I agree. I liked pairing Elemental Science with RSO, but apparently that isn't acceptably secular, either. RSO honestly wasn't enough for my very inquisitive kid, and pairing the two worked out really well for him in elementary. I think Oak Meadow is secular (possibly not by the secular group standards), but I'm not sure how rigorous it is. I have 7th grade OM science, and it's a bit simplistic for my 6th grader, but I have an older version before the recent updates. We are secular homeschoolers, but I don't mind 'neutral' science because I know that we use *a lot* of different resources and that my kids will end up with exposure to more concepts just by virtue of the variety of resources we use. Just the same way we use a lot of resources in all of our subjects. I really like Ellen J. McHenry's books - they make science concepts really interesting for kids. I loved her Botany in 8 Lessons book, and we just started her Elements book. If we need more information, I pull out another resource like our Kingfisher or Usborne Science Encyclopedias.

Which plans have you used so far? The Math Mammoth plans are set up really well. We've used Math Mammoth for years, and I'd always wished they had lesson plans. I don't know when they started offering them, but I'm glad I found them! The plans include a couple of pages of work per day, along with a video of Maria explaining the concept, and a link to a math game or further online exercises. It isn't anything that isn't already available, it's just organized according to topic. I rarely incorporated the online math games or activities because I just never worked them in. The links are directly in the plans now, so that is going to make them quite easy to utilize.

Does anyone use this? How do you like it? I'm trying out the free trial, to use the Math Mammoth lesson plans. I've never used an online planner, but I need to start getting a bit more organized as I have one going into 8th grade. I'm wondering if it might be helpful to go ahead and subscribe. So far, I like the Math Mammoth lesson plans, but there don't seem to be a lot of curriculum options, particularly for other curriculum that we use, and I'm not sure I would want to subscribe for only one subject. Those of you who use it, do you do your own planning and input everything into the online planner? How did that work for you? Thanks for any advice!

Thanks everyone! I think we will try out Analytical Grammar. I took a look at the samples and it seems like it will be a good option.

I'm looking for a grammar program for my two middle schoolers (rising 6th and 8th). I've looked at the WTM recommendations, but they seem largely religious and our charter school won't cover that expense. What are secular grammar options for these grades? Thanks!

We are using Oak Meadow 5th grade and most of Oak Meadow 7th grade this year. We are using older versions (from 2013 and 2007) and I think they have recently revamped the curriculum, so our experience may be a bit different. Each week's work is laid out in a separate lesson. 36 weeks in a school = 36 lessons. The older versions do not tell you how to break this out into daily work (I think the new version *may* do that, I'm not sure). I give my 7th grader her work and she works on it throughout the week, with the understanding that she needs to complete the lesson by the end of the week. I do review her lessons ahead of time to make sure that she gives appropriate time to larger projects. I work through the lessons with my 5th grader, spacing the work out somewhat evenly throughout the week. I have heard that the early grades are very gentle, but the work does ramp up as it progresses through the grades. 5th grade history and literature has a lot of writing and reading.

I have found MBTP SS to be hit and miss. Some units are really good, some need a lot of supplements. I'm using 7-9 with my son right now, although we haven't done any of the social studies units yet. I pick and choose and he's ended up doing three back to back literature and science units. I'm using SOTW for history currently, but I'm pretty eclectic with our history studies. However, the 8-10 social studies units I have used are pretty good. There is a good unit on government and voting, I think it is called Power to the People or something like that, and we also did Early Explorers. MBTP does pack a lot of activities into each lesson. I extend the lessons over several days if necessary, and also skip activities that are a bit pointless. There is enough in it that I still feel like I'm getting my money's worth. I also buy each unit individually. I usually buy the online option because it's cheaper. I do generally end up adding in lots of extra library books, but that's the way we roll. We did the 7-9 Rain Forest science unit a few months ago and I added in at least 5 extra books.

I saw ILL listed for 4th-6th grade, so that sounds totally appropriate. I just found a hard copy version at Half Price books - I'd been using a PDF Version. Hard copy makes it so much easier to use! I've used it off and on for the last two years and we will still be using it next year, in 6th grade.

We are enjoying Children of the Longhouse right now. You may already have it as it is written by Bruchac. We also enjoyed the Brown Paper School Book of the American Indians. It is a mix of folk tales, activities, and history.

Math Mammoth and Beast Academy cover a lot of the same things, so you don't necessarily need to to MM3 before Beast Academy 3. Beast Academy presents it differently, and adds in a fun way of looking at math and problem solving. I believe they both are complete math programs. We have used both this year - started with Beast Academy, took a break and did MM3 for a while, and now are back at Beast Academy. The things that we covered in BA I skipped in MM. For 2nd grade, he did a mix of MEP, Miquon, and Life of Fred and did fine going straight into Beast Academy. I added in MM because I have a bundle of grades I have used with my older child.

I have found the science to be a bit hit and miss. Some units are good, some a bit light, some heavier, some not very well organized. For us, it also depends on the kid. For my science oriented 8-year-old, MBTP science isn't enough so we supplement. I still like the activities and the way MBTP connects science to literature if you use the entire unit. My 10-year-old isn't as interested in science, so MBTP science, even the light units, works for her.

They make a book. The pocket for each section (folded over 11x18 construction paper) holds the crafts/activities for that section. When you are finished, you can bind the pockets together as a book, with a cover sheet. I have one kid who loves history pockets, one who hates them. We have used a few, and are working through the Native American set right now.

The Black Friday sale is by far the best. But they also usually have a Memorial Day sale and a Labor Day sale, if you can't wait until November. I think those were more than 25%, maybe 30%, but can't remember exactly.

The Internet Linked Encyclopedias. We use those on a regular basis.

Have you read it? I have one kid who liked Matilda and one who hated it so much he didn't want to finish it. The one who didn't like it was really, really bothered by Matilda's parents. It opens up a lot of good discussions, but he just didn't want to consider parents who were so mean to their own daughter. So, in my experience, it's a classic but not a good selection for my sensitive kid.