Did you end up buying any sets? I have a Colliers in my cart...haven't pulled the trigger yet.

We use the WY-GNTK books. We like them and use them for cultural literacy read alouds. PK and K books every other day for little people. 1-6 (planned anyway) for everyone once a week. We don't use the skill based topics (math etc.)

We use CLE, but I am learning to diagram using their stand alone Extra Practice diagramming book, which starts from the beginning. Very affordable.

I'd say yes. We are using Adam to Us for 7th with EIW and it is more than enough for history, and writing. We don't do all of the Adam to Us writing assignments, only 1-2/week. We are using CLE Reading for the last year also. Next year we plan to use America the Beautiful with a few Progeny Press guides because I want DD to start transitioning towards studying whole books before high school. Maybe you'd like to do that as well? We will be using WWS next year, Notgrass has writing assignments you can choose to have children complete, but no writing instruction, so I definitely recommend a separate writing course like you have planned to do.

We separate the subjects. CLE Bible (includes coloring and puzzles with a story in he first couple of levels) no memory verses for little ones (that is pretty easy to add on yourself though). For history we just read through The Story of the Ancient World by Miller/Guerber. My 6 and 9 yo's have composition notebooks, blank on top, lined note bottom. They draw a picture on top, I scribe the 6-yo's narration, the 9-yo writes her own. And we are done! Easy peasy.

I didn't buy them all at once, buy as individual copies. We've been through two of many titles now. :/. I haven't found anything comparable either :(. Those Cat in the Hat Learning Library books are...a bit boring actually. My kids leave in mid read :(. Not like the snuggly wuggly, edge of their seat Magic Schoolbus reads. It's that stupid cheap staple technique. Argh. Maybe I need to buy them, take out the staples before they rip through the cover, stitch it, and cover with book wrap.

We are reading it this year. Had to buy a very expensive copy since it was hard to find....

I didn't learn in school, but we use CLE for LA, so I am learning. Slowly. I use their extra practice diagramming worksheets book :).

Kolbe has a syllabus. I *think* it contains tests.

We are well on our way to wearing out our second set of these books. :(. Why aren't they more durable!? Why isn't there a hardcover omnibus by now?! Sigh. I don't want to but another set. Give me some sturdier but similar alternatives? The Cat in the Hat science hardcovers?

Hmmm, sometimes she's done by 11:30 am.(exceptional days), sometimes by lunch (1 pm), and after our Looong lunch break she sometimes works from 2:30-3:30 to finish up. Together time is 4-5 pm here.

CLE spelling is decent in 1-3 (2nd edition SL). Currently (1st edition SL) the spelling isn't great in 4th-6th, it tends to just be topical list memorization and vocabulary work without phonetic ties (a bit better in 7th since it works with word roots more). We just cross it off in those grades and use R&S.

We have CLE. It is particularly helpful, IMO, for children who space out when mom teaches (I have some like that). It is written directly to the student in 2nd and up and isn't all grammar. It is a fairly comprehensive LA that includes spelling, penmanship instruction (starts cursive in 2nd), usage, dictionary skills, usage, homophones, and all of that good stuff that I was once always afraid that I'd forget to teach ;).

Congrats! The NICU is a tough run :).

Grammar instruction in 7th is limited to a grammar review section, the lessons do assume some familiarity with grammatical terms. I don't have the earlier levels :).

I'm considering the same thing. We've had several rigorous years of CLE grammar. I'm thinking of stopping after 7th, but I'm not sure what we will be missing if we don't finish 8th.

If she likes video, EIW would be a good fit. We are using it for 7th. Rod and Staff is a solid choice for spelling, but if she struggles you may want to place her further back than 7th (which is roots based).

We actually don't use the library. Not right now anyway ;). We are just book collectors instead.

If you need outside accountability, I suggest online courses, is that an option?

CLE? It's a modern product, but still conservative.

We are planning to use Kolbe's IPC (Concepts in Action text) for 9th and are aiming to complete Saxon Algebra 1 concurrently. Because this dc is currently in 7th we have a bit of time to gear up if needed. Past science exposure has been a bit spotty, we haven't done a lot formally (many moves, many babies) and went to relying on ACE for formal exposure to basic concepts (along with videos, our bulging bookshelves etc.) We've never used a science 'text' before. Will IPC be doable as a first formal textbook for science? If not, I will endeavour to provide some sort of transitional text for 8th next year. Any thoughts?

Good call, mama. When we switched my eldest was in 4th and we started in 2nd ;). Totally worth it for her renewed confidence.

I also do a junior version in the morning. It is called.... Little People School I often have bigs trying to eavesdrop...

Together Time We do it in the afternoon :).

I'm not ahead of where you are, but I have been (somewhat obsessively) doing research on the same issue. We will be finishing the 600s this school year. I was pretty set on doing Saxon 8/7 next year. However. Saxon 8/7 has scared me off. It reportedly takes a LONG time to do each day. It also spikes in difficulty during the last 30 lessons apparently. So. Next year we will use 700. Might as well stick with what I *know* works while I still can. I am waiting for my order of CLE's topical booklets on fractions, geometry, and algebra arrive. They have a teaching sheet (and which lesson it comes from) for all those key topics. I will just give the ones in the 800s to make sure we have the key concepts done. Then we will use Saxon Algebra 1.