This is the daily plan that finally worked for me after several years of trying various methods. I hope the attached link works (it's this week's schedule/plan)! For any unfinsihed daily work I put a red circle around the check-off box so DS knows to start with that the next day before moving on. The last section is my place to list homework (any incomplete work), make notes to myself, pencil in the following week's math (or whatever assignment) if I get so bold as to map out two weeks in a row. I have a master binder that I do my yearly planning in. Most weeks I just transfer assignments from the binder to the planner. Seems like double work, but it really isn't. The child needs a daily plan of his own, and I need to see where we are with regard to our target dates. Anyhoo, on Monday each week I take the completed Assignment Sheet (sometimes I type it; sometimes I print it and write it in) and place it in a sheet protector secured in the brads of his daily folder (so he can see it and keep up with it!). I put any pages I know he's going to need for the week (grammar worksheets, math tests, etc.) in the back pocket. The front pocket is where he keeps all his work that I grade/discuss/return during the week. On Fridays, he corrects anything that hasn't already been corrected and places it in the appropriate binder on his shelf (one for each subject). I could never do dated, bound, spiral binders (and I tried!) because I always seemed behind in at least one or two subjects! This gives me the flexibility to start fresh each week, yet still have my master yearly plan as my guide. I have used this method will all three kiddos at the same time. However, now I'm just using the system for my last little guy. Jack's Weekly Assignment Sheets 2012-31.doc Jack's Weekly Assignment Sheets 2012-31.doc

Ok, everything Chrysalis said, and . . . DS (10) has done 1.5 years of Latin (Lively Latin). We dropped Latin this year, however, to focus on Spanish, but added in CE1. It's been great! It's not a repeat of Latin instruction, and it is such a vocabulary builder--shows how English, Latin, and Spanish are related. We used it along with The Wind in the Willows, etc. literature set. It was a nice complement (although I wish the literature sets offered more direction and focus, but that's another story . . . ). DS did finish early, as there are only 20 lessons, but I didn't want to rush it. Some weeks we just reviewed vocab/stem flashcards. DS really liked it and we're planning to use CE2 next year.

We did the Alice, Peter, Mole trilogy and the Time trilogy. The discussion questions in the Parent Manual are definitely interesting, but don't expect much direction. There are no "answers" or talking points that might help guide the discussion (like Memoria Press guides have). The Comment section at the beginning of each book is informative (to me), but my DD's eyes pretty much glazed over at these points. :D There are essay assignments that ask students to evaluate/explain/support themes or topics within, between, and among the books. But there is no direction for you as a parent to see if they have done this well, unless you are particularly adept at evaluating writing or MLA essays. Overall, the stories are interesting, we learned a few things, did some thinking, wrote a few essays following the model in the Parent Manual, but it still wasn't exactly what I wanted. DD liked the Alice series, but (with the exception of A Christmas Carol) the Time trilogy was not her favorite.

I usually buy everything I need at their booth at the spring HS bookfair.

We've used K12 Science as Independents for just about every level 1-6. We've liked it pretty well, and even better--it gets done! Yes, the actual lesson reading is online, but there are always activities to do offline as well. The nice thing about being an Independent is that you don't have to do it all, and no one bothers you. Just do the activities you think your DC needs. You'll still need to plan experiment/activity supplies ahead, as the list sometimes can be pretty extensive. :tongue_smilie: It's pricey (probably just under $250 I think), but it's been a good fit for us because there aren't many secular science progrms out there (which is our preference). And putting together our own program felt expensive and a little hodge podge. When the kids were younger I bought only one science level and combined them, just printing out extra pages as necessary. I wasn't keeping grades and didn't need a state record, so it was fine that I had only one "registered" student. Good luck with your decision! Lisa

Thanks all. I will have her look a little harder at the grammar sections within the online lesson.

:iagree: For the second time now I'm using 5th grade as a "transition" year--ready for more than WWE but not ready for a full-blown essay. I'm using R&S 5 to get the grammar and some writing instruction in (scheduled for me). But I agree with OhE. My 5th grade DS would not be successful with WWS1 this year. I love it; my DD did it in 6th grade last year; it's an amazing program and what they accomplish by year's end is fantastic. But that said, I think it would be a stretch to use it with a typical 5th grader. Not sure if it's a boy thing, but I know it wouldn't happen this year with my DS. :lol: We are just trying to tackle the basics and keep it simple, building those skills. We are doing weekly one-level outlines (from Kingfisher or other history reading), a narration from that outline, and lots of dictation and paragraph writing with our spelling using All About Spelling (6). We are in a similar situation where what is "learned" in class isn't necessarily applied during writing. But I think much of that is just a stage that gets better as they mature and get more practice. I've seen it get better with my olders. My goal for the year is just lots of short practice, practice, practice. I've cut the programs down to R&S (tried MCT Paragraph Town alongside but it exhausted us both), AAS, and history outlining/narrations, and I have seen improvement in both stamina and application of skills. So we are staying the course for now. FWIW, SWB mentioned that the WWS series might be only 3 levels, so even if you start next year you should finish by the end of middle school. I feel your pain! I hope you find that magic combination that works for your DS. Have a great year! Lisa

How do you manage to get activities scheduled for the morning? We run around nearly every evening because it seems the entire world is set up for regular school hours and working parents.

:iagree: Ok, so I'm not the only one! I literally just posted about this and then saw your post. So frustrating!

Is anyone's DC having trouble applying what is learned in the interactive portion to the worksheets and quizzes? My DD is using Rosetta Stone French Levels 1&2, and while she does fine on the computer part, she's not always accurate with the written parts (worksheets, quizzes, tests). The mistakes usually involve articles, or perhaps the way words are combined (I don't know French, but I think the Spanish equivalent would be something like de el: del). DD says grammar (the way it's tested on the worksheets, etc.) isn't covered in the computer-based instruction. Anyone else find this to be the case? Solutions? It also annoys me that in the answer key in several sections, "many possibilities" is listed as the answer (in French, of course). How am I supposed to evaluate writing in a language I don't know using instructions I can only guess at? :glare: Thanks! Lisa

Week 4. We've dropped MCT Paragraph Town. While DS enjoyed the storyline, the actual work seemed to duplicate what we were doing in R&S 5 (and not in a good way; more in a want-to-bore-a-hole-in-my-head way). :banghead: Maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance. But I'm soooo relieved not to feel like we're doubling up every day. Keeping Caesar's English, though. It's been a success so far. Lisa

If you could stand enrolling in a virtual academy for a year, then the K12 expense to you would be minimal. My kids really enjoy the K12 courses they take (we don't do the whole program, so we use it independently), and they can work fairly independently. With the virtual school you would have the instructor support, and that would free up your time a bit. Not ideal, possibly; I know many people truly dislike the restrictions of virtual academies. But K12 would get the job done for one year, you'd be less burdened, and you'd have peace of mind knowing that nothing major was falling through the cracks. Best wishes in whatever you decide! Lisa

The email from Patricia said September pages would be sent out at the end of the last week of August, so I was just going on that. We are ready to start up again tomorrow, so was wondering if they had gone out yet, as we've finished weeks 1 and 2. Maybe something tomorrow . . .

Have the September pages been sent? :confused: I haven't received any. Thanks! Lisa

I would like to do this if possible. How can I get signed up? :confused: Thanks! Lisa

This has basically been my back-up plan. This year I've got "plan-my-own-from-scratch" 7th grade science, history, and to some extent literature programs, so adding in yet another course from scratch is stressing me out and making me feel unprepared. Ugh! Regardless of how many awesome things I could/want to plan for us to do, after 7 years of homeschooling I've learned that I'm much happier as an open-and-go kind of gal! :lol: Thanks for your thoughts! Lisa

Thanks! It sounds like we have a similar non-plan! :lol: I, too, have Figuratively Speaking for use once a week. And I've looked at Killgallon, just haven't committed yet. How did you get on the list for WWS2 Beta testing? I know I did this for WWS1, but I don't remember seeing anything about it for WWS2. Thanks a bunch! Lisa

Those of you who have completed WWS1 and are waiting on WWS2--Any brilliant ideas on how to fill the gap this fall while we wait for the next level? My rising 7th grader completed WWS1 in May (with much success!). I don't want to start another program (IEW, Writing Strands, etc.) only to abandon it later. We're doing R&S 7, and I guess we could limp along with that for a while, adding in WTM literature/history/science writing. I have some MCT, but as wonderful as it is otherwise is, I think it's lacking in the specifics of skill-building. I'm adrift. :confused: Thoughts? Lisa

Colleen, My prayers go out to you and your family; I'm sure it hasn't been an easy road. :grouphug: What about K12 Life Science (advanced or not)? It's secular, computer-based, engaging, largely independent, and gets the job done fairly well. Tons of hands-on activities. Lisa

We have used most of the science levels up through Earth Science. It works for us. Just don't try to do it all, because there can be a lot of busy work. We skipped many of the labs when the purpose and outcome were fairly obvious. We did the writing assignments, though. I like the literature aspect of the language arts at the middle school level, but was not impressed with the writing and grammar. Too bad it's not sold separately. Really didn't like the foreign language. We did 2 years of Spanish, but the kids didn't really get much out of it. We switched to Rosetta Stone French and it has been *much* better. Lisa

Nadia, I have made out a schedule (have no idea if it'll work in actuality :lol:). But you are welcome to it. PM me and I can email it to you. Lisa

We were open-and-go for a long time, but it seems the older they get the more you need to figure out stuff ahead of time, particularly if you are designing your own middle or upper level history, science, or whatnot. That can eat up a lot of time. :tongue_smilie:

I drift back and forth between SL and a more loose, WTM approach to history. I get SL for the plan and guidance, but then I feel it's lacking in focus, so I switch to my own plan for a year. Then I get tired of all the planning and coordinating and drift back to SL . . . It's a pattern. I've been dealing with this for years. It's probably a sickness. :tongue_smilie:

She was 3rd or 4th highest in her grade, earned a medal, only missed a couple of questions. We were proud. :lol:

I've used K12 Science 5 twice now and am using it for the 3rd time this coming fall. If science is not your thing, then K12 will get the job done. The labs/activities are pretty ok, but we don't do every single one because sometimes the activity is a little too McGyver-esque :tongue_smilie: and the outcome is obvious--on those we just talk about what will/should happen and why. And we'll do any associated write-up. Science 5 does have a nice Come Learn With Me series of books that alleviates some of the online reading.