but listen to SWB's writing downloads! They are great! Just make sure you get the "newer' (as in recently released) sets. Jeri

Jeri

We are living in Germany so she really wants to continue that. Somehow, I think she needs that vocab program, but I reread WTM and she thinks it's only about 5 min for 4 days a week. So that's better. Thanks for the info on Logic--I posted elsewhere asking how much time it takes. I was hoping it wouldnt' be an hour a day. Feeling better . . . Jeri

Maybe you're right! She's actually done CW Aesop, Homer, adn Maxim and I *think* she's got a ton of grammar under her belt from that. But you give me a good idea! Maybe I could have her just do the chapter reviews in the R&S book and if they're great, she could skip the chapter. I'm just thinking that this is the last time to really cement grammar--but thank you so much for giving me permission to pass on this! And that would free up a whopping 2.5 hours! Jeri

Is this broken up into lessons and if so, how much time should I allot for each lesson (both dvd and text/workbook)? How many times a week? Or does the student decide what to do? Does each course take a full year? Trying to work this into our schedule for next year and since I don't have it in hand yet, I'm not sure what to give it for a time slot. Thanks. Jeri

I'm getting my 8th grade plan together, but since she's ahead on some things, I'm trying to make it an 8th/9th schedule. And I'm not getting it all done! So I've got the following: Vocab from classical roots--2.5 hrs R&S grammar (last book)-- 2.5 reading/writing (Ancients) 3 logic--5 math--5 Latin--3 German II--3 Science--3 history (ancients)--3 So it doesn't look so bad on paper, but by the time you factor in a start time (8:15, after showering from our run), a 15 min snack break at 10, 45 for lunch, and then ending at 2:30 so she can get to swimming, there's no time! Any ideas? Jeri

Because when you are multiplying 1-3/4 X 2-1/2, you need to think of it like this: (1 + 3/4) X (2 + 1/2) So he has to multipy 1 times both the 2 and the 1/2, then 3/4 times both the 2 and the 1/2. You need to do that using the distributive property (which he may not have learned yet) which is (1X2) + (1X1/2) + (3/4 X 2) + (3/4 X 1/2) Doing this math it will be 4-3/8. Jeri

It wasn't a crazy amount of work--I think it took 1/2 hour or so. I bought a box of legal size folders and used clear packing tape on the long sides. If you stack them up right, they will accordian up for storage. The biggest pain was drawing the line across the top (used a sharpie and a yardstick) and then dividing up the centuries. But it did work for a small budget! Jeri

I am the adoptive mom of three, none open, but all older children who knew andn lived wth their bio families. jeri

I think that 3 is too young to leave her unsupervised. She is not really old enough to "read" other people, such as when G-ma is going into one of her moods. If someone hits her due to frustration, she is not old enough to call you or even to tell you coherently what happened. I think it's honorable for you to want to have them spend more one-on-one time with her, but I think she is too young. Now in a couple of years . . . jeri

I don't know about TOG, but I've been trying to implement her ideas with my kids. I keep trying to think of something for them to write about, and felt very frustrated that I couldn't come up with something! But it suddenly hit me this past weekend! They don't necesssarily have anything to write about because they don't have the one hour reading time built in! I mean, my kids are big readers, but unless they are "assigned" reading and reading time, they are going to read "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" over Tom Sawyer every time! So, last week I started what SWB writes abouut in her book intro: the list of categories they *had* to use to find books at the library! So, now my 2nd and 4th grader (ESL) both read a step up bio on Abraham Lincoln today (and wrote a summary paragraph on it), my fourth grader is 1/4 of the way through The Old Man and the Sea (and will be writing a paragraph on setting or conflict or something along those lines after he finishes), and my 7th grader is working on Tom Sawyer. I pulled my Boorstin's History of the US off the shelf to preview for next year, I found a beautiful and intelligently written picture book on the Boreal forests for my youngers, and basically I'm just looking for interesting books for them to use. I think that will be the difficult part since I will have to look outside of the typical KFH of the World for them next year. Yes, living books is really critical to give them something to work on! Hope that's encouraging! jeri

We are living in Germany right now (dh workss for DoD) and two of my six kids are in the DoD school on base. I want to tear my hair out for the very lax standards that I am finding, particularly in 6th grade!! According to the "goals" for middle school, students will learn to "write well across the curriculum." Apparently this means Powerpoint, because that's all that is done! (Oh, correction, she *finally* has to write a report on a famous American--3/4 of the way into the school year!) Grrr! jeri

For example, I just saw a very cool course on the Impressionists. Could you use this as a resource and perhaps find a solid spine in print? Then put together your own thing? I would definitely want this for some sort of high school credit. Thanks for your thoughts! Jeri

I emailed SM and Jenny replied. She said that she was sorry that I was banned, but it was in response to getting too much spam out of Germany. So, I must hang my head in shame here! I should have gotten the story before I posted, and I'm sorry! Not that I'm going back to SM (due to high shipping prices!) but I will say that they do not arbitrarily ban people due to disagreements! My apologies! jeri

and move to Germany last year. Just my opinion, but in CT you are not required to report or to do portfolios or testing. So, I always felt that a lot of CT homeschoolers are sort of under the radar. I mean, you can find them, but there's no way to know who homeschools or how many people homeschool. Jeri

I don't even post there! It was most definitely a "closed" discussion with SM shipping when let then know (nicely) what I thought of their shipping policies! Jeri

jeri

We have six kids and I homeschool 4. Oldest is 13, youngest is 7. Anyway, over the past couple of years we have done three international adoptions and one international move, so needless to say, life has been a bit chaotic! We've stuck with good quality basics--CW, SM, Latin, SOTW, WWE, etc.--and since I love math we've always been ok with that. But I've never really felt that we were doing school most efficiently and enjoyably. And because I felt so burned out trying to keep ahead of four kids learning indifferent directions, I was always sort of stressed and we never seemed to finish history or science. Well, Colleen got me intrigued with her latest rantings ;) abouut SWB's writing lectures. So, I downloaded and listened to them and that got me inspired to buy the *new* WTM book (I bought both of the others, but managed to give them away over the pas years so I didn't have any), yes, paying full price AT A BOOKSTORE, just so I didn't have to wait for Amazon to ship. Read that over a week or so, going back over certain areas, taking notes, making lists, etc. Well, today was the first day of the final (public) school quarter and I'm going to do my best to follow SWB's suggestions for the next 45 days! Today I did narration with my little two using a science picture book on migration, worked with my 4th grader on very basic outlinging using another science picture book, and discussed Homesick with my 7th grader and had her write an essay on the characters relationships (her choice, not mine). And IT WORKED! I'm so excited about what my kids wrote today and how *easyy* it was! I mean, I might decide not to try to fit in the CW mold with my kids any longer since that's so good, but so paaaiinnfulll! So, thanks Colleen for getting me inspired and "reborn" so to speak! Anyone who's wondering around lost and frustrated like I was, go back and read SWB's book to get re-inspired! Jeri

I had been a loyal Singapore Math customer for years! About 4 months ago I got ready to place a large order with this company. I wanted them to ship it media mail since priority was so expensive and UPS was not an option (we are military living in Germany). They told me that they will not do this at all, not even as a special request. I then went to RR and placed the exact order and saved about $15-20 on shipping. So, I wrote a nice note back to SM explaining that I was going with another company due to pricing concerns and told them that I was disappointed since I'd been with them for so long. They wrote back a note that reiterated their position. Well, I'm just surfing the computer right now and went over to take a look at their forums since I find the math questions intriguing. But when I tried to go into the forums, I got a message telling me I am "banned" from the forums! Hmmpphh! How's that for trying to woo your former customer back! Jeri

Over a couple of years I ended up buying about 1.5 sides of beef, most recently grassfed, and storing it in my deep freezer. Last Feb we moved overseas and I had to GIVE AWAY about 300 lbs of it! Now I'm stuck with questionably raised/processed beef from the commissary! I would buy it on the economy since I think the quality would be better, but with 6 kids could never afford it! Jeri

And the Town levels as well. Jeri

Hi, Nadia! good to see you pop up now and then! Anyway, dd is using this program and she is quite pleased with it. I think she's learned a lot, but we also have Tell Me More and I'm going to have her use it next year as well. She is almost through the first year and she can have "baby" conversations with our German neighbors and at the store. She's just about done with German I and ready to move on to German II. Just beware that German is a difficult language! Lots of cases and endings depending on what's happening! However, I was told that she could use it for 6 weeks or so to see if she liked it, then she could continue or decide to drop it. Sabine, who teaches the course, is very approachable and nice on the phone, so you could ask her about that. I think it's about $425 or so. I've been billed $250 but I'm thinking I'll be billed at the end of the year as well. Hope things are going well with you and your family! We haven't made a trip to DK yet--possibly this summer. Jeri

because what Richard talk about it so true! And coincidentally, my 6th grader was working at the kitchen table on a banal math project (design a game to teach other students in the class how to multiply fractions) and couldn't do it with the direction she'd been given! Placing math as such a low priority for US students is going to hurt our country in the long run. Nice that they'll know about Nolan Ryan, but sad that the Asians and so many other countries are going to eat our lunch! Jeri

Very cool with the white board! Jeri PS. I'm withthe above post-ers. Your answer is right!

and she said that she hadn't received the orders from the coop yet. This was today so I think we just have to wait a little longer ... jeri