Thanks, this is helping me to see it a different way. I want engaging and comprehensive. I want his education to open up doors for him. I will get my WTM book out again and start planning

I just don't know where to start. I have lots of unschooling friends and unschooling theory seems to imply that if learning isn't fun and relevant to the child it is damaging them. I want my child to ENJOY learning, is this possible with Classical? Do your kids enjoy their studies? I want a well educated child that enjoyed their childhood and their homeschooling experience. Is this possible with WTM?

Hmm that makes me tempted to try MM- tell me does it have a metric measurement section?

I want to start using Singapore BUT we are in the UK and have pounds and pence, and use metric measurement (metres, centimetres) so what can I do when Singapore introduces these topics?

I've looked into HWT but it costs too much to ship to the UK. I have Getty Dubay or Penny Gardner here but with the options of other more popular handwriting programs if they have UK suppliers

Aged 5-7 we did Waldorf homeschool, we never covered letter formation. Then he went to school aged 7 and had to catch up. He has been out of school for 3 weeks, this time for good. We are now homeschooling. This time we are doing Classical. He is 8 1/2. He can't form letters properly and printed they look ok but he does them in odd ways. He doesn't sit letters on the line properly eg the p and g do not sit on the line and hang down. He writes BIG and scrawly. Where on earth do I start with him? Can he re-learn? Is it too late? I bought Penny Gardners Italics program to try with him as Italics looks easier for him but wondered is there any other program worth trying? What do I do?

I've just purchased Penny Gardner's Italics, it seems an easy style to do for my son, yet it looks nice

My son has just come out of school, he was in year 3 UK, (Grade 2 US), he is 8. His maths though tested above for SATs last year at school is actually really poor, he can't remember basic subtraction, he can't regroup in addition. Where do I start finding a maths program?? I looked at Singapore but even the 2A looked too hard for him- struggling with this. I was going with MUS but think I want a spiral program for him. I worry if I start him behind grade level will he ever catch up by the time he reaches high school age?

WHich handwriting program and style do you like. I don't know whether to do Getty Dubay italics with my son or a pre-cursive font that already has the serifs on so it is easier to do cursive later (but he seems to struggle with this) What are your experiences?

My son is starting to read, he is 6 just turned. Do I need a LA program with him or do I wait for next year when he would officially be first grade? I was thinking either LLATL Blue or FLL1, thought he might like the sticking and pasting of the blue level, but I was worried it would be too easy for him if we start next year as he will have mastered his reading by then. WHat does a 6 yr old need for LA?

Is MUS a comprehensive math program or does it have gaps in its knowledge base? Can I use it on its own?

I think it wasn't mastery when she did it at school they hoped the child had mastered it then moved on to the next subject. So I am not ruling out mastery as long as she HAS mastered it, then again spiral would be okay too (what is SM?) I wondered whether SM might be too tricky to go into if she has not done this type of math before?

I have the GP one but it doesn't start young enough for my 6 yr old, though I have to agree it looks good. The only thing though, I am not sure if they have review questions so that my daughter doesn't forget the stuff she has learned.

I am looking for a math program for my dd who is 10 (5th grade). She was at school last year and it seems that the math they taught her, then moved on to another topic meant that she has forgotten a lot of what has been taught eg she needs refreshing on long multiplication/division. She does not seem to have been taught any good techniques for mental arithmetic so I have been trying to help her with this, she gets stuck on word problems. Overall though her math level is average for her age I think. I want to know what math program would be good for her. As we are in the UK, I am looking at MM, MEP, SM, MUS or possibly Horizons (Sonlight). I had to say I tried a question on MM (Multiplication 2) with her and I couldn't work out the answer (do they come with answer keys?) Whatever I choose, I hope to start my son who is 6 on the same math program so he can fly and I can use the older resources with him when he reaches that age.

I would like to know what you would do. Dd was at school last year and has done all the basic math, though she is rusty on long multiplication and long division, though I hope it would not take her long to catch up. I certainly don't want to spend a whole year doing this. I want to purchase MUS for her and was hoping to start her on Epsilon but it means she will have missed their methods on long division and long multiplication. Would it be okay to work with her on the basics then purchase Epsilon? Any ideas for worksheets we can get for brushing up on the basics/long division/multiplication?

Thanks for that, I will order Alpha x

Which level is best for my just turned six year old? Primer or Alpha? He can count but can't skip count, he doesn't tell the time, just knows basic math stuff with manipulatives eg can count to over 40, can add and take away using objects, knows more than less than. Any ideas?

My son is 5 but will turn 6 in the first week of term. I don't know whether to start him in K5 or do 1st in particular regards to history and language lessons. He cannot yet read but knows all his letters and sounds and can do simple cvc words, he doesn't write. What would be the best use of our time for this academic year?

I want to do a Classical curriculum with my 10 yr old, we have been very relaxed up until now. She has studied most time periods except the Renaissance (is that SOTW 2 or 3?), so I was thinking of spending a year covering that, then start Grade 6 with the Ancients again. Is this the best thing? She is an avid reader but not a great speller and has done no formal grammar program, so I am not sure what is best for her. I have seen a Charlotte Mason Language Lessons book I was thinking of doing with her as FLL only goes up to Grade 4. How do I know where to start on grammar, spelling, history and science for her to catch up ready for grade 6?

I have just pulled my copy of the shelf as we will be reading this together as a family for our science/nature study.

I must say the Getty Dubay style does look very easy to transition to cursive, this appeals to me. I will have a further look at them then will decide.

My son is almost 6 and has done no handwriting, he can write his name but likes it to look joined up. I thought of starting him with cursive but worry it will be too hard for him to do straight off, so that leaves me with 2 options. The first is to do Getty Dubay Italics as the transition to cursive looks very simple to do. I am not sure how my son will feel with this as he likes the look of cursive but he may find GD so much easier to do. The other is to teach a D'Nealian font that again leads to an easy transition to cursive. Any preferences to these 2? Is there anywhere online I can just print off worksheets as living in the UK we can only get Getty Dubay over here.

I can get Pictures in Cursive here in the UK and am thinking of getting the Primer- does anyone have any experience of this?

If I want to teach my son cursive first, what handwriting program would be good for this and do you know any that ship to the UK?

Yes Reception and year 1 are Kindergarten. I am interested in your replies as I want to use it with my 5 (nearly 6) yr old son.