When my daughter was four, she did one 45 minute class a week. At age five she went up to two 45 minute classes, on different nights. Then she made the competition team and has even dancing four nights a week ever since. Some nights only 45 minutes, some nights three hours. Plus other random workshops and master classes or practices throughout the year. We live at the studio ? But she loves it! She has missed out on some activities she wanted to do, because of dance. But I always make her aware of the conflict and she continues to choose dance. So she must not be too upset about the things she misses out on!

I’ve had decent luck with buns when I start with dirty hair. If my daughter’s hair is clean, it’s like silk and won’t stay in anything! If I can’t start with dry hair, I spray hairspray or texturizing spray on her hair before I put it into a bun.

I love reading what everyone's dancer is doing! My daughter is a competitive dancer....she competes in jazz, hip hop, and tap. She has her first ever solo this year (a tap solo), so it's been quite a year already! Two comps down, three to go!

I'll be the odd one here and say I love the Teacher's manual. It has extra worksheets for every chapter, and several worksheets for each review chapter. Those have really helped around here with retention and review. My kids love the DVD, more so than any other component of the program. I also use it later than most....we're in SSL 2, and my kids are going into 3rd and 5th.

I looked at BFSU years ago, and it wasn't my style. I may give it another peek, but I prefer something that doesn't have as much prep work. I've looked at Singapore. It just seems so light, to me. I know any general science curric is going to be light, but it just seems lighter than other things I've seen. I really like the look of Thunderbolt. But as I look around it has a ton of references to South African animals and whatnot. Obviously, since it's a S. African publication. I just wonder if that would present any confusion or gaps in knowledge of our part of the world.

I'm looking for something that will cover all branches of science each year. RS4K Building Blocks looks good, but I know there has to be more out there. The public school curricula that have started offering homeschool options are crazy expensive. I don't want anything that is exclusively online. I'd PREFER to not have any online component, actually. And I'd prefer an all-in-one, instead of piecing together various stand alone units. Does this exist?

Anyone? I stumbled upon the Visits To...series by SCM last night and also like the looks of that. I'm not sure if that alone would be enough, though....The focus is more geography, although taught through living books. Has anyone used them?

My son is the history buff of the family. SOTW has been his favorite subject since day one. He's currently in the middle of book three. My daughter kind of likes history.....but not really. She's an advanced second grader, and has zero interest in tagging along with SOTW. I've been using Elemental History's Adventures in America with her....and she's not crazy about it either. She grabbed a public school science workbook off a free table at a local book sale, and she LOVES it. She does it on her own time. She's always loved workbooks, and likes to take her schoolwork and get it done on her own. So I'm wondering if a more old fashioned social studies approach might be better for her, until she's more interested in the classical approach to history. I stumbled upon Harcourt Horizons Social Studies and it looks like it would be right up her alley. Has anyone used that curriculum?

I'm in the Savannah area. I have a friend who frequently drives from DC to Florida. She always stops in Pooler GA for the night. Lots of nice hotels and restaurants right at the exit. You'll want the Pooler Parkway/airport exit.

I'm looking for a writing program or supplement for my writing phobic son. He's so phobic, that I consider it a good day if I get one full original sentence from him. We've got WWE, and I alternate with WriteShop Junior, which I love. But I think he would benefit from some very explicit instruction in what a sentence is, and how to write one. Then paragraphs, and so on. I've looked at Killgallon, and was set to buy it until I saw examples from further into the book. I think it might get to be too much for him. I've also looked at TC, but it seems to be heavy on paragraphs and not so much on the more basic elements of a sentence. Any suggestions? ETA: He'll be ten this Fall, starting 4th grade.

Yes, FLL is grammar, and it also covered punctuation, but informally. WWE also covered punctuation, through copywork. On the test, he missed all problems with capitalization, and ending punctuation. He can tell you the difference between periods/?/! and when to use capital letters, but he didn't notice when they were used incorrectly in ANY of the problems. One set of answers had a correct sentence, and then that same sentence, but with a period in the middle and the next letter starting with a capital letter. He told me both those answers were the same! He's been doing Grammaropolis this summer, which is strictly parts of speech. He loves that, and it's sticking, so I don't really want another grammar, per se. I'm mostly looking for something covering capitalization, ending punctuation, sentence structure....that sort of basic stuff.

I just gave my son his end of year standardized test (required by our state). He totally bombed the punctuation section. He's had three years of FLL, WWE, and AAS. Help! Is there a resource/workbook/program/ANYTHING that focuses just on punctuation?

I'm using it a grade behind, as Summer review. It's tough!!! My son isn't one who likes challenges, so I end up working him through the starred problems (those are harder than the rest). He loves the comic book feel, though. He knows how to do everything it's covered so far, but it's presented in such a different way that it really makes him think about things. MY SON would not have been able to handle this at the beginning of third grade. But you know your child best. It's not so much the math that's challenging....but the way it's presented, and the connections the child is expected to make.

We did two years of FLL and my son retained NOTHING. I posted a thread on it and got several helpful ideas. I went with Grammaropolis. (HSBC has the best price). It's fun and engaging, and he's remembering things! He actually ASKS to do it! There are quizzes built in periodically, so I just have him re-do any he hasn't mastered until he gets perfect scores. I don't hold him back though....we move forward, and each day I choose a few of the quizzes to re-do. It works as a good review. When he's worked through all the parts of speech, I think we'll read Grammarland. And then I'll go ahead and move into FLL3. I feel like this has been the perfect "break" from formal grammar. Oh, and I also have him do Mad-Libs.

My daughter LOVES it. My son HATED it! My daughter really loves crafty stuff though, and likes to make up stories. My son hates crafts and hates to make up stories. So it really depends on your kid. Unlike others, I don't find prep to be an issue. It's maybe some cutting shapes out the night before or what have you. I usually prep things a few weeks in advance, so I'm ready when the lesson comes. That helps. And we don't do all the "publishing" projects. Only if I think they add to the lesson, or she particularly wants to do them. I find Writeshop Junior to be similar to Jot it Down, by Bravewriter.

Resurrecting this old thread to ask..... Has anyone been able to download the sessions to listen to them without an Internet connection? I was hoping to put them on my phone and listen while on a flight. But when I click the download links it just opens the session....no choice to save or download to my computer.

Thanks all! I ordered Grammar Land from Amazon (I detest e-books!!). I think I will take a break from anything formal and just read Grammar Land and play on Grammaropolis for awhile. I also like all the games suggested above!!! I'm going to check into all the curric suggested to help guide me for next year! Thanks again!

My son is finishing grade 3. We're a few lessons away from the end of FLL2 and he HATES IT. I'm doing the reviews, and he can't pick out anything except a noun and verb...and sometimes he gets flustered and can't do those! I feel like I've wasted our time plugging away through FLL. I already have FLL3, and was thinking it might be different, since it has diagramming. But I'm not sure he's going to be receptive to it. FLL has really left him with a growing disdain for grammar. Ideas? I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy Grammaropolis for a fun "break" from grammar lessons. But then I'm not sure where to go for fourth grade. I love the IDEA of FLL, and I really do trust SWB and her program. But I just don't know if it's going to work for my son. I'm also on the fence about MCT. So many mixed reviews on it...and it's SO EXPENSIVE.

It wears. me. down. Gah. For real. I have one in B (who really needs me to double time and get her to more challenging place). And one in C (who breaks down every time a new concept is introduced, and needs LOTS of time to marinate on things before moving forward. I feel like we've been in C FOREVER). I don't see any way around it, though. It's a time consuming program, but SO WORTH IT. I alternate with the kids...I try to do two subjects with one, then switch. Back and forth until we're done. Math is just one of those subjects. If there's a worksheet, I do walk away and let them do that on their own. And practice/review sheets too. Sometimes when I just can't seem to get past a learning hump, or I need a break, I do a games day. Or just give practice sheets and read some Fred. Maybe you could schedule one of these "light" math days for each child, to give you a little break three days of the week?

I am SO THERE with you. We aren't dealing with anything like the others have mentioned....but an eval certainly won't hurt!!! My son just HATES WRITING. Like you, I've gone slow and steady the past few years. And I've spent a LOT of time on handwriting and copywork. He's up to copying sentences, but anything more than that is like pulling teeth. I make sure to go over every single letter and have him rewrite any that are wonky. He hates it, but expects it now. I really feel like I need to have him progress in this area though. I just plan to gradually increase his copywork this year, and start making him write things that I know he can do...like fill in the blanks or whatnot. Hopefully that will help. I also have some "fun" writing things I need to get out. Like Jot it Down and other ideas for fun, loosy goosy writing. I think maybe if he had something to create on his own, he might be more inclined to write? Maybe? I don't know. My daughter writes and writes all day, on her own free time. But my son just....doesn't.

Cleopatra in Space

How similar are these? Are they basically identical formats, just one has spanish words and the other latin? Looking through samples of Song School Latin and Spanish, it looks almost like they just changed out the spanish and latin words and kept everything else the same. So I'm curious if that's also the case with LFC/SFC.

Yeah, I think not combining them might be best. My youngest has always tagged along for any videos or experiments, so I imagine that won't change. But I think we'll probably get more accomplished if I give them each their own science time with me. We do work on resolving this. And we do science. They aren't mutually exclusive endeavors ;-)

My son will be in third and my daughter in first this year. They don't get along. At all. Ever. So I'm thinking it might be best to NOT combine them. But then, the thought of running two science lessons make me...aaarrgh! I'm planning on Chemistry with him. If I do her science separately, I'd do Biology....I did it the WTM way for him, but I may go easy and get ES Biology or something a little more grab and go this time. So has anyone NOT combined and lived to tell the tale? ;-)

My son is super excited for chemistry next year. Apparently he thinks chemistry is all about blowing things up!! So spam me with your favorite books/kits/websites/etc. Preferably hands on, with easy to find items (or a kit with things included).