Check out home-school-inc.com, it has a planner in there--PER (plan, educate, record). It takes some time to set up, but it is easy to use. Kids can log-on and look at their assignments you have scheduled, then you go back and record their lessons completed and grades.

I'm still struggling with the same issues. Some things I have found that help: 1. timer to complete work 2. bribery--"after school work, you can...(fill in the blank)" 3. thin out your lessons for the day if it's just not a good day--by that I mean, skip anything today that you can do easily tomorrow (I had to do this one today) 4. give him a nice long time out in his room. maybe he needs rest? 5. let him choose which lessons to do first, second, etc. 6. make jokes. my sons love to laugh, so when they're grumpy, I try to make them laugh, then we get back to work (this one works best)

Okay, I'm wondering whether you're talking about yourself or your daughter? Just curious:)

We both agree we don't want any more, but you never know what the future will bring. We have two boys and our little girl. Pregnancies have been very easy for me and I believe in natural childbirth. I have short labors too (I know you will all hate me for this--my sister does). But lack of financial resources, lack of energy, and the desire to be more mobile some day keep us repeating the mantra, "no more for us." I will not do any surgeries to my body. My husband said that he would take on the responsibility when the time came, since I carried and delivered the babies, but we have yet to see that day. I think we'll wait another ten years to be really sure. For now, the IUD is a good choice. I don't do well on birth control, so mine doesn't have the hormones. Quick easy procedure. No extra schedules to worry about.

I would definitely say your expecting a lot if you don't stand there with a 5 1/2 yr old when he is doing writing. I still stand there with my 6 1/2 yr and 8 1/2 yr olds. My younger son actually has an easier time with writing and will copy several sentences, even pages of words, etc. While my oldest whines when he writes a few words or a four-word sentence. But, the younger one has better coordination and he's an excellent drawer, while my oldest has poor coordination. It sounds bad--but I got him (8 yr old) a nintendo ds. Most of the games you play with a stylus on the screen, so it improves his hand-eye coordination (okay, it's bribery to work on strengthening his hand muscles), and it has helped immensely--not that I'm suggesting it. That's just what I did.

That's pretty much what I do. I send him to his room with the understanding that when he is ready to do school work, he may come out. He has no privileges in there (we keep a separate play room so that time in their bedrooms are not play times). Usually he gets bored and feels lonely, and eventually comes out and tells me he is sorry and he is ready to do his work now. But there are some days that I have to drag him out after several hours and tell him, "tough, you're doing it." We always get it done by the end of the day, but it takes a lot of starting and stopping, working right up to and during dinner (he is not allowed to eat until his work is done--except for reading), and many nights we doing his reading work at night. I just feel like I need some easier method. His brother did this whole song and dance last year and it was a nightmare. But his brother is very difficult all around and much more stubborn. I'm hoping it won't last long with this one. He is kind-hearted and usually does things for our approval. GRR.

I chose a Classical Education because I wanted to give my children the best quality education. I graduated with a teaching degree and was appalled by how many teachers there are out there that are, as my son once called it, "brainless wonders." They have no knowledge themselves, so how can they teach my kids? My personal beliefs about homeschooling: 1. I want a high quality education for my children. 2. I want them to become open-minded individuals with the ability to think for themselves and not just follow the crowd. 3. I want them to learn good manners and how to live in the real world. 4. I want to avoid all the bad influences and behaviors kids pick up at public school. (I won't tell you all the things my son learned in 1st grade ps--none of which was educational) 5. I want them to have a positive outlook on learning for a lifetime. 6. I want them to explore their own interests at their own pace. 7. I want them to have plenty of exercise and learn healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime. 8. I want them to feel loved and know that I am here for them when ever they need to talk. Okay, I could go on...but I'll stop here. I think every family has their own reasons for choosing a classical education. Just remember, it is your right to teach your children what you wish! Let's not judge others for their reasons--whether homeschool, private or public.

My ds 6 just flat out refuses to do his school work on most days. We have a few good days here and there, but then there are those days that he back-talks and tells me he won't do it. I had this problem last year with my ds 7 (now 8), and this year he is eager to please. He now realizes that the faster and harder he works, the quicker it gets done and he gets a break. I am also unrelenting when it comes to getting their work done, so I think he realized that he will never win. Now my ds 6 who was an eager learner last year refuses to do his school work this year. Is it just that he is trying to master some difficult material and this is his way of not feeling bad about struggling? Or is he testing his boundaries with me? Oh, will they ever just do their work when it's time to do it?

I have the same problem with both of my boys. My older son is getting over it and my younger son is growing into it. I just allow them to go lie down for a while and collect themselves sometimes. When I keep trying and pushing, we get nowhere. When I back off a little and find something else to do, it helps. Just a change of pace, maybe?

I agree We don't follow any one curriculum guide to the T. And learning is supposed to be fun. Isn't that the point of homeschooling--you decide what to learn, how much and when:)

We have a long day, but I have two very active boys--6 & 8--and a 20 mo. old to boot. When I follow the time it actually takes to do their work it is around 5 hours, but they day dream and fidget a lot, so we start at 8 or 9 and go until 4-5 pm. We take an hour for lunch. It's basically an all day thing. Sometimes we don't get independent reading time until bedtime when daddy can help! I don't worry about it any more.

The school stressed sight words a lot in k and 1st grade. He would memorize the words and know them for quizzes, but then didn't know them when it came time to read a book? I think he also has issues with tracking. He has a slight astigmatism (I didn't look up the spelling of that).

I bought McGuffey's Readers and have been using them as short reading lessons to make sure we didn't miss anything along the way. It's been a rough and winding road.

Handwriting was a problem last year, but I'm very strict on him. I watch him while he writes, and if he gets sloppy, I make him redo it. His handwriting has drastically improved (I think he just picked up bad habits when he was at school and nobody paid attention). He is now finishing a cursive writing workbook and writes SOOO much better. We have had issues with spelling at times. I think it was because I assumed that he would memorize the words easily like I did as a child. I have gone through three different spelling programs. We now use Natural Speller and he does great. I realize that he needs a lot more practice and breaking the words down than what I was previously doing. When I tell him to create sentences on his own for his spelling words, he spells almost all of the words right (I mean words that are not spelling words). He loves grammar! And he's a natural word wiz. Thanks for your reply.

So....how do I stimulate my DD without books (reading)? Will we ever catch up on the literary side of homeschooling? I would continue trying to read to dd from a variety of sources--history books, science books, literature--and visit the library often. Have dd choose her own books (maybe if she's in charge, she will listen?). My 7 yr and 5 yr old sons didn't enjoy listening to history lessons and some literature lessons, but with time they got used to them. I think they needed more time to learn to sit and pay attention. It helps to read a few lines (or a paragraph) and stop to clarify. I usually paraphrase what I read in simpler terms, address any new words, and ask questions to engage them. This is the best thing to keep their attention and test their comprehension. Besides it's good practice. This year is much better. They actually beg for history lessons and for me to read to them. They love finding books at the library that relate to whatever we are learning. Children are naturally curious, sometimes we just have to coax it out of them.

Sounds like the same case I went through with my son. Don't put it off. Keep working toward reading, but not in a pressured way. When she is ready to move forward, she will. My son fought with me for hours a day about reading, but I didn't want to give up. His dad and grandpa both were dyslexic (different degrees of it) and excelled in life. My husband didn't learn to read until 4th grade, then it clicked and he hasn't stopped reading as much as he can get a hold of. What worked in my situation: I let go of my control. I made a "reading basket" of books that were below his level, on level and above his level. I changed these from time to time, and he could choose books to add with my approval. Other than that, I told him he must read something every day. At first, I would sit on the couch, waiting for him to decide that he was ready to read. He had massive temper tantrums at times (age 7), but I just sat quietly waiting. Then he decided he was ready. I stoppped trying to correct him so much and found that he began to correct himself. He would re-read the same few books for weeks and months on end, but it helped him a lot. He read more fluently and gained confidence. Then I introduced slightly more difficult books, and showed him all the words he knew in them. We started reading first chapter books by the end of the year. Don't give up. Don't put it off. Read something each day--even if it's a few words on a cereal box! Shorten your lessons to not tire your child. Hope this helps.

I need some advice for my struggling third grader. He has had great difficulty learning to read and I don't know where to go from here. He was in public school in K and 1st grades, the school wanted to hold him back, but we had already decided school was not for him. I started homeschooling him in what I classified as 2nd grade. He is an extremely bright boy, and was advanced in math and science. Of course, his reading and writing skills were poor. I worked very hard with him last year (often times doubting my decision to homeschool) and he has improved. He went from barely reading simple "leveled readers" with a lot of mistakes and reading very slowly to reading more fluently and with accuracy. He loves books and makes up his own stories all the times. It's just so difficult for him to read. Now we are in "3rd grade" but I feel that his reading level is still in second grade. He loves the Magic Tree House books. We are working through reading most of them because they are high-interest and somewhat educational. (I know WTM says not to read these, but we do what we can) He is always picking up new words when he reads. He still works at sounding out the words he doesn't know. He does guess at words a lot when he's tired or distracted (which is 80% of the time). I just don't know where to go from here. I can't find much information on what he should be doing at this age. So here's the list of my questions: How do I know what "level" he is reading? How do we progress in his reading, now that he has the basics down? Is there some type of reading instruction I should still be doing? How much time should he spend reading daily? How much longer do I need to sit with him while he reads and help him along? What are some good books for boys that are struggling with reading and REALLY need coaxing to get it done? If anyone can answer one, some or all of these questions, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

I think that if you are worried about whether your children are getting enough, refer to "Home Learning Year by Year" by Rebecca Rupp. I use that as a reference when I get those feelings of "Am I doing enough?" or "How do my kids compare to others kids their ages?" I know we shouldn't compare, but deep down inside, I always want to know how they rate compared to others kids.

I recommend Natural Speller by Kathryn Stout. My 8 year old son has tried three other spelling programs before, and does great with this one. The book covers all grades and has lists by grade level. You can choose which level your child is ready for, but like phonics and reading--if your child has not learned the previous rules for spelling and word/letter patterns, then go back through the easier lessons. Backtracking never hurts and usually you can fly through them faster. The book also has many ideas for spelling activities as well. I choose to have my son copy the words three times each, then create sentences with the words (he sounds out all the words on his own to spell them--don't worry about perfection), then he looks the words up in the dictionary and we read the definitions and parts of speech together, then he spells the words using letter tiles (he hates to write) and says the word, the spelling, the word ("cherry, c, h, e, r, r, y, cherry"). I sometimes give him the chance to spell them orally for a quiz, sometimes we use a marker board (he likes that), but most of the time we do a traditional written quiz. He is a poor reader, but he performs well when it comes to spelling? Go figure? As far as retention, if you explicitly teach the spelling rules and patterns, they will become "natural spellers." Don't assume that because they can memorize how to spell a list of words that they have actually learned something:)

Choose option 4. It's a conjunctive adverb. Basically an adverb posing as a conjunction to join two clauses. Hope this helps.