Well-Trained Mind Press is having a Cyber Monday sale; today only, we're slashing prices on all downloadable products by 40%. That includes Story of the World student pages and audiobooks, all of Jim Weiss's audio stories, Writing With Ease, First Language Lessons, Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind, math resources from Kate Snow, how-to workshops by Susan Wise Bauer, and many more! Get started here.

Hi all, "Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind," the follow-up to "First Language Lessons," will be available on PDF in just a couple of weeks and in physical form by late September or early October. But we know that many of you are eager to get started, so we're giving away the first six weeks of the curriculum here. This grammar curriculum was formerly known as "Advanced Language Lessons," and you may have heard about it under that title. It consists of a Core Instructor Text (used for all four years), yearly Student Workbooks (the first one is being released now, and #2 is in development), yearly Answer Keys to explain all answers for the Student Workbook, and a Comprehensive Handbook of Rules (a handy reference guide for grammar, useful for all writers of whatever age). The free PDF includes: The first 6 weeks of the Core Instructor Text The first 6 weeks of the Student Workbook for Year 1 The first 6 weeks of the Answer Key for Year 1 (which gives all answers AND thorough explanations) The first part of the Comprehensive Handbook of Rules I'll be available to answer questions in this thread. We will also be releasing explanatory videos in the coming weeks. Follow us on Facebook for updates on that. To answer some possible questions: --Yes, this is good for middle-grade students, but could also be used with high-school students --Yes, it can be pre-ordered on Amazon (but their release dates aren't always accurate) --Yes, some of the sentences in the exercises are drawn from "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" and "The Princess Bride." --Yes, schools and co-ops can get bulk pricing. Contact us at 1.877.322.3445 or order@welltrainedmind.com Again, the first six weeks are available here. Here's a longer description of the curriculum: Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind takes middle-grade or high school students from basic definitions through advanced sentence structure and analysis—all the grammar skills needed to write and speak with eloquence and confidence. This innovative program, by experienced educator Susan Wise Bauer, combines the three essential elements of language learning: understanding and memorizing rules (prescriptive teaching), repeated exposure to examples of how those rules are used (descriptive instruction), and practice using those rules in exercises and in writing (practical experience). Scripted lessons make it possible for any parent or teacher to use the program effectively. Step-by-step instruction takes students from the most basic concepts through advanced grammatical concepts Extensive diagramming exercises reinforce the rules and help technical/visual learners to understand & use the English language effectively. All diagrams are thoroughly explained to the instructor/parent. Examples and exercises are drawn from great works of literature, as well as from well-written nonfiction texts. Regular review is built into each year of work. Core text is designed to be used effectively with students from fifth grade through high school, regardless of background. The program is easily customizable to each student’s strengths and weaknesses. Description of the Program Each year, parents and teachers go through the dialogue, rules, and examples in the Core Instructor Text; students follow along in the Student Workbook. This repetition solidifies the concepts, definitions, and examples in the student’s mind. The Core Instructor Text provides not only rules and examples, but scripted dialogue that makes it possible for any parent or teacher to use the program effectively, along with instructor notes that thoroughly explain ambiguities and difficulties. There will eventually be four Student Workbooks, one for each year (the Year 1 Workbook will be released first). Each Student Workbook contains the same rules and examples—but four completely different sets of exercises and assignments, allowing students to develop a wide-ranging knowledge of how the rules and examples are put to use in writing. Each Student Workbook has its own Key, providing not only answers, but also explanations for the parent/instructor, and guidance as to when the answers might be ambiguous (as, in English, they often are). All of the rules covered, along with the repeated examples for each, are assembled for ongoing reference in the Comprehensive Handbook of Rules. This will become the student’s indispensable guide to writing through high school, into college and beyond.

Hello Forum Folks, The Well-Trained Mind team is committed to helping you and your children navigate the wilds of education...whether through these forums, our books and audio products, our online courses, or our website. As part of that commitment, we are always looking for new ways to bring content to you. Can you help us? If you post a response to any or all of the following queries, you'll be entered to win one of five Well-Trained Mind tote bags we're giving away! How do you use streaming video content in your educational efforts? Do you watch videos about homeschooling, parenting, skill development, or education? Do you use videos with your children as part of your lessons (not counting full online classes such as Well-Trained Mind Academy)? What are your favorite programs/channels/presenters for this type of content? Why? How long, on average, are these videos? And: For this content, do you use paid services (Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, other [please describe]) or primarily free ones (YouTube, etc)? Thank you for your help! We'll announce the winners by December 7th. Justin and the folks at The Well-Trained Mind

Hi all, I wanted to let you know that TODAY ONLY (July 4th), Well-Trained Mind Press is celebrating America's birthday by offering 35% off everything America-related in our store. Jim Weiss's audio biographies of Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, Harriet Tubman, George Gershwin, and others; The Story of the World, Volumes 3 and 4 (America comes up a lot in those books); our illustrated reader of American Tall Tales; the audio downloads of "Electoral Apocalypses: How America Survived 3 Divisive Elections"; and the ever-popular colorable action figures from Figures in Motion. Browse our America category here.