I use the 2nd edition books. If you buy the new versions from the site, they are Common Core aligned and not the books that John Saxon wrote.

I didn't read anyone's response. The reasons we are homeschooling have to do more with that I no longer believe in the school paradigm, so why would I think of putting her somewhere I no longer believe in? When we do our wrap up of each year, we ask what worked, what didn't work, and what we'd like to do to change it next year. We planned from day one to home educate all the way through HIgh School. That plan has never wavered and our daughter has never even once asked to go or showed an interest in traditional schooling in a building ever.

We love Saxon here. It was the salvation of my daughter's math sense and feelings of ability to accomplish it.

Rosie, I am so very profoundly sorry. I am praying for you and your family.

Latin flunkie here too...

I know. I was just saying it reminded me of that shooting game for Comic Sans. :)

Yes, yes, yes, and another yes for good measure!!!

In at least ONE instance, it does. LOL My friend does K12 and she had a teacher from her local school that was her "oversight" for want of a better word. I'm very tired this morning. LOL She has to report to the local school and meet with her once a week to discuss what they've done, tests, and what they will be doing the next week. There are field trips that are done through the school and with the age mates. I am in Nevada and we have to file an educational plan and intent to homeschool directly to the local school district.

Yes, someone in the earlier posts expressed gratefulness for the regulations and oversight, and a few people have mentioned it in this thread. I think it's being brought because in some ways, it's a natural consequence of the topic: If someone is doing more harm, what recourse do one have to protect the child? Oversight to stop it from getting out of hand - especially if people are too timid to comment personally.

Oh gosh yes! There have been plenty of groups who think homeschooling should be under the jurisdiction of the public school system, even here. There's a mondo long thread about the Coalition of something that is calling for oversight and many people here support it.

I completely agree with this.

totally made me think of this! http://www.agencyfusion.com/kill-comic-sans.html Comic Sans - the most hated font on the planet by Graphic Designers!

I noticed that until this year, 5th grade, spelling lists did NOTHING to help her spell other words correctly. She made a jump this year and hardly anything is misspelled anymore. Maybe you could have some "surprise" tests on words you saw them spell incorrectly the week before? You can keep a record of them and then test on them.

Dr. Jay said that it doesn't matter which one you use first, but some concepts that were taught in the first book ARE in the second. If you have not used the first book, you should be prepared to discuss some things NOT taught in the book. Not big concepts, but nevertheless he does assume you've had the basics the first book taught.

No, I don't. Everyone I know who is home educating takes it very seriously.

Yes, Dr. Jay left Apologia a while back. They still use and sell the books he wrote when he was at Apologia.

Oh man!!! Just when I just spent all my paypal money on new clothes for Melissa...!!!!!!!

I feel exactly the same as you do. Homeschooling is a choice that we have made for our family, and when it gets rough, we dig in, put our shoulder to the harness and plow through with humor and LOTS of prayers. I'm personally convicted that the paradigm of public education as it stands is not palatable to our family, and I see little if no evidence that it will ever change. ETA That I will add this caveat: Every year at the end of the school year, we re-evaluate where we have come, where we are, and where we will go next year. If it ever comes to home education not working for the family or my daughter, we will of course find a way. I'm not hard heartedly going my own way for my own personal convictions. If home education is NOT the best for our daughter, we will then evaluate our choices at that moment. For the foreseeable future, we plan on home education all the way.

I finished one!!!! I've been good about posting it, but not sharing it here. http://homegrownpumpkin.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/weekly-wrap-up-march-7-2014/

https://homegrownpumpkin.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/weekly-wrap-up-february-28-2014/ We are doing really well - we didn't have the February slump ... let's hope it doesn't happen in March!!!

I haven't run across anything. He does reference the days of creation obviously, but he says nothing about young earth/old earth so far.

Best home education advice ever. Any subject.

Maybe he needs to SEE the cursive. Am I reading it right that you are narrating and he is writing what you say in cursive? If so - stop the narrating and give him a sheet to do copy work with first. Something he doesn't have to work so hard. To do it orally, he has to think of how to spell the word, what each letter looks like, and how to join them up. We are just NOW doing narration with cursive in 5th grade. She has done copywork with textbooks and lined paper since 3rd grade with cursive.

I was going to direct you to my woman Hunter, Goddess of the "What Your..." series..but I see she's already on the case!

I admit it. I read textbooks. I teach from them. I love them. Sometimes I'll even read a text book for free reading.