But what about after RS B? It seems like everyone quits liking C halfway through?

My DH is starting to get a little annoyed with all the stuff I have stuck on our kitchen walls. US map, hundreds chart, address & phone number, memory verses, etc. I was thinking that maybe I could get one of those rolling chart stands with the ring/hooks on the top, and hang everything, and maybe even hang the dry erase board as well by drilling holes in it? Something like this: http://www.learningresources.com/product/classroom+organization/adjustable+chart+stand.do?sortby=&&refType=1 Thoughts?

Hey - I just bumped up another post for you that had tons of great comments! "Does anyone choose Singapore over MM"

bumping up for Snowfall

See this is the kind of stuff that freaks me out (like I was talking about in my other post)! I was raised attending the Episcopal church, but weekly attendance was solely for social purposes and there was no carryover into our lives. I truly became a Christian about 10 years ago, but having not grown up in a really Christian home and having gone to a public school, I don't know enough about Christianity to know how to teach the relationship between Christianity and history to my kids. I would likely have bought this, and thought "oh, this is what Christians believe - I better teach it this way to my kids".

My kiddos are almost 6, but the size of your normal 3 or 4 year olds. We are ready to start piano lessons, but even an adjustable bench isn't high enough to get properly aligned. I am afraid to do a stack of phone books b/c my son has core strength issues and he can't even manage to sit in a regular chair without falling out frequently. A stack of phone books is an accident waiting to happen. What are all the Suzuki kids using? They start so young, and technique is such a big deal with that method that they have to have figured this out for me! Would it be terrible to use a Stokke Tripp Trapp chair instead of a piano bench? That way it would have a footrest, and they aren't going to be pedaling to start with anyway, right? (I am so pumped about these chairs after the improvement in handwriting we saw when we started using them last week!)

You know that comment everyone always jokes about, "I could never homeschool"? What if it's true? I'm a reasonably smart cookie, but am I the only one who seriously wonders if they really can provide the best education? Especially when they live in a GREAT public school district. We actually moved here primarily to get into this district, and now I am homeschooling! :) - I panic when I read threads here about things like "MCT has a major error because they mis-indent" - I would NEVER catch that stuff. Seriously. - I don't KNOW how to judge what gives a really deep scientific or mathematical understanding. I have just bought the curriculums recommended by people here as being academically strong (RightStart & BFSU), and assume that as long as I teach them in accordance with the teacher's manual, my kids will get a good education. But wow did I stink at science growing up, and I had a generic American math education. I really WON'T know if I am missing major things like some of you do. And then I just finished reading the thread about rigorous curriculum, where everyone says the teacher is what matters, not the curriculum. Like I said, I am of above average intelligence, but I am NOT a trained teacher. Is effort & caring enough to give a truly great education?? - a friend who has a 3rd grader in PS was talking to me about her kid's book report - he had to write FIVE paragraphs. Seriously? Five paragraphs??? Really?? In 3rd grade?? How can I compete with that? - my kindergarten age niece (who is very articulate) gave me a 30 minute description yesterday of her latest school project. It sounded really really really detailed and amazing and FUN. I know, I know, "take deep breaths, Megan. It's only kindergarten". But truly, how do you know that you are providing at least as good an education as they could get at the public school? (All else aside - social issues and so on.) To be honest, I NEVER expected my husband to give me the go-ahead to do this, and now that he has, with the promise that they will get at least as good an education, I am panicking.

Love it combined with Five In A Row. It's a great resource for me - a way to plan and organize FIAR, but FIAR is where the actual ideas for lesson plans are. GTG is little more than a list of great resources by region, not a curriculum in the traditional sense. I would buy it again in a heartbeat, but if you are looking for a full geography curriculum, this isn't it.

I wrote to Stokke, explaining that I was trying to purchase 4 of their chairs for kids who were going to be homeschooled in large part to make it possible to have time to continue physical & occupational therapy. I let them know that the therapist (when I asked if they were really worth the money) highly recommended their chairs. They helped me to get 4 at a GREAT price, and they arrived last week. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE these chairs!!! My handwriting-issues kiddo had an instant 1000% improvement! I have also seen a huge increase in the amount of time my kids sit calmly paying attention at the table. I hadn't realized how much dangling legs and being just a hair too low at the table contributed to their restlessness. For anyone who is on the fence and having a hard time justifying spending that much for a chair, it's worth it. I can see now that these chairs really will work for the long term - *I* think they are more comfy than my normal kitchen chairs and am now trying to convince DH that we need them for he and I as well! SO GO FOR IT!

Thank you!!!

DITTO!!!

They are in public school. Houghflin Mifflin or something like that?

Anyone?

My poor sister. Math has always been the bane of her existence. Her first graders are coming home with word problems that she can't figure out. (Honestly I think she could do it if she didn't have this huge mental/emotional hangup about math, but that's a major roadblock at this point.) She has enough self-esteem issues without being embarrassed and ashamed in front of her kids b/c she can't help with their homework! Is the Singapore bar model method something she could figure out? Or is too intuitive? Can you point me toward the EASIEST, MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD resource for her? THANKS!

Anyone?

I had a similar question - do you think the ones on HSBC have the updated first grade materials (more white space)? When did she update that - January-ish?

Light Blue is by grade, Blue is by topic So one Blue book has all the Addition pages. Another has all subtraction. Another has all place value, etc. In the Light Blue series, some of those addition pages would be in the first grade books, some in the second grade books, etc. The first grade book would also include a few pages of subtraction, a few place value, etc.

I know I read somewhere official that it is ideal for the oldest child to be in 5th grade when you start TOG. I have been trying for 15 minutes to find the link, but have been unsuccessful...

I was SO excited about the Early Bird books, but I have to give those a thumbs down. I have heard better things about Singapore's Essentials books.

That's what gallon Ziplocs are for!! :)

THANKS!

I just make one in Excel for each month, using pale gray for the lines and numbers. The kiddos trace those to make their own calendars. I buy stickers that are month/seasonal appropriate, and I start the pattern for them each month. Then each day they add a sticker to cover the day's number and continute the pattern (ABAB, AABB, ABC, etc. - we have a new pattern each month). We sing the months of the years, and the days of the week (Happy Days theme). We sing the date using Frere Jacques (Today is Sunday, (repeat) February 20 (repeat) 2011, (repeat), that is the date (repeat).). On the back of each kid's calendar I have a graph that they fill out for the weather.

Dh is REALLY tired of hearing me complain about our old printer, and told me could use our tax refund to buy whatever printer I want. Recommendations?

Thank you thank you!!

Have you considered doing a year of geography, or maybe world cultures, or something along those lines? Maybe a combo of Galloping the Globe and Five In A Row?