I didn't read all of the replies, but I would attach a printout of the summary you found online, and then I would attach it to the front of her report, and I'd put a note on it saying: "Copying someone else's writing word for word is called plagiarism, and it is both illegal and immoral. Please rewrite this in your own words and hand it in to me by (such and such a date)."

awww adorable!!

I loved: The Nancy Drew series The Happy Hollisters series anything by Judy Blume anything by Ruth Chew the A Wrinkle In Time series and a book called "The Girl With The Silver Eyes" stuck with me all this time- the title and a vague premise of what the book was about. I saw it not long ago at a used book sale and picked it up for my daughter to read (she hasn't read it yet). It's by Willo Davis Roberts. Oh, and all the "Fairy Books," the ones that come in different colors (even though some of them seriously creeped me out)!

I just reserved the apple pie one from my library. I think I may do something like this for fun with my kids! Thanks for the idea! :)

I just started using Teaching Textbooks with my 5th grader and really like it. It's engaging and fun for her, it's got lots of review, it's always explained very clearly. If she gets a problem wrong, it will show and tell her step by step how to do it correctly (via computer CD). She looks forward to doing math every day and since I'm math phobic myself, it's been a huge relief for me since basically someone else is "explaining" it to her! :D For 4th grade, we had used the math that was built into our Oak Meadow curriculum. We love Oak Meadow over here! In my older version of the curriculum, though, they no longer had their own math from 5th grade on, hence, the switch to something else (which turned out to be TT).

I never heard of that book, but I love this idea!

Sensory painting- mix different flavor packets of kool aid with a little bit of water til you get a water color type paint. Let them do their paintings (which will smell really good)! After they dry, they can even "scratch and sniff" and guess the flavor/scent and so on. Texture books- make folded cardstock booklets and put things in it with different textures. Let the kids describe the textures and write down the adjectives they provide. All About Me Booklets- their handprints, cutouts from magazines of things they like, blurbs about their families, a photo of them, and so on. Music & Movement- put on a wee sing thing, give them simple instruments (or let them make some homemade drums and shakers), put on the music and do songs, finger plays, march and clap in time to the music and so on. Learn alphabet letters in hands on ways- looking for shapes in nature, tying sticks in bundles to form a certain shape, drawing the letters in the dirt with sticks, walking the shapes of the letters on the floor, make the letters out of playdough, bread dough, with toothpicks, etc. Taste Testing- talk about the major tastes the tongue can taste and then provide those things to try. Tell them where the taste buds are grouped, let them look into their mouths with little mirrors. Collages with various media- old magazine cutouts, crayons, textured materials, and so on. Preschool board game day. Making necklaces/bracelets out of uncooked pasta (like ziti or some such); you can use food coloring to make them into different colors.

Thanks for the replies! It's soaking now. Keep your fingers crossed. P.S. Hard tack tastes better with butter than without. LOL.

We made "hard tack"- you know, a sticky mixture of flour, some water, and salt, baked for 3 or 4 hours in a low temp oven, to experience something of what the pilgrims and sailors ate on the Mayflower? I really REALLY should have used some sort of cooking spray on the bottom of the pan first. Ugh. I was able to scrape off enough of the top layer for us to be able to taste it, but the rest is hopelessly welded to the bottom of my baking pan. I tried a spatula, a hard rubber pot scraper thingie, no luck. Is there any hope of this "soaking" away in hot water and dish detergent?

That's wonderful! Now, if only my brother would get home from there, too!

I like "The Unschooling Handbook, How To Use The Whole World As Your Child's Classroom" by Mary Griffith. I'm not actually an unschooler, but I am more of a relaxed homeschooler and I like some of the unschooling ideals :D

I'm currently reading Wideacre by Philippa Gregory to myself. I'm currently reading On The Banks Of Plum Creek to my daughter.

1. DD is slightly resistant to homeschooling because she'll miss her friends... As she will have some notice before being pulled out, I would send her to school on her last day with her very own address book, and tell her to be sure to get the phone numbers of those kids she really wants to stay in touch with, and then she can at least call them, or arrange playdates outside of school with some of them, and then she won't feel like she's giving them up entirely. (I told my daughter to do this when I pulled her out and it was so very important to her that- she "forgot" and didn't get anyone's number! Although we already had a few numbers of her very closest friends anyway). 2. DD has stated that she enjoys (and has flourished) being in a classroom setting... Could you look on meetup or yahoo or some such and see if you can find a homeschool/co-op group? Then at least SOME of the time she can be in a group setting. 3. She'll dearly miss the novelty of riding the school bus... Well, she can't ride the bus but she can ride in the family car to plenty of fun and interesting places that she'd never have an opportunity to visit (or rarely) if she were in school all day. We do lots of field trips and outings here! And sometimes we do school outside. They don't do THAT in school! 4. My thinking is to provide a "cooling off/transition/deschooling" period... I agree!! "Not sure yet what to do during this time." Anything you want! Crafts, games, books, field trips, outings, activities, conversations, hobbies, nature walks, educational TV shows, baking, cooking, whatever it is that you guys are interested in, start exploring it together and have a good time! (pssst...she'll still be learning)! :) Good luck!

My daughter started needing deodorant at age 9. I was very surprised as I'd expected it to be closer to 11 or thereabouts but when I started a post asking, there were lots of people with kids who'd needed it even younger than mine!

No-one? Well, I signed up, and I chose "United Through Reading" as my campaign! “The United Through Reading Military Program eases the stress of separation for US military families by sponsoring a DVD reading of a children’s book by a deployed soldier for their family waiting at home. In some ways, the program couldn’t be simpler: military personnel have the opportunity to pick a children’s book and then to record themselves reading that book so that the resulting video can be shared with their families while they’re away. The service member first reads a book while being recorded and sends the DVD home to the child. The child at home watches the DVD and follows along with the book, if available. The parent at home captures the child's reaction in a photo or email and sends it back to the service member. In most cases, this process is repeated with new books throughout the service member's tour.†There are other types of campaigns to choose from, too. I read my almost 5 y/o son three books, which he enjoyed. Seems like a cool site and a cool idea, you guys should think about checking it out :) Most are for younger kids. The ones for older kids are sciency and I even noticed a few pertaining to ancient Egypt for the 8-10 y/o's (it goes from 0-3, 4-7, and 8-10), for those of you doing that in SOTW :D

There's no neighboring town you can drive him to where there might be better trick or treating? Or if he has friends who are going trick or treating in your area anyway and THEY don't think it "sucks," and they want to do it, or your younger is going anyway or whatever, then why not let him decide that? :( He could make a home-made costume. Or buy a bigger one that could be re used the following year, and/or used throughout the year for dress up clothes. Or you can buy one on clearance AFTER halloween each year and store it til the next halloween. If you're really dead set on putting a stop to it at a certain age, I'd at LEAST wait til he's a teenager. Let him enjoy it at 11 and 12. By 13 he might not care as much anyway.

Oh, wow. That sounds pretty neat! I never heard of that! Here, we have town wide trick or treating on a certain day, and it's not always ON Halloween which is weird! And it's limited hours- usually people can trick or treat at local businesses from 4 PM to 6 PM, and then they can trick or treat at peoples' houses from 6 PM to 8 PM. People often sit outside on their porches or stoops giving out candy, everyone decorates their houses and yards, it's a lot of fun. And often the malls will have a "safe trick or treat" night, but I usually skip that because the crowds are nuts, and trying to get into those small shops, forget it! Although, I remember growing up in NY, we'd go trick or treating from the minute we got home from school until probably 9 or 10 PM LOL (at the houses that were still lit up of course)... and always ON Halloween. It's sure different here in PA but still fun!

What does "trunk" mean?? I never heard that saying!

My mom just emailed me about a website called wegivebooks.org. She wrote: "on october 7th go to http://www.wegivebooks.org/ according to People mag for everyone who reads ezra keat's the snowy day, this org along with a program called Jumpstart will give a free book to a child in need.it's free and they hope it will set a record for the most people reading the same book on one day. I looked at the site and it seems there are lots of books to read there. last year justin bieber read on the same occasion called "read for the record"" I'd never heard of wegivebooks.org but I just looked at their site and apparently there are free kid's books you can read online, and you can choose a campaign to support, and each time you read a book on their website, a real book is donated to the particular campaign you are supporting in an effort to support literacy worldwide. It looks really interesting, I'm going to look into it some more! I thought I'd pass the info along (and see if any of you know anything about this site).

Apparently, I am NOT smarter than a 5th grader. Math, ugh. I'm lucky I know how many apples I have if I have three apples. I'd never be able to figure out those patterns!!

Welcome! And definitely, just jump right in :)

I feel like starting a "Let Tree House Academy's Son Trick Or Treat!" petition LOL. (I'm rooting for you, kid!!!)

Seriously? I think you're mean!!! LOL.... sorry. But seriously! I DO think it's mean to tell an 11 year old he's not allowed to continue with normal halloween festivities if he still wants to do so. He's right, it's NOT fair of you to take that away from him. Plenty of teenagers still trick or treat, and I say why not?? It's one time a year, it's fun... *I* still love Halloween, so why wouldn't an 11 year old? I'd let them continue as long as THEY wanted to continue dressing up and trick or treating. It's fun, it's harmless, it's once a year... at some point into his teen years, he'll decide he's too old and not interested anymore. Why take that away from him before he's ready? ETA: I think *I* trick or treated until I was about 14 or 15. Now I get to do it again with my kids. Yay! :D

Some of those people probably have Saturday and/or evening appointments, if you have a spouse who is home during those times and who could watch the kids for you while you go. And for those who don't have weekend/evening appointments, do you have a neighbor, relative, or friend, or even a homeschool group who has a mom or teen, who might be willing to watch the kids for you long enough for you to take care of those types of things? Otherwise, worst case scenario, if I had to, I'd take the kids, putting the 20 month old in a stroller with some finger food treats, and possibly the 3 year old if necessary, too. The others I would think could sit quietly in a waiting room together if they had something to do and a talking to in advance? (Well, maybe I'd keep the 5 y/o in the room with me, but the older ones together I'd leave in a waiting room if I had to).

It wouldn't bother me, personally. I'd let him do it.