I second Singapore Intensive Practice and Word Problems, if you are not already doing it. They are a few steps up in difficulty, and should be a nice challenge for your little guy. If those are still easy, I'd say go ahead until you find the sweet spot where he is sufficiently challenged, but not overwhelmed!

I'd love to see the planning you have done. Thank you!

Dorothy, I think you are brilliant!

I received my copy of BFSU yesterday (and SOTW and PR) after spending a lot of time looking at various programs for my 6 year old. I'm thrilled by the idea, method and thinking process of BFSU, but I, as a novice and a non-teacher, AM LOST! Where do I start? How do I implement a lesson? I have so many questions, but I'm guessing that these 2 will be explanation enough for now. I really want this program to work. PR and SOTW seems to be more straightforward. I think I can figure those out. But BFSU is a whole other ballgame. I really want it to work! Any tips?

BFSU, PR and SOTW shows up on the same day! (No more stalking Mrs Mail-woman.) What was I thinking! I'm so overwhelmed. I have no idea where to start with any one of the 3 programs. :confused::willy_nilly::eek::confused1::banghead: .... says it best!

Hello I was hoping some of you can recommend an atlas to go with SOTW 1? Also, how do you implement the book/activities? I was thinking something like this: Mo: Read SOTW Chapter Tu: Narration/Lapbook (still trying to decide which, or both), Additional Book as per AG We: Activity Th: Additional Book as per AG Fri: Activity I'm not-so-patiently waiting for my AG to arrive from amazon, so I really don't have much of an idea of how it looks/schedules/proposes. Thanks for your input!

Wow, thank you so much! I'm a little overwhelmed right now! There is so much to look at.

So, I've decided that next year will be SOTW 1 instead of SL K for us. I was wondering if there are any resources that's a must have to go with the book and AG? (I have the Usborne History Encyclopedia.) Anything you added that you kids really enjoyed?

The p3/4-thing is nothing like the IG for P4/5 onwards.

Hello We are currently doing Singapore Math 1B (with IP and WPs) and Math U See Beta. MUS is working, but is very boring. Maybe more so for me than for my son. He just does it because he has to - I don't think he enjoys it. I picked these 2 programs because they are so different, my thinking being that it is good to approach math in many different ways. It has been going fantastic in terms of his learning and understanding of all concepts thus far. My question is: What can I replace MUS with? MM seems to be to similar to SM?

My new 6 year old will be finishing SL P4/5 within the next week. After spending time on this board, I picked up a copy of SOTW from the library and I really enjoy it. I think my son will too. I have not seen the activity guide yet. However... I do have Core K ready, as I planned on doing it last year when he just turned 5. He was to young and I backtracked to P4/5. It was great, but did become a little to light towards the end of it. I think he's perfect for Core K now. I'm really confused as to if I should start Core K, or do SOTW, which seems fantastic. As I see it: SL Pro's: All the books are picked for me, fewer trips to the library, the IG. Con's: Core K is a little "disjointed" going here and there. I like SOTW's cycle. As a non-American, I really don't want to do 2 year of American History when I get to Core 3 and 4. Books are mostly fiction. SOTW Pro's: 4 Year Cycle Con's: I still have to get read alouds, etc. Is there more planning involved? What do I do in 2 years when my little one comes into the mix? (Overplanning, I know.) Do I get a list of books that go with the lessons? I guess the long and the short of it is: What will you do, Core K or SOTW? Thank you, Yvette

Brownie, how long to you spend each week on prep time? Do the lessons itself include lapbooking, narration, notebooking, worksheets or some other form of ... "what you may call it."

I like http://www.deepspacesparkle.com for ideas. I like that it is divided into age categories. It's art - not crafts. And free!

One more question before I hit the submit button on my order... How does the writing progress from Level 1 onwards? For those of you with older children, how did/does your child do on standardized tests for writing and LA in general with using just PR? Thank you,

Could you please tell me how teacher intensive Phonics Road is?

Just to make sure... I don't have to add ANYTHING for a child in Grade 1 and 2? Not even some sort of writing program like WWE? And after that? Can it really be as good as it seems? I'm hesitant to order it - it just seems to good to be true!! What's the programs flaws? THank you again.

Hello So just when I thought I had LA all sorted out with bits and pieces of this and that - I stumble upon Phonics Road. It really looks fantastic. I just have a few questions I hope the PR-experts over here might be able to answer. 1.) I have no problem starting with level one with my 6 year old who is reading at a 3th grade level (at least). The only question I have here is about the readers...Are the readers basic, beginner little stories, or are they engaging, beautiful books like the sonlight readers, for example? The same question in regards to the Level 2 and 3 books. 2.) How does the student manual/workbook/pages look? My son writes very nicely for a young six year old - are the lines on the pages spaced for K - 1 students? Do they use colour? (I wish I could see these on their website.) 3.) Are the lessons fun for a young child? I don't mind it being hard work, but it should at least have some joyful experiences for a little. We are currently using Horizons Phonics, and even though the workbooks look nice, it's very boring and repetitive. I was thinking FFL seems to be more entertaining, but not as strong. I need a strong program, especially since we don't speak english as a first language. Well, I have to get back to our math lesson here - I don't even know where my student disappeared to! To be continued.. (Thanks in advance) Yvette

Hello All I don't know if it's just because it is February, but I feel very ready for this year to be over. I'm suprised at this, because really, our school is going great. My son just turned 6 and we are almost done with Sonlight P4/5 with Readers 2. He is also doing MUS Beta, Singapore 1B, Horizons 1 Phonics, Reading and Spelling, Noeo Science Bio 1 and then little odds and ends, like mapskills, artistic persuits, etc. He does not struggle with anything. Even though he is using mostly grade 1 books, and thriving, I want to slow down for next year. I'm counting this as our Kindergarten year, as he turned 6 just 2 weeks ago. I'm trying to figure out how to balance hands-on learning with Sonlight. How do I make LA more "real world" for a 6 year old, and how to keep math fun. Marcus does not care to do workbook after workbook. This is also easy for me, as I just turn the page and there he goes. The thing is I feel sorry for my son. He does not know otherwise, which is good, I guess, but I'd love for him to be excited as I know he can get about things. Come September, my little girl will be 4 and I'll have to do more with her than just let her roam the house while we do school. I do have Sonlight K ready to do, but I'm hesitant. We love the books and the topics, I just need to do more with it. Any ideas? Then again, if I do more with Core K, I need to find time. We are already working around 3 - 4 hours, if we do all the readings, some added writing, and art. It seems like a lot of time for a little guy. I'm contemplating FIAR. But then again, after Sonlight P4/5, the book choices seem so "young". My daughter will love it, but I'm not sure if it will be enough for my strong 6 year old. Any ideas on this? We speak english as a second language, and it is extremely important to me that my kids will be able to speak it fluent - as good as any first language speaker. The Horizons program has not been bad, but I'm not sure I want to continue with it. Grade 2 is still more phonics instruction, and my son is a very strong reader. Even now, we are just doing the workbooks to get it done. Any ideas as to a more interesting LA program? Comprehensive, if possible, and good for a strong, but young, student. I know that Moving Beyond the Page seems to be more hands-on, but I'm not to crazy about the topics or the hand drawn images. Any ideas as to other programs which follow a similar approach? Winter Promise will not work, as Marcus is not an animal fan, nor are we American (Canadian over here). Is it possible to combine a new 4 year old with a 6.5 year old (Come September)? Or is it just easier to run 2 separate programs? I really want to do things different next year (this was our first year homeschooling). This year was good in terms of what we accomplished, I'm just looking for something different. This was not IT, IYKWIM. Your input will be greatly appreciated. Yvette

Hello All We will be finishing up our school year in a few weeks and I'm trying to plan our next. I think I'm good for all subjects, except LA. It's complicated! At first I thought that we'd do LATL, but it seems a little "light"? My son is strong in LA, both reading and writing - I'd like to challenge him, without begin overwhelmed. For him, it goes both ways - if it's to easy, we have a hard time, and naturally, if it is to complicated, the same. This year we did: Horizons Phonics and Reading 1 (Good, as to level) Horizons Spelling and Vocab 1 (Allright) Evan Moor Word of the day, Grade 1 (Good) WriteShop Primary A (I like this program, but I think that level B would have been better) Sonlight Readers 2 (Perfect) As you can see, I have bits and pieces of many programs to make a complete LA set. I was wondering if there is some way to combine this into less programs? Like I said, I would have liked to use LATL, but I don't think it's going to work. Also, as we speak English as a second language, I need the teachers manuals to be clear and easy to use. English is definitely not my strong subject, and as we live in an English speaking country, it's important to me that my kids be fluent in all aspects of the language. Does anybody use Bob Jones English? It seems a little more comprehensive (grammar and writing in one) than Horizons, although I will still need to add Spelling and Reading? Is that correct? (I like the Sonlight readers, so I'll stick with those.) I see many people like All About Spelling. I'm wondering how that compares to Sequential Spelling? When does one go from Phonics instruction, to Grammar? Seems like it is around Grade 2? Thank you for your help, Yvette

Hello I'm hoping someone more experienced will be able to help me out with choosing our curriculum for next year? My son, who is almost 6 will finish Sonlight's Core P4/5 within the next month or 2. He is also doing Horizons Reading, Phonics and Spelling 1, Sonlight Readers 2, Noeo Science Biology 1, Math U See Alpha and various bits and pieces here and there (Art, Mapskills, Health, etc). I do have Core P3/4, and might just fill the rest of the year with that, while he completes his Science, MUS Alpha, LA, etc. I have a little girl who turned 3 in August. Here is my question: I do own Core K, but would really like to wait with that until my daughter is 6, thus 3 more years - and then combine them. What would you do in the mean time? I can do Hideaways in History from WP for my son next year, but what do I do after that? (He is not a Animals lover, so Animals and their Worlds is not an option. Also, we are not American, so it might be hard to relate to US History 1...) I see on the WP website that Children Around the World is not recommended for a K and Grade 2 student. Will it be possible to stretch Hideaways over 2 years? Will it not be VERY slow then? The WP programs looks fantastic - I would love to try those before we get to the higher grades and things becomes more complicated. Is there any other literature based programs out there? Thank you, Yvette

Thank you all for your reply. I think I will just try my best and relax about what he's doing, read good books and have fun. I'm going to try and see if I can get the Core P4/5 books somewhere and just go with that. I think his younger sister will also get something more out of it. (I'm feeling a little guilty about her just hanging around while I work so hard with him.) I guess I just got scared and overwhelmed. This is our first year and I don't want to make a mess of it. *phew*

Hello All I've started the homeschooling journey not to long ago. My son is 5.5 year old, and we are currently in week 7 of Sonlight Core K. He is doing really well, but sometimes, actually, a lot of the time, I wonder if he will not get so much more out of it if he was just a little older - say, 6.5. I started "schooling" him because he seemed ready. He is reading the Readers 2 books fairly easily, and is halfway through Math-U-See Alpha, which is not challenging him all that much. He's handwriting is pretty good (I think, anyway) and he enjoys our Noeo Science books for the most part. (Wish I bought Science K, but to late now...) Recently he started complaining a lot, saying that he does not want to learn anything, ever. Urgh! I'm wondering if he is just not ready for the kind/amount of work which I, and our school board, will expect of him as a young grade 1 student. As he is not 6 yet (January birthday), I have another year before I have to enrol him anywhere and I was thinking that maybe I should wait? He can go to kindergarten, every day, for 2.5 hours. The problem with his is that he is VERY outgoing, and I know from previous experiences in preschool, that he will transform into the class clown and has been described as "disruptive to the whole class" and a "trouble maker". I know he will definitely be bored in kindergarten and I'm not sure if this will be the right decision/option for him? I also think that he will get so much more out of Core K is he was just a little older. Especially from the read alouds and history. Some of the books he does get/like, but I think another year will make a big difference. Anyway, I was hoping someone here has an opinion on my various options. It will be greatly appreciated! Option 1: Keep going and hope that he will start enjoying school again. I have to add that the complaining has been in the first week of being back to school, and I'm sure it will get better with time and with our routine being set and firm again. (However, I was wondering about this last year allready..) Option 2: Send him to Kindergarten for the 2.5 hours and do nothing in conjunction. Option 3: Send him to Kindergarten, but in the afternoon, after he's had some time to play, continue with LA and Math (This will not take more than 45 minutes.) Option 4: Keep homeschooling him on a Grade 1 level, but cut back on "extras" in order to keep the amount of time we work less. Say 2 hours at most? I'm not sure if we will be able to meet our aligned curriculum (Alberta, Canada) requirements. If we go "traditional" I'll get $750 per year less. I know that I'm upholding him to high standards, but it seems like they get so much done in school, fun things, like drama and technology class - how do they fit it all in? I don't want him to miss out. I know all of this is a mouthful, but I have been AGONIZING with this for weeks now, and nobody seems to have an opinion or idea. Again, your help or input will be greatly appreciated. Yvette

Hello All I was wondering if someone does have an opinion regarding Sonlight Science (for grade 1) versus Neoscience (Biology 1)? Which has more experiments? Which has more writing? (I have narrowed it down to those two, but other suggestions will be greatly appreciated! ) Thank you, Y

Hello All I am getting ready to pull my son, currently in Kindergarten, from school and start homeschooling him he seems to think school is a waste of time, except for being the class clown, disrupting the class in any way possible, and simply not following instructions. Or well, in the teachers opinion. Let's not get started down that road. We just finished Hooked on Phonics, Grade 2, and he is currently flying through Math-U-See Primer. I don't think that is going to take us much longer than 5 or 6 weeks. We've tried HWOT, but he was not really interested and does better practising handwriting by writing "stories" or groceries lists, friends telephone numbers, etc. And that's all. What else should I be doing? At this young stage, should I be doing any Science, History, etc. What about Grade 1? I have to also add that we are not in a hurry as he just turned 5 - but I want to keep him stimulated and "entertained". If not, he becomes more than a handful. How much time, on average, do you home school such a young child each day? Any ideas as to what might keep his 2 year old sister occupied while he "works"? She seems to really take offence to him sitting down and not playing with her. We usually worked when she napped, but she is fighting that more and more and I'm guessing that we will see the end of that before the summer holiday is over. I'm rather terrified! Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Yvette