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Just for Fun: Which Programs That You Don't Need Are Calling Your Name?


Crimson Wife
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I've liked the Horrible books for some time. I always hesitate because I'm not sure if my kiddo will read them. 

 

And here's a silly question---is The Teaching Company secular? For whatever reason I always assumed no since my DH had a  course on Buddhism from them and he said he felt it was a bit apologetic. I didn't listen to it though. 

 

Audible is one of those things that make me a tad mad. Do I have to pay a monthly subscription to be able to buy audiobooks? That doesn't make any sense.

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This thread is dangerous.  I now know where my tax return is going.

 

I hate to admit it, but I've owned most of these things listed.  Many were better in theory and were promptly sold. :p  Some were keepers, though.  Like MCT and the Horrible....books.  

 

Every.single.year. I buy OM after drooling and fretting over it for months and every.single.year. it doesn't work and I sell it.  Sigh.  When will I get smart?  Is that something you can buy? 

 

I also really want to use something like Sonlight.  But secular.  Alas.  

 

And see, it's hard to list what I want but don't "need" since I clearly need them all. 

 

I have moments of drooling over Sonlight, FIAR, even Memoria Press...but then I shake myself out of it!!!

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http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/Courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=687

 

Okay this is the one that bothered my DH...again I didn't listen to it. But I assume the "Buddhism as a form of Protestantism" could possibly be what turned him off. I don't know. 

 

And now!!! Thanks to a friend gifting me some stuff (who is in this thread ;) ) I'm drooling over Ellen McHenry. 

 

 

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That's where Murderous Maths comes in. "Diabolical Division" in The Essential Arithmetricks is, I think, where it is addressed (p. 107-134 in my edition). There's a bunch of used ones at Amazon for under $1 + shipping. Just saying.

 

The previous pages introduce the topic thusly:

 

Or are you slightly suspicious? Are you getting that kind of creepy feeling that comes when....

 

* You pick some socks off a shelf in a shop and realize they are just a little bit too warm and clammy?

 

* You bite into an apple and see half a worm wiggling out of the other bit?

 

* You sit down in the cinema and gradually realize that the seat is damp?

 

* You're having a bath in an empty house and see the door handle start to turn?

* You get a valentine card in November?

 

If you are getting that creepy feeling, then it's no wonder because dividing is where even the most innocent little numbers suddenly become murderous. Yes, indeed, division is the gateway to mathematical hell, but we've come this far so there's no going back now. Get ready to hold your nose because we're going in.....

 

MUST BUY NOW!!!!!!!  Can not resist the pull.  :lol:

 

 

Actually I never heard of this series before and it sounds AWESOME!  haha like I really needed another math curriculum, but I think the kids would actually appreciate this one.

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I've liked the Horrible books for some time. I always hesitate because I'm not sure if my kiddo will read them. 

 

And here's a silly question---is The Teaching Company secular? For whatever reason I always assumed no since my DH had a  course on Buddhism from them and he said he felt it was a bit apologetic. I didn't listen to it though. 

 

Audible is one of those things that make me a tad mad. Do I have to pay a monthly subscription to be able to buy audiobooks? That doesn't make any sense.

I know this has been addressed, but they are done by all sorts of professors with varied backgrounds.  I know Bart Ehrman is a New Testament professor but is agnostic and not really Christian, and there are several more from other faiths.  I would definitely read reviews and the table of contents for each, but I have not come up with any like that so far. 

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MUST BUY NOW!!!!!!!  Can not resist the pull.  :lol:

 

 

Actually I never heard of this series before and it sounds AWESOME!  haha like I really needed another math curriculum, but I think the kids would actually appreciate this one.

It is not curriculum though -- it's like fun reading. Think, math + gangsters.

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Math by hand. It's a Waldorf program that I'm sure would not work for us, but it looks lovely.

 

 

I have this and never used it.  I have two grades.  I think first and second.  It is lovely.  I haven't used it because my mom died the year I was going to try this Math.  I just didn't have the energy to try and figure it out.  I really should try and sell it. 

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I just found a website that does lesson plans for the trivium using living math books. It's just the plans BUT it has book lists too. I think I'll get the plans, not sure BUT this gives me many books to consider adding in. Here's the link. Sorry, it isn't a pretty link, I'm in my phone.

http://www.livingmath.net/Home/SiteIndex/tabid/368/language/en-US/Default.aspx

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I wish horrible books was willing to ship to Canada though.  It will be amazon for me for ordering murderous maths

My ex-h got all of the horrible books for ds from amazon.ca for a pretty decent price. 

Sometimes, shipping to Canada can be outrageous (or unavailable completely). Thank god amazon.ca has much of what I end up wanting. 

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And here's a silly question---is The Teaching Company secular? For whatever reason I always assumed no since my DH had a  course on Buddhism from them and he said he felt it was a bit apologetic. I didn't listen to it though. 

 

Audible is one of those things that make me a tad mad. Do I have to pay a monthly subscription to be able to buy audiobooks? That doesn't make any sense.

 

In Audible, as I understand it, your subscription gets you a credit which equals one book. "Get an audiobook of your choice, free, with a 30-day trial. After the trial, your paid membership will begin at $14.95 per month. With your membership, you will receive one credit every month, good for any audiobook on Audible." It's not a charge on top of the monthly subscription.

 

Yes, I would say TC is basically secular or, I suppose, as secular as a lecture at a mainline major university usually is depending on the subject matter (ie not somewhere that the intent is specifically to promote exclusively a particular brand of Christianity throughout all subjects like Liberty, ORU or Patrick Henry). My husband says that he did have one series (not sure if it was TC or Modern Scholar, though, as the library has both) that he felt the professor has a predefined position that monotheism was the most sensible religious posture. Other than that, I haven't come across an issue yet. Amy Jill Levine (who does The Old Testament as well as Great Figures of the New Testament) is actually a Conservative Jew who is professor of New Testament studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School. She stated that her intent was not to either debunk nor support in either one, but to discuss them in the context of history. We listened to both as part of a Biblical literacy course this summer. Ehrman is much more likely to come from the position of trying to debunk Christianity, since that's his main claim to fame. I've listened to Elizabeth Vandiver, as well as the high school US and world history ones and haven't run across any that were problematic yet, and we are polytheistic Hellenic Neopagans (so pretty sensitive to that sort of thing usually ;)).  I have the Ethics of Aristotle done by a Jesuit professor of philosophy from Fordham, Fr. Koterski, who's done several other courses, but haven't listened to it yet, so can't say about that one.

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They are only used on Amazon because they are published in the UK.

I knew they were British but I was thinking since someone said they were available on Amazon that they must be available new there.  I wondered how I could be missing them, LOL.  On the upside, I probably live only about an hour from  Horrible Books.  I'll have to call them and see if they have a store or if they are just mail order.  I'd really like to see them before buying any.

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I have this and never used it. I have two grades. I think first and second. It is lovely. I haven't used it because my mom died the year I was going to try this Math. I just didn't have the energy to try and figure it out. I really should try and sell it.

:grouphug:

Live Education is calling to me right now.
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I'm embarrassed to admit that I bought Supercharged Science last year and we hardly used it. It was so overwhelming. But I bought an e-science subscription, if the one you're looking at is the super expensive one that comes with everything you need, that's probably easier to get done.


It's too late to tell you this, but when I subscribed for several months I picked one section of the website and bought everything in the supplies list, which was $35 from radio shack and some more money in the grocery store for things like straws and tongue depressers. I put all the stuff in a box and told my kid to pick videos from that page. She has shopping lists for various pages and that makes it easier than trying to use the whole site. I would love to subscribe again sometime to use the chemistry page. That summer we made little air powered cars with a little radio shack motor and a tiny fan propelling it on a frame of popsicle sticks with skewers inside of straws for axels and old discs hotglued on waterbottle tops glued to the skewers for wheels. Some parts I had to do, some parts my kid could do. He loved taking pieces apart and putting them back togeather after we were done. He could do some projects like a catapult made out of rubber bands and popsicle sticks by himself by watching the videos.
I'm just saying if anyone's reading this and going to try the program go ahead and pick ond subject from the website and buy everything from the supply list and put it in a science box.

I'd also like to complain about whoever brought up the murderous maths again. I'm seriously considering telling my husband to skip my flowers or whatever he was going to get me for Valentines and get me the murderous maths box. Of course then there's the problem of "where will I put them"?
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I'd also like to complain about whoever brought up the murderous maths again. I'm seriously considering telling my husband to skip my flowers or whatever he was going to get me for Valentines and get me the murderous maths box. Of course then there's the problem of "where will I put them"?

Whew, I checked. Kiana brought them up! Not me!

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I just found a website that does lesson plans for the trivium using living math books. It's just the plans BUT it has book lists too. I think I'll get the plans, not sure BUT this gives me many books to consider adding in. Here's the link. Sorry, it isn't a pretty link, I'm in my phone.

http://www.livingmath.net/Home/SiteIndex/tabid/368/language/en-US/Default.aspx

This is awesome!
 

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Well I decided to spend the $50 on 1 Horrible History box set, 1 Murderous math box set, 1 Horrible Science box set, and 1 Horrible Geography box set because of this thread!  Its a great deal that I happen to find on craigslist.  I'll be lending the books to my niece and nephew till my kids can appreciate them. 

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Well I decided to spend the $50 on 1 Horrible History box set, 1 Murderous math box set, 1 Horrible Science box set, and 1 Horrible Geography box set because of this thread! Its a great deal that I happen to find on craigslist. I'll be lending the books to my niece and nephew till my kids can appreciate them.


So jealous. Tell us how they like them.
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  • 1 month later...

It's too late to tell you this, but when I subscribed for several months I picked one section of the website and bought everything in the supplies list, which was $35 from radio shack and some more money in the grocery store for things like straws and tongue depressers. I put all the stuff in a box and told my kid to pick videos from that page. She has shopping lists for various pages and that makes it easier than trying to use the whole site. I would love to subscribe again sometime to use the chemistry page. That summer we made little air powered cars with a little radio shack motor and a tiny fan propelling it on a frame of popsicle sticks with skewers inside of straws for axels and old discs hotglued on waterbottle tops glued to the skewers for wheels. Some parts I had to do, some parts my kid could do. He loved taking pieces apart and putting them back togeather after we were done. He could do some projects like a catapult made out of rubber bands and popsicle sticks by himself by watching the videos.
I'm just saying if anyone's reading this and going to try the program go ahead and pick ond subject from the website and buy everything from the supply list and put it in a science box.

I'd also like to complain about whoever brought up the murderous maths again. I'm seriously considering telling my husband to skip my flowers or whatever he was going to get me for Valentines and get me the murderous maths box. Of course then there's the problem of "where will I put them"?

 

We have thought about SCS but hesitate b/c they said they release a little of the site to you at the time.  They also said if you contacted them they might be able to open up something specific that you are working on.  We want to do chemistry this year too, but we would need to do it right away...would they open up the whole chemistry page to a customer?

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Write from History is really calling my name right now for Morgan.  I think CM-style maybe works pretty well for her.  But we have plenty for writing, really, I don't need it . . . .  but I want it.

 

http://writefromhistory.com/

 

 

For Shannon, something for poetry.  I'm thinking of this:

 

http://www.blackbirdandcompany.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=24

 

and a bunch of other things on that site look great, too!

 

Chuckles the Rocket Dog and Crocodiles and Coconuts continue to call my name, but I'm resisting.  I just ordered AoPS Algebra, though!

 

ETA: why is this such a fun thread?  it is, though.

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We have thought about SCS but hesitate b/c they said they release a little of the site to you at the time. They also said if you contacted them they might be able to open up something specific that you are working on. We want to do chemistry this year too, but we would need to do it right away...would they open up the whole chemistry page to a customer?


Whever I emailed them they always answered. Just use their contact button and shoot them an email. :)
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Whever I emailed them they always answered. Just use their contact button and shoot them an email. :)

 

Welp, I have emailed them twice in recent months and was very specific and they both said that they release the site slowly through the months and that within 10 months I should have full access.  They also said to let them know THE MONTH I need another part of the site and they can be flexible.    Well, I won't be paying for not having access to the part of the site I need while paying for 10 months, KWIM?  And, how flexible, is flexible? We will be doing chemistry all year, not just a month.   LOL  I was just hoping from some personal experience I guess since I feel another email would be pestering them . lol  I'm not sure it's a good fit, as much as would love to try it for a yr. (the e-course)

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I don't know. The summer I used it was when they were getting ready to split up the site but hadn't yet.
http://www.superchargedscience.com/membership_policy.htm
It looks like you can try it on a monthly basis with no commitment and get a refund on the first month if you get in, look around, and don't like it. I just did a summer e-camp, a couple yrs ago.

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This thread is really dangerous. I'm already in trouble because I just (as in, this week) bought Phonetic Zoo (but the bare bones version!), FLL4 (but I got the TM used for an awesome price!) and Writing Magic (because she NEEDS to be able to write well! Right?). I've managed to avoid the temptation that is CAP's W&R, mostly because I already have both Wordsmith Apprentice and Imitation in Writing. I don't need another writing program like that, right? Just say "right." 

 

I'm still salivating over LL7 (which DD is in no way ready for at this point), Jousting Armadillos (ditto), and Supercharged Science (no way I'll ever afford it, but a girl can dream). 

 

Apparently, I am not as strong as I thought. Not only did I buy Writing & Rhetoric, I bought both levels 1 AND 2 (I did try to cancel the level 1 order, but they'd already shipped it, grr), plus MBtP's poetry unit AND Pizza, Pigs and Poetry for DD. And a science book mentioned in one of the logic stage threads. She's going to be writing and writing and writing for months. But I have 6th grade fully covered, I hope! I'm still resisting LL7, JA, and SS. After all, she JUST started Lial's BCM, so it will be awhile before she needs a new math book, and I've already got literature covered, and I have a pretty new science book to keep me occupied...

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Apparently, I am not as strong as I thought. Not only did I buy Writing & Rhetoric, I bought both levels 1 AND 2 (I did try to cancel the level 1 order, but they'd already shipped it, grr), plus MBtP's poetry unit AND Pizza, Pigs and Poetry for DD. And a science book mentioned in one of the logic stage threads. She's going to be writing and writing and writing for months. But I have 6th grade fully covered, I hope! I'm still resisting LL7, JA, and SS. After all, she JUST started Lial's BCM, so it will be awhile before she needs a new math book, and I've already got literature covered, and I have a pretty new science book to keep me occupied...

 

 

:lol: and that is all I have to say about that.  :lol:

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Analytical Grammar!!!! I just discovered this program this week. Although we could technically start JAG this fall, I think we're going to finish the year with FLL3 and do FLL4 first. I AM buying JAG though and maybe even AG because I'm dying to get my hands on it!

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I really really want All About Reading Pre-Level 1. I've spent quite a bit of time talking myself out of it...and then I look at it again.

I also really like the look of all the boxed curriculums. I don't feel they would be right for us ( plus ridiculously expensive - looking at you, Calvert!) but I still can't stop looking at them.

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All of them!
I was pointed in the direction of homeschooling just under a year ago. Both DH and I are on board, but there is just one major problem. DD is only 2. All of this glorious curriculum is still a few years down the road (or as in the case of the Latin programs I drool over, several years down the road). I have a whole list of programs to keep my eye on and examine more closely in the years to come.

I look up something homeschool related at least once a day.

It is pure torture, but I can't help myself


I absolutely feel your pain. My daughter is only 3 and I have been researching homeschool curriculum and devouring forums for quite some time. It IS self inflicted torture.
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My husband got a end of the year thing from our credit card company that divides our year of expenses into categories. It had $700 in schooling expenses! He flipped so I made a pile of all the stuff I could sell to buy next years stuff. He said "Then what is our youngest going to use?" I haven't thought about that yet. I'm excited about all the cool stuff my oldest can get into. :blushing:

 

I want BA, even though I just figured out how to get MM working for us. I also rented Primary Challenge Math and Verbal Math 1 and 2 from the library and I'm telling myself I might not need to own them if I get Beast.

 

I want A Child's Geography volume one, but after seeing this thread I'm going to bounce over to Beautiful feet just to double check options.

 

I want LLtL but I promised son he can cut out grammar next year.

 

I want The Elements, Prima Latina, and SoTW 3 but all these are two years away so I'm telling myself that's ridiculous to buy that early.

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