Hello, and welcome! I'm not sure exactly what your questions are ... Which parts of K12 will you NOT be using? We do use MUS and think it's a great program. The placement test would be an excellent place to start. For your 4yo, I wouldn't get too stressed out, but just gently expose her to the things you'd like her to learn without a formal curriculum. I've only glanced at BFIAR, so I can't comment on it. I've found that my own almost-4yo has picked up so much from being around her older siblings (11yo and 10yo) that she's ready to work on learning to read and do a little with math. When she's in the mood, we use Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, and I plan to introduce MUS Primer later in the fall. Tiffany

I think some familiarity with the IEW model would be very helpful. There have been other threads on this topic, and you'd probably be able to find a variety of opinions there. Personally, I started my kids with SWI-A (borrowed from a friend), then did the first half of SICC-A, and this year will do the Ancient History lessons. I've only watched a bit of TWSS, but I own the resource notebook. You'd want to get a general overview of the units, dress-ups, and stylistic techniques before beginning to teach, I think. In fact, IEW now sells an overview DVD for TWSS. You may want to check that out. Good luck, Tiffany

You are absolutely right. They do have tons of files! Thanks for your suggestion. Tiffany

You might also want to look at Winston Grammar, something we used last year and loved. This year, we'll be doing Fix-It, another IEW product that's very adaptable to a variety of ages. Good luck with your choices, Tiffany

I've been bitten by the workbox bug and am obsessively searching online for the perfect forms and extra schedule cards to fit my kids' needs. (I am completely hopeless at creating my own.) I'm looking for things like violin practice, piano practice, exercise time, etc. Does anyone have favorite links to share? Thanks, Tiffany

I could not agree more. With my first child, I didn't even start trying to teach him to read until he was almost 6 because I didn't have any idea we would be homeschooling -- and it didn't even occur to me to try. We started with Teach Your Child to Read ..., and I supplemented with everything I could find. It wasn't until his dad and I got tired of reading his Pokemon cards to him (around 6 1/2) that he really became motivated to read on his own. By the time he was 8, he was reading Lord of the Rings. That said, I don't think you can rush a child who isn't quite ready to sit and work on reading for long periods of time. But you CAN keep approaching it from different angles. I would definitely try Teach Your Child ..., and if available, watch Between the Lions for another approach. Read BOB books together. Keep it happy and loving, and keep modeling by reading your own books (to yourself) and reading aloud (to him) daily. Hope this helps, Tiffany

I have all the manuals, but rarely use them. Personally, I'd say to save the money and spend it on something fun! Tiffany

I just bought the Scotch thermal laminator that Wal-Mart sells for about $24. Not factoring in that cost since it will last much longer than the 50-pack of pouches I bought for about $13 (also at Wal-Mart), my cost per page was about $.26. I was completely on the fence about whether or not to buy one, but now that I've laminated a few cool things with it, I think it will be worth the money. Hope that helps, Tiffany

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Are you planning on continuing with Sonlight? Sorry, I just looked up HOD in the Abbreviation Sticky, and I can't find it. (Maybe I'm spacing it, but I can't figure it out.) Personally, I'd continue with Sonlight, and add SOTW if you really want to supplement. I probably wouldn't add extra readings unless your child was really into a certain topic. The Activity Guide would be a good, user-friendly source for hands-on stuff, but it wouldn't be necessary. It does have map work, so that would bring in all the geography you'd need for that age (IMHO). Does that help? Tiffany

I'd recommend having your child just start SWI-B, with you watching alongside. (Make sure you get the free lesson plans from the IEW website or the files section of the IEW-Families Yahoo! group, which is great.) Then when you have time, watch the TWSS DVDs for further understanding. I procrastinated watching the TWSS DVDs for so long, and I finally just decided to do the above (except we were using SWI-A). It worked beautifully, my kids loved being taught directly by Andrew Pudewa, and we are hooked on IEW. Just get started. Good luck, Tiffany

I have a child in Epsilon and a child in Delta, as well as one about to start Primer. I did buy the completer blocks set a year ago, but I really don't need them. Tiffany

An excellent question. I'd be interested to hear too. Tiffany

I personally found the Tammy Duby Ultimate Lapbook guide more inspiring than the Dinah Zike books I've seen. But both are excellent. I was shocked to discover that my library had one of the Dinah Zike books, so you might want to check there before ordering (if you haven't already). Tiffany

You're right, that would be an excellent lap book. Of course, I'm not even close to creative enough to come up with it myself. But my 3yo would love it too! Tiffany

We average about one lesson per week. My two big kids are in Epsilon (11yo son) and Delta (10yo daughter). I generally have them do one regular lesson page and one review page per day. However, all three of us know that the work goes faster in the beginning of the books and slower at the end, so if things fly by early on, we try to do more so we can feel okay about slowing down near the end. Also, for my 11yo, who is rather quick at picking up math concepts, I tried a new motivational system. If he completes the first review page with no errors, he doesn't have to do the next review page. Or something like that ... (I need more coffee before I'll be fully awake.) Hope this helps, Tiffany

Liz and Kelly, your photos look awesome. Thanks so much for sharing. Liz, I just subscribed to your blog. I loved "A Good List for Catholics" -- it's good to be reminded of these things. Tiffany

You are always so helpful, Merry! Thanks so much for finding the photos for us. Tiffany

I'm a violin teacher, rather than a piano teacher, but my guess would be closer to 2 years if they're really using the Suzuki Method. The better the teacher, the more confidence that individual would have in a slow start -- making sure the child had a really solid foundation and good technique before moving on. It's really more about quality than quantity. Tiffany

Loved the slideshow and the schedule outline. Thanks so much for sharing! Tiffany

Thanks, Merry! I've started setting up the hanging folder boxes for my big kids, and I'm playing with the idea of a multi-drawer cart for my little one. Hmmm... Tiffany

Hi, all, I'm very new to the whole idea of Workboxes, but have ordered the book and done a lot of looking at web pages in the last couple of days. I think this could be an excellent system for my kids, but am trying to decide between multi-drawer carts (like Merry does so beautifully!) and hanging file folders in totes (which would require little investment since I already own them). Can anyone comment about what the pros and cons would be re. hanging folders instead of drawers (besides the obvious cost issue)? My kids: 11yo 6th grade boy (a perfectionist overachiever who is distractible during math time), a 10yo 5th grade girl (fashionista who loves writing her name over and over), and an almost 4yo (craft lover and tantrum thrower). We hit a lot of subjects in a day, so I'm a little concerned about whether everything would fit in either system -- making sure to include something fun now and then. Your thoughts? Tiffany

I'm a professional violinist and violin teacher (Suzuki certified), and these are all excellent questions. As you've already heard, 5 is definitely not too young. In fact, it's a very good age to start, since she's already been asking to play for quite a while. I agree, try searching the Suzuki website for a teacher in your area, and speak to different teachers if you have that option. You may find you have a better rapport with one or the other. Credentials are important too, so try to find out the teacher's Suzuki training, as well as actual violin training. (For example, some teachers may have gone to a conservatory. Some may not have had any training beyond high school age.) I do highly recommend you find a professional, qualified teacher, rather than using a video system, but I am slightly biased on that topic, right?:) Finding a violin ... With my own students (18 at the moment), I recommend they either rent from a local arts program ($45/semester) or buy from Sharmusic.com or similar. I do not recommend eBay unless you're willing to risk a very bad instrument. I would definitely find the teacher FIRST, as that individual will probably want to help you with sizing and choosing the right instrument. Personally, I prefer to check out each student's possible instrument purchase before they commit to buying, and this is customary in the violin world. It doesn't matter whether you're buying a $150 1/8 size or a $5 million Stradivarius. You are not totally crazy, and I'd be happy to help if you have other questions. Sorry for the rambling. Tiffany P.S. Where are you located? It's a long shot, but I may be able to recommend someone in your area.

I think it would be too confusing for ME to do all 3 programs at once. My memory of Singapore Early Bird is that it did fly by fairly quickly. My guess is that the pace will naturally slow down once you get into the more advanced books. I haven't used RightStart, so I can't comment on how it would fit in. Tiffany

I'm not positive I'm the best person to help, as my advice would be to wait a bit and see whether she improves over time. She's still fairly young. My two big kids are at completely opposite ends of the spelling ability spectrum -- the 11yo is a spelling bee champion-type, and the 10yo has struggled and struggled, but gradually shown improvement. I did try Spelling Power for a while, but it didn't work very well for us. My 11yo didn't need it, and my 10yo (who was probably 8 then) didn't improve. This past year, we switched to the Phonetic Zoo (Excellence in Spelling, from IEW), and she has improved SO MUCH. I think part of it is developmental though. Good luck, Tiffany