I would also love a PM!

My current 8th and 9th grade kids still have a lot of mechanical errors in their writing. (And other errors...such as leaving out a word, or putting in a word that shouldn't be there, run-on sentences, etc.) We have taught grammar and mechanics since they were in 1st grade. So they know the rules, they just seem to have problems catching them in their own writing. (In general, they don't seem to pay much attention to details, which drives me nuts!) I am thinking that maybe some daily editing practice over the summer might be helpful? Can anyone recommend a resource? Any other advice is also welcome! Thanks!

Yeah, that is why I am asking this question. I wish I could get my hands on the old Build your library that used SOTW. I am looking for something for 3rd grade that uses SOTW--mostly because my brain hurts from homeschooling two high school students at once and I don't have the mental capacity to come up with my own plan. (I used to think that was fun! HA!). I may check out bookshark or sonlight.

The title says it all... Which curricula packages schedule or use SOTW as a resource.. thanks!

My alkaline phosphatase is also flagged as too low as well. (It has been since 2017). My doctor never seems concerned and never does any follow up. I am wondering if I should be concerned? I don't even take Tylenol!

Math: BlueTent Honors Geometry Science: CloverValley Chemistry English: Integritas Academy Persuasive Writing Foreign Language: French AIM Academy Social Studies: At Home--but undecided. I need something mostly student directed I wanted to add in a computer science class (at home, self paced)--but I am worried this will be too much for this particular child. I just don't know when we can fit it in though. Extras: Speech -or- Debate (still deciding) Mountain Biking Volunteer Work at the Food Bank

I just realized that many of them are on audible!

A huge goal of mine is to create fun memories surrounding history. However, speaking of retention: I also never used the review cards that come with SOTW. I always started the year with good intentions and then would forget....or get "behind". So maybe actually using those would help.

I was hoping we could steer this thread in a direction other than "secular vs. non-secular". (Only because that has the potential to be controversial and derail the thread as people debate whether or not SOTW is secular or not. I've read all of the SOTW books, so I know what to expect in those. ) I guess I am wondering specifically about readability: Is HQ just as interesting as SOTW? I am also wondering about age appropriateness: Is HQ appropriate for a 3rd grader? I am also wondering about review and retention: My kids never seem to retain much from SOTW. That changed when we used Memoria Press because there is review and drill and memory work built in. I am wondering if HQ might provide any of that? (MP is a bit dry and I am just looking at other options for my youngest child.)

We use the ALEX drawer units from Ikea. Each older kid (8th to high school) has a drawer for each subject. (We took two ALEX drawer units and then put a butcher block cabinet top across them to make a REALLY long desk.). They are supposed to put their books away after each subject. And they are supposed to do their school at their desks. In reality, they bring all of their books upstairs and stack them up on the dining room table, where they prefer to work, and then they put them in their drawers at the end of the day. So our desks are glorified storage boxes. All this to say, you can engineer the perfect solution and you will STILL end up with books all over the tables. I agree... This is the way!

I am looking for some educational supplements that my 2nd grader can do in the morning. I was thinking of assigning him some of the corresponding Jim Weiss books that line up (loosely) with history. However, downloading the MP3 to my laptop and then sharing it to his iPad is proving challenging. (I used to be able to do this with iTunes, but I think they have some sort of security thing going on which prevents this.). Is there anywhere on the web where these can be streamed?

Can anyone tell me which of these you prefer and why? Also, feel free to offer any alternative suggestions! 🙂

Logic of English Foundations was one of the BEST programs I have ever come across. (I say this as a long time homeschooler, with three dyslexic children....who has used or is at least very familiar with just about every language arts program known to mankind.). We used A-C and then stopped because my son was reading so well. (After C, every phonogram in English will be well mastered!) Spelling mastery is not the goal of LOE foundations: Your child will learn how to spell (in general) with LOE foundations. However, they don't suggest you insist on spelling mastery until the child has been reading for at least a year or two. So in foundations, they will learn many spelling words and how to segment any word into its individual phonograms. They will not necessarily memorize which words with the long /ē/ spelled ee or ea or e_e or I or y, etc. etc. That comes with LOE Essentials. Speaking of LOE essentials, we moved on to that after finishing LOE A-C.....and I just could not make it work for some reason. (I can't even articulate what I don't like about it, but it just doesn't work well for my personality.). I've picked it up and tried to use it three different times this year alone, but then I quit because I can't bring myself to use it for more than 4-5 weeks.

For Hero's Journey: Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfus comes to mind. (Modern classic.). (The sequels are probably not appropriate for many high schoolers IMHO.) For Dystopian: We actually have a dystopian section in our home library. lol It has 1984, Brave New World, Hunger Games, Fahrenheit 451, The Time Machine (H.G. Wells), For Sci-Fi: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dune (and subsequent sequels and prequels),

I do something different for just about every class so far. Here are some percentages that I have used....in case you find it helpful. I include these in the course descriptions. Just a note: Like most homeschoolers, I also teach to mastery. Meaning that if they miss a homework problem or don't do well on an essay, I have them go back and re-learn or re-do (depending on the subject and the circumstance) the material. But I also like numbers and percentages. (I am a former engineer...Can you tell?). So I *do* put something together at the start of the year. This keeps me objective. For Algebra I and Geometry (using AOPS materials), I did this: Challenge Problems Alcumus Homework Writing Problems Participation 35% of Grade 40% of Grade 20% of Grade 5% of Grade For Algebra II (using Derek Owens), I did this: Homework Tests Exams Participation 40% of Grade 40% of Grade 10% of Grade 10% of Grade For Biology (which was VERY heavy lab heavy), I did this: Quizzes Exams and Research Papers Lab Notebook Checks and Lab Participation Formal Lab Reports 25% of Grade 25% of Grade 10% of Grade 25% of Grade For Greek History and Literature and also Roman History and Literature, (Class included a lot of discussion about the literature with peers)-- I have done this: Tests Essays Exams Participation 25% of Grade 25% of Grade 25% of Grade 25% of Grade For Latin I: Weekly Quiz Average Unit Tests Participation 80% of Grade 10% of Grade 10% of Grade For Logic I and Logic II (Which required a lot of participation time with peers), I did this: Quizzes Participation Final Exam 60% of Grade 20% of Grade 20% of Grade

Hi Everyone, I could use some advice. I live in the state of Ohio, and when we notify for homeschooling we either have to submit** standardized testing scores or a written narrative from a teacher that has reviewed a portfolio of our students' work. We always prefer to go the standardized testing route. The problem is, I am really behind the 8-ball with this when it comes to testing my high school children! And this is when it actually matters most. Today I am trying to get my act together and come up with a plan to wrap up this school year. 😝 In elementary through middleschool, we have always done the Woodcock-Johnson test, which we technically could use since there is no upper age limit on the test, but I am thinking some practice taking the SAT or ACT might be more beneficial. (Not only would it "check the box" required by the state, but it would also give them additional practice sitting for a standardized test) I see that I can still register them for some testing dates in the summer. So I am thinking that I should probably do that. Is there any risk to signing them up to take this test? If they happen to do really poorly, will their scores follow them forever? I know I should probably administer some practice tests ahead of time before signing them up, but ALL of my son's extra time has been spent prepping for the NLE (which he will take tomorrow) and his AP Gov test (which he will take in early May). So he probably won't have time to take a practice test until after AP Gov. And the registration deadline for the ACT is May 6th. So, what should I do? Is taking the ACT or SAT a good idea for our situation this summer? --- **I know that there is a chance that standardized testing requirements may be waived for the year becuase of COVID, but I am thinking that some ACT or SAT practice might be good to do anyways.

Yes! I think your plan sounds like a great one! I would also check out this book (Novare Lab Report Handbook) https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/047300/Student-Lab-Report-Handbook-2nd-Edition.html?trackcode=googleBase&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=&scid=scplp047300&sc_intid=047300&gclid=Cj0KCQiAybaRBhDtARIsAIEG3knTForKJXp-Nq7fyfAsXzqoWhG9FInGph_qgaIby6Y07sWJ_wc0M_EaAjkZEALw_wcB It is one of the best resources we have purchased for high school science. It has really made me feel more confident with teaching and evaluating lab reports. You don't have to do a formal lab report for every lab. ( I made my student write 32 formal lab reports for our mommy taught high school biology class becaues I didn't know any better. Don't do what I did.) But a few formal lab reports on these labs will be helpful for teaching this skill.

That is a fair enough reason! I would email Connie from Clover Valley and ask to see some samples of the "self paced" chemistry solutions. She also has lots of samples of the video instruction. (Again, they are longer than 15 minutes...but about what you would experience if you were taking an actual chemistry class somewhere. The student reads the textbook, then watches the lecture and takes notes. So it is good note taking practice too). It is one of the BEST science classes I have ever seen offered to the homeschool community. https://clovervalleychemistry.com/self-paced-parent-graded-versions-of-chemistry-honors-chemistry-and-intro-to-org-chem-biochem/ (See sample videos on the regular chemistry page).

Maybe rule out Clover Valley(my recommendation above) because each daily video lecture is a lot longer than 15 minutes. However, I would say that I am not sure if it would even be possible to cover Chemistry in 15 mins or less per day. Even with reading a textbook, I personally needed more explanation and some alternative explanation. But everyone is different!

I know you said that you don't want to enroll in an online class, but I would look at Clover Valley's Chemistry programs. The teaching is ALL done through video lecture. The homework and tests are done on paper (and scanned in and graded). There are labs and even formal lab reports. Plus, there are OPTIONAL office hours twice a week that you can attend and get live help on your homework (or just ask questions about the lecture videos). (You don't have to attend if you don't have questions.). These are really valuable. The teacher joins the zoom call with her camera off and just silently works until someone logs in with a question. (It is so nice not having to ask these questions over email or a forum, which can seemingly take forever! I personally don't remember much from Chemistry in school, so it was so nice being able to have access to a fabulous teacher for homework help when needed). The "class" does have due dates. But if you want to have total freedom with your time, she offers a "self paced" version of her class that includes the videos and schedule. The parent would do all of the grading, but there are detailed solutions for the parents to use to check homework and tests. (You would have to know enough to chemistry to give partial credit and to help if they got lost, but that is the same with any program that gives an answer key.) We have experience with "Experience Biology". And while their labs were great---the class itself was REALLY light. Like way lighter than Apologia which I feel is also light. And my children retained very little. We ended up having to add the Miller Levine textbook to make it worthy of a high school credit. And the tests were definitely not high school level IMHO. (I know others really like this class, and I am glad that it works for them. I also hope it is OK that I share an alternate opinion. I do not mean it as criticism. I only share because I wish someone had told me this before I paid for the class. I bet the class is just fine for others. Like I said, it was nice having video labs.) --- For math, I REALLY like Derek Owens. Although we did not take his Geometry class, and I have heard that it is different than his other math classes. (I also know you said you don't want an online class, so I won't mention Blue Tent's Ashley Porter...but if you change your mind in the future, bookmark that as an option.). Another option might be Mr. D math.

What online science class was this? You can PM me if you don't feel comfortable posting online.

Miss: A Huge (HUGE!) miss for us this year was the TPS French I class. It was the worst experiences I have EVER had with an online class. (And I am no stranger to online classes.). A friend of mine had a son enrolled in this class, and she jokes that she has "TPS PTSD" Hits: Clover Creek Physics Clover Valley Chemistry Integritas Academy Derek Owens (saved the day again when my daughter needed a break from AOPS) AIM Academy AP Government AOPS books... and Alcumus Susan Wise Bauer Grammar and Writing resources WTMA History Class with Mr. Caro. CLRC Latin II (My son seems to go back and forth about my choice to move him from MPOA to CLRC)>

Hi Everyone, Does anyone participate in competitive debate? If so, do you count this as a class (w/ credit) or do you just list it as an extracurricular activity on your transcript? And if I count it as a class, can I count it as a different class all 4 years? (Debate I, Debate II, Debate III, Debate IV, etc.) My son will probably participate all 4 years of high school (unless something unexpected happens). Our club does use a textbook, although it is the *same* textbook used all 4 years. He spends PLENTY of time on debate to warrant a credit. (5+ hours of researching/writing at home per week, 2.5 hours of in-person class per week, another hour of on-line meetings with his partner to plan/strategize per week, and then 4 tournaments in the spring which are two (almost) 12 hour days.

Hello Well Trained Minders! I have a rising 9th grader who has never been interested in any school subject no matter how I teach it...especially history and literature. She also seems to retain very little from history and/or literature no matter how I teach it. Her two brothers have a very different attitude about their school subjects, so I have to guess this has more to do with her unique personality than any "curriculum" decisions I have made. A good friend of mine, who homeschools and knows my daughter in real life and all of the things I have tried over the years...and is also a WTM forum member, says that I should perhaps stop trying so hard with this child and just find a "Get 'er done" curriculum for history. She says that I have spent way too much time, money, energy, and thought over the years***---and that perhaps we would both be happier if I just find something quick that is "good enough" to count for credit. That being said, do you have any ideas for me? I am considering Notgrass history. It looks light, but maybe it would fit this category? I also looked at the compass classroom programs---but even though they look good online, most people don't seem to like them once they use them. Are there any other recommendations you have for me? They do not have to be strictly Christian to be considered. ------ *** My daughter has been homeschooled her entire life, and I have tried a number of approaches to "reach her" and attempt to spark an interest in her studies. These have included the Well Trained Mind model of teaching history and a "living book" read-and-discuss model (like Build your own library or Sonlight). I've also tried more Charlotte Mason type history, and I've even tried Memoria Press classical teaching. I've even tried a "watch interesting documentaries" or videos about history with mom and eat popcorn...and she will literally fall asleep watching these within 10 mins. A few times, I have tried "listen to interesting history audiobooks" while you ride your bike or play basketball. This year we tried an online class with WTMA taught by Mr. Caro. And while she LOVES the teacher because he is so funny, she is again retaining very little from history--and still disinterested in the topic in general ).

Hahaha, I can relate to this statement. I have one of those too! 😉