Thanks! That puts my mind at ease!

Would it be appropriate to begin Phonics Road 1 with my to-be first grader? We are working through OPGTR, and we are on Lesson 86 (which means we have covered CVC words, CVCC, CVC silent e). My DD is still having to sound out most words (even CVC words that are not high frequency). I plan to stop new lessons until she gains some more confidence and fluency and continue moving through the book at her pace throughout the summer. Will Phonics Road teach her how to read and increase fluency, or should I wait to begin until she has progressed more in her reading. I'm not really sure where she should be as far as reading level for K. I feel like what we are doing may not be the best fit, and I don't want to start a new program that might just frustrate her further.

The VP cards are memorized in chronological order (which is different from the way VP has them set up). The front of the card is memorized. The goal is to give chronological "pegs" for the kids so they can place events in history within that general framework.

I love the simplicity of OPGTR, but it can be a bit...boring. No pictures, no color, no flashcards, no variety. I have had to search for things to keep my 5 1/2 year old going. If your daughter likes color, music, variety, I do not recommend OPG.

In case you haven't heard, Amazon, has lots of Henty's books for free download right now (you can download them to your computer if you don't have a Kindle). This site: http://www.henty.com/s86p1428.htm has a chronological list of all of his books so you can find ones that pertain to the era of history you are studying. HTH someone :)

My eldest is the one I am constantly battling with. I know how you feel! We took spring break this week, and I hope to implement some changes. I have finally figured out that my daughter's love language is gifts (from the book The Five Love Languages by Gary Smalley). She is ALWAYS giving gifts to people. And I've had similar experiences with other people...they just love her, she is so teachable, etc...but NOT for me! I have decided to give her little rewards for doing her work with the right attitude (she's 5, so we're talking like a few stickers or a piece of gum here.) So while to me it feels like bribing, to her, it is a confirmation of a job well done...because she is getting a present, and that shows love to her. I guess all of that to say, you are not alone, hang in there, and keep trying to find what works for him. :grouphug:

Awesome! Thanks :)

We've been a part of a Classical Conversations community for the last year and a half. My DD will be in first grade, and I am looking for supplements for US geography and history. And recommendations? Is there a curriculum you would recommend or a not-to-be missed book?

And thank you for all of the wonderful suggestions and encouragement. It has helped me gain perspective, a bit, and try to think through what I really need to expect from her at this age. Poor girl is my guinea pig, so I am making so many mistakes right now!

Thank you for this. I really needed it!

Yes, I am sure it is a parenting issue. I do try to be very careful of her diet (trying to follow Nourishing Traditions), she has a quiet time for rest and 11-12 hours of sleep every night. No big changes ex ept baby sister born last summer, dad very loving and supportive, and yes, we are Christians. I pray for patience and wisdom every day! I would love some practical child-rearing advice, but I guess I also need to vent. I'm just not sure who to talk to about everything. My husband and I have discussed this at length, and he is very supportive, but I am the one who is with the girls all day long, and I see the attitude so much more and have to deal with all of the effects of it all day, every day.

We don't do crazy amounts of school...an hour or two a day: ETC and OPGTR, RS math, some handwriting and read alouds for history and science. I guess the giving up part comes in from not knowing what to do about her attitude. No matter what we do, i get attitude. I don't know how to reach her heart about her poor attitude: arguing and complaining about every little thing i ask her to do is not acceptable. If i tell her to go to the bathroom and get dressed, she shouldn't throw herself on the floor and start whining...she should be able to complete such a simple, basic task, right? I'm just SO frustrated because everything is a battle with her.

My eldest dd is only 5, but every day is a battle of attitude, disrespect, and whining (even when we are not doing school). Today I just feel like such a failure and I don't know what to do. She challenges me constantly and behaves beautifully for everyone else. I am very committed to hs, but today I feel like she would learn so much more if she went to school because she wouldn't be fighting the teacher constantly to get through the day. I feel so stuck and overwhelmed, and her attitude causes her little sister to start acting up now too. It is a vicious cycle; I am totally at a loss of what to do. I can't even start the morning on the right foot because she is arguing with me about getting dressed or going to the bathroom! My 3-year-old just wakes up and does it without the drama or fan fare.

Don't worry about the counting to 100; she'll get there! We did one lesson 4 days a week for quite a while, and then we took a little break to reinforce the teens and the addition rules (once they were introduce in RS). I am not at all "mathy," and I so appreciate the way RS is set up. I think you will enjoy it :)

:lurk5:

If you want to do it at home, you absolutely can. You will want to order the memory work CD in order to help everyone memorize more efficiently and easily. And if I were doing it at home, I would spread it out to more than 24 weeks.

:bigear: Trying to decide between those as well!

We've used Kumon books too--they are very colorful and incremental. We use OPGTR for phonics and RightStart for math. Just keep including her in what else you are doing.

I used Saxon as a student from Algebra 1/2 through Advanced Math. The strength of Saxon is the scaffolding approach, building incrementally on what you have already learned, and of course, the mastery of that material in review. I think the "mental math" idea is currently popular (not for a bad reason) because of the emphasis on the way Asian schools teach math. If your son is "mathy," he will appreciate Saxon. It isn't flashy, but it is strong, and it works. Can't help you beyond my own experience...good luck in your decision!

I am using RS A with my DD5. You should be able to buy just the book without all of the manipulatives, but you NEED the AL abacus to use RS...not just any abacus will do! (It is based on 5s and 10s and helps kids visualize the math.) It is teacher-intensive, as far as presenting the lessons, but there is almost no prep. I read a week's worth of lessons beforehand, but that's about it. There are very few worksheets, which I like, but I do have to do the whole lesson with her. I also have RS B all set for next year, and you could probably go into that, because there is lots of review in the beginning of B which covers how to use the abacus, etc.

Grace'sMom: I am TOTALLY in the same situation! Except next year will be our second full year in CC (we started last year in January, half-way through cycle 1), so I can see what CC does in all of the cycles. Because CC is in three year cycles, it does not mesh perfectly with SOTW, or most classical history programs! I am trying to figure out the best curriculum to do with first grade history, but I have for sure decided to do American history. (I have two younger daughters, so if I keep them together in history...when they are all in school eventually...someone is going to be "off cycle." I've comes to terms with that for my sanity!) The other thing you need to know if you haven't done CC in the past is it moves VERY quickly through history. The history sentences we learn are really just highlights of things. For example, cycle 2 is mostly European history. The first history sentence begins in 800 A.D., and now in week 17, we are learning about WWII. So no matter what you do for history, realize that you won't be able to follow CC perfectly without doing the most cursory coverage of history. I know my girls will hit everything at some point...right now, we are learning the memory work to train their minds to memorize facts, and as they continue to learn, these "pegs" that they have learned will help them learn new information more quickly. I'm excited to see what you will do: keep us updated! And since you have all other subjects decided on, let us know what you are using! :)

Thank you, sbgrace! Can't wait to look at everything!! And I'm not familiar with WP, so I will look at that as well. I was afraid I wouldn't have many options when I started looking, but I was wrong :)

I didn't consider HOD because we have already read through Pioneers and Patriots this year for our history spine, and I know that is something they use as well. Also, I'm not really looking for a complete curriculum as I already have other plans for the other subjects. But thank you for the suggestions so far; it has helped me narrow my focus in my search! Happy to hear other ideas!

Don't be afraid of milk with fat in it! Just get whole milk for everyone!

I know, gasp! Not starting with the ancients! So here's the story: We are in CC this year and will be going back next year; cycle 3 is American History. I would like to follow along with CC, at least for next year, with my daughter who will be in first grade. When she is in second grade, we will start with ancients, and my middle daughter, who will be in K, can tag along...I think it will all work out! So what have you used for American History in 1st? I've looked at SL core 3, Tapestry of Grace, Beautiful Feet, and Guesthollow so far--just whatever is online. I love the living books, obviously, but I also need lots of help coming up with ideas for activities: DD loves arts/crafts, but I have two younger girls to take care of too. So I would like something pretty well laid out, with meaningful activities that won't drive me crazy with tons of prep or lots of running around for supplies (because I'm sure many of you know what it is like to buckle and unbuckle three little ones every time you have to run errands!) Any suggestions? What do you love? Pros/cons of any of these programs...or others I don't know about yet? I'm still pretty new at all of this. Thanks!