Not sure if this would be too small, but Target has one in the $ section. Lines on one side, blank on the other. About 8 1/2 x 11 size. There's also one in the school supply section that comes with a marker for a bit more. hth. Oh, sorry...just saw you needed a bigger size. Sorry!

Hey Kel, thanks so much for your reply. That is so very helpful. I thought much the same...build his confidence. We tried OPG, PP (not 100 EZ yet) and he wasn't ready. I'm at my wits end. I thought I could use the beginning lessons of McRuffy K w/ my dd4 so it wouldn't be a total waste. Thank you again!

I'm at a loss as to what to do w/ my ds6 and dd4. Well, not completely, but choosing a phonics program is difficult. I have MFW K for dd4...she is right on target to do the phonics in that. Ds6 is sort of in the middle. He knows letters/sounds and can read CVC words fairly well. He is using ETC online right now (just started today) and he loves it. Best $30 I've spent yet. I look at ETC as more of a supplement, though. So, I'm looking at McRuffy and it looks like something he'd really like (full color, appealing pictures). My problems? 1. Is it worth the $ ($99 is a big chunk of change for us) if I already have early phonics readers and could just as easily buy Phonics Pathways or 100 EZ Lessons and use the phonics readers I already have? 2. If I decide on McRuffy, should I use K or 1st? My son seems to be past the letter sounds/recognition part so the first several lessons would be a waste in the K book. But, 1st grade seems a bit too challenging for him right now. Can anyone who has used this help me? I'm just at such a loss as to what to do with him right now. Thanks.

K12 has a good K program. We used it with our charter school here in PA. That was my first year of hsing, too. The charter provided us the gradual entrance into hsing that we needed but very quickly became too public schoolish for me. We ditched the charter after 2 years. Won't go back. As to the K program if you are doing it independently...it will feel very "schoolish" but if you need that type of structure it could be good. There are many K programs out there (secular and Christian). Honestly though...K should be a time for FUN! Read a lot together, get a good phonics program, do some fun math activities or use a book like Singapore Earlybird K or Saxon K or MUS Primer...whatever. Tons to choose from. Mostly, just have fun. They grow up so fast and will have tougher, more structured work soon enough. Just my 2 cents...and what I wish I would have done w/ my older kids. I all but ruined their love for learning b/c I made hs too rigid. I won't make that mistake w/ my youngers.

It was a bittersweet day. Both were tested by the testing coordinator at the elem. school. Ds9 did well...as I expected. She said his writing skills were lacking. I knew that going in since we did not do a ton of creative, original writing. Ds8 froze. He couldn't do but 3 math problems (add/substract), hesitated on most spelling words that I KNOW he knows and didn't write anything in response to the question, "What is your favorite thing? Tell me about it." I'm not very upset by that. I think it is a ridiculously open question to ask an 8yo and a 9yo and expect them to write on it for 3 min. That's just me. So, I endured the, "just what DID you do with them for the past few years?" insinuations with a plastic smile. The only saving grace for ds8 was his reading skills which surprised the testing coordinator...in a good way. So, I have a lot of work to do to prepare them for this coming year. Both are relatively excited. I'm trying hard not to feel like a complete failure.

I bought one subscription b/c it said I could use it for as many children as I specified. I forgot to specify so I emailed them the names...hopefully that will work. I'm looking forward to it for my ds6 b/c he likes the computer. We'll see how it goes. I thought it a good deal b/c I was looking to buy most of the books for multiple children so this was a good deal for me. Thanks for your input everyone!

I just ordered this through homeschoolbuyerscoop.com for $30. I'm going to use it with my 4yo, 6yo and 8yo. Anyone here using it? Like? Dislike? Do your dc like it? Thanks!

Hey everyone! Thanks for the replies. Upon first glance...LHFHG looked too "young" for my 6yo. Personally, I wanted to start w/ Beyond b/c I wanted to do the Amer. Hist. However, after reading all the replies and going on my "gut" instinct about HOD...I am starting to reconsider my plans. I like MFW K but I must remember that it just never got done last year! Perhaps b/c I was also teaching 4 older kids and was exhausted! I like the way HOD is laid out much better than MFW K. I think I'll spend the next several days looking over MFWK again, looking at the HOD samples and praying. I felt like God led me HOD for a reason...just not sure which level or what timing, KWIM? So...keep the suggestions coming and thanks for all the replies! OP: I hope this is helping you too and you aren't upset I "hijacked" your thread!

http://www.homeschoolbuyerscoop.com has a group buy for Explode the Code online for $30. You get a full year (well, almost) subscription and it is based on the ETC books 1-8. Check it out. It looks really great. Combine it with reading to and with your child and it just might fit the bill!

Jumping in here to "hijack" and ask another question: Is the HOD curriculum really worth it then if you are omitting most of the activities? I ask only b/c I am looking into LHFHG or Beyond for my 6yo and 4yo. Mostly just my 6yo. I noticed, too, from the samples that the activities were a bit "toddlerish" and silly for a 6yo...even a 6yo boy! My 4yo dd would probably like them, but in the course of my busy day I just KNOW I would skip the silly stuff. So, is it worth it otherwise? I'm now wondering if I should just skip it altogether for this year and go with FIAR for both dd4 and ds6, MFWK for dd4 and just use another phonics/math for ds6 (he's beyond MFWK phonics). Any input would be great...sorry to hijack...you can just pm me if you would like as not to clutter the thread. Sorry OP!

Thanks for all the great tips! Organization was never my strongpoint but I'm going to have to start.

My children are suffering from the "grass is always greener" syndrome and so my oldest 4 are going back to ps. My 6yo and 4yo will be homeschooled b/c they want to be. They are proud to be homeschooled and will tell you! The baby doesn't have a choice. :)

Okay guys...here it is. My 14yo niece is on my FB. Her parents are as well and they are on hers. So, it's not like they aren't clued in to what is going on. Today, I get on and some of her friends are cursing up a storm in response to what what a completely innocent status of hers. She told the friend who was cursing to stop. Good for her. So, I look at her new profile picture and to me (now i am a bit conservative), she is showing a bit too much cleavage. She is leaning over in the photo, thus making it all the more revealing. WWYD? We are fairly close as far as relatives go. I could say something to her but I wouldn't want to step on her parents toes. We are more conservative than they are about these issues. It just worries me for her b/c at 14yo I don't think she's ready to handle the attention a photo like that might attract, KWIM? Am i making too big a deal out of this or should I say something?

If you consider Qdoba fast food, then definitely Qdoba. Other than that, Chik-fil-A but we are kinda sick of the chicken there. Oh, and Subway of course.

Been buying ours raw from the farm around the corner for over a year now. All my kids have tolerated it just fine as has dh and myself. We love it. Not to mention it is cheaper than buying it at the store!

I know it's the right decision...for many reasons. Most of them are excited. It's all just feeling so overwhelming. I'll have 4 in school and 3 at home (a 6yo, 4yo and 1yo). Tell me it will be alright! Any tips on how to manage/organize everything and everyone to make this transition smoother? I'm worried about keeping track of homework, field trips, lunches, conferences, gym clothes, instruments if they play one, etc. AND, homeschooling the other 3. Any tips? Thanks.

Lots of ideas. Thanks everyone. I like McRuffy but not the cost. I'd like to do this on the cheap. So, I might try OPG again even though he hated it last year. MFW K has phonics but he is beyond the letter sounds already and I want him to have his "own" phonics to do so he doesn't feel in competition w/ lil sis. I like free so I will check out the online stuff.

La, la, la, la, la, la...this is me plugging my ears, closing my eyes and singing so I don't hear you or see this! :001_huh::)

He is a bit "behind" and so just really beginning to get sounds, blends, sounding out CVC words, etc. What should I use? He'll be doing MFW K w/ his little sister but I want him to have his own thing to do, too. I have Ordinary Parents Guide (I think, unless I sold it :)), some easy reader books leftover from K12 Phonics, AAS Level 1. Any opinions on Phonics Pathways? Any others?

My dd12 will be going to ps this year. I'm not thrilled about it, but it is what it is. She struggles in writing and I doubt the ps will be much help with it. So, I want to afterschool her in writing but I'm not sure what to use or how much to do. Any suggestions?

Yeah! Congratulations! Another WTM baby. Love the name. Hope you are both doing well.

It's time for you to set up some boundaries with this woman. It sounds like she just wants to "complain" but not change. I just read Cloud and Townsends book, Boundaries and this sounds like a perfect example of where one person is taking advantage of the other. You can still be a good friend w/out allowing yourself to be abused. I've had people in my life who were just like this woman...wanted to vent, cry on my shoulder, be prayed for, etc. but when it came down to practical solutions and advice they wanted nothing to do with it. Does she come to you with the same problems time and time again? Or are these different issues each time? Same issues all the time indicated someone not willing to do the work to change the situation. Pray about what boundaries you might need to set with her and pray God will give you the words to say w/out damaging or hurting the relationship.

Thanks for the great suggestions and advice, everyone. I think I will just start slow and fun. We have Leapsters, ed. computer games and such so that will work, I think. My ds11 will need to work on math b/c he is a bit "behind" the ps kids b/c we used MUS. I think Everyday Math is EVIL and it will just ruin everything we've worked so hard for if we don't continue with MUS at home. As you can see, I don't want to give up homeschooling 100%! But, it is what is best for all of us right now. Anyway...we'll work it all out and I probably won't start anything at home until well into the year to give them a chance to adjust to ps life.

Janna, Jesse does this, too. In fact, all my kids did it at that age. Because he doesn't have the ability to voice what he wants using words, screaming, crying, pointing, etc. are all he has. Like when they are babies and crying is all they have, KWIM? It's annoying, frustrating, embarrassing sometimes, but he is just trying to tell you something and it probably frustrates him as much as it does you. When Jesse screams (and he can shatter glass) I crouch down to his level (if he is standing) and say, "Jesse, what do you want? Show Mommy". He understands that and can often follow the direction. Sometimes he screams b/c a sibling is getting in his face or has stolen a toy. Sometimes he screams b/c something has been taken away from him that is a "no-no" and for that I simply say, "No, Jesse, you may not have that" and proceed to distract him w/ another toy. I might be setting myself up for disaster later, but I don't discipline this. I might say, "no screaming", but he really doesn't get that right now, ya know? He is trying to communicate the only way he knows how. Once he has words to us, the screaming will most likely stop and if it doesn't...I will discipline when I know that he is CHOOSING to scream INSTEAD of using his words. Does that make sense? Right now, it's not a choice.

Facebook has security settings like MySpace, I think. I have a Facebook and a MySpace but only use FB. Make sure they have their settings to "only allow friends to see content" or something like that. If they don't, then the whole world can view their photos, information, etc. If you "friend" them, then you have access to their page, information, photos, friends comments, etc. I like FB better than MySpace but that's just me. If you set up an acct..."friend" me!