For those of you who do Seton reading, do you think that many book reports, at the length they require, is appropriate for 4th and 5th grade? I had the opportunity to look over both reading and English lesson plans. I am definitely missing out on paragraph writing instruction in English. But I am a little nervous that my DD will not do well at all with the book reports. It's a LOT of work.

This is exactly what I am thinking about doing. It's the history that primarily keeps me from wanting to do full enrollment, plus we prefer All About Spelling, and the science just seem ok. We are only about 6 weeks into the year so I think I am going to do it now. I am actually looking over a friend's lesson plans this afternoon to get an idea of the work load and specific material.

My daughter has a terrible time focusing so we starting splitting the lessons into 25 minutes in the morning and 25 minutes in the afternoon. It really helps. It's totally independent IF she will sit, focus, and work. I soooo wish we'd switched sooner!

Thanks you both for your well thought out and detailed responses! I am really thinking I need to scrape together the money to enroll. And if not, I am definitely enrolling for the 5th grade!

Thanks!!!

We've been using WWE workbooks. We are almost to level 3. I am wondering if there is additional information in The Complete Writer on how to teach writing, or if it's just an outline on designing your own program. I'm not confident enough to create my own, hence buying the workbooks. Thanks!

Seton English is the only program I have used consistently, without change, since my daughter was in first grade. She is now in fourth. She really enjoys seton English but since we do not fully enroll in Seton I am wondering if I am missing out on some extra writing or other activities. Do you think teaching without the lesson plans is leaving gaps or missing opportunities for practice? I've only recently learned that the lesson plans contain additional activities whereas I thought they nearly gave the teacher tips on teaching the lesson. I am wondering if we would be better served by a different program, or if I should just fully enroll.

We struggled through with MM for two years, and tried TT, and finally ditched them for CLE this year and man do I wish I'd dine it sooner. It's wonderful. Math will probably never be easy for my DD because she just doesn't enjoy it, but she finally GETS it!!! We started with CLE 306 even though we finished MM level 3 because I didn't feel like she really learned anything and failed most of her MM tests, and she is getting all A's now.

No, I have several of her lectures, but I didn't know there was one on this topic. Thanks!

I absolutely love the homework idea and I wish I'd thought if it sooner!!! It will take her a while to get used to it, and I know there will be wailing and whining the first few times she does it, but I need to just enforce it and walk away. I've lectured and informed over and over that, when she drags her feet she's giving up free time, but this is way more concrete, AND doesn't force ME to lose my whole day to school. Thank you!

I'm experimenting more with this this year. I think I may allow her to choose MWF and I will choose Tues and Thurs. The only problem with her doing it is that she's always been a enjoy-now-suffer-later kid. She ordered the subjects yesterday from most favorite to most hated, so by the end of the day every activity was less enjoyable than the last. BUT I so think it's a good lesson.I'm more of a get-math-out-of-the-way person.

Thanks, ladies. I guess I am worried that, instead of heading in a direction that will allow her to be independent, self motivated, and disciplined, I am poking, nagging, prodding, and reminding so often that she isn't learning any of those skills. I am about at my wits-end. She does actually enjoy most of what we do, but that doesn't stop her from complaining, sulking, and ughing consistently throughout the day. I feel more like a warden than a teacher or mother.

I guess I've retained just enough Charotte Mason philosophy to know that was her goal, but not sure how to implement it, lol

We only took off 5 weeks and my DD forgot all her multiplication facts!

Good evening! I am sitting here, reflect on our first day of fourth grade, and on the previous 4 years of homeschooling, and wondering how to help my daughter take an active role in her own education. Whatever way that is, I think I am failing. I do accept input from her on which materials to use, absolutely. And I have been experimenting with letting her choose subject order. But given the option, she would learn nothing at all and just play all day (ok, ok, maybe most 4th graders would, probably not unusaual). Its a real chore to get her to complete her work without nagging. If I leave the room to use the bathroom or put in laundry, she completely stops working. There is just zero internal motivation to get anything done, no stake in her own learning. I've been parenting experts say, if your kids don't do their homework, let them reap the consequences at school, but that doesn't really work for a homeschooled kid. I am really working at getting her to be more independent this year, working more without me over her shoulder, and just stepping back and not micromanaging the day. So what have you done to foster a sense of personal responsibility and internal desire to succeed in their education?

Actually you're definitely right about that. It's way easier. Most days I can do all my housework, all the schoolwork, make the meals, and work. But of course that's not the main issue. I guess I'll just have to see where the years take us. I really need to start thinking about getting back into the work force down the road, so that's part of why I am thinking about it now. I want to know she's prepares for highsxhool if I send her, and I want to know when I need to start thinking about my own career path in the next 5-9 years.

I don't think it's confusing. Even SWB decided to send her daughter to school rather than have her home by herself with her siblings off in college. Obviously it's going to be different for every family, but I am concerned not about "socalization" but the opportunity to learn in a rich envirnment with other people, to have someone besides mom to talk to, eat lunch with, study with. I am also not sure I can adequately provide her with the higher level academics that she deserves, but that obviously doesn't have anything to do with how many children one has.

I never really thought I would have just two kids, but God had other plans. Now I have one at home and one in school because she is severely delayed and it's just a way better environment for her. And, while homechooling just one works ok in elementary school, I don't know how much she will miss out being with just me. All. Day. Every. Day. I read about and hear about siblings interactions in their school day, talking about books, putting on spontaneous plays, and just all the extra fun and learning that goes on when you have a peer and sibling around, and I feel sad for my daughter that she's missing out. I have been worrying about whether we were send her to highschool, and if/how that changes what we do at home, now. I know I don't REALLY need to know now, but I want to have a general idea, because it also affects where we live, when I plan to go back to work, etc.

I've had the exact same thoughts and concerns. I would love to streamline but nothing seems unimportant enough to put off. I ended up putting off copywork (just did handwriring) and dictation for months and now I a regretting that. Daily, we do grammar, spelling, copywork, dictation, spelling, math, history, religion, and memory work. At least once a week we do geography, science, music, and typing. It'sa full load but I can't compromise on any of the language arts, history, or math, and that's about 3 hours worth of work. The other stuff slides if need be but I try to gt to it all.

I really wanted it to work. We used MCP for K, singapore for first, math mammoth for second, and tried TT for third. Yes we are curriculum hoppers when it comes to math. My DD hates math and I just kept thinking the right program would solve that. TT helped at first but WOW was it behind MM. I mean in the beginning of third there were single digit additions. Even today on lessons in the 70's they're asking word problems like "billy has 69¢ and gave Joan a dime. What does he have now?" She just got so darn bored with it that she begged to go back to MM. We skipped some but there would be just enough new material that we couldn't skip a whole lesson. I think she needs somewhat of a spiral approach but TT is a lot of review, moves too slowly, and is at least a half grade behind other programs.

I just bought the workbook but I might buy the hardcover as well. I am attending a SWB lecture tonight and would like to see it in person, if is for sale. I also ordered Teaching the Classics. It's not arrived yet. My daughter is in third, but we really have not done a lot of narration or writing so we are starting with WWE 1. It's only been a week but I think it's going quite well. I just really stink at analyzing lit, even though I love reading and loved lit in college. I am really looking forward to the Socratic dvd program. I think it'll help me enjoy my own reading more as well.

I'm hoping WWE will teach me how to form my own questions and work wih my DD on comprehension exercises, but I can't help but want to buy another reading comprehension program to use along with it. Is it REALLY all I need? Does it really cover reading comp and writing with no supplementation?

Thanks! I'm going to go :)

Connecting with History is the only one I know of that really does it. I think Sonlight tries to as well, but I don't know if science is incorporated. And it's not really incorporated into RC History either I guess.

Has anyone seen See The Light? It looks interesting and there are a lot of options. I like the $10 a month subscription option because my daughter wants to spend a whole weekend using up a year's worth of drawing DVD's. http://www.seethelightshine.com/store/art-class-dvds.html