I spend a huge amount of time skimming material that is given to me by my team, and that I find on my own, in an attempt to recover from severe post traumatic stress syndrome. I do not keep a bibliography of my studies. I'm ploughing through too much to log my sources. At the time of study I make an effort to evaluate the source and type of research involved, but then I just take what is useful to ME and discard the rest. There is a HUGE amount of research that has been done on how brainwaves are affected by music and movements. Regentrude, I'm sure, if you are interested, you are capable of researching this topic in a much more efficient way on your own, than with my guidance :-) I find it hard to even know what I like or want, as it was a feeling that I was taught to ignore since infancy. But I think I was already drawn to the smoother and fancier styles. I think my desire to drop the italic is more than wanting to do something new. I think I feel some revulsion for it's efficient crispness maybe, and want...something...I'm not sure what yet. In everything, I'm finding myself drawn towards softer and lighter things. Also...funner....what is the correct word for that? In art I much prefer modern styles of art to the realistic. So softer, but not traditional, which sometimes is at odds. I cannot believe I'm discovering a love of soft pink :-0 but...often don't like the rest of what goes along with the pink item :-0 The Vimala font doesn't seem to have an efficient form of learning it, like some fonts do, that are taught by similar strokes. This font has been endorsed by Waldorf schools though....so...it must not be too hard to learn. I like the G and the S. The T repulses and attracts me at the same time. I'm finding it so hard to pick a font, but I think I've narrowed it down to one with smooth lines. And...I'd like it to be a little fun looking and light.

I don't have any links, but make sure to google "honey lesson". Food producers are notorious for providing free lesson plans and I remember years ago being sent a hefty honey curriculum in the mail. I remember a pest control site having a lot of insect lesson plans. Bee keeping resources are readily available online and at the library.

I only learned about graphotherapy today. My links were pretty random, just trying to show people what I was stumbling onto. I've been investigating options to change my handwriting for a month or two, but was not taking into account any meditative aspects linked to particular styles. I was more concerned about liking a style. 4 years ago I left an abusive marriage that followed an abusive childhood. I had never formed a sense of self and had no favorites of anything. I am constantly trying to figure out what I like and who I am. As I child I was taught Palmer handwriting I think, and then when homeschooling my son I changed my handwriting to italic cursive at his request because it was easier for him to read, having no idea that I had the right to a handwriting style of MY choice, and that handwriting is often a reflection of self and something personal and chosen. I've been doing morning pages The Artist's Way style and investigating forms of writing as meditation, but until today had not been introduced to the idea of the FONT playing a part in our MOOD. I have found the rhythm of handwriting quickly and steadily while free writing to be a very different experience than typing. I'm interested in the idea of how smooth the actual hand movements are, having an effect on my brainwaves. I realize I'm linking to resources that are pushing the envelope of science and entering metaphysics, but I'm most interested in the science...but...then... maybe even some of the placebo affect :-0 Why not? But I'm certainly not trying to present placebo effects as having a scientific basis, or wanting to defend that part, or even engage in much discussion about that part. I have learned that steadily knitting the garter stitch, and listening to humpback whale music, and hand drumming all affect the rate and regularity of my brainwaves. It fascinates me to think that the font I am using might make a difference in my brainwaves as well as mood. Would crossing the Ts high up when I sign my signature, make me feel more assertive, even though just a few letters? Would a flowing font make me feel less anxious, for a few letters, and if not, what about for a list?

I do not think the "T" is an attractive letter, but does the act of making such a bold letter, over and over throughout the day, change how we feel, the same way say, as making a conscious effort to hold our head up and throwing our shoulders back, and looking someone in the eye?

No :-) I'm NOT agreeing with everything at these links! :-) I'm just asking if you think writing in a flowing style, reduces stress, much like the effects of yoga and Tai Chi, compared to spending the day using a cramped, tighter style.

"This exercise is called the Wave. It increases flexibility and creativity, encourages release of tension, anger and disappointment, and helps you to let go of what is no longer needed." http://goddessbody.onsugar.com/Graphotherapy-Exercise-Creativity-Emotional-Release-8371101 http://www.amazon.com/Your-Handwriting-Can-Change-Life/dp/0684865416/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291561404&sr=1-2 Do you all think that spending the day writing in italic cursive, could be more stressful, than writing is a smoother style?

For those who like LCC, but are afraid they are not doing enough, reading through the articles on the webpages for the Robinson curriculum, will answer the question of what happens when students follow a curriculum of just math, writing and mostly free reading, without structured history, science, Bible, Arts, and grammar. Most parents will feel confident about ADDING Latin and Greek to what has proved to be enough for many families. I don't agree that an old fashioned classical education is never appropriate anymore, as I was reading in the threads about LCC. I believe it is for some families.

The Bible is a library of books. There is no need for young children to be introduced to the entire library while still young. If the Bible is taught as fact, adultery mentioned in fact, is different than in literature which is supposed to be art and entertainment. I don't go along with the idea that anything mentioned in the Bible, is acceptable to be included in storybooks for young children.

When my boys were young I was a VERY conservative Christian. Literature and reading was mostly the KJV and biographies. I didn't believe in including stories for school. School was all nonfiction. Their father was not a Christian, and I was lax about what they pursued during play time, but what I TAUGHT was quite rigid. If I had it all over to do again, I would do it differently, because I am a different person now, but it didn't hurt them. And my younger son pursued some very rigorous literature selections in his teens, starting with Pilgrims Progress at 12 and then developing a fascination for Shakespeare and the Loeb Classics. If you read biographies, you will see that families struggled with this same issue all through the 1600s through the 1800s. The introduction to Lambs Shakespeare discusses the topic I think.

I really agree with that approach. And then if he enjoys the first 2 books he will be asking for the other titles. Children love to collect. Those are the exact 2 I would start with, and I also think two books is the perfect # to start with. The first book in the series that I saw, was the poetry book and I was most impressed. I just cannot recommend this series enough. It is so well done!

With the book series I mentioned, there is no need to TEACH. He can read the books and play at writing. They are written to the child, to use on his own, and are not curriculum.

A lot of curriculums add in some algebra at very young ages. Just because you introduce algebra, doesn't mean you can't veer off into units on easy trig and easy statistics too, and even circle back to some advanced word problems on fractions and percents. There is no reason you need to work systematically through an American textbook, especially when you are ahead. Play, jump ship, use a little of it all. Study topology and probability and ancient ways of doing math. Introducing algebra doesn't have to mean racing ahead.

I haven't seen an Oregon Trail that looked like that since the early 90s! What a hoot! :-)

Plants from trash http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/TrashGoesToSchool/Plants.html Google "kitchen science" Google "... lesson" or "... experiment" inserting different foods for "..." "egg lesson" brings up things like this. http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/afterschoollearning/pdfs/extraordinary_egg_lp.pdf There are lots of free materials for studying nutrition. If I could only buy one thing it would be a magnet.

Climbing Parnassus and conversations with the author of Latin Centered Curriculum as he was writing it, were my scope and sequence when homeschooling my youngest son. I recommend starting with part 2, "Prospect from the Castalian Spring" of Climbing Parnassus instead of starting at the beginning.

Nancy Loewen's books are wonderfully inspiring. You can buy a collection of them in Writer's Toolbox but the individual titles feel easier to absorb and more like a storybook instead of a textbook. http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Toolbox-Nancy-Loewen/dp/1404859055/ref=pd_sim_b_8

Science Matters is my favorite science spine. http://www.amazon.com/Science-Matters-Achieving-Scientific-Literacy/dp/0307454584/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291387772&sr=1-1 The articles and outlines in World Book Encyclopedia are my favorite spines for literature and history and many other subjects. Cheap math workbooks and test prep workbooks work as a spine to supplement with free worksheet downloads and picture books and manipulative kits. I have tried using old textbooks and had some success when I had nothing else to use, but for very little money, I found the above resources to be better.

The bible stories will make excellent reading lessons. And the memory verses will make excellent copy work. These units could easily be made into unit studies, with the large variety of ideas and resources supplied. They really are impressive.

You can use science as prompts for other studies. Latin and Greek are big parts of science. Being able to draw helps, and good observation skills. Color theory is art and science. Spirals are art and science. Being able to swim well is essential in some branches, and to be physically fit. Researching and writing science reports is English. Science Fiction is science. Jewelry making is science. Cooking is science. It just goes on and on. On the high school board someone recently asked a similar question about art. I too have heard that basic math, algebra 1 and statistics are essential, and shouldn't be rushed through to get to calculus. New York and England cover statistics at the high school level, much more in depth than American curriculums. Covering spreadsheets should be included in the statistics.

Write Like Hemingway is too hard for a middleschooler, but I think you might find it helpful to skim through it. After seeing what a talented barebones writer can do, I feel less stressed about the NEED to copy the more flowery styles of writing that so many curriculums tout as worthy examples in NEED of copying. With every subject, I like to whittle things down to the skeleton, and then add padding with only the things "I" love. Write Like Hemingway really helped me get focused and know what is essential.

There was an American School forum, I frequented while my boys were enrolled, where I learned any tips and tricks needed. So many people quit AS only to return. My neighbor wanted a Christian curriculum, so wouldn't allow her daughter to use AS, as as the years rolled on...it turned into a nightmare. All in all, at the end, taking everything into account, I more and more appreciated the total package of AS and the doors it opened for my low income child. Now for moms with more education and more money and more health than I had...maybe there were better options :-0 But I have seen several parents throw so much more time and money at correspondence schools, to get so much less back. It was sad to watch.

Little Pim videos can be downloaded onto your computer and then synced onto the iPad. When you sign up for the newsletter, you get a coupon that brings the video down to about $12.00 I think. It mostly covers food, table setting and a few verbs. There is a little pim app, but isn't worth the money. You can download ebooks and audio books from your library. If your local library has a small collection, get a card from the library in your largest city, and they should have more. I have not been impressed with the available selection of edutainment apps :-( And the lack of flash makes most online games inaccessible. I adore my iPad, for traveling with, and online browsing, but my broken down netbook is far more functional as a learning tool. Netbooks do get hot though! The iPad stays nice and cool and has EXCELLENT battery life. I'm hoping iPad edutainment apps get more available, soon.

It has been years since I used anything like this, but there used to be some amazing memory resources, software and songs. Most of the Mennonite publishers use the KJV with very young children. I don't know what it is like now, but Rod and Staff 5th-8th grade was an amazing resource of maps, vocabulary, etc. For years our studies were one great big Bible unit study. Hymns can be used for poetry and spelling and phonics lessons. Missions for geography. There are foreign language materials for kids in many languages. Biographies of famous church leaders cover character building and history and geography all at once. Have fun! There was a curriculum called Student of the Word that I never hear anything about anymore. It was pricey for the first year, but looked good.

My older son was THRILLED with American school. I started using it with my younger son too, but was talked into quitting it, and I very much regret that. I ended out resorting to needing to have him take the GED. Both of my boys decided to attend a junior college while underage, as a REGULAR students (not duel enrolled) using FAFSA pell grants. Accredited diplomas are required, or at the very least greatly facilitate this option of schooling in the late teens. This option allows low income students to graduate from college At 18 or 19, financially independent, and not saddled down with any debt.

If academic excellence is your goal, some intense skill building at home in k-1 and 8th, might be all that is needed, along with some after schooling. If character building is your goal, I think most teens benefit mightily from working days, side by side with adults all day, and spending early mornings devoted to studying spirituality, and evenings doing JUST enough formal academics to get into a junior college, and then pursuing delight driven courses without worrying about documenting them. It matters what your goals are, which years are most important.