Thanks! That gives me a place to start. I read aloud The Hobbit to the whole family not too long ago. I love it when I can find books that hold the attention of all my kids AND my husband. :)

I'm planning my daughter's 8th grade year, and I want her to read some "easier" classics before starting high school. She was a late/struggling reader and still reads slowly but enjoys a good story. Which classics are not to be missed before entering high school?

Thanks again, Merry. Thank you for the link to your blog! It's wonderful.

How does AAS differ from WRTR? Can AAS be used to teach a child to read? (I cannot afford AAR; it's simply out of the question right now. But I have levels 1 and 2 of AAS on my shelf.) I have heard some say that AAS moves too slowly to be used for teaching reading, but couldn't I just speed it up?

Thank you Ellie. Is the diagnostic test included in the manual? And I assume I can make the flashcards myself as opposed to buying them?

My soon-to-be 13yo needs some spelling help. Can anyone offer advice on using the Spalding method with an older child, who is already reading? Do you modify it at all or use it the same as you do for youngers who are learning to read? I also have 7yo and 5yo who are learning to read. Could I teach them all at the same time? Also, what is needed? Just the book, The Writing Road to Reading, and flashcards?

I hope they keep up with the rate of production, because I really love the looks of this series. Thanks for your input, Rose.

Well, my hope is that we could move through the first two books very quickly. It looks like we could skip a lot of the questions in Fable, maybe answer some of them orally, and probably do a writing assignment each day. I'm mainly thinking of it as a confidence builder, because she *thinks* she can't write well.

I have a 7th grader who hates writing. I think W&R looks fun, and I have the first level for use with my younger children. Could I use this with the 7th grader but speed it up, double time perhaps, to get through the levels quicker? Would it be enough for someone this age?

Again, thank you everyone. Lori D., your lists are fantastic, and I appreciate the words of encouragement from everyone. You have definitely given me a good start.

Thank you for pointing this out. I'm not sure I would have thought of this aspect.

Colleen, your whole post was great, but this part specifically struck me. Rather than focusing on the things my small town *doesn't* have, e.g., co-op, homeschool sports and extracurriculars, etc., I should do some digging and see what is available. Thank you.

Oh, gosh, guys thank you! So many great links and info here. It will take some time to get through it all, but it will help me so much!

Thank you. I should have asked in my original post, but can anyone recommend some resources on helping me figure out how to design a course, what counts as a credit, how to document it, etc?

In a couple of years, I will have a high schooler. While I can hope that our financial situation will change by them, if it doesn't, I won't have be able to afford to sign her up for any classes. Does anyone homeschool high school without the use of outside classes? I'm sure people used to, but it seems like more and more are signing up for online classes at least.

Thank you both very much. This looks great but may be cost prohibitive.

What are my options for high school Latin courses that will count as a full credit each year?

I got an email that it is on sale big time at Currclick right now. Has anyone used it?

Anyone have suggestions for an elementary math program that is FUN and gets the job done?

Dang, I was really hoping someone would be respond to your question. How has The Wand been working out for you? Did you work out an easy way to implement it?

DD12 will be finishing up Power Basics Basic Math in a few months and I'd like to move on to prealgebra. What are some good options? She is not a strong reader and gets overwhelmed with too much text but needs clear, detailed instruction. Would TT be a good fit, since it has video instruction and automatic feedback? Any others?

Has anyone taken either of the courses available from the Homeschooling with Dyslexia site? Only 25 dollars, but I just don't know if I would gain anything new from them, considering all the dyslexia books I have read. :)

My 12yo does not retain things she reads very well, so I'm looking for a secular, discussion-based history program, if such a thing exists. (I prefer something already put together, because I work full time in addition to homeschooling my other kids.) Any ideas?

My 5yo enjoys workbooks. Can anyone recommend a fun, colorful phonics workbook, perhaps similar in format to Mathematical Reasoning by Critical Thinking Co? Matching activities, tracing letters, etc?

This is an excellent idea.