To simplify look at "how" you use them. A LCC-type daily timetable would simplify things. MUS is a great choice IMHO as it can be used more independently as needed. ILL is a gentle & varied English curriculum. If you like ILL, I would suggest you look at Lively Latin instead of LC. LL has the same variety of topics, is colorful, & some of the lessons could be done independently by a strong reader. How about: Maths (MUS) daily ~30 minutes + occasional Living Math activities Latin (LL) daily ~30 minutes English (ILL) daily ~30 minutes History (SOTW) M/W ~90 minutes (includes time for RAs) Science (God's Design for the Physical World) T/TH ~90 minutes I use or have used all of the above materials & the times are what it took us on average to complete a day's work. This would leave time on fridays for more CM stuff (artist / composer studies, nature walks, Shakespeare, folk songs / hymns) and leave afternoons for music practice, handicrafts & other independent choice activities. JMHO,

He turns 11yo next week & has been working independently on at least half of his lessons for a number of years. This year he works independently on 3 "blocks" & works with me on the 4th block. His workload is as follows: Blue Block (independently) Maths: math copywork-5" 1-2 pages MUS-25" Science: Mondays-Thursdays read 20" CLP Nature Reader write 10" (narration on reading) Fridays: 20" Nature Walk 10" Nature Notebook Silver Block (independently) Arts: 20" practice violin 10" M-composer study T-artist study W-poetry TH-basic drawing (Complete-a-sketch books) F-geography English: 10" Copywork / penmanship 20" independent assigned reading Green Block (with Mom) English: 5" Spelling (Sequential Spelling) 25" composition (IEW's Fables, Fairy Tales, & Myths) Latin: 30" Lively Latin (M-TH) 15" Lively Latin computer games (F) History / Literature: 30" M-NZ History (Frontier of Dreams) T-Empire History (Our Island Story) W-American History (This Country of Ours) TH-World History (Story of the World) F-Shakespeare (Tales from Shakespeare) Red Block (independently) Computer: 20" Typing (MWF) JumpStart 5th/6th grade (T/TH) Japanese: 20" Language Lesson (The Learnables) 10" Kana practice Tidy Up: 10" Ds#2 has been a good self-starter right from the beginning. I've always used weekly assignment sheets & even when he was 4yo, I would include some independent work on his sheet (math manipulative activities, listening to stories on tapes, puzzles, basic penmanship practice, etc.) This wasn't busywork, but instead independent practice + laying the foundation of a habit of independent work. I wish I could say that Ds#1 was the same type of worker, but he's a different kettle of fish. Ds#1's main challenge is to remained focused long enough to complete his assignments. I need to have him within my sight or he forgets what he's supposed to be doing. Blessings,

My dd is moving quickly through LoF:Fractions & Decimals/Percents as she works on MUS: Algebra 1. I have LoF: Beginning Algebra ready for her when she finishes LoF: D/P. She uses MUS on M-W & LoF on TH-F as TH-F she is away 9-3 at Polytech. She aims to complete 1 MUS lesson & 5 chapters+bridge LoF weekly. Ds#1 is working slowly through LoF: Fractions alongside MUS:Zeta & Key to Geometry. He aims to complete one page / chapter in each text daily = ~one hour maths daily. JMHO,

Apologia Biology text + answer book companion cd-rom (not real important, but just a nice extra) audio cd (dd has learned to take notes from lectures by using the audio cds) SL's microscopy kit (prepared slides + a few extras) SL's microscope I wish we could have bought SL's science kit & dissection kit for Apologia Biology, but as we live in New Zealand, they could not send it here. I have the SL schedule for Apologia Biology, but both dd & I prefer the free schedule available on Donna Young's website. Blessings,

We start school the beginning of February & I am looking for recipes for make-ahead breakfasts that I can prepare the night before & put in the fridge to bake the next morning (i.e. monkey bread, breakfast casserole, etc.) I find that the days I've prepared breakfast after dinner & put dinner in the crockpot after breakfast seem to run the most smoothly. I'd like to make a list of 10-15 breakfast & 15-20 crockpot dinners to rotate during our busy summer term (February-April). TIA,

but I aim for 50 days of lessons / 10 week term. My boys do lessons M-F mornings, my dd studies M-W mornings + M&W afternoons, TH-F she is away at polytech & T afternoons she has flute lessons, volunteers at SPCA, & sails (summer) or has fencing (winter). If my dc don't complete the workload I've set for them for the term, they need to finish it during the 2 week PS holiday that follows each term. JMHO,

science, starting with Apologia's General Science. JMHO,

Ds#1 (14yo, 15yo in April) activities: gymnastics---4-3 days / week (6-8 hrs /wk) coaching gymnastics---~2hrs/wk Sea Scouts---2 hrs/wk + any weekend sailings or regattas sailing---summers T evenings + occasional weekend drums---with local pipe band, 2 hrs/wk + parades responsibilities (as required, not all every day): mowing lawn kitchen (cook & clean-up) laundry (wash, hang out, & fold) bathroom (clean) chop wood, clean out ashes (winter only) clean out duck ponds help dad (building, household maintainance, go fishing, etc.) paper run (fold, deliver, & report back to supervisor) To Learn this year: driving + basic auto maintainance Ds#2 (11yo this month) activities: SeaScouts---2 hrs/wk + some weekend activities gymnastics---2-4hrs/wk karate---1-2 hrs/wk violin lessons---1 hr/wk soccer or field hockey---(winters only) sailing---(with siblings, summers only) swim lessons---with homeschool group responsibilities (as required, not all every day): mow lawn using no power, push mower kitchen (cook & clean-up) laundry (wash, hang out, & fold) bathroom (clean) chop kindling, clean out ashes (winter only) clean out duck ponds help dad (building, household maintainance, go fishing, etc.) paper run (help sister with her run) To learn this year: mow lawn using power mower My dc do a lot more than most HSers in our area. When one of our dc turns 13yo, we begin to give them adult responsibilities (i.e. mow lawns, do all cooking for 1 month, etc.) These are not paid jobs, but simply part of being a member of the family. Instead we continue to pay sport fees, scout camp fees, music lesson fees, etc. With the boys it has been very valuable for them to help dh as he works. They are in the process of growing into the man they will become & a male role model is so important. Scout leaders, sport coaches, uncles, etc. can help provide models as well. JMHO,

I've emptied 6 more boxes. My New Year's resolution is to never let mail & junkmail pile up!!! I think there is over 3 bags alone of junkmail that is over 4 years old sitting on the front porch to put out for recycling tomorrow morning. I have 2 days left before my family returns & I have a lot still on my list. I may not get the cleaning done, but I do want to finish sorting the dozen boxes left & put the bags of gear to donate into the car boot for my next trip to town. My family probably won't notice a big difference as most of these boxes were hidden in closets & piled down the hallway & the middle of our library. My goals for the next 2 days: ***Thursday = finish sorting the last dozen or so boxes & put away gear that is left. ***Friday = make pickle relish, bake cookies, make up kids' beds, vacume & mop floors, & clean out fridges. ***Saturday = air camping gear, do a zillion loads of stinky camping/sailing clothing, & listen to the tall tales from the week. :laugh: Happy New Year---2009 begins in 20 minutes :party:

Whangarei in Northland

in my decluttering today I found our original job chart we had on the wall. I guess I really never do throw things out. For what it's worth here's what it says: Our helping Jobs We tidy up. We set the table. We make our beds. We clear the dishes & sweep. We clean the hand basin. We empty the dishwasher. We help prepare dinner. Each job has a simple picture next to it to help the kids "read" their jobs. When our dc were 1yo we began to teach them job #1. When they turned 2yo, we began to teach job #2, but still required them to maintain job #1 as well. By 7yo, they had the basic skills to really be of assistance around the house. HTH,

4 laundry baskets of stuff sorted, 5 pints of plum sauce made, & both dd's & ds's paper runs completed. I'm finding some treasures hidden among the junk. Today I found a letter written to me from my sister. :Angel_anim:She died 3 years ago this thursday. I, also, found a bag of mending that included jeans that my boys are now 4 sizes too big.:sad:Guess I don't need to patch those anymore. I still have about another dozen boxes to go. There's hope I'll be finished before the family returns on friday night. Thanks for starting this thread. It helps to be accountable to someone. Blessings

with 2 teens in the house, we try to keep commucation lines open on all adult info. When our dc turn 13 we expect them to begin to take on adult reponsibilities. Adult privileges come much later & dc aren't encouraged to accept those privileges before they are ready for the possible consequences that accompany them. A simple set of rules we expect our teens to follow is DADS rule (what NZ Venturer Scouts follow) No Drugs No Alcohol No Discrimination No Sex Many of the venturers in dd's group have boy/girlfriends, but that type of relationship is to be kept outside of Venturers. Please don't be fooled into thinking that because the main socializing your teen does is in church-type groups, that s/he will be 'safe' from the pressures found in other teen groups. My biggest exposure to sex, drugs, & alcohol as a teen was IN youth group. JMHO,

Music Flute lessons (dd) Scottish Drum (ds#1) with local Pipe Band violin lessons (ds#2) Youth Music Concert Band (dd) PE sailing (summers-all 3 dc) @ local yacht club sailing, rowing, canoeing, hiking, etc. with Sea Scouts (ds#1 & ds#2) or Young Mariners & Venturers (dd) gymnastics (ds#1 & ds#2) karate (ds#2) fencing (winters-dd) swim lessons (ds#2) with homeschool group soccer or field hockey (winters-ds#2) + all 3 dc have paper runs that need be done twice a week. Science Sustained Rural Development (dd) twice a week with the local polytech We used to attend a homeschool science club, but that only lasted a couple of terms. And we've taken homeschool art lessons a couple of terms as well. Blessings,

Yesterday I made a dent in the boxes / baskets of STUFF I moved to the lounge day 1. I sorted through 5 big boxes + a high junky plastic shelf unit & have 1 box books + 4 bags of odd & ends to donate to the local teenage mum's school, 1 box of papers for recycling, & half a bag of rubbish. I even found a few things that had gone AWOL over the years. It doesn't yet look like I've made to much progress, but bit by bit I know I can get through it. Earlier in the day I made a quick trip to the shop for the few things I needed to do my relish & jams, returned library books that were due, & treated myself to 10 dvds at the rental shop. Shoes & an earlier bedtime did help yesterday. FlyLady does have good ideas. Now if I can remember to drink my water & feed me... Blessings,

We need to re-think how dd is doing history, as with EoC it just isn't getting done. She's requested that I put together a program similar to what ds#2 is doing. His history is a LCC / CM mix of different histories on different days. M---NZ History---Frontiers of Dreams T---Empire History---Our Island Story W---US History---This Country of Ours TH---World History---Story of the World F---Literature---Tales from Shakespeare But dd only has 2-3 days available for history as she is away TH & F 9-3 at PolyTech (Sustained Rural Development 3). Daily she aims to cover Spelling (Sequential Spelling for Adults), Maths (MUS / LoF), Latin (SYRWTL Latin), & flute practice. This takes her about 3 hours. Her other subjects are: Science (finish Apologia Biology, begin Marine Biology or Chemistry) Geography ??? (finish Trail Guide to World Geography) TC dvd---The History of World Literature TC dvd---The Foundations of Western Civilization TC dvd---Religion in the Axial Age Composition---IEW (should I get one of their theme books or just use topics she's already studying???) Dd hopes to study to be a ranger working with the Department of Conservation & plans to begin their 1 year course June 2010. This may lead on to study at Uni, so I'd like her prepared for university level work. History isn't a requirement in the NZ curriculum, but we feel it's important. We've studied history already once through using STOW / LA-AWOA / SL 7. I'm thinking for dd: M---NZ History---read quickly through Frontiers of Dreams, then read The Penguin History of New Zealand T---Classical Studies---read The History of the Ancient World & watch TC-The Foundations of Western Civilization W---Modern History---??? dd wants to focus on the 20th Century. What would you suggest? a spine or a reading list? Dd isn't a fast reader, she likes to digest her books well. TH---other readings---watch TC-Religion in the Axial Age; read Sophie's World (intro to philosophy), read Uncle Eric's Are You Liberal? Conservative? or Confused? (government), ??? (intro to economics), ??? (intro to psychology), etc. Any thoughts??? TIA,

but I aim to put in more time than 30 minutes / day as dh took our dc away yesterday & they won't return until late friday night! My progress so far... my wardrobe emptied & vacumed linens for our bed sorted & put neatly in the wardrobe my clothing, that I like, fit, & wear put in my wardrobe all boxes, baskets, etc. from previous "stash & dash" cleanings put in lounge for sorting the hall closet emptied & vacumed all boxes, etc. from our library put in lounge for sorting library vacumed & history / science resources tidied laundry washed, dried, & folded ds#2's bedding washed, dried, & folded recipes found for plum sauce & sweet pickle relish dishwasher run But I forgot two of FlyLady's biggest helps...wear shoes & go to bed at a reasonable hour. My calves are in pain & I've slept the morning away. :( This thread should help to keep me focused, as I don't want to waste my week without getting the sorting done. Blessings,

I feel often that I am drowning in clutter. We moved into our current house over 7 years ago & still have boxes left to unpack! Today my dh took our 3 dc away for the week to a Sea Scout Regatta. I have 5 days ALONE at home to get a handle on making the house work for me instead of frustrating me. Today from 1:00-5:30 I focused on a different area every 30 minutes. I'm amazed at my progress! I now have a clean, organized wardrobe that only contains clothes I like, fit, & will wear. For the past 5 years or so I couldn't even get into my wardrobe as everytime we had visitors coming I would grab the laundry basket & throw in it everything that didn't belong in the lounge & put that basket into my wardrobe, never to be seen again. My dh wondered why he kept buying me laundry baskets, but there never seemed to be one around for the laundry.:confused: Now I have 6 laundry baskets (& many more boxes) sitting in my lounge to be sorted before my family returns on friday. My goals for the week are: Create a clean, inviting bedroom for dh & I Organize & declutter our library, so that we can find what we need quickly & easily. Use the hall closet to hold camp gear, leaving the Linen cupboard for linen & towels. Pack away or give away the toys & clothing that my dc have outgrown. Empty, clean, & organize the pantry to make cooking easier & more enjoyable. Make up homemade mixes for muffins, scones, etc. for January-Easter. Preserve the garden bounty to help keep our grocery costs down. Make a list of 10 make-ahead hot breakfasts & 10 crockpot dinners to use during our hectic term 1 weeks. Write our "New Years" cards & send. (again I didn't get Xmas cards out) Make a list of monthly self-education goals for me for 2009. You probably don't have the luxury of a week alone at home, it's taken me 10 years to get this. Try to add one habit every fortnight. Look at what you do well. Cook meals at the same time daily Bath & bedtimes for kids at sametime daily This begins a frame work that works for you. Try putting the dishes in a "bath" (soaking them in the sink) just before you bathe your dc. Even if you don't get back to them until morning, at least the table is clear for breakfast & the dishes are a lot easier to wash. If the boxes from your move are in your lounge, hallway, etc. move them to a corner of your garage if that is possible & take one box each week to sort through & put away. Before you bring in the first box to sort, see if there is anything in cupboards that you don't love or need, & get rid of that first. Take the January holidays to focus on one area each week (kitchen, bedroom, lounge, & school area) & begin to tackle the still-unpacked boxes in February. It does get easier as the kids grow & can help out more. I used to have a job chart on the wall when my dc were little that listed jobs by age (i.e. 1yo=tidy, 2yo=help set table, 3yo=sweep, etc.) My dc were able to put their clothes into the hamper, put their toys into the toybox, etc. as soon as they could walk. I wish they were as good at that now.:confused: Even a 2yo can put the placemats on the table & a 3yo loves to sweep under the table with the brush & dustpan. Each year they got a new job added to their list, until around age 7 when they were able to do most jobs & we divided up the jobs by days, with each dc being responsible for 2 jobs each day. JMHO.

but we use more than one maths curriculum. My dd uses MUS (Algebra 1) & LoF (Fractions / Decimals). She uses MUS on M-TH (1-2 pgs. / day) & LoF on Fridays. My ds#1 uses MUS (Zeta), LoF (Fractions), & Key to Geometry. He completes one page or chapter in each daily. (~ one hour's work total in maths) My ds#2 uses MUS & Miquon. He works in one maths book until finished & then begins the other book. (i.e.---MUS-Beta, Miquon-Green, MUS-Gamma, Miquon-Yellow, MUS-Delta, Miquon-Purple, MUS-Epsilon) When he finishes MUS Epsilon I plan for him to begin LoF & Key to Geometry along with MUS Zeta. If your ds really likes maths, look at Miquon Math books (http://www.keypress.com) . They are very reasonably priced, use cusiniere rods, introduce all 4 arithmetic operations in the first book, and make dc think outside of the box to solve the problems. We call them "math detectives." I found that Miquon helped to extend ds#2 as he sped through 3 math books when he was 5yo & I could see he was going to quickly get into concepts he needed time to mature before mastering. Start with Miquon-Orange Book, even though your ds is 7yo & work by time, not pages (i.e.---1 pg MUS + 20 minutes Miquon). I was concerned that my ds#2 would get the rods & blocks confused, but he's had no problems. JMHO,

Isn't school out for the holidays? When my dc are asked what school they go to, I answer "a very exclusive private academy." As my dc are older, I usually get the question "What about NCEA?" People are speechless when I tell them it is possible to get a job, go to Uni, etc. without having NCEA. I find that when most people hear you've chosen to homeschool, they take it as a threat to them, meaning they aren't doing what's best for their dc. Also, with having choice of schools, schools need to compete with each other for students to get the funding they want. Less students = less funding. I, too, began HS/ing because our local school wasn't able to meet the needs of my ds#1. I couldn't see another school doing any better, so chose to HS to provide him with the help I felt he needed, (ie "If you want something done right, do it yourself.") I didn't choose HS/ing because I thought it would be the easier option. There are many days that the school bus looks very inviting.:D If you see her again, tell her "School's out for the summer." Blessings,

Christmas Tree French Toast Make french toast as usual cut diagonally in half put 3 triangles of FT onto each plate in the shape of a tree put 2 breakfast sausages links as a trunk dust with green coloured sugar Christmas Tree Egg Pie line my tree-shaped quiche pan with baking paper put in savoury short pie crust mix up ~8 eggs & pour into prepared pan carefully add strips of green capsicum (bell pepper) to add "tree" details cut a star from red capsicum & place on top cut cherry tomatoes in half & place os ornaments Bake ~60 1 hour @ 200 C, until egg is cooked Cinn. Rolls ( bakes in the shape of a tree, of course ;) ) make your favoutite cinn. roll recipe the night before, arranging the rolls on a big cookie sheet in the shape of a tree Let rise overnight in the fridge Christmas morning, take out & let come to room temp while you open a few gifts. Bake as normal All 3 are fairly easy & I know if we eat them, we won't be starving by the time dinner is off the BBQ in the late afternoon. Blessings,

by law in NZ we can't leave dc home alone unsupervised until age 14. Even at that age I would be reluctant to leave a dc in charge of a younger, challenging dc. JMHO

It could easily be used with a 7yo who has good fine motor skills & pays attention to details. I am going to have my ds#1 use it next year as a pre-drafting course as he is expressing an interest in architecture, but need more work on his fine motor skills (neatness!!!) before doing anything more difficult. JMHO,

contact the university you think your dc may want to attend & ask what they would want to see from homeschooled students who apply. Also, see if you can talk to other homeschool families who have had dc attend uni. I'm in that stage at the moment with my dc. I've been asking local HS/ing families who have dc a few years older than my dd how their dc are getting on. I've been pleasantly surprised at the success many have had at getting into tertiary studies without having NCEA 1, 2, & 3 (NZ's highschool qualifications). One friend's 18yod, who has no NCEA credits, had an interview at the local polytech & completed the 6 month free foundations course given at that polytech, had been accepted into their nursing program. This family has used a CM style education for many years, with a bit of ACE in the early years. This same friend's 20yos took a paper at the local Auckland University College of Education as an adult student, decided that he'd rather study teaching English as a foreign language, applied to Massey University & been successfully accepted into their degree program. All our Universities have foundation courses that are options for students who may not meet the normal requirements for admission to university. I'd rather my dc do a 6 month Foundation course at uni (if necessary) than jump through the gov't hoops for 3 years to get NCEA 1-3. I'm not sure what the Aus. gov't curriculum is like, but WTM offers a much stronger education than the NZ gov't curriculum.

the fact you are in Australia & its days from the end of the school year. Basketball has ended for the summer for him & he is probably more than ready for a break. Schoolwork IS important, but at that age gaining a sense of direction is necessary before self-motivation in academics happens IMHO. We had a tough year with my 14yos this year. I've found that by simplifying his workload to one hour blocks each in Maths, English/Latin, Science, & History and handing the responsibility to him has helped a bit. Also, ds#1 was able to take 2 one-day courses at the local polytech & a day visit on a Navy ship. These experiences have given him a bit of direction & a set of requirements to meet his goals. Schoolwork is non-negotiable, but how we do it is flexible. I work with my teenagers to help set goals for the year & a few things (maths, spelling, etc.) are required. Extras (scouts, sports, music) are given as much importance as academics as they help to develope character & attitude. My suggestions: 1. Relax. Give him a few weeks to enjoy the summer. 2. Make a list of your "must do" subjects & have a meeting with your ds mid-January & work out a plan of how he can finish his work in a timely manner. 3. Look for opportunities for your ds to get a taste of possible careers. 4. Look at signing your ds up for the Duke of Edinborgh award. This award has dc working on skills, sports, service, & an expedition at each level. My 14yos is working on his bronze & my 16yod will be finished her silver by Christmas & has begun her gold. 5. For next year set requirements that must be done daily before Basketball. My Ds#1 loves his gymnastics. He must have 3 blocks of lessons done + his paper route delivered before gymnastics training. I don't nag anymore. He has only had to miss training once. JMHO,