I don't honestly like the bags AAS uses - they are bulky and floppy and take up way more space than the program itself (we have the AAR bag) BUT the dividers are really, really good - I recommend getting those. We have the phonogram CD but never use it, so I wouldn't worry about getting that. We do use the tiles and magnets all the time. I also recommend starting with level 1. I am remediating my DH and we even started in level 1 :).

Ach. I hear you Marie. I won't be using these books this year either...well, maybe...but I just keep adding to our Canada studies and it is taking me longer than I wanted already. DD opted to do the 'optional' notebooking I told her she could do IF she wanted to, so it is taking...longer. She takes a long time to do 'projecty' type things - including notebook pages. We are still in the Maritimes. (Starting from East to West because we are using Canada, My Country as a loose spine). Hopefully we will be finished Nova Scotia...SOON, we have been stalled out on that province forever ;). I think DD is afraid to go into Quebec (she has mentioned not wanting to take 'Bucky' there several times due to the homeschooling persecution taking place there). Ah, homeschooling politics tie-ins to geography studies. ;) It could be that our library has some of these too, but we just can't do the library. We don't go to town regularly enough, and my little people are rough on books. The last time we got out 'family books' at our local library my 2.75 year old (then 1.5) tore ONE big page of a picture book in half and we had to pay like $18 for it. Hah. Now you know my secret about why we ACTUALLY don't use the library ;). Okay - it's true that the collection there just isn't great - there are only like 3,000 people in the entire county after all. Considering that, it's a great collection! I'm hearing you about spending too. I try not to keep track TOO closely on that....;).

That is JUST what I was thinking about MHTCE too Marie! Umm, but that is why I'm buying these books now ;).

Well, I found a Janet Lunn used at Amazon.ca for $5.72 (hardcover) so I bought it...($6.51 shipping) - there are still a few left there for a good price used if you get the hardcover (which I think is an older edition....possibly, hence the lower price - the paperbacks are listed for $122...ummm, no - Chapters does have them in stock online, I checked - $25 or so). Also bought the Spirit of Canada - couldn't help myself CHER has it for $39, but Amazon.ca for $18.

Is the Spirit of Canada really going out of print? Many, that bites. I hate having to order books just because I don't want to have to hunt for OOPs. I did buy the Donalda Dickie, but shipping to me from CHER was $14 and we are in the same province. Canada Post really sucks :(. Shipping to the US is actually cheaper than shipping within Canada a lot of the time.

I've never had a problem with ours (well, I did, but it was an old disc so I had to upgrade). It's very easy to use. We use it all the time :).

Homer Price is awesome :). My girls have loved this too. Nah, bribery isn't wrong in the name of education ;).

Thanks! I don't have a Kindle, but I did get myself a Sony E-reader this year, it's...swell :). And thanks K. Family - that helps me narrow it down some :).

Well, I won't pay extra for older books if that is what you are wondering :). I often find them online for fairly cheap or free :).

I agree with Kel. The teacher's manuals ARE the program, the student packs don't have ANY instruction/rules in them at all, they are only the flashcards and other student materials (varies by level).

My children are really enjoying 50 Famous Stories (they always ask for MORE and MORE when we read it) so I'll definitely try his Robinson Crusoe! We have the original here, and I've tried it a couple of times but it is a bit dry in the beginning for them :).

Yup, we do this. What I do is we use MUS as our main text, then on 'off' days from school I get DD to do a review page on a previously learned topic in MM. So if we are doing Subtraction 1 type stuff, I get her to do a page from Addition 1. That makes it a bit more spirally, and hits on a few new angles for learning concepts (I really like the diversity of ways MM teaches concepts, but like the depth of MUS for initial teaching). We use the blue. We also supplement with Clock, Money, Geometry, Measurement etc. just for fun. HTH!

If your child is frustrated by spelling difficulties start now! My DD hated to write because her lack of spelling skills was frustrating her. Now that we are using AAS she is much more confident and willing to write.

I'm curious to hear what your top vintage read alouds are. My children LOVE anything Uncle Wiggly (Gutenberg), American Twins of the Revolution, Among the Farmyard People, and we haven't done many more yet (from the free/affordable digital books I own)! I own the Yesterday's Classic's collection though, so I have lots to pick from! I'm wondering what your favorites are from YC or Gutenberg that I could read to my DC from my Sony E-Reader :). Help me narrow it down so I know what to start next!

I am going to...tentatively post here. I am an AAS affiliate, but there is no way I would be one if I didn't adore the program and what it has done for our family. When AAR came out, even though I LOVE Marie Rippel (everything she touches is just SO good IMO), I thought it was pricey. But I bought it anyway. My 2nd DD (who I am using it with) already knew most of her letter sounds (LeapFrog Letter Factory - get it), BUT I wanted something to do with her that was open-and-go, systematic, and would be fun for her. She always wants to 'do school' so I know what you mean about wanting something to do together! Yes, we love it. She begs to do it. I adore the phonological awareness games (so fun) and so do all my children. Our AAR Pre-1 has actually turned into a bit of a family-circle-time because even my 8-year-old and 2-year-old want to sit in on the games with us :)! I wasn't expecting that. My 8-year-old has said how SHE would like to do 'Ziggy' as we call AAR around here because it is SO fun - and this child is reading early chapter books fluently! I told her I would let her teach it to DD3 in a year or two and she was so excited! Ahem. Okay, AAS. If your child is a natural speller he might not need it for spelling, BUT that syllabification/longer words reading hump can be tough to get over. AAS IS great for that in the higher levels, but I do recommend starting at the beginning to make sure the foundational skills are all in place. We are finished level 1 and are 1/3 of the way through level 2 (but I own up to level 4) - my DD1 is NOT a natural speller, so I can't speak much to that, but we've had a LOT of spelling breakthroughs, she applies her spelling to her work, and she applies the BASIC concepts that she is learning AHEAD into more advanced rules/concepts/syllabification that we haven't learned yet, which is amazing to me. Teaching the concepts phonetically is really the key thing in a spelling program to avoid just the random lists/memorization approach in my opinion. Oh dear, I am starting to rant, sorry! I'm sure you know that already or you wouldn't be looking at AAS! As you can see in my signature, I am remediating my DH with this program and we are starting at the beginning. That is how much I love it. It isn't about the affiliate $$ at all (though it is nice, I won't lie!) I wouldn't waste my time and his on something that wasn't really, really excellent. It took me long enough to talk him into this after all ;). The fact that we can do it in 15 minutes/day is great.

It is. Very doable :). It's not the flashiest or most exciting program around, but it gets 'er done!

Another thing to keep in mind is that AAS wasn't around when SWB wrote the latest edition of the WTM :). It is a fairly new program. Who knows, maybe in her next edition she will include it! We use it because it is solely Orton-Gillingham based, it's multi-sensory, and it really works for us. That being said, it is the first and only spelling program we've used. I personally do NOT like workbooks, my daughter SORT of does (depends on the workbook design/layout), but she thrives on personal interaction. Because AAS is one-on-one she has just blossomed with it. BUT don't change just for the sake of changing, wait and see how your little one does and go from there.

I really recommend you start with the first level. I am remediating DH and we are starting at level one because there are important skills and basic rules even in that level that he's missing.

We do AAR and AAS every school day - 4 days/week in our home.

10 - 20 minutes tops. Very easy to get in and DD loves it!

We use - narration from our readings, copywork from our Bible readings (mostly), Rod and Staff, All About Spelling :). Works great!

Hmm, no one knows :). Linda is still writing it, so it still needs editing, revisions, and all that good publishing tweaking, so....it will be a while I think :). If I had to guess I might put it at 1-2 years, but I'm certainly not an official spokesperson.

It is around 30 minutes daily. DD does most of it independently though :). We watch the DVDs together because I need to learn it all too in order to prod her along and help her with review/memorization :). So, Day 1 of a new lesson - we watch the DVD. Day 2 - do the first page of exercises in the student book - maybe do some flashcard review of all previous lessons (cumulative), Day 3 - do the second page of exercises, Day 4 - review flashcards, memory work, and we also make new flashcards from the lesson - I get DD to make all the vocabulary cards, I make grammar cards, sayings, and prayers. Hope this helps! Our daughter feels very accomplished and always tells people who ask how school is doing that, "I'm learning Latin!" It is very cute. Personally, I think children really enjoy learning Latin!

We started Prima Latina in late second grade, and it has been VERY easy to teach with the DVDs. I love that it includes built in memory work and review :). I heart the DVDs!

Well, my daughter's spelling wasn't very good before we used AAS. It only takes 15 minutes a day, and you will see REAL results (we certainly have). It is SO easy to use because it is just open and go, and it is scripted. I would start at the beginning. I am remediating my DH and we even started with level one because he needed to learn to segment sounds - breaking up words into sounds etc. He has already learned a lot about how spelling works (he was taught by sight words and it never clicked for him), so I think starting at the beginning is great - just go a bit faster if warranted. AAS IS fun, especially if you let your guy write on the white board (my daughter thinks that is a BLAST). She loves spelling now :). I say, "Go for it!" I don't think you'd regret it :).