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I think this thread needs to go to the FAQ's. I refer to it often and I think it's a very common problem.

I got a hand held sharpener at our local craft store, it was specifically for colored pencils. It was $6, but it's made in Germany. Works great!

Exactly what Stephanie said. It's to practice reading fluently and with comprehension. I will admit that I found it tedious, but my daughter was so excited to be able to read such a big book.

I had a different edition of the book, too. The guide does have the chapter numbers for the readings each day in the Reading About History box. It's when you get to the written narration on day 4 that there are only page numbers that the child is supposed to read through himself. I quickly skim thro...

I think you can go right ahead and start Bigger and not worry about what you missed in Beyond.

We started HOD with Bigger for my son and we didn't encounter any holes in his learning at all.

I would think that he should do a line of copywork in cursive every day or so once he finishes. Getting another instructional book would start him right back at the beginning. My son also does not like cursive and really struggles with it. I was just realizing that he hasn't used it all summer, in f...

I'm sure he could at least handle English 4. The first chapter is review and would get him right up to speed. It teaches diagramming from the beginning.

You should not repeat a guide with the same child. When you finish one guide, you move into the next guide. If you need a guide to last for two years then you would use the guide at half-speed.

If List 1 is too easy, then the first thing I would do is try List 2. I actually skip the 4th day of spelling if she's got them all correct. She enjoys writing sentences with her words (I let her pick any 3 words).

My son doesn't like drawing, either, and he doesn't ever color because he's colorblind and it's so tedious to constantly check the color word on the crayon/marker/etc. That said, he actually LIKED the Draw and Write Through History book last year. It has good, step-by-step instructions, and the thin...

I never use the extra words. I don't see why they would need to be in a specific order. I only dictate the sentences.

The goal for copywork is to practice good handwriting. If the kids had to copy a large section, their handwriting would probably be pretty poorly done by the end. There are a few short poems that we finished, but the majority of them we did not. I copied the poem and cut it up and gave it to my daug...

My DS really struggles with handwriting and just cannot seem to get the hang of cursive. I read an article that the best age to start typing is around 8, but I think kids' fingers might be too small. I got Typing Instructor for Kids this summer and he started using it but got stuck pretty quickly. I...

You should keep using the same one until he fills it up. Here's a definition: Since the Renaissance, devoted readers have been copying their favorite poems and quotations into notebooks to form their own personal anthologies called "commonplace books." These collections can be a source of enjoyment ...

The choices for Preparing are which reading, math, and LA program you use. The Economy, Science Add-on, Basic, and Deluxe Packages are all scheduled in the guide and all necessary. You don't actually choose any of the history. Your kids are not old enough for the Extension Package, so don't worry ab...