Has anyone seen or heard anything about these? Royal Fireworks Press (who sells MCT products) also sells these science manuals. They come with an accompanying CD. They look interesting but I haven't been able to find any reviews or other information about them. http://rfwp.com/series88.htm Anyone??

I will like _____ for Ancient History and the Middle Ages. I'm trying to find something to supplement SOTW for my soon-to-be 5th grader for our 2nd history go round. The History of the Ancient World series by Oxford University Press is one option. Any other recommendations?

Stupid question but what do yo hit to become a "fan"? I'm obviously Facebook-challenged!

I think you have to look at the end product when comparing homeschoolers vs. public school. Comparing a homeschooled 3rd grader to a ps 3rd grader doesn't mean much. At the end of a student's education however, has the public school (or homeschool) produced students who are well read, well spoken and can think logically? Are they ready for college-level work or to contribute immediately to the work force? Can they compete on an international level with regards to math, science, industry? I don't know many who would argue against the conclusion that American public schools overall, have fallen far behind in this regard.

:bigear: CPO stand for???

Seriously! If a book wins a Newberry Award, I usually just skip it. The Tales of Desperaux was a horrible book.

pistacchio...did I spell that right? But it has to be green!:D

Well said. Would anyone be questioning his decision to forfeit if he did it to observe the sabbath? Probably not... Sorry Elizabeth...I didn't see your post!

:iagree: That's my focus for my kindergartner this year. I try to have him sit in on our history & science readings but I don't force it. It's still amazing what he picks up just by sitting in...

I have been very satisfied with MUS and plan to use it throughout the elementary grades. Supplementing with MEP might be difficult given that their scope & sequence are very different (mastery vs. spiral). Sue in St. Pete has given some very detailed reviews on MUS on this board so I would recommend doing a search for those as well.

I'm trying to find a good unit study that covers WW2. We're finishing up the Time Travelers study on the Industrial Revolution through the Great Depression but their next unit isn't finished yet. Anyone know or use any good/fun resources for WW2 that aren't part of a bigger curriculum and aren't too expensive? I do have the Horrible History book for WW 2 so I might incorporate that...

Do you think it would matter if I found an older edition? I found 2004 editions on Alibris.com for 99 cents. It would be worth it to pick up one at that price even if I don't end up using it. My son may surprise me but I don't think he'd be ready to jump into Algebra right away. More to research...:D

Thanks for all the replies! It definitely gives me some options to look at. I've been very happy with MUS for the elementary years so I'm a little nervous about having to find something new. I have the LoF books but as much as I love them, they're just not a good fit for him. He definitely needs more "hand holding" and review which is why the MUS has worked well for him. Sue...if you had to do it all over again what would you have used for Pre-Algebra and Algebra?

I'm planning a little ahead but my son with finish MUS's elementary math series at the end of 5th grade. I'm trying to figure out his future math rotation and I'd like to look at some different curriculum (curricula?) during upcoming expos. I guess my question is should I jump him into pre-algebra in 6th grade or is that too early? He's good at math but not gifted by an means. Does this rotation look correct? I didn't take Geometry until 10th grade so this looks odd to me. 6th: Pre-algebra 7th: Algebra 1 8th: Geometry 9th: Algebra 2 10th-12th: ?? Trig, Pre-Calc, Calc 1 Finally, any recommendations for programs that use DVD's?

What's for lunch: freezer fest: chicken nuggets, pigs in a blanket. What's driving me nuts? My oldest still looks like a deer caught in a headlight when I ask him to write me a 4-5 sentence narrative summary? Really, will he ever get it? Hopefully his reading tutor will have more luck with him!

Praying for your mom and your family :grouphug:

MUS has always worked well for my boys so I'm hesitant to change. He is moving quickly through Gamma but will begin multiple digit multiplication next week so I suspect he will slow down some. I supplement with TT 4 because it takes little or no prep from me (being computer-based) but I'm disappointed it's not more challenging. I haven't really looked at Singapore because it's spiral whereas MUS is mastery. I wonder if anyone has successfully blended both? I'm also wondering if I could use Grammar Island with both my boys. My oldest is definitely an auditory learner and really dislikes all the diagramming in FLL 4. He's almost finished with it though so I'd have to switch him to something else anyway. Off to do more research about possibly switching to the dark side...MCT :D

Can you tell me a little more about MCT? I've looked at the website but I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around exactly how it works. I've seen lengthy discussions on the Elementary Board but haven't followed them too closely. Would he just jump into Grammar Island? Would you recommend the Sentence books along with it?

My middle son is obviously bored with school right now. He's very different from my first son, who while bright, isn't an accelerated learner so this is new territory for me. My 2nd grader is a strong reader and normally scores 100% on his math & spelling tests. When he does make mistakes in math, for example, it's usually sloppy mistakes, not conceptual issues. I can see he's not being challenged enough and I'd like to make a couple of changes now but I don't want to overwhelm him being that's he's only 7. I've stepped it up a little in math & spelling but I'm struggling with what to do with grammar and writing. He's 1/2 through Growing with Grammar's Grade 2 but it's really not challenging him at all. Just today his lesson was to underline the pronouns in a sentence. I had planned on switching to FLL3 next year but I'm wondering if I should do it now. It's the same with WWE 2. He has no trouble with the narration/dictation so I'm wondering if I should just move him into WWE 3 now?? I guess my question is how to keep a balance of challenging him without expecting too much for his age. :confused: Any ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Me too! I much prefer to listen to lectures/books on tape when I exercise. SWB's are at the top of my list.

Thanks to you all! LG- We must be close to each other because I've heard about Julian Charter before. I'm curious why you didn't like it. I, personally don't use a charter but get asked quite often about them and it's always good to hear actual feedback. I think it started a couple of years ago, right?

My friend just pulled her daughter out of PS to homeschool. She thought she had to immediately sign up with a charter or ISP run by her school district. She would prefer to homeschool on her own which I told her she could do. I file my own affidavit every year but the filing period has passed. I can't find anything on what, if any, requirements there are when you pull them out mid-year. She was a former school teacher so she might still have an active credential which would give her the tutor/teacher exception to filing the affidavit. I could call HSLDA for her but I thought I'd ask here first. Any ideas/experiences?

The boys and I just finished listening to The Phantom Tollbooth read by David Hyde Pierce and it was awesome! Honestly, my oldest would never had read this on his own and they all probably would have been bored listening to me read it aloud but they loved the audiobook. Probably one of the best readings I've heard! Anyone else have any all-time favorites??

Francine Rivers' "Mark of the Lion" trilogy was great historical fiction. I haven't read any of her other work though. One of my all-time favorites is The Hawk and the Dove by Penepole Wilcock.

The Pillars of the Earth I wanted to like it but couldn't get past 1st 100 pages.