Oh I LOVE it...it's super addicting for sure :P I have to limit myself and just log in once a day otherwise I get sucked in, LOL!! http://pinterest.com/workofchildhood/

Yeah, this definitely works here too! DS is allowed to stay up past bedtime with the nightlight on above his bed and read silently for a while. I haven't even really given a set time b/c he hasn't abused it (and usually falls asleep reading within like 30 min).

Since we are gearing up to start our 'new' year this coming week, one of the main things I am wanting to implement this year is SSR (Silent Sustained Reading) and I am wondering where I should start. My DS will be 6 in a few short months, so I am wondering if I should just start out at the full 15-20 minutes of silent reading or if we should still start slow and work our way up to the full time...WWYD? Start at 5 minutes a day for the first weeks and then start adding more after a month? Or give even less time than that and move up slowly after just a week? Part of me thinks I am over-thinking it anyway b/c it will naturally start to increase anyway, but I am just looking for some BTDT advice about how YOU started and what worked (and what didn't work) :) TIA!!!

On the website itself, it shows that an 'at level' or 'average' student would likely be in the middle of 2 books, so an average second grader would be in 1B and 2A, whereas a slightly more advanced second grader would be in 2A and 2B. So even basing it on that, I wouldn't think they are ahead as far as the standards go....should be right on track :D

There are some great nature 'journals' that you could possibly use. I love, and own, both of these... http://www.pajaro.com/mnj.shtml (My Nature Journal, by Adrienne Olmstead) http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603425315 (The Nature Connection, by Clare Walker Leslie)

I've only used the workbooks, not the CD-Rom's, but both are really great. DS loved both and if I *had* to choose between them, I would probably have picked Building Critical Thinking Skills, mostly b/c of the variety. The Mind Benders book we have, we LOVE, but it's the same kind of puzzles over and over, they just get slightly harder. The Building Critical Thinking Skills ones were all similar too, BUT, there were many more puzzles involved in a rotation...not sure if the same thing applies to the software or not though!

I think they look cute but my DS is such a visual learner, I don't think he will want to have to 'listen' to his math in addition to our read-alouds and everything else...It's REALLY tempting, but I think Singapore has worked so well for us, I hate to add anymore in the mix...can't believe I am actually resisting for once, LOL!!

Right now, I have kept this past years work...I put everything into a box...workbooks, art projects, etc and will likely always keep at least a year for reference. I would, in theory, like to keep all of it, but we just won't have space...I will likely keep some favorites from this past years box and then throw out everything else once I start to box up this year. I've been pinning (Pinterest) ideas for photographing kids artwork and turning them into big pieces of wall art so I may do something like that each year!

Thank you! Very helpful! I have been wanting the History Odyssey timeline for quite some time and I think that may be the route we go and then just add whatever one a homemade one for any preshistoric events. I guess more explanation might help...DH is Muslim and so I am trying to keep our history in line with the Islamic calendar or a more 'secular' one (i.e. without BC/AD...I guess CE is the more common alternative?). I worry about just how confusing all of this will be though? Is it really worth trying to make that work or should I just stick with the civil dating of BC/AD?? All I know is I am confusing the heck out of myself just trying to figure it all out!!

I am wondering if there is a "secular timeline" out there anywhere?? More specifically one that uses CE if possible vs BC/AD, but if not, one that goes back farther than like "4000BC" :confused:

Ditto. It also doesn't include any time that I spend reading aloud or other activities that come up during the day, including computer time on occasion (Math Whizz, etc which is usually about 30 minutes itself). I don't think we ever get to 2 hours though...1 hour on average is much more accurate. This year, first grade, we might be getting closer to the 2 hour mark on some days, but will still likely average out to about 1-1.5 hours most days.

Ended up at Target AGAIN today (gosh I love that place, lol) and they have put out a TON of school-related things now!! Ours was FULL of new workbooks, flash cards, and SO much more. A lot was stuff that wasn't much help to us personally, and/or we already owned something similar, but I still had some great finds!!

Ditto. My DS knew his that early, but he was also WAY into Thomas trains then (still is into trains in general) and that's honestly how he learned the numbers. So, not unusual at all!! WTG little man!!

Yup! We will be doing the same! I do agree that it is very workbook'ish, but overall, I am excited to start using it! My kiddo doesn't mind worksheets though! I want a slow, gentle approach to writing b/c he honestly is NOT a fan of much writing. He writes fine and will write, but it's his LEAST favorite thing to do (I can usually get him through a lesson of ETC without complaint, but much more and I am pulling teeth, lol) so I am hoping it's a good fit for him :D I definitely think, in just a quick flip-through, that it's not a book for everyone though ;)

So far, we are only using them as a supplement (we have books 1-3) and DS doesn't "love" them...he loves drawing, and how-to-draw books, but he is neither here nor there with these. Right now, we aren't using them for regular copywork, just when they have a 'theme' that goes along with what we are working on.

I think it is an age thing...my DS started out this way just a few short months ago and now he's a WHIZZ at math and can add much larger numbers in his head. It is just a matter of it finally clicking in their head and they take off :D It was that way for him at least!

My DS is quite a bit farther behind where your DD is, so it's much easier, but it's progressing really really well. He's nearly 2 years ahead of his actual math age. I know they say that regular usage is really key with the program in order for them to continue progressing. My son's current age is 5.59 and his current math age is 7.85. He has moved from 6.71 to 7.85 since his initial assessment January 3rd. So in 6 months of usage, he's moved up a grade level overall. If she has just taken the assessment, I have a feeling after regular usage, she will be much farther along than she already is! Her report looks GREAT considering she's already above age level for pretty much everything! And you are right, with practice, the program layout will make much more sense. I had issues at first with how they would show them something in the initial 'lesson' and then have the test be setup almost completely different...BUT, it is truly testing their knowledge of the subject, not just the memorization of how to do the problem (if that makes any sense).

Ditto. To simply say 'they are reading' I take that as they are able to read simple stories without stumbling over words, that includes early readers and such (Frog & Toad, etc). They no longer sound out every word and can pretty much read anything they pick up, but aren't quite ready for LONG books. 'Emerging readers', to me, are kids who are still needing to sound out a lot of what they read. 'Fluent readers' are children who are able to pick up chapter books and read them (like Charlotte's Web, etc). There may be a short gap between 'reader' and 'fluent reader', or there might be YEARS before a child goes from a 'reader' to a 'fluent reader'...but a child who can read things like Frog & Toad and other stories is still a 'reader' even if they aren't ready for chapter books :D

For Intensive Practice, do you use the same level as the workbook/textbook you are working on or do you use one level back as more of a review? For Challenging Word Problems, same question...level back or same level?

I am trying to decide whether or not to use these as well...I love our Singapore and have no plans to change it, but was looking at LOF for when we got to the older set...SUPER exciting to see books for the younger set now :D Hard to figure out placement though, but I think it might be a fun way to review and reinforce, so we may just start with Apples and go straight through.

We are definitely using the literature suggestions, and I am trying to figure out which of the history selections I want to use. I don't think I will plan to use all that is laid out b/c with everything else we are doing, I worry it will be too much. My focus this year will be heavy on the literature side for sure. We loosely did the Year 0 materials last year and will begin the AO Year 1 schedule next month when we start First Grade!

:drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5: :drool5:

Are your little black desks also from IKEA? I am shopping (in my head at the moment, lol) for a smallish desk for DS. Right now we do our work at the large dining room table, and will likely continue, but I'd like to find a small desk for him as well!! ETA: NVMD! I just found them on the website!! $20 too!! Awesome price!!! http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70176519 Does the table top lift up or does it just appear to??

This is what we are planning to use I think. We are just required to take a test each year, but it can be any of them and I like this one the most out of all of them I think :)

I have HST+, and I can't remember what features are available in Basic, but I will explain how you can do it in + and maybe it's an option available! I go to Maintenance>School Info> at the bottom, it says School Days and gives you little check boxes next to each day. You check the boxes that you want to count as actual school days. In +, you can also do a School Year Calculator when setting up your new school year and it makes setting it all up SO much easier. For that option, you go to...Tools>School Year Calculator> and then just fill in each step according to how you want things to be setup for the new school year! HTH!!