Little House on the Prairie?

It's an i7, 17" monitor, loaded with HST+. I couldn't homeschool without it. I can reschedule quickly, create lesson plans and assignments easily, print assignment lists and calendars, print transcripts, the works.

I love it! What a cutie patootie!

Confession: We do Bob Jones for K. We make the cutesy snacks, we play the silly games, we do the workbook pages, we do the reading. I do well over half of what is in the teacher manual - within reason for a homeschool family (clearly I can't do an activity that requires 10-30 kids). BJU was FUN for my son and we will do it again for my youngest when it is her turn. It never took too long and it was everything I loved and remembered from kindergarten for myself all those years ago. At first grade... onto the classical model.

EXCELLENT point! and very wise! I will need to remember this for my kids when they get discouraged when difficulty steps up.

Okay, confessions of a homeschool mom, here we go... I'm with you. I haven't found anything I like for everything (few of us do). I have tried to write my own curriculum. I've written my own bible, my own science, my own history, and my own lit. Here is how it worked out: I spent hours and hours planning, making charts, etc. Within a few weeks to a few months, I wasn't doing it or had changed because I had no confidence in what I had written (sad, I know). I, personally, do better purchasing a preplanned subject like Elemental Science (I adore and respect the author - we graduated from the same Alma Mater). After 5 years of homeschooling, I did grab SOTW1 book, AG, and supplemental readers. I DO spend hours planning out what we will do and won't do down to the lesson number. While I haven't been overly rigid following my plan, I CAN say that we have 5 days of SOTW1 left and we have done MOST of my plan. I might have dropped 3 projects (shhh... don't tell my kids - they'd make me do them! :D). And this year went so well, we are doing the same curriculum and plan for next year - how often do we do the same brand 2 years in a row?? If I had tried to put together Ancient history from scratch, I would have floundered. But using SOTW text and AG as my spine, we've done great and I am super confident in what I taught and my kids learned this year. In the end, I have become super eclectic - no two subjects are from the same vendor. I hope this answers your question?

AAAA... i like the copying idea. Fortunately, we are talking 2.5yo so the attention span is only but so long anyway BUT you are right, if she really likes it... And I do seem to recall they have come out with a "More" series - More My First Book of Cutting, More My First Book of Coloring.... Okay, I'm convinced (it wasn't going to take much...), I will grab the My First series... but now maybe I should consider the More My First too!:lol:

Two thoughts... well, three. 1st, don't fret. He's not broken. :) 2nd, he may have hit a plataeu where he needs time to mature a little. 3rd, everything is blooming around here and if he has any allergies at all, it will impact his concentration and thinking. 4th...I can never stop when I say I will :lol:, it's spring, we're all burning out and ready to be done and he just may not have it in him anymore to bring his "A" game. My kiddos deal with all of these issues so I speak from the experience of my household.

Well I guess that makes the workbooks priceless!

From a former engineer... I would completely agree with this. Singapore is worth its weight in gold at training a child to think critically, in multiple steps, and mathematically. Maybe even grab a few years at once if you can afford it and pay only 1 shipping fee to make it more palatable. CBD carries a lot of homeshcool curriculum. You might be able to combine your order.

I get a lot of my book title suggestions from the Heart of Dakota's Drawn Into the Heart of Reading lists. I substitute all the time but they are a great start. Click on this link and then follow the seperate book pack links: http://www.heartofdakota.com/drawn-into.php. If you click and drill into the list until you see a picture of each book in a list format, the ISBNs are there for you to grab and plug into PBS. And to help the rest of you with emerging readers, here is her list for K-1st as the kids are learning to read. My ds used it and it went very well: http://www.heartofdakota.com/emerging-reader.php The Sonlight lists can be easily accessed from: http://www.sonlight.com/readers.html (just ignore the K link because the books they offer are basically Bob Books). And you will find some gems by digging through Winter Promise also. Here is a quick link to get you where you need to be: http://www.winterpromise.com/themed.html For the most part, I have been using the lit suggestions from SOTW as family read aloud / cuddle time. I get my independent readers from the sites above. I also will raid http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/homePage.do if one of the kids really resonate with a book or genre to find more books that are similar. These I just grab from the library.

My kids will be doing 4th and 2nd in the fall. It is not uncommon now for little one to toddle in and want to join us and "do school". I have been considering Kumon's My First workbooks so I have something to pull out when she toddles in (she'll be 2.5 when we start lessons back up in August). I am not looking, at it to truly accomplish anything academic (she knows her alphabet, counts to 15 on her own, her colors and her shapes... seriously, she is more than fine). I just want something fun for her to be able to "do school" and start an attempt at motor skills. I have already grabbed wooden jigsaw puzzles (not the nobby ones), Mr.Potato Head, Leap Frog Fridge Magnet thing-a-mabob, etc. Oh, and I had the sense to store away the Little People Castle so I can put it in her school box for this year since the olders will be doing SOTW2 (:D). Anyway, are the Kumon wkbks worth the price??

2 sources: There are a handful of suggestions in TWTM. The activity guide has the best and broadest list of suggestions. She includes the authors, isbns, etc. GREAT resource and my kids enjoy the activities too. Worth every penny.

Didn't read the other responses. Elemental Science Biology was a HUGE hit here (for me AND for them). Great balance of study and experiments. No more than 10-15 minutes a day. I did grab the Draw Write Now books that correlated with the animals studied so I was able to sneak in art that way. I was able to use it for a 1st and 3rd grader simultaneously by simply having the 3rd grader write slightly longer narrations. Good luck with your search!

:iagree: Finishing year 6 here and have done K twice with 1 more to go. Your plan looks super. I agree some fun science / nature stuff (get books from the library, Mudpies to Magnets or any Janice VanCleave) and you would have a pretty rounded curriculum. Have fun!

A few thougts: 1. Do any subjects you can as a family: religious/bible study, SOTW/history, science, etc. 2. Do projects as a family that encourages teamwork - like science experiments. Make sure everyone has a part. 3. Do Meet The Masters as a family - ALL of you - dad too (we did the first lesson together and it was fun - we can't wait to do VanGogh this weekend!). 4. Family read alouds are always a hit here. Even my hubby enjoyed me reading Nancy Drew aloud. 5. Field trips as a family - no ipods or anything distracting from one another. Maybe you can use one idea? But I understand your heart. That is why I struggle with the idea my kids may have to be on their own in a few years for science. But for now, a family we will go. :)

Well, the first lesson was a success. Even hubby participated - and was a show off. He said he wanted a gold star and to be teacher's pet. The kids couldn't figure out why I was blushing... :blush: The portfolios are ready to go. The pages are printed for the next lesson. The kids have been bugging us to do the VanGogh lesson. I think we may do it tomorrow night. Starry Starry Night... here we come! And Satori... for the record... I can't imagine YOU slacking on ANYTHING! You're too busy inspiring the rest of us! :D

Okay, I'm a hyper planner. It took me a year to put together SOTW2 the way I wanted. So... time to think about SOTW3! Favorites? Must reads? Johnny Tremain is already on my list.

me too

bump...

Are you sure our two oldest don't share a brain? Lol. I feel your frustration. Have you tried waking him early so you can give him 100% focus to just get it done?

:iagree: and big fans of "The Frog". He'll be re-entering our house with the coming school year for my youngest and then he will retire... My kids have enjoyed the Jump Start Cds too.

I only have some ideas to help because I am in the thick of it myself. 1. Combine subjects where you can. Both kids do SOTW, Elemental Science and Bible together. My brand new 9yo writes 3 sentences for her narration while my 6.5yo copies 1 sentence. 2. Rotate the kids during waking hours. I will work with the oldest on math and get her started while the younger two enjoy a few minutes of cartoons (don't shoot me for Playhouse Disney). Once I get the oldest started, I call my 6yo in and get him started. I then sit and keep prodding the oldest while keeping an eye on the middle. My youngest gets 30 minutes of Disney and I don't feel bad. For the poster that posted they have a 4yo, get a Kumon math workbook (numbers, counting, dot to dot, etc) and then call in the 4yo and start working with him/her. Yes, it is juggling at its finest. 3. On subjects that require my full attention like WWE3, I have my middle go play with the youngest and teach the oldest. With my full attention, the lesson doesn't take more than 10 minutes or so. Now, send oldest to play with youngest and call in middle for FLL or whatever. 4. Subjects like science and history are left for naptime or quiet time. 5. Never forget the wisdom in having certain toys that only come out during school time for your youngest. 6. I confess my 2 yo will be receiving a copy of the Jumpstart Toddler CD computer game in her "school box" in the fall and I don't make any apolgies for it. 7. I've been known to bribe the older two, "If you can get your grammar done on your own while I play with your sister, we'll...." and sometimes it is just a mandate with the threat of dad. 8. There is no shame in 1 video class for 1 subject just to ease some burden if it is in budget. 9. Occassionally, I wake my oldest at 6:30 to get some school done before the house wakes up. Then I am at a loss because we have SO much leftover time that day! She works SO much faster without brother and sister distracting her. It is a juggling game all day. It gets done. I have also read to have one of the olders read to the youngest, have the distractible one teach a lesson (keeps them focused and helps you out). Remember this is a season and you will survive it and so will they.

:iagree: