Someone asked which reading/phonics program I use. I use Sing Spell Read and Write . I used the combo K-1st. She did the Kindergarten in PreK and finished the 1st grade part this year in Kinder. I did modify the amount of writing expected since she is younger than the program is intended for and after reading TWTM I didn't want her writing abilities to hold back her reading abilities. I tend to tweak any curriculum to be what I want so I did't fall the directions to a tee. She seemed to like the program and even though I know songs and games aren't necessary for learning we enjoyed using this part of the program. Sheryl

I tested my daughter who is 9 month Kindergarten . She is 6 years old. She tested 5.3 grade/reading level. I knew she was reading well...for example The Boxcar Children (original book) she just read and read it well with amazing comprehension so I just assumed since that is a third grade book that she was on or around a third grade level. The 5th grade level sent me for a loop. Now I know that this is just one dinky internet test and she could test differently on others but I was wondering if this could even be in the ballpark for her. I guess I worry that I won't be able to provide what she needs in a couple of years. Probably silly to be worried about. ..I should be glad she is reading so well not scared of it! Thanks for the responses. Sheryl

The link was something about readingkey athena. I tested dd6 and am a little puzzled by her results. Anyone out there test their child with this and found it to be accurate? Sheryl

If you start the baby out on some pack n play time when he/she is sitting up by themselves which should be soon they get used to it quickly. Maybe set the pack n play up in the room where your little one plays as well. Then start the process of teaching them room play time and pack n play time for the baby. You might want this to be within close distance to keep an eye on things. Start with about 10 minutes and make it mandatory. Then build up. I use to spend hours playing with my little girl and so I didn't feel bad or guilty having her play in her pack n play for 40 minutes which is what we worked up to. She had safe toys in there and I knew she couldn't get out and in to other things. I used the time then to clean or eat but you could use that time to get in about 30 minutes of lessons. 30 minutes goes a long way with a 6 year old one on one. Just a thought. I won't have another little one until our adoption goes through which will be another 3 years or so. My goal is to have my now 3 year old reading before she comes home . Here's hoping!

Our last week of Kindergarten. Why does the time fly by so fast? Here's a pic I chose as I was looking through this years images of her. www.hazelnutacademy.blogspot.com

I use Sing Spell Read Write..You could get the first grade kit but would have to skip some at the beginning which is letter sound review. The program has songs and games like bingo and card games. We like it here and my dd has done very well with it.

This year I read the following to my K'er not including our history studies etc. The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (original) The Cricket in Times Square The Campout Mystery (not my pick but a pick from bookclub) Tons of picture books of course ,she still loves them at age 6 Those are the ones I can remember. Sometimes its just hard to fit it in. I still have a toddler that wants bedtime stories, tons of reading with our history program etc.

Our last week and some recent pics. www.hazelnutacademy.blogspot.com Summer break here we come!

Hey Jennefer, I am going to be using AP next year with Princess Poodle. If I understand AP correctly the first book covers the following: what artists do (they compose, imagine, look, communicate, use photos, make landscapes, make portraits etc. what artists see (shape, form, line, color, edges, mixed colors) where we find art (caves, underground, palaces, floors, city walls, churches etc) There are pictures for picture study in each lesson along with some explanation pages on the topic and then a project page with instructions on what to do. I belive book two or three goes more into specific artists of the past.Book two of the K-3 is stories of artists and their art. Book three is modern painting and sculpture. Hope this helps. Sheryl in GA

We have a local Christian Private School that believes in homeschooling as much as they do their own private school education. The principal homeschooled for many years as well. DD7 will be going one day a week next year from 9-2:30. She is in a class that is K-2nd and usually contains about 15 kids. She will have a science class (each year is different focus but next year will be the ZOOm experiements), history (SOTW maps, discussions, and projects), music and art. The benefit for our family is that dd gets to interact in a setting other than church with kids her age and more importantly kids that are homeschooled as well. She gets recess time with them and lunch on top of the class schedule. I also see it beneficial that she gets to have teachers other than Mom. One day she will anyway (not sure if that will be 3rd grade or college). She got to participate in a musical and a history and art fair and even won a second place ribbon for her history project. I couldn't do this at home. It also gives me some time to spend with my younger child and gives her some time AWay from him!!! The negatives: it is one day I don't have to get our work done. So my dream of a four day school week is pretty much shot. Can't take Fridays off anymore. It cost money in tutition and gas. And since their history is only 1 day a week I have to supplement at home so its not like I don't have to teach that subject. We did the co-op for 1/2 day this year and my dd can't wait to be there all day next year. She has had some trouble bonding with the other girls that live much closer to the co-op and attend same church etc. But for the most part she loves it there and so we will continue. Hope this helps.

There's a civil war cyclorama in Atlanta that is pretty cool. That probably doesn't coincide with where you are in history but its neat to see. And Atlanta has alot of other things. The new GA aquarium is beautiful and with older kids can be educational too. Mine were to young to stay put long enough to learn anything.

I'm big on imagination stuff. We do Saint Nicholas big time. We even left out "reindeer" food (birdseed, oatmeal and glitter) on the lawn and St. Nick left the kids some sleigh bells on the lawn as a thank you. They can't wait to add to their collection of sleigh bells this year. This past year we found sooty footprints in front of the fireplace. My kids are still little but the way I'm handling it is that I try to refer to him by his real name Saint Nicholas as much as possible. We checked out a couple of books on him and read about him some real some legend. when the time comes I plan to explain that he was real but that he was a man and all men die at some point because he wasn't God. But what he stood for was so important that people have kept it going for him and that now it will be her turn to join in the effort to give. We also try to extend this beyond our ouwn family and give to those in need as well. Hopefully being able to join in the spirit of giving and keeping this going will be enough to bring a smile to her face. Time will tell. As for the Bunny I don't get to do that one. My dh plays along with the others but he believes Easter is special and that we were told to remember it and so no bunny here. We do color egss and hunt them days before Easter as I celebration of Spring. Hope this helps. Now I've just got to figure out how to keep answering the "M0ommy are the princesses at Disney real princesses?" without lying to her directly.

Ok...I feel better that no one else has gotten a confirmation email. I just worry that they didn't get my email some how and when the time comes I'll won't have the books I need for school. I looked on Amazon and they let you preorder and I think the ship date they said was around Aug. 18th. I was hoping Peace Hill would get it to me faster. I'll just wait and see. Thanks for the replies. Sheryl

I sent in the email for the preorder that was given at Peace Hill Press. I did not receive back any kind of confirmation. Did anyone else that preordered receive an email back? How do I know if I'm on the list etc. Thanks for helping. Sheryl

Try to get some books from the library before you go that are related to the ocean/beach..just look through what's listed on amazon..I think a thread a while back on this board talked about an ocean unit. Pack a magnifying lense, some nets to catch things, plenty of baggies to hold things..I can't help much for the older kids. My Nature Journal by Olmstead does have a whole section on the seashore but then you'd want to use the rest of it and I'm not sure if you're into nature study. Have a great time!!!!

I second or third Kumon books. My three year old boy started these a few months ago because he wanted to do school . We chose the cutting practice book and the tracing book. He likes the mazes as well. I also started him on a letter a week. Very light but he has learned his letters and almost all of his sounds. Example: Letter M: read books on monkeys, colored a letter of the week page related to M, activity: jumped on my bed together after reading you guessed it! Simple stuff like this but it made him feel special and my dd6 always wanted to sit in on his "school work". He also colored history pages along with big sis.

Ok..I am now going through the LA struggle that I have observed so many others go through. Here's my thoughts for dd Kinder. She will be in first grade starting in July. Dd is reading on around a third grade level with excellent comprehension. She does copywork very well. She narrates stories back to me with great ease. Two different paths? Wtm vs. A bit more Mason? 1st path: complete Language Lessons for the Very Young (based on her level I see this happening by mid-year or before) and then move on to Primary Language Lessons and go at a slow pace if necessary. 2nd Path: combine first Language LEssons with Writing with Ease to use as our program. Any words of wisdom here. I go back and forth between wanting gentle and rigorous. Am I the only Jekkel and Hide around here? SHeryl in GA (sorry for typos I'm not feeling well)

We are doing a combination of the WTM recommendations with nature study. I'm using My Nature Journal which gives some nature activities and suggestions for I have started planning our science. There's a link at www.hazelnutacademy.blogspot.com Its a work in progress but will include some of what we are doing. I'm not sure how to work in the human body yet. We might just do a short unit study during the winter when our nature walks will slow down.

Would one use FLL and Writing with Ease together? Is this not a doubling up so to speak? I don't have either program yet...I was considering combining FLL with Language Lessons for the Very Young for next year but I have been looking at Writing with Ease and now I'm back to a state of confusion. Anyone that can clear this up in a simple way. DD will be in first grade next year..she is reading on a third grade level now and can do copywork (she writes in her own handwriting what I have written down). Her own personal writing has periods in the wrong places and alot of "ands" . Anyone? SHeryl in GA

Thank you so much for chiming in with what has worked with you. I tend not to be curriculum shy but with cursive I find that I am. Now I find myself even more confused than before. Perhaps I fear this because my handwriting is so poor. I never had good handwriting and now with cyst in both wrists it is even worse because my hands wear out. I will continue to think about this ...hmmmm. What to do? Sheryl in GA

I was planning to wait until second grade but now I am thinking that I might like to start cursive the second half of first or perhaps the summer after first when its all we have to do. Any suggestions for your favorite curriculums. Thank you, Sheryl in GA

Love how Jennifer C said it "Please let her continue to read in the hammock". I very polite way to say it and I completely agree. I had a boss once that saw that I could work faster than others and what was my reward but MORE WORK! Kinda ticked me off. Who wants to get rewarded for hard work with more work. Maybe she will have some ideas of things she might like to explore but if not then the above quote makes sense to me. Sheryl in GA

Ok..so I buck the trend it seems. I started dd6 on SOTW Anicents in Kindergarten. My plan was to do 1/2 in Kinder and 1/2 in first so our schedule wouldn't be overloaded. Well it turns out it is her favorite subject! I will say that we did less oral narration and copywork than older kids doing history. But her retention has been better than mine! Had she been weak in reading or math I would have cut out the "extras" and put more time into the basics but since her reading and math are solid I found history in Kindergarten to be a wonderful diversion from the daily phonics, math, etc. I did make a rule that history was to be saved until the end of the week ...that way we wouldn't miss out on our basics. She still ask everyday if we can do history today. See where your kids are and see what works best for them. I credit history in Kindergarten with keeping her interested in learning the entire school year. I also think another year of FIve in a Row would have had a similiar affect. Just a thought from someone who tends to swim upstream anyways. Sheryl in GA

Thank you for the quick reply...I think I will purchase The Harp and Laurel Wreath...I'll just have to wait a couple of months..my curriculum money well is DRY! ha ha Sheryl in GA

Is there a good book out there that contains all these great poems together? Do you use the Harp and Laurel Wreath for all your poems or do you pull them from various resources? We only memorized one poem THe Swing by RLS and Bible Scriptures for Kinder but I hope to increase the poetry for 1st grade. Oh and one more thing. My dd said she felt a little silly the first time we worked on her reciting a poem..she said it felt funny saying it out loud. I pressed her on and she did wonderful...I think she just wasn't used to the flow of a poem..anyone have any thoughts on this? Thanks, Sheryl in GA