:iagree::iagree::iagree:This describes my thoughts as well! I did well in school because I "figured out the system" and then coasted. I wasn't challenged and didn't ever work hard for any of it! I have had to try to re-learn the skill of working hard as an adult, and wish I had cultivated that much earlier.

Thanks! That's the way I took it, too, but wanted to make sure. We don't have permanent residence here (that's really hard to get!). My husband has a visa and the kids and I are on it as "dependents" :001_smile:. Local education laws don't apply to us. I guess that means we're not officially under anyone's education laws. Seems kind of strange..., but I won't complain!

That level of Sing, Spell, Read and Write includes first grade spelling, right? That might mean that Spelling Workout A is pretty easy for your child. Susan Wise Bauer recommends always starting with A and then progressing as quickly as you need to. I'm sure you'd be okay doing B, but I wouldn't start later than that. The workbook for Writing With Ease makes the program very open and go! No preparation required. That's awesome that you are homeschooling in China! We are in China, too, but are from the US.

We have a poetry notebook, too. I write down the poems they are working on as well, so each day the notebook comes out and we review previous poems as well as practice our current poem.

I think its reasonable. Its a bit less than what we are doing, but I think its a good amount.

Rikki Tikki Tavi Trumpet of the Swan and I agree with the Tornton Burgess books- we LOVE them here!

:iagree::iagree::iagree: Sometimes its harder to let go of our schedules, plans and expectations and deal with real life and real people. I think you did a great thing, and displayed right priorities to your dc!

I'm sure it does just depend on the kid. For us personally, it would have been too light for first. If you are doing math and LA at a first grade level, then the rest would probably still be interesting and fine for them.

Thanks for sharing these! We're just starting this week and those links are helpful.

Yes! We're all figured out here, too, and have already made the purchases. Now I have to wait a whole year to do all this shopping again...:001_huh:. Your blog is really pretty! I like the simplistic schedule.

We are in Chengdu. There is an international school here. I might check if there is some kind of testing we can do there eventually.

Sounds normal! Just keep at it :).

For science, Elemental Science has 2 programs that are fun and experiment based for K. I think geography is great for K, and agree that SOTW 1 is better for first! You might want to consider Handwriting Without Tears or another program for handwriting.

Thanks!

No, you can't! Most companies state it clearly on their websites, but I think it would be illegal even if its not clearly said.

I call him a "preschooler" and have never thought twice about it! :tongue_smilie:

It took us a long time and my dd still has the occasional slip up. I started having her give me very simple narrations at 5, and those had to be in complete sentences. I think the way you are doing it is great: model it and have her repeat. I always preface the questions with "Now tell me in a complete sentence; how did they...?" to remind her. It is definitely a skill that needs to be built over time, don't be discouraged if its taking longer than you thought!

Mine sit on opposite ends of the table and have their own school boxes with all their own supplies handy. They do still talk and occasionally argue, but I do try to put a stop to it when it is too distracting.

Our plan: (and we've already started much of it) LA: Spelling Workout B,C Rod and Staff 2 grammar HWOT cursive WTM style writing self- made literature studies Math: Saxon 2 Science: Elemental Science Earth Science & Astronomy/ BFSU History: SOTW 1 with AG, lots of go alongs Bible: VOS Child's Story Bible Art: Artistic Pursuits, Mark Kistler Online, Confessions' Artists Study Music: Classical Kids Languages: Chinese (3x a week with a tutor) Prima Latina

Can I ask how you do this?

Thanks for the replies! Seems like there are quite a few of us living overseas! We are in China and have been here for 4 years. We've actually been in Asia for 8 years, both our kids were born here. We are all US citizens and our permanent address is my parents' house in NC. (We're not with the military.) As far as I can tell, we aren't really accountable to NC laws unless we actually live there the majority of the time. We only spend about 6 mos there every few years, so we are definitely not there for the majority of our schooling. I just want to make sure since they require you to register by 7 yrs old. I do want to test the kids some time in the next year or so, and will have to look into options for that around here. I guess its kind of nice that we don't have to worry about reporting to the state!

I think the philosophy behind CC has some very good points to it. However, I personally prefer to do all our memory work within the context of what we are learning. That's partly because there is so much within our current topics that we can memorize, that I don't feel a need to add in additional info. For history, I am only aiming for the general flow with a bunch of key dates thrown in. We definitely won't memorize the dates of every single ruler/ battle, etc., but just the ones the I feel are the most helpful to have on instant recall.

We love our pattern blocks, judy clocks, c rods and linking cubes. And (in a slightly different category) a toy cash register with play money!

I'm not really any help since we just did FLL 1 and then switched to R&S for 2. I found FLL a bit too simple for us (but that was book 1, so probably not a good comparison). I like that we can do R&S orally, or that I can assign however much writing I want to for each lesson. It does have a very strong Bible emphasis, and I can easily see how that would bother anyone who prefers to school secularly.

For my horse loving dd, it was Misty of Chincoteague, or anything else by Marguerite Henry.