Hey ladies and gentlemen, I was interested in what has been you favorite programs and why😁 you love them. Thanks for you inputs. I personally used Rod and Staff and CLE for my earliest years teaching math and found both to be excellent programs. Both are strong at math facts and concepts when taught as it asks in the manual. I switched to a mix of Singapore Textbooks for the amazing pictoral style of teaching concepts and MCP math manual as my teaching base. I switched only because I loved the manuals of MCP and felt I could teach and assign problems easier with this program. Rod and Staff has a lot of review problems built into the program which is one of its strengths as a program, but to be used in a mostly tutoring senario I found it more than my students needed and I could streamline easier with MCP manuals. Each summer we also go through Life of Fred and our children LOVE Fred. Fred in my opinion in the younger years is best added to a tutoring style program, but the High School level is excellent and strong. I tend to have my children do the level of Fred below their tutored abilities making it a fun refresher instead of as the core program. This winter we began Teaching Textbooks for a little while to allow me to focus on other needed topics. The children have enjoyed the computer time and really enjoy this program as well. I am using it similar to how I use Fred, as a refresher while I focus on something else. Once they get past MCP our children do Saxon and I tutor with BJU, as it is mastery based and how I think. Blessings, Brenda P.S. I find it fun to see what people use and how it works in their homes, thank you for sharing😁.

I mentioned the combined volume because it is my favorite😎. The material is pretty much the same as the divided volume, but in a smaller formatted book, which I prefer. I also like that you see the entire progression of the two levels and I also typically use it in one year vs. two. Brenda

With you staying you want to continue using McGuffys heavily I would suggest using Gentle Grammar and her lesson sheets by Sherry Hayes. It uses the McGuffy readers as the base of the lessons. For next fall I would heavily encourage you using the combined volume of First Language Lessons. It is so sweet, great done in a pair, and the will memorize poems and rules while having little writing required by adding it to the lesson sheets with McGuffys. Hope you find something you enjoy, sounds like you are already doing great. Tutoring personalizes the education and the above tools are excellent for that as well. Blessings, Brenda

I personally like phonics or rule based spelling. We include dictation in our language arts for multiple reasons, but for most of my children the pattern list in Natural Speller and the rules based of Rod and Staff has been great in building skills. Blessings, Brenda

8filltheheart, What are your favorite programs not done online? Blessings, Brenda

I am out of the loop for his classes. That sounds like an excellent option for her as well. I do Teaching Textbooks because we have chosen to not have our younger children have internet access and it can be done offline once lessons are downloaded. I had considered Khan Academy, but one has to be online the entire time. I think for my weakest math student, she has felt more successful as well which is blessing here. I also prefer mastery based programs and TT is not, but for fun review our children have enjoyed it. We also use Life of Fred each summer and our children love that. I used to use Rod in Staff...it is solid, but switched to MCP and Singapore in the younger years...I enjoy both for different reasons. Like everything curriculum wise, use the tools as tools and you can be successful in your goals. I plan to take a month soon and play math with our younger children using mastering mathematics cards and manipulatives. Math is fun and great to look at from many points of view. LOF, living math books, and Number stories...through a story. MCP, Key to series,and Rod and Staff...mastery based and great for filling holes and introducing topics. Singapore is excellent at mental math and understanding why. It builds solid word problem understandings. I used AOPs prealgebra, BJU for tutoring, and Saxon/LOF (independent studies) for my oldest whom is graduated for High School. He did amazing on his SATs with these programs. We school year around with rare giving birth breaks every few years 🤣...this allows us to backseat certain subjects to something different and still make great gains. My main goal for using Teaching Textbooks is to backseat math as I need to focus on something else more important for a few months 😉

I agree about it being less challenging, and would not use it as my main curriculum unless I needed more self instruction for a time as I believe the poster did😉. I also mentioned tutoring weekly...this is where I would work topically on weaknesses and on more advanced word problems. In her case of needing something more video reliant, I believe as you stated some may have different needs. I personally LOVE math and enjoy teaching it. I was the strongest math student in my school and have many very strong math students. I wanted to focus on grammar and writing as my main tutoring focus for a few months and got my children teaching textbooks for review and they LOVE it. For us I am still tutoring once a week in math as a stretching, 4 days in English. Our children did their grade levels in a couple months and are about to start the second level above their grade levels. It has been a blessing here to be able to back seat a subject, but in a couple more months we will be back at our main curriculums...I love them all🤣. I tend to rotate curriculums a few months at a time, it makes life a bit more fun I think. I was hoping it would allow her to have a gentle start into homeschooling as she finds strengths and interest of her child. Not unschooling, but gentle. Many blessings, Brenda

I have found using more independent programs in the middle years with a tutoring period has allowed the time for natural discussions to occur. Abeka is a good program, our area Christian school uses it and we have friends whom have used it with their children. Some ideas. Plan a reading period every day...it is the last year before high school and I would encourage reading heavily in topics of interest as it may help when directing the plan for high school. There are some basics all children do, but electives really allow children to explore interest and callings. Teaching Textbooks...it teaches and grades math every day for you. It has solutions worked step by step as well. I would schedule 1 day a week to tutor math in particular. I tutor each child daily, but rotate topics of focus. Easy Grammar Plus..most schools are not strong in grammar and this would shore up basic skills before high school. Writing...I would do either Writing Strands or Writing with Skill. Rod and Staff Spelling is excellent he could do levels 7 and 8 in one year for a solid study of latin and Greek roots. Reading widely and purposefully, writing daily, doing math, grammar, and spelling/vocabulary is sufficient in my opinion for under high school. You could add Abeka science and history with videos of it is what you need instead of allowing him to follow interest. In your daily tutoring time, begin with narration and discussion of what he is learning. I have found this an excellent way to home educate a large family. Rotate subjects in this time. Blessings, Brenda

I had the original then moved, and it got lost. I bought the new ones, they are much larger sized. Both are nice, but when I found the old one I was thrilled! I love the smaller compactness of the original and the great memories doing it with my older children. I love that it is two in one as well as I tend to not use it until my children are reading well, which could be in Kindergarten or in 2nd grade...leaving me never feeling behind. Blessings, Brenda

Another option if you already own the text, is to simply test him through the chapters and only have him complete chapters that he scores less than 90. He could read the chapter for a quick mental review, then test. It is mastery based so this works well. I have done this with MCP math program to fill holes and progress children quickly through material that is too easy for them. This allows you more time to tutor and do the fun activities in the manual on areas that they are not as strong. I love how solid a foundation this has laid for our children in math without boring them. Blessings, Brenda

I agree. It is mainly a review of 6th grade with a couple topics that are also taught in PreAlgebra itself. It is a clear program and well done, but not necessary. Blessings, Brenda

Next year I may do days of the week down the side with one less item...most likely dropping meal plan and simple writing it in the calendar for the month. Just sharing in case someone could use the idea. I will have to print labels to cover the days of the week across the top though. I do think having a 6 day planner would be better for me personally.

Have you considered hand lettering a basic template and copying it enough times for a complete year? It would be personalized and most likely prettier to. You could add other pieces like a monthly calendar, attendance charts, and a booklist plan. Hope you do find what you are looking for. Blessings, Brenda

I love the Marvel one as well. It is set up weekly though. I have adored my Simple Plan This Year. I can put Meal plan, Household, Littles Lessons, Tutoring, and Nursery hour down the left side. Days across the top...which I label by my main purpose of the day. Blessings, Brenda

Nichola, Thank you for the ideas🤗. Blessings, Brenda

You are right. I had them years ago😁.

I used it years ago with my oldest son, and found the books to be interesting. I did not like reading them aloud however. Not sure why really, but he loved the books and any books I added. He was a precocious reader so this worked well for us. Hope this helps! I am planning on doing this exactly again with my middles along with Bible memory for the next little bit. Hoping they enjoy the books as well. Blessings, Brenda

The All Through the Ages book is amazing. It has commentary throughout that I really enjoyed. With you posting this, it has made me want to look again at adding it to my middles basket I am doing. Shopping my bookshelf and borrowing books from the library for each! The series is fantastic. We add in the Famous Men series as well. Blessings, Brenda P.S. Congratulations 🎉 to all of soon to be and new mamas in the thread.

It is excellent. MFW combined with Sonlight list is what I do for my youngers and it is amazing. I add in Rod and Staff and CLE workbooks for the preschool to k stage and it is a simple fun program. MFW for the daily activities and fun programs, Sonlight for a daily 30 minutes read aloud period. Rod and Staff and CLE for a 15 minute seat work period. Blessings, Brenda

Thank you both for such great ideas! I will look into both of them. I am excited to have the energy back to do some fun books and activities with the middles. Blessings, Brenda

Another option not spoken often is Modern Curriculum Press series. Our family loves it and one can test quickly through the program to where they actually need teaching due to the mastery/ topic based set up. This is excellent for filling in gaps for students as well. Blessings, Brenda

With a new baby coming, maybe you could keep it super simple. Write a number every day on a calendar, practice counting daily on a hundred board and abacus, and practice adding little items together later in the year with anything laying around the house. I did something similar this year and my son in the first semester knows how to write and count to 100, counts by 1s, 2s, 10s, and 5s well. He knows most of his addition facts just buy exposing him to cuisenaire rods and toys. We did read Number Stories aloud and it was fun for him. K can simply be a list of goals and work 10 minutes daily on this during your tutoring time with him without buying anything or feeling stressed to finish something in particular. All you need is a calendar, 100 chart, abacus, and choice of combining items. You may already have those items😁. Blessings, Brenda

I used to frequent these boards a lot, but then got busy with life. This year I have decided to do a major media fast and only allow myself time online to check in with other like minded homeschooling mommas. I chose this board and MFW boards. This is a new season of life for me, but oddly I feel like I am starting all over. I have homeschooled since my oldest son was 2, and he is 19 now! My oldest son just left for the Navy and is doing well. I had a few rough pregnancy years and focused heavily on the basics first with the older children reading widely from several different list. This did work well, but I really missed some of the more group aspects of home educating a large family. Our children are now the following ages: Newly 17, a junior Newly 14, 8th 11, 6th 8, 3rd 6, K 3, preschool 1, exploring We have done nursery hour in the evenings and this has been a blessing for our young ones plus I have a tutoring time for each child during the day. However, I have decided to begin doing more group lessons beginning in January and am very excited to get started. The plan is to do MFW K units with my 1, 3, 6, and 8 year old this semester. They will still do independent work/ tutoring time using age appropriate resources plus reading periods for the two oldest in this group. I want to something with my 11 and 14 year olds, but it needs to inexpensive or available through interlibrary loan. I was thinking of making an afternoon basket for them. I also considered Beautiful Feet's History of Classical Music. I think my 8 year old would enjoy that as well. I could borrow the books and only buy the manual and cds. Any ideas for what to include? Any favorite programs that are inexpensive for this age range that can be done in 1 hour a day? I am wanting to wait on ECC until next year so all of children ages 7 and up can do it together. Thank you ladies for your idea and time😁. Hope you have been well. Blessings, Brenda

Phonics Pathways One can add Explode the Code for encoding practice or simply follow phonics pathways encouragement for copywork and then dictation.

Our 6th born is a ker this year! We are doing: Phonics Pathways Bob books and then early readers CLE K2 workbooks...none of the activity ones and using Rod and Staff workbooks E to L. We will also finish the last of ETC ABC primers. Once we finish workbooks we will simply do copywork daily. Number Stories and drill math facts Daily outdoor time Lots of games and puzzles Readalouds every morning including Bible A 90 minute Nursery time every evening for literature and on rainy days a board game a little earlier. Enjoying this baby every day! They grow way too fast! Brenda