Michelle, did you ever get a look at Wordsmith Apprentice? It is not religious - you or your ds grab *one* book, read the instructions and follow them right there in the book, or in a notebook. That's it. It's listed as gr. 4-6 - we're finding it just right to stretch my writing-challenged ds, in gr. 6. It looks like it will set him up nicely for IEW next year. Okay, maybe bringing up another curriculum isn't all that helpful. :rolleyes: Once you've watched the IEW DVDs once, aren't you done? If it were me, hopefully I would just pick one or the other and go for it! Good luck and happy searching. :)

... starting SOTW 1 again in 7th grade. I plan to add in some SL titles and IEW Ancient History, along with the maps from the AG. Yup, that sounds like too much. If he loves it and remembers it, then go for it!

This is what we do, too. I read the word, use it in a sentence; when he tells me he's ready I look at his paper. If it's correct I tell him good job, and carry on. If it's wrong, or a new pattern, then I write it. When we began the program and I was writing every word, a lesson took 20 min. Now it's about 10 min. The use of two or more colours is mentioned in Right Brained Child in a Left-Brained World and I sat in a brain research seminar that mentioned this as an effective memorizing strategy, so we do that. I also see that patterns get learned almost incidentally, such as 'drop the -e and add -ing'. My .02

Was it Wordsmith Apprentice?

Animal Survival went over well with ds in gr. 4.

It is 'No Girls Allowed' but I don't know that there is a website. I think you can email the author, Marilyn Hahn, at nogirlz@aol.com

Southern interior of B.C., near Kamloops

http://www.holyexperience.blogspot.com/

BIBLE Child's Story Bible (Vos) - 1-2x/wk. oral narration MATH MathQuest 2 Games & books WRITING Copywork Just about to start PLL or Language Lessons for Little Ones vol. 2 ENGLISH Explode the Code 3 Reading aloud picture books Games with younger sister from Scaredy Cat Reading Program Listening to read-alouds from many genres and subjects - poetry, etc. HISTORY SOTW 3 CANADIAN STUDIES Some units from Come Sit By Me vol. 2 Canada, My Country (Ward) SCIENCE R.E.A.L. Science - some Life and some Earth & Space P.E. Hockey (Sept.-Mar.) Soccer (Apr.-June) ART Artistic Pursuits His own pursuits, too. ;)

Our kids have GT Racers - I like them because they steer and have brakes. :)