We've used both, but the other way around - MUS and we JUST moved to CLE. We struggled with MUS, too long on single topics, not enough spiral, waiting too long for mastery before moving on. We're a couple of grades behind right now actually and trying to catch up!

My daughter LOVES science, and she's a good reader. I do not have time to teach science actively. So, I need science recommendations she could do on her own! Young-earth Christian perspective preferred. Textbooks? Apologia with the notebooks so she could open and go? Suggestions??!! :confused:

Well, we ultimately found that MUS was TOO mastery based for my oldest daughter. We still do use the teaching techniques and manipulatives if she gets stuck and needs more illustration - but we've moved to CLE (I'm waiting for the blocks to come). We did MM in between but she didn't seem to dig it - maybe because it was too abstract/mental math based? Not sure!

We take K pretty easy. They DC normally like learning some letter sounds/phonics. Ask to start printing things. Loooove listening to storybooks. Looove playing outside. Normally starting learning a bit more counting/number skills.

Yep. ;) I ordered mine already even though we're still in level 1. Couldn't. resist.

We only practice the missed words when they are behind the review tab. We do them, I remind of rules if she needs prompting, she writes it twice, I put it back. We review until mastered. I find the ongoing review in the dictation sentences keeps the rest fresh.

Nope. I can have my kids with all their basic letter sounds under the belt and still unable to blend at 6, even early 7. :) My 2nd DD has known all her short letters (yep LeapFrog) since she was 4, she's 6 now and still not quite getting blending. That's okay though, my oldest didn't really starting reading until she was 7 and was reading very well within a year.

If he ASKS for spelling help - give it to him! I don't think a child should ever, ever be encouraged to guess or experiment. Bleh. We do have an accepted standard for spelling in the modern English language (thankfully!) and we should use it :).

I don't have it but TeachMe: Kindergarten was on sale from $1.99 to $0.99 last time I checked a couple of days ago :).

Dan's apps are EXCEPTIONALLY well designed. :)

I have a different take on apps. I don't expect them to be a lot different than what *I* can do (if they are fine, but if not, sometimes I have USES for those apps anyway) - for many reasons. My children are more likely to work on an app than with paper and pen - electronic appeal. I have 4 kids on the ground and 1 on the way, I work from home, DH is busy renovating the house and is outside all day - anything that encourages independent work, practice, and review is a GOOD Thing at our house. :) I love app-based tools that are just like the physical thing - maybe that makes me weird, but I'm organizationally challenged. If I have it on my iPad I don't have to *FIND* it. I don't have to round up parts, go get things etc. I can have a whole schoolroom of supplies right there and ready to go. Yep, I even sit with my children and teach them things from apps that are set up as teaching tools. SO, for me, if it looks boring but gets the job done, whatever, it works for me! It really depends what I want the app to do and if it will do it. Hope that makes sense!

I've never been able to get TOG off the ground because it isn't open and go. Sad but true. :O

This likely won't be the popular answer - but have you considered waiting until 3rd for an independent grammar program? That extra year makes a big difference in reading fluency and ability to work independently. I tried to do grammar in 2nd and 3rd, never really happened because DD wasn't really ready for independent work, but we're planning independent grammar this year - CLE, just waiting for it to arrive!

If you can get them printing (basic letter formation and some short copywork once underway), and reading phonetically - you're doing great for LA in grade 1 :). That's about all we're doing with read alouds and narration.

Okay - for little kids learning to read - Reading Raven. The Sentence Editing grade level series of apps are helpful for teaching punctuation. We use Sound Literacy with AAS. There are the StarFall apps - how can you not love those? ;) Most LA apps are very skill specific, they aren't as easy to generalize as math facts are it seems. Let me think....we like Simplex Spelling for structured phonetic encoding. We like SpellTrekking for a totally different approach that is similar to guided copywork with an emphasis on spelling. We use PDF Expert to do JOH Cursive on the iPad with our stylus. I could maybe think of a few more. I really like Scribble Press too :).

I know I bought these somewhere as mp3s, but my computer has crashed and burned so many times. Does anyone have this website handy? They had Proverbs 1, 2, 31, some Psalms I think - full chapters set to song - ladies singing...any ideas?

*I* learned them with Twin Sisters! :O I was only born again 6 years ago ;).

Here are a few I've reviewed: http://appsforhomeschooling.com/category/2bysubject/math/multiplication-math/ For some reason, Math Evolve isn't showing up there, but it's really good (on sale right now actually). http://appsforhomeschooling.com/2011/homeschool-math-app-review-math-evolve/ For more tool-oriented process multiplication, you can't beat the apps from Esa like Multiplication Table: http://appsforhomeschooling.com/2011/homeschool-math-app-review-multiplication-table-review/ And ANY of his apps really :).

We've used all the apps in the Kindergarten category of my app reviews: http://appsforhomeschooling.com/category/1bygradeandage/3kindergarten/ Lots of great recommendations here already too - DON'T miss LetterSchool or Reading Raven (I don't have reviews for them yet).

Used homeschooling curriculum yahoo groups! Just do a search when you hit yahoo groups.

:iagree: That's what we do too.

Another Starfall vote - my oldest still visits sometimes, just for fun ;).

You can often find a complete used core for 1/2 price, we've done that, and it's a great deal :).

The dividers are awesome. I like the stickers you can buy separately too. I really don't like the tote bag though, bleh. Phonogram cd - equally bleh, we don't really use it. Go basic, and throw some extra stuff in if you want it.

Student and teacher kit are all you NEED. You already have the tiles, phonogram CD etc. for your AAS, right? I bought the extra Ziggy games book for my daughter, and the stickers (fun!) a box and dividers (because the plastic dividers are really nice and we didn't have a big box yet).