My son did MP Storytime Treasures this year (the second book). I highly recommend it! For second, he will be using a couple of the literature guides for second grade. Honestly, the Beatrix Potter one is a lot thinner than the others for that grade. So, I think we'll do that one first. We also have Pathway Readers, which we've worked on this year. I debated about BJU reading for him for second (since my DD used it last year for second) but leaning away from that these days. Thinking of just sticking with MP literature guides and some of Pathway Readers. Also, some logic books I saw from Tin Man Press would work for some critical thinking, reading activities, comprehension. Was thinking about getting a couple of those, too. HTH.

Well, glad I'm not the only one who thought those things..um....yeah. :glare: I can use secular programs no problem, but for some reason, this is leaving a yucky taste in my mouth to think about continuing with it (BJU reading). :confused: I don't want to, but then again the skills taught are important, but...I don't want to. LOL. :tongue_smilie: I don't have any experience with CLE- maybe someone else does because I thought about using that instead too. Or logic books/critical thinking instead along with being diligent to test reading comprehension orally/using narrations.

Oh, yes. I was too hard on my DD then, who was a first grader. Especially with math, and I think I should've just changed the curriculum then but I pushed. I really should've listened to HER, nothing else, and made it easier on us all. Lots of tears then. Soooo glad homeschooling got better for us. We are finishing up our third year- it's been the best so far!

I see no problem in adjusting the amount of a couple other subjects- you're nearing the end of the year, right? We adjust, and maybe he could spend a bit of his own time once in awhile, too, for math, but making minor adjustments to fit it in during your school day, imho, seems not a big deal for the last weeks of a school year.

Thanks for your post. It IS so helpful to pause and give yourself some time to see what you're doing RIGHT with your kids and homeschooling. It is hard to do this though, in the midst of our day! I wish my Ah-Ha moments lasted. LOL. I'll be thinking of things and how wonderful and then, something happens to turn off that mindset for awhile. How frustrating that is! So, that's where I'm at, and then see your post. It makes me stop. Ponder all that I'm doing here with my children. And smile.

kebg11-:tongue_smilie:Feel free to go to my blog to see one example.

In preparing for the ending lessons of my daughter's reading program with Bju, I found a couple things that really upset me. Right now, trying to decide how to approach the reading curriculum....abandon it or skip what I don't like. I really feel like ditching BJU because it upset me that much, the content of some worksheets. We do only use it for some reading, and I'm sure I'd find a different alternative for reading comprehension, etc.

Using POE this year was THE BEST. I am so thankful I pursued it. It really fit our homeschool!

Well, I've been having my DS work through it this now. Just for solid review til the end of the year. I think it's great!

I saw this when it was first up last week. Looks so tempting and shiny and new and pretty! LOL!

One more thing- I do hope they continue on to create additional years. I thought I read somewhere they were going to do World History. I'd LOVE to keep going with this curriculum if all goes well. It is interesting that I started my first grader with this, though, but he really enjoyed it and learned so much. I wouldn't have done anything differently.

Glad to help! I wanted to say I think this last unit (Unit 6) is easy peasy. Nice for the end of the year. There's not as much to read and the review is quick and wonderful! I actually ditched the teacher's guide and just quickly typed up a short list for each day and printed it out. WOOT! Unit 5 was a blast and we didn't mind doing Lewis and Clark for 6 weeks! HA! I loved the hands on book. I had a lot of other supplemental books we looked at. Also, if you are into Native American study, POE provides great opportunity to teach that. It looks like there's time for that in POS, as well! I get so excited about this curriculum because it "fit" my style and my kids so much. It was our missing link. At least for now! I will take it a year at a time, as we all do here with homeschooling! Good luck with whatever you decide!!

DD 4th: Paths of Settlement (American History, State and President study, and Earth Science will be included this year), Memoria Press/Veritas Press lit & guides, Prima Latina, Story Grammar/Sentence Composing, and other eclectic sources for language arts. Saxon 6/5 with DIVE as well as Singapore IP 4a/4b and CWP 4. iPad educational apps to supplement. DS 2nd: POS (American History, State and President study, and Earth Science will be included this year), Memoria Press/Veritas Press lit & guides, and an eclectic mix of sources for language arts. Singapore Math 2a/2b, IP and CWP 2 also. iPad educational apps to supplement. *ETA: Have to work on handwriting with my DS, so we are using the Italics series.

I think if you'd do away with one of the readers, having the core resources would be important (we didn't get the cookbook, since I am totally not into that. LOL). My kids liked Munford Adventures and Daniel Boone the best. I liked the Pilgrim tales book (or whatever it was called- I can't remember!). I think the book, Profiles of History, was a fantastic tool to use since you end up implementing a timeline, for one. Also, it would help get some details of history in especially if you lessen the literature. Then, in Profiles of History, you have the main explorers/history characters/activities/events. If I think of anything else, I'll come back. I've reached a low point of the day with fatigue and brain power. Oh- almost forgot- I don't think I have a great informative post on my blog about it. I looked but couldn't seem to find one. SORRY! I thought I had something but can't find it.

I used this for part of a school year and did it "casually," using other skill building worksheets I get for $5 somewhere. It worked for us to use slowly...especially since my DS hates art. LOL.

I'm "thinking" about using less of their suggested lit, though I am totally clueless at this point in time how to function within the realm of the curriculum itself without it! I tweak anything we use so I wouldn't say there's necessarily an issue with the Trail Guide series, just differences of preferences. I'd have to spend some time looking over things this summer to see how to change the lit portion. I think even if you would use just part of the curriculum you're getting a lot out of it nonetheless, but that's my opinion. It is pricey though. *We use other science too!

Not necessarily for our school day (although I could count it as such!), just extra stuff he can play with. I'm not talking legos, or gears kits (we have those). I'll give examples: he loves the game Contraptions on the iPad, he loves messing around with mouse traps (LOL), he spent hours yesterday and today with an electrical kit (that was safe). I just need ideas to keep him curious and interested and learning. Maybe even video suggestions. Mostly hands on manipulative things though. :bigear: My dad (retired chem teacher) works with him sometimes. My DH does too. I just need "toys" that are very science minded but educational for the kid! My art/reading/horse loving DD8 always has stuff to do but my DS runs out of stuff to play with. HA! :tongue_smilie:

We are finishing up the last unit of POE. I already have about everything for POS to use next year. What I don't like: a. how long the units are (4 weeks would've been better) b. some of the literature picks that you spend SIX WEEKS ON..ick! I loved the resources though!!! What I like: a. what is studied b. the activities/copywork/dictation/writing/geography/discussion/etc. c. the set up of the book/lesson plans d. the nature studies of POE was really neat and well worth it e. my children have retained a TON- seriously! I am so eclectic that I couldn't really say for sure what we did or didn't do all the time. We skipped MOST of the grammar portion, except for copywork/dictation. I had other things to use with the kids. I also skipped portions of some of the literature choices because I couldn't stand to read aloud that long- ack! This last portion, I am using a different Johnny Appleseed book then suggested. I may change my mind for a few next year, depending upon how long the chapters are. It worked for us to shorten some of the units- Columbus, Jamestown, and Pilgrim in particular. I probably won't use the grammar portion of POS either next year! It just depends! I am all for how the other subjects are set up. I truly loved it. The history/geography/science/etc was easy to teach both my children. They are on different levels with grammar, so I didn't want to use this ONE particular program to teach both at this point in time. KWIM? I didn't find the curriculum "Christian." There is a Bible supplement and I got it but we didn't use it. HA. We had too much other stuff and my DC ended up using their own devotional books, so I kept that separate. HTH. Feel free to ask any specific questions.

WOW. Just went to the links. I need to experiment and figure out how it works to drop/make chapters?

I also ordered this book a few weeks ago from betterworldbooks.com but here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/When-Clay-Sings-Byrd-Baylor/dp/0689711069/ref=pd_sim_b_1 I probably will try to fit more Native American sources in if I can because it fits well into our history/geography too for next year.

I recently got the earth science book by Janice Vancleave. Also, I was looking at something called Storytime Science- sorry don't have the link real handy!

I do these as a supplement, so it really depends. Sometimes once a week, a few pages. Other times, every other week, a few pages. LOL. They are nice to fill in. So I pick and choose.

I'm curious- what specifically don't you like. :bigear: Looking at this for something fun and extra for my science loving DS.

Spelling: from literature, etc. (perhaps R&S, also) Reading: Memoria Press lit guides, perhaps BJU Grammar: eclectic mix from lit guides/online/R&S(?) History: Paths of Settlement (incl. geography, and language arts also) Science: Earth Science will be covered in Paths of Settlement; various supplementing living books Art: watercolors (per POS); nature sketchbooking Writing: R&S; POS Math: Singapore 2a/2b; CWP; IP; iPad apps for facts Handwriting: unsure- we were doing BJU1 but now we switched to Italics manuscript/transition because I thought it'd suit my DS better, and I think I'm right!

:iagree: Combining is the key. I combine all the time. :) Sometimes, it can be overwhelming just to think to oneself, wow, I'm really using all these things to teach one subject. But, for whatever reason, that's what I decided to do!