We just got the DVDs, not the whole set. I can't tell you anything about it because we haven't used it yet. But I own it and hope to entice my kids to watch them over the summer. :) My reasons for choosing it are similar to yours, so I hope it's a win.

My 6th grade DD is finishing up Level 7. She will move on to Vocab using Vocab from Classical Roots and I'll hold her accountable for spelling in her writing.

We've used AAR thru level 4. We didn't do any grammar in 1st other than read some fun story type books about the parts of speech to introduce them. They're a series by Ruth Heller. Very cute. Then in 2nd we did Easy Grammar as a gentle intro to the subject. Next year we're starting First Language Lessons Level 3. Any of these are an easy supplement to AAR and AAS and only take about 10-15 minutes/day.

Another vote for XtraMath. DD likes it and she's made lots of progress in addition facts this year.

My kids aren't gifted like all of yours, just run of the mill bright and smart and funny, but I just want to say I :wub: this thread. Thanks for sharing and for the encouragement everyone.

We call it morning meeting but I assume that's the sort of thing you're talking about. I think I heard Sarah MacKenzie call it a symposium at a convention last year. :) I put stuff in our morning meeting basket that doesn't really have a well-defined "subject" it goes with and doesn't really fit anywhere else but I still want to make sure we get to it because it reflects "truth and goodness and beauty". We start with a hymn - each day a different kid gets to pick which one to sing. Then we move on to whatever else is in the basket at that time. Right now we're doing Philosophy for Kids, which is really fun and is generating a lot of discussion. We also read a poem and read a selection from 365 Manners Every Kids Should Know. The olders roll their eyes at the manners book, but it's good for them. ;) In the past we've also done devotionals, art appreciation, and the Story of the Orchestra

We use Artistic Pursuits and love it. I'm not very artsy myself, and it includes enough that I know what to tell them to do and how to explain it. It also includes art history, which I like. I use the same book for all my elementary age kids (PreK - 6th) and then my 7th and 8th graders get books of their own to do. No videos though.

It runs early here too, but due to a loooooong stretch of child bearing (5 kids in 12 years) it will be just the opposite for us ... I'll likely be a grandma and still have teenagers in the house ... until we're 58[emoji23] Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk

You must be younger than me ;) Peri-menopause and tweens don't seem to go well together. I really do believe God knows what He's doing and all that, really I do, but this seems like a questionable design strategy to me lol

We're using The Teaching Company/Great Courses. 2 lectures/week with discussion and reading the guide/answering the questions for 18 weeks. I watched the first lecture and enjoyed it immensely, so we're looking forward to it. http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/economics-3rd-edition.html

Yes, my toddler with all her demands and tantrums and butt wiping and hand washing is much easier to handle than my hormone driven drama inducing 12 year old DD whose moods fluctuate several times an hour and who can give you whiplash trying to keep up with her emotions at a certain time of the month. :lol: Gah!!!! But we are able to have a lot of good and meaty and funny discussions now too ... which keeps either of us from killing the other I guess. lol

I should add that we love love love apologia for middle and high school. But the elementary not so much. Good luck on your search! Sent from my SM-T230NU using Tapatalk

Science in the Beginning was great, but it was just a smidge too easy for my 6th grader when we did it a couple of years ago. And although I think it's a good solid program for elementary, I found we prefer a topic driven approach rather than a history driven approach to science. Science in the Beginning was topical, but the rest of the books in the series aren't. I strongly disliked Apologia. The tone was annoying and I didn't like just reading several pages aloud and narrating for most of the year. We prefer to do a demonstration everyday after a short reading. We won't be trying Apologia again. Mr. Q was good, at least for life science and earth/space science. Especially the experiments! But I didn't like the chemistry and physical science that much. Next year we're trying God's Design for Science. I don't know how that will turn out yet. Obviously, we've hopped around a lot with elementary science and I'm not sure what will end up being the program we stick with (if any!) LOL

If I was going to just be starting with a K'er and if I was going to use an all in one, I'd probably go with MFW. I just really love looking at the website! :) But when it comes right down to it, I have more fun piecing together my own stuff.

I agree. High school level is high school level, regardless of when you take the course during high school. My oldest DS took it in 9th and while he's more of a physics guy, he enjoyed the course a lot. We got together with a few other kids and did the dissections together and they had an absolute blast and learned a ton from doing it together. And best of all, Dr. Wile was his teacher, not me. ;) I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to do it in 11th grade. And Dr. Wile's treatment of evolution is a lot less over the top than the rest of Apologia's stuff. You could easily add some other reading to that module to beef it up if desired.

I just started using Book 1 a couple of weeks ago with my 8th grader to try to help encourage him to self-edit in his writing. So far, I like it. He rolls his eyes a bit at how easy this first book is, but I have noticed that he is now able to articulate why he's starting a new paragraph, which is a new skill for him. I have high hopes based on these first few weeks, but no other experience to speak of. Hope you get more responses!

I posted my above response when I had only looked at the table of contents. After I went back and read this sample, I agree with HomeAgain. Reading that perspective makes me ... uncomfortable to say the least. I think I'll stick with The Complete Book of US History.

:bigear: I had planned to use The Complete Book of US History for my 3rd grader, but this looks like it might be good too. I hope you get some responses!

We loved (and still love!) Video Text for Algebra I & II. It's pricey, but excellent at teaching conceptually and fairly challenging. It's video based, so the instructor is not you, and the lessons are fairly short. Some of the earlier lessons are ridiculously easy if the student has had any pre-algebra at all, but they're essential to understanding the concepts in later lessons. My 2nd DS cried with Saxon and while he used LoF as a fun supplement, there wasn't enough there to really learn and practice the concepts as they needed to be learned and practiced. He is now thriving with Video Text, although it's still a challenge for him some days. Good luck!

We've used Wordsmith Craftsman. It worked really really well for my oldest DS. My 2nd DS has had to review certain parts and go back and re-learn a few times, but he's starting to catch on. We might use the Elegant Essay after Craftsman if I don't think his essays are up to snuff after finishing it.

First of all, I reeeeeaaaaalllly like to plan too - it's a hobby ;) - so if that soothes you and makes you feel better to have a long term plan in place that you endlessly tweak, then go for it and knock your socks off with it! But it kind of sounds from your post like having a long term plan in place is stressing you out, not soothing you. It's really ok not to know what curriculum you'll be using several years down the road!!! So many things will change over time ... your family size, your understanding of your kids and their learning styles, your own teaching style and abilities ... it's impossible to know what will work out over the long haul. So do your research and make tentative long-range plans, but don't stress out about finding the perfect curriculum for when the kids are XXXXX ages. Find the curriculum that works for them right now, and go from there. It sounds like you're off to a great start with your first 2 children. It's so easy to combine at that age, and doing lots and lots of read alouds is really your most important priority. Unless your kids have significant learning challenges, in my opinion it's best to go with a curriculum that YOU enjoy most and can implement on a consistent basis. The independence thing you do need to be somewhat purposeful about teaching and encouraging, but it really does come along with increased maturity as the children grow. I remember not really believing that when mine were all little and needing me so much, but trust me it really does happen as they grow and mature. In 5 years from now, you won't believe what all they can do on their own. :) Good luck and God bless!

I echo everything Momto2Ns said. :) Analytical Grammar, IEW, and look at other math options than just Saxon and Teaching Textbooks. We've enjoyed and got a lot out of Video Text Algebra, although the price tag is pretty steep. And as long as they're progressing, it's ok to not follow the Well Trained Mind completely. We jumped in to hs'ing when my oldest was in 8th grade, and there was a learning curve for sure, but it's been so worth it. If I can do it, and I'm certainly nothing special, then so can you! Welcome! :)

Thank you for the detailed response - this was so helpful! Especially the bit about including the thought that I am acting as a guidance counselor in this situation. That really helps me know how to frame the conversation so that I keep my role in mind and don't just become another over-involved mommy. :) I had looked through the admission website and googled Purdue homeschool admissions and all that showed up was 1 line on 1 page of the website: "Homeschooled students also must provide an official transcript with coursework and grades earned." Not overly enlightening, as I already knew that. I did schedule him for a campus visit next week as well. Hopefully we'll be able to talk to someone from admissions that day and get some questions answered. I'm not sure I'm ready for this journey, but here we go anyway! :)