I am so glad I asked! (I knew the math mamas would have good insight!) Okay, we will definitely continue doing math without a calculator (except for test prep and the upper-level math that specifically requires one). I will use other strategies (e.g., assigning fewer problems, etc.) if/when her math workload becomes truly punishing or unmanageable. Thank you for the help!

My oldest is just finishing 8th grade, and we've never used calculators in math. We've used Math U See the whole way so far, and my kids have done great with the program, always doing all calculations in their heads (or using manipulatives, where applicable). My purpose in holding off on calculators was to make sure my kids' math facts and figuring were deeply learned and solidly established. I'd say my oldest has definitely achieved that goal! Looking ahead to algebra I next year, I'm inclined to let my daughter start using a calculator for math. (At certain points throughout this past year, her current pre-algebra work has taken a very long time to complete each day. She is doing careful, accurate work, but I don't want math to become a grind she hates, so I'm inclined to let her use a calculator so she can work more quickly and efficiently.) I'm not a "math person," so I guess I'm just curious when others greenlit their children for calculators, and if there is any reason I should avoid them at this point? Again, I'm confident her math facts and understanding of math up to this point are solid. (I guess I'm just worried that calculator use might somehow weaken her established skills? Sort of like how now that I have a cell phone, I don't know anybody's phone number besides my husband and my sister, but when I was a teenager, I had dozens and dozens of my friends' and family members' phone numbers memorized....) Would love others' thoughts and guidance. Thanks!

I can't speak to NY state, but last year we moved from Maryland to Ohio. Here is what I did: I informed the Maryland office (via writing and a phone call) that we were moving. (I don't think I was technically required to inform them of our move, but I did it as a courtesy. I think it's a good thing to do, because it ensured that I would be removed from their list and they wouldn't continue to send me correspondence. Plus, I didn't want Maryland to think I was suddenly failing to report to reviews or was otherwise negligent, etc.) Then, when we arrived in Ohio, I submitted all the necessary paperwork to our new superintendent (letter of intent, etc.) within a week of arriving. (This is something I HAD to do, because that is what the law requires in Ohio.) But none of it was a big deal and the move went very smoothly from a homeschooling standpoint. I had no issues! So, my suggestion is to send in your 4th quarterly reports to NY and include a simple, short letter informing them that you're moving to a new state on x date and will no longer be reporting to NY. Hope that helps! Good luck with your move!

I'm considering investing in a binding machine for our homeschool (so I can print and bind digital curricula, etc.), but I'm not sure where to start. I'm looking for something pretty basic that will punch holes in standard printer paper and that has reusable bindings. I'd also prefer a system that offers accessories like clear covers. I don't want to spend a fortune on it, but I'd love to know the ballpark price you paid for yours and where you bought it, if you're willing to share. Thank you!

This is great to know! Thanks for chiming in!

I'd love to hear about your child's college admissions experiences. (My IRL homeschool friends seem to be having good experiences; one friend just happily shared that her son got a full-tuition scholarship to a small liberal arts school, and other friends have similarly reported great results, like full merit scholarships to multiple schools, etc.). That said, I sometimes hear horror stories (here and elsewhere) about homeschoolers being treated with hostility when it comes to college admissions. I guess I feel like I don't have an accurate picture of things; do colleges love homeschoolers or hate us?! Was your homeschooled child treated with hostility? I'd love to hear your first-hand experiences. Thanks!

Thank you for this; I didn't see this. It does sound like they send all scores as one lump transcript. Good to know!

I'm just starting to learn about CLEP tests and I'm wondering: Do you HAVE to submit CLEP scores to colleges? (I know, for instance, that if you take any dual enrollment community college classes, those grades are permanent and you HAVE to submit them to any colleges you apply to. Is it the same with CLEP test scores?) As we plan out high school, I'm considering having my daughter take CLEP tests at the end of the year for some subjects. (For instance, she'll be doing biology at home for 9th grade next year, so I'm thinking of having her do the biology CLEP test at the end of the year.) Our goal in doing this would not be to earn college credit (at least, this wouldn't be our main motivation), but more to substantiate the work we do in our homeschool. (That is, to have some "outside evidence," for college admissions purposes.) But, in the event that my daughter bombs the tests, I'm wondering if we'd HAVE to submit her scores during the college admissions process? (I certainly don't anticipate her scoring poorly, but I want to know what she'd be getting herself into.) If your child takes several CLEP tests over four years of high school, can you cherry pick the scores you report? Thanks for any insight!

Hello! I will probably just end up making my own simple transcript, but before I take the time to do it, I thought I'd see if there are any amazing templates out there, for free or for sale. I'd be interested in something that looks great visually (tidy and professional!), and that I can just fill in digitally as I go. Does this exist? Thanks! ETA: Just to clarify: Thanks to the generous help of the people on this amazing board the past several months, I now know the information a transcript should contain and the different ways it can be set up. With this post, I am seeking a template with beautiful, readable graphic design. (Some of the transcript examples I've seen across the internet have great content, but are aesthetically unappealing and/or very difficult to read. Before I go to the trouble of designing my own, I just wanted to see if any individuals or companies are offering blank templates that have great graphic design.) Thank you!

Thank you so much, everyone, for all the insight and suggestions! I appreciate it!

Thank you, as always, Lori D! I will check out the Literary Lessons for sure--thanks for that link!

Wow! So cool!!

Thank you! I love the idea of getting multiple copies and reading along with the audiobook. Is this the illustrated Hobbit you bought your kids? (It looks like a beautiful edition!)

I'm considering doing The Lord of the Rings as a big read-aloud next year. (My kids will be 14 and 12.) I've never read TLOTR! (And I haven't seen the movies, either, because I won't let myself watch them until I read the book.) I know very little about it and would love some insight. A couple of questions for the experts: What is the "proper" order in which to read the books? The Fellowship of the Ring, followed by The Two Towers and then The Return of the King? (My understanding is that The Lord of the Rings is not technically a trilogy, although it's often published as three volumes.) Also: Where does The Hobbit fit into things? Do you consider The Hobbit essential reading, or is it the equivalent of like, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in the Harry Potter realm? (That is, a fun supplement, but not essential to the core series.) Could we read only The Fellowship of the Ring, or do we really need to read all three main books in order for the story to be complete/make sense? We're not super into fantasy (I think that's why I haven't picked it up yet), but we did adore Harry Potter and we've read and enjoyed several (though not all) of The Chronicles of Narnia. If we enjoyed Harry Potter and Narnia, are we likely to enjoy TLOTR? Can you recommend a great edition? (There are so many editions on the market, it's hard to choose.) Since the book will take probably a few months to get through, I'd prefer to work with a beautiful copy. (We love hardcovers and great illustrations, but I'm open to anything. Mainly, I'm seeking something without teeny tiny text.) It looks like a new edition is coming out in October, so I'm considering pre-ordering that one, but if you have a particular edition/box set that you love, I'd welcome a recommendation! Are the movies good? Do you recommend watching them after reading? (Are they faithful to the books?) Anything else I should know? Thank you! Edited to add: Would this be better on Audible, instead of as a read-aloud? (My understanding is that there are lots of made-up names and words. Is it cumbersome as a read-aloud? Would it be more enjoyable as an audiobook?) Thanks!

Thank you for this!!! Appreciate the links!

Thank you for illustrating your approach in such detail. I think there are many areas my daughter would love to use this approach, particularly in art history. You're giving me lots of ideas; appreciate your sharing!

I love the idea of pursuing questions. And I appreciate the book recommendation; I have added it to my list!

She is advanced in this area! My ultra literary child. 🙂 But yes, I meant more that she would love a course designed around AGG, and I would adapt to suit. Appreciate your help so much!

Love this so much! Thank you for sharing!

Yes, I was actually thinking of it (the AGG course) for my rising 6th grader. She would love it!! 🙂

I was hoping you would chime in! 🙂 Your Anne of Green Gables course and your fairy tale study are calling my name! Love those ideas! All the courses sound wonderful. And yes, I'm coming up against the thing some of you have mentioned: In the early years, we've just followed interests (with only the loosest of plans at the outset), but I do feel like I need to have a map for our high school courses or I (personally) don't feel I'll be able to get my kids where they need to go. (It's not uncommon for us to spend months on a single topic, which has been wonderful and deep! But it also means there are some things my kids haven't learned yet, that I think they should have. For instance, every time we've studied American history, we end up spending months in the Revolutionary War period because that's our favorite. But the trade-off is that we've never formally made it to World War II, aside from some excellent historical fiction and The Story of the World audiobooks. That's not nothing, but it's also not as thorough as I would like. In high school, I want to make sure I'm filling in some gaps and reaching some specific goals, and I (again, just me, personally) really need a plan to achieve that.)

Thank you!! I so appreciate your response because it helps illuminate your course descriptions. (As I was reading through your course descriptions, I was thinking about how difficult some of the language is in the 19th Century novels. You have that course ("19th Century British and American Literature") listed for 9th grade, and I thought to myself, Hmmm...those books might be a little tough for my daughter to jump into in 9th grade, but she would be totally be ready for them by 11th and 12th grades. (I think there are several on your list that she could read right away, but a few I'm definitely going to save for the upper grades.) But now knowing that this is just how you "packaged" the reading after the fact makes much more sense and feels super doable! And we do tons of what you describe in Goals #2 and #3, so that is encouraging that your son got great "results" from those practices! Encouraging!

Oh, this is lovely! We just read I Am Malala this past year, but I love your idea of reading multiple books (of a similar type) from different geographical areas.

I love all of these! (It's encouraging to hear that you found and used a college syllabus online; I've totally been looking through various college course catalogs to find courses we could copy or recreate at home.) Thanks for sharing!

I'd like to expand my thinking as I work with my daughter to design next year's courses. Do you have any courses that you are super proud of? A course that was particularly creative or out-of-the-box? A course that your teen loved or co-created or self-designed? I'd love to hear about it! (Could be anything in any subject area; I'm purely seeking inspiration and ideas.) Thank you!