Thanks for all your helpful replies! We are really looking forward to this adventure. As for the schools, my husband is considering the base school, not a German school, although we could look into a German preschool for the littles. I feel better now to just put US history on the back burner and continue with SOTW and good literature. I'll look into the shipping policies for our favorite curriculums, thanks for that advice as well!

Until this last week, we were scheduled to move to the East Coast in July. This worked out really well with our plan to study US history for the next two years. I had planned to buy SL3 for my oldest and WP AS1 for dd7 and ds5. Well, that fell through, so the AF has opened up a slot for my husband in Germany. This is a great surprise! I'm not sure what to do about our history plans though. What would you do? Follow through with original plans. Streamline US history and focus on world history more, ala SOTW 3 and ??? Plan nothing and work with what I find when I'm there. Put the kids in school. Sorry, it should have been a poll, but I'm not that savvy. I'd really appreciate any insight you can give me. I don't want to over-think this. I asked my husband for his opinion and he said to do what I think is best. What is that? He doesn't mind putting them in school, but I would rather not. I don't stress about curriculum much and we are pretty low-key, CM-ish, work hard--finish early--explore your world, etc. Thanks for your help!

CloseAcademy - I am the same way! It freaked me out the last three years, but this year I am going with it and it's been great! I guess I finally see that a lot of learning is taking place even in the unschool times, like all that rigorous learning gets a chance to soak in and become part of them. I waver every summer over buying TOG or SL or WP and I never do, but this year I am finally going to take the plunge and discover for myself if the grass really is greener on the well-planned side!http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/images/smilies/001_smile.gif

I haven't used it with older students, mine are all little, but I read it for myself while we read through SOTW vol. 1 last year. I wish she had her next volume out, I can't wait to read it! It coordinated pretty well.

I've used The Reading Lesson http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Lesson-Teach-Child-Lessons/dp/0913063029/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226614391&sr=8-1 with my three oldest kids. My ds7 and dd6 are excellent readers and it's working with my almost 5yo ds, too. We used ETC primers alongside it, but ETC 1 and up would work well, too, if they are up for the handwriting. -Tiffany ds7, dd6, ds4, dd3, ds1

One | Michelle, thanks for your post! It really spoke to me! Thanks for taking the time to share your insights, I'm printing it out! Tiffany ds7, dd6, ds4, dd3, ds1

I was looking at this one yesterday from Classical Academic Press. I like their Latin for Children and this looks pretty good upon first glance. Just thought I'd throw that out there for you to see... http://www.classicalacademicpress.com/bfc_primers.html My 2nd grader is using Explorer's Bible Study, but I don't think we will continue with it next year so I'm looking around as well. HTH, Tiffany ds7, dd6, ds4, dd2, ds1

I used The Reading Lesson book to teach my ds7 and dd6, starting when they turned five. They each progressed steadily until the font changed and we took two months off until they were blending with more ease, then they quickly finished the book. I was doing one page a day up to the break and then two-page spreads each day. I really like the book. It was easy to include in our day so it was done each day which is the real value of the program. I haven't done any other phonics work with them, I just move them up to a spelling program once they finish TRL. My dd6 is using it to "teach" my ds4. It is that easy! HTH, Tiffany ds7, dd6, ds4, dd2, ds1

No advice, just empathy! I also bought it for my fun-loving and bright dd6. She loved it. After three weeks, I shelved it. I have four other children who were wondering where mom had disappeared since LLATL had arrived! It's a lovely program and I hope to use it in small doses when we have breaks, but it's too time intensive for my reality! She also reads and spells well, so it really wasn't worth the 30-40 minutes we were spending on it DAILY! Ugh... it really ought to come with a warning. Of course, it probably does, I just didn't care when I "wanted it"! Tiffany ds7 dd6 ds4 dd2 ds1

I think your basics look solid! If you can be consistent with those things, you will accomplish a lot for first grade! My ds7 and dd6 and ds4 all love the Read and Find Out science books. Personally, I think a wide variety of those age-appropriate science books are great and all that's really needed at this age. We also really like the Seymour Science books. Read SOTW if it seems interesting, maybe while they play or color quietly or eat lunch. It doesn't have to be formal. I prefer to substitute with a picture book if I can find one for the week's topic. As for Song School Latin, my kids love it. We listen and sing along as we clean up breakfast each morning. On Fridays, ds7 and dd6 complete the worksheets with my help if needed. There are lots of wonderful enrichments you can add to your plate, but you don't necessarily need to add them all right away or everyday. In two months, it might be more exciting to buy SSL and have something new to try, rather than forcing it into your schedule right now. HTH, Tiffany ds7, dd6, ds4, dd2, ds1

I have started it with my ds7 for second grade. He is a natural speller and did really well with Apples and Pears, but he is using this independently for a term and he really enjoys it. He likes the activities and choosing two words each week that he wants to learn to spell. He can almost always spell the list words right for the pre-test, so I like that he can learn alternate words instead. I don't think I would choose this as my only spelling program, but for this time when I need to work more with his younger sister, it is working nicely. I plan to return to Apples and Pears later in the fall, so this is just a fun but temporary curriculum. HTH, Tiffany ds7, dd6, ds4, dd2, ds1

We haven't come across any words spelled differently yet. We are just half way through Book A. My ds7 and dd6 only complete one lesson each week (over 2 or 3 days). The copywork in the beginning bothered my son, so we skipped to lesson 15 for written work. My daughter liked the tracing so she completed that in addition to the current lesson. We are on lesson 29 and so far we all really enjoy this program, although it's the only one we've used. Instead of a random list of words, they are learning words that they use frequently and learning to write sentences correctly. This is what I was looking for in a spelling program for their ages. HTH! Tiffany

My ds7 is reading through A to Z Mysteries before bed. He likes them and says they have good pictures, too. He likes to draw so this is important to him. There are 26 (of course) and then three newer ones that are longer. I haven't read one yet, so I don't know what they are like personally, but he likes to keep me up to date on the developments!:001_smile: My dh ordered him some Encyclopedia Brown books and Hardy Boys, but I don't know what reading level those will be. HTH, Tiffany

This is a great idea! We have quite a collection of these fun books as well. They are just filling space in the school closet now, but I think they are about to finally see the light of day! That is, until I find them scattered in every nook and cranny of our home and car, then they will inevitably be consigned to darkness once more! :lol: Thanks for sharing! ___________ Tiffany, at home with ds7, dd6, ds4, dd2, and ds1

Well, I'll bump this for you, too. If there is a reader program like this, I'd love to know as well. I've been looking for something similar. I agree with what you said about Sonlight. I like the idea, but sometimes their selections really make me wonder. As for CHOW, we have read about half of it and I like it. My kids like it, too. We started with chapter 5, skipping all the prehistory stuff. We read it whenever we take a break from SOTW 1. Of course, it covers similar topics, but my kids seem to like the repetition and we enjoy the way Hillyer "talks" about history. _______ Tiffany:001_smile:

Thank you, Shari, for posting this! It was better than my cuppa-joe this morning, incredibly uplifting and motivating! Thank you, Janice, for the kick in the pants! I have been so bored this year teaching my K-er and 1st grader and wondering when we would EVER get to the good stuff! Guess I just found out! Tiffany:001_smile: _________ At home with ds7, dd6, ds4, dd2, and ds1

My dd6 just started a series called The Tiara Club, by Vivian French. She is reading about half a chapter aloud to me each day and loving these books. They are about a group of six princesses at Princess Academy, very girly! She hates easy readers as well and usually just reads picture books. This is the first chapter book series she has shown any interest in. They are listed for ages 6-9. Hope that helps some, Tiffany :001_smile:

Thank you, Holly and Stacy! This is really helpful! Maybe I can finetune the reading basket a bit more and avoid the curriculum. It helps to know what I would need and that it's a good program! Thanks again! Tiffany

I have almost all of my curriculum decided for next year, but I need help with a reading program. Ds7 and dd6 used Sonlight Readers 2 Regular and 1 this year, but I don't want to go that route next year. We finished very quickly and then I felt like the rest of the year just fizzled out. They read whatever they picked up at the library and lots of picture books/early chapter books but I didn't know what to expect from them beyond a short narration and maybe a picture. My husband likes to see progress and I don't have anything to show for the year after they sped through SL's readers. I looked at BJU Reading 3 sample with my son and he really liked the look of it, especially the workbook. It seems so expensive though. Would I really need the teacher stuff? I just want something that he can read the daily lesson in and complete the assignments mostly independently. He likes the workbook, I don't really care one way or the other. My husband wants a program that increases in difficulty through the year. This is the main reason he's not sold on my alternate plan of a book basket with different genres and a reading notebook. How will I organize it so ds is progressing as the year goes by? I feel stuck on this decision and it is annoying me. Any advice about BJU Reading or making a book basket plan stimulating and challenging? Thanks for your help! Tiffany ___________ My littles: ds7, dd6, ds4, dd2, ds1

I have the 1997 Calvert edition and it has 26 chapters from monastic Europe to Elizabethan England, or 120 pages. I guess it depends on your edition. HTH, Tiffany

We just finished DragonRider, by Cornelia Funke. It was great. My ds7 wants to buy it and listen to it again on vacation. http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Rider-Cornelia-Funke/dp/1400098688/ref=ed_oe_a

This looks really nice! Lulu says the download is $5. Is the free offer over already? Or maybe I'm looking at the wrong thing... Thanks! Tiffany

I'm so glad to see this! I have really wanted to try MUS, but my kids never want to use the manipulatives we have. I just couldn't justify the cost of the blocks! Thanks for asking this question! I can't believe I never thought of just buying the package without the blocks! Nutty!

I haven't been using it very long, but hopefully someone else with more experience will chime in. I am using Book 1 with my dd6 and ds7. My dd started at the beginning, it's mostly phonics review and handwriting, but it's a good start for her. My ds started with lesson 15, when sentence dictation begins. I break each lesson up into three or four days for my ds, he gets discouraged if he has to write too much. We spend maybe 10 minutes on this four days a week. My kids don't have learning challenges and I think this program was built for dyslexic students and then mainstreamed. However, if I were to design a spelling curriculum to fit my kids (and my own) styles, this is what I would design! I also liked that I could see the entire book before I bought the program.

http://www.prometheantrust.org/soundfoundationsbooks.htm We use it for our first and second graders. A great program and Hilary is wonderful! She'll help you out personally with questions you might have.