I'm so glad I found this!! We have multiple cats and I'm so tired of the mess they make with the litter OUTSIDE the box. UGH! Thank you guys! :) OP, thanks!

I own the ENTIRE math series and we've made it up to Jellybeans...this is the 10th book. It did work for my kids! However, for me I was struggling with it "being enough" and opted to switch them to something different. Had I not done this they would have been up to where they needed to be. I dropped it at the beginning of the school year because I was asking myself the same question you are. I wish I didn't let it go! My own insecurities sabotaged a wonderful fun math program! I am on a facebook group for LOF users and there are SEVERAL families who have used it and their kids scored GREAT on tests in the math area their kids took in high school! I will be one of the mama's here that believes it can be stand alone and work just fine. It's all in how you look at learning the concepts with this approach. I will keep the entire series because I feel like it's a perfect thing for any gap filling. I wish I had stuck it out. My girls once in Algebra will use it again.

We've had a slow going year since we are doing so much outsourcing this year. I'm a teacher at a local coop and run 3 large classes. I won't be doing that next year. I'm ready to get back to the roots of what we loved about homeschooling and being home with my children! This spring and summer we will focus on completing the following.... CLE Math 100 CLE LTR 100 & Reading 100 CLE Social Studies 100 CLE Bible 100 Next year for 2nd grade we plan on doing the following as basics.. Math: CLE 200 Reading: CLE 200 L.A.: CLE 200 Next year for 2nd grade we plan on adding some extra's in a couple times a week, but not daily.. Bible: CLE 200 History: SOTW 1 Geography: Daily Geography Practice by Evan Moor Social Studies: CLE 200 Spelling: AAS 1 We won't be starting the new school year until September. That's the latest we've ever started. We have to use the summer to makeup for the months we've lost in our schooling this year due to all the outsourcing prep work that has taken away from our own homeschooling journey.

I'm one of the crazy ones who plans the following year this time because it's Tax time & Convention time! Here is what I've got set in the books to do and I'm super excited about it. I made so many changes last year and previous years that I think I'm on to a path of finally finding what works for us. DS7 - 2nd Grade Math: CLE Bible: CLE Social Studies: CLE Reading: CLE History: SOTW Writing: WWE Geography: Daily Geography Practice by Evan Moor Spelling: AAS Science: Undecided Art: HAS DD11 - 6th Grade Math: ACE Bible: Undecided Reading: CLE History: SOTW Geography: Daily Geography Practice by Evan Moor Spelling: AAS Science: RS4K Physics Writing: IEW LA: ACE or CLE (undecided on which) Art: HAS DD13 - 8th Grade Math: ACE or CLE (Still undecided) Bible: Undecided Reading: Chapter Books History: SOTW Geography: Discovering the World of Geography Spelling: AAS Science: RS4K Physics Writing: IEW LA: ACE or CLE (undecided on which) Art: Mike's Inspiration Station We are keeping school simple. It's what works and what actually gets done when we go this approach. I'm ready to reboot and get this show on the road the right way!

We all enjoyed LOF. Sadly, I was so focused on the fact that they didn't have any actual worksheets that I stopped using it. I'm not happy that I did though, it was working! I will more than likely use it starting back up this weekend until our new stuff comes in. I am using CLE with my 1st grader and the concepts he's learning just in 1st grade blows my mind! I regret not finding them sooner for my girls!! I have no SHAME in starting them back in the 300 series so they can learn the skills needed for the upper series. I think that's the biggest hurdle I will end up jumping with myself, starting back at 300. I've got them both working on a diagnostic test for ACE math and hoping that after that I can get the diagnostic test results and have a better placement idea for CLE as well before having them do that diagnostic test. I like ACE math from what I've seen and I am so torn between those two. I'm still swirling them both around for Math. Wish I had a more clear answer on which to use. CLE seems so simple and well done. I will keep CLE for my ds for sure. I haven't seen R&S math at all. We've used their English and Spelling though. We ended up dropping it to switch to CLE.

I've learned to keep what's working and let it be just that. I always saw gaps and ways I could improve in certain areas. When I decided to switch things up because of my own insecurities with their education, I ended up messing up what was working. We are now back to the basics and I wouldn't trade it for the world. We now have more time to do FUN engaging and hands on activities!

I can understand your struggle. I have a 7th grade dd who is struggling in math as well. For me though, it started at the beginning of the school year when I realized she was a different learner than my other math loving kid and I needed to switch up! We have LOF and we have used several other math programs. I am debating between putting her in either ACE or CLE. The difference I'm finding an issue with is the level she would be at as well as the different teaching approaches. I know she wouldn't mind if I told her it's just a series number and not a grade level. I really think that CLE lets them think deeper and is able to get them farther in math if they are kids who can't just go off of rules. I have one child who can do the ACE math and excels greatly since she's a rules kid. My 7th grader needs the CLE approach but she would be starting way back in the 500 series! I can relate to your hesitation. I however have decided that we wills start back there and we will do math through the summer so we can get her closer to being ready for Algebra come 9th grade! I'm sorry I just babbled and potentially didn't even help! Just know I'm in a similar situation!

THANK YOU!!! :hurray: I hope the OP is able to see that toO!!

Where did you end up placing her? I'm curious because she sounds just like my rising 7th grader too!! We took the placement test and she struggled with the fractions back in the 300 series! I'm considering ordering the 300 for her and still reading LOF too!

What's your opinion of the CLE Math?

I am a teacher for tutorial classes. Last year I was just a teacher, this year I'm now a teacher and the Administrative Director. We started out last year with 20 families, since taking over and advertising and organizing it...we are up to 60 families. I taught Preschool-High school classes last year. This year I'm teaching strictly to upper elementary through high school. Our enrichment program is once a week. The math we offer is twice a week. We are at a local church who has amazing class rooms. We use the space for free because the Pastor's wife and I are co-Administrative Directors of the program. We offer several classes, a total of 7 instructors who are all certified instructors or degree teachers. Most of our classes start at $5/student per class per day. The math is more expensive for obvious reasons--1.5 hours long & they meet twice a week. The IEW classes I teacher are just a bit more than that but it's because the classes are 1.5 hours each instead of 1 hour each like all the other classes. If you have any direct questions, let me know. I might be able to help you out. We have a study hall, childcare for the teachers, and structured lunch. It's been a LOT of work!!! But so far been rewarding.

Nope! All that hype for such a disappointment. I did get ONE score. The Skylanders Kaos Trap was there for $5.99, we've been searching all year for it. So I got that.

I voted Geo. When I began homeschooling my daughters I taught them History first. They didn't understand where what was where and so on. This time around with my boys I'm making sure to spend at least their 1st grade year focusing on Geography

WOW! :coolgleamA: Thank you for that! I will be including many of those videos in our upcoming studies.

I'm going to say IEW! I've seen others said the same thing. I've been teaching it to tutorial classes outside my home all of last year and to my children as well. It's a beautiful program. I will be teaching it again this upcoming year and I'm excited to do so. It's so easy to teach and the kids grasp the concepts rather quickly!

I was able to accomplish a lot today! Bought a Christmas gift off Varage Sale. I even went and got it today! Canned Pinto & Black beans Dried fresh herbs from my garden Cleaned up garden beds. Pruned up the garden plants that needed it. Harvested in garden today. Did laundry. Cooked Dinner and already cleaned up! Tidy Kitchen Packed Hubby's lunch for tomorrow and snacks. Packed kids snacks and lunches for tomorrow. They will be with a friend while I plan school lessons for my upcoming tutorial classes I begin teaching next month! Finally sitting down and taking time out for myself while baby takes his evening cat nap and the older kids are lost in Minecraft.

We did Easy Grammar when we finished FLL until we found IEW and all they had to offer. We've now transitioned into Fix-it! Grammar by the makers of IEW. It's really well done.

Coop Classes: Science: Elemental Earth Science & Astronomy Music: Beginning Music Art: Art Discovery Reading/Writing/Spelling: PAL Reading & PAL Writing Home Subjects: Math: LOF History: SOTW 1 with AG

Co-Op Classes: Writing: IEW Level B Science: RS4K Chemistry Art: Art Creation & Exploration Home Subjects: Math: LOF Grammar: IEW Fix-it! Spelling & English: R&S 7 - Debating on a R&S 6 for English History: Liberty Kids along with R&S 7 Geography: R&S 7 Health: Schoolaid

I'm a coop teacher. I currently teach IEW for grades K-10th. I'm also wanting to add Science into my schedule for the upcoming school year. The problem I'm running into is finding out what will work. We only meet ONCE a week for ONE hour. I would need something that is very easy to grasp, fun, some work-text and labs. I currently own Elemental Science and it's far too notebook friendly for my liking. I'm looking for Chemistry or even something that combines Chemistry, Physics, Biology...ect. I've seen Real Science Odyssey, RS4K, CKE, and Exploring the Building Blocks. The problem is...without buying them each to really flip through them to know...I'm lost on what to use. I've read so many reviews on how several of them were a quick curriculum or they weren't beefy enough. Would any of them work with the schedule I'd have and stretching it out over the year and adding in some additional reading books. Maybe there is something out there I'm just not finding yet that would be a perfect fit. I've also really been intrigued by The Elements: Ingredients of the Universe, written by Ellen McHenry...would that work for this grade level or not? Can it be stretched over the year? The class is mainly geared towards 5th and 6th graders. Any insight would be of great help! Thank you :)

It's the upbringing, parenting, family structure...ect that sets the tone for the house. Not the age gaps, IMO. I'm almost 32, dh is almost 43 and we're welcoming our 4th baby any day now. The age gap for baby and my oldest will be ALMOST 11 years! We are all thrilled! She's so excited to be able to really help out and enjoy being a big sister! My middle child is almost 9 and my son is 5! Dh & I are so much more relaxed this time around knowing that our kids are nicely spaced from the baby. They are able to entertain themselves when needed, have a firm understanding of our family dynamics, structure, & understand the flow of our school days. This will all have a play in incorporating the new little bundle! I'll only be adjusting myself with lack of sleep (which I will be lying down during quiet just like my kids instead of internet surfing or doing house chores) and baby into the routine...the other 3 kids already know the flow of things and can easily adjust beings they have stability already. When I brought my 3rd child home it was so difficult because my girls were only 4 & 5.5 yrs old. They still required a lot of my guidance and the baby too. My first 2 are 22 months apart and that was extremely difficult in the early years! Now that they are nearly 9 & 11 they are the best of friends! I wouldn't change it for the world. Having a 4th child though made me really debate on how soon after my son was born. I found a happy medium with knowing I wanted my 3rd & 4th child to be at least 4 years apart. They'll be 5 years apart! Couldn't have worked out any better for our family!

We will go all the way through middle school with it. Highschool will be when my dc won't have a "spelling curriculum".

::UPDATE:: To my surprise IEW customer service called me on Friday. They wanted to follow up and investigate what happened. After telling them kindly they apologized repeatedly and asked if they could call me back after they spoke to their manager. They wanted to see what they could to make it right for us. 15 minutes later they called with several options. Because I plan on having a long standing relationship with them I wanted to continue with their products and didn't want any refund as that's not what I felt needed to happen here. They are putting together a bundle package for me with audio lectures and other great DVDs! I'm so thrilled with the outcome of this unfortunate mishap. They reassured me this wasn't something that has happened before and want to make sure it doesn't happen again. I felt this thread deserved an update! :)

I've set the DVR for this series. :)

We did FLL1-4, then we switched to EG and IEW.