When your 6th grader finishes LC I & II, he can move on to Henle or another high school level program (or you could spend a year/half-year in middle school or supplemental program). LC is very straightforward; there's nothing 'young' about the presentation. It's actually a bit dry used exactly as presented, but we find it easy to add some games and variety. I have found it to be very thorough and effective. Now, I'm not as sure about your 4th grader - - she's 8? That's quite young for halfway thru 4th grade. If she's struggling with another basic Latin program, I'm not sure that switching to LC is the answer. I definitely find the DVDs make it easier for me as the teacher, and my kids do like them, but it is a straightforward teaching of the lesson. Sometimes some background or hints that aren't in the book, but no bells and whistles. It's just her standing there talking, or words/examples printed on the screen. My dd is an 8 yr old 3rd grader. She's actually doing LC II - - she does well, but it's not without problems. She and her sis, 5th grade, started in Prima together. That and LC I both went quite well, but this year is definitely harder to balance. LC II ramps up the writing and the difficulty. This is fine for the 5th grader, who is moving into logic stage abilities, but much harder for the 3rd grader, who can't handle all the writing. We adapt and do a good bit orally for her, but it frustrates her to see big sis moving along so smoothly. It makes her doubt how well she is doing (and she is doing well; she nails the vocab and recitations better than sis OR me!). You might want to consider a separate program for her (which I am going to next year). Another possibility is to have her just learn the vocab and paradigms in LC 1 this year - - she would be able to recite and play games with her brother, and next year you could either have her move on to LC II or do LC I with the written work. I don't know, I just personally think that a gap of more than a year makes it hard to keep kids together in many subjects when the oldest moves into the logic stage. We COULD do one program next year, but it would be a combo of holding the oldest to a slower pace and pushing the younger along a bit quicker than is ideal. At some point, it just becomes easier to quit tweaking and do separate programs! I do definitely recommend LC as a program. We do use the CD and the DVDs, and we're about to add in Lingua Angelica. We don't have the games book, but only because I have too much in the way of Latin supplements as it is.

My kids started Latin together at those exact ages, 6 & 8, with Prima Latina. We are currently in the middle of Latina Christiana 2. The biggest issue is that, this year, dd1 has made that 'jump' into harder, more sustained work and can do most of the work on her own and more quickly than younger sis (thus annoying her to no end, lol). The gap between 8 & 10 is far more pronounced than that between 6 & 8 or 7 & 9, in our experience. I plan to have them in different books next year, so that dd1 can move at her own pace and dd2 gets a chance to shine (because she actually does quite well, and enjoys Latin when not frustrated by the gap between her and big sis). We will still do recitations and such together, but different programs with entirely different written work. I'm sure they will listen in on each other's programs a great deal. No firm decision yet on which programs we'll use next year. I'm thinking reading based texts like Minimus, Ecce Romani, Oxford, etc might be a good follow-up to the grammar-intensive Latina Christiana. My personal preference is to get some grammar under our belts first; I would find launchign into the readings frustrating without any grammar or context at all.

The transcendentalists in general are just an annoying bunch :D They may find it far more interesting to read more about the transendentalist movement in general, rather than Emerson's work in depth. imo, this is truly a case where context is everything - - plus there were all kinds of intrigues and battles going on amongst these high-minded people, lol. All American students hear about is Emerson and Thoreau, so it's also interesting to learn more about his other contemporaries (Bronson Alcott was an early leader, very well-known at one time, but now mostly known as Louisia May Alcott's father). Honestly, they're all a bit 'precious' at times, and Thoreau gets on my last nerve, but I find the movement and people surrounding it interesting.

LC I is actually designated for grades 3-6; there is a year overlap with PL. My 8 yr old 3rd grader is doing LC II with few problems (she's a tag along with big sis). She's nailing the vocab and form recitations. Her biggest frustrations are the amount of writing, so we do some things orally, and not going at the same pace as her 5th grade sis. When I read the teacher's guidelines more thoroughly, and found that helping youngers through the translations was expected, I realized she was doing quite well in that area, too. I think most 3rd graders would do fine with LCI. As far as keeping it engaging, LC is fairly dry as presented, but it's easy enough to add a bit of fun. We play Bingo, do 'quiz shows,' and silly things like 'sit when I say a verb, stand when I say a noun.' Oh, their new favorite is reverse charades; I call out a word in Latin, and they have to act it out in some way. We don't do tests. Next year, they will have separate programs, to give the oldest the chance to move at her pace and the youngest a chance to shine. We'll still do vocab and recitations together.

I have nothing meaningful to add; I just had to tell JennW how much I love the phrase "mindful tweaking." :D

There is some difference in sequence of topics covered. So, if you used either edition from level one to level six, you'd cover the same things, but not all at the same time. The standards edition aligns with California standards, and was created for that very reason. You cannot mix and match texts and workbooks from different editions. There is also a 'third edition' which is the original and uses British spelling, Singapore currency, etc. You can see what each book covers at singaporemath.com

I didn't post what you are responding to, but after Hurricane Katrina, there were definitely gas stations and other places operating on a cash only basis (Louisiana). Remember, phone and data lines were down for weeks upon weeks in some areas. As to the original question, we have about 3 months of living expenses readily available, and another few months that we could get at before that ran out (not counting 401ks and such). It's always a good idea to keep cash in the house. We're bad about this, but we try to have a couple of hundred all the time, and more like five hundred when a hurricane threatens. Strange as it sounds, another good rule of thumb is to have enough cash on hand to bail someone out of jail. Even in the most sedate of households, people do sometimes get hauled in by mistake or for things like an unpaid traffic ticket, and the ATM limit isn't usually QUITE enough to get them out :lol:

Dang, just lost my reply! Let's try again. We adapted a similar project from SOTW, because no way was I going to CARVE A SHIP OUT OF ICE CREAM. sO we simplified: We made the ship out of two waffle cones (overlap at the open part, so there's a pointy bit at each end a wide opening for your sailors and such). Sails were made of pretzel rods and graham crackers. Teddy Grahams were impressed for sailors; some manned the oars and others, sadly, drowned at sea. The ocean was vanilla ice cream tinted with blue food coloring (just a tiny bit works). Make in a throw-away pan to minimize mess (but it's still messy). Use icing to hold stuff together, like the graham crackers and pretzel rods. Also use icing to decorate as appropriate (we did the scary eyes that the Greeks painted on their ships). Work quickly! Edible ships tend to melt and/or fall apart quickly.

I'll also chime in as saying that I think the GED does have quite negative connotations. If a student is heading off to college and has the transcript and test scores to get in, then it's of very little import. It matters much more to students who are NOT going on to college, like the OP's dd. In my area, the big employers offer quite a few job training programs. A person can start with no experience and work their way up to a really good job, but these programs almost all require a high school diploma. A GED does not qualify you, and yes, you do need to provide a copy of the diploma. So, it can matter a great deal on both a perceptual level and a practical level. If she decides to stick with the culinary arts, the school/job she is interested in may or may not require a diploma. The problem is, what if a great opportunity occurs that does require it? She will lose it. I think you are correct that, at this point, you cannot FORCE her to finish. I would lay out the repurcussions for her and make it very clear that she is responsible for the decision she makes, and that you would far prefer her to finish. Also, I would remind her that non-grads do NOT get graduation gifts, :D

Yep, I'll just echo the other posts and say that Prima will be so gentle that it will be boring. I know you don't want to add too many difficult things, but Latina Christiana won't be hard at all for the average 4th grader. My 3rd grader is currently doing Latina Christiana II (because I started her and 5th grade sis on PL 3 years ago), and she manages very well. There's a bit much writing for her, so I sometimes have mercy and let her do some exercises orally. She absolutely nails the vocab and recitation of grammar forms; translating is of course hardest for her - - she gets the gist of things fine, but has to be reminded to pay careful attention to the word endings. 4th, LC1; 5th, LC2; 6th, Henle at a slow pace or a middle school program like Ecce Romani or Latin Prep. We plan to do other programs and then a high school program at the usual pace in 8th or 9th.

Levenger.com has an item called "Bink & Ink" which is a case designed to hold eyeglasses and a pen. Whether or not it fits into a shirt pocket will depend on the size; there are several and I would imagine the smaller ones would.

Not an old wive's tale. Anything around a child's neck is a strangulation hazard. Children under 5 are at the greatest risk, but it's a danger to anyone. Planning to remove or untie it after he falls asleep is not a good idea - - strangling can be a very quick, quiet death; it is very plausible that you could be in the next room and hear nothing until it's too late. During the day, loops can easily get caught on doorknobs, playground equipment, and so forth. This particular problem is easily solved: anything that goes around a child's neck needs to break away under pressure. Superhero capes should never tie shut, whistles and such need to be on snap-away lanyards, and so forth. Last February, a four-year-old little girl in my area strangled to death on the ribbon wrapped around her birthday gift. It was late afternoon, she was wide awake, and adults were in the house, in and out of the room she was playing in. She apparently tumbled off the bed while looking at the gift, and the ribbon looped around the bedpost.

What happens when he refuses? Does he eventually get to go play or watch tv? Some kids are very stubborn, and they will sit there for three hours if the result is no school work. You have to make it more of a hassle for HIM if he doesn't comply. If he refuses to do his school work, simply refuse to let him do anything else. Let him sit there all day, no play time, no tv, no toys, until the work is done. With a brother nearly the same age, surely he is not going to be content to sit for hours at the table, staring at the wall, while his sibling gets to run outside, build with legos, or watch tv? I can't imagine that lasting for very long! My personal choice is to impose consequences for both backtalking and disobeying. So, while a very young child might get away with a warning for a quick outburst, a 6 yr old who shows a pattern is going to get punished at my house. First would be, "I've already told you that refusing to do schoolwork is not allowed, so please go to your room and sit on the bed while I work with your brother. Then we will return to your work." And it would just get uglier from there as needed! But really, just remember that you hold all the power. This kid can't do much without your say-so; he can't eat fun snacks or ride his bike or stay up till his usual bedtime unless YOU allow it. So, if he refuses schoolwork, don't allow it.

Unless it were a routine thing, I'd probably not tell someone who actually showed up on my porch that it wasn't a good time to visit. I'd try to assume the best (concern rather than morbid curiousity), and at least chat briefly. Most people can take subtle hints to not make it an extended visit - - if you've been reading, hold onto your book instead of setting it down; etc. If you were merely enjoying the peace and quiet, an interuption of some kind will usually terminate the visit - - "excuse me a sec, I have to go check on dinner/use the restroom/make sure the kids are alive." Or simply, "Thanks for stopping by!" If they're not the type to take a hint, it's perfectly polite to say, "I hate to cut this short, but I really don't want to get off schedule today." You might have a schedule of nothing, but that's your business. I wouldn't think twice about saying "We're not worried." Nothing rude about that. I wouldn't ASK if they could help at a later date, but I would say, "We don't need help right now; the real cleanup for us won't start till May or so." Giving them the option to say, "call me then" or whatever. My answering machine takes care of the phone when I don't wish to talk. It's never rude to not answer your phone. It's not WRONG to not want to chat with these people, but as a misanthrope myself, I can tell you that forcing yourself out of your comfort zone does lead to better relationships. It's hard to be friends, or even friendly neighbors, with someone who rarely wishes to chat or share experiences.

yes, that's it, thank you!!

Rather than leaving negative feedback, my next move would be to post a message to her on the boards - - first the WTB and Sale boards, then the General board if no reply. You can also easily see if she has been posting recently (to see if she has been around/reading the boards). I don't think you've been waiting a terribly long time, though, for a media mail package sent around the holidays. If the she mailed it right after your check cleared, it's quite possible her PO sat on it until January, and it's only January 7 now. As far as the messages go, that could be worrying, but you didn't say when you sent them. I'm guessing not before Christmas, so less than or about 2 weeks ago? She could easily be on vacation for that amount of time, so I wouldn't jump to any conclusions too quickly. Basically, I think you need to give it a few more days (although I would post a "ms. x, can you PM me?" message on the boards).

I remember several people were using it to plan school, and that you could drag various parts of the template around to design it. Ring any bells?

And if I had my way, the only separate things would be "for sale" and the general board, lol! I enjoy reading the high school board for prep and self-ed purposes, but I tend to forget to check it. The 'other' boards don't move as fast as curriculum and general. My ideal board would be everything homeschool related on one board, with ultra specific thread titles, and a separate general board.

It's not statutory rape; the age of consent varies, but is no older than 16 in any state. There are additional factors that also vary - - mostly, the consenting parties are required to be fairly close in age. She's 17 and he's only 19, so that's not an issue here. In Louisiana, 17 yr olds cannot legally move out of the house without parental consent. However, it is a rare police department that is going to chase after someone of this age even if they are in town.

the thought of reciting "weni, widi, wici" was enough to deter me from classical :D but also, I liked the Memoria Press series, and we're Catholic, so we get the chance to hear Latin in context sometimes.

We are neo-classical. We do teach Latin, but I wouldn't say we are Latin centered.

I have a 10 yr old, and I can't imagine taking off two full days a week. "10" could mean either 4th or 5th grade; mine is a 5th grader, but I'm pretty sure we couldn't have done it last year, either! Rather than all or nothing, why not schedule independent work for those two days, and things that can be done in the car? Independently, my kids do stuff like spelling, math drill sheets or review, and grammar when I'm not readily available to help. My 5th grader also does stuff like work on her essays/compositions - - she knows these are times for her to do what she can on her own, rather than the time to show it to me and discuss it. It's rather amazing what you can get done in the car. This is one place where technology is your friend. If you do anything on dvd, this is a great time - - we often watch Latin on the way to home school group. With the cd or mp3 player, we can go over Latin vocabulary, listen to Greek myths, and listen to our history chapter. We use Story of the World, and we have a routine of listening to the chapter in the car one day, and doing the map work and such the next day. Both kids (10 and 8) got Crammers for Christmas, so we'll also be able to do flashcards on the go (you can take along normal ones, of course, but they tend to get lost or diry or out of order!). I think the tech is well worth the investment, but if you don't have it, you can still do a few things in the car. My kids do simple worksheets, where neatness is not crucial. Sometimes I have them read out loud, and of course they can read to themselves. We probably get 2 to 3 hours of listening and review done in the car each week, a huge time savings - - about a half day's work!

Criminally negligent and morally reprehensible. I do not believe he thought the mom was going to meet them along the road. If she had a car and was coming to get them, why on earth would they not just wait for her there? If you somehow thought it was preferable that they walk rather than sit in the car, that could be done in the area near the car, with one of the two available adults. I live in Lousiana; it has snowed twice here in about ten years (and by 'snowed,' I mean half an inch at most, that lasted for a couple of hours). Yet, even with no direct experience, I certainly know that sending anyone, let alone children, walking into the snow is highly dangerous. How many of us could walk ten miles with ease in normal weather? That's a pretty long walk, particularly for children. And in the snow? Insane. He may or may not be in a personal hell for the rest of his life. I know some parents who would be, and some who would not. I don't know if a charge of murder is justified, but I'd be fine with jail time. First, it may be a deterrent for other parents faced with similar decisions. Second, I think that poor or neglectful decisions that harm or kill others must be atoned for, no matter how sorry one is. I say jail time rather than community service because I used to deal with people in community service all the time. 99% of the time, community service is a joke. No matter how good the intent or original orders, the justice system does not have time to truly oversee and evaluate community service hours. Almost anything done for a non-profit qualifies, and if you have a buddy willing to sign your papers, you don't even have to go through the motions. Edited to add that I can't BELIEVE none of the people involved thought to call 911 and tell them two children were stranded in the snow (even if they didn't know the kids were no longer by the car).

yay, it was alibris!! I'm going to check out these other sites as well, but it was making me CRAZY that I couldn't find this particular one. thanks, all.