The older minions are responsible for their own breakfast and lunches for the family. This frees me up to actually make dinner, but they do help me with that as well. I do lots of freezer meals and crockpot cooking too.

We use RS for French, but I wouldn't recommend it for Latin. I don't think they change the program much from language to language, and learning to ask for directions to the hardware store in the language of the Romans is probably not helpful.

Not that I've seen. But SWB has some of her lectures for purchase on her website and it seems like Rainbow Resource used to have some good classes online but I cant find them on their website anymore. So if it's the classes you are interested in, there are definitely some out there. It would be hard to replicate the getting to meet with different vendors and getting a first hand look at all their materials though.

My boys' teachers started them in the Bastien Piano Basics for the Young Beginner. They started lessons at ages 7 and 9. It was a bit basic for the older one, but he moved through it quickly and then moved on to Bastien Piano Basics Primer Level. I believe both levels have a couple of books to get. They're hard to find around here so we ordered from Sheetmusicplus.com

Yes, or possibly even on the smaller side of "normal!" :lol: I grew up in an area where large families were dominant and now live in an area where 4 is approaching crazy. :leaving:

I tend to think most programs are only as complete as your commitment to them. If a program isn't working, I'll switch. But if it is working, switching usually isn't worth it. You can get holes more easily that way.

6K does seem like a whoooole lotta money for what they are providing. I don't know of a lot of these accredited High School correspondence programs, but I did compare it to the BYU Advanced HS program and their tuition for a year of the teacher-led classes came to less than half that. Normal correspondence courses were even less,

Mine is 8 going on 13. His older brother was never like this. He was downright indignant that his math assignment was having him do subtraction using zeros and regrouping. (The horror!) I pulled out a Brain Quest book and told him 3rd graders the world over are going through the same things. It's not that he can't do it, it's that he doesn't want to. Anyway, that settled the argument for that day. But there are more to come I'm sure.

This is good info. How are you liking Calvert Grade 4? I'll likely have a 4 and 6 in the fall like you do this year. I don't like the new common core fixation on non-fiction. I think classic lit. is often getting the boot to accommodate the percentages of non-fiction texts students are required to read. I'm not saying non-fiction isn't important, but not at the expense of the great books.

The original link is working for me. I'm using Mozilla on a desktop. If you are on a mobile device or using IE or other browser that could be the problem. OP, not loving how that sounds. I think we are going to be using Calvert for the next school year and if what you are saying turns out to be the case, using their HS program won't be a consideration.

The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale. Yay for a female lead!! That's hard to find in fantasy.

Yes, you can and many of us do! I would hate to see anyone discouraged by these blanket statements saying depressed mothers can't successfully educate their children.

OP, I'm going to be the Lone Ranger here and say that just because a mother is depressed does not mean that she cannot successfully homeschool her children. Whatever her reasons for homeschooling are, it's a good idea for her to start a file of "Why I homeshool" to look back on to remind her why she wanted to take this journey in the first place. Anything can go in there. Research on how homeschooled children show strong achievement, newspaper articles, whatever inspired her to make the move in the first place. It could be that she becomes overwhelmed and decides to put her kids back in PS. That doesn't mean she failed. People who aren't depressed do that as well. Or it could be that she really takes the bull by the horns and does a fantastic job at it. But there's always a learning curve. I think some good ideas have been posted herethat could get her started on curricula choices. I also think it is important that she make her health a big priority. I'm hoping her depression isn't untreated. The healthier she is, the easier it will be for her to get her kids' education on the right track.

I'd asked this very question as I am looking for more self-led curriculum next year for my older son due to a new baby who will be in the house. From what I understand, at the younger elementary levels, it is very parent involved. At the older elementary, the teacher's guide is actually written to the student. I wasn't really clear where the cutoff was, but by 6th grade (which we are looking at using) it is student driven.

IME, I haven't needed them outside of college admission. But that was a long time ago. You could be limited in scholarship and educational choices without them. I see no reason not to go for it. I didn't spend even one day in "preparation" and still had a score high enough for admission to a selective college. I was a bright student but not a brilliant one. I think a solid educational background is the most important test prep you can have and it sounds like she's getting that.

We have four of them. Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Alice in Wonderland, and Sense and Sensibility. They're adorable, but of course they are more for me than they are for the baby. Although I have to say my daughter is learning the important things in life, like that Mr. Darcy has 10,000 pounds a year and that Elizabeth received a total of four marriage proposals. :) ETA: Sorry, that would be three for Elizabeth, and one for Jane. And none for Gretchen Wieners.

Actually it was their "Procedures Manuel", which, to my surprise, took me to a (correctly spelled) "Procedures Manual" and not to Manuel, head of their Procedures Dept. :lol: Thanks for the tip on Rainbow Resource, I'll go check it out now!

I listened to a SWB talk and I don't remember the specifics, but the basic gist of it was that at the elementary level the most important thing to do for science is make sure they are solid at reading and math, which will set them up for success when they hit science hard in high school. I think videos for the rest of the year is a great idea. That said, if you are looking for experiments we are doing an Academy of Science for Kids (the one with the cat in the logo) kit and my boys love it. All the stuff they need to do the experiments comes in the box. At this age, I'm just aiming for exposure, and like SWB suggested, making sure they are solid at reading and math.

Not sure what to think of Starline Press. The website didn't wow me. I found a spelling error, but that wasn't the problem. I couldn't find sample lessons, so I don't really know what it looks like. The emphasis on character education isn't really for me. I'm not looking for a curriculum to teach my kids how to be good people (that's my job) I'm looking for one that teaches them how to read, write, and do math. That's also the reason I prefer a secular curriculum even though we are religious. If I see them at a curriculum fair I will check them out, but I can't imagine spending that kind of money on something I can't even preview. And thank you to everyone who has given me individual feedback on what you are using or have used. It helps to hear from those that are using or have used the companies I'm considering.

This is information I found really helpful in music study in college. Many of the major composers have a catalog designation which refers back to a master listing of all their works. (As in, someone made a master list of everything Mozart composed and gave it a number) so if you know these, you can translate the titles of the pieces you see. Anything with a K. is Mozart; BWV is Bach; WWV is Wagner, etc. ETA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalogues_of_classical_compositions

Thank you for all the suggestions, I've looked at all of them and I'm leaning toward Calvert for the older and MBTP for the younger. They seem like good fits for their respective personalities. Galore Park interests me, but that may come later. I really am looking for a box containing everything I need along with a checklist of what to do and when. Just for this year. I'll be back to picking and choosing each subject separately after that, I think.

Thank you both. I'd love to hear from parents who have used any of these suggestions about how hands on they are for the teacher. I'm open to different sets for each student, my younger son is very hands on/distractable while his older brother is very "bookish" and focused. Both seem to be working about at grade level.

The 2014-2015 school year is set to be a crazy one in our household. I'm looking for a complete curriculum that doesn't require a lot of teacher preparation or involvement to get us through. I expect we can get back to our normal procedures after that. I'd prefer rigorous and secular. We can use TT for Math so I'm primarily concerned about Language Arts, Science, and History. Any ideas?

To me, the trick is utilizing nap time. You can do an entire day of school with a K'er in the amount of time a 1 year old is napping. During the time the baby is awake your K'er can have free time, do simple chores, reading time, etc.

Sherlock!