What is my state's home school law?
If you are just getting started in your home schooling adventure, it is important that you know the laws pertaining to home schooling in your state.  A good source of information concerning laws in each state is the Home School Legal Defense Association. 

Reading Evaluation
Are you interested in having your child's reading level evaluated?  Sonlight offers the Let's Go Learn online reading assessment which provides evaluation of your child's skill in six separate categories:

• High-Frequency Words
• Word Recognition
• Phonics/Word Analysis
• Oral Vocabulary
• Spelling
• Reading Comprehension

The assessment will determine your child's grade level in each category, identify strengths and weaknesses, and suggest ways to work with the child to overcome areas of weakness. 

Unbelievably Understandable Math with a Fun Twist!
Apples teach fractions, cars serve as rulers, a bear hunter shares his snacks and your children just may get hooked on Math. Whatever Math program you are using, this supplemental DVD series can help turn basic understanding into a natural ability to remember and use what they learn. "Professor" Justin and his friends get into one hilarious situation after another, unlocking concepts and building skills with great creativity. MathTacular could become your children's favorite math supplement.

Spelling
This one aspect of Language Arts can go very smoothly for some students and be an incredibly bumpy ride for others.  I believe it's that learning styles issue again.  There are a variety of products available, but I will present 3 options:

• Sequential Spelling is a program that was developed by a man with dyslexia who could not use traditional programs successfully.  Sonlight began carrying this program after many of our customers told us what a difference it made for their students.  It doesn't follow the traditional phonic approach to spelling, but it works.
• All About Spelling is to spelling what Winston Grammar was to grammar instruction for my boys - designed for the kinesthetic learner.  Young children who seem to be geared for "moving and shaking" should find this works as it is tuned in to their mode of operation.  The Basic Interactive Kit provides the essential tools, and then each program level provides teacher manual and student packet.
• Spelling Power is a complete and effective spelling program to take students from early elementary school through college in only 15 focused minutes per day.  This is what I used with my boys (because I didn't know about the other two programs) and found it worked well for the ones who needed further spelling practice even into high school.  You can work from the Spelling Power manual, making your own copies of the daily lesson sheets, or purchase Student Record Books for daily work.

Inspiration Outlining Software - Ideas to Outlines in Seconds
Do your junior/senior high students find outlining in preparation for writing to be a challenge?  Perhaps they have difficulty transforming the spiderweb-style brainstorming into an outline.  Now there is help available from Inspiration Software.

You start with a theme or idea in the center of a blank screen and type in related ideas that will appear in linked colored bubbles.  You can change the bubbles' colors, shapes, and patterns or choose from over 1,300 available illustrations to highlight and differentiate among ideas.

After you've created your "idea map" click on the Outline tool, and Inspiration will instantly transform your once-scattered thoughts into a traditional, well-organized outline.  What a tool for writers in high school or college!