Thank you for the reply! I just want to use it as a quick refresher to make sure they understand concepts and possibly cement in ideas. Blessings!

nt

I think the timeline is non essential. I helps to have an un-interrupted timeline (rather than in a book). I still haven't made full use of ours...guess I need to get it out and look again.

I purchased a self re-newing annual membership for $48/yr per child. Penny

I purchased it about a month ago for my 3 dc. It is definately a keeper. So far my ds 12 has spelled about 1700 words, missed 360, and learned 231 words that used to be hard for him. (Compare this to about 100 words I would have tested them on by now, 95% they probably would have already known (using Spelling WO)) All of my children LIKE doing it (or at least they don't mind) and the little reward clip at the end of the lesson makes a big difference. Espindle sends out achievement award certificates and we print these and put them in their binders (another motivator). I have 2 dc that are good spellers naturally, and one that is terrible. It seems to help all. The vocabulary function I haven't used yet, as just spelling many of the words helps them take on their meaning since the definition is presented. Some times it is necessary to read the definition of the word before spelling to figure out what is being said. (Sort of a mechanical pronunciation sometimes.) That is the only negative that we have found, and I want them to read the definition anyway. Quotes are given as example usage, and they are fabulous. Each day dc take a 50 word quiz, followed by a 25 word quiz. The 50 word takes about 11 minutes, and the 25 about 7. Penny Penny

All three of mine loved Bound for Oregon. Of course many of the others mentioned were great (Johnny Tremain, Moccasin Trail (another don't miss, but much better as a read a loud), plus many more). The Boy in the Alamo (I'm pretty sure it is called) is the best book on that subject for kids (in my oh so humble opinion)!

We have to be very careful (I know I do anyway) before we comment on something which could be true. Joshua 24: 2 says: "From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods" So, SWB is right according to the Bible (I use New American Standard).

Maybe this is a genetic thing? Spelling has been shown to have nothing whatsoever to do with intelligence. My dd 9 is also a terrible speller with what seems to be no hope in sight. I can repeat the rules forever, over and over, and she will spell the word right time and time again on the spelling test, but when it comes to writing notes, stories, etc, she just doesn't. For instance, she knows how to spell 'once', but in her stories it will often be 'wunce upon a time...' I'm sort of giving up. We subscribed to epspindle.org and now I just put her on the computer to work it out. It is too frustrating for me to handle anymore. If she gets better, well, that's wonderful. If not, then life doesn't end.

We also tried LCI and just couldn't. In 4th, we went to Latin Prep. It is difficult for a 4th grader (actually anyone) but extremely easy to use. There is no teacher's manual; the book spells it all out. We supplement with Cambridge to add in more reading and the audio component. Then dd took an outside class in 5th that used Cambridge but this just served to put her one year back in Latin Prep which may have actually been benificial to allow brain development before getting back into the meat of Latin. Now we are in Latin Prep Bk 2 (almost half way through). Latin is extrememly challenging! One must memorize declensions (write them every day for about a year), chant verb tenses(every model verb, every tense, every day for about a year, then at least once per week after that), chant irregulars, chant all vocabulary with review (remember to chant all principle parts of the verb and chant the dictionary form of the noun with gender) along with lots of HARD WORK. I didn't realize when we started this what we are up against. The decision to do Latin is huge. I liken it to adding in another completely different math program every day. If I had known, I might not have had the gumption to take it on.

Just to confuse you more, we are trying espindle.org based on recommendations from this forum, and we all really like it. No rules, just practice, but it works. We are still on the free 10 day trial period, but as of now, I plan on signing up. Penny

:bigear:

THANKS!!:)

I'm about to buy this and would love recent feedback from those who have used it. I found a few posts around Jan 2008, so for those of you who bought it, how's it going? This is for dd 12. If you found something you like better, please mention it! Blesssings!

Well, ds tried CLE (LU 501, 502, and 503) and went back to R&S. CLE is a great program, and it does cover more topics earlier than R&S. But we liked the very thorough, very grounded, mastery approach of R&S. R&S does not move on to higher concepts before earlier ones are fully understood. If done properly, a child will be extremely good at mental math and understanding the basics after completing the program. (BTW I am a very math oriented mom. I at first tried other programs, but this is the one I like best (except RS for K and I still teach using some RS concepts and still teach using MUS manipulatives at times). And yet, I've not seen a child through Alg yet. How can we know everything when we've not done it yet?)

R&S's math style seems to be to concentrate on the basics, know the facts extremely well, know mental math, and wait for higher order thinking skills to develop. I agree with that philosophy. However, if your child is gifted mathematically, he may become bored. I do have one gifted, and one not, but both do R&S. Even the gifted is benefited by concentrating on and thoroughly knowing the basics. They are 3/4 of the way through R&S 6. R&S is used by the Highland Latin School, and that comforts me.

I'm learning Latin with my kids. It is giving me an almost uncanny window into the past. I can't explain the difference between knowing the origins of the word, and merely knowing the meaning of the word. It is a much deeper understanding, an insight, and I believe a key to proper use of the English language. Now that I've delved into it, I can't imagine Tolkein or Lewis being able to write so beautifully without Latin (or Greek - the next hurdle). This is not why we began Latin; it is probably why we will not quit.

Questions: How did Latin Prep seem like busy work? Understanding this will help to answer your question. For instance, possibly the Latin Prep book was below your child's level, and therefore seemed like busy work. Did you do the Latin Prep exercises along with your child or if not, are you able to do them? Is it simply a matter of having the wrong level? What form of exercises seem to you not like busy work? Latin Prep exercises are mostly translation, first Latin to English, then the more difficult English to Latin. When I teach, we over learn the material, memorizing via chanting and writing declensions, conjugations, irregular verbs, vocabulary, etc. We chant the principle parts of each verb, and the dictionary form of each noun, adj., etc. I'm certainly no expert on Latin. We are in Latin Prep book 2 and Cambridge Latin Unit 2. I could easily drop the Cambridge; LP is the meat of our program.

Highly recommend Ellen McHenry's Chemistry as an intro program to any chemisty course. Your study will understand molecular structure and therefore why elements/compounds behave the way the do. It is simply foundational and fun.

Thank you Michelle; you're always very helpful! Penny

Michelle, Thanks for the suggestion!! Did you realize that I'm talking about 6th grade? Will your recommendation work for 6th? I'm heading over to look. Blessings!

I realize that some of the stories are disturbing to say the least. Although many are very good, there is no way I can use the program without substituting for the upsetting stories, which for various reasons I am unable to do. Yet I love the way the program deals with lit analysis for this grade level, and the writing assignments. What else is available like this? Is Lightning Literature the way to go?

We're going to try the Jamestown Best series recommended on the Hewitt website for 5-6 graders. It looks great, but I am also wondering if I could add in CLE reading as well. I just keep being drawn back to CLE. Penny

I'd simply read lots of picture books from the library, and wait on history. Picture books for a 4 year old teach so very much, and should not be underestimated. Just go to the library and grab a bunch. History is so full of wars and ugly human sin that I would not want to begin this too soon.

http://www.isi.org/lectures/lectures.aspx?SBy=lecture&SFor=161e5271-b028-4398-9b81-f38a3987c1e0 Climbing Parnassus: A New Apologia for Greek and Latin

Thank you so much.