: SL and home-made types of dictation worksheets 1-2x a week, 10 minutes per session All together, grammar has never taken us more than 15 a day, about 3-4 times a week. We do writing instruction/writing process/revising of writing as a separate subject -- about 20-30 minutes a day 4-5x a week. Hope that helps! Warmly, Lori D.

First, do you think it's just this one topic in the Saxon math that's stumbling your child -- or do you think that overall your child is not making the best connection with Saxon? If it's just one thing, eventually the child gets over that hurdle -- time, patience, and sometimes going to a supplemental math booklet or program for a week or two can let the problem topic "simmer" in the back of the child's mind and suddenly it's not a problem anymore when you come back to the Saxon or whatever the spine program is. Do you have a supplement you could go to for awhile? If this is yet another thing in a long list of things that has stumbled the child with the spine program, then it may be time to consider a change. If you know how your child intakes and then processes information best, you can better judge which math program will connect for your child. Cathy Duffy's book, "100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing The Right Curriculum And Approach For Your Child's Learning Style", might be of help there. FWIW, here's our experience with various math programs: Our math-minded son loved Miquon, and went on to do very well with Singapore, Jacobs Algebra, and now Jacobs Geometry. We supplemented with Saxon sometimes -- this child would have been fine with whatever math program we used, but I think he *enjoyed* the Miquon/Singapore/Jacobs more than the times we supplemented with Saxon. My math struggler is a very visual-spatial learner -- does not naturally connect with aspects of math that are either sequential or abstract (things like math facts, long division, and algebra concepts). He did "okay" with Miquon, but really bombed with Singapore (too abstract, moved too fast) and especially with Saxon (broken into too many scattered bits, too much on a page). We found Math-U-See for him in 5th grade, and it really connects with his VSL aspect: seeing the DVD lesson, and seeing how the manipulatives make the abstract concept concrete). We have supplemented the MUS with Singapore. Next year when he does MUS Algebra, we'll supplement with Jacobs Algebra. If you're thinking a visual or video/DVD component might be helpful, the following all have DVD lessons: Math-U-See, Teaching Textbooks, VideoText and Chalkdust (some of these do not have math below 6th grade, however). Math-U-See also uses manipulatives throughout the program (K-12), though in the middle school/high school years, the child doesn't so much use the manipulatives -- they are mostly used on the DVD lessons to make concrete an abstract topic. BEST of luck in finding what works best for your family! Warmly, Lori D.

... Your daughter is only 7 -- still young! Girls often develop math skills later than boys, while boys develop language arts skills later than girls. Sometimes their timetables are very individual. One of my sons has really struggled with writing and spelling. Honestly, it was not until after he was 12yo that a lightbulb clicked on in those areas. Still below grade level in both areas now at 14yo, but he is catching on and catching up. He also struggled with math, and that didn't click until about age 10. I sincerely doubt it will take that long for your daughter to "click" with math. : ) But certainly understanding her learning style will help you find a math that presents the topics in a way she is most likely to connect with. Keep it simple and gentle. Review a lot. Use a lot of manipulatives and games. If she gets stuck on a particular math topic in your "spine" math program, set it aside and go with something else for a day, a week or a few weeks (like geoboards or pattern blocks and a matching "Math Discoveries with..." booklet or other little booklet). If she really hits a mental block, set math aside for the morning and try again after lunch -- or the next day. Little by little, with patience and gentle perseverence, the 2 of you *will* make it! Blessings and warmest regards, Lori D.

We read the books aloud together, which helped *a lot*! While a lot of middle schoolers are strong readers and would have no problems, my son would not have had the patience for "Story of My Life" (flowery, Victorian language and sentence structure), and would have lost a LOT of the humor of Tom Sawyer (written with the vernacular accent). The other benefit was that we could hit vocabulary in context (give definition in the moment, as it was used), and could discuss AS we read. As a result, we didn't need the comprehension or discussion questions. Doing the readings (and reading the teaching text page aloud together) was something we REALLY enjoyed and looked forward to! We read about 30 minutes a day, 4x a week, "popcorn" style ("you read a page, I read a page"). Sneaky way to work in some nice together time with those young teen boys! ; ) Hope LL will be enjoyable to your family, too! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Teacher time: virtually none. About once every 2-3 weeks we take 5 minutes to look over the next word list/unit to discuss what the new pattern is and why it works/how it is used. About once a week there is an exercise that requires the teacher to dictate a word or syllable list to the student. (takes maybe 5 minutes) And then you grade the workpages -- maybe 1 minute per page to grade it/check it over. It takes my struggling speller only 5-10 minutes to do a page a day out of Megawords, and it has been a GREAT solo spelling supplement! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Sounds like you're doing an amazing amount of math work with a 3rd grader!! To reproduce that, you will most likely need to pick a "spine" math, and then add in either a second full-fledged math program, or other interesting math booklets. There are loads of these available through Rainbow Resource Catalog (http://www.rainbowresource.com). Here are a few ideas for math supplements: - Miquon (the last 2 workbooks of the series: Yellow and Purple) (gr. 3-4) - Math Discoveries with... series (books using various manipulatives on specific math topics) (gr. 1-4) - Calculus for and by Young People (gr. 1-6) - Family Math (gr. 3-6) - TOPS task card activity unit (Lentil Science = gr. 3-6; Metric Measuring = gr. 4-9; Measuring Length = gr. 6-12; Math Lab = gr. 7-12; Probability = gr. 7-12 BEST of luck! And congrats on finding and using such a challenging math program! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Our struggling speller has improved tremendously by using Megawords as supplement to the individualized spelling I have for him. Other things that really have helped: Practice words down on a whiteboard (2x a week) - break words down by syllable - show roots and changes/non-changes by adding endings or prefixes - show vowel patterns in one color marker, rest of the word in another - draw little pictures to tell the difference between homophones (ex.: "meat" and "meet" -- it takes 2 people to "meet" and there are 2 "e"s in meet; draw the "a" in "meat" to look like a heart and say "I LOVE to eat meat -- also, see the word "eat" is IN the word "meat") Practice the words orally (4-5x a week) - Hearing the letters out loud in order, and then repeating them back to you helps cement the proper sequence for spelling in the child's mind. We use a beanie toy to encourage focus: I say the word, then say it as syllables, then spell it, then toss the beanie to child. He says the word, then spells it and if correct tosses the beanie back to me. IMMEDIATELY correct any misspelling by correctly spelling to the child 3 times, and have them read it off letter by letter from the white board to cement CORRECT spelling. BEST of luck! It took until about age 12 until my struggling speller's brain matured enough for spelling to even start to click! Now at 14, while he's still behind, he is doing MUCH better -- much of that thanks to Megawords, which has showed him both vowel patterns and syllablication rules so he has a better idea of how to attack spelling. Warmest regards, Lori D. PS -- and Megawords has GREAT word lists, so it really helps with vocabulary as well!

- Enjoyable intro to both classic literature and works not previously known to us. - Exposure to a variety of types of works (realistic novel, fantasy novel, biography, poetry, short story). - Gentle and written to the student (though we did it together aloud and REALLY enjoyed it!). - Workpages help student practice/re-inforce the literary elements discussed, and really "hold your hand" as you begin some basic literary analysis. We did both LL7 and LL8 last year with our 7th grade and an 8th grade boys. The 7th grader will do LL8 next year in 9th grade, as we took a detour this year for the 2 of them to do the Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings study. The Student Book has 2 parts: 1. Student Guide; each of the 8 units has: - a page intro about each author, and tips on what to look for as you read. - vocabulary list with definitions to make reading the book easier. - comprehension questions to help student focus on key details. - 6-10 teaching text pages (written to the student) about a literary element and examples of how that literary element is used in the work being read to go with that unit. - a 2-3 page "mini-writing lesson" with information/tips on various aspects of writing (examples: how to cite sources; how to take notes; etc.) - choice from 4-8 longer writing assignment ideas for finishing up each unit 2. Workpages - 8-10 worksheets per unit to help student practice the literary element, occasional grammar aspect (punctuation, capitalization, etc.), or beginning analysis of an excerpt from literature. - Sometimes a short story or a segment of a longer work is reproduced for the student to read/analyze. To see an entire sample unit, go to Hewitt Homeschooling at: http://www.hewitthomeschooling.com/book/blight.asp -- scroll down the page and click on the link within the text to see samples of LL7 or LL8. Below is the list of what LL7 or LL8 covers. Hope that helps! Warmest regards, Lori D. LL7 1 = "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" (short story) literary lesson: plot line mini writing lesson: openings 2. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (novel) literary lesson: plot line in a novel mini writing lesson: outlines 3. poetry unit -- 7 poems literary lesson: rhyme mini writing lesson: limerick and haiku 4. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (fantasy work) literary lesson: creativitiy mini writing lesson: nonce words 5. "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" (short story) literary lesson: saying it with style 6. The Story of My Life (autobiography) literary lesson: autobiography mini writing lesson: brainstorming 7. poetry unit -- 6 poems literary lesson: sound mini writing lesson: cinquain and the list poem 8. All Creatures Great and Small (novel) literary lesson: character sketch mini writing lesson: choosing a topic LL8 1 = "A Crazy Tale" (short story) literary lesson: author's purpose mini writing lesson: taking notes 2. Treasure Island (novel) literary lesson: setting mini writing lesson: rewriting in your own words 3. poetry unit -- 6 poems literary lesson: vivid imagery mini writing lesson: free verse and ballad 4. A Day of Pleasure (autobiographical sketches) literary lesson: sharing your culture mini writing lesson: rewriting your own words 5. "Wakefield" (short story) literary lesson: details in writing mini writing lesson: citing sources 6. A Christmas Carol (novella) literary lesson: character development mini writing lesson: the narrator 7. poetry unit -- 8 poems literary lesson: figurative language mini writing lesson: fun poems 8 The Hobbit (fantasy work) literary lesson: conflict mini writing lesson: genre fiction 9. "Reflections" (short story) literary lesson: symbolism mini writing lesson: sentence structure 10. My Family and Other Animals (novel) literary lesson: humor mini writing lesson: bibliography 11. poetry unit -- 8 poems literary lesson: meter mini writing lesson: the sonnet 12. To Kill a Mockingbird (novel) literary lesson: writing a literary analysis mini writing lesson: writing a conclusion

... TOPS Rocks & Minerals unit, and other books, videos, websites, etc. Definitely added in some materials to balance the strong evolutionary based views of the Reader's Digest, but other than that, we found it to be a fun year -- we did a lot of the experiments in the book, and used the 2-page spreads as launching off spots to go deeper into some of the Earth Science topics covered in the book. The book is listed for grades 5-8. BEST of luck finding what works for your family! Warmest regards, Lori D.

.. we've used MUS in the upper elementary/middle school years: 5th grade = MUS old Intermediate (did almost all of it) 6th grade = MUS new levels: Delta/Epsilon/Zeta - MUS Delta (9 weeks; reviewed it all, about 3 lessons a week) - MUS Epsilon (18 weeks; reviewed it all, about 2 lessons a week) - MUS Zeta (9 weeks; did the first 10 lessons, about 1 lesson a week) 7th grade = MUS Zeta AND Singapore 4A/B and 5A/B - MUS Zeta (26 weeks; did first 10 lessons @ 2 lessons a week, last 20 lessons @ 1 lesson a week) - Singapore 4A/B and 5A/B (reviewed teacher books aloud; he did selected problems from teacher book practice pages) 8th grade = MUS Pre-Algebra AND Keys to... workbooks AND Singapore 6A/B - MUS Pre-Algebra (will finish in 26-28 weeks) - Keys To... workbooks (a page a day throughout the year) - Singapore 6A/B (to finish out the last weeks of this school year) Looking ahead, he will do MUS Algebra next year in 9th grade (using Jacobs Algebra as supplement). That puts him right on target, as most students do Algebra in 8th or 9th grade. And doing MUS and slowing down a little has given him the opportunity for the abstract reasoning portion of his brain (needed for Algebra) to mature, so overall, I think Algebra will be a lot easier for him than if we'd try to push and make it happen sooner. If he really struggles, we'll slow it down and he can do Algebra over 9th and 10th grades -- and still have time to finish Geometry and Algebra 2 by the time he graduates! : ) BEST of luck in scheduling your math! Warmest regards, Lori D.

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We find a lot of great science videos either at the library or through Netflix. Some of these you'll have to buy, however. - Magic School Bus series (gr. 1-5) - Eyewitness series (gr. 2-5) - Bill Nye the Science Guy (gr. 3-6) - National Geographic: Amazing Planet (gr. 3-6) - David MacCauley's series: "Pyramid"; "Roman City"; "Cathedral" (gr. 3-6) -- interesting blend of both science and history! - David MacCauley's Building Big series (gr. 4-8) - Popular Mechanics for Kids series (gr. 4-8) - from Sonlight Curriculum: "Discover and Do" -- experiments from Usborne science books done in front of you (gr. K-4) - NOVA -- PBS science topic program (gr. 5+) Schlessinger Media has a huge (and priced for the classroom) series of great science videos. See more about them at http://www.libraryvideo.com: gr. K-4 - "Animal Life for Children" series - "Earth Science for Children" series - "Ecosystems for Children" series - "Energy for Children" series - "Health for Children" series - "Human Body for Children" series - "Physical Science for Children" series - "Weather for Children" series gr. 3-6 - "The Way Things Work" series gr. 1-6 - "Bug City series gr. 4-8 - "Water" series - "Inventors of the World" series gr. 5-8 - "Weather Fundamentals" series - "Animal Life in Action" series -- these involve seeing labs/experiments - "Biomes of the World" series -- these involve seeing labs/experiments - "Earth Science in Action" series -- these involve seeing labs/experiments - "Energy in Action" series -- these involve seeing labs/experiments - "Human Body in Action" series -- these involve seeing labs/experiments - "Physical Science in Action" series -- these involve seeing labs/experiments - "Plant Life in Action" series -- these involve seeing labs/experiments - "Science as Inquiry in Action" series -- these involve seeing labs/experiments - "Simple Organisms in Action" series -- these involve seeing labs/experiments - "Space Science in Action" series -- these involve seeing labs/experiments gr. 9-12 - "Science Lab Investigations" series -- these involve seeing labs/experiments - "The Nobel Prize: Science" series - "The Periodic Table" series - "Cosmic Odyssey" series

... Our Visual-Spatial Learner son struggled with math all through gr. 1-4, using a different math program each year. - standard workbooks/timed math fact drills completely shut him down. - Miquon was not bad, but it only goes up through about 3rd grade. - Singapore moved too fast and was too abstract. - Saxon was too spiral and had too much on a page. Finally, in 5th grade we tried MUS old Intermediate -- WOW! No problems since, and he's halfway through 8th grade now! Isn't it a blessing to finally find what connects for a child who has struggled?! Best wishes that continues for your family! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Me = Lori, one of the "old ladies" here at 46. (: 0 Married = 21 years (yikes!) to college sweetie (a poet/philosopher/firefighter) Offspring = 2 boys, 15yo, and just-turned-14yo Homeschooling = our 8th year! (our first high school year this year!) From both a literature and filmmaking background (and still love both); I love to work with my hands (esp. "digging" in the dirt, aka, gardening -- but all kinds of handcrafts with tangible results -- crochet, jewelrymaking, etc.); and I enjoy hiking and doing family activities; but I especially love to learn all kinds of new things! PS -- Forgot to add this to my introduction on the K-8 curriculum board: WILDLY addicted to dark chocolate!! : )

Me = Lori, one of the "old ladies" here at 46. (: 0 Married = 21 years (yikes!) to college sweetie (a poet/philosopher/firefighter) Offspring = 2 boys, 15yo, and just-turned-14yo Homeschooling = our 8th year! (our first high school year this year!) From both a literature and filmmaking background (and still love both); I love to work with my hands (esp. "digging" in the dirt, aka, gardening -- but all kinds of handcrafts with tangible results -- crochet, jewelrymaking, etc.); and I enjoy hiking and doing family activities; but I especially love to learn all kinds of new things!

... We've just done root studies, using English from the Roots Up (books 1 and 2), 2x a week, and make it more of a game: we look at the root and try to guess what it means/what words the root is a part of. Then we read about the root, and then we look up in the dictionary any words we came up with that weren't a part of the list to see if they really do come from that root. That's how we found our most fascinating word so far: "Decimate", which comes from the Latin root "decem" meaning "tenth". The ancient Romans would come into an area and conquer it. If the locals rebelled, they would line up all the men in the area, take every tenth man, and kill him -- they would "decimate" (cut by a tenth) the population. December also comes from the same root, meaning the tenth month (in the old Roman calendar December was the 10th, not 12th, month of the year). Our older son apparently has been enjoying the root words so much, and is seeing so many of the roots show up first in his vocabulary words and now this year in his Biology vocabulary lists, that last week he surprised me by saying he *wants* to take Latin if it can count for his 2 years of a high school foreign language! If you go with a root words program, enjoy! Warmest regards, Lori D.

... which covers gr. 4,5,6 material. We started it with a 5th grade math struggler. We then went on with the new MUS levels -- but since he was still a little shaky in math, we backed up in the new MUS levels to give him more practice/confidence. Our MUS schedule looked like this: 5th gr. = MUS, all of old "Intermediate" 6th gr. = MUS, all of Delta (9 weeks); all of Epsilon (18 weeks); 1/3rd of Zeta (9 weeks) 7th gr. = MUS, backed up and did all of Zeta; supplemented with Singapore 8th gr. = MUS, doing all of Pre-Algebra; supplementing with Singapore and Keys To... series 9th gr. = he will do MUS Algebra, supplemented with Jacobs Algebra Perhaps consider starting with MUS old Intermediate as review for the first 9 weeks, and then go deeper into decimals and percents (the usual topics for grade 6 math) with Zeta?? Best of luck in placing you child! Warmly, Lori D.