I really like the older grade Saxon math and it works well for my older kids. My 6 year old, first grade boy, has enjoyed the Saxon Elementary books.. I did bump him up a level.. so last year when he was in Kindergarten we did Saxon Math 1.. This year, first grade.. we are doing Saxon Math 2. It's boring.. way too easy.. So.. do I bump him up to Saxon grade 3 elementary.. OR switch to another program. I was looking at Singapore Standards Edition level 1... Or is there another program? (I don't like Right Start, MM or MUS)

I agree.. while DS is reading Nate the Great (not Tree House books yet) he still needs practice and instruction in more advanced decoding..He also loves the activities and I like how there is practice every day..all in one place..without me having to find this book or that book...

Easier Chapter Books like Nate the Great.. Mercy Watson... Did you see the sample PDF for their reader for level 3? Our level 3 has not arrived yet.. but we are almost done with level 2 and he has no issues with any of the stories in those readers

Thank you everyone!!

Where does one get the French 1 set for Galore Park SYRWL

Sorry, double post.. Interesting that I could find a whole lot of french resources on my library website if I put in specific titles.. but just searching for "french" or "learn french" in subject area didn't give me much thanks! I have a bunch of stuff on the way from the library

Thanks, I was able to find a few through our library....

I took several years of high school french, my husband also took college level french, in addition to HS french.. but neither of us would be considered fluent or proficient by any stretch.. I really really want my kids to take a foreign language.. and since DH and I both are passable at french.. I've chosen french.. Please tell me your favorite Learn To speak French programs.. Plusses if they are not break the bank $$ (I've got 4 kids that would be using this 3, 6, 8, 12) and great if it is geared to multiple ages.. Our library has Mango but it is way too fast paced.. and Rosetta didn't mesh well.. again.. seemed very quick and more adult oriented.. It is ok if it is mildly christian.. secular is great...

My first grader is finishing up AAR 2 and AAR 3 is on the way....I hope it's the right level...

I have a 13 year old who has great, creative ideas.. but is writing reluctant..Good Fit?

I'm considering this.. any more info on what you like or don't about it? DVD issues resolved?

I will give that a try.. schedule his math when the other 3 are doing things they can handle on their own....

What do you use to give a lecture if he is "viewing it" How does he do the computation of the problems using LaTex? Does he print it out and then do the math? My son could not do it all in his head.. he does need to use pencil/paper to do the steps.. or some sort of math program that would allow him to input each step...?

My 7th grader struggles with math anxiety.. He is good in math..in that he can understand the concepts fairly easily.. but the application of them stress him out. We have struggled with this for years.. I have tried many different programs to try and find one that offers enough substance without the stress.. (not all in the same year.. each program we gave a year to...or more.) Right Start Math (we tried this when we pulled him from PS in grade 2 but it was so different from what he had been exposed to that it didn't work) Teaching Textbooks.. worked well, at first, but then lacked enough review and he started struggling with basic math.. We tried Rod and Staff but the sheer number of problems per page/lesson overwhelmed him (and me) Math U See but he hated the DVDs Miquon Math, never made sense to him... Most recently we switched to Saxon Math. He says that this seems to "teach" him the most things (his words) but that once he sees the math problems and sees all those big numbers he has to work with he just gets all anxious he is going to make a mistake and then his brain turns off... :( I've even tried not doing all the problems.. having him only do Odd or Even problems.. but it doesn't seem to help. I stopped having him do corrections.. we just discuss the errors now.. because he was getting SO many wrong.. due to mistakes that were not from lack of understanding.. but anxiety etc Every year we struggle with Math.. every year it is a source of anxiety, tears, frustration and arguments.. Some of the issue too is that he is Dysgraphic.. and writing neatly.. keeping things in line, can be hard.. which causes mistakes..which then makes him upset and frustrated... Does anyone have a child like this?? He really enjoys Life of Fred but I am really worried if this will offer enough "math" as we are now in the year before the big Pre Algebra (insert scary music theme) Suggestions?

For the Rec centers that have those indoor water parks.. are they year round? I assume it is a membership..? It looks lovely.. perfect in fact..

We have a dog.. a smaller dog..but she's a barker.. and 3 indoor only cats (we have coyotes here that like cats..for dinner) I usually have a small raised bed garden.. for some lettuce, tomatoes , cucumbers and pole beans.. But if there is a place for nice produce.. I could buy instead of grow.. Thanks for all the suggestions! CO is on the top of my list..

They are bad for you, anyway... ;)

Thank you all for your input, I compiled it all for dh to read. Hopefully we will know more in the coming weeks..this limbo stinks

It is found in fresh water that reaches 80 degrees F... so as long as your lakes etc are cooler.. I'm good with not worrying about it.. I don't know SJ.. is there an airport near there?

I know.. you laugh at me for the brain eating amoeba..I laugh at myself too.. however it worries me.. Georgia and Texas are also options and I've already vetoed them due to the bugs and the amoeba.. It is 100% fatal.. and just terrifies me..But I'm sure Lyme and West Nile freak others out... and we live with it here every day.. bah..awful... I don't "need" a pool.. it would be great to find a nice community pool.. that was clean.. so it's not a deal breaker to have one or not.. Keep the input coming

We have a possible relocation to Colorado.. It is not 100%.. but.. I've never been to Colorado.. my husband has. I did look up and read over the HS laws and feel comfortable with understanding them.. I have some general questions regarding the State..My husband needs access to a major airport under 1 hour drive.... 1. What areas (near Denver but not IN Denver) are "good" to live in? We would be looking for a more rural location.. some acreage...if possible.. 2. What are the housing costs for more rural locations? We would need a larger house.. 5 bedrooms 3. What is the Forest Fire danger for living in a more rural location? 4. What is the wild animal danger for living in a more rural location? 5. How hot do summers get, on average.. Could one have an above ground pool or a pool membership within the community and actually use it? 6. Bugs.. talk to me about bugs.. Coming from NY we are besieged with Lyme Disease and ticks.Mosquitos and West Nile... What is it like? 7. Do your fresh water lakes etc have the risk of the Brain Eating Amoeba? (Just humor me.. I'm paranoid) 8. What are the winters like? Winter sports? 9. What is the climate in so far as politics? We are Upstate NY liberal Democrats. Are people willing to just live and let live? That's all I can think of right now...

Thanks Meggie I do most of the input on the Mac desktop..and the looking, checking off on the App.. I will look at those videos! I did find a solution to my daily planning for myself..and have spent a few days simplifying things..on my end for my year long plans..which feels good.. Now to move onto the checklists!

I guess I'm striving for less paper....and the issue of when I change things up.. or we take longer with something.. then the printed paper then is out of sync.. and I have to reprint... I think I need to simplify the daily checklist in some way to be more generic...and keep the specific plans for the weeks for me more detailed..which I can then edit etc on my computer... This would allow for more flexibility.. which is the one thing my current plan does not allow all that much of.. which means that if we go Skiing mid week.. then suddenly I'm rewriting plans to spread the missed work over a few days etc... My current system works.. but it's not PERFECT.. lol..

I recently purchased an EBook on Paperless Home Management Planning. It was a great read and I loved the step by step walk through on how to set up my home "folder" into an online format using Evernote, Google Calendar, Gmail and Remember the milk.. It got me thinking how I could use similar ideas to transfer my paper aspect of homeschool planning into a paperless version. Currently I plan out the entire year during the summer. I have a file cabinet system which is broken into 36 weeks, each file has a color coded folder.. Each kid has a color. In those folders go the week's assignment sheet (which is what I'd like to go paperless on) and any materials, literature etc that they would need.. so on Sunday night.. I grab the folder, open it up.. can see at a glance who is doing what.. what materials I'll need etc. I'm NOT trying to go paperless in a No workbook, No Writing Assignments, No Handwriting, No doing Math on paper sense.. BUT I'd love to figure out a way to go paperless in the Weekly Plan, Checklist sense Right now I print out the entire year's weekly lesson plans for each kid.. so that's 36 pages of paper.. times 3.. While some assignments are the same across the board.. some are different according to their grade etc.. Each kid pulls this pice of paper at the beginning of the week and puts it in their folder..they can then see it every day to see what assignments they have and are expected to complete.. I'd love to do away with this waste of paper.. after the week the sheet is tossed into the recycle bin.. It wastes paper, it wastes ink.. I cannot decide how to best go about this.. Evernote? Each kid having their own account? How would I get it onto their Idevice? I think having them see it on their ipods would be too small.. DO I have it on my Ipad and they can see it there? Or do I use Google DOcs or Google Calendar...or.... Then I'd like to have a generic checklist.. My kids like to check things off when they are done... Something that gets refreshed automatic.. like a reoccurring TO DO list ... so that we can both glance at it and see.. yes.. X and Y have been done but Z was forgotten... I know it seems that it is very detail oriented.. My kids thrive on the structure.. I've tried many different ways to approach their day and after 4 years.. this works best.. They like to see what they have due in any given week, they like to be able to plan ahead with their time and they like to check things off when done.. My head is swimming because I cannot figure out how to best approach this... Any suggestions?

When using The Arrow as part of Brave Writer LA program for the Partnership in Writing Child... How much of the literature book do I assign each week? I keep trying to find this info in the Writer's Jungle and perhaps I haven't just gotten to that chapter yet.. it also doesn't seem to be in my Arrow Guide... Do I assign up to the chapter before the next assigned passage? ie.. if it says the passage is from Chapter 27 for week 2.. does week 1 mean they read up to chapter 26? thanks