I need some ideas for grammar for this next year. We've been using FLL all the way through (DS levels 1-3; DD levels 1-4 and then Rod and Staff this year), and I'm having to acknowledge to myself that I just don't think it's working. Both kids can rattle off definitions and lists like nobody's business, but ask them to actually identify parts of speech in a sentence when we HAVEN'T just spent five minutes talking about that part of speech, and they look at me like deer in headlights. My son can easily tell you that "A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought" and "All sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a punctuation mark" - and yet he routinely begins his sentences with lowercase letters. 🙄 The memorization just isn't making its way into practical use. I'm looking for something that, ideally, would cover grammar in a thorough but incremental manner, in about 15 minutes a day, with CLEAR explanations, plenty of practice, and in a format/presentation that's attractive and interesting to my kids. DD11 is an artistic, dreamy soul who'd love to spend her whole day drawing and listening to audiobooks; DS9 is a budding engineer who's preoccupied with Legos, pistons, gears, and the like. I don't even know where to begin looking. We've never used (nor really looked at) anything but FLL, and I've kind of been waiting to see if all the memorization would begin to pay off in practical application...but I'm just not seeing it, and I think I'm facing the fact that we need to try something else. Thank you so much for your help!!! Eta: I realized I accidentally posted this in the wrong topic...and as I can't find a way to delete it, please pardon me! 😳 I'll go post in the K-8 curriculum board where it was meant to be.

I need some ideas for grammar for this next year. We've been using FLL all the way through (DS levels 1-3; DD levels 1-4 and then Rod and Staff this year), and I'm having to acknowledge to myself that I just don't think it's working. Both kids can rattle off definitions and lists like nobody's business, but ask them to actually identify parts of speech in a sentence when we HAVEN'T just spent five minutes talking about that part of speech, and they look at me like deer in headlights. My son can easily tell you that "A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought" and "All sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a punctuation mark" - and yet he routinely begins his sentences with lowercase letters. 🙄 The memorization just isn't making its way into practical use. I'm looking for something that, ideally, would cover grammar in a thorough but incremental manner, in about 15 minutes a day, with CLEAR explanations, plenty of practice, and in a format/presentation that's attractive and interesting to my kids. DD11 is an artistic, dreamy soul who'd love to spend her whole day drawing and listening to audiobooks; DS9 is a budding engineer who's preoccupied with Legos, pistons, gears, and the like. They both blanch at the sight of densely-packed or tiny text on a page, and each has a tendency to get lost in their own thoughts if something doesn't hold their attention. I don't even know where to begin looking. We've never used (nor really looked at) anything but FLL, and I've kind of been waiting to see if all the memorization would begin to pay off in practical application...but I'm just not seeing it, and I think I'm facing the fact that we need to try something else. Thank you so much for your help!!!

I'm completely stuck when it comes to choosing a writing curriculum for my upcoming 6th grade daughter. She is what I'd consider a reluctant writer. I feel like she needs a lot of scaffolding, and yet, she'd prefer to work independently without too much direct instruction from me. We started out with WWE 1-3, then moved to Treasured Conversations and the Most Wonderful Writing Lessons Ever for 4th grade. This year, she's done Wordsmith Apprentice and some of the journal entries from Saxon Grammar. Here are some that I'm considering. I'd love input on if these would fit her personality and needs, or just general reviews if you've used the curriculum. Writing comes naturally to me, and I'm having a hard time figuring out how to teach her. Writing Strands (Level 3?) Jump In! IEW WriteShop (not sure whether to use Junior series or Book 1?) Essentials in Writing Thanks, Lana

Hello mamas! I'm in need of some encouragement and recommendations. I'm currently trying to teach my sixth grade, eleven year old boy to use encyclopedias spines and to take notes, outline, summarize and timeline according to the logic stage instructions in WTM fourth edition. But he's struggling. My eldest, a girl, did it without much help from me and liked it fine although she just mentioned the other day that she doesn't think she remembers much from those years of history. I don't want them to be lost years for my fella either. Has anyone done this successfully? Here's what we're trying to do: Monday: Write outline and summary from one library book he read Tuesday: Read for 90 minutes from various spines (I went through and made sure the information on the pages I assigned were all from the same time period) Write down 10-15 facts Wednesday: No history work Thursday: (90 minutes) Use an atlas to find places identified in reading Select topics to search for and read about from Library books Place events and people in our timeline book Use PBS videos and/or documentaries when appropriate Friday (90 minutes) Read froom library books (read more through the weekend if necessary) Here's the problem. I'm wondering if I shouldn't be using more than one Encyclopedia. He used three the other day: Kingfisher Illustrated Encyclopedia DK History of the World National Geographic Concise History of the World I think, maybe, that this is too much information. It seems like it's hard for him to settle on something and really LEARN it. Also, his facts are deplorable. Here's what he wrote for last week: 1. The silk road lasted until the 14th century. 2. 622 - Muhammed and his followers migrate from Mecca to Medina 3. The Byzantine Empire 4. The Mayans 5. Stone Obelisks 6. Anglo-Saxon burial methods for kings 7. The temple of the giant Jaguar 8. The Mayans were the first people to have an advanced calendar. 9. The Kon-Tiki Expedition, 1947 10. The Byzantines made many small, gold crosses. 11. Byzantine had a secret weapon called "Greek Fire." It was a mixture that burst into flames when it came in contact with water in 677. Here's what he chose to look up at the library: The Byzantine Military The Constantinople Wall (does it even have a wall?!) Help! I'm confused as to where I should even begin to solve this problem... Blessings, Angela

I am looking for unit studies on any of the following appropriate for a 6th grader . Ideally I would love unit studies that also could be adapted for a 8 year old as well because I'd like to combine subjects as much as possible, but my 11 year old NEEDS to learn this stuff by year after next (will be attending a public 7th grade) while my 8 year old doesn't need to study this yet. FORCE, MOTION AND ENERGY LAYERS OF THE EARTH ROCK CYCLE (metamorphic, igneous, sedimentary rock) ECOSYSTEMS BIOLOGY (Cells, Taxonomic classifications, Organisms and their Environments) SPACE Would also love suggestions of good videos about these topics. Any suggestions appreciated!

​My 11 year old son, who is finishing 5th grade, has not had a great Math experience in life. His sister has done well using MUS from the very beginning. But when I did it with him, he just looked at me perplexed over and over again for months. He just didn't get it in kindergarten, we tried again in First grade and got through most of Alpha. But then he hit another road block. I took him out and did general things--teaching the clock, money, basic geometry, using the Math Mammoth Blue series topics. But there was too much on a page and it overwhelmed him. I tried to go back to MUS but the same thing happened. So in 3rd grade I moved him to CLE Math, but he placed in 2nd grade. He did really well, except he couldn't seem to get caught up. The volume of work for one lesson was all he could do in a day and he was behind a whole grade. Then before too long, in 4th grade (doing 3rd grade work), the volume of work completely overwhelmed him. We skipped problems, he'd fail the test. We'd give him longer to do the lesson, breaking it up into a couple days, and he'd get totally lost in what he was doing. We skipped problems (do the odds) and do it in one day. That's when the ADD symptoms seemed to really kick in. I believe in not moving on until he gets it but it was taking forever and the tears were becoming a constant, daily occurrence. We weren't making any progress. So last year, the beginning of his fifth grade year, we switched to Teaching Textbooks. He placed halfway into their 4th grade year and about three weeks ago he finished it. He still doesn't have his multiplication tables memorized, even though we reviewed them daily. We would play games online, he has one of those handheld machines. FLASHCARDS! We have our standardized testing next week and I've been doing some reviews with him, and he had no idea how to carry in a multiplication problem. What is going on? Is it Teaching Textbooks? Is he just not able to pay attention to it, like it's not sinking in? He finished every problem and gets a 100% on it. But he isn't retaining anything? Or is it him? He's been tested ADD and the psychologist didn't recommend medication because his is so slight. He didn't qualify for any services in the school system because it's not that bad, they said. He tested off the charts in visual/spatial, they recommended we point him toward engineering. How do I do that if he can't do math! To add to the conundrum, we live overseas. So the only resources we have are what we bring down with us or I can download from the internet. I have the next TT5 set. I have the complete Math Mammoth set. I have all the DVD's from MUS through Algebra. I'm willing to sit down with him and help him through it, to make sure he's getting it. Was I too lax and assumed that he was understanding it all because he completed the assignments and got good grades? I'm scared to see what the SAT is going to tell me. I do have a 4 yr. and a 1 yr. and perhaps I was too distracted to notice? I feel like perhaps I need to find out where he really is comprehension-wise and go back to that with some curriculum and plod along with him until he gets it. Any recommendations? (How do I do that?) Any advice on what resources to use and how you would do it? We are going to the States for the month of September for my parents' 50th, so we can buy something that I don't have if necessary. I'm willing to work hard with him. (By the way, I'm not the math whiz in our family, my husband can help a bit, but he's super busy. School is my thing.) Thanks in advance.

Hello everyone, I have a 6th grader that is a wonderful reader and writer. I would even say above her grade level. I have put her in some writing classes online as a result she types all of her papers and does well. Recently we joined a coop where she hand writes sentences during class and takes notes. I've noticed that her spelling needs some work. Can you suggest a curriculum that she could use independently to improve this?

Newbie here, nice to meet you all! Looking forward to your advice. It's a bit of a complicated situation, but I'll explain it as briefly as I can. I'm getting married in September. DH-to-be has full custody of his 2 kids, DD8 and DS10. I have a great relationship with the kiddos, and ever since they found out I was homeschooled as a kid they've been super interested to try it. They currently attend the best school in the region (Chinese immersion charter school). Under normal circumstances, I'd hold off a year or so before attempting homeschooling with them, since I figure my moving in will be enough upheaval for a bit. (We love each other, but I'm not yet at Mom-status in their lives.) However... DS10 hates school. Hates hates hates it. It's an accelerated, challenging program, but he's bored stiff. He struggles with depression issues, and when he's bored he can't stop his mind going to the worst things in his life. (Mom abandoned them, they recently moved so he doesn't see his neighbor friend anymore, etc.) He cries before school more days than not, because he dreads the thoughts that occupy him during a boring class. (Yes, he is in therapy.) The school rules are beyond strict, which doesn't help. (During recess they aren't allowed to play any games that involve teams because somebody's feelings might get hurt about not being on the same team as their friends. Also no games that involve winning or losing. No trading of toys like matchbox cars, because somebody might change their mind and get upset. I wish I were exaggerating.) Chinese class has doubled in length this year (5th grade), and he doesn't see the point of it, and the academic load is just crushing his spirit. He's a bright kid and this combination of circumstances is making him give up on learning. My heart hurts for him, and it makes me want to jump into homeschooling right away once I move in, at least for him. (DD8 still likes school just fine, although I imagine she might feel left out if her brother got to stay home and she didn't.) There's a less-rigid charter school in the area that begins in 7th grade, so if homeschooling 6th grade doesn't work, that one would be an option. The local public schools are not good. Additionally, we're faithful Catholics and while we'll be using NFP, there's no guarantee we'll be any good at it. :P I have no idea how I'll handle pregnancy although we're hoping for the best. Pretty complicated, right? So what would you do? Anybody have similar experiences? :confused1:

I've been scouring posts here on the forum about physics and have been looking at multiple posts from Charlotte Mason, Wildflowers and Marbles, Guest Hollow, Eclectic Homeschooler and several other websites for resources for 1 (ONE) semester of Physics for my 6th grade son. And what I thought originally was a lack of resources, I have now realized is an abundance and I have no idea how to pare it down into one semester. Here are my goals for my 6th grade son: --Give him a desire to learn more on his own --Must be fun and informational but not overwhelming --encourage him to pursue this area life long if that is his desire --I want it to be hands on for him and not exhausting for me :) His visual spatial intelligence was tested off the chart, but he's never studied physics before. He's only in 6th grade, so he can't handle the math involved yet. He will be doing one semester of Chemistry using McHenry's Elements and Carbon Chemistry first then this. Please let me know what you have used and if you loved or hated it or in between and WHY. The resources with asterisks mean that I've heard good reviews. I realize that more is not always better and we live overseas so getting the resources down here is a challenge. But I'm willing to do it if it will be effective for him. And, we are Christians, so keep that in mind. Thank you! So here are the resources I have found: Spines: RS4K Physics Exploration Education* Bite-Size Physics—by Science Jim* The Wonders of Physics by Irving Adler Apologia’s Exploring Chemistry and Physics* CK12's Middle School Physical Science CPO Physical Science Tiner's Exploring the World of Physics* Life of Fred Physics Newton and Physics for Kids* Resources: The New Way Things Work (own) (could be used as spine?) Basher Book about Physics (which one?) Asimov's Breakthroughs in Science Backyard Ballistics* Mistakes that Worked (Charlotte Jones) Rube Goldberg Inventions Gismos and Gadgets: Creating Science Contraptions Physics for Every Kid Engineering for Every Kid Machines: Mind Boggling Experiments You can Turn into Science Fair Projects Simple Machines: Starting with Science That Wind at Word Can you feel the Force? The Cartoon Guide to Physics The Physics Coloring Book Michael Faraday: Father of Electronics Usborne Book of Science Simple Machines for Beginners Documentaries: The Way Things Work by Coursera Eureka! Series on Physics topics Mythbusters—Hindenburg Mystery Memory work: The Way Things Work Game Output: Use the Thames and Kosmos set or Exploration Education projects to build what they are studying. Perhaps do an experiment sheet with hypothesis and explaining outcome.. Consider using a Engineering Notebook or 3-Ring Binder to record vocabulary and sketches of projects that have been built as well as in the design phase. Projects: Thames and Cosmos Set—Physics Workshop, Magnetic Science Project Based Engineering Steve Spangler—Sick Science Fast Physics Kit Geyser Tube with Caps Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes (own) Snap Circuits Electronics Kit or something similar Erector Set K’Nex Simple Machines Kit (levers and pulleys, gears, wheels, axles and inclined planes Reading: • Archimedes and the Door of Science (Living History Library) • Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity by Cwiklik • Isaac Newton: Mastermind of Modern Science by David C. Knight • Galileo and Experimental Science by Rebecca B. Marcus • The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind • What was the Gold rush? , Who was Isaac Newton?, Who was Galileo? Series • Sky Sailors: True Stories of the Balloon Era • Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France • You Wouldn’t Want to be…series. A 19th Century Coal Miner in England • Book on Thomas Edison • Book on Albert Einstein • Magic School Bus Books: The Electric Field Trip • Castles Under Siege • How do you Lift a Lion I removed the Fred Borst item to put in my Chemistry class for the previous semester.

So I'm trying to come up with an introductory chemistry and physics program for my 6th grade son. My idea is for it to be a good hands-on year but with enough information to pull him into the topic, with either living books or videos or something. I thought about doing one semester each, but that's not set in stone. I also thought about doing the year in trimesters and doing chemistry for the first one, physics for the second and a unit on using the microscope for the third. I may just be trying to pack too much stuff in, though. For Chemistry, I thought about using The Elements by Ellen McHenry for the beginning. But don't know how I'd schedule it. Would I go slow? would I go ahead and use Carbon Chemistry as well? Or would it be more beneficial to use another text to go with it? What are some awesome books that we shouldn't miss to add to it? I've looked at Guest Hollow's schedule and a few others, but don't have a library around (we live overseas) so it's hard to come up with lots of extra books. For Physics, I like the look of Exploration Education, but that takes a 36 weeks to complete. I wasn't really planning on doing a whole year of one topic. But that's the idea, to do science and not just read about it. But since I'm not sciencey it has to be easy on the teacher. Again, what books would give that to him or do you have any other suggestions? So, any one who has a heart to help a fellow mum, and has been in my shoes or is really good in science, please share with me your wisdom! Thank you!

I oldest ds is a 6th grader. I often feel I am not doing enough with him. Wondering what everyone else is doing and using with their 6th grader?