Here's my plan--I'm always more ambitious than I'd like: Math Finishing up MUS and LOF Fractions this summer Saxon 6/5 and Singapore 4a/b Language Arts WWE 3 or 4 FLL 3 or 4 Maybe continue w/CW Aesop SWO G Memoria Press Copybook Literature, The Odyssey, The Iliad, The Aeneid Poetry--haven't picked the selections yet, same w/memory work Independent Reading History SOTW I again (hopefully we'll finish 4 this summer) RC Connecting w/History I Latin Finish Minimus, continue w/LCI Also do Song School Latin w/lil sis Science Real Science 4 Kids-Chemistry Music Meet the Composers Choir Hopefully piano lessons Art Drawing w/Children Art fun every Friday Extras Girl Scouts, volleyball, basketball, baseball, fencing, martial arts We may join CC and that will change some plans. Laura

I didn't read all the replies (I promised myself I'd be off the boards by 10:30), but my dc get pencils w/their names on it every Christmas from one of the catalogs. This helps a little bit. DD9 gets possessive of hers and takes better care of them. The other two are hopeless. Laura

Wow, those are all gorgeous shots. Looks like I need a new camera. Or more likely new photographer. Laura

It's probably tagged stereotypes (although I don't even know what that looks like on this board) b/c Italian-Americans are often offended by links to the mafia. I have no idea of this game even remotely hints at Italian-Americans, but maybe that's why. I'm Italian-American and am not offended, but I know others who were not happy w/the Sopranos, The Godfather movies, Goodfellas, etc. HTH, Laura

My kids love the Beethoven Wig CDs. They've learned so much about classical music. Laura

WINNERS: Saxon 6/5, 5/4, MUS Zeta PL, LCI, LCII SOTW II CW, but we're kind of dragging with it Spelling Workout CC Losers WRTR Harvey's Grammar (both bought b/c they were suggestions in CW) Science-still trying to get through Janice Van Cleeve's series Worldy Wise (I think I bought too difficult of a level, but ds just didn't like it) VIE

We started CW last year and loved it, but didn't get very far. I'm planning on taking a step backward and doing WWE b/c I want to make sure that we don't miss anything. I'll try to squeeze CW-Aesop in there somewhere b/c I have it.

Well, I need to get up at 6 am and here I am.... But, I've learned so much that it's worth the extra bags under my eyes. I think. Laura

We just used the cd and dd did fine. Laura

We got ours at Sam's. I've seen them at teacher supply stores too. Laura

dd9 did Prima Latina last year in 3d grade and started Latina Christiana. DS did LCI and is finishing up LCII this summer and he's going into fourth. I still don't know enough Latin to keep up w/them. Laura

My dd5 can read chapter books, but getting her to is difficult. Like a pp said, she prefers books that can be read quickly for that sense of accompishment. At first I thought she just didn't like Magic Treehouse books b/c of the plot line--and this may still be the case. My other two were reading Magic Treehouse at the end of K when they were in parochial schools. And they really enjoyed them. DD5 loves to read a bunch of short picture books, which have difficult words in them. She can read them and understand them, but doesn't want to open a longer book w/o pictures. Laura

I work from home too (or at least I try) and here's what I've found to be less teacher intensive: Math: Saxon (my kids do this independently--I even let them grade) and/or Math U See. I think we're going to switch to Singapore and I'm bracing for my learning curve. Spelling Workout SOTW CDs For logic, the Mindbenders CDs Science and writing are two areas that take a lot of my time. I love the CW program, but it does take a lot of my time. I think that's one of the reasons my kids love it. Laura

Sagira, I think your schedule makes the most sense of any I've seen. Especially, if you're folding in a younger child in the 3d grade. I've found SOTW III and IV a bit too much for my younger kids. Laura

I have to reiterate what Dawn said about not having the confidence to attempt this. I have many, many years of post-secondary education, including 5 years grad school and 3 years law school, and the biggest eye opener of classically homeschooling has been to demonstrate to me how little I know. I am learning so much alongside my children, in addition to just learning how to teach them classically. Very little in my formal education has prepared me for this journey. And it's been a wild, difficult, rewarding one. You are just as qualified to do this as anyone here. And if you come here often you will learn so much to help you educate your children that soon you will be a pro. You're already so far ahead of where I was when I started homeschooling. Laura

Don't forget educational videos--my dc have learned a lot of grammar from those 'deviant' kids. Also, kids who do creative learning, such as play acting, etc, develop higher order learning. And an energized you will be a much better teacher later. Laura

I hate the posts that give me home-school room envy. And then send me to the Container Store. Laura

I'm relatively new to this board--something I truly regret, altho not new to TWTM. I'm Laura from Columbus (OH). Innovative, I know. I'm 46, a lawyer by training and a writer now. We just finished our second year of hs'ing. My dc were in a great private school, but the homework was killing ds. He was becoming unbearable and had little time for free play as he's involved in a lot of sports. DD was the perfect classroom child, and I gave her the option to stay in school, but once she saw the ds was having so much fun AND got to sleep in she decided to join the party. DD5 is also getting ready to join the party as she did preschool last year. I feel like I've finally found a group of hs'ers who are as obsessive as I am. Unfortunately my wallet is paying the price. I think I now own 5 math curriucla and 4 language arts programs. ANd this is in addition to the stuff I bought b4 joining this group. It's even cutting into my beauty sleep. and at 46 I shouldn't mess w/my beauty sleep. Laura

Or you could have them do the together things after lunch. That's what we do w/o the work box system. It's usually the fun stuff, too, like SOTW. Mornings are for individual work as my kids work at dramatically different paces even if they're working on the same material. Plus, I'm not ready to do together stuff w/them first thing in the a.m. Laura

I made math the center of our curriculum last year and aimed for 5x/week, which meant that we got to it at least 4x. We just took the WJIII and dds' math score was in the 99% (ds was 89%). I was planning on making writing the focus this year, but now am intimidated to not let her scores drop. Last year we did Saxon and finished it by April and started MUS. We're doing LOF this summer. I tried to add in 'fun' math days periodically last year, but think that's what we'll do every Friday or Wed. My kids loved them. THey're more than just grateful to be skipping Saxon. Laura

Wm Bennet's Book of Virtues. DS loves The Dangerous Book for Boys. It's full of all sorts of wonderful stuff including stuff about heroes, etc. Laura

I spoke w/our children's librarian about ds' desire to read only non-fiction after 2d grade. After offering a few suggestions, she told me that reading non-fiction actually helps you better on SAT type tests. DS has worn out a couple of atlases. We have at least 10. Laura

Thanks everyone, we've been struggling w/this too. Laura

I was going to suggest Shakespeare--possibly the speech from St. Crispin's day--which is what we're working on this summer. My kids also did CC and they memorized the US prez in order. Highly useful as it provides pegs and they see constant references to any of the presidents at any given time. My brother had to memorize Jabberwocky and I still remember bits of it. Also, Drew from this board has a publication on Lulu re Memorization--I can't remember the title. Maybe someone else can help you out. Laura

I was w/you until the TTC! I went to law school when I turned 30. It was a lot easier than I expected. There was an ER surgeon in the class behind me who had a family and lived 2 hours away. He went home on weekends and worked in the ER. He graduated (I have no idea how well he did), but while your class ranking is fairly impt, some ppl find a way to work around it. I think you'll be a lot more focused. However, having said that, I'm considering finishing a Ph.D. that I started b4 law school, but will wait til my kids are more independent. Hs'ing seems to consume me. Laura