I have searched and searched for a particular post to no avail. I am looking for the name of a college admissions consultant that was recommended here. This consultant may have been a WTM board member? The consultant may have lived in Texas and provided other educational services such as tutoring or online classes? The person recommending them in their post had actually used this particular consultant's services and felt that the benefits had far outweighed the cost of the service. The post discussed briefly how this service helped them select a college their student had not previously considered and that the resulting tuition savings had been substantial. Ring a bell with anyone? Vague, I know. When I read the post I did not realize I would want this information later. We've changed the direction of our homeschool and really would like to get in touch with this consultant Thanks!.

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Lately there have been so many posts about being stressed as many of us gear up to begin a new year. I, for one, have never been so unprepared to begin a year. This is only year 7 for us and I am hoping prepping will go smoother in coming years. :tongue_smilie: Today I drew a line in the sand, grabbed the iPod loaded with Susan Wise Bauer talks, put the corresponding printed handouts on a clipboard, tucked a pen in and headed for the hammock. Listened for 1 1/2 hrs before it started sprinkling. A lot of things clicked into place for me concerning writing. The 'session' was wonderful therapy as well. Each of the kids trickled by in turn and asked, "What are you doing?". To each I gave the same reply, "Working, ...it's an action verb".:lol: They all silently drifted off. Ah, yes. Planning. I think I could learn to love it.;)

Subscribing to this thread! :bigear:

A lot has been discussed concerning R&S and AG but.... you have posed the exact question I still have about the two. Hoping someone can come along and enlighten us. :)

momofCM - yes, that does help. My husband and I have been discussing this and the concurrent approach seems logical to each of us. Our degrees are in the sciences and at least one of our children is very inclined to go that way as well. I do believe a concurrent method is in our future! This method of study was not an option for my husband and I until we were into our college educations. It just makes so much more sense to study sciences together rather than trying to isolate them. This is good stuff!

Janette & Paula - thank you both for sharing this information. My planning wheels are just begining to churn and this information will be very helpful. I'll be watching for any updates on your science programs this year. Hope they are a tremendous success & you'll have much more wisdom to share. :)

Janette - yes! That is the post, thank you. I had read only a snippet in search of something else. Wow, lots of wonderful info there. I have some of the same questions as Paula. If you've time to give an outline of your science basic routine/types of resources/schedule, etc., that would be great. Thanks!

"My husband and I had a European education close to a classical education. The difference was in the sciences. They were all studied concurrently every year, starting in the 7th grade." (do not know how to quote from different thread & didn't want to hijack that one) I thought I had seen a discussion on studying all the sciences each year rather than one science per yer. Maybe someone can direct me to that thread if it exists. Hopefully momofCM will elaborate, & that others will chime in as well, with information on this study method. Thanks!

Yes! "Begin w/ the End in Mind".... I have a book by that same title & loved it! Will reread now. If I refere to the outline I made from WTM I won't accidently 'forget' to cover a subject... or not cover it just because I didn't stumble accross a curriculum that seemed fun to try. If we skip a subject it will be an intentional part of our plan, maybe to make room for something else we need to do. As long as the main structure is covered nothing but my budget or time says I have to stop reading curriculum or other books that I have no intention of using during 'school time'!:) According to the chart I made up working on writing needs to be our priority. None of the writing stuff I've read is appealing to me - because I don't like writing. So I will just pick what seems best and get the job done. It's beginning to smooth out a little in my mind. Thanks everyone!

I could have written this exact same thing when it comes to writing, so I understand the feeling. I can outline (arithmetic) but I can not write. I can follow grammar rules (operations) if I have a rule book next to me. I just can not apply writing skills to a paper. There is not an exact formula to follow and I. just. do. not. get. it. Forget creative writing, I've accepted the fact I will not conquer that beast. I can take a two sentence thought and drag it out to a convulted 2 page mess. You have all the tools you need for Algebra - you understand Arithmetic. I suspect that if you follow any of the resources suggested here you are going to grasp Algebra quickly & easily. It will only take your time and a good resource. So maybe you'll have to decide if that is where you want to spend your time? If you decide you do not wish to spend your time learning Algebra you could utilize a teaching resource for your child (online, tutor, etc.). I'm not trying to make your issue sound trivial at all! I see two solutions to choose from. 1. Spend the time yourself with a solid resource or... 2. Outsource instruction for your child. If I could write well I would try and convince you to restructure your schedule to include Algebra instruction for yourself. I think you would be surprised how quickly & easily you can learn it, especially with so many excellent resources to select from! If you choose this route it could lead to a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and maybe give you more confidence to tackle any future homeschool trepeditions that arise? But maybe you have bigger fish to fry and you simply want to outsource this one. Um, yeah. Think I should stop now.

This has hit on so much that I posted about today... I've been struggling with how to get on track & be a 'real' homeschool Mom. Good to know we accidently covered some of what your experience has proven to be important. I think maybe I should :chillpill: and retreat back to my reading now, quietly. Thanks!

I've read a lot of curriculum I have never really intended to use, just to 'see' it. Twice we were prepared to move and my husband asked me to look at the bookshelves and pretend like I was going to have to move every single book myself.... and to purge accordingly. We live very rural, so if I want to look at something I have to purchase it for that privilege. Trouble is, it all seems interesting to me and I would like to look at all of it. Amazingly this scatter shot approach has not been with out it's stellar successes; found and awesome reading program (OPGTR), some excellent math programs (RightStart, CWP, MM), a bible study that was a wonderful fit for 5 years (BSGFAA). A few others along the way, all used with fantastic outcome. And some utter failures. Playing with AAS, thinking there had to be a more effecient way of teaching spelling... and realizing a year later that the 'nothing' program was not more effecient. Read MCT with the kids and was amazed at how much grammar they learned... and still remember! Well, maybe if they had been given a chance at a grammar program earlier - any grammar - they would have learned it! Writing? I have read 3 grammar , 4 spelling, 2 art , and 2 writing programs, etc.... just to see what they were about. When I realized my need for a plan I repurchased WTM, and this time I intend to USE it. I've made a scope and sequence chart following the WTM and put in a few tweaks I knew we would want. I've gone back and made a record of books, curriculum, projects, documentaries, etc., that we've used per subject up to this point. Cataloged every book into a LibraryThing account. I've plugged in a few 'don't miss' resources for future reference. I can see now I've been really heavy on unorganized science and history. And overloaded with information primarily gleaned from these boards... and no actual plan to apply it. I am an organized person, I love effeciency, enjoy learning and helping the kids learn as well. We have bright, capable children. Why does my homeschool life look like a Scattershot Eclectic Unschooler's program? (nothing against those who chose that method intentionally) What a disconnect. So far we've been at this for six years, and just over the past year realized the need for a plan... and I've been working on that for 6? months now. At this rate they'll be moved out before I get it together! What do I need, blinders? kick in the bumper? a nap? less time on the boards? more bookshelves... okay, that one is wishful thinking. Where do you ladies come up with all this incredible focus? Some of the accomplishments discussed here are amazing. What pitfalls are waiting the unsuspecting homeschool Mom that is just now catching on to the planning vision? I'm pretty sure I've done one thing better than anyone else here, that is to remain in Lurker status for years..... by the hours. I posted this on the general board too, I know somebody here is holding my lightbulb. :bigear:

RightStart is one of two programs we have ever used in our accidental homeschool journey (the other being OPGTR for reading) with clear purpose... help teach arithmetic. It has been extremely successful for our family. My children enjoy math but each learn differently, RS has worked for all of them. Level B can be taught without learning the method of instruction from using Level A. It's a scripted program (the script is easy enough skip over if you wanted) so it can be started easily at B. I do not recall any RS specific methods taught only in Level A. RS has been our one steady component for arithmetic and would work well on it's own. We've added other resources in at random just to make sure each child is pushing their challenge level along... but I guess we could have just increased the speed at which we did the program. RS has a lot of variety so boredom was not an issue for us. Enjoy!

OPGTR is one of the few resources we've used as intended. We've had complete success 3 seperate times, though each child's proccess was very different. The first child went through with steady progress start to finish at age 6. I guess we just both thought that was how it was supposed to work, so it did. The second child went through starting at 6 with slightly slower, but still steady, progress. Half way through it all clicked and we only used the rest of the book to verify complete understanding of all phonograms. He finished at 7. This was despite his severe tracking issues, 3 years of eye therepy has drastically helped that aspect. The third child went through the entire book sounding out every word as you describe. She was 6 when we started and 7 when we finished. I had no plan on how to help her overcome that past the OPGTR book. The day we closed the book for the last time was the last day she sounded out words like that. Another click in our house and it's all smooth sailing for her now. My SIL (teaches reading to dyslexic adults/children) administered a reading test to the two older children a couple months after they each completed OPGTR and they both were at late 4th grade level. The youngest with the sounding it out issue was never tested but she was reading the same level of books her two older siblings had upon completion. OPGTR seems an exceptional resource for teaching reading. Maybe just keep steadily going and wait for the click?

When I start mumbling certain phrases in my head it's time to stop. Spending a few minutes in examination would allow me to save "panic mode" for more appropriate occasions than homeschool planning. Phrases such as: "Why are there so many resources out there for xyz when I don't even see a need for xyz?" "Resource xyz is being touted as if it's a lifeline, but I just don't have time for that." "Am I the only one that can't seem to figure out xyz?" I read WTM 7 years ago before our homeschool journey took off and thought , "Wow, great book! Seems like a wonderful homeschool system to me!". Put the book on my shelf - yanked it off a few years later and sold it because I didn't 'need' it. And then one unsuspecting day I took a right off Crayon Ave. onto Glitter street going past Mnt. BookPile while an uneasy feeling turned into full force panic - this within just a matter of a few hours. The sun came up on a different world when I realized that doing some math and reading lots of books might not land my children at Point Graduation. "Oh, so a course set without direction may not lead to a desirable destination? Really? Is there some sort of map somewhere, anywhere? The book? - you mean WTM... I was supposed to USE it, that was more than just a pleasure read? Oh.... I get it. And the General Board is where the nuggets of information concerning life as a homeschool Mom are kept? That place I didn't have time for? Oh.... I see. Well then, I bet the Logic Board can be visited for moving past Random Wandering and defining some goals using planning and tracking?" And before I start to say...... "Am I the only that forgot to pick out a destination before takeoff?"....... I can rest assured that I am not. While hopscotching through Hey! That Looks Fun Let's Try It Fields has been great... I'm just glad others thought to put up guardrails along the bridge I didn't even see coming. I wasn't prepared for all this self revelation... I was just going to help the kids learn... harmless adventure.... that's all I was gonna do. And then.......... How many times I've asked the kids, "Did you give outcome ANY thought before you acted on that idea?" Well, have you Mom? :lol: This past 8 month addiction to the boards has saved our boat from the falls. I also acquired a greater appreciation for kilts.;) Any thoughts on how to avoid the Smack-up-Side the Head Discovery Trail in the future? (as pertains to homeschool) :bigear:

Narrrow Gate & Snickerdoodle both get heaps of thanks from me. You guys beat having the "answers in the back of the book" by a country mile.

No! Algebra is going to be fine, just follow along in a good text. I have provided a poor example here, I don't know why I stumped myself on this one. Snickerdoodle kindly showed me the errors of my ways on the General Board - I had accidently posted this question there first. I never visit/read the general board - so why I posted there this morning I couldn't tell you. This little math problem had me all fuddled. (some of us have so ingrained our "old" ways - meaning algebra - that it is difficult for us to see "new" ways - meaning Singapore bar method. most people are nowhere near as inflexible as me so I bet you'll be fine)

I would name my first born after you but we've already named her & it might be hard for her to change now. Getting ready to start book 5 and my daughter reminded me we never solved this problem to her satisfaction! I can get my week off to a 'clean' start now!

Here’s the problem: 4 books and 5 magazines cost $103.60 altogether. 8 books and 3 magazines cost $134.40 altogether. How much less does each magazine cost than each book? When I solve this with algebra my answer is $2.50, and my child rolls her eyes. When I solve this using the Singapore bar method I get $3.85, and my child nods her head in confirmation of the fact that something is wrong with all that algebra stuff and this is the real answer. But $3.85 is not right, and I just can’t see the problem correctly the Singapore way, which is the way I need to help explain it to my child since she can’t see things the algebraic way yet! :confused:

WRONG BOARD - SORRY, MOVING NOW. Here’s the problem: 4 books and 5 magazines cost $103.60 altogether. 8 books and 3 magazines cost $134.40 altogether. How much less does each magazine cost than each book? When I solve this with algebra my answer is $2.50, and my child rolls her eyes. When I solve this using the Singapore bar method I get $3.85, and my child nods her head in confirmation of the fact that something is wrong with all that algebra stuff and this is the real answer. But $3.85 is not right, and I just can’t see the problem correctly the Singapore way, which is the way I need to help explain it to my child since she can’t see things the algebraic way yet! :confused:

This resource is excellent for studying the original context. Would make a good companion to any Constitutional study. http://www.theconstitutionmadeeasy.com/ enjoy!

this site is amazing, always: http://www.aholyexperience.com/ also, in the sidebar is an inspirational link for calendar ideas - could be used in combination w/ her study.

...want to give this a bump as I am interested in more information as well. Looking at this and the Robinson Curriculum & I may like to take ideas/parts for applying in our home. Would these resources compliment each other, or?

Here's some ideas: This looks really good, but we've not used it - want try it next summer. This is really good, we have used it & may repeat again when kids are older. I still use the text for reference & the kids do too! http://www.healthyhomesllc.com/ We used these with the above resource and they worked extremely well together. http://www.amazon.com/Human-Anatomy-Coloring-Colouring-Books/dp/0486241386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288128450&sr=8-1 (Kids were 5,7 & 9 when we did the above two books- I was... um, a lot older & I learned a bunch. Everyone really enjoyed the experiments/recipes & the kids remember a lot of what they learned. Time well spent!)