I'm not Ellie, but I did copy this from the publishers web site: "The recommended path after finishing Math 7/6 is to take Math 8/7. If your child finishes Math 8/7 with at least 80% mastery, skip ahead to Algebra 1. In previous editions, many people skipped Math 8/7 because they found it to be a weaker text than Algebra ½. In the newer third edition, pre-algebra has been added to Math 8/7, making it a much stronger program. " Art Reed states that if your child gets better than an 85% on the last 6 tests of 7/6 to move to Alg 1/2. I think either book will prepare your child for Alg I. It appears that 8/7 has more review combined with the pre-algebra topics. While my older son went from 7/6 to Alg 1/2 to Alg1 and did just fine, I am having dd do 8/7 because I feel she needs more practice (even though her test scores have averaged 90+). Personally, if your child is breezing through 7/6 (and to me this would mean working every problem and only missing 3-4 AND getting 85% or above on tests, then you could go with Ald 1/2. If you have any doubt, go with 8/7. Your child will have more review, but will still be prepared for Algebra. Just my 2 cents :D. Blessings, Michelle

Violet, thank you so much for taking the time to read his essay and for such helpful suggestions. I know he has learned many of the grammatical points in Rod and Staff, but sometimes that does not transition to writing :001_smile:. I will definately have him revise using your corrections. If anyone else has any comments I would love to hear them.

I will sort of duplicate what others have said in that you would not necessarily need to do both books. My ds went from 7/6 to Alg 1/2 (then Alg I and Alg II) and has done fine. However, I am having my dd do 8/7. I will see how she does with 8/7 and then decide if she should go to Alg 1/2 or Alg 1. For us, I thought she would do better with the same format as 7/6, as well as the additional timed tests (Alg 1/2 is set up the same as Alg 1 as far as presentation). If your ds has done very well, you can go with either book, but Alg 1/2 may be better :confused:. However, you can go into Alg I after using either 8/7 or Alg 1/2, so you might want to check the topics covered in each book and see which would be best. Blessings, Michelle

My ds is 13, and technically in 8th grade, but he is more or less at a high school level (see curricula below). I find past critiques to be just what we need. His assignment was to do a lit analysis descibing how symbols are used in Jane Eyre. This is his third revision. Please be very honest. I will have him read the critiques (he is mature enough to handle them :D). He has also read past critiques on here, so he knows they will not all be favorable. PLEASE share your honest opinion. DS really LOVES to read, but does not like to write at all. Thank you!! In the book Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, the author utilizes symbolism to emphasize the feelings of the characters. Two of these symbols are the experience Jane has in the red-room and the various places Jane visits throughout the book. The red-room is a symbol for down-cast feelings, while the homes in the book emphasize the feelings the characters experience at the time they inhabit them. The red-room, where Jane has a terrifying experience, is one symbol used by Bronte. When Jane was young, she was unjustly punished by her aunt and sent to the red-room, where she fears a ghost and eventually passes out. Later in the book, when Jane faces extreme sadness, she thinks back to the red-room. When she is embarrassed at Lowood, Jane, in telling her story to Miss Temple, relates the episode in the red-room. This mention of the experience links her feelings of humiliation to the red-room. Also, when Jane decides to leave Thornfield instead of becoming Mr. Rochester’s mistress, Jane says “I dreamt I lay in the red-room…that the night was dark, and my mind impressed with strange fears,†showing her misery by remembering one of her most frightening experiences. The red-room, then, is what Jane looks back to when deeply saddened. The various homes where Jane lives symbolize the feelings of the characters. This is shown first by Lowood, a dreary school where the students are not cared for properly. When she first arrives, she is made to stand up in front of the school and is called a liar, but when the school improves, Jane begins to excel. The school at first represents a point in Jane’s life where she feels miserable, but as the school improves, Jane improves in both mood and education, which is shown when Jane states that her life was “not unhappy†and she had “the means of an excellent education placed within [her] reach.†The second building Jane stays at is Thornfield Hall, a neglected mansion with a dark secret. Here Jane falls in love with the owner of the mansion and is engaged to him, only to find out, as they are standing at the altar, that he already has a wife. This mansion symbolizes Jane’s feelings of degradation. The symbolical place Jane next stays in is Moor House, a small, somewhat run-down place that Jane fixes up. This is a house that Jane stays in after finding both fortune and family. A high point in Jane’s life is shown here by the fact that she feels a rise in importance. The final mansion Jane visits is Ferndean, a manor-house that Mr. Rochester inhabits. In a state of dejection, he moves to this place after losing Jane, Thornfield Hall, and his eyesight. Described as a “desolate spot,†this backwoods manor shows the sadness and seclusion Mr. Rochester feels (303). Therefore, the places inhabited by Jane and other characters show the feelings of those characters. In Jane Eyre, many symbols are used by the author in order to emphasize the feelings of the characters. These symbols include the red-room and the residences Jane visits. The red-room is a place Jane mentions when feeling downtrodden, and because it was her first truly terrible experience, it intensifies the miserable mood at the time it is mentioned. Also, the houses Jane visits symbolize the feelings of the characters that live there because the setting of those residences reflects the mood. Thus, the symbols in Jane Eyre are important in portraying the characters feelings.

My kids have practice from 4:30 to 7:00 each night. Thankfully, we only live about 20-25 minutes from the pool. My ds is up by 7:00, starting school by 7:30, takes a 1/2 hour lunch, and we leave for swim at 3:50 (ds does school the entire day). We don't get home until about 7:45, eat dinner, and bed time is at 9:30. Ds has had some trouble getting school work done this year, but he just has to work on the weekend (when we don't have a meet!). But, ds really loves swimming, so he is willing to put in the work :).

My son is finishing R&S 8 (we have used it since grade 4). Last year he took the ACT (he was 12) and acored a 28 on the English section. I think R&S definately helped. I plan on using it in high school. I sometimes wonder if it will be overkill, but we do most of it orally and I think the review is good :).

So I know you said you could not afford any of the online classes (and for three youngers that would be expensive)......but could you afford to sign the oldest up, and let the others watch and learn with him (you can "redo" any on-line activity, so all the kids could do the activity if they wanted. I would just have the oldest take the quizzes). I think this is allowed, but I would have to check their web-site to make sure (I thought I read where one could do this, just the others would not get a grade for the course). There are also activities you can print out, and all the kids could print out a copy. Many are 3D replicas of building, seek-n-finds, and other games. My dd is doing the self-paced "Old Testament and Ancient Egypt" and she is LEARNING SO MUCH. She is remembering the names of the pharaohs, their dynasty, and geography!! I am coupling this with IEW's Ancient History Writing lessons, and she is doing a report on a pharaoh right now. I can't believe how much she remembers!! We have also been reading some of the recommended books (I already owned some). My dd just loves this program :). I have not used the"traditional" program, so no help here. I know you can view their teachers manual online (at their website or CBD). Like I said, I know you may not be able to swing it financially, but I wanted to give you an option in case you could afford one class. Blessings, Michelle

This was my oldest when he was young :lol:! Do what you need to do. He will eventually learn (probably WANT) to sit. I think this is why so many kids have problems in ps....they have to sit in a chair all day!! This would kill my dd!!!

I want to second Latin for Children. We have also used Latina Christiana, but I wanted to switch to a classical (rather than an ecclesiastical) program. We also bought the activity book and flash cards (which are actually a game). This has been enjoyable for my 10 dd. It is very easy to learn with your dd!!

I just wanted to give another :thumbup: for Windows to the World. It gives great examples of how to do this. I also have an old Norton Anthology that had a wonderful example of an essay (from rough draft to final, including how to weave quotes into a sentence). I just mention this because sometimes you never know what is already sitting on your shelves :D.

I am feeling the same way!! We are finishing our 9th year of homeschooling, and I feel like I have been DRAGGING our oldest along. He has always been so easy to homeschool (compared to dd who has ALWAYS been a challenge), until this year. At times I want to pull my hair out :ack2:. And he is SO BEHIND that I will either have to 1) just stop the curriculum at some point in the summer, or 2) work all summer with him :eek:! He is a really good kid, but he has just not been as responsible this year. And trying to juggle a toddler has been challenging!! Are we all just getting sping fever? Maybe just a break is all that is needed!!!!

I used Latina Christaina for my oldest, but for my younger we have switched to Latin for Children. While I was researching a Latin program for my oldest this summer, someone finally explained the difference between classical and ecclesiastical Latin. I decided to go with Wheelock's Latin for our oldest because it would lead to a better ability to actual read the classics in Latin. Latin for Children does a nice job at following the Wheelock text, but at a slower pace. I am no Latin expert my any means, but the best reply on this board came from a college student who is majoring in Latin. Wheelock's was the preferred text for older students, so I thought I would go ahead and start my dd in LFC, with the idea she would start Wheelock's in late middle school. LFC does not have a lot of written work. I did get the history reader and activities book, as this adds a lot of practice. Also, LFC has a free website where children can practice Latin through games. I think I would only work on the formal program (whichever you choose) with your 7 year old. I think it would be fine if the youngers wanted to join in on learning vocabulary/chants, but I think some of the grammar concepts might be above their level (especially the 4 year old). While we have not chosen to stay with Latina Christiana, it served my oldest well. He went on to study the first two units of Henle before switching to Wheelock's. He received an Outstanding Award on the Intro to Latin National Exam this year, scoring 37/40. So he is learning. I think there are many ways to get to your final goal. I would be happy to answer any additional questions you may have :). Blessings, Michelle

I am posting this because my dd STRUGGLED so much with reading. I FINALLY had her eyes checked when she was eight and she was near-sighted. The eye doctor said if I had waited any longer she could easly have developed a lazy eye. My daughter was screened every year at the pediatrician's office, and this was never caught. My poor dd was working so hard to just to see the letters that she fatigued easily (she also had a hard time blending sounds, or she would only do the first sound). I know there are many reasons children struggle with reading, but it is nice to rule out vision problems :).

Five in a Row was a favorite here. You do have to do a little planning, but it was so fun. You read the same story book for five days, and then each day pick an activity from a list to complete. You can generally pick from math, art, cooking, science, etc. Geography is also included as you map where the stories take place (we studied the white cliff's of Dover while reading "The Glorious Flight"). Sometimes the guidebook might even mention a literary device used in the story :D. There is also a Bible suplement to go along with it. I wouldn't worry about science or history yet.....just READ, READ, READ :). For reading we used 100 Easy lessons, and for math we did Saxon 1. I think I used a Reason for Handwriting as well. Blessings, Michelle

DO BOTH!! While Latin does review some English grammar (parts of speech, for instance), there is a great deal of grammar in the English language that needs to be studied (I am thinking of more complex sentence structures, clauses, etc). My ds son is studying Wheelock's and doing English grammar with R & S 8. There is very LITTLE overlap at this point with Latin grammar and English grammar. However, I do think English grammar helps with the study of Latin :D. Blessings, Michelle

How wonderful!!! It gives me hope!!! Many Blessings! :party:

Ahh....I see :D. Latin has been challenging for me (but not so for my son!). Maybe it is just my 40 year old brain...:lol:. I know Wheelock's has a reader to use with it. Perhaps that would add more to a program and get your son reading sooner. I do think the more you read, the easier it gets!

Does your ds have any Latin grammar experience? Do you have a Latin backgroud, so you could at least check to see if he is translating the passages correctly? When looking up a verb in a Latin dictionary, only certain forms of the verb are present. So the verbmeaning "warn" would look like this: maneo,manere,mansi,mansum (which means I warn,to warn, I warned, warned). But if the actual word in the text was "manebas" would he be able to figure out this is in the imperfect tense, second person singular, meaning "you were warning"? I think it would be hard because of all the declensions and conjugations in Latin, but some people are MUCH more intuitive than I am :D. No throwing stones here, but is there a reason why you would not want to use a grammar book? Wheelock's has short chapters and I think it would greatly assist learning Latin. I think it is great to start translating when learning a language (Wheelock's does this from the first chapter). Again, I think it would be difficult to learn Latin with a dictionary and book (more than other languages). Hopefully others will give their opinions as well. Blessings, Michelle

Thank you Cathy and Sandra. I know MFW does include the Notgrass curriculum. And Sandra, I really haven't heard of anyone being disappointed with the MFW curriculum. Does MFW have critical thinking questions? Just curious.

I have been puzzling and praying over this for months, and just can not seem to get a clear direction for next year. DS will be in 9th grade (you can see what we are using this year for 8th). He is a math/science loving kid. Next year he will be doing Saxon advanced math and completing both Apologia Chemistry books (he finished biology a few weeks ago and has already started chemistry). I can not figure out waht to do for history and English (other than doing a bit of grammar with R & S). DS LOVES to read, but hates to write. Although he has been writing plenty this year, because I still want him to learn how to write well. I want a program with a biblical worlview. I have been looking at TOG (which seems like a lot, but I know I could pare it down), MFW (which just doesn't look like enough, although I know I could add to it), Veritas (which doesn't look like enough history), or doing it myself (which I am really not sure I could pull off). My DS is on swim team, which means we have to leave our house every day by 4:00 and he doen't get home until 8:00 (except no practice on Fridays). This takes a big chunk of time, but he loves it and I think he should still be able to get school work done before he has to leave. Also, my mother-in-law has metastatic cancer, so I sometimes have to take her to appointments, etc (and she might be coming to stay with us :confused:). I also have a 3 year old that requires a great deal of attention. So, does anyone have any comments as to what might work the best for us, given the above?? I have searched the boards and the curriculum until I am bleary-eyed. I love the looks of TOG, but I don't want to get in over my head. I also would try to just get a history text and read some great books, if I felt I could pull it off without driving myself crazy. I really value the opinions of others on this board. Maybe you can look at the situation in a different light and give me a little direction :D.

DS finished biology a few weeks ago with the Red Wagon tutorial CDs. He loved them so much that he asked me to purchase them for chemistry (which he has now started). DS says the CDs add so much to the course. I like that the CDs also contain tests for each chapter that are different from the Apologia tests (I love the essay questions). Also, there are two mid-terms and a final. I should tell you my son LOVES science.( I know there are some on this board whose children did not love the CDs as much). However, they have really been a great addition to the course for us :). Blessings!

I use them for my older son (he is doing Saxon Alg II this year), so he can work independently. They also contain explanations for EVERY problem in the book....very nice as the level of math becomes more complicated. My dd prefers I teach her the lessons (she is finishing 7/6). They are not needed at the 5/4 level, unless you want your child to work independently (which my son has done since that level). Also, you can get a package much cheaper at www.cbd.com .

I think dad is manipulating you and his daughter. Heather and Stephanie are right. YOU set the limits on what YOU are willing to do...otherwise he needs to find someone else willing to "babysit". And he needs to get her to your house CONSISTENTLY. Anything you are doing with her isn't going to work if she is only there part of the week. I think you are really a wonderful person for offering to do this. I pray that you can have a conversation with her dad and work out some of these issues :). Blessings, Michelle

I finally got around to e-mailing Grove City College to clarify requirements for science/engineering majors. Those majors do not have to have the modern language :). And hopefully Latin will be approved for all next year. I just wanted to further clarify the requirements.

I used FLL for third grade with my dd, and then transitioned to R & S for 4th grade (FLL 3rd grade was not available when my ds was in third grade). I think it was a nice transition with the workbook pages. I would do the same again :).