Agreeing with what others have said! I have purchased and attempted to use WWE 1, WWE 3, WWS 1 and MP's Classical Composition Fables. I always end up ditching the curriculum to focus on copywork, narration, written summaries and our own writing assignments. I think the writing instruction in WTM is great, and I enjoy implementing it on my own. Writing is a subject I'm very comfortable with, as opposed to something like high school science or calculus. I think it makes sense to use curricula for subjects that you need the extra hand holding for, and branch out more on your own for things that are your strength.

Yeah, I'm not so sure I'm sold on the early math either. But she can do it, and wants to do it, and most other students here are doing it... not that I particularly care what others are doing. Maybe we'll start Saxon 8/7 but take it slow and possibly even stretch it over 2 years if it is too much. I kinda hate to leave R&S because we've used it with such success.

Well, I'm pretty biased towards BF and their book choices as well. I hear what you're saying about what appeals to him vs. what appeals to you, and in cases like these I tend to think that a steady diet of quality literature will shape and form their tastes for it later on. Not that you can't throw in the occasional high-interest Usborne book now and then for visual appeal and fact accumulation, but I'd rather have the bulk of our reading coming from D'Aulaires and other great authors. Btw, my kids have really enjoyed the BF books at that age.

We have really enjoyed Rod and Staff math so far. This year dd will finish the 6th grade book and I'm on the fence about whether to continue with 7 next year, or switch to Saxon 8/7 for pre-algebra. She really wants to try to do Algebra in 7th because her cousins have all done that and the schools in our area are going more and more in that direction. Does anyone have experience switching from R&S to Saxon somewhere around this level? Obviously, this option also depends on how she finishes this year. If she begins to struggle with the material, I'll take that as a clue that we should stick with R&S for 7 and 8.

I agree about the repetitive nature of FLL 1. I went that route with my dd and started R&S 2 in second grade. For my ds, we just skipped FLL altogether and began grammar in 2nd grade with R&S, which is what I'll also do with next ds. There really isn't a need to do grammar in first since all the concepts will be introduced again from the beginning. Personally, I like to just work on cementing reading skills and beginning narration and copywork. We also memorize poems, which was probably my favorite part of FLL. I haven't done CW, but I can say that R&S grammar is very thorough and excellent. IMO, you can't go wrong with it.

We also do CLE reading along with novels that I assign as independent reading. I see them as accomplishing different things. CLE gives them good practice in answering those test-types of questions, introducing literary analysis, and paying attention to detail. Reading a chapter or so of a novel each day gives them exposure to good literature and builds their reading stamina. Sometimes these are related to our history time period, or they are just children's classics that I want them to be exposed to. For my ds9, he just reads. My dd in 5th grade also writes about literature.

I prefer the BF books to SOTW, but haven't used their US guide. We've only done Geography Through Literature, and that was excellent. I, too, began with the intention of doing SOTW over 4 years, but after the first 2 volumes, we felt too bogged down with it. I prefer using quality literature and diving in deeper to topics than SOTW allows (since it does jump around a bit week to week). But since many people love SOTW, we might be in the minority.

We just cranked out 50 applesauce cinnamon ornaments in about 20 minutes. You just mix equal amounts of applesauce and cinnamon to make dough, then roll it out on a heavily floured surface and cut out with cookie cutters. Use a straw to make holes to tie a ribbon. They do take a couple of days to dry and harden, or you can bake them at a low temp for about an hour or more. The best part is that your house smells incredible!

Looks like you've found your answer, but I'll just chime in about BJU science. I'm doing 4th grade science with my 3rd and 5th dc, and its going pretty much as you described your wishlist: they read the section on their own and complete the workbook. I haven't found it teacher dependent, although I have the TM and look at it occasionally to plan ahead for any activities that we might want to do. They work independently, and then we go over the workbook page altogether in the afternoon (which usually only takes 5 min). A lot of the suggestions in the TM would be great for a classroom, but I don't feel like they are necessary for homeschoolers. I've been very pleased so far. The readings are at an appropriate level and length, and I like the scope of topics covered.

My almost 9 yo son is the same. I think that he'll probably improve with daily practice, but I'm not too worried about it. While there is always room to grow and improve, oral reading definitely comes more naturally to some than others. My dd has read beautifully and emphatically since she was 6, but my ds (who is also more mechanically minded) continues to sound choppy and miss small words.

This is similar to what we are doing, alternating with literature guides. I also only use the TM for checking work. I do really like the looks of the program as it is supposed to be taught in a classroom (discussing the themes, great spiritual application, etc), but we just don't have time in our day for it right now. My kids understand the instructions and information in the guides and pretty much never need help from me. They love the stories and don't find the workbooks tedious in the least. I'm very happy with this curriculum!

I started around 3rd grade for my dc, too. I have a few different things I assign. One is an assigned chapter or number of pages from a specific book I want them to read on their own. Another is a short amount of timed silent reading from our designated book basket, which holds library books about our current history and science topics. Finally, they have timed silent reading of anything, their choice. My 5th grader does more than that since I also assign history and science readings for her to do independently. We still do the meat of those subjects all together, but I have extra resources that I want her to use. Independent reading allows us to cover so many more books and topics than I could fit in if I had to read it all aloud.

We being grammar in 2nd with R&S 2. I prefer it to FLL. I also appreciate the writing instruction in it, and wouldn't skip it altogether. It covers different things than WWE, which I consider helpful. Lots of it can be done orally, but writing out at least a portion of the exercises really helps cement the skills being learned, and helps build writing stamina.

We use and really like R&S 5. But, if I wanted more of a workbook approach I would consider Climbing to English, also available from Milestone Books (sellers of Rod and Staff). I've heard good things about it and have friends who have used it with success. Grade 5 does cover parts of speech and diagramming.

I didn't use WWE with my dd and she was able to go into WWS 1 in 5th grade with no problems. BUT- we did do extensive copy work, dictation, and narration from our history and literature. With my ds in 3rd grade I am giving WWE another chance, but I'm not sure whether we will stick with it. I like to choose the passages we work with from books we are already reading, but I also appreciate the ease of having it all planned out.

I'll be the lone voice here saying we don't especially like the DVD's for PL or LC. I do like them for FFL and SFL, but my kids really dislike watching them. I think we are in the minority, but since they aren't particularly cheap I thought I'd chime in. The cd is definitely worth it for PL and LC. We stopped using it after that once we were comfortable with the pronunciation.

I was in that exact same spot after Prima Latina. Eventually I questioned whether Latin was worth the time and hard work that it would obviously require with MP. I read Climbing Parnassus, and that really influenced my decision to commit to learning Latin. I'm doing LC with my ds and Second Form with my dd, and yes, it's "boring" most days as in that it is repetitive and somewhat mind-numbing (all those recitations, grammar questions, flashcards). But it is also thorough, challenging, and very very effective. My dc don't particularly like it, but they also feel that way about math and I'm not about to drop math to please them. What they do like, though, is how many times they understand a Latin reference that they hear, or how impressed family members are with their vocabulary and ability to memorize. I'm convinced that they will one day be very thankful that they learned Latin, and IMO MP's materials are the best there is. FWIW, my dc absolutely balk at watching the videos and would rather I teach the material myself. Personally, I like the Form videos, but my kids don't at all.

My kids wake up early and do their assigned lesson on their own, which I have taught the day before. For example, yesterday I taught my ds lesson 149 of the 3rd grade book, and today he did the exercises for lesson 149. I checked his work, went over any problems, then taught lesson 150. Tomorrow morning he will do 150 on his own. My dd, who is finishing the 5th grade book this week, does it the same way. She does the assigned lesson plus any drill on her own, but she also checks her own work. She uses a red pen to circle any that are wrong, then re-works those next to the wrong answer (so I can see both). Later, I glance at what she missed to see if we need to discuss any of it, then teach the next day's lesson. I use the oral drill from the TM, and usually introduce new topics the way the TM suggests, but we also refer to the lesson in the student book. Usually the explanation is very clear and thorough right there in the lesson. IMO, one reason NOT to make math entirely independent is that before long I would have trouble knowing what she is struggling with if I wasn't reading the lessons daily. Even though 5/6th grade math is pretty simple, its been many years since I did some of those specific types of problems. I like staying fresh and current with the material, and taking a few minutes to go over the lessons together accomplishes that for me.

I LOVED this book! Almost as much as Twenty-One Balloons, which is probably my favorite that I've ever read to my kids.

This year I have actually bought all the titles I want to read aloud. They were used and most $1-2 a piece, which is worth it so that we don't have to feel rushed to return it to the library by a certain date. For the most part they coordinate with our history time period, but I don't feel obligated to stick to that when there is a good book just right for my dc's ages. We read at lunch time. I fix my lunch before the kids' and eat it while I'm putting theirs together. Not entirely ideal, since I don't get to sit down and take my time eating, but it works for the season we are in.

Sometimes I choose a specific topic for nature study, but I often just let the kids each pick something themselves. My goals are for them to appreciate the beauty, variety, and order in nature and for them to learn to observe closely what they see. They can choose something we find on our walk, but they have to draw it as carefully as possible while looking at it (building observation skills) and then we read about it in the Handbook of Nature Study. I'd like to get more into identification and writing the scientific names of things eventually with my oldest but we haven't done much of that yet. We do nature study once a week instead of science. Honestly, I think that whatever you are willing to do realistically is the best thing to do. I wouldn't set too many heavy goals for yourself if its something you haven't done before, just start simple and try to be somewhat consistent. Another way to incorporate nature study can be through classes at a local nature park if there is one near you. We have enjoyed some classes that taught my kids how to identify animal tracks, birding for beginners, and other similar topics. Those are a good place to start learning more about the nature in your area.

Many (if not most) of the public schools in our area are year round, so there is almost always a large percentage of kids not in school at any given time. They cycle through 9 weeks on- 3 weeks off. We try to do something loosely similar to that, but I'm not as strict about the 9/3 as they are. I do like having a nice long break each season.

That's a great post, kaxy, thanks! I also want to backtrack a bit to comment on what I first wrote about the Binder Builders. I spent more time looking through them all today and there is more there than I had initially seen. I do think they will provide us with more unique notebooking activities. I'm also looking at ordering Time Travelers to do as well. My kids are crafty so I think they will be a hit.

What drew me to TQ in the beginning was the freedom to do it our way, not on someone else's timetable. I just don't want to feel burdened scheduling our week every weekend. I think we'll just "read a bit" or a lot, or however much we feel like, and do something notebooky every day. Not a whole narration, but maybe a Binder Builder, some copywork, coloring and glueing in a picture, or labeling a map. I love the idea of going with the flow, but sometimes that ends up being more work in the end. Hopefully I can be satisfied with NOT scheduling it all out and making more work for myself than necessary!

We'll be doing: Sign of the Beaver Johnny Tremain Of Courage Undaunted Once on this Island Calico Captive Moccasin Trail Amos Fortune, Free Man By the Great Horn Spoon Freedom Crossing Across Five Aprils Caddie Woodlawn Sing Down the Moon