[Staging an empty house - ideas please!]

my only advice is to have it CLEAN. You can't hide anything when it's empty. Good luck,

[Please tell me what you think. Curriculum for between K and 1st.]

Repetition is key- You are planning way too much for a 5 1/2 yo. You are going to overwhelm yourself and your son with that plan. IMO, you should concentrate on Math, reading (phonics), and handwriting. The rest is just way too much. If you want him to gain science and history knowledge, get some age appropriate books from the library and have fun with that. Just be warned- at 5 years old, most of that knowledge is going to fall right out of his brain. And that's ok- as long as he's having fun.

[Do you use Abeka Grammar? How do your dc...]

We've used Abeka for grammar for 2 years now, Language A and B. It's really worked for us. My dd is able to work through it for the most part on her own. I actually talked with SWB at our last convention about it and she agrees that it is a solid grammar program (just don't use it for writing). It has a ton of review and very clear teaching. We also like the workbook format. My dd is doing well with it and I plan to continue using it as long as it works. hth,

[HSing bumper stickers?]

How great are those t shirts?! Too much fun. Here's a straight link http://www.cafepress.com/buy/home+school/-/source_searchBox/x_0/y_0

[HSing bumper stickers?]

I met someone new at park day today and as I pulled out behind her, I noticed her bumper stick- "The world is our classroom." I was totally thinking that I want a bumper sticker too! Great timing,

[Does a shot of liquer really help with a cough?]

A shot of whiskey, chased by a tablespoon of honey. I have no idea why it works, but it does. Generations of my family swear by it (and no, we're not all a bunch of lushes). Unless you are sensitive to alcohol (in the negative sense), I would do it.

[Does your pediatrician support homeschooling or other non-mainstream practices]

Our ped in Florida (which we just moved away from), was great. He has 5 kids and they homeschooled for awhile, but I think went back to public schooling. Anyhow, he was the best ped ever and I dearly miss him. We just started with a ped in our new home and she seems to be indifferent about it, which is fine with me.

[Writing-what is the best way to teach it?]

I would suggest that you listen to SWB's cd on teaching writing. You can purchase it for something like $7 at PHP. It's really important to have a "big picture" understanding of how to teach writing, in order to make the year to year decisions. I think her seminar was the single most important one I've attended since beginning to homeschool. That said, my short answer for you is Writing with Ease, Writing Tales, or something similar. hth,

[If you could eat just one thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner for one week, what]

Bagels and Cream cheese are seriously my favorite food ever. And I have had them for breakfast, lunch and dinner- but not for a week straight.

[Okay California girls where are you? (and boys too)]

grew up in so cal, but we just moved from Florida to Santa cruz

[Florida (like you guys couldn't figure that out!)]

missing Florida!

[American History for 4th grade?? -- any curriculum suggestions?]

It uses a combo of 1 spine, with a lot of good living books. You can either do 2 years of American History (Core 3 and Core 4) or you can do 1 year (Core 3+4). We're halfway through Core 4 and still loving it.

 

hth,

[I am getting so frustrated with this.]

I wet the bed till I was about 11 or 12. It runs in my family. My mom was also a bed-wetter and was harassed by her family about it growing up. It was so damaging to her. On the flip side, she was totally encouraging to my brother and I, who both wet. I'm so thankful that she handled it the way that she did. I forewarned my dh before we had kids that we would likely have bed wetters. Frankly, I expected them all to wet. But as it turns out, it's just my 5yo who seems to have the issue. I'm fully prepared for him to take years to grow out of it.

 

Put a plastic covering on his bed, keep a change of sheets in his room and let him wear pull ups. My 5yo will often wake up right after he wets and come into my room. We just change his pull up and send him back to bed. It takes all of 60 seconds. Whatever you do- don't stress your child out about this. If he could control it, he would.

[MAJOR SNAG with HISTORY (Christian content)]

Just a few thoughts- Beautiful feet, Sonlight, or Winter's Promise... Good luck,

[Anyone Know of A Christian Weather Website]

I'm totally not asking this to be rude, but I'm just wondering what is different about a Christian point of view of weather? I'm just not sure what features you would be looking for...

[writing tales 2- is the TM necessary?]

But I'm having the same problem downloading the appendix. Susie, do you think that you could email it to me?

 

Thanks,

 

Shannon

[writing tales 2- is the TM necessary?]

TIA,

[Math U See users...]

For my dd- they're mandatory. I really don't think she'd "get" things the way that she does without them. Especially the fraction overlays. She just has that type of brain. If your child was distracted by them before, chances are that you won't need them.

[Sonlight users of levels higher than Core 4...]

I'd be interested in the answers you will hopefully recieve. We've done Core 3 and 4. I'm planning on moving to core 5 next year, for 6th grade, but I haven't decided beyond that.

[SWB will hate me.....but...]

Those of you who aren't doing grammar are the exception. You're beyond help. :)

 

SWB

 

(P.S. That was a JOKE.)

 

(P.P.S. Kind of.)

 

 

 

Too funny!

[SWB will hate me.....but...]

The bottom line is that if it is a schedule that someone else made up, we follow it fairly closely. If it's a scheule I've made up, it just doesn't seem to happen.

 

That is SO me. When I heard SWB speak about writing, I was all over it, but without an actual curriculum to follow- it's just not happening.

 

I consider us eclectic, with an emphasis on good literature.

[Share a curriculum that has blown you away]

MFW Kindergarten. It's really been all that I could ask for in a K curriculum.

[What's your current read aloud?]

Caddie Woodlawn. Such a fun book.

[Is it better to buy curriculum online or purchase at a convention?]

FPEA is such a great convention, in the future, I think I'll be flying back for it. (That seems extreme, but it's really just an excuse for me to have a weekend with my girlfriends- we just moved away). The vendor hall usually takes me a couple of days to go through. First off, don't buy something the first time you visit a booth, unless you already planned to buy. Go through once and highlight the booths you want to return to.

 

The other thing about FPEA, is the seminars are awesome. I would go just for those. In fact, they have so many seminars that are just great Christian parenting classes, that my girlfriend and I talked another friend, who doesn't even homeschool, into going with us. The hotel is beautiful, so if it works for your budget, stay with some friends! My bday is the end of April, so my present was splitting a room with a few friends on that Friday.

 

That was a little rabbit trail! All that to say that FPEA is awesome and I'm really sad that I won't be making it this year. I absolutely would go. I just thought of another tip. Bring a rolling crate with you to carry all of your purchases. They're $15 at office depot and well worth it.

[Does anyone not have and not want a dedicated schoolroom?]

I wouldn't want a "school room," but I'd really like a big, walk-in school closet. We're living out of laundry baskets at the moment. When we get into our new home, we'll have a laundry room that has a lot of storage, so that will have to do : )

 

We'll school at the dining room table, as we always have. That works for me!