If your daughter is strong at math, Saxon might be too repetitive and overly through to keep her interest. Singapore moves faster and you can skip if she is getting things.

Do you have the supplemental Singapore books for extra practice?

I have had great results with Singapore with my daughter who struggled with math until 4th grade. Singapore is good visually and, with backup of extra practice (textbook, workbook, test book) you can go over things that are3 difficult as much as necessary. I heard the argument that Singapore was for kids that "got" math - in my case it has helped for someone who didn't! Good luck!

One of the things I like about Singapore is the different books you can buy to provide more revision material when needed (workbooks and test books) but you can go through the textbook either orally, or on paper where needed, if the child knows the material. We went through 3B pretty quickly, did levels 4A and 4B easily, with a little support from the workbook and found quite a few topics in 5A and 5B that benefited from the reinforcement of the Test book. I love that flexibility.

My point is that, if the RS4K books are good, stick strictly to science (which both the biology and chemistry do - haven't seen the physics) the why all the fuss about the authors beliefs? I read the thread you posted and was disappointed by the level of argument. Yes, in a yahoo group she brings up her beliefs when questioned directly about how to ask questions and steer arguments. This does not equal an "agenda" for her books. If she has an agenda to indoctrinate kids into believing iD, she fails miserably as the term and concept are never mentioned. We should celebrate good homeschooling material - and these books have proven themselves as a good choice for many secular families.

You are clearly a veteran homeschooler so I am reluctant to pas son "advice". Obviously you can sneak in a certain amount but, if yours are anything like mine, they spot it a mile off. I simply start every day with 45-60 minutes of math, ni exceptions. After that, life is very free-flowing,m but I am not sure if you can gain the skills and fluenct, without going through the grind. (If anyone knows how, I'd be keen to try!) We do Singapore Math and have found it great.

Try taking the Singapore placement online. The books are very kid friendly for a younger child

This is te best time to develop foreign language skills so I think it is a great idea. However, the reaosn it is such a great time is because little kids pick up everything aurally. It is therefore essential that you are providing everything with a good accent. CDs etc are great - maybe charge a small fee and try and find a native speaker in the community to pay once a month to do a conversationally based session? Good luck

I agree - the main thing at this age for kids to love reading. As they get older, you will want to bring in elements of analysis. Maybe you could occasionally incorporate some exercises like writing a cover sleeve for a favorite book summarizing the context and giving a teaser to persuade other kids to buy it, or a critique for a book prize, saying what is so good about the book, and why it should be awarded the prize. ie work on summarizing, considering what constitutes a good book, why something is captivating etc. Book reports can be dull, but tasking a specific lean on them and bringing in the child's enthusiasm for a book to try to convince others, can be fun and educational (and good writing practice!)

Very little science is covered in elementary schools. What te best school programs do is instill a fascination for asking the "whys"? If they want to know how things work, why things happen the way they do, what things are made of, they will go on to develop the inquisitive scientific mind. Too much "book science" at too young an age is a killer.

It's hard to do 20th century limited to the US - have you thought about augmenting using fiction primarily? There is so much out there, especially for 20th century and it might be very engaging for your kids. I have found some of the really sensitive issues of the 20th century (Holocaust, racism etc) have been dealt with age-appropriately in good fiction and, by making it personal, the kids get a great perspective on complex topics, and really start to think about deeper issues.

One of the advantages of homeschooling! That said, goals are good too - don't lose them in the enthusiasm of seeing attractive curricula - maybe look for ways the books you like can lead you to the educational goals. Often it is not what specific material they learn, but what they learn from learning it! ie love of learning, research techniques, writing skills, time management etc - these will be most easily learnt if the child is enthusiastic about the material being covered, so flexibility is great!

If you have the money to invest, CTY (Johns hopkins' Center for Talented Youth) has a fabulous online course called "The Process of Writing". We're incredibly fortunate as we work for JHU and get a hefty discount - it is a really wonderful, demanding course - the work the kids end up writing amazes them! We have been doing it "flexi-paced" to fit in a more relaxed way into our schedule.

I would also suggest looking at Singapore - they have a lot of word problems, and ample extra practice through the workbook, test book etc. My daughter was also a "deer in the headlight" math child when we pulled her out of school after 3rd grade. 2 years later she is above grade level and MUCH more confident.

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