Our faves in no particular order: SOTW (via Biblioplan) CLP Nature Readers (my boys' top pick) Apologia Math U See Copywork & Narration (inspired by The Charlotte Mason Companion) Notebooking pages (from notebookingpages.com) ETC Wow! I like seeing this list. I don't feel so non-commital. Now if I could just find a writing and grammar program we were happy with.... :)

We do it alongside Biblioplan and love it! It definitely helps me beef it up for my 11yo (5th grader)and I have a 3rd grader as well. I don't know if it would cause you to feel your schooling was history-centered, but it is very flexible relative to TOG. http://www.biblioplan.net Warmly,

I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were asking specifically about MFW and Sonlight. My apologies. We did, however, use MFW Adventures when our middle guys were in 1st and 3rd and had a great year! Mrs. Hazell does a wonderful job of incorporating elements of traditional, Classical, and CM methodologies. I also love how she weaves the Bible throughout. They created a sweet notebook and I found the readings to be right on for them. The "Book Basket" was new to us, but I found it beneficial in encouraging the boys to pick something that appealed to them to read.

Have you considered Biblioplan? We love it here. I like that it incorporates so many things... Bible SOTW & MOH Literature (There are suggestions for different reading levels and my boys have liked them all so far!) Writing Prompts (We use narration w/ notebooking pages.) Mapping Timeline You could do the basics together... Bible, SOTW, and the Usborne Encyclopedia. Considering your eldest daughter is bright, she may benefit from the book suggestions for "advanced 3+ readers" as well as the timeline and map suggestions. If she's hungry for more, you might read MOH aloud to her as well. It is economical, flexible, and many of the literature suggestions are found at our local library. Warmly,

:iagree: Everything she said... we love it here and have it on the wall as well! We used the History Through the Ages timeline figures prior, but they just didn't appeal to me or my ds's and they had no interest in coloring them. On the contrary, the figures are already in full-color and they will look at this one... even when school is not in session. Warmly,

Thank you Michelle. This is what I hoped to hear. It's hard enough for my 5th grade ds to see a "4" on the cover. :tongue_smilie:

Thank you Carol. This helps confirm what I could see from the samples. However, I'm starting to wonder if I should move him quickly through 3 since he has never diagrammed? Any thoughts?

I definitely think it's worth the money. What I love: clear, simple format Bible schedule ~ I appreciate that they schedule both the Bible as well as Victor Journey Through the Bible. multi-age levels ~ However, this aspect may not be appealing for you now since both of your oldest are grammar stage. literature suggestions ~ I love the annotated book list with titles that are pre-screened. My boys have enjoyed nearly all of them and I like not having to search out titles for their reading assignments. Additionally, I've found almost all at the local library with the exception of some Christian titles. writing prompts ~ We normally do a narration notebook page each week, but these are a nice option if they draw a blank. Mystery of History schedule ~ This is really nice if there isn't a SOTW read for the week or if you want to expand upon a topic. timeline suggestions ~ We have used theirs this year and I love not having to hunt down figures or pics on my own. maps ~ We also purchased their set and the boys and I both really like them. Warmly,

As always, you ladies are very helpful. I would like to address all of you individually, but I don't know what board etiquette with regard to responses. I think that my 11yo (5th grader) can handle Writing Strands 3 along with R & S 4. His other written work includes dictation 2x/week and a narration for both history and science 1x/week. This actually looks balanced to me when I see it written out. If I see his written work is too heavy one week, I'll adjust accordingly. As Ellie mentioned... ... so I'm hoping we can keep WS plugged in for at least this year. As for my 8yo, I'm really drawn to the 2nd grade text and will likely do that with him with most of the exercises being oral. Many thanks :),

We are not unhappy with Writing Strands and I'm concerned it would be too much to do both. Does anyone do additional composition curriculum alongside R & S?

LOL :lol: Wendy! Yes, it's okay to say that. That's one concern I was thinking of this morning and you've relieved me a great deal. Between that and doing most exercises orally as others have suggested. Our 20-month old ds can be a bit disruptive and I like that they can go to their rooms and study alone if necessary.

Although I haven't made a decision for certain, I'm leaning more and more towards Rod & Staff. I really need to take a closer look and perhaps print some samples for a trial run. I was originally very intimidated, but since I know we can go at least a grade level down it is less so. Thank you all. Your responses have been very thorough and consequently, helpful. Warmly,

I'm in a bit of an English quandry right now and feel the need to beef thing up for my guys. We're not unhappy with our present English Grammar curricula, but I'm not sure it's getting the job done. I should note that we do copywork, narration, and dictation and I don't plan on changing that. My 11yo ds has only had one year (1st grade) and my 8yo ds has never done formal grammar. When I saw the books at a homeschool convention, they appeared overwhelming to me. Since then, I have read many posts and reviews and nearly all sing it's praises. I'm also aware that WTM and others highly recommend it. Would you please share what makes it so good for your family? Warmly,

My 8yo is visual as well and the dry erase board is a great idea. This is definitely the appeal of R & S for me. And yes, this was very helpful... especially with boys of similar ages! Thank you,

Anyone able to compare the two? I'm having trouble deciding! My questions: Specifically, what does a daily lesson look like for you? I know many do R & S orally and I would do the same, but is there an advantage of the child having the words in front of him/her with the R & S text? Also how long does a typical English lesson take? This would be for Levels 2 and 4. (My guys have not yet encountered formal grammar.)

Heart of Dakota would be my pick. Infact, I looked at it closely but decided to go back to what we were doing last year. (We had a small and unsuccessful stint with Living Books Curriculum.) It's a two-page spread that is so visually appealing. I like that it teaches to the younger dc but adds more meat for the older dc (as opposed to teaching to the older and adjusting to the younger). I also like that she incorporates elements of traditional and CM. The only thing it's lacking is a list of supplies (because most of what you need should be on hand). However, the HOD boards are amazing and I recall that some moms had made and shared their personal lists. One of the other attractive qualities is that Mrs. Austin intentionally implements activities that are independent as the years progress so that the child will eventually be doing more of his studies without the need for so much parent-directed instruction. I do see that you are using Ambleside and you may find the literature lacking if your using AO full-fledge. If that's the case though, I think you could still implement some AO's reading suggestions with ease. Warmly,

Have you considered Writing Strands? My writing-phobic 11yo ds started Level 3 this year. He is doing well with it and enjoys the author's humor. (I know some parents/children don't appreciate it.) I like the detailed examples, no-fluff, and small-steps approach. I don't know if you own or have access to The WTM, but their recommendation for using it was convincing enough for us to give it a try... thorough, instruction thru the highschool level, user-friendly, and economical. They also mention the fact that some children just don't jive (paraphrasing of course;)) with IEW and the approach with WS is often a good alternative.

I need to do a little more research, but will likely go with either FLL4 or GWG5. Your opinions are appreciated,

Well, now I just have to decide which ones to purchase. I think my guys will enjoy them from the samples I was able to view. Thank you for the help ladies, :)

Anyone else? :confused:

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Thank you Linda. Maybe a little more assesment is in order in terms of his knowledge. Like your 10.5yo, my 11yo knows the definitions well, but I'm not sure about identifying. I considered R & S as well, but I couldn't get over the size of the book.:w00t: I get overwhelmed with too many words and my boys are the same. I think that's why FLL is so appealing. I'm just not sure it will be challenging enough. I should probably take a closer look at the samples. Incidently, does anyone know how far SWB plans to go with FLL? Warmly,

I'm considering doing just that as my 11yo ds has had only light grammar since second grade. He did Shurley in first grade when we were in a classical school. Would FLL4 be too young for him? He has not had any diagramming instruction, but we have done copywork, dictation, and narration so I don't want to go backwards here. Thoughts, please?

Thank you Jenn! I will heed the wisdom and experience of you and the other moms and look at the titles you suggested as well as the other thread. Warmly,

I see this is recommended in The WTM for the Logic Stage and I'm considering it for our 11yo. Please share your opinions of the program and at what age you begin using it.