the same thing as well. I have the R&S math 3, but I am thinking of Math U See as well. I am interested in the replies to your question... CLE is also an option, but it's more spiral than Math u See and I think we need another year or two of mastery before we go into a spiral program. Can't wait to read these replies... Dee

I already have it on my list to go pick up. I'm printing out this whole thread and picking a few each month. I am so grateful for all of these suggestions as I didn't have a clue, really. I am so thankful for this site!!! DEE!

This list is amazing. I'm just printing out the whole thread!!!! Thank you to all who responded. I can see that I'll be in the library for quite some time this week and we are itching to get our hands on some good books after we have settled down from moving to a new apartment 3 days before Christmas, yes, Christmas! Blessings!!! Dee in Sunny FL! homesteadblogger.com/onlyme

I am currently using basic and about to purchase word works, though I'm not really sure my son needs it. I was going to use Advanced as a 9th grade course because I looked over several 9th grade grammar texts and realized it was about the same level as WG advanced. I would be done with grammar and move on into writing and literature analysis...but BJU 9th grade text looks like a nice mix of both writing and grammar if you felt that your child needed to continue. According to NARS umbrella school, 4 progeny press study guides is one credit of highschool english...it's a thought...:) Or you could work on writing skills and do two literature study guides. Okay, now I'm probably just rambling... HTH, Dee in Sunny FL!

Thank you, Lorna and Melissa!!! He loved the Lemony Snicket series last year, so these recommendations are great! Lorna, these look great, also, and I love that there are soooo many others by the same author. Keep them coming if anyone has more. I'm making my list of all of these and going to the library. Blessings!!! Dee

I looked at the 1000 good book list, but just got confused. He likes books about boys' lives or adventures, and he likes books that deal with World War 2 and the holocaust, and anything that your boy child has read that he just absolutely loved! I'm trying to build him up to higher vocabulary and literature, so please nothing where the vocabulary is too advanced as this frustrates him, but he's getting better and he'll get there. :) Thank you so much, Dee (in sunny FL)

Can this really happen? If it can, this is scary to even think about the control that will be upon everything and everyone. I keep hoping to read that this is a hoax, but I haven't found anything to lead me to believe this yet... ...:confused:

I'm interested in this question as well. :)

as well. Hey, how high can you go here? I see Ellie is an empress bee, how much higher can you go than that?:)

It takes a little bit more time to get your books as opposed to ordering directly from Rod and Staff, but you will get it and in great condition. They have great customer service. The one several people have had problems with is Mark Roth's site(anabaptist website) and mostly because he has several other jobs and sometimes travels and also orders directly from Rod and Staff and CLE so you have to wait for him to get his materials before you get yours. The downside is that if you have a problem with an order, you have to wait for him to go through the publisher as he is only a middle man. Some people love his site, others don't, but I have never read anything negative about milestone ministries so order away. I'm getting ready to order my next year's spelling and reading from there as well. Blessings!!! Dee in Sunny FL!

second grade CLE math teacher's manuals and I can definitely attest that this is way more than Rod and Staff, but I noticed that a lot of what they have on workbook pages, Rod and Staff teaches in the oral class time. This is why it's so important not to skip the oral class time of Rod and Staff. Anyway, I've digressed. What I was originally going to say is that yes, most students place a year or two behind what their grade levels are, so don't stress about it and go ahead and place her where she placed and it will all even itself out soon enough. My friend also informed me that the pace slows down considerably after the third grade, so you could place here where she placed and then retest her at the end of the year since there is so much review, she might just place higher for next year. HTH, Dee in Sunny FL! (posting on Chrismtas day because everyone is playing with toys and the house is soooo quiet)

has been using Winston Grammar this year and we LOVE it! He had been doing formal grammar from the time he was in the second grade. He had much knowledge on a worksheet, but outside of the worksheet, he didn't understand what any of the parts of speech were or how they were used--or why they were used. Now we have started Winston Grammar and I cannot say enough good things about this. Just the other day I was trying to figure out if one of my adverbs modified a noun and he was quick to point out that an adverb only modified an adjective, adverb, or a verb. I couldn't believe that this knowledge was coming from him. We go over the main lesson on Monday together. We work the sample sentence with the cards and sometimes do one or two sentences from the workbook assignment with the cards. I then let him go off on his own and see if he could put his knowledge to the test. I would not have him do it completely alone. This is one subject that I think a teacher is needed for, if not then your child is just basically filling out the worksheets, but not really making connections. For us, it has sort of become a game, and a subject that we look forward to doing every day. I try not to let him do more than 3 sentences per day as I want the knowledge to be remembered for the next day. It is definitely a 'thinking' curriculum. I had read so many negative reviews that I was put off from it for years even though my gut kept telling me that it would work with my son, as he is such an auditory learner. I was right. IT may not be for everyone, but it was definitely for us. We had years of paces, Easy Grammar, and some other formal programs behind us, but none of them taught him to retain the information for the next assignment. You are continually reviewing as the previous information is used in every lesson. Okay, I'm packing for a move in December, yes, a move before Christmas. YIKES! I hope this helps, Dee in Sunny FL!

Lovetolearnplace.com has excellent book report forms. hth, Dee

I am more than impressed! Great job, and I'm really considering that IEW for next year. I have a reluctant 13ds and he couldn't pull this off right now. Blessings, Dee

more than a few... 2nd gr. son English paces WWE 1- will be finished with this soon as we get through 8 workbook days a week. May start 2 right after, may wait until next year and do some other things of interest. Tatras (similar to SWR) Rod and Staff spelling ...and I add some book report forms from lovetolearnplace.com...and a cursive writing book that my son has been asking for. 8th gr. son Winston Grammar basic Megawords Sequential Spelling Wordsmith Also have Writing Strands which I'm not sure if I'm going to use yet ...and I'm thinking of adding Fallacy Detective Happy Thanksgiving!!! Dee in Sunny FL!

I just posted and almost immediately got some responses. :) We do love Rod and Staff and will probably stick it out through the third grade. I am planning on taking my book to Kinkos and having it separated and three whole punched, or spiral bound for easier flipping. My biggest concern with the third grade is whether my son will pick up the multiplication tables fast enough:001_huh:, but if it is taught anything like the addition and subtraction facts, then I guess I shouldn't worry. And I have plenty to supplement here already if the need does arise. I am still interested in CLE for fourth on up, but I have plenty of time before then to get my hands on it and compare it to R&S. Thank you...you have given me a few things to think;) about and set my mind at ease about others. :D Blessings!!! Dee in Sunny FL!

I have loved the first and second grade books from Rod and Staff math, but am not sure about the third. In my opinion, it seems to move a bit faster, not that I can't slow it down, but I'm wondering if I might find something different for the third grade. I'm making no rash decisions, just in the research mode. I do own R&S math third grade book already. If you did switch, what did you switch to and why? I'm interested in Saxon 3 CLE(wherever he placed because I know this is a bit advanced) or Moving With Math--I have level B and really like it, so he would place in level C Thank you for your responses, Dee in Sunny FL!

With your explanation and one that we got from the author, we finally got it! Blessings!!! Dee in Sunny FL! ps yes, it was a circle inside a square. You mathematically minded people make me so jealous. :lol:

The question is: problem #3 on page 103 (Bridge) The area of the circle is 49pi square miles. What is the area of the square? The answer that is given is =The radius of the circle is 7 miles. The area of the square is 196 miles. Can someone explain how they arrived at this answer??? Thank you for any help, Dee in Sunny FL! ps I was able to help my son through any problems in the fraction book, but this one has proven to be way more challenging.

3 hours. After that we are both mush. :) Dee

the first level with a second grader, but I also know that there are many using the second level with older children with much luck. I would purchase the second level and start him there, especially if he's a reluctant writer. You could always vamp it up by asking for longer narrations and dictations passages. Just a thought... Dee

the older level of Play n' talk??? That's what comes to mind. Also, maybe even an older Hooked on Phonics??? HTH, Dee

the words that you are choosing for her are too difficult. Maybe you have to go back to the beginning. I have learned that half of spelling is figuring out that you are supposed to retain the perfect picture of what this word looks like. It took my son a while to figure out that I was wanting him to learn how to spell these words. That being said, teaching my son the phonograms has been great for his spelling. And while we are doing the Rod and Staff words in his second grade spelling, his retention has been great. I would say, don't worry about grade levels, and start at the beginning with hat, fat, cat, type of words. Test those for a while and once your daughter has confidence, add in a few other words that should be known by this time like the, was, from, and so on. Natural Speller is good for a group of lists, but you can also find many free lists on line. One that we have used is http://www.zaner-bloser.com/spellingconnections/practice-pages.html I would start from the very beginning and move on as your daughter knows the words and the patterns. Eight is still very young and she still has time to improve those visual and auditory muscles. And here are those phonograms to practice. http://www.nde.state.ne.us/READ/FRAMEWORK/appendix/appendix_b.html I hope this helps some, Blessings, Dee in Sunny FL! ps oh, one more for listening to what some of the phonograms should sound like http://phonogrampage.com/

I would love these! They sound great for fact practice! Blessings!! Dee

Writing Strands? This was tried and true years ago and Susan Wise Bauer still recommends it next to other expensive programs. It is self teaching, but you could use it along with your students and work with them at the same time. Writing Strands 4 would work for both the 5th and the 7th grader. Just a suggestion...we have used Wordsmith Apprentice and also Wordsmith and have liked them as well. I almost ditched Wordsmith, but came back to it because my son is a finish what you start kind of kid and he had worked his way through half of the book and asked to finish it completely before trying Writing Strands. Both great programs, just different styles. You'll eventually end up in the same place. blessings!! Dee