I posted a few days ago saying that we were switching from MUS to Saxon. Now I'm re-thinking that decision again. I know it works well for some families, but the bottom line is that I am just not comfortable with the scope and sequence of MUS. But I'm also concerned about the repetitiveness of Saxon. Ds is extremely bright and learns quickly. He seems to be wired for math and science. What is/are considered the more rigorous math curriculum(s) in the elementary years? I think that might be a starting place for me to search and figure out what would be a good match for us.

I was very slow on the uptake and, frankly, in denial. When he was still crawling, ds would line up about 15 toy cars from smallest to largest. He spoke very well at a very early age. He taught himself to read at age 2 (I'm embarrassed to admit that I blew off his requests to learn how to read at that age, so I guess he took matters into his own hands). Before he turned 4, he was reading encyclopedias like they were the best thing ever. He would focus on learning something--for like 5 hours--at age 2 and refuse to take a break, even if it was mealtime. I knew he was "smart" and "quirky", but I really didn't truly GET IT until after he turned 4. At times, I'm still stunned when I get a glimpse of what is considered "normal". It's amazing the little (or big) things you can take for granted, esp if it's your first child.

:iagree:I just got mine in the mail and am really excited about this program!

Thanks for all the replies! I will be checking into my state's laws and then decide how to best approach the school. Just to clarify--this is for my 4y.o. who will be 5 before the schoolyear next fall. He's very advanced which is why I'm planning to homeschool. So I would do the core subjects at home with him. He absolutely loves his classroom experience this year, so I am thinking about having him attend at school for things like art.

Oh boy! I can see that!:lol: I will make a quick edit. Thanks!

In my ideal world, ds would go to school part-time next year and be homeschooled part-time. I read an article on Hoagie's Educ site about a family who did this and just encountered it again a homeschooling book that I'm reading. How possible is it? I can imagine that the school system might be very resistant. Has anyone done this? What hurdles did you have to cross?

Thanks for sharing your experience, Lucinda. We'll give the Saxon a try and then switch back to MUS if it doesn't work well. It's kind of nice that I already know ds likes MUS so it should be an easy decision if he doesn't take to the Saxon lessons.

I think we posted at the same time, Kel. ;) I'm looking at Saxon 3, so it's good to know that the TM will work with the newer workbooks. Your method of skipping over the things that have been mastered makes sense. (I'm such a box-checker type that I like seeing everything completed and in order, but I can see how that could bore ds to tears.) The info about using the assessments until he reaches 80% is incredibly helpful!! I will definitely do that! Thanks!

I plan to switch to Saxon at some point (I've heard MUS isn't as rigorous of a math curriculum in the upper levels) and thought this might be a good time since we were given a Saxon book. MUS does seem to be working for ds--he's learning his math facts quickly and absolutely loves math lessons. From what I can see, Saxon seems to have broader scope--incorporating things like dates, temperature, weight, measurement, graphing, etc. I had been thinking about trying to add these things in somehow and then saw that they are part of the Saxon lessons. I am strongly considering trying Saxon when we're done with MUS Alpha just to see how it goes. If it's not a hit with ds, then we'll go back to MUS for a while.

I was just reading about a different approach that might work for math. First you have to figure out a reasonable time frame to allow for work to be completed and set a timer for that amount of time. If there is time left on the timer (might be good to be generous with the time allotted to get lots of positive reinforcement), they can add up the extra time and cash it at the end of the week on a fun activity. The mom who uses this deducts an additional minute for each math problem that is wrong (to try to prevent careless errors from rushing). Not sure how it would work in other subjects, but I thought I would throw it out there as a possibility.

We're using MUS Alpha now which ds will be finishing soon. I'm considering switching to Saxon after he's done with Alpha but I have a few questions: 1. We were gifted a TM from the 1994 edition. If I get the newer student workbooks, would they correlate well enough? 2. I've heard that Saxon is repetitive and I can see that in the TM too. I like the repetition but am trying to figure out how to reduce the repetitiveness if ds gets bored with it. Would skipping written practice or skipping certain lessons still work? Does anyone else skip things to reduce repetitiveness? What's the best strategy to use? 3. The manipulatives kit is pretty pricey, and ds placed ready for Saxon 3 on the online placement test. I think that's the last level the manipulatives are needed? I haven't seen the manipulatives on the FS board here. Do used ones come available very often? Has anyone piece-mealed the manipulatives for less $? 4. If you do the whole lesson with all of its components, approx how much teacher time can I expect per lesson? I know that's a lot of questions! Just trying to figure out whether we want to make the jump or not.

If you're in the US, your state's dept of educ should have academic content standards for each grade on their website. I've also found Rebecca Rupp's book helpful: http://www.amazon.com/Home-Learning-Year-Homeschool-Curriculum/dp/0609805851 as well as the Core Knowledge series for each grade: http://www.amazon.com/What-Your-First-Grader-Needs/dp/0385319878/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263398082&sr=1-1

I would look at Donna Young's site first. You can try that and then get something else if it doesn't work. We use HWT and I'm glad. Ds gets very frustrated with fine motor activity, and he loves workbooks so it's been great for us. But watching the animations and printing off practice sheets would certainly work for lots of children.

Thanks for the replies! I think I'll try to gently guide him toward the "correct" grip and see how that goes. We actually started out using The Claw, and I thought we didn't need it any more. He liked it, so maybe I'll dig it out again. It did make a huge difference. He's just gradually slipped into this habit.

My son learned to hold a pencil correctly but has fallen into a habit of resting it on his ring finger instead of his middle finger. Is this something I should correct?

Ah! Thank you!

I've seen a "DWN book" mentioned in several threads about unit studies on Native Americans. (I've been searching since we're going to be doing this soon.:)) I don't see DWN in the abbreviations sticky and don't get the right info when I google it. Can someone point me in the right direction?

My son started begging me to teach him to read shortly after turning 2. I blew him off for a while and then tried some 5 minute lessons using 100EZ at about 2.5 years. He did not have the attention span for even very short formal lessons. Funny thing was that he would spend about 8 hours per day (literally!) asking how to spell various words and repeating it to himself. To me, that seemed to require a HUGE attention span--believe me, I certainly got tired of it--but it worked for him. He memorized how to spell about 200 words and then started seeing the patterns in the letter sounds. By 2 yrs 9 months, he had taught himself to read without any lessons at all. As long as a child is interested, I don't think you can start too early. Even without formal instruction, they sometimes find their own way. If they are hungry for it, they will ask for more. If it's too soon for them, they'll let you know. It sounds like what you are doing is working, so I say to go for it!:)

My 4 year old seems to have a screaming case of pink eye--definitely worse than any I've ever had. He's complaining of lots of burning and discomfort. In addition to the classic symptoms of redness and discharge, he has a large dark shadow under/around his eye that extends just below his cheekbone. (Is this shadow typical? I don't think I've heard of it before.) Is there anything I can do to help him heal and make him more comfortable? (Dh just started a new job and our med insurance doesn't start until Feb 1 so I'm really hoping to treat this without a dr's help.)

If he hasn't read the Magic School Bus chapter books, it would be worth a try. He might go through them quickly, but they'll keep him occupied for a while. So far these are the only chapter books my ds will read, and he adores them!

Donna Young's "Handwriting Lessons" have the paper you can print out with traceable letters. The first letter on each page has arrows on it. http://www.donnayoung.org/penmanship/

Sounds like you have a great system and you're working hard to meet the needs of a very bright young boy! If I were adding, I might do something with math manipulatives. He's probably ready for MUS Primer or you can just teach him some math without a curriculum. He might also enjoy some simple science experiments (mixing vinegar with baking soda, etc). Mudpies to Magnets and books by Janice van Cleave are great for simple science.

I'm just getting my feet wet with homeschooling. I would like to start reading aloud to ds every day to give him more exposure to children's literature (and maybe do some living books about history or science topics, though that's not my primary objective at this point). There are so many different lists from various sources. Do you have a favorite list that you use as a starting point when choosing what to read aloud? One with lots of books your children enjoyed and also gave them exposure to some of the classic, well-known books out there?

Oh, it's good to know that you are all nearby! The world IS a small place, isn't it? Cin, I had heard of the other co-ops but never heard of Wisdom's Way. Their prices are amazing!! My son is loving his classroom experience this year so we might consider something like that to supplement next year. So glad you mentioned it!

:lol:Pretty much everything! It takes him forever to put on his socks, color a picture, sit in his car seat, everything! I'm wired the opposite way so I suppose I will learn to "go with the flow" eventually as I figure out how to best work with him!:) You bring up very good points about where he is developmentally. I like the idea of structuring tasks differently--doing our together work first and then giving him however long he wants to work on the crafty stuff.