The math with confidence series is easy and gently progresses. It is very easy to teach and not too expensive...maybe use it for math for the 6 year old? I also really like little seedlings for a not too expensive phonics program. It consists of 2 workbooks. https://www.rainbowresource.com/category/9162/Foundational-Phonics.html Level 1 starts with letter sounds and moves to short vowel words using the letters learned. It is pure phonics and very open and go and includes copyable flashcards. The teen could probably even do some of it. It is that easy. And has lots of practice. Add the American Language Readers (start with buyingnjust the first 1 or 2) to it for more cheap reading practice that is phonetically sound.https://www.rainbowresource.com/product/042643/Fun-in-the-Sun-ALS-Kindergarten-Readers.html? I am really liking Math Mammoth for my 5th grader. She has free comprehensive placement tests on the math mammoth website. It goes through pre algebra. Not sure where the teen is math wise, but all the teaching is in each worktext and they run about $12 a workbook per semester and then a $12 answer key. So $36 a year. You could use this for the 1st grader as well.

We changed too, but at least it was befoee we started;) Math: Math Mammoth 5 Language Arts: SCM Using Language Well 2, written narrations and paragraph structure Greek: Memoria Press Koine Greek 1 at 1/2 speed Spelling: Memoria press Traditional Spelling 1 (It's his nemesis...mine too) Science: SCM Exploring what God has made (love this) History: SCM Ancient Egypt sort of with Dianah Warring cds and some other stuff

Could you tell me more about fluency matters? What about using some of there books for an eager still beginner, but knows some vocabulary 3rd grader?

I like the SCM ones better because you can focus on 1 artist at a time and learn some about each picture. I am very satisfied with the 8.5 by 11 shiny cardstalk prints; they hold up for more than 1 year easily. This is important for me as we habe several kids spread out and I would like to reuse the prints. You can also often resell them. I have never seen the MP posters only the post cards so I can't comment on quality. I would say to buy the printed kit from SCM if you go that rout not the digital kit as it is expensive to print all 8 pictures in color! Yes, there are 8 pictures in each artist's kit from SCM.

From what I've seen, Rod and Staff seems to be a stronger math program...especially for someone who struggles with math than CLE. Kate Snow who is writing the Math with Confidence series for well trained mind recommends Rod and Staff for a basic traditional math especially for kids who struggle. It sounds like she has tutored several students with it. I would stick with it. Add in videos if you need help with a topic. I think kahn academy would have some. I know Maria Miller from math mammoth has lots of free videos and a worksheet creator if you need more practice in a given area. Memoria press uses Rod and Staff for their math k-6. They have lesson plans and their forum is a wealth of information. They may even offer online math classes, but I'm not sure.

I would just finish out 5 as you look for something new, especially if you don't think you will stay with tgatb. If you decide to stay with tgatb then get 6 or retest for a possible jump to 7. Either way it won`t hurt him;)

I have a 5th grade ds who struggles with handwriting. He has been taught Abeka cursive, but never uses it. His handwriting is slow, laborious and sloppy. (Spelling is rough too. That is another work on area.) I do suspect mild dyslexia and have been going on that assumption since K. I want to speed up and tidy up his handwriting, and get him to write easily in cursive. I have looked at Getty-Dubay Italic as well as Cursive Logic. Any thoughts on which one may help get to the goal of fluid, faster, tidier handwriting better?

Memoria press 1st grade reading and spelling has interesting books to read, phonics based spelling, and builds on rules. You could look at that.

I agree with Clarita about seperating fluency and phonics. Even WITH AAR for my older ones, I added in old Alice and Jerry or Dick and Jane for fluency and enjoyment only. We did not add these in till phonetic reading was firmly established like AAR level 2 maybe? I also used American Language readers and Abeka little books along with level 1. Those fluency sheets are really hard. This time around I am going more on my own...I am Orton Gillingham trained...;) no idea why I didnt trust myself to begin with. I am using a varity of blend and word cards, phonetic readers, magnetic phonetic letters and digraphs, sandpaper letters, Montessori sentences and pictures, and Word Mastery from little seedlings for easy times. We will start Alice and Jerry when he is reading more phonetic combinations and sentences...... There are 2 more below this one so I will have another chance...;) So far I have 1 probably dislexic who reads well and struggles with spelling and handwriting, and one for whome all things language comes easily...I think the current one is in the middle;) ETA I think Don Potter recommends WISE owl polysyllables as a follow up to Alpha Phonics. http://www.donpotter.net/reading_clinic.html

Look into traditional spelling from Memoria Press. They also include some phonics teaching in 1st and 2nd grade literature in tje context of real books. I am thinking of using it for my comming up little guy. I used AAR with my older 2 and I am a bit tired of it;) Traditional Spelling Level 2 parts Traditional Spelling Level 1 parts 2nd reading They also sell bundled sets for spelling and literature. They also have great costumer service. I don't personally use many of their products as i tend more Charlotte Mason, but I really appreciate their costumer service and return policy;) I am using them for Greek next year and am excited.

Echoing the thought that Memoria Press has excellent costumer service! Another company with great costumer service is Simply Charlotte Mason! I really like to buy through these 2 companies. They are even somewhat compatable in an old fashioned education sense. They are very helpful and open and just nice!

I have been cleaning out our school stuff and simultaneously planning for next year as well! I think it's fun, but its taking a long time...I'm not sure what I will get to today. Incedentally, I have had pretty good luck selling on homeschool classifieds. It is easy and free if your not listing too many items at once. A year subscription to list more items is cheap too.

The above is an older post about adding rigour to a CM education. EmilyGF had some good ideas. She also said that listening to the recorded conferences by CMEC https://www.thecmec.org/CMECRetreats were most helpful in understanding how to have a functioning CM homeschool. These ladies are Catholic, but she said that did not matter. She is not Catholic. Celeste Cruz has a blog and used to use Amnleside before starting CMEC with some others. I find it inspiring, and have gotten many ideas from her. I'm not really sure how she does it all, and we certainly are not as gifted artists here:) http://joyouslessons.blogspot.com/ HollyS used the Alveary for part of a year bopped around a bit, and last I knew was back with SCM. Her honest thoughts are worth considering. https://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/why-does-alveary-cover-more-subjects/page/3/ https://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/convince-me-not-to-jump-ship-on-scm-history/page/2/ Here is somerhing from SCM about high school https://simplycharlottemason.com/blog/narration-composition-high-school-years/ A positive recview for Alveary. http://forthechildrenssake.weebly.com/spread-the-feast-blog/my-experience-with-masons-alveary-by-cmi I personally have looked a lot at CMI, but somehow it always left me with an uncomfortable feeling that it wasn't for us? I really don't like at least some of their science books....I also noticed that you can just purchase 1 course from them. That may be an option if you like mostly what your high schooler is doing and need some hand holding in one area. NB. CMI and CMEC are 2 totally different entities....I had them confused for a while;)

AAS would give you spelling and eventually a full phonics review for reading as well. I don't think you would need anything else. If she hits a reading wall you could do some work with Elizabeth B syllables spell success program (or do the placement test for AAR and do the approprate level for that later) or something similar later, but I wouldn't add anything else in now. It is easy to overload 1st grade. Th ink about your goals for her and then find programs to fill those. You dont have to necessarily check every possible 1st grade box;) I'd just do AAS, WWE, FLL, and have her read aloud to you daily for 1st grade and see how it goes. http://www.thephonicspage.org/On Reading/syllablesspellsu.html

To Kill a Mockingbird Beowulf, the Warrior Pride and Prejudice

Check out Rod and Staff ABCDEFGHI workbooks. Plain no color, but interesting animal themes in the later ones. Start anywhere she fits. They build on each other, but you don't have to do the prior ones to do the later ones. They have counting, tracing, cutting, ect. They are Mennonite, but aside from B (a Bible reader coloring book, I don't remember a lot of religion)

What does she like of those options? Maybe pick 1 with audio and one Bookshark....just to not be too much the same or too much reading?

I dont know about CLE. I tend to kind of avoid Mennonite materials. What about Notgrass Adam to us? Look at it, I'm not sure if it's too Christian for you. It would be straightforward non American history. It looks like they have alot of cultures in it. https://cathyduffyreviews.com/homeschool-reviews-core-curricula/history-and-geography/world-history-core-curricula/from-adam-to-us# Abeka Old World History and Geography might fit too. They get pretty "America is a chosen landish" (but not really new Israel, if my memory serves) in the America ones, but Old world is just a plain survey of the Eastern Hemisphere. (Incedentally 6th grade is a survey of the Western Hemisphere.) It is creationist, but you could skip it or supplement it. It has a consumable map book and straightforward text questions to answer. It is colorful and not hard to read. https://www.rainbowresource.com/category/157/Abeka-History--and--Geography-Grade-5.html

I think I have a really good plan now. I should probably not post till May:) Really we are doing 🙂 Math- Pilot testing 3rd grade math with confidence Spelling/grammar - SCM Spelling Wisdom and Using language Well Writing-beginning written narrations in science and history and little science research project Spanish-Song School spanish 2 with tag along siblings History- SCM Genesis through Deuteronomy and Ancient Egypt Geography- SCM Africa with added books and geography puzzle and game Science- Sabboth Mood plants term 1, Answers in Genesis Animals term 2 with mini research project and extra books, mom made forest biomes term 3 Weeky nature study with drawing Drawing Textbook once or twice a week Trying our hand at brush drawing sometime

I'd fill in with singapore math as that is where your headed. I've been doing a very simular thing with son as we move from RightStart to math mammoth for 5th grade. Except as were moving to math mammoth, we are filling in with math mammoth. That seems to make the most seemless transition. They are then used to the types of problems and layout also.

I'm interested.

Rainbow resource carries a nice line of black and white mennonite published workbooks. My children have enjoyed them https://www.rainbowresource.com/category/11304/Preschool-Activity-Series.html After that there is always the Rod and Staff A,B,C, D,E,F preschool series.

I agree with this, if your unsure how to teach math, the program is probably a lot more important, and RightStart is a good one. Also I think Kate snow has a math for elementary teachers class at the well trained mind that might be worth looking into. I found with my kids I had to supplement RS too much and it was driving me nuts, so was the script and focus on crazy amounts of geometry. (That my kids didn't like so it didn't even help them be interested in math which I think it is supposed to do.) No math program is perfect though, and I think one with sprial review is best. That is why I choose Horizons. It is possible to teach Horizons by rote though, so I wouldn't recommend it if you don't feel like you can actually teach math without a script. I am enjoying the freedom of teaching math myself with it and don't find the conceptual part at all lacking. From what it sounds like math mammoth might be a good fit for you. They have sprial review books that I would have to add to the blue program and I would definatly cut extra problems out of the new and review material. Math really needs to be actually taught and modified for the individual child and teacher. Another good program that holds your hand is Bob Jones. If some Christianity is fine with you, it woukd be another good choice. It teaches conceptually, has suggested review you can add in and some already there, and tells you just how to teach the material. It is a workbook also and much less visually cluttered than math mammoth. The teacher guide is really clear and well laid out. I almost picked it for us.

Memoria press has a cottage school model as well as a homeschool model. (Check their website or call them.) I think the cottage school meets like 2 or 3 days a week then the rest is like supervised homework not new teaching. Could you do the new teaching then someone else follow the detailed plans the other 2 days?

I agree with momto6inIN about AAR. With a struggling kid we even did level 1 twice! 3 and 4 always seem to go fast eben for that child, but later I sometimes have to remind them of material from those levels as words with those advanced phonograms and borrowed sounds don't often come up in reading...