Did you still do recitations at home? Did your child self-check the workbook? (I guess I am assuming that is still assigned?) Can you tell me a little about how the online assignments work? Is it just a quiz or are there other things assigned. Do you take the quiz online? Or scan and send in?

We must have similar taste in school materials. 🙂 I have a 5-year gap between this child and my next oldest. It is a strange feeling to start over! Both joyous and difficult at the same time.

I am considering signing my rising 7th Grade child up for Second Form Latin and the NLE Intro Prep class. Has anyone ever taken a Latin class from MPOA? If so, did it actually free up any of your time compared to the DVD lessons? Right now I basically do the following daily: check the workbook, conduct Latin recitations, make sure he reviews (flashcards, spelling practice, etc.) Once a week, I also proctor the tests/quizzes, watch the DVD with him to make sure he isn't spacing out. When I look at the parent responsibilities, I think I will still be on the hook for most of that. So is it really a time saver? My main reasons for wanting to sign him up for the class is that I would like to free up some time to work with my younger children. But I don't want to pay all of this money to basically sing my son up for "fun review games". Also, does anyone have any recommendations on which teacher I choose?

First, you are worried about spending an entire year on birds???!! Who wouldn't want to do that? 🙂 I am just kidding. I just personally would love to spend an entire year on birds. I will say that these longer, single topic focused nature studies on just one topic are what really stepped our nature study game up another level. Before, we were sort of jumping around looking at stuff we found...and not really knowing much about what we were looking at...and reading about various topics..... but not really retaining much about what we were learning. It was fun, and we enjoyed our time outside. However, I wouldn't say that we learned all that much about nature besides how to appreciate it. Studying just one topic for many months though....Wow! That finally made it so that we actually have some sort of knowledge about that topic. For example, my kids can now look up at the sky and get excited about seeing certain constellations now. Or they might see a certain bug in our area and get excited because they know the seasons are changing. Really being able to focus on a single topic has been wonderful. Now to answer your question... I don't actually own mammals. I have only looked at the samples online. However, I feel like mammals is geared towards a much younger age than Birds. I think it would feel very light for a 4th grader. I know my 4th grader probably knows everything in that book just from watching Wild Kratz and going to the zoo. I think that the MP insect study is one of the easiest nature study resources to use. For one thing, bugs are EVERYWHERE and there are so many of them! And, when you go out in nature, they don't run away from kids. (Sometimes we wish that they would.)

I have used (and LOVED!) Good and Beautiful Pre-K last year. So I think you will be happy with their K program. The Good and Beautiful isn't what I would call a "strong" math program, but do you really need a strong math program at this age? Probably not. I like it because it is open and go, gentle, inexpensive, and does enough drill and review so that the kids actually retain the information. I also like how much variety is included. Mostly, The Good and Beautiful is what I call a "Get 'er Done" program. And honestly, that is the most important thing at this age. You need a program that you will actually use. I've only looked at samples of Abeka, and I ruled it out for my family (personally) because I think there are other better options out there. (I am really picky about math programs.) I know lots of people who love it though! As far as what is the "best" math program? If you ask 50 people, you will probably receive 50 different answers. 🙂 I personally think that RightStart A/B is one of the best preschool/kindergarten programs out there. Your kids will be doing amazing things in math at a very young age with this program. It has its downsides: It is way more expensive than the other options you listed, it contains a lot of different manipulatives/parts to keep track of, and it also takes way longer than any other preK/K math program. However, I think it sets up a wonderful mathematical foundation, so all of that is worth it to me. I switch my kids to Singapore Standards 1A/1B after we finish RightStart A because it is less teacher intensive. After that, I move them over to AOPS for upper-level math. You also asked about MP pre-k. It is such a sweet little program. I love it. It basically gives you a rough plan for a gentle non-academic pre-k day. If you are a box checker, but you still strive to give your kid a relaxed day filled with play and a little learning sprinkled in, it might be the program for you. It says stuff like "Read your child this nursery rhyme, go for a walk today and talk about the birds you see, read this picture book and complete this craft." That type of thing. I know most people might not need that, but I have older children and often forget to do all of those things with my youngest. We started it and quit most of it halfway through. That wasn't due to the program, it was due to me placing my son at the wrong level. MP pre-k just reviews the letters and their most common sounds. Plus it teaches writing numbers and basic counting. My son was already reading simple CVC words. After a while, I begin to feel like we were actually not really making much progress. So we just are using their craft books and read aloud suggestions. You could probably plan better crafts yourself with Pinterest, but I appreciate just having a plan. So it was worth it to me. We also have dyslexia in our family. So I also knew that I wouldn't stick with MP phonics long term...or The Good and the Beautiful. We needed way more heavy duty phonics instruction based on the OG method. I also knew that early intervention with dyslexia is really important, so I wanted to start sooner vs. later. I originally taught my other kids to read using All About Reading and the I See Sam Readers. However, this time around, I decided to try LOE Foundations. I am so glad that I made the switch for several reasons. 1) I have a CRAZY 5-year-old little boy who wants to move, move, move. LOE is all about, "Say the phonogram sound as you jump off the couch" or "crouch down low if the sounds are the same, and jump up if they are different". Simple ideas that I could probably have added to AAR myself, but I am often sort of brain dead from teaching so many subjects...I need a book to just tell me what to do. 2) It teaches cursive first. Cursive was a game changer with my older kids in getting past spacing issues, inserting random capitals, reversing letters, etc. I really believe that cursive is great for kids with learning challenges. 3) I love how much fun drill and practice is scheduled in. Kids really need that with phonics I think. 4) I love the regularly scheduled review lessons. They give you some tests (disguised as fun games) so that you can monitor your child's mastery of certain concepts. If they haven't mastered, they suggest other ways to add additional practice in for these skills.

I am not sure if anyone cares, but Novare just released a sample of their new Biology textbook today. You can see it here: https://www.novarescienceandmath.com/product/general-biology/ I believe it will only have 12 chapters....which is sort of crazy considering that most HS Biology books are huge. The email I received said the following:

My son is 5, but he is a young 5...so I am sharing in case it is helpful. We eat breakfast around 7:30AM to 8:00AM. My **plan** is that I would take him up for some self care training after that. (Brush teeth, etc.) and then we would transition into school. What **actually** has been happening lately (if I am completely honest with you) is that I end up checking email and helping with older kid's school until 10AM and then start school with him. This is not great because usually he starts playing and I have to drag him away from his toys which feels awful. But I am going to *try* to do better in the future. I really want school to feel fun and light at this age, and transitioning midmorning is not helping. To start, I lure him over with some library books and offer to read aloud to him. Then I read him one bible story. We do that for about 30 mins. Then, we start out doing the Memoria Press pre-k recitation. (Alphabet, Days of the week, name the seasons, etc.) We put a weather sticker on the calendar. Next we do Logic of English level A. It probably takes 30 minutes? It just depends on him. Then, we do a lesson from Right Start Level A. (or quit if he is done, and then start with math the next day.) Then, my PLAN is to do a read aloud and craft from the Memoria Press book of crafts. He is often done by then. So we often skip this and go and eat lunch.

We just received this course in the mail yesterday. (The complete set. OH MY, it is even cooler in person. Memoria press makes the *BEST* nature study programs. We have done their astronomy and bug programs. We do it all in one long day each week. First, we do indoor stuff. (Drill birds and songs, do the readings, etc.) After that, we go out in nature. We have found that inviting friends on our walk helps us stay accountable to our plan. I am the type of person who will often skip nature study when I feel we are "behind" in our other subjects. (And quite frankly, we are always "behind".) hahaha So meeting others up at the nature area REALLY helps.

Of course. Just trying to find some tools that I can give him as I teach this.

Yes, I am only going to do live classes. I space out with pre recorded classes, so I imagine that he will too. (Latin through Memoria Press is what I am looking at.) And it appears that they have a website which lists homework/due dates. (Still researching though.) What digital tools do you use for helping them to manage time? Any tips you have would be greatly appreciated! 🙂 🙂 I watched the video, but I am still having problems figuring out how one is supposed to use that particular planner. As far as I understand, the first thing my son would do is write out his monthly calendar. Right? I keep track of all family events on an iCal. He subscribes to this calendar on his iPad. So I think he could just copy this out once a month. This would force him to look at the calendar which is good. But I would then have to remember to remind him about anything I added to the calendar. (Hmmmm....Wonder if I could keep track of this. Would we just double check it each week?) Next, when my son received due dates in his classes, would these also go on his monthly calendar? For example, homework due Monday, report due in three weeks, etc. I guess I am a little confused about how the weekly calendar fits in with the monthly calendars. (I also dislike that it only gives you 4 calendars.) Let's say that he has an event that repeats every other week. Where would he write that? And what about a homework assignment that repeats each week? (Example: weekly quiz) Would that be recorded on the monthly calendar or the weekly calendar? NEXT, I am assuming that daily (or perhaps weekly), he would pull out his to-do lists and pencil in when he could complete all of hte tasks leading up to the due dates on the monthly calendar?

Hi Everyone, My oldest son seems to do really well with IEW. However, I am looking for some outside instruction for next year. (Writing and Grammar are NOT my strong points.) I am considering the Writing to Learn classes Can anyone review these for me?

Hi There, My son (7th Grade) is going to possibly enroll in an online class next year for the first time. He struggles a lot with time management, planning his time, and staying on task. Work typically takes him a LONG time compared to most kids. I would like to work on teaching and coaching him in his executive functioning skills prior to high school and college. (That is one of the main reasons I am considering an online class because it would give him some outside deadlines before grades really matter...and Latin. I am sort of done teaching Latin at this point.) Can anyone recommend a good student planner for kids who struggle with time management? I want something where he can see his time for the week, write down deadlines, and write down a plan to meet those deadlines. I was considering the "Order out of Chaos" planner, but it doesn't seem to give him much room to write on. (The full day planner, which is most applicable for homeschool kids, only comes in a small personal size.) Are there any other alternatives I should know about? Thanks for the help!

Hi Everyone! I have a couple of questions related to Mystery Science: 1) Has anyone ever used Mystery Science with a small group of children? There is a pretty big age gap between my youngest and my older two children. I am finding that I will often skip over fun stuff like science and art with him just because it isn't as easy to combine. I am thinking of scheduling a regularly occurring science and art playdate at my house to hold me accountable. If you have used Mystery Science with a group successfully, could you tell me how you have structured your time? I am assuming you could complete one exploration per week? 2) What are the "Read-Along Mysteries"? My child is not reading well yet. So are we going to be able to do these? Do you feel they are worthwhile or just busy work? 3) Has anyone put together a reading list to go with the Mystery Science units? 4) The other two science programs I am considering are Early Elementary Science Education (book based off of BFSU) and Memoria Press's Enrichment Package for Kindergarten (and their guide). Do *YOU* have an opinion about which is the best? If so, please share! Which do you think would be easiest to teach? Which do you think a typical 6-year-old boy would most appreciate and like doing?

I have two dyslexic students. We found that going VERY slowly with Latin in working out great. Like a lot of subjects, they need a LOT of extra practice and a LOT of scaffolding in their instruction. It hasn't been easy, but it can be done. And as an added bonus, learning Latin is helping us better learn English! You might try posting about your situation on the Simply Classical forum of Memoria press. Cheryl Lowe often hangs out over there and I am sure she will have some great advice for you. I really like Cheryl Lowe's philosophy when it comes to working with kids who are struggling with Learning Challenges. Instead of just writing them off and saying, "Oh, that's just not possible. " She says, "Let's try and see how far they can go." She reminds me a lot of a modern-day Anne Sullivan. If I were to give you my 2 cents: I would suggest starting your students in First Form Latin. (It has a lot of extra practice built in compared to some other Latin programs.) And taking it as slowly as you need to, adding in extra practice as needed. ETA: If you are truly against Latin. You might try learning to speak and listen ONLY in a modern day Foreign Language. (Writing could be done using an adaptive program perhaps.) The Paul Noble programs are EXCELLENT for getting students thinking and speaking in their target language quickly. Plus, they are not that expensive so you could try them out. After going through those programs, she would probably be ready to practice some French/Spanish/German conversation online or in person. (There are a lot of language exchange online platforms now.) She could also use a lot of easy audiobooks, music , tv shows , etc. (Posting French stuff because that is what I use at home...but I am sure there are other sources for other languages. Speaking of French, there is that old PBS show somewhere online if I could remember the name.)

Thanks so much for sharing. That is very helpful. And wow, Arcadia, I know you know this, but your kids are amazing! So it looks like you just used the AOPS book titles for your course titles, is that correct? The book description for Intro to Algebra says, "This book can serve as a complete Algebra I course, and also includes many concepts covered in Algebra II." So perhaps Honors Algebra I? Like I said before, I am guessing that we will probably spread this book over two years and add in some other math (maybe one of the shorter AOPS books.), and I am trying to figure out how to document that. I'm not sure how much it matters for middle school.

My rising 7th-grade son will probably start the AOPS Introduction to Algebra book in the fall. I hope it is OK to post on the high school forum since he isn't technically a high school student, but I figure that this is where the experts hang out. (smile) Some of the questions I have so far are... 1) Are math courses taken in middle school typically recorded on the High School Transcript? (I know I am probably going to get a lot of conflicting answers, but if anyone has any advice they want to share, I would love to hear it.) I am wondering if I need to keep particular records for this class or write a course description (YIKES!) or do anything else? 2) If your child self-taught through an AOPS book, how did you calculate the grade? What specific records do I need to keep? Are there any suggested tests I should take this year to back up my assigned "mommy grades"? 3) Would anyone want to share their course titles/descriptions if you used the AOPS books for math? For example, would I list the Intro to Algebra book as Algebra I? What about non-standard AOPS math courses like Intro to Number Theory or Intro to Counting and Probability? I will have to see how quickly he works through the book (obviously), but I am considering letting him complete just the first half of "Intro to Algebra" this year, and then focus on Number Theory or Probability. Or, I may let him focus on contest prep. 4) Should I also keep records of other math stuff my son does in middle school? (Mathcounts or other AOPS Contest prep courses for example) Or does that not matter long term? I'm just trying to avoid any pitfalls or mistakes.

I would check out can-do print. https://shopping.lwtears.com/product/DP/5thGrade

Yes, Holt is one of the resources I am considering. I heard a rumor that Memoria Press is going to release a student guide book and some tests and quizzes, but they will not be out until *VERY* close to fall. (It is originally scheduled in their 10th grade high school package.) My son typically does well with MP products because they do a good job of teaching him how to study. (they help him pull out the most important information and present it in a non-cluttered way.) They already have a streaming video component. It looks sort of dry though. Thank you also for mentioning Uzinggo. I looked at this before, and for some reason ruled it out. (I have no idea why....I really should keep better notes! haha) Perhaps I could even use this just to salvage science this year.

I am considering outsourcing science for the first time next year because I am just not doing it justice on my own. Are there any online options that people would recommend for 7th grade? Or, if not an online program, a decent "easy to teach" biology program to use at home? Background: My son is definitely STEM-oriented and will probably go into some type of science field when he gets older. (Right now, he has aspirations to become a wildlife biologist.) He is pretty decent in math. He is currently using AOPS Pre-Algebra for 6th grade and will start AOPS Algebra in 7th. He has taken 3+ years of middle school level physical science/chemistry/physics. So he is ready for biology & life science. My son is a bright kid and loves the subject. However, he tends to be a slow worker who needs a lot of help planning ahead. (I am working with him in that area and willing to help.) We are trying to work through RSO Biology 2 on our own this year, but I don't feel like I am doing a great job. The reading component in that program is not that great, and we are having problems keeping up with so many projects and labs. I also feel like there is little retention. Wish List: We are Christians, but I would love to find a program that teaches evolution. I dislike science programs where "exposure to much and mastery of little" is the goal. I strive for multum non multa in all of our other subjects (history, Latin, math, etc.) , but I just haven't been able to pull that off when it comes to science.

In my experience, if you find yourself needing a calculator, you PROBABLY missed a trick to make things much simpler along the way. That is the whole "art" part of the art problem-solving---learning to see the tricks which make problem-solving easier.

Does anyone else feel like Mystery Science is really light though? And that there are a lot of gaps because it jumps around so much? I've only ever done the free trial, so maybe my feelings are unwarranted. But I never felt like there was much depth in the program. I used RSO Biology for first grade, and I really liked it. I also used RSO astronomy/earth science in second grade with a small group, and I really liked it. I tried to use RSO Chemistry, but I found that I didn't love it as much. (I ended up switching to Elemental Science for chemistry). And I didn't even try RSO physics. We used Exploration Education for physical science which I also loved btw. I am trying RSO Biology II this year, but as others have stated, there are errors. BUT--to be honest with you, I think I mostly liked all of those programs because they gave me some type of spine to follow....not necessarily because they were that great on their own. When I look back on those years, the things that really made science great were things that we added to the program. I used their recommended read aloud lists HEAVILY with a few substitutions and additions. (We read all of the themed "Lets Read and Find Out" packages from Rainbow Resource each year for example. Here is the one we paired with RSO Biology.) We also would read through a decent encyclopedia for each topic each year. And we paired all of that with grammar stage memory work for the science topic. So there was retention and drill of the most important information. The labs and demonstrations added an element of fun and hopefully helped make memories. Plus, we took a lot of related field trips. However, there were a lot of things I didn't like about all of those programs. First, they all contain a LOT of writing. For some kids, this can turn them off of science and make them hate it. I'm not sure you need that much written output at that age. I also really didn't like the science poetry. (I mean....why?!)

Latin: Memoria Press Second Form Latin Math: AOPS Intro to Algebra and Mathcounts prep Science: Prentice Hall Miller-Levine Biology?? or Novare Earth Science .... or....who know honestly! Middle School Science is the bane of my existence as a homeschool mama! Composition and Grammar: MP English Grammar Recitation III + IEW Literature: MP Hobbit, Bronze Bow, Anne of Green Gables (because even teenager boys need to read this book!), and The Trojan War, plus MP Poetry for the Grammar Stage. (These will be our slow, "thorough" book reads that we will read together, discuss, write about, and all of that jazz. He also reads voraciously in his spare time like most homeschool kids.) Classical Studies: MP Famous Men of Greece -and- Famous Men of Middle Ages ?? (It is probably too much to do each of these in a year and really master the material. So I *may* just do Famous Men of Greece, but I am super sad not to have the time to go through the Famous Men of Middle Ages set!) Christian Studies: MP Christian Studies III (New Testament) American / Modern Studies: MP Geography II + Some type of American History study. (I am not sure in this area. I really, really like the Hakim books. But the MP American History set is already planned...and there are tests, and flashcards, and timeline cards, and I know the material will be truly mastered with the "MP way". However, I like the Hakim books more. They are so much more well rounded. It is just that the support material is not as high of quality IMHO. I have toyed with the idea of just letting him listen to the Hakim audiobook in addition to the MP American History program. But he is hormonal and might just benefit from more sleep and shorter school days at this state of life.) MP Timeline Program will continue. Public Speaking: Will continue with CCA Speech competition, coaching, and class. ------- I am ***considering*** dropping spelling in 7th grade. My son is dyslexic, so he is not a great speller. The fact is, though, I am not sure how much improvemnet I am going to see no matter how much time I devote to spelling. I feel like I could spend 8+ hours a day doing some really intensive Orton-Gillingham intervention, and the improvement would be slight to nothing. I am beginning to wonder what the point of all of this time is. So I am considering, dropping spelling and all of the teacher time and energy that goes with it---and giving him more time to explore the things he is really passionate about (math and science.) Any thoughts?! Anyone want to give me permission? :)

Hello Everyone, My 6th-grade son was able to compete at the chapter level mathcounts for our area this past weekend for the first time. He did OK, but he wasn't able to make it to state. The whole atmosphere of the friendly competition was very fun and motivating for him though. He really wants to make it to state next year and has asked me for some suggestions on how to improve his score. (I'm not sure if that is a realistic goal, but I am trying to encourage him in this area since he is so motivated.) The problem is, I have no experience with mathcounts! So I really have no idea what to suggest he do. That is why I am asking "the hive" for some ideas. :) He would gladly work on math all day. But because he has other subjects, I limit him to 2 hours per day in the morning. So that is our current time budget. My first question is: Is that enough time to do well and make some progress? He was one of 4 homeschoolers out of hundreds of children at this competition. Most of the public school kids who do well take some type of math at school, and then spend almost 2 hours a night outside of school working on past tests and taking AOPS courses! So obviously all of that practice gives them an advantage. He is doing good with speed/accuracy on the tests for the content he knows. I think the biggest problem is lack of knowledge on quite a few topics. He is still working through pre-algebra (using AOPS), but many of the kids he is competing against are working at a much higher level in math. (Algebra II, etc.) He gets about a 20 on the sprint normally, but only a 3 on the target. And most of the content he misses is stuff he just hasn't covered yet. So--what should I suggest that he do to finish out the year if he wants to see the most improvement? Should he just spend his time working through his pre-algebra text and working on Alcumus? Is working through past MathCounts tests a waste of time at this point? Should he start working through one of the AOPS Contest Prep-Book this summer? Or watching the mathcounts mini videos?

Great advice everyone! How many hard & soft shells would you get for 28 people?

Hi Everyone, Our children are getting baptized on Sunday, and we have invited our family over for lunch to help us celebrate. I am thinking of doing a taco bar because I figure that will be a low-stress way to feed everyone lunch. Of course, it is always busy and stressful getting our family ready and out the door for church on Sunday, so I am trying to prep as much as I can on Saturday. We will probably leave for church at 9 AM and walk back in our home around noon. Our family will be following us in the door, so there won't be a lot of prep time. We will have 28 people over (13 of those people will be teens/kids). Today I am getting my shopping list and "game plan" together....and I could use your wisdom and advice to pull this off. :) :) So if you have a few minutes to spare this morning, help a mama out, please! :) The menu will be: 6lbs of ground beef 3.5lb pork butt that I will make into carnitas using my instapot Charro beans Cilatro Lime Rice 50 hard tacos 25 soft tacos Taco Toppings: Shredded iceberg lettuce Cilantro Diced white onion Diced tomatoes Diced jalapeños Lime wedges LOTs of Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese Queso Fresco Appetizers for people to snack on while they wait Chips Pioneer Woman Restaurant Salsa Chipotle Copycat Verde Salsa Corn Salsa Guac (Going to take a shortcut and use Wholly Guacamole) Deserts: I am going to make a double batch of rice crispy treats just because my kids requested that. Questions: Will 6lbs of Ground Beef be enough? We actually have a whole grass-fed cow sitting in our deep freezer, so we are in no shortage of good ground beef. (I only have a small pork butt that I estimate is 3.5 to 4lbs…so that is limited.) Re-heating: Meat--My game plan will be to cook the ground beef and carnitas on Saturday. If I put the cooked ground beef in my crock pot on Sunday morning, do you think it will have enough time to reheat? Will it get dried out? Any advice on temperature and what time I should start the crockpot? (I have two 7qt Hamilton Beach Slow cookers to work with and 1 8qt Instant Pot.) With the carnita meat, I *could* also reheat it in a crock pot, or I could spread it on a baking sheet and broil it so it gets those little crispy bits on it. Which would be better do you think? How would you reheat the beans and rice? Microwave? All of the salsas and toppings will be pre-prepped on Saturday and in serving bowls with saran wrap over the top. So I will just have to pull them out. Also, how many bags of tortilla chips would you buy if you were me?