Hi, my name is Kat, ....and I'm a book hoarder...I mean...collector haha ;) I think I need to have the hard copy books BC I highlight, make side notes on the page. I make alot of my books my own too by all the side notes. I have to have the hard copy visual for some reason . I don't like electronics for some reason. And ya can't highlight and make notes on a digital version ;) I go into our huge used bookstore...and it's like a kid in a candy store haha :) And to get books on my list that are 15.$ books for 3.$ man. It's like ...I'm elated. I can make all the side notes I want!! Tee hee

Hunter, I looked at your Rays Arithmetic... And I noticed again the DEAR. I really like the idea of having encyclopedia s around for the kids to reference and read. I used to have s complete book set. When we downsized I gave them away. I wish someone had given me a kick in the pants about that. I miss those things so much. As a kid I uesd to have a set and ready them for fun, for interesting facts. I want another set. I'm going to have to look (not now, have therapies to pay for ) bit down the road find a used set at a used books store or something . I love hardcopy encyclopedia s. I miss them. My boys would love having them here. The dictionary is something I used to read too and had my one lil guy browsing through it for me to read to him things that looked interesting. We got away from that. I need to get back to doing that. Sigh. So many books, so little time lol

Oh...yea...I forgot to mention... Livorbox is free. I like free. :) Hunter thsts a good point about the bolting them to the wall. We are doing thst too. I have a lil granddaughter who is fascinated with...the highest book on the shelf lol. Good point. Yea, i keep my book lists in a word doc. I dunno what all the new stuff is. Electronics... Not my thing :)

Ha-ha...I know. Ya know what I've noticed most thst I seem to say alot on here? I forgot...I forgot ...I forgot haha! You're right. My middle aged brain sometimes goes...eh?? Ha-ha Oh man, it sure does change the dynamics of everything. And ...books and curriculums are all new too. We didn't have thst many choices when our bigs were Young. Ya got what ya got! :) Saxon math, abeka language ....on down the line. All these choices nowadays? Plus my middle aged brain?? Oiy... ;) I notice sometimes in here...I don't finish my thought. Baha! Sigh. It is what it is huh? And not to mention, the bigs interrupt the lils schooling. Like my daughter will call smack dab in the middle of the day and wants to talk. I'm like...um..honey...tryin to teach your brother to read! Lol. She'll b like...OK..one more thing ;/ Then my DS 20 is home on leave...hell come in the door and go...hey, not to interrupt but.... Ha-ha. Ok. No..you didn't 'interrupt ' ...yesterday my DS 12 said, after DS 20 left the room, ...yea...but he DID interrupt haha :) Fun times to be had by all :) I so love my big family. I can tell you do too. I almost told you last nite on here ( I fell asleep instead) Baha. But. I always wanted 7 kids. Thsts how many you have right? I may have counted wrong. That wouldn't be unusual these days lol ;)

I was thinking that too misty mountain . Mine are still on the lower numbers too. I was hoping it was like Lailismum said, and kinda figured it would...adjust for our kids as they go along. It's based on what and how they did previously. But yea, were still on low numbers too. It's giving my guys good math fact practice too. It's in a fun and timed game way ...so .. I do like it. My guys have some pretty significant dysgraphia. It's probably filling holes or practicing on holes I didn't know they had as far as the dysgraphia goes. At a minimum, they are enjoying it and it's getting them doing math in a different way. So I really like that :) I'm glad you said what you di tho lailismum, I was beggining to wonder too :)

Baha! Insufficient shelving! I love it. Yup...always been my problem. Thst real estate high uo on the wall becomes very valuable doesn't it ;)

Oh...and you don't have to have all the books....the libraries are now carrying a ton of these cool books too. Love my library card lol. But I know what your gonna say...you want to own them, or love the ones you own. Me too. Right there with ya :)

I know, I've always added to my book list too. Love books! :) You'd probably be surprised how many you or the kids reading independently can get through . I like her list too. All of her list is on my list too ( I've already graduated. 3 homeschoolers) I took off Frankenstein and Dracula tho. And I did just what you're talking about, added ones I adored and couldn't have in my list, like the holling c hollings geography readers. Those are Sooo cool. Boys love em and learn alot about geography from them. (I know, I'm not makin this easier am I? Ha-ha ) Her list goes all the way up to 12th too so that can make it sound like alot, but it's spread out. I love the science readers too like your talking about. I've always kept cm in my homeschool. It really does produce all around good students with well rounded knowledge . I'd say, add the books you want, you know your kids too, so some of the ones on the list may not be Ines they'll like or have an interest in. I'd use the list she has as sort of a base , I say thst BC the book list she has are mostly all award winning GOOD books. My big kids have read them all except the 2 I mentioned . Then, add your books to the list. That's what I did. You can read as many or as few as you get to. Just BC it's in the list doesn't mean you have to finish the list. I never finished mine in the course of the school year, so it them went on the summer reading list. We usually got it done that way, through the summers. I'd prioritize your list based around what you want to teach for science and history. That's where you bring in the lit books. Ya have to integrate them somehow ...jus too many books we booky people want our kids to have exposure too :) Alot of good books have come out too. So many cute fun science readers like you said...math readers! I mean. These ppl arent makin it easy for us are they! Ha-ha ;) So.is use her list as a base. Those are really good books on her list, then add what you want to do also. Printing it out and put it in their planners and your planner. Y'all get to them when you get to em. One thing I have become a huge fan of is audiobooks. For the readers like science and geography no, ya can't do thst. But fir Alice in wonderland ? It's perfect for. Books that don't have awesome art on the pages or cute lil dudes to follow through the book, ID start Farming out to audiobooks. It's a sweet fun time. Like lay down a bunch of blankets and pillows on the floor and pull it up on livrobox. It's online and has every book known to man I think lol. All the kids will probably wind up pilin in :) Maybe do it when you lil guy is napping , the 3 older ones listening to Pinocchio or something ...and hey. That's their 'rest time' too and a nice lil break for mama ;) he he Thst way, you get those kind if books knocked off your list, then during typical school time you can read those fun pretty other books you want on the list. And again, if the ones you guys are going to physically read don't all get done...carry it over to summer reading. Got your summer reading book list already done! Ha-ha. Knkw something I've started using as a guide to books I want to read aloud thst have good artwork? The memoria press read aloud list, their science and lit enrichment list, and their core readers. I just typed em uo adding to what I already had from my big kids ( like the list she had) , print it out, put in our planners, and get to them as we are doing thst thing in science or history . I know. All these new books comin out...don't help is decide do they! Lol. Livorbox has become my friend :) Audiobooks!!! Ha-ha :)

Yea. Thst sounds good. Using the letter tiles, youre right, theyll have that stored away in their brain for later. Good idea. I really like RLTL. I love the word analysis. That really hits home for my boys. I said you had AAR too is thst right? I use both RLTL and AAR 1. BC my boys need heavy phonics still 2. I like aspects of both. We really like the activities in AAR. they have more fun hands on work with words and the letters thst make them. I mean, my boys will be to do more anteater words lol . But, I love the word analysis and the elson readers in RLTL. You could keep rtlt, use AAR word tiles and activities . Man, whoever came up with letter tiles is genius lol. I know we all had the fridge magnets as kids..but these things take it a step further. Love the tiles! :) I'd say definitely keep rtlt. And I'd be hesitant to get rid of AAR too. You have 2 more to teach to read right? Sometimes different things work with different kids. I think you're spot on with the letter tiles. It's amazing what comes to us when were supposed to be sleeping huh? Baha. Happens here all the time :) Good late nite call mama!

Don't recall saying they'd go to stem or have the ability either. It's just an above average math. Global test scores do the talking :)

I have the coloring book if his plays too the boys , I gave them those small felt tip markers like the ones thst you do those velvet type coloring in? We used those markers to fill in the coloring book of his plays. You can borrow all of the books. If ya want. He could even paint them. Weve don't thst too. Painting them is alot of fun.

The comic book type book of his plays is ...they have a takes, and a more tales...I git the more tales cuz it had much ado about nothing. For some reason...all boys seem to like thst one. More tales from Shakespeare By marica Williams. That might be fun to read to him and he might like the comic book pics.... Or.....I'm GINNA be done with mine in a couple weeks. You can jus borrow mine. Be cheaper probably . unless you wanted to keep it in hand for the crafts. It dies have some cool crafts

Shakespeare for kids , his life and times. By colleen aagesen and Margie Blumberg Has 21 activities in it. It's a fun book . And a pic of him on the cover that we trace. Good handwring motor skills practice :)

Hey there Missy :) I can't do links in this old slow phone...I went n git the book...lemme type it out..I know..archaic lol

What Hunter said and I am going to get some of the simply Charlotte stuff for that. It's all done for us. But mostly how Hunter explained to employ it. Amphibians and such with the ancients.. We did a salt dough Mao of that region. That was a ton of fun and mine were in middle school then. Fun for all ages. Including mom :)

Don't forget to add in Shakespeare ! Shakespeare fir kids is an activity guide thst has a bio from birth to death with loads of pages of crafts about him. Theater. The times of the day...all kinda of cool things. We do the same thing here. Trace his face..write a few sentences about him do some color book pages of his plays...read Shakespeare stories. That's a kids book of his plays. The scientists... There's a Gallileo cd thst Jim Weiss tells. Galileo...gosh wish I could remember the name...you could look I uo at rainbow. Thsts a really good one

I love Jim Weiss. I've gotten other cd's of his thru the years. I'm definitely gonna get these :)

There a spiritual lives of the great composer s too. Thays a good one too. We use thst also. Also, we tie in hyms with this and a bio of the hymnwriter and listen to the hymn and sing it. 101 hymn stories is good. Hymn treasures too. That has pics for younger kids, words to the hymns and a CD of their hymns. And a bio of the writer too. Hymn treasures is awesome.

We do it all together at once, but break uo composer if thst time in history, the artist if thst time in history. Here's what we've always done...and it's classic wtm w a bit added. Use the history timeframe to dictate what artist and composer and scientist. Composers. We pic the one ir ones that we are in that timeframe if history. Read Life Nd Times of the Composer's and what the Neighbors Thought. ...it's a really good book. The BIOS and very fun. Facts of thst composer aren't really long and the picture of the Composer's done in characuture. Kids love that too. Then we listen to some of his most famous works. I have them trace a pic of the composer. They live tracing the characuture s. I also have some books that are small chapter books for a composer we want to go deeper on. They have comp questions at the back. If that composer played an instrument we Google thst and learn about it and draw it. ( throws in some references teaching too. Internet use) We put them in a notebook all together , they go back over them often. The artist. We read the getting to know.... Book of them. They aren't long books and have real pics of their works and a bio that's fun. We trace a pic of the artist and traces som of his works and use it to do art study of that type of paint or charcoal or whatever. We use acrylics, watercolors, ...whatever that artist used. We paint their traced paining in their style of paint and a coloring book page of that artist work. Those are worth buying and their cheap. Then we do our art study. If we have art card..usually in the getting to know series xuz they'll have their works in them. Ask them who is in the pic. How does she feel? (InFerence) looks on faces . what's the background of the pic. Where do you think that is? Theyve been read the book so they should remember if he grew up in engladn...what have you. How do you think it made the people of the times feel? ...goes back to your history study a d what was going on...wars etc. I also always tell them...who was alive and where during thst time. Like the scientist ..blank in blank country. Match uo the Composer's and artists and I'd they knew each other. Many times they did. What do you think prompted thst artist to draw it? Etc. A We do this with a timeline of history. All the artist composers ...Shakespeare ...go on it with the history events. We add the scientists and do the same thing. Read about them from a kids book. Write about him. Trace his pic. And try out his scientific method...record thst as an experiment :) Goal: trace the pic of him. Trace a work of his Write a bit even a few sentences about him Do an art project with the type of paints thwy used Talk about the painitng. Pulling out details of pic too...like...shows in the pic? What are the girls doing? Why do you thonk? Those kinds of things. All this usually sparks lots of convos about the artist composers and scientist. Which...makes them remember it. If they talk about it...they remember it :) Have fun mama! Oh...and always listen at bedtime to the like...Mr. Back comes to call. Really fun story about him and like historical fiction . Vivladir ring if mystery. The classical kids cd's are a mystery adventure and behind the scene of when that composer wrote and performed diff works...and it played them too on and off thru the CD. And composer coloring book. Cheap and worth it. Makes a nice notebook :)

Oh....I bought a Shakespeare book of his plays in comic book form too from rainbow. The pictures are cutely done in characuture . The boys really like it cuz its comic book form. I'm not as crazy bout it ...BC..I'm mom I guess lol. But they are always picki g it up and asking me to read it to them. Has much ado bout nothing. Big fave here. We also use the Shakespeare coloring books to go along with...they are packed with some pretty good text too. I want those cd's now lol :)

There's a Shakespeare for kids book too. It has text to read to them , mainly a bio , it's main focus is crafts to learn of the times and his life, what theater meant to the people of the day. It's a really fun, engaging, and inspiring book. It goes from birth thru death, taking breaks to do crafts. Daily life, the theater, architecture . I've used it with all 5 of my kids. What are the other books you are talking about? Theres one that went out of print, Shakespeare stories. I loaned mine to a friend and never got it back. I think another publisher was revamping it and bringing it bck to the market. I haven't heard of the books your talking about. I want them tho! And the cd's. I didn't even know Jim Weiss made Shakespeare cd's. So, I'm all ears lol...and going to follow this thread. :)

^^^^ what a fun homeschool mom you are :) I try to do those things too. Bring in units at a time and try to do as many across curriculum as we can. I love the MP lit guides. I got my lit guide in the mail today! Sooo happy. Yay!! :)

I use wwe everyday. Every child is going to be different in how quickly they learn and how they store details and can recall them. We have some learning challenges , so we do it everyday with wwe , then I'll pick either a read aloud ir a science book we've read and try it then too. I like the scripted part of wwe. It helps know the most effective and targeted areas to focus. ( less wasted time and frustration). And the wwe build on each other sequentially. Writing is a staple for college, which is alot of parents goals for their kids today. I think what you said about wwe in lue of lit narrations and do alt. History and science. Sounds really good. I haven't used r&s.

Yea. That sounds really good. And your right. You don't have to do all of both of them. Just pull some of the word problems or I think you mentioned mental math? You could do some mental math on another day. Just pull it in as practice after a break. Have her do whatever and how much of, you think she needs. Ir she tires lol. Their brains check out at some point :) You might get into SU and decide , OK let's do a couple weeks practing a few of word problems, then a couple weeks practicing something you didn't even know she was weak on. Love homeschooling . can do what we want :)

Ohhh. I'm sorry, I was thinking you were the OP. Yea. We've found thst to be true too. My strong math student and my weak math student both donwell with it. I think it's their systematic approach . it's just gonna teach every kid. Look at their countries test scores lol. It's the same way for my kids in language. Using a systematic approach... They both learn and they are very language delayed. Both my boys are on the spectrum . they weren't getting math at all. I decided as a fluke to research it and try it. So glad I did. They have flown through it. Well, flown through it for them :) One guy , the stronger math student moves much quicker than the one who struggles more. I fold in MIF with my one who struggles more. Thst MIF hig is rich!