Anything that looks like this will work. We look at consignment stores or get knock-offs at WalMart, etc. The kids each have two pairs, so they can go out again if the pair drying by the stove isn't quite dry yet.

You could just read a chapter of SOTW once or twice a week and call it good enough. If something catches his interest, absolutely go down that rabbit trail. You're creating memory hooks for later.

:iagree:

When we first started hs'ing, I did Science by doing a search by subject at the library. We usually could find enough juvenile books to read about our topic and pick a few projects. Sometimes it was harder to come up with evidence of learning, other than photos and anecdotal comments. More recently we've really loved using R.E.A.L. Science, both Life and Earth & Space. Most of the K-5 topics for those two disciplines are covered. Their worksheets are fun and doable; with the added benefit of an easy paper trail. For physical science, we tend to borrow or purchase kits. If you have a catalogue from Canadian Home Education Resources (CHER), they have a good selection. Social Studies has been the bane of my existence!! You can get the textbook that covers each year (Outlooks) but personally I hate them - dry, blah. We used Donna Ward's Canada My Country last year for my gr. 1 and 3 kids and loved that. Even though it's not a prescribed outcome, my kids have all enjoyed listening to the Story of the World series at that age... and I like it because we're actually learning something important, rather than simply checking off someone else's agenda. :ack2: (And I'll step off my little soap box now, lol.) English... well, you can get an inexpensive workbook if that would work. Check out EnglishSmart at Chapter's or Superstore. There's Communicating Skills by Dave Martin. You can do this!! Good luck!

I was really frustrated with the PayPal fees, til I purchased from a seller who offered to either accept a cheque or add 50 cents for PayPal. Since a stamp costs about that much, it seemed like a fair deal all around.

People have gone from Singapore 6 straight into Algebra. Singapore's clean, uncluttered layout can be deceptive - it is more complex than it looks! My ds used TT7 to get up-to-speed with math this past year, and I have my fingers crossed that he's now ready for Pre-Algebra in grade 8, so I know where you're coming from! I hope BCM works out for you - I considered that one, too.

Writing With Ease First Language Lessons

Hey, I just had this conversation with my 13yo. :D Add a little oil to the pan so they don't stick. Turn heat to about medium. Fry sausages on one side; when they're brown, turn them over and fry til that side is brown. (Then dh interjected that they're round and thus don't have sides, but I controlled my rolling eyes and told boy that for our purposes just turn 'em over at least once, okay?) Reduce heat, put a lid on the pan and let them cook for a few more minutes - like 5 - to be sure they're cooked in the middle. Probably don't need that step, but it makes me happy. Then remove lid, turn the heat back up and add some eggs... or whatever.

Ah, sounds like you are in B.C. then! Welcome!!! Singapore math is usually a great fit with B.C. outcomes, if you and your son like it. We just finished grade 3 science last year. My boy had a great time building with a K'nex Educational Structures & Bridges kit. We took photos of each type built. We didn't have as much of a paper trail for processes and skills, but I was sure to document some of our conversations; and met them in the other two science disciplines. I have to remind myself not to get too wrapped up in those outcomes - they do indeed tend to obfuscate the simple!!

I would try either Greek or Latin first and see how one language goes before adding a second language. Oops, I see you've got that figured. Sounds like you have writing and spelling sorted out a bit, i.e. finish up one thing before starting another, BUT you don't need to do both Spelling Wisdom and Megawords. In fact, Megawords has enough vocabulary enrichment, along with spelling, that you wouldn't need Worldly Wise, either. Some things could be done in seasons. For example, Poetry Memorization in the fall, Web design in the winter. Both those things would probably 'keep' for the future if you don't get to it this year. Or make a nice change of pace when things get too routine. Or a fun summer project. Homeschooling advice that worked for us is to start with the basics, or even just one subject, then add in another thing each week until you reach everyone's comfort level. For us, along with Sue G., less is more. It sounds like you have the very best in mind for your kids and they can't help but do well with a Mom who has their best interests at heart.

I would think that Teaching Textbooks *is* a teacher-directed CD program. :confused: ETA: Duh. They begin in grade 4, though, not 3. Man, I could use a 'delete' button.

Rainbow Science is a solid science program for the gr. 7-9 crowd. It is clearly written from a Christian POV, if that is a concern.

11:30pm - 7:30am is probably about right. An hour or even an hour and a half to myself both evening and morning make me happy. :-)

I think FlyLady is patterned after Sidetracked Home Executives, no?

With ds #1, we tried similar projects from library books, and they just. would. not. work. DS received an inexpensive weather station for Christmas and we went with that. With that in mind, when ds #2 gets to that section of R.E.A.L. Science, I plan to go out and buy another inexpensive weather station. :D Wait, I just remembered: in order to keep up our weather journal, I photocopied "The Beaufort Scale" from a library book, and I think we used that description to keep us on track. The Beaufort Scale image

Might not be what you're looking for, but WalMart had a 9-cube shelf for sale, along with optional fabric boxes that fit the cubes.

Ooo, I'd forgotten, but we picked up a beautiful photo essay-type book from a library discard sale: A Horse Named Paris by Lynn Sonberg with photographs by Ken Robbins. It's quite well done, following a young girl and her horse through their daily tasks at a stable.

Though I despise them, my almost 7yo dd loves the Breyer Horse series of easy readers from the library... I think they're about a step 1 or 2. I'd also love better recommendations. :bigear:

We did our own version of this last year; four regular school days, and a fifth light day. Done on the light day were math, anything left over that wasn't done, trip to the library, art (in theory :tongue_smilie:), etc. For subjects or books that had a specific ending, we just kept going with those until they were done. So by the end of June, oldest ds was still doing a few minutes of school each day, finishing up math, German and spelling.

We have RS Level 1 (German, not Latin American). It does indeed say in the manual that it will take 2 years to complete. We began it in grade 5 and are on track to complete it this year - grade 8. Four years. That's working 10-20 minutes a day, 3-4 days a week. So if we had started in grade 9, with longer, more consistent sessions, my imagination says it should theoretically be possible to do it in 2 years. :001_unsure: Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. Good luck!

SWI-A = gr. 3-5 SWI-B = gr. 6-8 SWI-C = gr. 9-12 The usual sequence is to do SWI (either A, B or C) one year, then move on to SICC (A, B or C, depending on your student's grade) the next. I believe SWI-B covers the same material as A just at a higher level; it also includes more units and stylistic techniques, but you wouldn't miss out on anything. If I were in your shoes, I would wonder whether to get B and just ask less of the 8yo, or get A and ask more of the 12 yo. The IEW yahoo group offers excellent purchasing/placement advice. Good luck! :-)

Amen and Amen. Attractive kitchen chairs would be nice. Actually I have a wish list. Things like blenders. Glass baking dishes. It's a kinda long list, though :) We can afford most of these items; just not all of them at once. Thus the list. In theory, I should be picking them off as we can afford them. So why does it seem to only get longer? :glare:

That's what my dh suggested, too. :D BTW, he's 5'11', has been as skinny as 142lb. Hitting age 40, hard physical labour, and of course the aforementioned beer ;) has him up at 170 lb.

Ham in the slowcooker Twice-baked potatoes Easy Caesar salad

Ahhh, that makes sense. Thanks for relieving my curiosity. :)