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SeaStar
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| Posted: Aug 29 2012 at 1:09pm | IP Logged
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I think part of the fun of homeschooling is trying new things.
This year we are using for the first time the art dvds from Homeart Studio
and
A-Z Memory Verses
The art dvds are a big hit here, and the memory verse program is one I am really enjoying. The songs make the verses really stick in your head. 
I did not buy the teacher's manual for this program, and we are doing fine without it.
What's new in your school this year?
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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pumpkinmom
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Lots of new programs here! I like trying new things.  Cheerful Cursive is a big hit with my youngest. I felt like my youngest was ready for formal history study, so he is joining his brother in American History this year. We are using From Sea to Shining Sea and living books. I don't know about the boys, but I am enjoy that books. Learning all kinds of things!  Plus more, but that is all I can think of at the moment.
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Aug 29 2012 at 2:47pm | IP Logged
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I just ordered The Lively Art of Writing to try out
and I'm using the ideas in a book called LifeWork: Finding Your Purpose in Life as a basis for some ongoing discussions with my older kids on thinking about what they want to "do for the rest of their lives" type of stuff.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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mommy4ever
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A co-op and a tutor..lol
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Mom to 4,
1 graduated June 2012
1 in Catholic school
2 homeschooled(one considering art school!)
ardently praying for a new addition to our family.
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Grace&Chaos
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You reminded me, although I was trying to be casual about it so not get myself all worked up about it, but....
leading a CA History class a la CM with 12 students ages 8-12 
(that's my biggie, everything else seems doable so far)
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Blessings,
Jenny
Mom to dds(00,03) and dss(05,06,08,09)
Grace in Loving Chaos
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mommy4ever
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Jenny that's exciting!
I'm trying some new things for myself, too. I am getting my certification for fitness instructor. Becoming a youth group leader at the church and assisting at our RCIA for children's program. I'm excited about all of them! It seems like a huge commitment, but in reality when I scheduled it, it wasn't as overwhelming as i feared it might be.
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Mom to 4,
1 graduated June 2012
1 in Catholic school
2 homeschooled(one considering art school!)
ardently praying for a new addition to our family.
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JennGM
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We're doing Latin for the first time.
I'm going to do Nebel's science, I haven't implemented it, although I've had the book for a while.
And Peterson's Directed Handwriting for both boys, concentrating on cursive.
Art Club for older child. I'm slow to join clubs or co-ops, so this is out of my comfort zone.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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JuliaT
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We are trying Tapestry of Grace for the first time. A friend gave me this so I don't have to feel guilty about tweaking the life out of it. We have been using it for the past 4 weeks and we are loving the tweaked version of this.
The other thing new to us is our schedule. This year we are having Morning Time then we do history,literature, art, music and worldview all wrapped up in a humanities class. We do this for the rest of the morning and after lunch we do the basics. We are enjoying this new rhythm to our days.
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Blessings,
Julia
mom of 3(14,13 & 11 yrs.old)
MusingsofaPrairieGirl
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jawgee
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We're having a Classically Catholic Memory co-op. That's new for us and exciting. We have seven families involved.
Noeo Science is also new. Looking forward to getting started with that.
Edited to add: We have a foreign exchange student from Korea this year! If that's not exciting enough, my kids also started Rosetta Stone Korean. Hope we can make the most of this opportunity with a native speaker right in our home!
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Monica
C (12/2001), N (11/2005), M (5/2008), J (8/2009) and three angels
The Catholic Cup on Facebook
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SallyT
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German! With mostly a made-up curriculum consisting thus far of YouTube videos of the German alphabet song, a set of Usborne German Words flashcards, and this book, for which there's also a Librivox audio and a YouTube video. So far this is working well and a lot of fun -- we tried Spanish last year, and the kids didn't enjoy it so much (even though we know lots of Spanish-speakers, and I thought it would be a good idea to learn more ourselves), but they really seem to like German. My 9th grader has been studying German via Deutsche Interaktiv, my college student is taking it this semester, and my husband is already a fluent German speaker, so I have high hopes of some dinner conversation in German, once the younger kids and I can say something other than "Wo ist meine katze?"
We're also doing a little journal for every book the kids are reading independently -- so far I'd say this has been a so-so kind of experiment, though if we persevere, I'm hoping it will blossom a little. I do really love the little Hygloss blank books from Dick Blick and am ordering more to use with my First Communion class this year.
With the Hygloss books I also ordered some nice little spiral-bound sketchbooks for art (they say "Nature Journal" on the front), and some "Young Artist's Idea Journals" which are like a spiral-bound, older-kid version of those Mead Primary Journals with lines and a blank space at the top. I got each child two of these, for reasons I had already forgotten by the time the order came: one is for a nature notebook, and one I just decided to let them have for, as my 10yo says, "recreational purposes." What's been amazing to me is that he, who has never liked to draw much, adores his "recreational" notebook. Our screened front porch was torn down and rebuilt recently -- at this stage, the porch is built, but it isn't screened in yet, and as we've been sitting out there in the evenings, he's been bringing out the jug of colored pencils and his "recreational notebook" to draw the sunset, the trees, etc. We were reading out there in the dark last night, and before we could start, he had to go out and find a maple leaf to draw while I read. He draws everything meticulously and then labels it with the date and time. Anyway, I'm really, really glad I bought those journals! They've been a springboard to a lot of independent things already (and the same child, whom I didn't really expect to love our formal nature-notebook time, really does love it and take it seriously, far more so than his more artistically-inclined sister. Go figure . . . )
Otherwise, our basic framework is the same as last year: a combined-school/Morning Basket time during which we cover a lot of subjects through read-alouds, do German and English grammar (The Child's Own English Book, which is new to all of us, plus Mary Daly's First Whole Book of Diagrams, which is new to these particular children), and have our Friday art lesson. What's new this year is the increased amount of independent reading both children are doing after Morning Basket time. Transition has been a little bumpy, with both children resisting a)following a set schedule, b)reading the books I've set for them, and c)for one child, independent reading in general. But it's slowly getting better. And the kid who thought he was going to hate Carry On, Mr. Bowditch doesn't hate it after all, so score!
The same kid (my 10yo 4th grader) is also doing The Way Things Work for science and loving it, though I haven't gotten any KiNex sets yet. I'm so grateful to have read this thread! We've had that book (the older version) on our shelves for years, but I had never thought of setting it as someone's science reading!
So, no huge changes, but lots of new or new-to-us materials.
Sally
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Castle in the Sea
Abandon Hopefully
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Maggie
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Artistic Pursuits!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this! We have only done two classes (I only do 1 per week), but so far this is exactly what I needed. It gives 1 piece of art for the kids to look at and guided questions, which are great...and then an activity that goes along with the art!
Artistic Pursuits
I bought the book on Cathswap for half off...and bought the art supplies at Dick Blick.
I saved more than $20 ordering directly from Dick Blick...and was able to exclude items I already had...or order double because I am doing this for two littles.
My kids are 7 and 5, but this program would work well with 5 yo to high schoolers, IMO.
Well worth the money!
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Wife to dh (12 years) Mama to dd (10) ds (8), dd (1), ds (nb) and to Philip Mary (5/26/09), Lucy Joy (12/6/09), and Margaret Mary (3/6/10) who entered Heaven before we had a chance to hold them.
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margarita
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Julia T, we have used Tapestry off-and-on over the years, and have participated in a BIG group co-op 3 years (2 years long ago, for Years 3 and 4, and again last year for Year 3). Love it. Not doing it this year, because my friends/co-op are on Year 4 and I just don't feel like it's pertinent to my 2nd grader to study so much modern history. But I love it. I love that it's "K through Mom," and I plan to study it myself once I have "time" when all my children are grown up. 
Maggie, we just bought Artistic Pursuits too, but we don't start until next week with anything. My two oldest kids are in school, so we will all start the same day, when they go back.
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Married young and happy, chasing after a variety!
Two now in school: G-16, B-14
Two at home: G - 6.5, B - 2.5
One arriving February 2013
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margarita
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This is such a simple addition, but we're also going to try a couple of the downloadable lap books that Emmanuel Books sells. I have the one for Lent and am undecided about the one for Advent - Advent is already so full, and much of it is spiritual, we may not need more, you know?
Having been through so many grades, and so many curriculums, and quite a few educational philosophies, with my older kids, I feel really good knowing what works and doesn't work in our family - and knowing that we just need to be flexible. I'm looking forward to going back to a few old favorites, like Singapore Challenging Word Problems, TOPS science experiments, and short road trips to visit other homeschooling friends (leaving the older ones home with dad).
Oh, and we'll be trying a new baby as well.  Not that we haven't homeschooled with a baby before, or shall we say, "homeschooled" with a baby, but this will be a totally new human being, and you just never know!
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Married young and happy, chasing after a variety!
Two now in school: G-16, B-14
Two at home: G - 6.5, B - 2.5
One arriving February 2013
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Martha
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Classically Catholic Memory is new and a hit so far here.
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Martha
mama to 7 boys & 4 girls
Yes, they're all ours!
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jawgee
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Martha wrote:
| Classically Catholic Memory is new and a hit so far here. |
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Glad to hear that!! Our co-op starts at the end of September.
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Monica
C (12/2001), N (11/2005), M (5/2008), J (8/2009) and three angels
The Catholic Cup on Facebook
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kristacecilia
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This year I am really trying to keep it simple, so we aren't using anything new that I can think of.
Oh, I did buy the Bonjour Les Amis DVD set for French on Jen's recommendation. All my kids love it so far.
Other than that I am trying to simplify as much as possible. This is going to be a busy year for us.
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God bless,
Krista
Wife to a great guy, mom to two boys ('04, '06) and three girls ('08, '10, '12!)
I blog at http://kristacecilia.wordpress.com/
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AmandaV
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Classically Catholic Memory - so far, so good. We are using several weekly selections for copy work, too.
Making Music Praying Twice was new last year but I am hoping to do more of the activities and hit it weekly.
Home Art Studio DVDs have been a hit so far. We've done one lesson for K and one lesson for 3rd grade. Its so nice to have a guide for art!
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Amanda
wife since 6/03, Mom to son 7/04, daughter 2/06, twin sons 6/08 and son 7/11, son 1/2014
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MicheleB
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We are trying to let go of spelling and vocabulary workbooks.  I bought Spelling Wisdom, and am really excited!
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Wife of 18 years, mother to daughters Nutmeg 13.5 and Buttercup 10.
http://thestripedrose.blogspot.com/
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4 lads mom
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We are using Spelling Wisdom as well, Michele!
I have posted before that I am totally getting back to my CM roots of 14 years ago. I am more excited about this year than I have been for a while now. I am almost done with daily lesson plans....I have used mostly Mater Amabilis in my planning efforts, some Ambleside, some of Jen Mack some of Betsy’s ideas....so for me to totally put together a working lesson plan and not just be flying by the seat of my pants....wow..that is sort of big this year. I am praying that I remain the perfect combination of flexibility but also maintain discipline in following our plans.....that is a tough one for me, because so often things get derailed and then I just stop.
SO.....what am I doing differently? Everything. I am not involved in any outside activities....that is a first. I am not doing anything with our prolife group, or anything that requires me to plan something, execute something....you get the picture. I have got to stay FOCUSED this year on us....normal school stuff.....I have signed Lily up for one dance class...but that is pretty much it for me. (oh, and Pete has speech therapy still once a week) I have grappled with this one, because I feel like I am not “doing my part” in the prolife arena. I still plan on praying in front of the clinic, but I just can’t do the kind of leadership stuff I was doing the last few years...just too much phone time, too much screen time, too much away time for me to manage this year’s very important school. The season for that will be here soon enough, but for now, with an eighth grader that needs a lot of prep for high school.....a tiny girl starting kindy....and a senior in the middle of college entrance stuff....I have my work cut out for me, and they have to be my “first apostolate.”
Thanks for asking!
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Mom of four brave lads and one sweet lassie
Scenes From This and That
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stellamaris
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Professor B Mathematics, plus the whole Ambleside thing!
Lots new here this year, but it doesn't really feel new, more like an extension of old...only better.
I'm going completely CM after dabbling around with lots of CM features for many years. Super excited! 
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In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to  dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: What are you trying new this year?
