Specifically, I would be looking at 2nd and 7th grade. I like the thought of doing them together and it aligning with our history cycle but the materials are packaged separately.... Thoughts? We have Meet the Masters we can complete over the next year. DD7 is artistically inclined. DD11 is more git-r-done.

We got ours last week. Duke TIP. I think I wasn't expecting it until next week.

Well, from the experienced reviews I've seen here, the tutor really makes or breaks it.

Oops have to run but forgot to say that someone mentioned Spelling Power plus the Dictation Resource book and I have a copy of that and that definitely appeals to my sensibilities - once then done, cover all the bases, etc. ETA: Oops or was that Spelling Plus...

So the box-checker in me wants a finish line for DD11 (12 in a week) before we "stop." She is a strong/natural speller, at the level of participating comfortably in local spelling bees (notice I didn't say anything about being in firing range of winning, though - she really doesn't have the motivation to study/prepare ahead of competitions- out of sight, out of mind kind of competitiveness). We have plugged through most of Spelling Workout since that was what was being used by the private school we left mid-year to homeschool (what a pleasant surprise that it was also recommended in WTM). We are almost done with F. The activities are pointless so we don't use them. Currently, I just pre-test her with the spelling list and she usually gets all or almost all of them right the first time. I have her review the one she missed, go over the "rule," and retest by the end of the week (if we remember. With so little involvement, it's kind of low on our radar....). I JUST started asking her to copy the rules down onto a note card. She also JUST asked me to start telling her the spelling rule before I start the pretest (I think we're FINALLY hitting a point where knowing the rule makes a difference on accuracy, but once she sees the word, she doesn't need repetition to get it). I -could- just finish Spelling Workout but I think both of us are a little bored with it. I'm looking at LOE since it was clearly written as a "cover your bases even for older students" and heavily individualizing it. OR I may be homeschooling 7 yo DD next year and she is a pretty fluent reader and I'm guessing an average to below average speller for her reading level but probably above for age/grade??? (capable of chapter books although that's not necessarily -preferred- reading level. She probably prefers nonfiction like Usborne books most of all. And I also read that LOE is great for multiple ages. So what about if I do LOE at DD7's pacing and let older DD pick it up through exposure and playing the games with younger DD and participating in memory work? Or finding some way to do it jointly. That would be REALLY helpful since there's other things I can't group them together for.... I have seen mention of Megawords and Spelling Power as possibilities so if you'd recommend them, please tell me more. FWIW, I decided to go ahead and pursue vocabulary so we are trying to do WordBuild but it's kinda monotonous. But I wholeheartedly buy into the philosophy (study the parts/morphemes/etc. and once you know them, you automatically can parse like 140,000 words or something like that). But after going back and reviewing TWTM I was curious about Vocabulary from Classical Roots. DD liked it and said "what about if we alternate this with WordBuild?" You're not helping my curriculum-purchasing-problem, kiddo.

So I'm curious if you have any further comments after having used it a few more months and, presumably, having had a chance to review the LOE book?

So what is left off, in your opinion. That is, if there was a Book 2, what would it cover? (I am suspecting that that would be what is a better fit for my older DD, whatever it is....)

That's Word Build, I think. I'd be curious too. I like the idea in theory!

Showed it to her tonight and she says she likes the idea of it. So I guess we are pausing AG.... She says "I may have a lot of that memorized but it looks like this helps me know what it MEANS."

We have Rightstart (well, and I also have Montessori materials too, because...well...I have issues), but I'm frankly ready to stop trying to get myself Montessori-edumacated (as much as I love it, that is a deep hole....) and just move forward with "curriculum." LOL. She would be THRILLED with LOF. And even almost-12-year-old older DD would be THRILLED if I brought home the earlier editions (she started with Jellybeans) because she wanted to read the.whole.story.! That would be a heck of an expense, especially since younger DD would probably burn through the early ones quickly.. *goes to check library....* Ah! In our library system! I just have to submit a request for them one at a time. I could live with that....Yay!

So DD (7) passed the "Are You Ready for Beast Academy" with limited coaching (didn't always see how to come up with the solution herself, but with hints, usually did work the rest of the solution by herself). I think she'd LOVE the materials and thrives on a challenge. And I'm considering homeschooling her next year. But after pulling older DD out of a Montessori school and struggling with placement, it becomes apparent that (especially for accelerated kids), their scope/sequence isn't lending itself to a traditional sequence. So I feel like I should look into supplementing BA with something to ensure we've covered our bases. For review, but more to ensure that we track back over any areas that may have been touched on lightly or not at all. So for the moment, MM, which I own, isn't really appealing to me, it seems like too much work for DD if we are doing BA. I could thin the work some but I"ve never been very adept at selecting which problems to eliminate... CLE is appealing at the moment. The diagnostic test is concise and makes it easy to see which skills she hasn't mastered. Also haven't I heard that it gently spirals but not to the degree that something like Saxon would? Thanks for any comments/encouragement.

That's blowing my mind! I think I made an incorrect inference since this forum (WTM) was the first and only place I had heard of it. Well it certainly doesn't fit into the traditional scope/sequence (as a 3-4 month class) - how do they normally use it, then? What does it look like on transcripts, KWIM? Or is it primarily enrichment/competition prep??

For the record, I'm looking at Algebra I. How does it play out? Can it be competitive? But friendly? DD has been telling me that she wants to be around people that push/challenge her in math. But she's 11 and I don't want her eaten alive in her first online course. I'm wondering if the pacing also might be gentler with he WTM course, although it still requires participation as part of the grade so there should be some engagement? And what is up with the AoPS classes only being offered at night?

I can't see the age because I'm mobile but Thames & Kosmos kits?

Well, we've only gotten though 4 units (weeks) of AG, and none of it has been new so far. I wish someone could hand me a list of "does your DD know ____, can she diagram _____, can she parse (or conjugate or list principal parts or whatever) _____? If so, then you should just quit. And if not, here's what you need to use to get there that doesn't involve excessive review." I'm willing to use R&S for more than grammar, I'm intrigued by it and currently evaluating it, but I'm not sure how to manage the perceived gap (maybe not as big as I fear?) between grammar and other LA subjects. She's a very strong reader, excellent speller, good with vocabulary, punctuation/usage is good but not perfect (but better than a lot of adults), and what exactly is mechanics and usage? But I should add that I also like lots of other writing curricula and am having a hard time narrowing that down, but that's another thread...

DD is "mad" at Analytical Grammar because so much of it is review of what she already knows (she mastered an impressive amount of content by aggressively consuming CC's Essentials of the English Language program). I know we're only supposed to have to do it for like 11 weeks but it is like pulling teeth. Since it's only 11 weeks I am making her work most of the problems, to make sure she has picked up on any idiosyncrasies in how they do things (labeling, diagramming). Heck, that's probably part of the problem. I would consider switching to R&S but she's probably closer to grade level (if ahead slightly) on most of the other skills covered, so if I stay at grade level, it's still going to be very review-ish. I saw a copy of the Easy Grammar Ultimate for upper middle and high school (11th grade) and thought that there actually was some content she hadn't seen... yay! Went home and looked at the placement test, I think she could pass it. She might actually do it daily, vs. avoiding AG for days at a time, when we could have been done months ago if she had just sat down and done it (although I admit we were overbooked on content in the fall... so that's partly my fault). Comments?

I think this might be the most efficient way to cover the high points in an organized fashion. I'm not one for throwing together my own writing/reading curriculum because I feel like I have to maintain too much in working memory/keep track of too much. But with a 6th/7th grader, I also feel like there's things we haven't covered that it isn't worth going back and doing a full curriculum for. And I'm also not very good at compacting curriculum (again, have to hold too much in working memory, and I also hate leaving ANYTHING out, LOL, even if I think she might know it). I'm looking for quick overview before we delve a little deeper on upper middle and high school levels, but there's things we just haven't discussed (that might have been covered if we were more systematic about it or had been in one setting, like public school). Here's the content: 1. Intro 2. The Reading Process (before during and after reading) 3. Reading Know-HOw (e.g., inferences and conclusions, active reading,finding subject and main idea, kinds of paragraphs, ways of organizing paragraphs (i.e., time, location, cause-effect, comparison-contrast order, classification) 4. Reading Textbooks (e.g., types of textbook genres, glossaries and graphs, indexes) 5. Reading Kinds of Nonfiction (e.g., essays, biographies, newspaper or magazine articles, persuasive writing, speeches, elements of nonfiction like cause/effect, connotation and denotation, editorials, fact vs opinion, interviews, leads, problems and solutions, propaganda techniques, viewpoint) 6.Reading Fiction (e.g., charcter/setting/dialogue/plot/theme, elements of fiction like genre, mood, plot, POV) 7. Reading Poetry (focus on language, meaning, sound/structure, use of idiom, lyric poem, metaphor, rhyme scheme, stanza, tone/voice) 8 Reading Drama (e.g., focus on theme vs language, elements of drama like plot, stage directions, dialogue/monologue) 9. Reading on the Internet 10. Reading Graphics 11. Reading for Tests 12. Improving Vocabulary Okay the more I look at it, it might be a little textbook-y but I love the thought of it ALL being laid out there for me. If it's not upper level, I am not worried about it because we can cover more depth in upper middle/high but I feel like I shouldn't wait until then to introduce a lot of this. Objections or alternatives?

Why does it bug you?

We are having trouble getting to everything every week and I suspect I might be trying to do too much. Efficiency is an issue, too, I have to admit....so many of you may be doing the same thing just more effectively, which is useful information in itself...We are new-ish to homeschooling (this is our second full year) so I am still working both on pacing and realistic expectations. I also think I sometimes tend to err on the side of "well, if she can, then she should." Here's what we are doing: Math Science English (Literature, Spelling, Vocab, Writing) Bible Geography (US) History (US, paired with the geography) Latin Daily disciplines including memory work, grammar, reading a poem a day, and a manners/etiquette curriculum) Art/Music (tried doing both every week, had to let that go, but still having trouble getting to one or the other every week) TIA!

So I'm looking at getting a laser printer and while the Brother 2340 is ranked as the bestseller on Amazon (based on volume, presumably), the 2380 seems to have better ratings? Is that the even newer version along the same lines as the 2270->2340?

I would love to hear from someone who used AO (oR even fairly strict CM) and successfully sent a child off to a competitive STEM degree program. I asked on the FB CM group and got *crickets* I tried AO and the sense I got of how science would be covered ("little brother to the bear" and stories about how cotton becomes a fabric) seemed quite pragmatic and actually something lacking in modern day education but a far cry from readiness for modern science college education both in terms of content (discoveries, vocabulary) and scientific literacy in terms of understanding the process of science research and the scientific process. I was a biology major but changed degrees midway and then ended up with an advanced degree in a research-based humanities field.

I don't know that I'd say it's peer pressure so much as "out of sight out of mind"!

Sorry, my multi quote isn't working tonight. Yes, I agree, much to think about in terms of whether I'm expecting more of her than I reasonably could of myself or another adult...DH is one of those people who WAS motivated and accomplished growing up. I was master of procrastinating until the last minute and that really didn't come back to bite me all that bad until graduate school. But I'd like more for DD than that. I also have a certain amount of work that I, at some point, decided that she HAS to do to "do enough" for this year, and that requires doing a certain amount in a given week so that we don't "fall behind." Now, should that quantity of work always be being re-evaluated? Yes, and she often says she feels like I'm piling too much on her. I think it comes down to: she may be "capable" of it, but should she be expected to do it (all)? However, I don't think it's accurate to say that she doesn't want to compete. She very much enjoys competition, or more precisely, she is strongly motivated to "win" at things! LOL. It just seems to be driven by her immediate circumstances. In other words, when the opportunity comes up, LOOK OUT! (e.g., beating all the other kids (including the boys!) in footraces in PE). We started guitar lessons with younger DD and guess what this DD was ALL ABOUT?!?! - Mastering the guitar (including asking said sister to teach her!) so she could "beat" her 7 year old sister at it. Sigh. But with the other longer-term projects, no, she has no lasting motivation unless there is external feedback or motivation. She even said today that she worked extra hard to get ahead in math because she had a few classmates who equalled her in ability and they all "pushed each other." And that when they ran out of work to do (because they finished work plans faster than their Montessori teacher was writing new ones), they'd create their own little informal math competitions. But "beating herself"? - nope, never held her interest. Even volleyball - she is insanely frustrated with her teammates because they don't seem to have a "drive to win." But it was only this year that she even went to the trouble to work on her OWN skills outside of practices...It's like it just doesn't occur to her to try. Until there's a carrot or someone to beat. So I feel like she'd be more into academic competitions if she had friends who were doing it/talking about it/etc.?!?!? KWIM?

Yeah, and these aren't really MY strength, either. We're a little short on EF in general around here. It's frustrating.

Well, it sounds like we are far from alone, thanks all! I think DD (6th grade) enjoys learning for its own sake but I'm not of a temperament that can take full-bore unschooling. I tried at first and it freaked.me.out. :) So I "strew" where I can (especially science), and try and keep math interesting by switching curriculum as needed (she apparently needs variety in her math instruction in order to maintain interest). But ownership, wanting to do well for its own sake? Taking the initiative to do work if I get derailed with a phone call or a sick sibling? Nuh-uh. She generally does what I 'make' her do but doesn't seem to care about getting through the activities for the week -within the week- :). But I think the exposure to others' experiences on these forums can be a bit of a blessing and a curse. I think that I see similarly capable kids (DD is more or less EG) who have really attacked their area of interest and/or have a passion for learning in that area that has taken them so much farther than DD. I understand that I may be having to back off some of my expectations for where homeschooling would take us. Based on her acceleration in 4th grade when we pulled her out, I figured we would be looking at 2-3 years early graduation. Now I am realizing that for her to do anything exceptional (grade-wise!), she really will need to own it herself. And I think her mind is definitely not on long-term goals or ways to reach higher (e.g., participating in low-key competitions now, like Beta Club and NME/ELE, just to get her feet wet - but she has no interest in higher level competitions like math (even though her acceleration in that subject was a big piece of our decision to homeschool!). I can be okay with all this, but obviously I'm still processing it all! For the record, though, I would describe her as very competitive, but I think I am learning that she really would prefer not to compete at all unless she has a fairly high chance of winning or at least placing very well. And she's not one to seek out opportunities to help herself do well in these competitions (e.g., practicing outside of "school hours" for a spelling bee, reading for the NME/ELE without being asked to...). I attribute her love of learning somewhat to temperament, perhaps a tiny piece to role modeling in the home, but in large part to coming from a Montessori setting after 4 years. I think that setting definitely contributes to a "learning for its own sake" mentality. On my darker homeschooling days I wonder if she'd be better off in a Montessori setting - am I squashing the love of learning? Perhaps not (definitely not as bad as public school/traditional educational model), but am I cultivating it like they might? IDK.