Can't help...We are gonna be using General in the fall...What's the lapbook journal?

All About Spelling and Teaching Textbooks... All About Spelling has not only *greatly* improved my 10 1/2yo dyslexic son's spelling, it has also helped his reading improve. My 14yo son struggles with math (still on a 6th grade level), but Teaching Textbooks has been WONDERFUL for him. He is still in the 6th grade book, BUT he consistantly makes 90% and above on his lessons and tests using Teaching Textbooks. He has regained his confidence in math again and actually *enjoys* his math time each day.

2 cats...boy kitty is Tiger (he's really the biggest scaredy cat around) and girl kitty is Merry.

I have found that if I acknowledge the pain ("That must have hurt.") or if he missed his favorite show because he was working so slowly, "I hate it when I miss my favorite show too", then ignore him it works best. If I say that he's being silly, it makes him have a complete meltdown. If I try to explain why nobody is at fault but him, we have another complete meltdown. Acknowleding that he is in pain or disappointed then ignoring everything else helps. I will say that THIS is HARD to train yourself to respond this way, but in the end he can't say that I don't care, 'cuz I did respond to his pain or disappointed and I don't engage in any kind of arguement with him over it. Greta:)

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LOL!!!!

I personally think that Memphis alone drags our state down to number 30 on the list! Their system is HORRIBLE. They have a hand full of great teachers, then they've got a load who need to be knocked out of there. Of course, they are overun with inner city gang memeber parents who care NOTHING about their children at all (it really is amazing how many of my sister's 2nd grade student's parents were either in jail or the hospital at some point for gang related violence). I know for a FACT that Memphis city schools DO encourage the teachers to "teach the test". Elementary students are denied ANY recess time for 2 reasons...the kids (even 2nd graders) end up doing nothing but fighting when they go outside *and* the teachers are told to use that time to teach "test material". Crazy, crazy, crazy. My sister now teaches in a suburb of Nashville (Franklin). She did the happy dance all the way to Nashville. She was SO incredibly sick of all the board of education *mess* that goes on there. Memphis, in my opinion, is on a whole is just a MESS right now. That's sad, 'cuz I remember when it was a nice place to visit. These politicians from Memphis are just determined to drag the entire state down the tube with them. Sad.

I think there's a difference in a highschool kid sitting at at desk (doing formal school work) all day and one who does school work, has time for helping the family out with chores and/or a part time job and/or doing volunteer work and working on a special interest like music, poetry writing, martial arts, a sport or whatever. I think your girl is very well-rounded. Greta:)

For those of you who have used this with a 14-16yo aged student, did you find they did better reading only 1 chapter a day or were they able to handle 2 chapters a day? THanks, Greta:)

The newer editions are laid out better (make more sense the way they have them arrange now), more colorful pictures and the activity guides are MUCH better.

My 14yo doesn't have any food issues that trigger him, but other than that, I do exactly what you do. I've always got one eye and ear on my ds, making sure there's nothing that I need to "head off" before it causes him to have a meltdown. greta:)

First of all, I had to google Star Spangled States. I hadn't heard of it before today. Now, it's on our line-up for the fall! I've been looking for something for geography and this fits the bill perfectly. I have an up and coming 5th grader also, but I think his 14yo brother will also use Star Spangled States with him. Anyway, I think your 5th grade plans look great. Like I said, I'm adding Star Spangled States to our studies, but I'm only gonna use it on Fridays. I think I'll plan to take two years to complete it. Next year, I'm trying something new. I'm wanting our Fridays to be different instead of the same ole, same ole. We are gonna do God's World News for current events and the Star Spangled States will be a perfect addition to our Friday line-up. Here's what my 5th grader will be using: -History: STOW I and UILWHE -Science: Apologia's elem. Zoology II and Astronomy -Spelling: All About Spelling and then on to Megawords when we finish AAS (My ds has dyslexia, so we may never stop doing spelling:) -Handwriting: Conquering Cursive -Writing: Dictation via AAS and written narrations -Grammar: No formal grammar yet. Still working too hard on reading and spelling skills to focus on that yet. I'll prbably wait and do Winston Grammar with when he's 7th-8th grade like I did with his brother. -Reading/Literature: Pulling together my own reading list for him. Using lots of Sonlight Titles. -Math: Teaching Textbooks -Typing: Spongebob typing

What about First Book of Am. History by Edward Eggleston? You can see sample pages at amazon. http://www.amazon.com/First-Book-American-History/dp/0965273547/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209149551&sr=1-2 HTH, Greta:)

I had a student at our homeschool tutorial program that tell his mom one day that she smelled like me. She said it was the first day she had used Pantene shampoo and hairspray. I NEVER wear perfume, but my gal friends always tell me I smell good. I'm for sure now that it's the LOAD of Pantene hair products I use! Greta:)

Although I do go to BAM about once a year and read the sections that pertain to me while have a cup of coffee. I've been pondering getting it. If I ever do, I'll share it with you those couple of times a year you need the refresh yourself:)

I just wanted to thank you for your schedules!!!! I will be using a few of them next year, tweaking them, of course, to fit out family's needs. But you are making it SO much easier on me!!! Also, I've been wondering about your older child's sample daily schedule you have posted. About how much time did your child spend on school when that schedule was being used? My 14yo ds will have a similar schedule and I'm just wondering *about* how long his day will be. Oh, and another question. My ds hasn't done Lightning Lit's grade 7. Do you recommend we do that before the grade 8? Or does it really matter? He'll enjoy the books in both years. In fact, he's already read one book in both of those years (Alice in Wonderland in gr. 7 and Hobbit in gr. 8). I won't make him reread those books, but we'll just do the activities that go with them. Thanks, Greta:)

My 14yo ds was like your dd. He hated copywork. We did do dictation for a couple of years. By age 10, we were doing dictation 2x a week and then the rest of the week he wrote creative stuff. Have you looked at Karen Andreola's (sp?) book titled Story Starters (I think that's the title)? I'm thinking my 10 1/2yo ds will LOVE this book.

He has dyslexia, so I won't be able to just hand this to him for him to read independently like you might do with other 5th graders. He *really* wants to use the Zoology II book. I'm thinking that I'm gonna be sick to death of the same topic all year, so I suggested that we use Astronomy (what *I* want to read about;) along side the Zoo. II book. At this point he has he ONLY wants to use Zoo II, but if he seems to start to get bored or to dread science, I'm gonna order another Apologia book to use also. What I'd like to do is complete a chapter in Zoo. II, then complete one in Astronomy, then back to Zoo. II. Since my son is an older elem. student *and* is asking to study something specific, I'm taking his lead on this. I'll step in and do what I feel is needed (plan above:) if I feel he's getting bored with the same topic. Honestly, if he was in 2nd or 3rd grade or if he wasn't asking to study Zoo II specificly, I'd plan science for the year the way *I* wanted to do it. Greta:)

I know a lot of folks find success with using SOTW with first graders, but my boys didn't do well with history or science books without pictures at that age. I have found that history really seemed to make sense and they could see the bigger picture of how it's all connected when they were around age 9 to 10yo. Up until that age, my boys did better just reading pictures books about people from history. They particulary enjoyed the D'Aulaire books, the Picture Book Biography series and also the If You Lived...series. Just last week my 10 1/2yo ds made a comment about one of the Picture Book Biographies I read aloud to him 5 years ago! It was about Louise Braille and I was amazed at all the details he remembered from that book. Anyway, I don't want to really discourage you from trying SOTW in 1st grade, BUT keep all I said in mind *if* your child seems to not have any intereste in SOTW:) HTH, Greta:)

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Does anyone have or know where I can find online a reading schedule for Child's History of the World and Usborne's Internet Linked Ency. of World History? Thanks, Greta:)

I'd for sure drop the dictation and just make sure none of the other writing overlaps. If she's writing something for history one day, then she doesn't need to do writing for science or lit that day. My 14yo will be doing Jump In this fall. He's a wonderful writer, but until recently was a reluctant writer. I think his mind just went to fast for his hand (writing or typing) up until now. This year school year (he just turned 14 in March) is the first year that he might have a little writing in almost every subject every day.

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We've not used grade 5, so I can't comment on it. I did want to say that the grade 6 program is great! My ds has really enjoyed it and learned a lot. I highly recommend getting the Activity Book to go with the textbook. Greta:)

Can someone whose used it tell me a little more about it? Thanks, Greta:)