I realize Level 3 is new so there might not be many with experience with it, but I have a question for those of you have have looked at it, used it, or used other Noeo stuff.... I ordered Chem L3 for my 8th grader. Haven't officially seen it yet, or used their other products. Do you think I could walk my 6th grader through the Chem L3 as well? Too hard? How hard was L2? Maybe do L2 and L3 side by side, but with one set of lab time? Has anyone used the Noeo stuff to teach multi-grade levels? Success? Hmmmm.... trying to cut my work in half almost never works for me! But it doesn't stop me from contemplating it! lol! I'll probably end up scraping the whole idea of running them on the same subject and stick 6th grade back in Earth and Space where she should be on the track. (and then what curric.!! more pondering....) Thanks for your input! :-)

"Shadow of Night" by Deborah Harkness (book 2 of trilogy - vampires, witches, time walking with lots of fun historical references, love story....ahhh!)

I second the idea of seltzer with juice - kids usually will go for that. It's very refreshing! And you only need an ounce or two of juice to make it work well.

There are indeed differences between the different types of sugar. Fructose is getting a bad rap for a good reason. Many sugars can be broken down by various organs and throughout the body, but fructose can ONLY be broken down in the liver. This puts undue excess work/stress on your liver. It is bad enough now that fructose is so commonly used in everything on the grocerty shelves (mostly in the form of HFCS) that people being autopsied are showing signs of the same liver issues as alcoholics. (I think it's called FLD - fatty liver disease?? I forget -something like that....) Here's an article that explains it better than I am: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/02/HighFructose-Corn-Syrup-Alters-Human-Metabolism.aspx FWIW, I use stevia most of the time (for coffee, and tea, lemonade, on fruit and yogurt, and even hot cocoa in the winter), but I am not above it all. I use Splenda when I'm out and about plenty of the time, and have my share of Diet Coke when it's convenient. Boo! I know it's no good, but old habits die hard. But I do think stevia is the safest thing going....definitely worth moving toward in your purchasing habits (like getting xevia). It's a tough sea to wade through all the info AND change habits! Good luck to you! :-)

Math: Saxon Alg 2 Science: Noeo Chem Level 3? (we did CPO PFC physics last year in 7th) History: HO L2 Modern Logic: MP TL2 Vocabulary: MCT L4 Grammar: MCT L4 Writing: MCT AAW1 and maybe IEW as well (big push on writing this year) Literature: SWB's WTM lists plus the HO history lists Spanish: Rosetta Stone HS finish 2 and then 3 Latin: MP finish FFL1, then FFL2 Geography: ?? And then a whole smattering of other stuff at a few co-op's. GL to all of you 8th grade moms out there!

We didn't move through L4 as quickly as before - there's just MORE in that level! And I adored the content, so we just kept it up when 5th grade rolled around and finished it mid-year. It was just right for that age/grade, but not easy by any means. There's tons of ramping-in review, as I recall, so I wouldn't worry about her not have the right "prerequisites", but I don't think I'd ever put a younger kiddo in L4, since it gets pretty meaty. Just make sure she memorizes definitions of parts of speech, and lists like the prepositions, along the way. There is some of of that in FLL 1/2 and 3, but it gets more necessary and "serious" in 4, so if she doesn't have them memorized already, just take your time on those sections and get it done. Diagramming will be a piece of cake, in that case! FLL4 has been one of my favorite curriulums ever! Does that sound weird?? It's very concise, and *I* personally relearned all that great stuff and feel like I have a handle on somethnig I never did as a child. Good stuff! :-) HTH andGL!

Anyone?

I have used both, and simultaneously. They are different subjects. WWE is a specific writing skills and method program. The kids are only hearing short passages from the classic stories that SWB quotes from (and then learning to pick out main points and summarize - a.k.a. narration. They also learn to hold in their head a complex idea, theme, or storyline during the dictation portions. This becomes a useful skill later when they are expected to devise their own paragraphs, essays, and reports at a later age). So WWE provides a writing skill. The MP lit guides are for reading and liturature skills. You have DC read (or read aloud together) the story/novel a chapter at a time, then the child answers questions about each chapter. On correcting, these will help to check that the child is comprehending and keeping the storyline straight. There are also some discussion questions that will help you both discover some conflicts, themes, imagry, etc., of those stories. There are no writing skills being worked on (even though they are writing their answers to the content/comprehension questions in the workbook). KWIM? So, different altogether. Not overlapping. HTH and GL! - Stacey in MA

So maybe you could pick and choose from it's Level 1 Medieval book list. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to link to the competition, so I'll just copy/paste: History Odyssey Middle Ages (level one) Book and Supply List Main Reference Spine: The Usborne Internet -Linked Encyclopedia of World History Optional Additional Reference Spine: A Child’s History of the World * by V.M. Hillyer Books and Resources: Story of the World, Volume 2: The Middle Ages by Susan Wise Bauer (Peace Hill Press, 2003) History Pockets: Native Americans (Evan-Moor, 2003) Days of Knights and Damsels by Laurie Carlson (Chicago Review Press, 1998) A Coloring Book of the Middle Ages (Bellerophon) Knights of the Round Table by Gwen Gross (Random House, 1985) Meet Christopher Columbus by James T. de Kay (Random House, 2001) The Viking’s Treasure Chest (Running Press) Modern Rhymes about Ancient Times: Ancient Africa (Children’s Press, 2001) Shakespeare for Children audio CD by Jim Weiss (Greathall Productions) Supplies: World wall map or globe Three ring notebook or folder Basic art supplies for A children’s dictionary I used SOTW for gr1-4, and HO from then on..... GL and HTH! -Stacey in MA

I found problems starting young ones later on in the cycle with SOTW and with H.O. because the later end of the cycle (for both series) is written to an older audience, and so is actually HARDER. I tried unsuccessfully with both curriculums on different occasions to teach to different ages simultaneously. My best effort ended up deciding to guide the older child along the age-matched trivium track, and to use that as a spine of content for the younger one, but NOT the same acutal materials. (So if the subject was the Revolutionary War, the older child is working out of H.O. and the younger child might be being read picture books on George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, etc., then mom is showing DC on a wall map where these places are, etc. - mom just has to take her library cue from the older one's spine). It was a bit tricky for me. I had better luck just investing the time in having each DC at their time period on the cycle. KWIM? Not to say it can't be done - I know some people do, but I just couldn't do it justice... Good luck!

I haven't done that one, but we've done other ones (Robin Hood, Lassie, some others...), and as I recall, they break it up by chapter: each chapter gets a page of questions to answer and discuss (worksheet style). It was somewhat simple if I'm remembering right, and the questions were mostly comprehension style (as in, "did you actually read this chapter and absorb it")instead of content discussion. I enjoyed them though!!

Hi - My DS used HO L2 Medieval a couple of years ago. I love the structure and depth of the curriculum, but I do think it is almost "too much". If you do all that they ask, it's hours and hours a week. I kept it to 1.5 or 2hrs, 2x a week, but that caused us to cut out a lot. I imagine you'd need 5 or 6 hours a week at least to do it as they lay it out. But that's no problem - just chop out what you don't want! lol! There are quite a few "writing" assignments that can be skipped if kiddo is doing other writing curriculum. The outlining is indeed hard if DC hasn't done much of it (as are the writing pieces, if DC isn't a strong writer). I had to sit side by side and guide him through the thought process on lots of those. I have learned to pick and choose with H.O. to keep me interested in it. I love the literature suggestions, but I don't follow their lessons on discussion and narration afterward - I just discuss with him on our own orally. The timeline pieces have become tedious, so we often skip that. (I love the map work though! Reminds me so much of the map stuff from SOTW.) Instead of MAKING a timeline, it's much quicker and more pleasant for my non-artsy DS to just look at a pre-fab'd timeline with me to see where things fit in - good enough. One of the main things I LOVE about H.O. is the many referrals to original documents. Last year we did Early Modern, and we read through lots of great stuff like something from Ben Franklin, a Thomas Paine document, and eye-witness accounts of the Boston Massacre. LOVE that stuff - it's totally worth spending time on. Hope that helps some. Good luck! - Stacey in MA

I found this (or similar) in Furhman's "Eat To Live". I'm not a ETL girl now (so much a meat eater!!), but some of the ideas and recipes stuck and stayed! Orange Sesame Dressing 3 Tbsp. unhulled sesame seeds 6 raw cashews ½ cup orange juice 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar 2 oranges, peeled and diced, or 1 jar unsweetened mandarin orange slices Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet for 3 min., shaking the pan frequently. Combine 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, cashews, orange juice, and vinegar in a blender and blend. Add diced oranges to salad and toss with dressing. Sprinkle remaining seeds on top. Especially good on a spinach and mushroom salad. I love, love, love this dressing! The toasting of the sesame seeds gives them a nice nutty flavor. But if you don't have time or patience, just use them however you have them! Have fun! Great question - love sharing recipes! :-)

My DS11 is 6th grade now. After FLL4 (which we finished mid-5th grade), we did R&S5. I picked and chose the lessons since much was redundant, and we were in the middle of a year (wanted to start w/ a fresh level by gr 6. In hindsight, we probably could have gone right to level 6, but there were a FEW things we would have missed, like a bunch of lessons on the proper usage of "raise vs. rise", and "leave vs. let" or something like that. ?? can't remember now! In R&S, I remember I had to work with him the first 10 or so lessons, so that we could establish a pattern of how the book worked, and what I would expect him to get read, and down on paper, etc. Now he's in gr 6, doing the level 6 book. He does it completely independently, except for discussions when we do corrections. It's a nice change of pace, and was soooo necessary! I'm still going through FLL1 and FLL4 w/ 2 of my other kids, so we need TIME freed up! :-) FWIW, we switched for the same reason as you. I LOVED FLL1-4, and will bring all my kids through them, but they indeed are very time-intensive. And with many kids, it becomes a logistics issue. They have mastered much more basic grammar than I ever did (maybe even through high school!?) with all that diagramming, so I wouldn't change it for anything. Glad to be past it though, and on to more independent work w/ my DS11. Good luck to you! Regards, Stacey in MA

I like the idea of a movie theatre gift card (movies are one of my favorite ways to have some restful fun!) I also like the idea of an ornament...but something personalized. How about one that is a picture frame, with a photo of your child (the tutored student) in the frame? And yes, use some permant photo pen to write on the photo something that includes your child's name. Even something simple like "To: (Teacher's name) From: (Student's signature)" Thanks for posting this b/c I have a few to buy for too, and was just trying to come up w/ ideas! :-) Stacey in MA

Yes, processed white stuff is bad, and natural sugars are more acceptable, but not b/c they are less offending in your body, but b/c they are usually less CONCENTRATED in the food item. So you still must be aware of them and maybe limit them too if you're getting too much. FWIW, I actually LOOSE weight when I'm pregnant b/c of the diabetes diet! haha! I'm not pregnant presently, but planning to jump back on the diet in after the holidays b/c it helps me loose weight. My "magic trick", if you will, is cutting sugar out, plus limiting carbs (30-45g per meal and 15g per snack), and BALANCING the carbs you do get with fat and protein. For example, I could not eat a tangerine alone w/out a high blood sugar number, but if I ate a tangerine with a serving of nuts, my blood sugar numbers were fine. I mention blood sugar b/c I believe this is one of the main things that makes people gain and sustain weight - extra sugar roaming around in your blood which is then turned to fat and stored for later use by your body. Also, taking a walk right after a meal did WONDERS for my numbers. Any extra that might have given me a high number would go away from just a 10-15 minute walk! I agree with one of the previous posters who said, once you are off of sugar, everything else (including veggies and especially fruit) taste SOO much noticably sweeter! But to take it one step further...I feel like sugar is like a drug in that once you have some, you need more to get the same amount of "pleasure" from it next time around. I say this to warn you that once you're off it, and you go to all that hard work to detox, try not to "cheat". I find that (at least for me), cheating is a slippery slope that forces me to have to initiate lots of discipline and conscious (and tiring!) self-control afterwards that wouldn't have been necessary if I had just not "slipped up" in the first place. Good luck! Right there with ya! I need to re-vamp my health soon too! It's a great thing to get off the sugar and the processed foods! - Stacey in MA

So sorry for you loss Robyn. Hugs, hugs, hugs..... Thoughts and prayers.... - Stacey in MA (Met you at the 2009 WTM Conference in Williamsburg)

That is not quite the exact rule. If I feel like they have had too much TV, I will say no more. If it's a really nice day outside and they haven't been out yet, and ask for TV - NOPE! If it's rainy out and we have no plans and they seem restless, bickering, and can't seem to busy themselves with something else, I will let them be on TV for more time than I would normally allow. If I need them to be preoccupied (like when I was pre-cooking my Thanksgiving casseroles and food!), then I might allow them more time than usual. So I guess what I'm saying is that the rules aren't hard and fast, but I bend them and use them differently day by day. But in general, they get about an hour on TV and maybe an hour of computer games a day after all schoolwork and house chores are done. - Stacey in MA PS Screen time is also the first thing to be eliminated for the day if the DC is having having a bad-behavior or bad-attitude day....

Mario Galaxy (which they still play to this day) and this year my 11yo DS wants Star Wars Force Unleashed II. I am debating b/c it's rated Teen, but my husband says no big deal (he is less protective in this way, obviously). We'll see... We also have Mario Cart (which they still play) and Boomblox (which they used to play often, but seldom play now). I think we have 2 others, but they are never played, so I don't remember what they are! haha! FWIW, I found out recently that my LIBRARY has WII games to rent/loan! I was excited! (Blockbuster Video store rents them too - but library is free - haha!). This way, the kids can try them out. Most of the time, they play for a week, enjoy it, but don't actually love it enough to buy one for our own. Maybe you could borrow or rent some to try out first? GL and happy shopping! - Stacey

So I agree w/ the previous poster. After doing STOW Vol 1-4, for 5th grade history we did history the SWB way - no curric., just the Kingfisher encyclo., timeline notebook, etc., plus reference books and such. It was a HUGE leap from using such a guided curriculum as SOTW. But we made it work for that year. BUT, it was hugely time consuming (and I have 4 kids), so I searchd for something that would help. It was such a relief to discover History Odyssey! It covers history with ALMOST the same philosophy and format as the method SWB outlines in her book! I would say it is a touch lighter, but one can always add to that to make it "thicker", "meatier", or more in depth. Still, the exploration through the encyclopedia, the literature selections, the timeline, the summaries, even the sections of the notebook that you are guided to set up are just about the same as she lists in the WTM! So DS11 is doing Medieval L2 this year and it's going OK. It is still challenging, and still takes some "together-time" here and there, but now I can take a look, summarize what he needs to do, and send him on his way to do it. (It took a month or so for us learn the format clearly first - we worked together for a while.) So now we can ride out History Odyssey through Grade 10 (I believe) without having to learn a new format or style, and with it hopefully remaining reasonably independent. This is a big deal in this house! :-) Anyway.... History Odyssey has three levels and cycles 4 years as in the trivium. Check out their web site to see if you can find what you're looking for: http://www.pandiapress.com/history_odyssey.htm FWIW, I have also been using this Memoria Press Classical Studies series to go along with our History Odyssey. This year we're using "Famous Men of the Middle Ages". The student book is just a text w/ a 2-3 page biographical summary of each of the rulers. Very handy! We do get additional reading from the library, but it's so nice to have all of these guys in one place, right on hand. There's a workbook page that the student can do that goes along w/ the reading, if you choose, but the reading alone is worth it. (I just plug in an MP biography and worksheet on various rulers, leaders, kings, etc., as they fit into the topics we're covering in H.O.): http://www.memoriapress.com/descriptions/index_classical.htm And since we're on medieval, we're also doing the lit. study of Robin Hood and really enjoying that as well: http://www.memoriapress.com/descriptions/LiteratureGuides.html GL and HTH! Regards, Stacey - Stacey in MA

Some good ideas here. I think we are going to stick w/ the MP stuff for now, since it's been working for us, and we have become so familiar with the format. I'm pretty sure I've decided to order SFL with the bridging material. Thanks for the replies! :-) Stacey

Hi all - Wondering what others have done after finishing Latina Christiana II? Used to be that we had to go directly into Henle, but now Memoria Press has their First Form Latin and Second Form Latin to either start as an older student, or to transition more slowly into Henle. Apparently SFL is what a student may enter after completing LCII, but I've also been told that FFL would be a solid nice review as well. So, what did you do? Is FFL too much of the same as LCII? Is SFL too much of a JUMP after LCII? We are nudging our way through LCII (I'm learning it as we go as well - never took Latin in school/college). We do end up understanding each lesson eventually, but it is slow going b/c there's no expert here presenting, answering our questions, and correcting us if we head down a wrong path in our understanding - just us figuring it out and trying to make sense of it. So it takes time. We do get there though! Part of me wants continue to make headway and go into SFL, but the other part of me says that it would be wise to have a better grasp and more review with FFL. What did you do? Thanks! - Stacey in MA

Hi all! Anyone have a dictionary they love? We have the DK Merriam-Webster Children's Dictionary, and then our enormous cumbersome Webster's Unabridged. I need something in the middle for kids in middle grades, and maybe one that could take us into high school aged? But not so cumbersome as our unabridged. Have one that's good? I hate buying books sight unseen (especially BIG books! lol!), but know I'll likely need to order to get a decent one. Would be great to know that someone loves it to help ease my ordering apprehension! :-) Thanks! - Stacey

Yes, I'm afraid he is ready for it. It's just that maybe *I'm* not! lol! He's very math minded. Always has been. But he hates repetition, which is why he did well in Singapore. Once he gets it, he doesn't want to labor it with tons of practice. But I feel strongly about Saxon covering all of the right material. Singapore's bredth doesn't seem to be as wide, which might start to matter as we hit high school. Yes, maybe I should look into 8/7 first....good idea. At least as a 1/2 year review before bursting onto the scene of Algebra! :-) Thanks.... :-)

Hi gang! DS11 finished Singapore 6a/6b and EP last spring. I want to move him to Saxon (mostly b/c I'm afraid of TEACHING Singapore beyond this point! lol!) I ordered Saxon 7/6, but now I'm thinking it might be WAY too easy. Granted, there are a few things covered, like probability, which we have never covered. But so many of the topics seem redundant on things he's mastered through Singapore already. Anyone find this? Have experience with it? Can we safely go into Saxon Algebra 1/2 after reviewing 7/6 for any gaps? Thanks for your thoughts! Just call me Crazy in MA (1st week of school is usually nasty around here...lol!)