What grade level(s) are your children? Do you have the Lingua Mater versions of PLL and ILL? What other curriculum do you use? Esp. alongside? Have you chosen a writing curricula to use later? LOL, 20 Questions...

Homeschool Books The Well-Trained Mind The Charlotte Mason Companion Educating the WholeHearted Child 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum ...I've enjoyed others but these I reference a lot! Curriculum that hits HOME for us Tapestry of Grace Galloping the Globe (I can't wait to use this with the kids!) Writing Tales SOTW (in a class by itself and very grateful for it!) ...all else I'm sure I could find substitutes We have many, many items we love though.

If you're taking a foreign language, knowing English grammar will help when learning about the foreign language's grammar. It gives a point of reference. French nouns are just the same as English nouns but French verbs are different from English verbs...etc. (just an example pulled out of the air, this 'example' is not entirely correct) If your foreign language lessons deal more with vocabulary and oral activities, English grammar is not a big deal. When you start learning to read and write in a foreign language, English grammar knowledge becomes more important. This is why public schools keep foreign languages in high school instead of starting them earlier, most public school students are being introducted to grammar in middle school and the first 2 years of high school. (Based on experience and local schools in our area- sorry about generalization) High school foreign language classes are taught by a fluent teacher who keeps the classes moving forward in an oral way while the students learn how to put sentences together, it is not until college level that many get into the nuances of the foreign languages' grammar and is able to write compositions in the foreign language or translate long excerpts. BUT as homeschoolers, we can move along at the pace of the student and give them more challenging material (i.e. college material) in high school. Whatever program you're going to use for foreign language, ask customer service or the author of the material about what skill level they feel your child should be at in language arts- then go from there. I can't tell you about whether to have more grammar or not b/c it varies for each program that is used. My children are only doing french vocabulary with songs, videos and games right now and I read to them in french (no I don't know what I'm reading ALL the time). SWO prompts: in each lesson there is a writing assignment, most choose to ignore these Lesson 5 of SWO B Use the list words to write a joke or riddle you know. For example: Why did the chicken cross the street? Answer: To get to the other side. Then try out your joke on a friend. Lesson 16 of SWO B What is your favorite sport? Write a few sentences naming the sport you like best and why. Use as many list words as you can. Lesson 29 of SWO B Imagine that you just attended the races at Swamp Buggy Days. Write a brief new report about what you saw. Include lots of colorful details. Use as many list words as you can. Hope this helps, I would ask someone on the high school board with a lot more experience (than just my book knowledge) about foreign language studies and english grammar.

Do you think doing PLL & Writing Tales 1 in 3rd would be okay? We'd start PLL now (or as soon as it arrives after I decide to buy it). It's not that I don't feel Writing Tales is enough but using PLL or ILL would cover a lot of areas for us (copywork, dictation, creative writing, etc.) that I *think* dd would enjoy. I need to think more about long term, how each year will build on the next and what would be best. SWB saying that starting the progymnasmata in 7th grade is better is on my mind but I have a IRL friend who has finished the progym with her 8th grader & 7th grader and plans to just have them hone their skills further. Whirling thoughts, whirling thoughts...

Okay, now I have another concern- after looking at the sample provided for Language Lessons for the Very Young by Sandi Queen I see where the lesson teaches about pluralizing nouns but I didn't see a rule to learn or a lesson that teaches the child when to use the -s, -es, -ies, etc. Not that I cannot figure out how to do it myself but I just wanted to check on that. Otherwise it seems there is not much difference between this one and Primary Language Lessons. I do wish I could see a Table of Contents for the McQueen book.

Oh my, I just saw inside pages of this at Hillside Education, and I'm kicking myself for not really looking into this before now! This is what inexperience does, I had my blinders on trying to make sure I didn't somehow fail my dd regarding her academics. Reviews at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Primary-Language-Lessons-Lingua-Mater/dp/0976638630 Okay, my dd7 is currently doing a workbook that has her practice: capitalization, ending punctuation, commas, quotations, apostrophes, nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns and subject-verb agreement. This is all we're doing for grammar after we decided to stop using FLL. I'm a little confused as what to do at this point, :eek: so please help me. This week we've abandoned everything but phonics ETC/reading aloud (currently on 2-3rd grade level), math, grammar, spelling (SWO C), poetry. Here's the little plan I worked out so far: 3rd - finish ETC books, Writing Tales 1, Spelling Workout C/D, Primary Language Lessons 4th - Writing Tales 2, Spelling Workout D/E, Intermediate Language Lessons 5th - Classical Writing: Poetry for Beginners, Spelling Workout E/F, Intermediate Language Lessons, Junior Analytical Grammar 6th: Classical Composition Chreia, Junior Analytical Grammar, Critical Thinking Books 1&2 *or* Art of the Argument, SWO F/G 7th: CC:Maxim, Analytical Grammar, Traditional Logic I & II, SWO G/H 8th: CC: Refutation/Confirmation, Common Topic, Traditional II or Material Logic, Analytical Grammar, Vocab from Classic Roots A/B 9th: CC Encomium/Invective/Comparison, Material Logic or Classical Rhetoric*, Analytical Grammar, Vocab from Classic Roots C/D Start formal Rhetoric in 9th or 10th so we can spend 11th and 12th in the Great Books. From this, I think I could take the rest of this year and possibly some of 3rd and use Primary Language Lessons and then move onto Writing Tales 1 (?) or do them together in 3rd? From what I have outlined above, I have a year to play with right because Writing Tales 1 is narrative and fable. Another question: Does Primary Language Lessons cover mechanics and punctuation? Would it be best to keep using the workbook we are now (that dd enjoys) for practice outside of the PLL lessons? Does anyone not use the poetry memorization in PLL and just use their own? Or would it better/easier to use it? We're currently using The Harp and Laurel Wreath for poetry memorization. I'm excited, this has all the elements that both dd & I love. She adores picture study and art books with questions about the pictures, I love the copywork and dictation help as well as the instruction in different types of writing. I just bruised my backside from how hard I've kicked myself! :o Our ultimate goal is to go through the progymnasmata in preparation for formal rhetoric in high school. Please advise, I'm trying here! Lol. Yes I am aware that Lingua Mater is Catholic, btw.

You cannot mess up the CD, the information is permanently on there and you cannot save changes to your CD. If you copy a file to your computer and change it, that is different but you will always have the original file on the CD. :) You have permission to relax now.

In Massachusetts, Armory: http://www.higgins.org/Programs/fieldtrips.shtml Check out TOG's Field Trip page for Year 2, plenty of ideas and places there! http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/tog_fast/y2/field_trips.htm

You can get the DVD and hand-weights here: http://www.lesliesansone.com/store/product37.html Or the VHS cheaper at: http://www.lesliesansone.com/store/cat-clearance.html We bought the VHS tape b/c we weren't sure we'd like it. :)

If you use FLL, SWO and ETC- SWO has writing prompts in SWO B. For my dd7 in first we used FLL, SWO, OPGTR and now in 2nd we're doing the ETC books. I think it's important to figure out what type of writing program you may use and when with consideration of your child's learning style and your teaching style. What your position is on learning grammar, with considerations of a foreign language if you wish to do that at an early age. What experiences the veterans have had with the programs you think you may use- when they started them and what they would change if they were to do it over again. I'm still trying to figure stuff out for LA! Hope this helps,

I have the Right Start Math Games for sale at the Sale/Swap board btw, if anyone is interested. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1278 It contains an abacus with all the games, game book and the place value cards.

I agree about learning style! I have a visual learner and I have to do certain things for her (dd7) in order for things to click. Somethings just take consistency and time as well. If you stress about it, she will too. Math copywork helped my dd7 plus I relaxed about the math facts. We stopped drilling and I haven't mentioned it since. You can google 'learning styles' and get plenty of websites to help you, here's one http://www.learning-styles-online.com/ Cathy Duffy's book, 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum helped me with this when we first started, we've used Horizons Math successfully for two years now and I suspect we will through 6th grade. Cathy's book has learning style profiles and she organized curriculum by learning style- not to mention the teaching style quiz! I hope this helps you find your answer.

Amy, Your teacher book is what YOU need. Here's a link to mine: http://triviumacademy.blogspot.com/2007/05/my-coveted-teacher-book.html The purpose of 'my' teacher book is so that I can do school with my dd7 on the go. We can go over memorization, I have everything I need minus HER books. IF we are on the go and I have time ahead, I copy the TM pages of anything I might need and stick it in my binder. Inspiring Thoughts Memorization guide for all subjects for the year Calendar insert July 2007 - January 2009 (bought at WalMart) Attendance and Declaration of Intent storage in page protectors Math addition/multiplication charts, hundreds chart and math literature for K-8 list Bible - memorization scriptures and answer key to curriculum Classical Music lesson plans with supplemental reading lists History- customized lesson plans with copywork this has changed to 1 week of TOG Science - customized lesson plans with supplemental reading lists Art- Harmony Fine Arts Grade 2 lessons plans History (again, I know) Veritas History Song lyrics and SOTW 2 Activity Book I hope this helps you figure out what you need. :)

Did you use the search bar at the top of the page? I'm sorry but for those who might want the direct link http://triviumacademy.blogspot.com/2007/09/skip-counting-resources.html

At first I thought that we have moved away from WTM but the more I thought about it, we haven't. Using different curriculum than suggested is nothing, a lot of the ideology is the same. Copywork/Narrations/Dictation: We value these highly even though it is not our only approach, they are the basis of our LA, history and science for reading comprehension. History/Science cycles: I value these most of all, I've been tempted to deviate but this is how we want to homeschool. High school may steer us off WTM's course depending on the circumstances. History- Yes, we're using TOG now but we haven't changed the focus of what we're doing just because I have awesome teacher helps now. The core of our homeschool ideology is still deeply connected to WTM, there's been a few things thrown in and mixed around but overall WTM is still our benchmark. There's more but I have to go...

Free Christian Audiobooks: http://www.freechristianaudiobooks.com/ Free Classics Audiobooks: http://www.freeclassicaudiobooks.com/ Free Science and Math songs: http://www.science-groove.org/MASSIVE/ Great Books Audio & Poem of the Week: http://www.greatbooksaudio.com/ Homeschool Radio Shows: http://homeschoolradioshows.com/ http://www.songs4teachers.com My favorite! StoryNory: http://storynory.com/ Grammar Songs: http://gardenofpraise.com/mugram.htm (go under the Teachers tab to see much more, Bible songs, etc.) Poetry: http://www.kristinegeorge.com/poetry_aloud.html Poetry Aloud, Directory of Poetry Readings on the Internet: http://www.gpc.edu/~shale/humanities/composition/handouts/poetryaloud.html More Poetry: http://www.chirotoons.com/poetry/

I think we're moving to MACON in June!!!! Wooo-Hooo!

Yep, what she said.

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/edu-k4.cfm Text from website: All materials are teacher developed, aligned with national science and language education standards, and are available free of charge from the Cassini-Huygens website. Materials are divided into 2 grade level units. One unit is designed for students in grades 1 and 2 while the other unit focuses on students in grades 3 and 4. Each includes a series of lessons that take students on a path of exploration of Saturn using reading and writing prompts http://btc.montana.edu/messenger/teachers/MEMS_CompPlanetology.php http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/jason-1-poster.html Hope this helps someone,

That is my requirement for projects. If one of the projects in SOTW AG fit that, great- if not I find something else that does. Integrating art into history has lightened up the "project" load and simplified it as well. The Treasure Chest kits are fabulous for SOTW1 and 2, for 3 & 4 we're using workbook crafts. For example: Hands-On History American Revolution by Michael Gravois, Grades 4-8 These types of books put the workload on the student and everything is provided- I really like ones that integrate LA skills into the projects, the title above has projects for timelines, flipbooks, writing a letter, step book, guide book, circlebook of important events, readers theater, cause and effect, vocabulary, etc. Parent provides the book, tape, glue, scissors, colored pencils, markers and a project folder. Voila- done! It's non-consumable if you photocopy the pages.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/8a2f/?cpg=froogle Just google "Periodic Table shower curtain" I think $29.99 is the lowest price though.

What did you provide to them for this? It says 'certified' teachers and I don't know whether to contact via email/phone and ask about homeschoolers or what. I love this poster, esp with the information about the elements on it!

I was thinking of getting the shower curtain and have it be an expandable poster in our room (hung on clothesline to contract and expand when we want). I love the cards idea! The whole thing could be project that dd7 can help with! Going to check out mii.org and print out your post, thank you so much!

Too funny! You have the SAME thoughts as me. When we do chemistry in the next level, ds will be 3rd grade and dd will be 7th grade so it would be more useful then but it would be something fun for dd7 to do in 3rd grade and provides a great visual/tactile aid. Hmmm. I think I'll wait some more and get a good look at our curriculum to see if would really be beneficial (Living Learning Chemistry). Thank you for replying!

http://www.etacuisenaire.com/catalog/product?deptId=&prodId=55694 For third grade Chemistry? I thought it would be neat to build the periodic table as we learn about it and it would be great to be able to separate the elements from the rest of the table to focus on them. Would you consider this extravagant or useful (for years to come)? I can't make up my mind about this!