I agree. Those videos have helped me become a better teacher. After watching most of the videos, I now know that I could have saved tons of money by just using c rods and math problems written on index cards for K-2 math instead of buying tons of math curriculum.

Hi, I am looking for something computer based for my oldest. She really likes the computer and I think this type of learning would be good for her. I am using MIF and will continue but she is weak in math and needs work. Which one do you think is closest to Asian math? Any suggestions? Penny

MathBlaster app on android. My oldest begs for it everyday. She is playing it as I type this.

Homeschool in the Woods We love it. I don't plan to use anything else.

Thank you all so much for the help! I felt so alone and just hopeless. I have already started a plan of attack. :001_smile: I sat alone with my husband and showed him the great responses that I received on this thread. We instantly began to use a lot of what we read. When my dd started fussing this morning(can't remember what it was about) I politely told her that my ears no longer listen to whining and I ignored her. She gave up and walked away. I wanted to start a reward system for good behavior so we went to the store and purchased a large pink mesh backpack(I wanted mesh so that they could drool over the contents) and filled it with all sorts of inexpensive things/treats that the girls would drool over.(a little bit of candy, different flavor lip glosses, play rings, glow in the dark balloons, glow sticks and so on) I even wrote things on cards like movie night, pizza night, or game night and threw those in the bag also. I filled out index cards in two colors.(My oldest has purple and the youngest has yellow) I wrote one rule on each card. For example: My oldest has... Card 1. Completes schoolwork without any fuss. Card 2. Cleans room when mom says without any fuss. and so on. Both children have seven cards. They get a smile face and I initial the card as the job or rule gets completed. When they achieve five smile faces they can bring me their cards and pick out 1 item out of the bag. I had to put a lock on the bag though cause they would have been sneaky....:D When I showed them the bag and the cards my oldest said, "I wish we would have had school today so I could get my smiley face." I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO PASS OUT! I am sitting here in awe as their room is clean and their clothes is saved. You ladies are awesome.:D Penny

Hi, I am desperate... I am doing something wrong and it is just killing the homeschooling joy. My dd finds absolutely no joy in our school at all. Everyday, I put on my happy face and bring out our books to the kitchen table and the fight starts. My 9 year old fusses the ENTIRE time we do school. I have tried taking things away from her, punishing her and it does no good. By the time we are done I am exhausted and feel like I have been through a war! She does not pay attention when I am demonstrating or teaching and she makes really careless mistakes. She is a jump up and down screamer....:cursing: She tells me that she doesn't need to do math anymore because she knows it all!:001_huh: She also says that she hates school because it keeps her from doing what she wants to do.(which is ...nothing but playing with her friends) I will not change curriculum again as I changed a few subjects several times trying to fit her learning style...not anymore. She is going to deal with it. I read all these cute blogs out there saying how people love homeschooling their kids and that it is all a field of roses and I just want to cry. I have a schedule and I follow it. We are using Math in Focus(which I like a lot) Easy Grammar, WWE3, HSITW Explorers, Inquiry in Action, and she has to read so many pages each day from a chosen book for reading practice. I like what we are using now because I don't have to kill myself planning. We used konos before and she liked it but... I am not a planner and I like to have history covered in order.(konos was too all over the place for me) I feel like a complete failure when it comes to my oldest. She would love it if I took time off but, we already took a month off this summer. School will not and does not always have to be fun but WoW! Something has got to give. She is starting to fuss all of the time now...not just school. She is angry that she has to get school done and can't understand why it is so important. I do not know what to do anymore. Someone slap me in the face and help me get with the program......:D Penny

My DD hates the tiles. She now just writes in a notebook. This is much faster for us.

My husband is dyslexic and I suspect she is the same. I wonder if Sequential spelling would be a better fit? Penny

Hi, I am currently using AAS with my 9 year old dd who is NOT a good speller. It has been very difficult. She does not like the tiles so I have her write the words. I do not think it is working. She is making mistakes on easy words like snack where she spells snak. This is a word that a nine year old should be able to spell. We covered this in level one of AAS! I have tried SWR in the past which was a disaster. Marking the words resulted in blowouts. She hated it with a passion. I have been looking at spell well. I am thinking of using another spelling with her in hopes that something will stick. Suggestions? Penny

I am currently using MUS blocks because I had them and some c-rods. I also have a yard stick that makes a pretty good number line. HTH, Penny

My vote is for MIF. I don't hate Saxon. I just prefer the math strategies taught in programs like MIF. I don't think that you could do both. I have used Saxon and the lessons are a bit time consuming. I would estimate around 45 min. My dd would go on strike if I would add more math to a 45 min lesson...just sayin.' I have just switched to MIF from Singapore. My dd hates to even look at the SM materials but, MIF is fitting her nicely. They appear similar but presentation is slightly different and more gentle. I am using the third grade workbook and student text. I find no need for the TM's at this time. After all of the trouble she has had with math, I would gladly spend the money on the TM's if I felt I needed them. HTH, Penny

Do you find the gems guides to be easy to use? Thanks, Penny

Hi, I have been reading so many threads about science curriculum that I think my eyes will pop out of my head. :) One thing that I have noticed is that a lot of threads state that most curricula designed for home schooled children do not teach real science. I know that the favorite choice is BFSU and while I like it, I have come to the conclusion that I just don't have the time for planning. We have completed BFSU 1 and from what I understand, BFSU 2 involves more work/planning than vol 1. I don't think I can do it. So...if everything else is "not real science" then why bother? Most of these comments come from science majors so these opinions stand out. I look at RSO, The Elements, and so on and wonder what is so bad?(they look fun and engaging but...) My dd tells me all of the time that she would like to do more science and I would like something good and "real.":D I am just trying to decide what/if I should purchase? I would appreciate any insight. Thanks, Penny

Thanks for the help. I think my problem is that I have been researching and reading threads here where people say that most home school science curriculum are just demonstrations and don't really teach real science.That has me paranoid.(A bunch of science majors saying that they can't find a good science curriculum has me doubting every science curriculum I look at.) IOW, Why buy a science curriculum if I am just wasting money??? I may start a new thread about this. Thanks, Penny

Hi, I am back again for another comparison.:blushing: I have used BFSU 1 with my girls and heard that the level 2 was harder to use. I am just going nuts trying to decide what to use. My dd likes experiments and some hands on. In the past, science has been skipped a lot because I either didn't have the materials needed or I just didn't have the time to prepare it all. I do want to commit to a program that I can stick with now that my dd is getting older. Any opinions about these two would be appreciated. :001_smile: Penny

Besides the items for experiments, did you have to purchase other books? Penny

I was thinking that I could just move on to one of her other books after completing The Elements. My goal this year is to make things a bit more fun for us. We had to take a month off of schooling because we were really burned out. We have hitw new world explorers for history which looks perfect..now I need a science program that we will actually get done.:001_smile: Thanks, Penny

Hi, I am trying to decide between the two programs. Which program holds the childs interest? Anyone familiar with both? I would also like to know if the child/children retained the information? Are the items hard to find for activities/projects? Thanks, Penny

Yes..these will make a great study. Added books would be great. I just got my cd in today and started printing out some of the lessons. For us..it is going to be a very nice change not having to plan it out. The Explorers cd is set for 10 weeks but you could stretch it out longer if you want to linger. I plan to use it as is. HTH, Penny

I have a laser printer for my really huge print jobs but...I wanted an affordable color printer. I purchased a Brother MFC j430w printer and immediately purchased a set of refillable ciss cartridges from ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/130695548057?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_2221wt_1041 These hold way more ink than normal ones and I can buy ink in bulk to refill them. No more reset chip problems to deal with. Both printer and ciss cartridge purchase cost me under $100.00. HTH, Penny

I ended up purchasing HITW New World Explorers and it just came in the mail. It really looks great! I will have to use a separate science course, but that is ok. Printing it all out is not as bad as I thought it would be. I am putting it all together in one binder with each lesson separated with numbered tabs. All completed work will go into another binder. Does anyone know of a website that has library titles to go with each lesson? Just thought I'd ask as it would be a nice time saver. Thanks, Penny

I have two printers. One brother dcp 7040 laser printer that I have had for at least 5 years. The drum is going out. I have printed well over 12,000 pages and I can get a replacement online for $30. Bestbuy sells them for over $100! Toner refill bottles on ebay is super cheap. My advice is to purchase toner and any needed drums online. My second printer is a Brother mfc j430w inkjet. I have purchased a refillable ciss(continuous ink system) set of cartridges for my printer on ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/130695548057?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_2221wt_1041 This is wayyyyy cheaper than buying cartridges. They hold over twice the ink that the normal cartridges do. Now I buy ink in bulk. Just thought I'd pass this on to inkjet users. Penny

That would be a problem for me also. I don't think this will last very long because I just don't think many parents will go for this. I imagine that they will have a decline in student enrollment because of this. Penny

Is there no way of loading the textbooks onto a kindle touch(e ink) so as to save the eyes? Penny

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