Congratulations! What a blessing!! :-)

I am not familiar with ACE or Alpha Omega but I don't think CLE is made by them. I guess I am trying to figure out (1) which I am going to use next year -- OPGTTR/WWE/FLL/AAS combo or the CLE LA 1 program and (2) how to explain the diffence in those vs. a traditional homeschool LA program like Abeka or BJU? Does that make sense? Can anyone help me explain the fundamental differences in the programs (or the difference in the approach used by each?) Thank you! :-)

Thank you for the replies!:001_smile: I was also wandering if someone might be able to explain the difference in the approach that each one uses? I thought they all were phonics based but I thought I read somewhere that BJU uses more sight words? Any thoughts?

Hello! I am pretty new to homeschooling and was talking to a non-hs friend who had several questions about my choices for LA curriculum. This next year for 1st grade, I have both the CLE LA for 1st and OPGTTR/FLL/WWE/AAS. I am going to try and take the summer to go over them all and decide what to use for 1st grade. My friend had never heard of my curriculum choices and asked why I wasn't using Abeka or BJU and what the difference is between them all. I actually was taught with Abeka in 1st grade but that was a really long time ago :D~ so, can anyone help me explain the differences in the LA programs for each curriculum? Abeka - BJU - CLE - OPGTTR/FLL/WWE/AAS - Thank you!

Hello! My name is Jenny and I am somewhat of a newbie as well! DH and I have been married almost 11 yrs (just over 3 weeks away! YEA!:)) and we have 4 wonderful (and very active:D) boys ages 6 1/2 to 2 yrs. old. DH and I met at the college group at church (even though we went to different colleges) but didn't get married for a couple of years (had to get him to graduate first! LOL!) I was a CPA for 6+ yrs. before getting to stay home. I am originally from AR but DH and I met in MO and since then have lived in AK, CO, NY, VA (short stint) and now GA ~ lets just say that each boy was born in a different state! :001_smile: DH is a PM for a company that does work on military bases ~ so even though we aren't military, we travel like we are. The Lord has provided for us in each and every move and we've met some wonderful people along the way! This is our first year homeschooling and I am realizing that I have a lot to learn!:D I appreciate this forum so much and I'm really glad I stumbled upon it!

:lurk5:

My dh and I have also really enjoyed the materials from FamilyLife.com - we pretty much have liked everything from them. Having 4 kids age 6 - 2 is pretty tiresome but we've enjoyed their Simply Romantic Date night materials see (http://www.shopfamilylife.com/romance-and-sex.html). HTH! :-)

We are going to be trying out Risas y Sonrisas (www.spanishforkids.com) this next year. It looks really good and they have a set designated for homeschoolers. HTH! :-)

Hello ~ my oldest ds will be in 1st also. Here's what we have planned: Math - Right Start B (I also have MUS Beta also and this ds loves worksheets so we may supplement?) Handwriting - HWT 1st grade - my kiddos LOVE this program Language Arts - not sure b/c we purchased the CLE 1 program at our hs convention but I also have OPGTTR, FLL, WWE and AAS - so we'll see (I know - I am a curriculum junkie!!) ;-) {We'll also add in ETC 3 & 4, b/c my kiddos also really like the ETC series} History - reading aloud MOH (finish vol 1) and SOTW Spanish - Risas y Sonrisas (spanish4kids) HTH - Good luck with your year! ;-)

Sarah ~ thank you for the link to homeschool creations blog - I love her blog also but had not found these organizers on it yet! MaMa2005 ~ thank you for the pics of your room, I really like them. I love the storage closets you got (again, a great idea from IKEA -- oh, where is one when I need it?) :-) Tina ~ wow, you are really organized! I followed the link to your blog and I really like what you have done in your room. Cute bookshelves and the storage drawers are the same ones I have been wanting from walmart! I also followed the link to "Tink's" blog (Maria Whitehead) ~ http://gwgumby.blogspot.com/2009/04/workboxes-i-love-them.html ~ and she also has some great ideas! I love visuals!! :-) THANKS!! Anyone else have ideas they want to share??? :-)

Thanks everyone for the ideas! For Sue G in PA ~ OH, to have my own "office"!!! :0) And Lisa K in VA ~ I really like the idea of having the separate bins for supplies. This year each ds got their own pencil box for supplies but I keep hearing . . . "that one is my crayon!" :-) So, I think next year they will all go in one big bin and everyone can share! HS Lover ~ thank you for the link to the boxes on amazon. I had also found them at Walmart.com for $30 (with free ship-to-store) but I really like the idea of them coming straight to me! :-) Wendy B & Melenie ~ thank you, thank you for posting pics! I love visuals! Bahamamamahomeschooler - can I just say that I am also "drooling" about a separate room for hs!!! :-) Any more ideas??? :-)

Michelle My Bell ~ thank you for posting those ideas. I checked out her blog and all I can say is "Wow!". Unfortunately, I am NOT handy but my dh is ~ soooo, maybe I can convince him! LOL!:D (Of course, if it gives him the "excuse" no "need":D to buy some tools then even better!)

Hello! I have started thinking about how I can stay organized with all the books/papers etc. and wondered if others would share how they set up their "schoolroom". I loved the ideas of the rain gutter bookshelves listed on an earlier thread. I had also seen Sue Patrick's workbox system and some variations on it: http://homeschoolcreations.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-were-using-workboxes.html http://www.rubyslippersschool.com/2009/03/work-boxes.html http://courtneysix.blogspot.com/search/label/workboxes These all look like great ideas for ways to keep my daily tasks organized (and my dc on track!:)). Does anyone else mind sharing (include pics if you can! :D) how you organize your room? How do you organize desk area? books? papers? crafts/drawings? Thanks so much for sharing your ideas!

Thanks for posting all the great ideas! I just wish I lived closer to an IKEA (but I'm sure my dh is glad we don't! LOL!:D)

Hello! I too am a researcher and I loved reading this thread. Good things mentioned. We'll only have a K and 1st this next year but I have really agonized over the choices. I have discovered that I am truly a curriculum junkie and I love to research!! :D I thought I was set on OPGTR/WWE/FLL and adding AAS ~ so much so that I've bought almost all of it off the FS board!:001_smile: Then I went to the Atlanta convention and talked with the CLE people, who were so very helpful and answered lots of questions. Well, I purchased their LA program also!!:D I plan on using their Learn to Read with my soon to be K, who knows letters and sounds (thanks to ETC - LOVE these!) but is struggling to read with just the Bob books. My soon to be 1st grader on the other hand is reading chapter books by the dozen and so I will be starting him in to the 1st grade CLE program without going through the Learn to Read program. I may still use FLL/WWE/OPGTR/AAS alongside (I know, I know, OVERKILL!) I am at least going to read over everything this summer before making my "final" decision. I figured with 4 ds all coming up through hs, surely these programs will fit our family for at least one of them!:) (We are also going to keep going through the ETC books, at my ds' request - but we'll see!) I also decided on RS for math - it looks really good and something that has always bothered me about "trad." methods is that retention is not the best when I would simply memorize math facts. I have a good memory and did great in school but struggled with more advanced "conceptual" upper level math classes. I'm hoping that this will help prepare them for more difficult math courses. Of course, I also purchased MUS and may try to incorporate both of them (we'll see!:D). I purchased the RS4K Pre-level courses at the convention but am planning on using those slowly. For History, we have MOH1 but are only about 1/2 through (just reading the book). I am also getting the SOTW 1 with activity guide b/c it may be better for my younger ds. For Spanish, we are planning on trying Risas y Sonrisas (spanishforkids.com). The ds are also involved at our YMCA homeschool program for physical fitness. I guess now I just need to start putting together lesson plans and schedule!:lol: And remember to include lots of walks/bike rides to park and trips to the library! This was also just too funny (but sometimes I fear it a little too close to home!) I have found so much wonderful information on this site and it has really helped me (oh, I also really like homeschoolshare.com). HTH and God bless you on your year!

:lurk5:

Thank you to everyone for the great suggestions posted in this thread (and for taking the time to help me out!) Being a type A personality, I think it will be good for me to make out a planner for myself (at least to make me THINK I am organized!:lol:) I am also thinking that ds#1 (who just might be a little like me:D) would enjoy a daily schedule to look at and check off. Now, ds #2, I am thinking may not like it as much ~ so I'll have to think of another way to keep him feeling included without the need for soooo much structure. Thanks again for some great ideas!

Can anyone share with me their thoughts on lesson plans and/or daily schedules? Do you find that planning makes it easier to go about your day and get things accomplished or does it just add to your list of things to do and frustration? Do you make you own lesson plans? If not, could you suggest websites for lesson plan ideas? I have noticed that if you have the Homeschool Tracker Plus edition, then you can join their Yahoo group and have access to lots of lesson plans. I'm not sure I was going to shell out the $ for the Plus edition (thinking of trying out the free homeschool Skedtrack). I am trying to be pro-active and get prepared over the summer for the next school year ~ any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! :001_smile:

Isn't it great to find something that they like?? I know my boys also really enjoy the HWT program and actually love to listen to the CD and sing the songs (even my 2 yr. old will raise his hands up as soon as he hears "Where do we start our letters?? . . . At the top!" :D

:lurk5:

Just wanted to say thank you so much for posting this thread. It truly has been an encouragement to me. I have been struggling with being able to relax and enjoy our days and where they may lead (which isn't always the way I had planned!!:D) I have been so blessed to find this forum as a source of insight, knowledge and encouragement. Your post is so similar to what I have been experiencing ~ trying to find myself in all of this. This is our 1st year hs and we have 4 boys (6,5,3,2). We move alot (my husband is a contractor who does work on military bases) and that adds difficulty in finding friends locally who also hs. I am definitely type A and some would say an extrovert (although my husband who knows me best would say I have more of an introvert side than I let on!:D) I started out the year doing really good at being very structured but 2 moves later - it has pretty much gone out the window. Not that I am worried about what the ds are learning - only K and Pre-K. But, I too, am realizing that I am expecting too much out of them (and myself!) and then I find myself cranky when we can't accomplish everything (I can't imagine why ~ esp, not on a day like today when the 2 yr. old decided to remove his poopy diaper and carry it through the house to find me and show me!!!!!:tongue_smilie:) And then there are days when I just give in and let them play and later feel guilty for being "lazy", when I know that sometimes that is just what they need. Why do I feel the need for perfection??? The answer is probably much deeper than I want to explore! :001_smile: I know this whole "life experience" is also a God-thing ~ I know He is using these situations to challenge and grow me, to make me more dependent on Him rather than myself (ouch, that hurts to write it!:)) Anyway, sorry for the rambles and thank you for allowing me to share and be encouraged from reading this thread!

Hello ~ We have really looked at this a lot as well. I have decided to go ahead and try Risas Y Sonrisas - www.spanishforkids.com. It looks really good and I have only heard good things about it. After we try it out ~ I'll let you know! :-)

Hello! I found this last night and the only thing better than finding a good deal ~ being able to share it! Go to TravelZoo: http://entertainment.travelzoo.com/entertainment/802703 This is valid through May 27th. $15 General admission tickets (+ fee, the site says $1.75 fee but it only charged me $5 fee for 5 tickets.) These tickets are good for any day through May 27th and for any time. Hope this helps someone! :-)

Hello ~ my dh has also been trying to help me find something more planned and I had been looking into SL. Do you just buy the Instructor Guides? If so, do you buy each (Core, Science, LA)? What other materials do you buy from SL to help you do it the WTM way?? Thank You!

Thanks Cheryl for the response!! I have a few that I was interested in and I may try to call them tomorrow!! :-)