It might be easier to piece it together. Home Science Tools has really affordable real science supplies. But it's not likely one "kit" will work for everything because they're usually tailored for one specific module, or to use with a particular level of a particular publisher. But we just bought everything we needed as we needed it from HST.

I can't say enough good things about TOPS science books for this age! And lucky for you, I've organized them by topic and grade, so let me see what would work for 8th grade Life or Earth science... Rocks & Minerals #23, Earth sci, gr 6-12 Earth Moon & Sun #40, Earth sci, gr 5-12 The Planets & Stars #41, Earth sci, gr 7-12 Radishes #38, Bio, gr 3-8 Corn & Beans #39, Bio, gr 4-12 There's also a couple dozen more than would work for 8th grade for Chemistry & Physics. These books teach *real* science through hands-on experiments using everyday household materials. I already own 6 or so, and intend to buy about 20 more.

You are not alone here! I call this Fundie Creep where Fundamentalist doctrines have been creeping into even decidedly non-fundamentalist spaces, and I have seen really grounded down-to-earth parents get sucked into trying to compete with pietism, or alternately be pushed out to the fringes of Christian HS groups because they couldn't toe the fundamentalist line. (I've been in the HS community for nearly 2 decades now, so I've been watching this for a loooong time). I think TLC shows that have portrayed some pretty extremist Fundie families as main-stream and wholesome (even though they have known all along that some very unwholesome things were being covered up) have played a big part in this. I myself have even gotten sucked into some aspects, and I'm coming from a Lutheran background. Anyway, yes, I feel you. Dh and I are not YEC so we use secular science materials. While we do include a lot of religion in our homeschool (catechism, hymns, prayers, bible study, and more), we do not feel compelled to have all our materials be Christian-centered, because well, sometimes it's just not relevant. Plus, I've had the privilege of graduating 2 children to adulthood so far, and watched many friends do the same, and let me assure you-- a Christ-centered curriculum does not guarantee a devout young adulthood! Having Bible quotes in your math text does not guard your children's hearts from sin, and white-washed history texts do not help them avoid temptation. (In fact, there are no guarantees in homeschooling or parenthood, so all the grace in the world to all the parents trying to do the absolute best for their children because that is all any of us can do!) So if you love homeschooling, then by all means do it on your own terms. Feel free to use any mix of religious and secular materials you want, and do not feel tempted to get sucked into anyone else's definition of holy enough. Be bold!

I would just buy up a few of those activity books they sell with coloring books in the grocery store. She won't have a clue what they are all about, but she won't care, either! If she asks what to do, just make something up. Have her circle all the As with a red crayon or whatever!

I would 100% wait for the ability to hold a pencil correctly before even thinking of teaching writing. I also 100% would correct pencil grip when learning to write every time from the first time. I don't worry so much about messy letters or reversals at first (it's pretty normal and only an indication of dyslexia if it persists). In K I start to correct letter formation, but not all the time or all situations. For example, I always correct writing mistakes in a writing lesson, but not always in other subjects, eg in math I won't correct a backwards E in the word one. By 1st I'm correcting reversed numbers and letters, and starting to focus more on messy letters eg open-topped lower case As. I gradually increase the frequency and situations where I'll correct letter & numeral formation until about the end of 1st grade I'll always correct any reversed or malformed letters, but as always, this is a rough timeline and all children are different.

Geography: Dover's Around the World and Lorenzo coloring books along with a simplified world map, a globe, and then add in lots of library books (especially picture book, myths, etc.) of various countries, and do some art, cooking, etc. on a grand world tour. History: I don't usually start this until 1st and just focus on geography, but you could maybe start talking about the idea of history, such as with Usborne's Living Long Ago or Archaeologists Dig for Clues or one of the ____ Through Time books (I especially like Street) Science: We read a bunch of library books on a theme, such as the Solar System, Rocks & Minerals, Weather, etc. We also added in some Dover coloring books on these topics, and learned about some dinosaurs. I think the only kit we got was a set of rocks from HST that we used with a Dover sticker activity book--they coordinated well! We also used parts of DK Eyewitness Earth to learn about physical landforms and water formations and made a big plaster model that we painted. Honestly, if my child show an interest in any science topic, I just check the hi-lo books on the topic at our library.

Oh gosh yes! I've bought it all already, am currently reading the front-matter of the teacher guides, organizing, planning, etc. Later I will set the schedule by subject, and then set up shelves this summer. Heck, I already know just what we'll use for 3rd and have a rough outline through 12th, but this is round #3 😉 History: Classical (Greek dark ages to the fall of Rome) SOTW I (2nd half) Usborne Book of World History Child's History of the World (only bits and pieces) Living Books (we may or may not get to all of them): Trojan Horse (Step Into Reading book) D'Aulaire's Greek Myths Famous Men of Rome In Search of a Homeland (Lively) Persephone (Hutton) Odyssey (Mcaughrean) The Great Alexander the Great (Lasker) City (Macaulay) Cleopatra (Stanley) Pompeii Children's Homer Chosen Prince (Stanley) Emperor's Silent Army Dover Coloring Books: Life in Ancient Rome Life in Ancient Greece Life in Ancient Egypt Activity Books/Kits: History Pockets: Ancient Civilizations History Pockets: Ancient Rome Classical Kids SL's Hands On History kit for their 1st half of world history core Timeline (We make a big one on part of a roll of art easel paper) SOTW I Student Activity Guide Geography: Geography Songs (we do about 5-7 songs per year) SL's Mark-it Map (add places as we learn about them in history) Blackline maps from Bruce Jones (we have a couple books and copy maps as we need them for various purposes, either to coordinate with geography songs, learn about physical geography of a region, or to do map work for a particular civilization) Science: Chemistry (using these kits & books with modifications or only in part with lots of hands-on to bring in reach of 7 yo) Dover's My First Book about Chemistry Let's Investigate Everyday Materials Solids, Liquids, and Gases (Rookie Read-About) Air is All Around Matter: Physical Science for Kids Did a Dinosaur Drink This Water? (Wells) What's Smaller than a Pygmy Shrew (a re-read since we used it to intro monera and protista in 1st) A Drop of Water What's the Matter in Mr. Whisker's Room? Acids & Bases Mixtures & Solutions Kits from HST: Science Wiz Chem Kit Squishy Science Hot & Cold Kit Parts in Place Math: Singapore Primary Mathematics US Edition 1B-2A (We may get far enough to just start 2B since we've already started 1B now) Extra Practice 1 & 2 Visual Thinking in Mathematics 1B-2A Home Instructor's Guide with lots of hands on Latin & ELA: Prima Latina MP English Grammar Practice MP's New American Cursive 2 MP's Prima Latina and Cursive Copybook 2 Traditional Spelling 2 Literature & Reading: MP 2nd grade Read Alouds with their Enrichment guide MP Lit Guides: Prairie School, Little House in the Big Woods, Beatrix Potter, Sarah Noble VP Lit Guides: Pinocchio, Milly Molly Mandy, Boxcar Chidden, Railway Children, Baby Island Enrichment & The Arts: MP Art Cards MP Music Enrichment Artistic Pursuits 1 (we spread this over 2-3 yrs) MP Book of Crafts 2nd Grade IEW Poetry (we usually memorize 4-6 per year) Religion: MP Christian Studies Enrichment 4-5 hymns from our denom's hymnal Nicene Creed (memorized Apostle's in 1st) Luther's Small Catechism: Baptism, Office of Keys, Confession

The MP Read Alouds each have intro information, vocabulary, and comprehension questions. The books are read every day all week long. There's also a coordinating craft project for each in the Book of Crafts for each grade level. The music includes an introduction, a couple questions, and a bio for each piece. Plenty for K-2. The Art Cards aren't just displayed--there's a page full of suggested discussion questions and prompts, information on the back of each card, and additional information (about artist and piece) in the Enrichment book. We manage to discuss each piece for about 5 or so minutes every day of the week. We also memorize the title and artist's name in 1st-2nd grade, but do not do this for K (though some do). There's TONS of information in the front of each teacher's guide in their programs, and tons more information on their website, communicated in the Sodalitas conference each summer (old videos available on website for free), and in the summer Teacher Training conference. They also have YT videos, podcasts, and forums for more support. I think if you don't read the extra information for Parents/Teachers at the beginning of each Teacher Guide, then you don't realize how much is/can be done with each of these elements.

MP has some great support! I'd recommend looking on their website for old Teacher Training videos for Kindergarten, and Sodalitas videos. They will explain step by step how to implement the programs. the TT videos are aimed at classroom teachers, but I found them extremely helpful in implementing 1st grade (and like you we got everything except math), and only wish I'd found them before we did K. They also have YouTube channel, Podcasts, and forums where you can get more information, and even a FB group for MP in general, and then grade level groups. IMO they have the absolute best support for how to teach with their materials. I once made the mistake of thinking of their guide books as workbooks, but now see them entirely differently.

My oldest used IEW in addition to VP's Omnibus I-III in high school. She'd also used R&S English up through middle school for grammar, and the VP program teaches the Progymnasmata (but not throughly). She did SWI B and C (now SSS B and C) and I did TWSS. She also did a handful of other IEW programs such as High School Essay Intensive, Elegant Essays, Windows to the World, etc. In college, one of her professors thought so highly of her writing abilities he hired her to assist struggling students in his classes to write coherent college papers. Later, while working as a copy editor and writer, she was asked to write her company's style guide. So yes, think I think IEW is sufficient preparation for college level writing. 2nd child did the same IEW classes and was accepted to 6 universities, though has decided on a different path in life, he was able to complete 21 dual credit hours before graduating high school, 6 in English, and scored As in both English classes.