regentrude - we have members that do not like facebook and don't have an account. So we are trying to locate something that all members can use. We have looked at yahoo and doodle. We are just trying to look for a better option. It's very time consuming for the admins to handle emails and facebook. We plan to go to one option this fall. Thanks to everyone who has left feedback so far! Very helpful.

Our homeschool group currently uses Facebook to communicate and sign up for activities using a closed group. Are there any other groups out there that use something different that has worked well? We are a small support group, not an organization and do not have a website. We prefer something free or low cost to use and that users will need to login to access.

My rising 7th grader and I would like to do a genealogy study. Anybody recommend any free sites or books on how to put a study like this together?

I've been looking at Critical Thinking Co website & trying to figure out which one I should buy for my ds who will be in 6th grade next year. I want to emphasize Reading Comprehension skills. There are several on there that I'm interested but can only buy one. For those who have used this, would you choose Reading Detective A1, Building Thinking Skills Level 2, Word Roots A1 or Mind Benders 3? Also, does anyone think the software is any better than the book or is it just a matter of preference? I think my ds would enjoy the software. Any thoughts?

I switched from using Abeka & BJU in prior years for math. We are using Teaching Textbooks this year. Do you feel this curriculum is a year behind? Your thoughts?

This year, I used AAS (for the first time starting with level 1) for my 5th grader. I also felt he needed to learn spelling words on his level so we've also used Rod & Staff spelling book as a supplement. Last year, we only used BJU spelling book. Do you supplement & use another spelling book when using AAS? If so, which curriculum and why. I'm trying to decide which direction to go next year. I really love AAS & will continue that into next year btw. Thanks!

I'm a new IEW user and starting with Level A. My 5th grader doesn't enjoy writing but I've heard rave reviews on this curriculum. The lady at our convention recommended that I start with level A vs B due to how much my child struggles with writing right now. So I'm going to give it a try this year. Has anyone had experience starting this curriculum in a small group vs one on one. Thanks!