I've used Do It! Play Recorder for a number of years. It gives a lot of practice with the first few notes before moving on to the next new note. The charts for fingerings are very clear, and it comes with an optional CD that lets the child play with accompaniment as well as hear how each song is supposed to sound. It can be ordered at westmusic.com.

Hello, I will be teaching my 5th grade daughter at home starting next year. I would like to do some logic with her, but would need an English curriculum that is fairly simply written. She is a native Spanish speaker with emerging English skills. Thanks so much for any ideas... Jennifer

Hi all - I am looking at teaching my recently adopted ESL 4th grader at home next year. She has very little English (though she's gaining more every day), and is a very fluent reader and writer in Spanish. I'm wondering about starting her with Rod and Staff at the 2nd grade stage. We have been doing some phonics (and she has ESL in her public school) so she is learning some pronunciation and vocabulary. I think she'll be ready for a thorough and methodical grammar course that includes lots of opportunities for practice by next year (or sooner?) What are your thoughts? Thanks so much!

Thanks all! I think I will go the Alpha route; she is a native Spanish speaker with emerging English , so I think another plus is that she'll be able to read and understand the word problems at that level. Thanks a bunch!!

Hi, all! We recently adopted our daughter at age 10. She has some experience with multiplication and division, but still counts on her fingers and makes an elaborate system of hash marks when she has to subtract from a two-digit number. Her placement testing indicates she could start in Beta, but I'm wondering about starting her in Alpha to help work with some of these habits. Or, is there enough review in Beta that we can do these things simultaneously? Thanks for your insight on this!! Jennifer