Ann, My son is using it, and we really like it. I'm trying not to feel awful that we could have gotten it for less by waiting until now with the co-op... but we purchased it two months ago and have gotten through a lot of it. The sample is very representative of the program. What I like is that the lessons are very predictable and fairly straightforward. My son knows what to expect, he knows a lesson won't take long, and the little dog guy is just interesting enough to keep his attention, but he isn't distracting. He can do the lesson all by himself. I can easily reset things so that he'll repeat a lesson, and it was pretty easy to adjust things at the start to get him started at the right place. I love that I can start my next child on it when the first one finishes, at no cost. I have three children right now who could be doing this - but only my 9 year old is right now. What I don't like? Some of the sounds are really tough to differentiate (m and n, for instance). Really, that's about it. My 9 year old is a struggling reader. Click 'n Kids is great for him. My 7 year old reads pretty much right on grade level. I know it is going to be an equally great fit for him. My 4 year old is just starting to read (my only early reader) and I am pretty sure it will be great for him as well. Unfortunately, it will be awhile before he gets his shot at it though! Any specific questions? I'd be happy to try to answer them. Debra Mom of five, ages 2-10

My son was chipping away at LCI last year for 4th grade. We were both getting very frustrated (I have no prior Latin) and felt quite lost. We switched to Lively Latin late last year, and it must have been within a month or two of his 10th birthday. It was the one of the very best semi-impulse purchases I've ever made. I don't think it is too young for him. When we are using it (we took a break and did a class Sept-Dec) he can move fairly quickly through it, since he has some Latin background and since he is a bit older. But he has been learning a lot, he enjoys it, and I think the derivative work is among the best I've seen anywhere. I plan to have my second son start it in the fall, and he'll be nearly 10 (November birthday) and a 4th grader. I know it won't be too young for him either. Debra Mom of five, ages 2-10

I'll comment on the ones we've/I've read: Red Sails to Capri by Ann Weil - we all enjoyed this Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes - I hated it. Kids liked it. I thought it went on. And on. And on. Kids thought it was funny. Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling - pretty quick read, but beautiful pictures. Seabird by Holling C. Holling - same as above - beautiful pictures By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman - we all really enjoyed this one. I thought it was a terrific read. Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr - it's been awhile for all the Core 5 books - I don't remember not liking any of the ones you've listed, but I don't remember details either The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Paterson -same as above Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Ed Young - same as above HTH, Debra Mom of five, ages 2-10

Angie, Thanks for letting me know this! This is what the local homeschool group uses for testing in the spring, so I'll see if we could do the Level 8... that might be the best option of them all. Hmmmm. Debra

Thanks everyone! Now that you mention it, kRenee, I did know that the PASS didn't work here. I think I'll go with the CAT/5, as dh really wants us doing the standardized test option. I do feel better about it after asking, so thanks everyone :) Debra

We're using Sonlight, and their American history (Cores 3 and 4) has you breaking around the Civil War. It isn't strictly chronological, but it worked out really well for us. Core 3 ends around the 1870s, skipping virtually everything related to slavery, states rights, and the Civil War. Core 4 starts around 1850, kicking off the US history part with issues related to slavery and North vs. South. We're right around the turn of the century now, and I'm really looking forward to actually learning about WWI - my public school classes always had textbooks that ended with WWI, and we NEVER got that far. Only once or twice did we actually get as far as Reconstruction, and only in my state history year did I learn anything about the time period from 1870-1910 (we learned about Teddy Roosevelt, specifically, and by default learned a bit about US history of that era). And my 20th century history class started with the Roaring 20s, so we didn't cover WWI there either. I know virtually NOTHING about WWI. Don't know why I'm going off on that tangent except to say that I'm finding it fascinating to learn about a time period I knew almost nothing about before this year. And my kids are having fun too.

If you had a 3rd grader who was not reading at grade level, and you needed to do a standardized test, which one would you use? My oldest took the CAT two years ago, but he was reading above grade level, and I just don't remember much as far as what reading was actually required. My current third grader is reading at probably an early 2nd grade level right now, hopefully mid-2nd grade by the time we test. I don't get all worked up about test results at this age, but I want it to be as non-stressful for him as possible. And I do want him to score at least the 17th percentile the state mandates (I think it's 17th anyway, I might be off a percentile or two). My biggest concerns with the testing are that he doesn't score horribly in areas like math just because he isn't reading well. I'd prefer a test like CAT or PASS that we can do at home, though if it is something that would be better for someone with reading issues, I'd certainly look elsewhere. I'm not looking to artificially boost his reading scores or anything... but given that I have to test him, it would be nice if all the scores told me at least something, besides just that he doesn't read as well as his peers. Thanks for any suggestions!! Debra Mom of five, ages 2-10

Yeah! What Ellie said!! :) Though my dh has been known to take on a math assignment when my oldest son & I are butting heads. Homeschooling was dh's idea. He is 100% committed to it. He'll listen to a kid read aloud if I ask him to, and he'll take over a math lesson here or there, when asked. He finished a science book for me when I simply could not face opening it again under any circumstances. And he's been known to read aloud occassionally. But he has to be *asked*, he never ever volunteers. And in eight years of homeschooling, that hands-on involvement probably averages out to less than a minute a week... He also listens when I'm undecided about curriculum, rarely blinks when I spend money on school - even when money is very tight, brags about me to all his coworkers so they all think I'm a candidate for sainthood, and picks things up at the library so I don't have to. I consider that to be involved.

If I had known then what I know now, I could have chosen other curriculum to use with my oldest because it would have been published, LOL. Seriously, there isn't much I'd change. I don't think I was *too* structured with my oldest. There have been issues I wish I had recognized sooner. My oldest and his spelling difficulties, for instance. My second son and his reading issues is the other big one. I wish I had started to be really serious about those earlier than I was, but they are both still young and we are working on it. I wish I was more consistent with my younger kids now. I wish I knew a way to make my 2 year old nap. Everyone is far more pleasant when she naps. There are one or two curriculum purchases I would take back if I could. But there really isn't anything major. If I had known then what I know now, I think I would have been more anxious about getting started. Debra Mom of five, ages 2-10

These are the recorders I got too, and I've been very happy with them. I would not recommend the 88 cent version that you can get at Walmart. Or the higher priced version you can get elsewhere. I bought a roughly $3 recorder somewhere. And I bought the Yamaha that Verena linked. I could tell the difference. My 10 year old could tell the difference too. (And although my younger kids couldn't tell the difference, *I* could hear the difference when they played) I'd also second recommendations for the Penny Gardner materials. Love, love, love them.

Jenny, I love SL's Cores! We're about halfway through Core 4 now (with my 5th, 3rd and 1st grader), and I'm using Core A with my preschoolers. I've used (or am using) Cores A-4 with my kids, and I've used Core 5 and Core 100 myself :) Just be sure to look at the age ranges. Core Levels are NOT grade levels. Science - well, I suspect SL is changing their science program some, based on all the questions they were asking last fall on their forums. I hope so. I do like SL science. Sort of. I have a love-hate relationship with it, I guess. Which level are you looking at? Science 3 is very different from K-2 (or is it C-2 now? I can't keep up!) We've used Science K-3 and 5. My opinions? K-2 - I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Discover and Do DVDs. I like some of the rest of the materials. I hate some of the rest of the material. I love that they have scientist biographies in every level. Some of the books are just old and outdated, but my kids have mostly been okay with that (excepting the Universe book in Science1). Science 3 - we really enjoyed this year. The first 2/3 of the year is focused on biology, and we got a lot out of it. Most of the rest of the year goes through a single Usborne book, front to back, so while you are jumping a bit in topic, at least you aren't jumping from one book to another and back again. Science 5 - my oldest is doing this currently, more or less on his own. I think it is organized well. He may be jumping around from one resource to another, but it is logical and doesn't seem to be erratic (K-2 were, uhh, definitely erratic). He's really enjoying it, which says a lot. I have not used Science 4 or 6, so I can't form an opinion on those, except that they appear to be more focused than the K-2 levels. HTH, Debra Mom of five, ages 2-10

Oooh, that sounds fabulous! Debra Mom of five, ages 2-10

Thanks for asking the question! I'm doing the 30 day trial right now too, and I was wondering the same thing. Now, I've got a lot of things to plan for this month. Debra

Thank you both! I went with the Jack Prelutsky one. And I put a whole bunch of the others in my wish list in case I'm ever faced with this situation again! Thanks!! Debra

Hi all - I have a $15 credit on Audible that I think is expiring soon (tomorrow?). I really don't want to spend a lot of real money right now, and I have a couple different books I'm trying to choose between that are $13-$14 - which would leave me with a dollar or two in credit. I hate to waste it! I swear I read someone on here had recently purchased something from audible for only a couple of dollars, but I can't find that post. My kids are 10, 9, 7, nearly 4 and a couple days shy of 2, if that helps. Thanks for any suggestions!!! Debra Mom of five, ages 1-10