Needing help with CM & Prayers as well

(1)Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can impress on my DD the importance of reading ? I do not want to pressure her just show her “gently” how enjoyable reading actually is…. she has just decided this recently and was once a joyously avid reader.

Probably the key will be finding a book about something that she is really interested in. The right book can do wonders for drawing in a reluctant reader.

(2)Anyone have any suggestions for “living” science books for my DD(13) & DS(17).  We have found several at the public library( not homeschooler friendly by far) but they all seem so very dry and too text~booky.

Have you seen the list of living science books on our Curriculum Guide? Check out the titles in the right-hand column. Those might give a few ideas to start with.

(3) Does anyone have any suggestions on “living” books online that can either be downloaded to my computer or even printed for free?  Would love for some of these books, that I cannot seem to find(**sigh**) to be used as complementary books or “spines” to go along with what I already have for them in the way of “subjects”

You might also take a look at An Old-Fashioned Education. They have lots of free stuff listed. I haven’t looked close enough to see how much is living, but you can easily do a one-page test and see if the book draws you in.

(4)Even though both my children are at different ages and different aspects in some of their homeschooling “subjects” I feel like I can combine most of the history together for the both of them and not have to separate everything out completely individually…..I feel like this can be accomplished due to lack of most periods and most history other than the basics were covered in public school.  Has anyone done this before and how much success, or lack of, have you had with it ? 

Our Curriculum Guide is set up to combine the students for as many subjects as possible. You might find some more ideas there. I’ve combined my children all the way through, and it has worked well.

For free books, http://www.heritage-history.com is a favorite of ours, as well as the others already mentioned.