To be honest, they're probably all really good. At our house, though, we've been using VFCR for the past few years and dd is doing extremely well. I'm amazed at the words she now uses and can spell correctly. BTW, the curriculum doesn't require it, but I do a spelling test a couple of times per month. If she misses one, she has to write it ten times and its added to the next test. Blessings, Lucinda

LFC should take 30-40 minutes, depending on the day. VFCR should take about 15-20 minutes. Those are the only ones on your list that I have experience with. Blessings, Lucinda

Thank you! This looks really good. I just set my family up and we're ready to go after spring break! Blessings, Lucinda

I've been thinking about getting the book for a while, and this thread just gave me the impetus to go for it. I doubt I'll make it entirely through the list, but whatever I do will be enriching. I've learned so much by hs'ing during the past number of years, but this is just for me. You see, I'm a second time around parent (by adopting my granddaughter and raising yet another child after the nest was empty). I have the sudden realization that doggone it, I want to keep growing and learning for myself. And heck, if I can get down the list even a ways, I just figure I'll make a much more interesting old lady. (That is up the road a ways...I'm not an old lady yet. :D) Blessings, Lucinda

What is an HSED? Lucinda

I received a BFA in Art 20 years after graduating high school. Five years later, I completed a certificate program in Electronic Publishing. Despite all the naysayers that tried to sway me away from choosing art as a major, I use both degrees every single day. I've worked as a professional graphic designer, but now I'm an art teacher in a school as well as to private students, and I use those graphics skills all the time. I absolutely love my job! Blessings, Lucinda

I agree with others here. My dd has spent 7th grade going through Saxon 7/6 instead of moving ahead with TT Pre-Algebra as we had planned. I discovered through a placement test I gave her in August last year that she was not retaining what she had learned at that VERY important 6th grade level. Learning this, we switched over to Saxon with the constant repetition and now she is doing just fantastic. We're a year behind "grade level" compared to many, but she is excelling finally and that is all that matters to us. Don't hesitate to work at your child's pace instead of at the pace of others. Isn't that, after all, one of the beauties of hs'ing? Blessings, Lucinda

Exactly the same here. I LOVE my Prime benefits. They have paid for themselves in no time around here. Sorry you're having issues, but I'm with others in suggesting you contact CS by phone or chat. Lucinda

You can also order through a florist shop. I was a florist when I was younger and we made them for people frequently. The fruit was fresh and it was always customized to the customer's wishes. Just tell them how much you want to spend, etc. Blessings, Lucinda

Hi Colleen, My dd is at 7th grade level this year. Prior to this year we completed 1 year of Shurley, one year of EG before finally doing 5th grade R&S. (Yes, we bounced around a bit trying to find the right one.) We probably would have stayed on with R&S because it is thorough and very easy to teach, but when they announced ALL we got all excited and moved over to PHP language arts. This school year as we were waiting for the release of ALL we did a quick review with FLL4 during first semester, then moved over to the ALL samples for the 2nd semester. Now that ALL has been suspended, we've decided to use a very basic grammar program like AG or Hake (with no writing) paired up with WWS. Honestly, we would have loved staying with ALL if at all possible. Dd loves PHP language arts more than any curriculum we've used. We are dedicated to staying with WWS, but we'll just have to find that basic grammar to go with it. Blessings, Lucinda

I had my very first filling at the age of 45. I was scared.to.death at the thought of the drill, but managed to live through it. I'm now in my late 50's and have a total of three fillings in my mouth. I've always been told I have great teeth and take excellent care of them, even when we've had long gaps with no dental coverage. BTW, I still have two baby teeth as well. :D Blessings, Lucinda

I'm just learning about this myself, so am not an expert by any means, but another boardie offered me a link to this website and I'm really excited. Students and parents are involved through Internet connection and the group meets live with everyone at home at their computers. Isn't that cool? You can also choose to take a course at your own pace without the live interaction, but I'm interested in getting my dd involved with other people who are studying the same material. I want dd to be able to see videos of demonstrations (i.e. dissections for one thing), and I'd love to get her involved with discussions. This can be done online with the technology we have available. The type of courses available through this group fit our needs beautifully, especially the Apologia Physical Science that will hopefully be offered again next school year. BTW, I know there are TOG virtual co-ops too. Maybe there are others out there that I'm not aware of that would fit the various needs of hs families. I think we'll be seeing more of this as time goes by because it will help cut back on busy-ness for families that need to simplify. Blessings, Lucinda

In the past we were in a small co-op with two other families and the way we did it worked out really well. Our two subjects were science and art, and we met on Friday afternoons. It was great because the families involved all live in the same vicinity, only a mile apart. That was so awesome! The kids were at the same grade level and followed a schedule during the week at home with their science, then on Fridays they would do experiments together, watch related videos or occasionally go on a science field trip. Then we'd finish the day with a 90 minute art lesson that I would teach (I'm an art teacher by profession, so that was great). One of the other moms, who is my friend with a science degree, taught the science courses. I really liked that type of co-op, especially since we customized it to fit our families and also because it was at the end of the week and didn't disrupt too much. We ultimately had to stop though because of my work schedule changing. Other co-ops have been of no interest to me because they always require more of the parents than I am able to give (I work part-time), plus the only ones I know of in our area meet midweek and are a distance away from our home, which requires travel time I just can't afford. The payoff is not enough compared to the sacrifices that would be made. I'm hoping to get my dd enrolled in a virtual co-op next year for science so that she can have some interaction with others without having to add in all the other stuff. It won't be exactly like face-to-face, real life interaction, but will still be a nice change for her. Blessings, Lucinda

Similar situation here. We're using it as a second semester grammar program and will be done at the end of the year. Next year we'll be in grade level grammar with Hake or possibly with AG, but we'll skip or lightly review the exercises SWB specified. BTW, ALL's approach is fantastic! I really wish we had the full deal, but I've had to determine that we aren't going to wait for it. Blessings, Lucinda

TCW = The Creative Writer, also published by PHP, but not written by SWB. Ideally, it is used as a supplement to WWS. (It is suggested that it be used on Fridays after using WWS M-Th.) Anyway, I think it could be a good option for waiting for the release of WWS2. Just my thoughts.... Blessings, Lucinda

I was just thinking recently that I'll purchase TCW to use as an in between since we may have a gap between 1 & 2. I'm not sure yet, but the thought crossed my mind. My reasoning was that last year I printed the entire pre-release PDF out, then purchased the books when they came out, only to waste a whole lot of paper. That's no fault of PHP in the least...just my own over eagerness. :) Blessings, Lucinda

In addition to their regular courses with graduated levels, there is also a single workbook called Write Now that sums up the whole method. Maybe that would be a good solution to the problem, and it could be done in a reasonable amount of time. I'm tempted to do it myself over the summer with dd who still slips back and forth between good and bad handwriting at the age of nearly 13. I do believe that decent handwriting is possible for nearly all people -- but it takes motivation and self-discipline, and lots of practice. Blessings, Lucinda

Thank for that suggestion! I can't believe I hadn't thought of that one. Blessings, Lucinda

I would be inclined to agree with you. If he was a vet, he is entitled to be buried in a national cemetery and have a headstone as part of his benefits, but his discharge papers (DD214 or equivalent)would be required. If the records were destroyed in a fire, then the family could apply for a copy through the VA, but it may take awhile IF, and only IF, the records are still available. Here is a link to information for vets in the State of Indiana in such cases, but the information is useful to all states really. Why not post a link to this site on the forum you found the request on and suggest that she try to obtain copies. BTW, VA benefits don't cover all costs of the funeral and transportation of the body to the cemetery. There are still costs involved, so this lady is probably very overwhelmed and hurting over the loss of her father. She obviously hasn't been raised with the same sense of values and boundaries that many of us here take for granted. Unfortunately, her case a very good example of why people should consider their loved ones and plan ahead. Despite this, some compassion for the lady in this painful situation and not judging her would be a good way to go. I'm not saying everyone should give her the money she's asking for, but maybe some thoughtful advice and direction to possible resources would be the best way to help her. Blessings, Lucinda

Don't you wish there was a LIKE button on this forum? There are a number of posts on this thread that would be very worthy of hitting a LIKE button! I'd love to do that to some posts I read without having to write out a reply -- a reply that will most likely be the death of a thread in most cases. (Just sayin'....) Blessings, Lucinda

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Gosh, I would not be happy with those lecturing responses either, PrincessMommy. Just know that there are other moms out here that understand your feelings, agree with your position and support you in your need to vent. No judgement here from us at all. It sounds like you and your dh have been doing an awesome job raising a family. Blessings, Lucinda

:iagree::iagree::iagree: I could not have said it better myself! Complete agreement here... Blessings, Lucinda

I've wondered where you've been! Thanks for popping in to let us know. God bless you and your sweet family, and you especially as you go for that degree. Hope to see you back here again at some point up ahead. Blessings, Lucinda

Dang! That's two threads I've killed in one day. :001_huh: :lol: :D Lucinda

:iagree::iagree::iagree: Very well said! This is an excellent comparison of the two programs. We used TT for a couple of years and it is a very, very good program. I had no complaints whatsoever about it, and I know others that use it with wonderful success. We even know a family with 6 children and they all use it and are happy. I just discovered after a time that my own dd was not retaining well, and that she really needed the repetition of Saxon. After we moved back to that curriculum, she told me that it was a perfect fit for her and that she wanted me to keep her there for good. You see we had moved around with other programs, starting with Saxon, then using MUS and TT, just trying to find the best fit for her and her learning style that contained a built in math teacher. Now we've finally ended up back with Saxon in the end. This is why I stated in my earlier post that it all depends on your student's learning style as to which would be the best. If your dd is doing well with Saxon, then I'd suggest that you stay there, but give Art Reed or DIVE a try instead of changing all together. Blessings, Lucinda