Yes. I believe this is true when 1 week = 3 months.

For us, it's the opposite. My two 4th graders whine, grumble, and generally make school miserable, while my 2nd grader (6 years old), is a pure delight, never lets the big kids' attitude get him down. That's why he progresses so quickly and easily. He comes at it from a great attitude. The whining started in 1st grade when I insisted they do their best work, not something sloppy to just get through. I was too hard on them sometimes, turning it into a battle and I regret that. My anger and stubbornness got in the way because I was planning really FUN lessons, but they came into it with the wrong attitude and couldn't see the fun. Since Kindergarten, they've rebelled against coloring. Coloring! I just don't understand why. In general, we battle laziness and general discontent all the time. It's about control for them. They want to be in control. It's infuriating and concerning for me as a mother. On our best days, they are motivated by the group incentive I started, called Brownie Points. I have a $1 cookie sheet that we try to fill up with paper brownies. To earn a brownie, everyone has to cooperate in school. We need 12 "brownies" to fill the pan and then we can bake and eat real brownies for a treat. We started it on Jan 7. We're still 2 brownies away from earning the reward. sigh. Humor also motivates them. I can use humor and sarcasm to help them actually listen and own some learning. I say something as straight faced as I can to see if they'll catch and correct me. "Wow, so the pilgrims got on board the Mayflower, entered "Plymouth" in the GPS and headed out for a new place. When they arrived....what? what do you mean, no?" I really feel for you, we have really hard days that turn into hard nights and weekends.

Ah, another thing we've had some success with is satisfying the need for adventure by participating in scouts. There's a heavy emphasis on responsibility and duty and the instruction and practice on doing adventuresome things in the right and safest ways has been a good outlet for the boys' desire to conquer the world by the age of 10. ;)

I have an 8 year old son who is much the same way. Act first...whoops. One thing my husband has been doing, and you'll have to judge whether this will help or fuel your boys, is to watch youtube videos (we preview them all first - lots of chances for curse words and other profanities) with boys and men doing stupid stunts. I mean stupid. There are lots of compilations of clips. Kids jumping off of the roof (of course, they land and scream in pain), stupid skateboard stunts, stupid car tricks. stupid, stupid, stupid. 99% of these are teens and men. They all end in pain and humiliation. Lesson #1 - The first question my dh asked the boys was, "why don't we ever see any girls in this video?" They didn't know, but dh has grown wise enough to realize that males just lack some sense sometimes. He explained that it's something about growing boys to be curious and take risks, but that it is an urge that must be recognized and fought. Lesson #2 - "Boys, as you get older, you're going to be tempted to try something that will "be awesome" or you're just curious how it will turn out. Let's make a plan. If you ever hear yourself say, 'Watch this!' Stop. Think about the thing you're going to do and whether it is truly safe. None of these boys thought it would happen to them, but there are dozens of videos to prove it. If you say, 'video me while I do x.' Stop. Think about whether mom will be laughing or crying to see that video." Our boys can easily see (right now) that the actions of these teens and "grown" men are idiotic and we laugh (and cry) at how stupid they were to try such a thing. We want them to have something to harken back to when they find themselves perched on a roof about to dive into the neighbor's pool. Know what I mean? Right now, our impulse control problems revolve around food and destruction of property (taking apart toys, using entire balls of twine, just to see how far it will stretch). We're trying desperately to help them see consequences. The trouble is helping them STOP before they act and think. If you find a magic currency or method, please do share!

I love the idea. Having not read the book (it's now in my Amazon cart), how old do you think a girl need be to make use of the book and/or the projects? How about boys, is it a losing battle for me? Mine generally like to cook and sew, but I can see that some home projects would fizzle quickly. Speaking of, is there a home maintenance, or similar "boy" book? I don't have a particularly handy husband and something like this in the manly realm would be good for he and the boys alike. Before anyone gets too upset, I don't mind breaking down barriers, but I'm fine facing the reality that I have no interest in repairing a toilet and he has not interest in throw pillows. ;)

I halted school today to deal with lying. One student lied about completing an assignment. When I asked to check it, the child argued in circles about whether I assigned it, whether s/he completed yesterday's today or today's yesterday, etc. :cursing: When I got my hands on the book, this child tried to argue that the completely blank page was, in fact, complete. I pointed to each and every blank on the page and asked, "Did you complete this?" "Yes." :banghead: It went on this way for at least 10 minutes until said child finally broke down crying and we had a lesson in lying, confession, forgiveness and other right vs. wrongs. We finally completed school when Dad came home. I've got 3 kids. Yesterday was #1's day to refuse cooperation, today was #2 and I can guess who will be obstinate tomorrow. It'd be one thing if they all got it out of their system and we lost a day, but it's somebody new every day.

We're having guests for a week at Easter and we'll take the time off. I do it for house guests all the time. If it's just kids, we'd do some modified school. I've done it before when someone needs me to babysit. I print some extra worksheets, get out the manipulatives and set the guests to work on their own task while we cover basics. We've never had kid guests old enough to really join in our lessons. I think you did the right thing.

To make a noun plural, usually add s. If a noun ends in s, sh, ch, x or z, add es.

This! My son taught himself to read at age 3 and continues to progress brilliantly. He hasn't needed help decoding words in two years. He's 6 now. About once a week we practice fluency, though he reads beautifully already. We have some advanced readers that are short enough that he can read through once and then I give him something to focus on, like tone. He reads it through a second time and he's just becoming a wonderful story teller. He'd make many of those "corrections" on his own when reading it through the second time, but he enjoys working with me and eats up the new "material" in the readers. Your only concern now will be maintaining comprehension and fluency, which can be practiced across your other curricula. We use Alphabet Island Phonics for spelling phonics and it gives him the why behind spelling. He's an intuitive speller already, but learning the rules helps him notice patterns in the words he reads and encourages him to use larger words in his own writing. The other day he commented on the word "accents" and he explained why the two Cs had different sounds. Last Friday he used "accent" in his SOTW summary (and spelled it correctly).

Our kids have been on computers/tablets since ages 3-6. We don't allow games and tv during the week, but we use "screens" as tools in school. We use math practice apps on our iPads. I've recorded my voice reciting poems and memory work for them to practice with. At age 6, 8 and 9, they are taking typing lessons. Each of them is progressing through Rosetta Stone (German). We listen to recordings of some of our curricula on the computer. We have the internet connection blocked on their computer and the iPad they use, so they aren't drifting into places unknown. I'd say it's never too early to introduce the tools of technology, but it's great to set boundaries and limits.

We tried TOG for our 2nd grade year and I found it overwhelming for myself. It was just too much for me to wade through for such a young level. We'll revisit it again in the logic grades. I love the concept, but just thought it was too much for the young kids and for ME.

I neglected to answer your questions about graduating. Many seniors in our area graduate in December, even from the public schools. I expect that my kids will have taken some classes at the community college by then and will just take a few more that semester. I also plan to arrange internships or mentorships for their senior years, so my plan is that their senior year may actually be three semesters. I'll feel more comfortable about sending my 17 year old daughter to college than I will if she's 16. All of this is speculation, of course. Who knows what changes will come in the next 8 years.

We school almost year-round, beginning in January. We started it because my daughter was ready to begin Kindergarten and I didn't see the sense in waiting 9 months for her to be "old enough." So, in that sense, we are ahead by about a semester for children her age. When she started school, her little brother, only 11 months younger was NOT going to be excluded. He saw to that. And after a few times of getting a different page to color or different phonics or handwriting page, he was NOT going to be left out of that either. So, he stuck with her and has maintained the same level of work as her too. In his case, he's probably about 18 months ahead of his age peers. However, both of them are reluctant writers, so I don't think we'll be ready to begin logic stage writing next year, unless we really just improve by leaps this year. My third child is "ahead" by a 18 months because he started reading before I was ready for him. ;-) Back to your other questions. I'm a stickler for the flexibility of homeschool. ;-) So, I don't schedule our breaks. We take them when life happens or we need them. It works out to every 5 weeks or so, but sometimes we go for long stretches before taking 2 weeks off. The past two years, we've been afforded the opportunity to travel abroad for the month of October (husband's job). I don't consider that time off from school. We do every bit as much, or more, learning while we are there, but it looks a lot different. I bring a math workbook, SOTW text, and some historical fiction or biographies to read. I say, you don't forget who Henry VIII is when you've been in his bedroom and sat at his dining table and Rome isn't so far off when you've made lion roars in the base of the colosseum. When we return, we do what we need to do in order to be done by December 1, but I don't pile on work to make sure we finish this or that. Sometimes a workbook doesn't get completed and we're no worse off for it. We don't school in December. That's our family time to be together, bake, do service projects, and all 3 of my children have birthdays in December. Of course, I slip in some talk of fractions while we measure, but December is a relief when it comes. The best part about homeschooling is making it work for you. I live in a good state for taking our freedoms. We get a lot of work and learning done, whether in the classroom or in ancient architecture. My only concerns with January school: 1. Most kids are out for the summer and we aren't. It's too hot to be outside in Texas anyway, but my kids think it's reason enough to complain. Our breaks never line up with school breaks, so sleepovers and cousin visits aren't easy to arrange. 2. It makes things a little tricky with extra curriculars for age/grade placements. My son should be in the Kindergarten Sunday school class by age, but began 2nd grade this January. He needs more a of a challenge (the teachers agree, but administration doesn't always) so there is always some shuffling at the beginning of a public school year when they "correct" his class placement. 3. My kids are so far ahead at this point, though I expect it to level out eventually, that if we HAD to put them in traditional school for some reason, we'd have a very difficult job placing them.

Is Calvert an online school? When I look at the state program it says to "Enroll." Do I just receive the materials, or am I really enrolling a child in this program? I'm not interested in that. Lisa

Our fun: Write with scented markers. Brownie Points - I bought a cookie sheet at the dollar store, hung it on the wall, cut brown rectangles and attached magnets. They earn one rectangle/brownie for a day when all 3 cooperate fully with school. It takes 12 "brownies" to fill up the pan. When it is full, we bake and eat brownies. (Gotta say, we've been waiting too long for those brownies and that mix is calling my name in the pantry.) Zap-it game - I saw the game on Pinterest. We play with our spelling words, you could make it math facts, vocabulary, review questions... Write each word/fact/question on a tongue depressor and put in jar. Add 2-4 sticks that say "Zap It." Player A draws a stick and asks player B. Player B keeps the stick if he gets it correct or replaces the stick if it is incorrect. If Player A draws a Zap It! stick, Player B's sticks are all returned to the jar. The zap it stick gets set aside, not returned to the jar - unless you want to play an eternal game of zap it. Player B draws a stick for Player A...back and forth until all sticks are collected by players (all zap it's set aside). The player with the most sticks wins. More spelling fun: spell words in chalk on sidewalk, smear shaving cream on desk and spell in it, build words with tiles or letters from a magazine, spell in string. Declare themed days. PJ day, backward day (clothes, schedule, writing?). If completion needs a reward, how about inviting friends and family over at the end of a semester and presenting your work? This is a good time to display all of your projects, practice speaking skills by reciting a poem or two. Spend a week reviewing, baking treats, and cleaning for your open house. When grandparents and others arrive, they should be prepared to answer questions about their work and projects and give the main idea studied with that project. Display your work, present orally and field questions with your guests. Try a reward for completing a workbook. Have ice cream with dad or whatever treat/time together might entice them.

Back when I read it for the first time, I was new to homeschooling, my children were barely walking. I had a desire to homeschool, but felt I would have to invent my own system to match what I had in my mind as ideal. TWTM didn't make any sense to me (very little anyway) until I got all the way to the end. It made me realize I wasn't the only one traveling down this path. Yes, I consider it a read through book. When you finally realize where it all is winding up, you will understand the rest. Then, you will be able to use the book in it's pieces and sections more readily. Try your best to read through the whole thing - skimming the detailed lists of curricula suggestions and book lists. You'll understand the why and then go back for the hows.

Maybe, just maybe, Ms. Wise will release ALL as an ebook? I know of several books that didn't make it to press for one reason or another and were subsequently released as ebooks. I don't need perfectly formatted pages, just a smooth transition from the one thing that has worked for us from day one to the next level.

My kids enjoy the Ramona and Boxcar children books. My 6 year old has read 14 of the Junie B. Jones books this week alone. He can't stop reading them, just one after another. My library card is wearing out. They'd make hilarious read-alouds and you can temper the bad grammar that way. Junie is in Kindergarten and says a few oddities like "bestest," "waked up" and "ValentiMes." Thankfully, my son points out the mistakes and chuckles. But, if you have a K'er who isn't ready to find and laugh at mistakes, you can reduce the number as you read aloud. I'm a little surprised that my son can relate so well, since he's never been in a regular school setting. He still relates to her Kindergarten adventures though. We also enjoyed the Mary Pope Osborne retellings of The Odyssey, depending on what year of history you are studying at the moment.

This has probably been discussed, but WHY??

Yes. I just found out that there isn't anything coming next. We're in book 4 right now. I have no idea where to start looking for the next step and I'm afraid I'll drift through 3-4 other curricula before we find something we like. Waaaaaaa! Pity Party at my house!

My kids have my old iPod for stuff we own and a speaker dock to plug it into. When we borrow something from the library, they listen to it on any one of the few computers around the house. We listen a lot in the car too. SOTW in the car is our favorite. We also have an iPad, but we haven't utilized it for listening, because usually someone is drilling math facts on it while another listens at a computer. I also record my own voice saying their memory work and they listen to it from the computer or ipod.

Perhaps he needs some practice spelling words with the shape boxes. This is what I mean: You aren't the only one dealing with this issue. There are a few letters that my son (6) never drops below the line.

I agree. Move on. I have two 4th graders and a 2nd grader. When the younger one started with us, he jumped in at book 2. He'll cycle around again in an older grade and get that third cycle after the other two have left the nest. You may be surprised what he picked up just by being around while his older brother was learning book one.

To answer this more specifically, I do keep some with the subject of study if they directly apply, but many of them are just in the non-fiction section of the pleasure reading shelf. I do have a whole cubby with leveled "literature" for the Scat, Cat type that are just for reading fun.

I have my books on 3 sets of ikea shelves. Like you, I have too many. I have a stash from my years as a public school teacher and just can't seem to part with them. I did a massive book clean out recently, but also organized my books so that they are usable. Here's what I do: One bookshelf is for pleasure reading books that don't relate specifically to any curriculum or topic of study. I have one labeled shelf (or section of shelf) for each of these categories: novels, series (Boxcar Children, Amer. Girl, etc), picture books, poetry, reference (dictionary, atlas, etc), non-fiction, biographies, travel, character building, and books relating to the Bible, but the Bibles are actually elsewhere. This bookshelf also has boxes for coloring books, board books for our young visitors, and magazines. On the other two bookshelves I store the books I use for teaching, ones that I don't want the kids to wander off into their rooms and lose for me. I categorize these books into magazine holders mostly. These include read aloud books that will apply to our current semester AND any supplementary resource books. I have magazine boxes for seasonal picture books (Thanksgiving and Easter books, etc), science, math, character education, and our other subjects. I do keep my readers separate from the rest; the magazine boxes are the greatest for those thin little nothings that tend to get lost and are difficult to sort through. This is where I store my infrequently-used curriculum resources like answer keys and black line masters, that I don't need at my seat with the students every day. My curriculum guides and supplies are on a cart that I pull up right next to my seat when I'm working with the students, so I'm not back and forth to the shelves all the time. These bookshelves are where our portfolios (past and present) are and has become a graveyard for old curricula and consumed workbooks. (I've just talked myself into another consumables clean out.) At the bottom of this bookshelf, I have labeled boxes (because it takes less space and makes looking for what I want simpler) containing resources for other years of study. All of my Ancient history books and resources are in one box. I have another for medieval and another for early US history. We haven't studied the Modern Age yet, but the box is there as a place holder. When we finish a school year, I simply transfer my resources to a box and dig through the next box for treasures. Having a labeled system helps me know what I have, what I have room for and helps me use the resources I've already purchased. I mark my curriculum guides too. I highlight any book suggestions that I own and mark in pencil the books my library has. This way, I'm sure to pull it from the shelf when we arrive at that lesson. Before I had this system, I would scour the library for a resource, only to find out later that I had a perfectly acceptable one hidden on shelf somewhere. I sometimes add a post-it note with the titles of resources I used successfully so I'm not reinventing the wheel when I use these with a younger child. I'll try to add a picture to my post so you can see what I'm talking about.