We liked the Thomas Locker book, too! Just lovely. A science book series we enjoyed from our library was Exploring the Elements by Etta Kaner, with the following titles: Who Likes the Rain? Who Likes the Snow? Who Likes the Sun? Who Likes the Wind?

Agreeing with the others: if you are committed to this idea, I would cut it back to one day a week (maybe even just one morning or afternoon), two subjects max.

My 12yo ds still comprehends much better what I have read aloud vs. what he reads himself. We started narrations a year or two ago with simple Bible stories (which could easily be replaced with Aesop's Fables or something similar). Initially I had to start with very basic questions: "Who was this story about? What happened in the beginning? (Lots of prompts, if necessary.) Okay, what happened next? And how did it end?" In fact, I believe I demonstrated doing it myself a couple of times, too. Kai, I found your suggestions really helpful. I'm really looking forward to getting my copy of WWE to move us forward in this area.

Our dc get the freebie calendars from the bank or funeral homes, one for each kid above their beds, and we do the same thing; flip over the months together, occasionally talk about what day it is, upcoming events, etc. I guess I never think of this as teaching the months... but you're right, it is.

We're using CLE's My Calendar Book. Starfall has a nice little section with the current month's calendar. Sometimes we chant the names of the months in order. It's a work in progress. Great thread - thanks for asking the question! We'll have to try one of the songs. :-)

We stopped in sixth grade when ds began Wordsmith Apprentice.

Here's how this would work for me. Start each day with: Religion Math Handwriting Writing Strands After a break, core subjects: History Science Three days a week I would add in Latin somewhere, probably in the first block. I would alternate Grammar and Spelling; there are so many ways to do it - a 2/3 split one week, 3/2 the next; or just do one for half the year, then the other. Same thing with report writing and outlining - tackle one for a semester, then move on to the other; or alternate weeks. I don't know where to fit in Vocabulary and Logic, though. This probably doesn't help, but hopefully it gets the gears turning as you lay out a fantastic year. I had fun thinking about it. :001_smile:

No, it's not textbooky at all - no vocabulary words in little boxes, etc. The lab sheets are the biggest appeal with this program. The experiments work, I've had no trouble rounding up supplies though we did fork out the $ for their rock kit so there would be no worries about tracking them all down, the kids learn a lot and love it, and we end up with a very nice collection of completed work at the end.

What I most appreciate about HWT are the extremely clear instructions on how to form letters, and the kid-friendly layout. It does not have to be teacher-intensive; we've gotten along through 3 kids now with only the workbooks. You most definitely do not have to attend workshops. :)

We used both Rainbow Rock and Vroot and Vroom, sporadically. They were fun; to echo Julie, more problem solving than drill.

ILL continues with gentle grammar and does not contain diagramming, if memory serves. Queen's Language Lessons are lovely, though we've only used the lower levels. Oldest ds began more thorough grammar in 6th grade (with Winston Grammar), and middle ds will likely follow the same path. You know your daughter best; if you're drawn to Rod & Staff and feel it's a good fit for her, then give it a try. But if you are drawn to Queen's LL, don't let concerns about "will it be enough" sway you. You're educating your dd, not an ideal, if that makes sense.

I think that sounds like a great idea, Lisa!

I finished The Pillars of the Earth (Follett) last night, and began Left to Tell (Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust) (Ilibagiza) today.

Have you had a chance to look at Real Science 4 Kids Biology? Level 1 is billed as gr. 4-6: http://www.gravitaspublications.com/store/catalog/Biology-5-1.html The sample chapters might indicate whether they'd be a good fit for your son or not. I have no first-hand experience with RS4K, just lots of window shopping, lol, and thought I would throw it out there.

We really like R.E.A.L. Science, both Life and Earth & Space. It endorses neither evolution nor creationism.

There *are* less mom-intensive writing programs, though TWSS/IEW is not one of them. Wordsmith Apprentice, which is about $18cdn, is written to the student. From what I understand Jump In is also written to the student and, with the teacher's manual, is about $44cdn. I'm not sure if these programs would match up with your rigorous goals, though. I'm with Lana - if you're doing the writing in R&S, copywork, dictation & narration that is plenty. If I understand Patricia correctly, you could drop R&S in favour of CW Aesop, if you prefer. I wouldn't try to do a rigorous, mom-intensive program in every subject all at the same time. There is a season where each is needed, IMO. My .02.

I printed off an Excel spreadsheet, 4 columns a page. I have the student response book now - for $4.75 it seemed like a deal.

3 deliveries, no episiotomies, water broken for all 3 (or I suspect they would have all had to arrive in the sac). All very quick deliveries - time in hospital delivery room: 2.5 hours, 1.5 hours, 1 hour. All average weights: 7lb 7oz, 7lb 12 oz, 6lb 6oz. The middle child, who did the most damage, had the biggest head and crowned forever. The doctor actually reached in and pulled the cervix apart to deliver him - OMG. Wow. With him I felt like I needed to deliver on all fours but was put into the semi-sitting position (don't know why I went for that). But in relative terms, all trauma-free. I blame bad genetics, I guess. Poor dd - potential for both Graves disease and uterine prolapse. :sad:

I'm due to go in for surgery for severe uterine prolapse, as well as cystocele and rectocele repairs. (Cervix has been 'exterior' at all upright moments for many years now.) My ob/gyn says he usually sees this severity in 70-80 yo women, not 37 yo, lol. I plan to set up a date for late 2009; I'm trying to get kids just a bit older so that heavy lifting post-op is more feasible. My mother had similar issues and underwent the same surgery in her early 50s - she tells me to hurry up and just get the surgery, lol.

I really like your plan. Forget "perfect": lingering, taking the stories to heart sounds like truly learning vs. OCD perfection issues, lol. :)

MUS comes with a DVD of Steve Demme demonstrating each lesson. Yes, you will get how to work with the manipulatives. :)

You could read through Child's History of the World by Hillyer this year and get a nice overview of the whole scheme of history before moving forward; or you could take a year off and focus on American History (I'm assuming you're from the USA) with Sonlight or one of the other great programs out there.

I third that. I'm subscribed to all three yahoo groups, but I suspect that a subsection of this forum would be vastly more effective.

Boy, I can sure relate to the ideal picture of homeschooling (i.e. doing everything together) vs. the reality. :tongue_smilie: IMO, narration, dictation, and copywork are writing instruction; no need for CW Aesop guilt. :) It sounds like you already have a four-day schedule. On the fifth day, would it work to do Bible, Science, and Art/Picture Study? Cdn History: maybe you could borrow "CANADA: A People's History" videos from the library to watch evenings and/or weekends; or any time you need 'alone' time. Typing: alternate narrations between copywork and typing? Or find an online game and encourage typing to be done independently. Most of us can't do everything. Your instincts are telling you that something needs to change - I'm betting you will find the right solution.

They're kinda pricey, but my kids like Handprints readers from EPS.