YEAH!!! Glad day one is down for you guys. :) We started back last week doing school lightly. Today was our first FULL day. Oh, why did I not do more over the summer like I had planned!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!!!! That is my fault, not the kido's, but man... Jessica was hard at work with her Latin II and On-line writing class. She should have been reviewing her Latin cards over the summer, but didn't. :( All in all she is a wonderful trooper about it and was the one to point out what she should have done, etc. I think this year will be a little challenge for her, but I do believe she is up to the task. :) The rest did well, but it could have been better, IMHO. I just have to remember: There's Always Tomorrow! Blessings, Tina

IMHO, it is worth it. :) I have levels 1-7 and LOVE them all!!!! I would suggest finding it used from the swap board, ebay, or another sales board. Make sure it has the parents manual (you only need ONE to use for all levels 1-7), and that the lesson plans are included with the dvd's/vhs. The art prints are necessary, you can find the pictures online or in a book, but it is convenient to have. :)

That looks WONDERFUL! I love the idea of getting those folders and using them for covers. I am so happy you posted pictures because I was visualizing 3 ring binder, even when you mentioned the comb binding. Go figure. I am a visual gal. I would like to do something like this, but I hop around everywhere that I don't feel I could plan out our schedule for a whole year. I make up their assignment handouts on Sunday and place them in the front of their folders (I use those 3 prong file folders with pockets). This seems to work well for us. But I am always looking for more ideas to help it make it better. :) What are you plans with filling out their schedules? What is your Friday afternoon meeting? What is the the reading log book? I see it is 20 pages. I like the idea of a daily schedule in each of their folders. I used to have one posted that was for ALL of us, but we are hardly all on the same schedule all the time (online classes, have to work with one, or two, while others are off doing something else, etc). I think I am going to sit down and really think (& pray) about this one. Thanks for sharing what you have done. It has encouraged me.

Nope, it's happening to me too. :)

I taught a recorder class and knew nothing when I was asked to take over the class. I used Penny Gardners New Nine Note Recorder Method. I couldn't speak highly enough about it. It is WONDERFUL! My dd still looks at it and plays music from it. There are enough songs in it to last a year+. And she sells some other neat recorder music books too.

I agree with this! What is recommend above though is for state specific. We used it for WA state history and it was WONDERFUL! They do have a product called: Fifty States Under God. I haven't used this one yet, but it is on my list of "To Buy". I was so pleased with the other products quality that I am sure this will be good as well.

With the cost you posted, if I am reading it correctly, works out to be $7 a class. Cost wise, that isn't to bad taking a lesson from a professional artist. But like Lucinda said, the number of students is way to high (IMHO mommy opinion). I don't see how it could be "quality" art instruction. My dd took lesson at a art studio. The cost is $80 a month for 4 (sometimes 5) 1.5 hour lessons. There were a max of 16 in the class and the teacher had NO helper. I saw this as a negative. I felt that sometimes I didn't feel she was ready and/or rushed into teaching the next class (she had a class right before DD that ended when dd class began). And that really that .5 hour was used as her transition time from one class to another. On occasion, I have stayed and helped the instructor clean up. I felt so sorry for her. She really appreciated my wiliness to lend a hand. And boy, I thought she could use someone on a permit basis. I couldn't imagine her teaching 30 students (even with a few parent volunteers) with only an hour block of time. Oh... another thought, even though the block of time at dd art school, projects were not completed each week. Some of them took 2 weeks to complete. With that said though, I overall dd enjoyed the class and I enjoyed having her take it. Her love for drawing is amazing and I feel she improved with her time at the art school. We took this summer off and now she will take beginning art and design at our co-op with a professional artist that did work for Disney and Universal. I am SOOOOOOOOO excited. I taught art at a co-op last year using Atelier Art and it worked wonderfully. I am art challenged, but the video based instruction helped a lot. It is well worth its price.

My dd used it last year the summer before 7th and LOVED it. I plan on using bits and pieces of it with her this year (8th) and I know she will enjoy it. :) She is a hands on type of gal and the projects are WONDERFUL. :)

Thanks, Lisa. :) I would love borrow them. :) Hum, I thought that cover looked familiar to me... Wonder if I can find it here in Mikes old school books... Makes me wonder if I have it already. You know me... I might have it. :)

About The Story of US; I am thinking it was meant to say "The History of US". Am I correct? I don't "think" I will be using the Hakim books, but I know I have one of them here and I may look at it a bit though. So is the Zinn book more along the lines of Hakim's philosophy? I did reserve A Patriot's History of the United States at the library. Thanks for the recommendation. I figure when I get these books that I will sit down and see which ones would be the best reads for my learning/reading style. I did see that some of the recommended books above are available as sound recordings, so I reserved those too. :) I like to listen to tapes while I am driving so this might be a good fit for me. :)

Paul Johnsons book is not available at my library, but the others are. YEAH! :) In your (all the recommended it) opinion, is this a book worth purchasing for my own library?

Thank you everyone! I am so blessed to have your help. :) I can't express how much this means to me. Thank you so much. I will see what the library has that I could check out. And the others I may just have to use my 20% off at B&N. :) Again, thank you! :) ~Tina

I am teaching a co-op class using All American History Vol. 1 in the fall. I know a little bit about American History, but would love to know more so I feel like I have a little more background on the subject. Can you please recommend a American History book for me to read that covers Exploration through 1840. I would like it to be a non dry book if possible. Even kids books are ok with me. :) Thanks so much for any suggestions you can give me. :) ~Tina

Praying for all of them.

LOL that is funny! I sooo know what you mean. :)

ok... in my best Beethoven (the movie) little girl voice... "Thread Killer..." Oh I couldn't resist! I love you dear friend!

You're welcome. ;) BTW, I know what you mean about how she talks to the kids in a younger tone. :) I just learned to "try" and look past it and the kids didn't seem to mind to much either (ages I used level 3 with ages 6-9). When we moved up to level 4 for this age group, some of them found some of the lessons very challenging, especially since their fine motor skills weren't fully developed. I don't know the ages of you young'ins, but if you "can" tolerate it, it may be worth it in the long run to help them grasp what is being taught and build on those concepts. But of course do what you mommy gut is telling you to do. And yup, there are young kids pictured in that video. If you have older ones this "could" be a turn off for them. I used level 4 & 5 with ages 10-13 and they did fine with the ages of the kids that were pictured. I just made an occasional comment that even though the kids are young, the concepts being taught are new to all of us and it is best to start here. Something like that anyways. :)

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to take the time and look at those links. You share wonderful links!

I LOVE IT! I use it with my children and you can see some of there projects at my blog (under labels, click on weekly reports). I have taught it in a co-op setting using levels 3-5. For grades 2 I would just just starting at the beginning. The levels do build on each other as different concepts are reviewed and extended making it more challenging for the older kids. I couldn't recommend this program highly enough. :)

Oh Brittney, I couldn't imagine. I am glad it turned out to be what it was rather then what it could have been...

OH MY! I would love to do this. My dd did a report on this "house" for her writing class and she also completed a lapbook from HOAC on the "house". What a great opportunity. :)

Seeing what you wrote reminds me of a broadcast I recently listened to on Focus on the Family. I listened to part 2 and was just wowed. I didn't listen to part 1, but will now that I just looked it up. :) I hope you find something helpful: God's Plan for Marriage 1 God's Plan for Marriage 2

I just watched a wonderful movie last night "definitely, maybe" I loved it! :) Not a kid movie though... I cried, I laughed, I loved it! :)

Ok... What is LL (lively latin)? :) I can only come up with Lightning Lit, but I know you don't copy that off. :) I use UPS Store for larger copy jobs. They have a punch card that you can purchase a 1000 card for $35 (works out to be 3.5 cents per copy). I can send files to them via internet and tell them what I want (color, 2 sided, bw, etc.) and they will do the printing for me. Then when I am out running errands that day I stop by, run in, pick up my stuff, and they mark off my punch card for me (most of the time they do this before I get there so I just have to grab and go). I LOVE our local UPS Store. They are wonderful! If you go to Kinko's they do offer a homeschooling discount. Of course the above may be different for your state, but this is how it is in WA state. It is something to look into. :) HTH's

A car... 15. A motorcycle, much younger. Under 10. :)