UPDATED FEBRUARY 14, 2019 - Almost everything changed! Our oldest will be 10 in September : BIBLE - God’s Great Covenant NT 1 —> She thought this was boring and preferred just reading her Bible, devotional, and discussing as family HISTORY - Civics with Notgrass Uncle Sam & You — this is a great curriculum, but she only finished half - we decided to switch to family studies for history in the spring - we’ll finish SOTW 1 together SCIENCE - Apologia Anatomy & Physiology (she begged to do this) - she liked reading this, but didn’t like the note booking. MATH - BJU Math 5 (DLO) [working well, don’t fix what isn’t broke] —- IT BROKE! I realized that she really wasn’t retaining anything! We switched back to CLE. SPELLING - BJU Spelling 5 —- this did not work out she struggles a lot with spelling. We’re going to work through AAS instead GRAMMAR - FLL3 —— switched to Junior analytical Grammar. FFL was too teacher intensive. WRITING - WWE3 (again, catching up) —- this is good! LATIN - CAP Latin for Children A —- never fit this in to the schedule. Will try again next year LOGIC (informal) - Logic to the Rescue —- Reading this slowly PIANO - John Thompson’s piano books & begin formal lessons —-she loves piano! American Heritage Girls! —Our favorite (She’s in her 5th year!)

So, I’ve decided to use Elemental Earth Science only with my youngest (8yo with delays). My older dd decided she REALLY wants to study Anatomy, so she’ll work through the Apologia text. If she finishes before the end of year, we’ll start working through WTM recs. Thank you for your ideas. It helped me make my decisions.

I will add that staying off property can often be more expensive. If you’re flying in you’ll need to rent a car. If you’re staying on property The Magical Express will take you from the airport to your resort. All additional transportation needs are free on property. (Bus, ferry, monorail) - no rental car needed If you rent or drive yourself - You will need to pay daily for parking at the parks. (Minimum of $22/day) Add the expense of gas to drive yourself around and a lot of time lost finding your way around and waiting in traffic. (You can drive to FL, Park at the resort for free, and let Disney take you where you need to go!) You will not get Magic Bands for free. You will need to deal with keeping up with tickets or pay for Magic Bands yourself. You will not be allowed in parks during Extra Magic Hours. And finally... staying at a Disney Resort is an awesome experience! Just some thoughts to consider.

We have never traveled with “Traveling Homeschoolers”, but we go to Disney about 3 Times/year. We’re Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members and Annual Passholders. I consider myself to be quite knowledgeable in all things Disney. Our homeschool is actually named after Bay Lake at Disney! We will actually be at Disney the week of Nov. 11 too. I looked over the Traveling Homeschoolers (TH) site. Here are my thoughts : TICKETS - The ticket prices they list are a great deal. There is only 1 way for general public to get discounts on Disney tickets. You need to buy through undercover tourist.com. The TH pricing beats theirs! TH - $355/ person for 5 day park hopper vs $449 for 4 day Park Hopper with extra day at Undercover Tourist ROOM - I can’t speak to the pricing we’ve never stayed at those resorts. We stay at the deluxe resorts with our DVC points. I would encourage you to check eBay. Search “DVC” or “Disney Vacation Club”. You could also look at DVC rentals.com Many DVC members rent out their points or they have a stay booked but can’t go. They’re looking to get anything out of it so it doesn’t go to waste. It appears that the rooms are all standard and not suites. With your family, I would highly recommend trying to get a 2 bedroom suite. Old Key West is on the cheaper end for the deluxe resorts, and they’re the most spacious as well. The 2BR suite will give you 1 master BR, a 2nd BR with 2 queen beds, a pull out sleeper sofa, and sometimes a chair that will pull out to a twin bed. You would also have a full kitchen and laundry room! ITINERARY - It does seem like they have some really neat stuff scheduled. We are not good at following someone else’s schedule, so that part doesn’t appeal to me. I have looked at the educational opportunities that Disney offers, and I’ve considered it ... but, we have learned to relax at Disney and not over schedule. We make dinner reservations, but we like to play the rest by ear, so it probably wouldn’t be a good fit for us. However, it does sound awesome. I would be glad to answer any questions you have about planning if you decide to go that route. I love to talk Disney! Hoping someone else will chime in with some experience with Traveling Homeschoolers! Have a “magical” night!

If you’re not wanting to do a formal study, I would actually suggest getting the Song School DVD’s only. We loved the DVD’s. They have a discussion about the words and each week has the derivative river. They learn how Latin words are the root of words in all different languages. It’s really neat. Also, the DVD’s have a monkey that my kids love!!

Nixpix5, thank you for the feedback. I guess I should look further into Logic stage or just follow WTM recommendations. Hmmm.

I'm considering using Elemental Science Earth Science this fall. My youngest is clearly in the Grammar stage (8 yo / 2nd grade with LD), but my soon to be 10 yo (5th grader) would probably fit best in the Logic stage. I'm not sure which level to choose. I've read that they are not synced up because the Logic stage goes deeper in study for the various topics, so I would either have to choose one level or deal with them covering different topics at different times. I want them to both be challenged and learn, but not be overwhelmed. Has anyone here had experience with both Grammar and Logic levels of Elemental Earth Science? Is the Grammar level worth it for a 10 yo or would it be worth it to try and juggle both levels? I'm most worried about my 10 yo not being challenged enough. However my youngest struggles a lot if she's overwhelmed... Thoughts?

I’ve used HS planet this spring. I’ve really liked it. My dd logs on, and checks things off as completed. I’ve purchased lesson plans to use for the fall. I’m really excited about IEW-SWA, Fix It!, all of the BJU plans, and Family Time Fitness boot camp. The FTF includes a lifetime access to the lesson plans as well as the boot camp curriculum. (I’ve noticed several of the lesson plans include access to the curriculum). I like HS planet because there are days where one or more things just don’t get done (or we decide to take a sick day). When I log in again, it asks me if I want to mark the missed lessons as complete, delete them, or move that and all following lessons forward. I set it up to know our school year, including days we are on vacation. It automatically knows not to assign anything to those days. I’ll definitely be renewing when it comes time.

Ahhh... Thank you! This is exactly what I was wondering. You've saved me time and money. Workbooks are not the answer here. I appreciate your response sangtarah.

We've used Academic Excellence to order our CAT tests for the past few years. We added our youngest to the testing world this spring. She is proving to be more difficult to teach due to medical issues and delays. I have already received our test results, but I didn't order the recommendations service. I'm considering contacting them to see if I can add that. I was curious if anyone has actually used this service, though. Is it worth the time and money? From your experience, do their recommendations actually serve the child well? *** Note : My child is already being followed by many medical teams and we are on top of her care both physically, mentally, and spiritually. I am simply curious as to what types of curriculum might be recommended from AE based on her test results.

We floundered a lot with math (Horizons, CLE, Singapore...). We’ve finally settled with BJU Math. Their 7th grade option is “Fundamentals of Math” - not Algebra, yet. I’ve heard it’s a great course to prepare for upper levels. We are currently finishing 4th grade. This year I started doing the distance learning option as well. I originally bought the textbook kit, and I added the distance learning option when the had their sale for $99. If you’re interested in BJU Math, contact a local BJU rep. They can get you up to 25% off. Distance learning has also made a huge difference in how my daughter looks at math lessons. I didn’t like being removed from the daily lessons, but I’m glad I did it. She still comes to me to review or additional questions and explanations. Best homeschool decision we’ve made! https://www.bjupresshomeschool.com/product/264945

We are located in Wake County, but we are north of Raleigh (Wake Forest). There are a LOT of groups around Raleigh. There is a very active Facebook group where you can make connections and find opportunities. “Homeschool Moms Around Wake Countyâ€. The homeschool community in Wake County is huge! I think you’ll love it here!

Have you considered online options? Putting a few of the kids in public (or traditional) school will possibly cause you even more work and stress. You will have to manage getting them up, dressed, and ready for school by a specific time each day. You will have to manage their homework and the expectations of another teacher. My first stop, before public school, would be to consider online homeschool. Some options would be Monarch, Switched On Schoolhouse, Time4Learning, Abeka Academy, and BJU distance learning. There are so many more out there to consider. These days we are not at a loss for options. I hope you find the answers you're seeking, and the comfort your heart needs as you're dealing with this season of life.

Confessionsofahomeschooler.com has a variety of literature studies that are available to use in a co-op setting. http://store.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70_100_101&products_id=261 http://store.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70_100_101&products_id=302 http://store.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70_100_101&products_id=311

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation! I guess it could be beneficial if used as you described.

I have been very curious about Audible as well. I see the subscription is approx. $15 per month. You only have access to 1 book per month, if I'm reading this correctly. So... I see that many (if not all) of the books that I'd be interested in don't cost that much to simply buy. I bought Treasure Island today for about $10 I think. If you don't use your credit each month, does it roll over to the next month or do you just lose it? Is it really worth $15 per month? or is it better to simply buy the books you want? It seems cheaper to just buy. I guess I'm not understanding the benefit of the subscription... Anyone with experience that can share their knowledge?

I am a leader for American Heritage Girls. Our troop is made up of girls aged 5 to late teens. These are the things we participate in regularly. Food Bank - The food bank in NC has kids day on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month from 2-4. Check out your local food bank for similar opportunities. Retirement Village - We’ve reached out to a local retirement community to let them know we were interested in helping. They have shared so many opportunities for us to help out. The kids have helped with Bingo night, they’ve hosted a carnival there, they’ve helped with a dance, as well as many other things. Cards for kids in the hospital - we have got together and made cards out of card stock, stickers, markers... We take them to the child life team at the hospital, and they pass them out to the kids. They especially appreciate this near Christmas and Valentines Day. Freezer meals for the fire department - the firemen love to have ready made, nutritious meals they can pop in the oven. A large group can work assembly line style to make these. A smaller group would deliver. (Possibly have the younger kids deliver while enjoying a visit to the local fire department!) There are so many others. There is an excellent book called “The Kids Guide to Service Projectsâ€. I highly recommend if you’re wanting to lead service projects.

You know your daughter a heck of a lot better than the DoE knows my kid :) That's an advantage, but it's not perfect. You still want a professional to check her out, just in case. Maybe we're all wrong and your kid is just a pain. Well, then come back and we'll give you different advice once you have proven it. My kid is definitely not a pain. I'm going to assume you didn't mean it to sound like that. I'm also not willing to put her through a bunch of testing unless I truly feel it's necessary. If you knew my child, you would understand that the evaluation would cause her immense stress and anxiety. This is the one issue that she has as a result of being the sister of a seriously ill child. As her parents, we will discuss with her doctor if/when we feel that is needed. I won't be returning to this post. I do feel like some were able to offer some helpful advice, and I'm grateful. Thank you. Have a nice evening everyone.

Thank you. I appreciate all of the suggestions. I really feel that I know my child, and I really feel like this is an attitude or heart issue. She has a tendency as any other child to be lazy, selfish, and she is very stubborn. These aren't bad labels. They're just describing part of their character that they need to learn to manage. I need some helpful advice for encouraging her in this. I will try setting the time frame of "45 minutes for math". I like that idea. Maybe if she knows that she has to spend that amount of time doing math, she'll slow down and do it well. I can tell her that if she shows me that she is capable of doing a good and neat job in 30 minutes then we'll change the amount of time. This might encourage her to stop the drama and get to work. I also thought of telling her that if she doesn't show some effort, she won't get to go to American Heritage Girls. I hope everyone understands that I'm not trying to argue. I feel like that's the way some folks were responding. I'm not an arguer at all. That's probably the worst part of forums. When communicating with someone, they can't see your face or hear your tone. If I feel that things get worse, I will talk with her doctor about evaluations, but I seriously don't think that's the issue. I think I know my kids pretty well. Thank you again everyone for your kind words and helpful suggestions.

Writing - she can write so neat and pretty - when she wants to. If she's writing a letter to her friend or Aunt, it's beautiful! She is seriously just rushing to get done. Tanaqui - she is the one who loves yogurt and healthy food. You couldn't get me to eat fruit and yogurt as a kid! She loves nutritious foods. We try to cut out any artificial dyes and sweeteners. We aim for mostly real foods, but we're realistic about it. Sometimes you just want some Fruity Pebbles! (But we use whole organic milk, so that makes it okay - right?). :) I don't believe for a minute that the work is too hard for her. She shows me that she clearly understands, but when I ask her to complete a math worksheet to practice the steps she has a breakdown. I ask why she's crying and she tells me that it's too much work and she really wants to go play. I think she's comparing her workload to her sisters 1st grade workload.

She is fine with her sisters illness. we've talked about that a lot. Most of the hospital stays and treatments were 3+ years ago. She has been doing well. She only goes for regular checkups now, and she has to take meds daily. She's just like any other kid, just delayed in most things.

I appreciate the comments and suggestions. She is a healthy kid, and she has a healthy lifestyle. We have a routine (not a schedule) that we follow. I wish there was a way that I could show her what other kids her age are expected to do in a traditional school environment. I think she would then appreciate how much nicer our school days are. She doesn't have learning delays. I truly think this is a heart issue. I think she simply doesn't want to give up any of her own time to do things that aren't fun. I think she needs to overcome the naturally selfish tendency that we all have - "my time is my time and I'll choose what to do with it." I just don't know how to approach that. I also don't want her to think that having an ugly attitude will make the bad things go away. I want her to learn to control her anger and frustration without being disrespectful to others. I absolutely agree that sometimes the answer is to just give them a break, but she has had lots of breaks. We truly dont spend much time at all doing "school", and I dont ask her to do much writing because I know she doesn't like that. Overall I need to help her see that she needs to give a few hours of work to earn the free time.

***. She eats and sleeps great. Healthy foods. Loves to run and play outside and ride bike. She gets outside and exercises. They are both American Heritage Girls. They have enough time out of the house doing other things.

We just started back to school 6 weeks ago from a 7 week break. - She shouldn't need a break. She has had her vision tested recently. That's a regular thing for our family as the little one is "legally blind". Her vision is good. We don't do everything every day. Science is only twice a week. MOH is only 3 times a week. We don't do all of the activities either. For science we read one day and do an activity on day 2. For MOH, we read the lesson 3 days a week, and we might do one activity. We do grammar 3 times a week, and it's less than 15 minutes per lesson. None of her lessons are particularly long. She knows our routine so none of this is a surprise. I know she knows how to do the math because she does it with no problem (but a lot of complaining) when we do it together. She needs to practice the problems, though. Moving to a new topic won't help. She is repeating the behavior she had last year. Review or not, her response is awful. She sleeps well (bedtime at 8, but she can read until 8:30). She gets up at 8, and comes downstairs for breakfast. We have a fairly regular routine. She eats well. She actually prefers healthy food (oatmeal, eggs, fruit, yogurt...) to pastries and cereal/milk. It's almost like she refuses to accept that she must participate in school. She makes everyone else miserable because of her attitude. I want to help her work on her feelings and recognize that life isn't always enjoyable, and learning can be fun. ETA : this behavior isn't new, it's just been growing worse. Her handwriting has never been great, but I think it's getting worse. I think that's because she's rushing things. Please know - we do not have an intense school schedule. We're almost always done with everything in less than 3 hours. That includes read aloud time ( by me).

I realize the "topic" of this post seems quite negative, but this is serious. We have 2 daughters. The oldest will be 9 this month. She is doing 4th grade level work. The youngest is 7 1/2, and she's doing 1st grade work. (She has a huge medical history including treatments that have caused her learning delays - steroids, chemotherapy, dialysis, lots of hospital time, and lots of ongoing meds as well as visual impairment.) The youngest is okay. She's just now starting to read and working on BJU Math 1. She participates in Bible, and she listens in (for exposure) to History and Science. Overall she's doing good. My problem is with my oldest daughter's attitude toward anything related to school. She complains about everything, and she will not apply herself to anything. (Example) : MATH - The first few chapters of her Math this year are a review. She knows how to add and subtract. I'm not asking anything huge of her. She acts like she's dying - there are tears, she gets almost every problem wrong, and her writing (numbers) is so sloppy I can barely tell which numbers she's writing. She doesn't pay attention to what she's doing so she adds when she should subtract. I know she can do this, and do it well. She starts every assignment with such a negative attitude that she sets herself up for failure. I don't think we should just keep moving through the curriculum. I will not mark out half of the questions either. There are not too many questions for a 4th grader. She's smart, but almost unwilling to try. (We are doing BJU Math 4 per her request. Last year she did CLE and she hated it, begging me to let her do BJU again!) I'm desperate for advice, suggestions, any help at all. We have a good relationship overall. It's just school she hates. She would rather play all day. Her other subjects are just as bad. Her writing is so rushed and messy. She just wants to get things done so she can go play. She acts so annoyed that I should ask her to do anything. Here is our curriculum this year : Bible - Grapevine OT overview History - MOH Volume 1 Science - Christian Kids Explore Eart and Space Math - BJU 4 Grammar - trying FLL 3 (neither of us love this, but we do it) Writing - WWE 2 (again, neither of us love this, but we're doing it) Handwriting - Veritas Press classical Cursive Spelling - (her spelling is awful!) we're alternating Spelling You See Wild Tales and Megawords Literature - 1 chapter a day of a book I choose. (We discuss, she narrates, or sometimes she'll draw a picture for narration) When we have time we add sewing lessons, art (pastels), music and art appreciation. I would like to add Latin, but I don't want to add anything until we resolve some of the issues we're having. I don't think I'm asking too much of her, and I don't expect perfection. I do expect that she should do a good job, show a fair effort, and present neat work. Am I expecting too much? (Thank you if you've read this far).