I purchased My Access one year and really liked how it gave my son feedback on his writing. He loved how it gave actual numbers on each section (as a "score") and he goes back in to work on his writing to try to raise those numbers. It still does require my help to look over his writing and make suggestions but it is a good tool in our homeschooling toolbox.

We also added Wordsmith Apprentice one year to get in more writing practice and it puts the student in a "job" at a newspaper and gives assignments based on that premise. I didn't purchase the next one in the Wordsmith series because of having My Access and the writing in our Rod & Staff English book.

I also purchased a thesaurus one year and it really came in handy for my son in his writing.

For spelling a great resource is Calvert Spelling and Vocabulary CDs. They are very much like Spelling Power but on the computer. Because my son needed extra spelling practice, we also used Spelling Power.. We didn't use the Spelling Power Student Record Books., but many people do and find them useful. For the Calvert Spelling and Vocabulary CD and for Spelling Power, the student is tested on a list of words and only has to practice those that he gets incorrect. The CD has 3 small games to play to practice spelling any missed words.

For vocabulary work, my son really seemed to enjoy the Vocabulary Cartoons book. I bought all three and will use them over several years to increase his vocabulary to take the SAT.  There is a silly cartoon for each word, the definition and several sentences using the word. The silly cartoons really helped him to remember the words. The drawings are such that they could be colored and that would help to solidify the word in a child's mind. Every 10 words, there is a test (or could be used as a review instead of a test).

After using Rod & Staff English for several years and My Access and Wordsmith Apprentice he was moved from a regular English class to an AP English class within the first two weeks of going to public school.  While I had been concerned that his writing skills were weak, his public school AP English teacher really seemed to love his creative writing skills.  I credit that to the wonderful tools we used while homeschooling.

We used Singapore Math. through the end of the Primary Series. It's a great program. The drawings in the books look more "cartoonish" and my son seemed to like that. It made him feel like he was getting away with something and doing "baby math". Of course, it wasn't "baby math" -- he learned many math concepts. I loved how geometry is spread all through Singapore Math. instead of being a separate course. We used Saxon Math. one year and while he still learned, just opening a textbook and seeing all the work in front of him for the day was overwhelming. Either program is good but with Singapore Math., a child that doesn't need constant review can get in, go over the work for the day and get it done in short order -- while still truly understanding why they are doing what they are doing. Saxon Math. seems to work well for children that need more review and need more time to really process each new concept. Although, there are also supplemental books and CD-ROM games. with Singapore Math. to give more review and help to solidify the concepts, too.

If I had it to do it over again, I would probably start with Miquon Math. and Singapore Early Bird. programs.

For 6th grade we used many of the Key to.... series of books. I ordered all except the Key to Measurements. We took the year as a review year on Decimals, Percents and Fractions and move forward on Geometry and start some introductory Algebra.

We just love the Moody Science Video Classics. They are science videos from a Creation viewpoint. They are beautifully filmed and very interesting. They are older and don't have all the computer animation and flash and dash but are wonderful to watch. We watch one every few weeks. I bought the whole set and to me they are worth the money.

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Enrichment

Discovering Great Artists is a book we had on our Wish List for a few years before I finally bought it. We did several projects from it that were fun. I'm sorry to say we let art fall by the wayside (except for Big Yellow Drawing Book) but started it back up for 6th grade and did several more projects from the book.

For music we are learned to play the recorder. I bought two of them and a beginner recorder book. We really enjoyed that and used to break into giggles when either of us hits a "clinker."  Just the other day we were in Wal-Mart and say some toy recorders and my son looked at me and we grinned.

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Testing

We are not required to test in Texas but just for my own information I did purchase and administer a test at the end of each year. I buy that from Bayside School Services. They are prompt on delivery of the tests and were very helpful when I made mistakes that had to be corrected.

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Future Purchases

These are a few things I want that will probably be future purchases:

 The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary

American Dictionary of the English Language (1828 Facsimile Edition)

American Heritage High School Dictionary.

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