American Language series readers. They are totally phonetic and follow a similar sequence to AAR.Each book has many very short stories in it and they are cheap from rainbow resource. You can read the first two after level 1. These first 2 are Fun in the Sun and Scamp and Tramp. They do have a few retelling of Bible stories in them, but they are easy to skip if you wish. They have lots of new vocabulary that can be sounded out...practice I really appreciate. We are actually using them a bit ahead of AAR level 2 as my ds can prelearn the phonograms that way then cement them with AAR.

I like a child's history of the world for 1st....just feel free to skip the weird first several chapters and add in more Bible as you want.

IMHO if you build a solid foundation in arithmetic in k-6or 8 you have the foundation for as much rigor as you want later. I have a friend who used MUS for elementary and switched to something else for her mathy boy for highschool. He did well in his more math orientated hs and college. She had her non mathy students keep MUS all the way up. It prepared them for their non math science fields just fine. I'd say keep it for elementary and reevaluate for Prealgebra on up;)

I am using Abeka arithmetic for 1st and k this year and like it. Is there any reason not to keep up with it through 7th grade?? Does anyone else like it? I pull in some Rod and Staff drill and some word problems from Strayer Upton sometimes...Should I switch to one of those for our main math instead?

Simply Charlotte mason has ebooks and I really like a lot of their history plans. You can always sub books too. They show you how to combine history geography and Bible for all ages with not too many books but I have liked most of their choices. Of course I tweak and add or skip as the kids need.

Double post...

I like Abeka for that reason too;) it makes me feel happy that I am "covering" it. I read it with my 1st and tag along 4 year old 1 or 2 times a week. We do the extra stuff if we want to. Then we are reading about birds and do some bird watching and color bird pictures because that is what DS is interested in;) I also am planning to pull in extra books on simple machines this week to go along with abeka because I know he will like to learn about machines:)

How about Abeka science. It has a few hands on stuff in the student book and more in the teacher book. Its very short and easy to do...

Loving -My tweaked version of AAR with American Language Readers instead or the AAR readers -Abeka arithmetic -Abeka manuscript (for preK) and cursive (for 1st) -SCM picture study -AAS (its reinforcing phonics and teaching my ds to spell) -Primary language lessons....we're going slowly. Ds loves his "kitty book" -Powerglide Spanish for children. Leftover from when my brother was in elementary... My kids are enjoying it and its great exposure. So so (I don't really hate anything) -Abeka 1st science (we started the year with Science in the beginning by Wile but my 1st grader barely got it and my 4.5 year old didn't like it. We will try again next year??) -Ancient history ( we're finishing out with Usborne world history, Vos Bible story book, and Chow, but I don't like the disjointed feel. I know I don't like SOtW. So we may do SCM middle ages next year??? -abeka art projects 1 for both kids

Did you like Singapore? You could go back to it. What about Rod and staff or Horizons for a basic solid arithmetic base with Beast Academy as an optional extra brain streach? Rod and Staff and Horizons are both pretty easy to teach i think and don't need supplementation. Memoria press uses Rod and Staff and thinks it gives a great base in Arithmetic that allows kids to go on from there in highschool. It would probably be my first recommendation to you. In any of these look at placement tests or samples and don't worry if you go back a bit to get firm footing then move ahead at whatever phase is right. Since he has switched programs you really want to go back as far as necessary and fill any gaps. Math is never hard if you have each hole filled solidly but holes will seriously hinder sometime. In any program remember you can cut unnecessary for your son problems.

If you already know how the Abeka reading program works, I would assume you do as you just did first grade, I would not get everything just to use their phonics. I think all you would need is Letters and sounds K5, my blend and word book, basic phonics readers, basic phonics flashcards. You could get the curriculum manual if you want it tied together for you and just follow the phonics plans. Or you can follow the workbook and use the cards and blend book to teach and review whatever comes up in the workbook. Read through the readers as your child is able to decode the words and don't be afraid to have him her read a story multiple times. It is great fluency practice. I like the math and am using it for k and 1 this year. I plan to use it k-6 or 7. If you just want to follow someone's plan Abeka is a good one...just don't feel like you HAVE to do every worksheet, warm-up, drill...we homeschool so we can teach to our child. Make sure to to just what your child needs. Also you can often find abeka used from eBay, home educators resource, and homeschool classifieds. Good lick and God bless! Eta if you want to do Abeka handwriting I have found the writing with phonics book to be enough.

Simply Charlotte Mason history would fit the daily plan bill. It isn't too expensive or lengthy to implement. It integrates Bible into it also as well as geography. I don't know as much about it but Mystery of History might work for you also.

What about my Fathers World or Heart of Dakota. You can ask for catalogs off their websites and then poor over them for a few months. Heart of Dakota would be my first suggestion for you.

It does seem like alot. What if you alternate some of them. Like do CLE all year skipping parts that he/she already knows. Do apples and pears all year. Then do 1/2 year of writing and 1/2 year lightning lit? Or alternate months with these. You could have her do oral narrations on the off writing time and do reading out of books you want her to read on the off lit time?

I looked at CLE last year but didn't continue it. We did a lot of the LTR and I had a bit of the I Wonder stuff(textbook and few workbooks). I don't think you need the LTR before I Wonder if the student already knows phonics.

I think Christian liberty does with their class option. Memoria press has some online classes. These come to mind now. I think Christian liberty is reformed?

I am planning to use it in a year or 2 when my son is ready. My mother in law loves it and is a great writer. She used it with her kids and they write well too. She is using it with my sis in laws kids now. We all like it. Go for the right level...look at the website its not a graded curriculum. I do like a lot of the "older homeschool" stuff though... It seems less bells and whistles and really good.

I do like just the abeka kindergarten numbers workbook. You don't have to use the lesson plans. Its colorful and quick. There arn't tons of pages. My dd is 4 and using it after she did cle k last year. It is solidifying it all for her and is only a bit harder.

What about CLE at a slower pace. Perhaps just do 1/2 lesson a day or a lesson 3 times a week. This would cut down on your time and her writing but keep her moving ahead. Get the number writing book and calendar book from CLE to do with informal math on off days if you do it 3 days a week.

I would practice with the words and phrases for each step of AAS until she can spell them correctly. So, by fast I mean like 2 or 3 steps a week. So it has plenty of practice. You review the rules even after you finish the step they are in do you dont forget them. AAS has great help you can call or email and they are glad to answer and help. The first part of level 1 may be very easy but it gets harder around the middle of level 1. With my 6 year old son we do about a step a week or every other week but still have most rule cards in our review section. You may want to start out doing it totally as written then drop and add for your child. Tell your child that at first you are just learning the program and it will be easy. You can easily do it without the the tiles. I don't use them much. My son doesn't mind writing and doesn't love the tiles. Just use a white board or even paper;)

I am a good fast reader and learned easily, but my spelling was atrocious in school. My spelling improved dramatically when I took an Orton Gillingham class is college. Based on my experience, I would say take a break from R+S and do AAS. But do it at her pace. After the two levels you have you can revisit what to do next. If you decide to do more AAS, you may only need to teach her all the rules in a quickish way for it to stick. Then just finding used teachers manuals and a set of phonogram cards would work. I am using AAS, so I can try to answer any other questions...

Could an older child help the dyslexic child with AAS?

I might try to keep the dyslexic child in AAS because it is particularly good for that specific type of brain. I am not sure when to switch the other child....after 2 may work into like level 3?? Of R and staff??

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