FIRE has a great podcast on current issues. They’ve become the classical liberals that the ACLU claims to be.

Thank you for such a detailed reply! It was really helpful to see how you integrate those "Hands On..." resources with Math Mammoth.

ALB, I stumbled upon this thread after seeing your 2021 planning which included a lot of AO. I lean towards CM in general and appreciate a lot of the AO selections, especially the literature side, but I also see the advantages in a guide or teacher pre-reading to help the student reach further in their readings. Would you mind talking about your transition from MP to AO? Also to anyone in this thread, did your previous comments hold true over the past three years?

Could you elaborate on the why/when of Math Mammoth plus those supplements? Doesn't MM introduce pictorial balance problems earlier than MM6? Also I've seen a lot of people aren't fans of MM Geometry sections; do you substitute for the Hands on Geometry book?

Have you considered Cottage Press Primer, Level 2? It would cover your numbers 1, 2 and 3 (maybe 6 if she's already learned the basics of cursive). There's place for drawings with the oral narrations, picture and nature studies. On paper Cottage Press and ELTL are similar, but I like that CP doesn't dictate our chapter books for the whole year.

Get Kindergarten Math with Confidence.

For my guinea-pig-homeschooling-first grader: Religion: Catherine Vos Story Bible in small bites over breakfast most mornings + Telling God's Story 1 on Sundays (our church is semi-functional, but the children's program is going to struggle for a long time) Math: First Grade Math With Confidence for the win! I hope WTM has a math sale in the Summer like last year... Handwriting: Rhythm of Handwriting Cursive by Logic of English - My daughter prints pretty well for a 5.5 year old, but I think she will benefit from the forced motion of cursive. Plus she loves everything "fancy"! Phonics/Reading/Spelling: finish out Recipe for Reading Workbooks 5-8 She's almost done with 3, and we just do a page or two a day + AAR Readers Volume 2 once she's finished with Volume 1 + RLTL 1 (now redone as Reading and Spelling Lessons Through Literature Primer) to transition to the Spalding spelling Literature: Jimmy-rigging something like AO year 1, because I can never leave well enough alone. Planning to narrate Aesop's fables, some Julius Lester Tales of Uncle Remus, classic nursery and fairy tales, 2 or 3 a week. More classic kids novels as bedtime reading and in the car. AO's Poetry books for year 1 at bedtime. History: BFB Early American Primary as a book list - trying to get through Western expansion, but probably not the Civil War. Again, can't leave well enough alone, so adding in selections from America First updated, Many Thousands Gone, The Book of Indians, etc. Geography: Pin It! Map of World + DIY version of Around the World with Picture Books 2 We used ATWWPB 1 this year, but I still spent a bunch of time looking up extra suggested books. The guide really didn't help with decision fatigue for $28 or whatever. If all the suggested extra books said, "Split this book into three readings or can be read in one sitting," it would probably be worth it to me. Science: Mystery Science subscription (luckily for $35 through group buy) + loads of LRFO books + loads of picture book science biographies from the library Nature: start (regularly) nature journaling, loads of narrative nature picture books + some nature lore spine? Art and CM bits and bobs: Homeschool Art Studio DVD First Grade/Second Grade We do "messy" art Friday afternoons after we come home from our Wild+Free group outings... my kids will tolerate a "no" on giant art projects during the week, because we have this new tradition. Still haven't figured out the details for our picture study/handicrafts/composer study/songs. But I'm going to stick with songs the library has picture books of: if I try to get my kids to sing along from a piece of paper, the balk, if there's a picture book they grin. Probably grift the IEW Poetry memorization level 1 list. Farm class for homeschoolers one morning a week at the same place she's done a forest "kindergarten" two days a week the past two years. My three year old tags along for most of this with varying degrees of attention. But he's getting some AAR pre-reading + Kate Snow's Preschool Math. Also having a baby in the school year, so ... we'll be schooling year round style indefinitely I suspect.

I think someone needs to start a 2021-2022 post!

I just started listening to Vol 1 on Hoopla, and really enjoy it so far! We're not Catholic, but my husband was raised Catholic. We would probably throw some Protestant, "living" biographies in alongside the medieval volume if we used it. Just this week I stumbled upon the Alveary/CMEC using Vol 1 for their Form 2 (3rd-5th grade) Ancient's cycle.

I'm a history book list junky. I'm biased towards "living books", but I was optimistically curious about CAP's new history. I thought it might be a more western-civ focused version of SOTW, but I wasn't impressed. I think CAP has some well established, loved programs, and I think starry-eyed classical schools are going to buy up this program. If you have a kid who prefers workbook style history, you need more independence, I see the appeal, but maybe consider Memoria Press? Their books are a lot more memorable, yet still classical.

It's for $35 this year, and they're ready to submit the signup as soon as they reach 100 people. https://www.facebook.com/groups/MysteryScienceYearlyGroupBuy/

Either on her Facebook group or her own website, she has definitely confirmed you don't need to buy the facts that stick books separately.

OK, I haven't actually used WOL, but I have looked over the samples extensively, and I really think it's marketed for a classical school setting and not homeschoolers. Yes, the tone written to the student is casual, but why are the books so wordy? Amy at humilityanddoxology is using it, and has been pretty generous with detailed replies for a different curriculum in the past for me.

The higher levels of Right Start are supposedly more independent, could be worth another look.

This doesn't answer your general advice question, but for a curriculum/supplement alternative, have you looked at Kate Snow's Math Facts that Stick series? Could be a good way to shore up her math facts for a break, but you're not committing to a whole new curriculum. After that Right Start has a fractions "tutoring kit".

You will find many people to recommend FLL and WWE on these boards, but another option to consider: Cottage Press Primers Kathy Weitz wrote the workbooks for the Classical Writing curriculum, which people on these boards recommended in the past, and the upper levels were recommended in the WTM book. She's gone on her own and started Cottage Press. The grammar is softer to start in the tradition of Charlotte Mason, but the upper levels walk you through Harvey's Grammar. https://cottagepresspublishing.net/language-lessons-for-children/ More expensive, but also more lovely! (And the intermediate levels up are non consumable)

We are using Kindergarten Math with Confidence with my five year old this year - we really enjoy it! The scope and sequence is more traditional the Right Start, but uses many of the same games. My impression is the script is also more playful.

I would love to hear how this went doing Beast Academy and Right Start G/H. I am very interested in combining those two, but at a cursory look they seem to cover most pre-algebra concepts? Have you considered doing something straight forward for pre-algebra review like Kumon, and then just dive into Foerster's Algebra? I am biased, because my own pre-algebra course in 7th grade was spotty and hodge podge, but my 8th grade algebra course was very traditional and thorough. If your kid tries AOPS and loves it, go for it, but boards here seem to have many people who got a lot out of Beast Academy, but slogged through AOPS pre-algebra.

I want to add a vote for Kate Snow's new Math with Confidence series. We're using the Kindergarten series now, and I'm honestly looking forward to the First Grade edition coming out this May. For background, I am a CM/Classicalish homeschooler, who was starting off with Right Start in Kindergarten. Kindergarten Math with Confidence uses a lot of the simple games of Right Start, pairs down the need for soooo many manipulative, and makes the scripted conversation even more playful. The worksheet illustrations are very sweet. I highly recommend it!