I don't think that's the issue at all! I think the issue is that SL's return policy and standards are far more stringent and, frankly, cynical than their competitors (amazon, cbd, barnes & noble). It has nothing at all to do with whether the owners are Christians or not. As for WP, I won't purchase a curriculum that I can't later resell, period. Next year, we'll have substantially more money to spend on homeschool curriculum, and WP won't get any of it because of their creepy, controlling no-resell policy. Too bad, because their program looks nice.

:iagree: For me, I'm only able to buy things very inexpensively. That's just reality. I'm not trying to get something for nothing, I'm trying to get something that fits my minuscule budget :) I need things to be at least 50% off (usually). It's nothing personal against sellers who also need to be paid more than that. It's a trade-off, though. I browse for sale ads knowing that I might need to compromise on edition and, to a degree, condition. I still won't bother with trashed books, though. But books that look used but are still very usable are fine.

It's my preference to find one program to use throughout the elementary school years. When I was an elementary student we moved A LOT. I think I went to around 7 or 8 different elementary (K-5) schools. I was a very bright student but had major learning gaps in math because the schools all used different curricula and taught different things at different times. It was very frustrating and had long-term effects on my education and self-esteem. By the time my parents stopped moving (Jr. High) I had given up on math, because I thought I wasn't any good at it. I was wrong about that, but I was an adult before I was able to get in touch with my inner math geek :) So, unless our program of choice (MEP) simply doesn't work for my girls, we're sticking with it into Jr. High. I do like the idea of supplementing with things like Miquon and Living Math to give the girls an even richer math experience. However, the basic program will hopefully stay the same.

I've made radical changes in the past few days. We're saving World History until next year (DD1 will be 2nd, DD2 will be 1st) when we can do (and afford!) Sonlight Core 1. I'm teaching both of my children together in everything except math and reading/phonics. Anyway... Reading Pathway Readers Phonics Smart mama DIY program :D Math MEP :thumbup: Supp. with Miquon Orange and Red Science Rod & Staff Patterns in Nature Book of experiments (the name escapes me at the moment) Field trips to Yosemite, the Aquarium and (if we have time) all the way up to Lassen. History / Geography A Beka My America & My World Me on the Map, and similar books History Pockets (Colonial America) World Cultures Read-aloud: Then and Now, Living Long Ago, Wild Places, I Heard Good News Today and Stories from Africa Spanish La Clase Divertida Literature Read-alouds, borrowing liberally from the Sonlight book list and whatever else I find at the library.

I haven't used Ambleside, but I'm considering it and will be watching this thread with interest. :lurk5: I wanted you to know that I'm there with you with the unemployed husband (going on 7 mos. now. Argh!) and not wanting to tweak. Anyway, thanks for posting this question and hang in there!!:grouphug:

For those who used FIAR, how long did you take to get through a book? Five days in a row or five days stretched out over a couple of weeks?

Thanks ElizabethB, I'll check those links out. I've never heard of Webster's Speller before.

How long do you think handwriting practice would take? Would handwriting practice take more than 5 or 10 minutes, you think? I'm concerned about making their days too long. They're smart, but YOUNG, kwim? My goal is to keep the total time for academic work to around 1-1/2 hrs (2 hrs MAX) a day, some in the morning, some in the afternoon.

Helpful input... thank you. I totally spaced on phonics. Duh! :blushing: I am wide open to more feedback :)

My "going on 5" DD will be starting Kindergarten this fall, her 6 yo sister will be in 1st grade. They are both extremely bright, motivated people. This will be our first year homeschooling, so I could use some input. My goal is for it to be gentle and developmentally-appropriate but still give them a strong foundation. Also, I want to teach them TOGETHER as much as possible. They're only 15 mos. apart. It's not "by the book" WTM, though I've been heavily influenced by it (esp. the focus on mastering the 3 R's in the early years) Anyway, here's the plan thus far: Daily Pathway Readers and "read alone" library books, with narration. Five in a Row - with a narration activity added in. Math: MEP 1a (DD2) and 1b/2 (DD1) M/W/F Spanish: La Clase Divertida 1 Handwriting: Queen's Cursive (DD1) and HWT Letters & Numbers for Me (DD2) Once or twice a week: Science: Rod & Staff Patterns in Nature (read aloud, answer wkbk questions orally, so DD2 can participate too), read related library books and do experiments in More Mudpies to Magnets as much or little as they want. History: "Ancient World Cultures", discussing the cultural/religious/political highlights of the best known ones, e.g. Egypt (mummies, pyramids, King Tut, etc.), Rome, China, and so on. Lots of craft projects because we all love doing them :) and use picture-rich books from the library books. Thoughts? Feedback?

Has anyone used Rod & Staff's gr. 2 science curriculum "Patterns of Nature?" I'm looking for something to use with my 2 DDs together (will be kindergarten and first grade). I liked the look of the samples and the story narration format of the lessons. It seems like it would be a great program, especially if I supplement with some relevant picture books... but I'm still not sure. So... any experiences / thoughts / suggestions? Thanks :)