mommymilkies, thanks for the 'heads up' about the Mac!

Great insight, Iprstn. Thanks! So nice to get a 'thumbs up' on the program from an engineer experienced in the field!

If you can get your hands on a good bird book, a visual reference is really effective for a 5yo. I often had my kids draw from a picture and/or repeat back to me facts we learned about the birds. The resource from Satori Smiles looks awesome! Here is a book that we love: http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Songs-North-American-Birds/dp/1932855416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377711055&sr=8-1&keywords=bird+call+book And I agree with the others: no need to wait for the youngers; they will either pick it up the next time around or have their own interests they will want to pursue. Go for it!

Thanks for the input, Erin. We are doing MOH 2, but I went and checked out your blog anyway. Very nice!

Thanks for the input, Merry; you've definitely given me some things to think about! It *is* kind of a pain to get in and out of a binder for copying. Hmmm... As for the price difference, it only costs $1 to have my local print shop remove the spine; very inexpensive. Hmmm... :)

Thanks for the input, Merry; you've definitely given me some things to think about! It is kind of a pain to get in and out of binder for copying. Hmmm... As for the price difference, it only costs $1 to have my local print shop remove the spine; very inexpensive. Hmmm... :)

Thanks, Alison! I have the book already, and I definitely want to use the extras. Just trying to decided if the amount of convenience is worth the money. ;)

I am starting Mystery of History for the first time and I'm wondering if the printable worksheet CD and the challenge card files are worth paying for. I dread trying to copy those tests and worksheets out of that big book (I have three kiddos in the class), but I think I can get the spine cut off and 3-hole punch it to make it easier. As for the challenge cards, I think that it would be beneficial for my kids to make their own, but I also know there is a good chance we won't get around to it. Your thoughts? :bigear: Donna

Yes, my son felt like he could handle the Java/Android class. He has a lot of experience with programming, web design, and game creation (some self-taught, some formal) so we're going to take the plunge. I'll let you know how it goes.

Our sons sound similar. It was really helpful for my boy to go and read through the samples and the table of contents for each semester to see what he thought he could handle. I would encourage your son to do that, too. :) Also, the reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew that anne1456 posted above were really thorough and provided good perspective.

Thanks for your input, kanagnostos. Sorry the program wasn't a good fit. Lisa, I appreciate your review. I've read quite a few that found the program easy to use and implement, so we'll forge ahead and see how it goes.

Thanks, Kelly! Based on the input and reviews, and my son's enthusiasm after checking out the website, I think we're going to go for it. :hurray:

Thanks, Kelly! Based on the input and reviews, and my son's enthusiasm after checking out the website, I think we're going to go for it. :hurray:

On the one hand, I DO want my kids to come to me if they really need help, but I DON'T want them depending on me for every little thing -- they ARE going to move out someday. Hee hee! I try to determine which response is warranted: "You know, I am totally confident you can solve this one on your own. Go try again." (most of the 'help' falls here!) "Hmm, that is a problem. How are you going to solve it?" (just needs a point in the right direction or more time to figure it out) "You're right; that's tough. Let's see if we can walk through this together." (try to do this by asking more questions than giving out info) One child in particular has the "I can't find it" syndrome. I usually say, "If I go there and look, and I find it, you owe me (a piece of your gum; a buck; an extra chore; etc). Do you want to got look again?" and she ALWAYS looks again (and finds it 99% of the time!). :hurray:

Love this thread! Can't wait to go shopping for supplies tomorrow. :)