Mandy, Thanks for the link to AO's picture study resources. There is some great stuff there. I didn't know that they had a curriculum set up for artist study! I guess, though, that I should have used the term "art study" rather than picture study. I was wondering if there were any art curricula that matched up art with the SOTW time periods. For example in SOTW 1, I would love it if we could find ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman art. In SOTW 2, we would study art from the Middle Ages. I would imagine that SOTW 3 & 4 would be the easiest to align with Rennaisance and modern paintings. I guess I could search for images myself online, but I was hoping maybe there was already something like this out there.

Bible: The Child's Story Bible by Catherine Vos Phonics: Finish OPGtTR; then begin Spelling Workout A Grammar: FLL 1 Writing: WWE 1 Literature: supplemental lit. from SOTW 1, plus other lit. culled from various reading lists Math: Saxon 2 History: SOTW 1 Science: as described in TWTM Poetry Memorization: IEW

I am planning 1st grade to pretty much align with WTM recommendations. This week in the library I saw The Charlotte Mason Companion on the shelf and picked it up to read out of curiosity. I still subscribe to classical education, but was thinking that it would be neat to add picture study that would correspond to the times of SOTW. Is there anything out there like this that I could use with out researching works of art for the particular time periods? Also, those of you who do picture study, what do you use? Do you use art books, pictures that you find online, or are there packets of prints that you can order?

I used Homeschool Tracker Basic this year and was really pleased. Next year, though, I will be including ds in Bible and History lessons. Is there a way to attach a lesson plan activity to more than one student in HT Basic (without cutting and pasting info.)?

There is an inn near Asheville, NC, called Balsam Mountain Inn. It is very old and a charming place. There are no phones or TVs in the rooms (and no TVs anywhere, I think). They have a great library where you can also get tea or coffee. The restaurant has delicious meals. There are front porches with lots of big, sturdy rocking chairs overlooking a gorgeous view of the mountains. I'd love the peace and quiet and time to get lots of reading done!

Thanks for your response, Laurel. Are the copywork and narration selections you select from classic children's literature that you're currently reading, or do you use them more as teasers for books you plan to read in the future?

I'm 37.

:iagree: I wasn't a Special Ed. teacher, but I've seen the effectiveness of one-on-one tutoring. At our magnet school (high-school), our hour-long lunch was divided into two sections. The second section was reserved for club meetings or tutoring (which was required if students dropped below a C and trumped club meetings). In these tutoring sessions, I was amazed at how much (and how quickly!) students could improve in a one-on-one or small-group situation. That personal interaction, where you learn to see where the student is coming from and strengths and weaknesses in thinking patterns, makes all the difference.

We're half-way through OPGtTR and have used Bob Books and some Early Readers like Go, Dog, Go. The Early Readers, though, don't follow the presentation of the phonics like the Bob Books do. I also got Explode the Code, as a supplementary book, but we've used it only a few times. I prefer the actual reading over worksheets. The best thing I've done is for reviewing lessons. I take the words from a lesson in OPGtTR and create a simple story using those words and insert dd's name, her brother's name, the dog's name, friend's names, and characters' names from books we're reading. She already knows those names so she isn't struggling to sound them out, and I was amazed at how much fun she thought it was to read those sentences because of the personal interest.

Yes, I had wondered about missing the teasers of classic literature that the workbook would provide. I am trying to include lots of classic literature into our free reading time, though, so I hope to have that covered. I guess my main question is this: Since the point of WWE is to help students to develop the ability to summarize a passage in their minds and then to eventually get it down on paper, isn't asking them to summarize an full selection from SOTW at the very beginning too much (if they haven't had experience narrating before)? Should starting them off gently in the process of narration trump comprehension of history since they'll get this year of history again in the four-year cycle?

Thanks so much for the recommendations! I had wondered if I should wait on the Henty ones, and I'm glad to know y'all agree. I had also wondered if Tales from the Old Testament would be helpful since we read from The Children's Story Bible each day, so I'm glad to know to skip that one. I wasn't sure about Tales from Cultures Far and Near or Galileo and the Stargazers, so I'm glad to know those are favorites. We're looking forward to some enjoyable listening!

Listed below are the Jim Weiss cds that are recommended in SOTW 1. I am planning on buying one or two now and include a few others in suggestions for dd's birthday and Christmas. For the others, I'll hope to get them through inter-library loan (our local system doesn't have any of them). Which one or two of the audiobooks below would be your top choices? Egyptian Treasures: Mummies & Myths Tales from the Old Testament Tales from Cultures Far and Near The Cat of Bubastes Heroes in Mythology She and He Adventures in Mythology Galileo and the Stargazers Greek Myths The Young Carthaginian Beric the Briton

OK, I've been really excited thinking about incorporating the copywork and narration that SWB suggests in WWE 1 into our study of SOTW 1. I am actually looking forward to finding the copywork sentences for the grammar focus for each week. I was thinking that finding our own sentences and narration would help to reinforce what dd is learning in history. Now, though, as I'm planning our actual schedule, I'm hitting some snags, particularly in the narration department. As we start out, the suggestions from WWE for narration are much shorter (2 paragraphs) than the selections in SOTW (15 paragraphs from "What Is History?"). Do I read the entire selection from SOTW one day and ask the comprehension questions (for history) and use a sentence from that selection for copywork for that day (following WWE) and then use only a two-paragraph excerpt from that selection the next day for narration practice (as suggested by WWE)? I do realize that as students progress with copywork and narration WWE requires longer and more complicated sentences (for copywork) and passages (for dictation). If I do this (as opposed to requiring narration on the entire passage), will dd miss out on comprehension of history? Or, should I just :chillpill: and remind myself that she'll be doing the Ancients two more times?

I taught high-school English for nine years at a magnet school in our district. I loved my job! When I became pregnant, both dh & I were agreed that I would be a SAHM, and I quit my job. The first year was such an adjustment for me because I would feel grateful for the opportunity to stay at home but felt guilty because I missed my job. I worked through those feelings and then felt the pull to homeschool. God brought to my attention Deuteronomy 6:6-7 and then brought a friend from high school, who now homeschools her children, back into my life. After asking her about homeschooling, and her sharing her copy of WTM with me, I was hooked! My daughter attended two years of preschool (3K & 4K), and when one of the teachers there (who had just earned her certification and was going to be teaching ps the next year) heard that I was going to be homeschooling the next year, she told me that she thought that I would be wasting my talent because I was such a good teacher!:001_huh: I was so stunned that I didn't even reply, but I have thought of a lot of good retorts since then! There are sometimes when my educatorese crops up, and another former teacher in my homeschool co-op group and I myself commiserate over the expectations from ps that we still hold on to. For example, we were required to submit a syllabus for our co-op classes, and ours turned out to be way more detailed than the co-op board wanted. I don't really find myself questioning what my children are missing; I'm just grateful to be able to share this experience of learning with them.

Here's what we're planning for next year: Language Arts: Phonics: finish OPGtTR Grammar: FLL Writing: WWE, using copywork & dictation from history and lit. Literature: supplemental literature from SOTW, along with lit. from a variety of sources Poetry Memorization: Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization (IEW) Bible: continue reading through The Child's Story Bible by Catherine Vos Math: Saxon 2 Science: Biology at co-op, along with Kingfisher First Animal Encyclopedia, DK First Human Body Encyclopedia, and Green Thumbs History: SOTW

Yes, they are separate. We've used Saxon 1 this year and enjoyed it, although we are tired of the meeting books. It has a calendar for each month that gives the student practice in writing dates and also completing patterns. It also has a weather chart for each month where you graph the weather for each day of the month. I won't be ordering the meeting book for Saxon 2.

I'm so glad you referenced this lesson. I'm using this text in a co-op class this fall and am so looking forward to introducing students to annotation! The author also suggests reading this essay by Adler on the topic: http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/adler.html I must admit that it depends on my purpose for reading how much I annotate. If I'm reading purely for entertainment, I usually just let the book wash over me without annotating. If I'm reading for information purposes, I usually just underline passages that I find important, adding an exclamation point in the margins for those that really speak to me. If I'm reading for literary analysis, though, to really interact with the text, I usually have a system, which I use only on my second (or more) reading of it. By then, I have noticed what things I'm looking for and want to mark to make notice of patterns. I'll use symbols in the margins for different themes, symbols for different literary devices, etc. If you really have a phobia about marking up books, start with a notebook where you list the page numbers and beginning and ending words of the passage, along with the insights you want to note. I have also used post-it notes, but all those little sticky notes become cumbersome after a while if you use a lot of them--almost as if your book has sprouted feathers!

We have been using OPGtTR this year, and I am very pleased with it. I really like the fact that it does not have pictures; this way I know that dd is not using clues from the pictures and is really learning the phonics rules. I also like the organization and short length of the lessons. I have found the supplemental information in the back really helpful, too, for playing phonics games. That being said, my dd is not a big fan. She is, however, seeing how beneficial these lessons are, as her reading is really taking off now. There was one point in time where she was really frustrated with the lessons. I gave her a break for a couple of weeks, and then we came back to it. She soared through the lessons then, and I think this was just a developmental issue for her. I had also bought Explode the Code at the recommendation of some hs friends of mine, but we've never picked it up again after the first one or two times we used it. IMO, OPGTtR is far superior.

I'm a stickler for grammar, too, but I've prompted the correct answer by answering with the appropriate form. When a child makes a request and uses "can," I answer, "Yes, you may" or "No, you may not." My children have picked up the correct usage just by hearing it correctly.

My dh immediately caught this error in the speech as we were listening to it. He quizzed me about why 44 presidents' having taking the oath was incorrect. I had no clue, but then he informed me that Grover Cleveland had two non-consecutive terms.

I liked the matching overcoat and dress concept, but I thought it made her look heavy, and I've never thought that in any other pictures of her. I thought that the overcoat should have been cinched in more at the waist or buttoned. I think part of the problem was that the material was just too heavy and textured to be flattering to anyone's figure. I read somewhere that it was wool lace, and that would add a lot of bulk to someone. I love how she wears cardigans, but I thought that the cardigan with this outfit seemed too casual. I did not like the rhinestone (or diamond?) bling at the top of the cardigan; what happened to her pearls which would have been so appropriate to the morning/afternoon occasion? I suppose that the pearls, as well as a traditional blue or red would have been too expected. I do think the chartreuse color suited her, but the olive green of the leather gloves and the darker, more blue-green of the shoes made the whole outfit look off. I loved the girls outfits and thought they looked precious and appropriate but contemporary, too. I was not thrilled with her ball gown. I think it's admirable that she's giving young designers exposure, but I didn't think the color or cut did much for her. I thought that the flowing skirt and flowers were just too ethereal for such a regal occasion and made her look heavier, too. What was the deal with that one-shouldered strap? It looked like it was just thrown on there and wasn't part of the structure of the dress. I saw a picture of Nancy Reagan's white one-shouldered inaugural gown and it looked so much more chic and elegant. Did anyone see her outfit from her first day in the White House? http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/photos/0,,20253745,00.html

I finished Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. I'm reading The Shack for this week.

I finished The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory this week. It was not my favorite.:glare: Continuing in the vein of religious allegory from Week 1 (Pilgrim's Progress), I'll be reading Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard for Week 3.

Some of my favorites are Bringing Up Baby with Cary Grant & Katherine Hepburn Meet Me in St. Louis with Julie Garland Penny Serenade with Cary Grant & Irene Dunne (tear-jerker) The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant, Loretta Young, & David Niven The African Queen with Humphrey Bogart & Katherine Hepburn We're No Angels with Humphrey Bogart Little Women (version with Katherine Hepburn & version with June Allyson) The Philadelphia Story with Katherine Hepburn & Cary Grant & Jimmy Stewart Rear Window with Jimmy Stewart & Grace Kelly The Shop Around the Corner with Jimmy Stewart & Margaret Sullivan Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation with Jimmy Stewart & Maureen O'Hara The Quiet Man with John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara (my all-time favorite)