Well I just started my dd on her K work this week. She has been doing work for awhile but it has been pretty much optional kwim. I have a ds7 (2nd grade) doing Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory, and a dd4.75 (k) doing Little hearts for his glory. I made up a color coded weekly schedule that I laminated and hung up. I do not have set times, because that is unrealistic, but we generally go from 9-2ish(my dh gets off at 2:15 so I want them done before then.) with breaks. This is basically how it goes daily: Bible(ds) Bible(dd) Math (ds) Math (dd) Spelling/Grammar(ds) he does spelling 3 days, and Grammar 2 days Handwriting/Fine motor skills (dd) Break/exercise time (my dh comes home for lunch at 10:15, so the kids break and do exercise videos during this time. phonics (dd) tot time(for my dd2, and ds2, but we all join in) Lunch Storytime (ds) Storytime(dd) History/rotationg box(ds) rotationg box consists of science 2x a week, geography, art, history project, etc. Histroy/rotating box (dd) rhymes in motion (dd) poetry/copywork (ds Together time (art 1x a week, music 2x a week, president study, state study) Projects (baking, making playdoh etc.) My dh does some stuff in the evening with ds too, science 2x a week, history 1x a week, guitar 1x a week, and experiments 1x a week. He does this by his request. Dd ends up with more break time because ds takes longer on math. I usally do his textbook with him, and then get him started on his workbook. I then work with dd on her math while he does his workbook. If they have a a break they can play with dd2, or play educational computer games. It is working great so far, and I hope that makes sense.

I would start with book 1.

For my K dd this year I'm doing MEP y1 which she loves. We are also doing the hands on math in Little Hearts For His Glory, and will add in SM earlybird 2b half way through the year.

Not an option in my or dh's mind:001_smile:

Welcome to Oregon! We love it here too:001_smile: I'm sorry about your family though.

I just bought the devotional of amazon. It was the same price for me to buy it new as off ebay when you factor in shipping. I haven't received it yet, so hopefully it matches up. As far as the storytime book the guide has Uncle Wiggly, but you can get Jerry Muskrat instead and print the pages for it off their site. This page has any updates: http://www.heartofdakota.com/updates.php

Well you could do Heart Of Dakota Bigger Hearts with the extensions. HOD has two years of American history Beyond and Bigger, but you do not need to do both.

Wanted to add that I went through the entire Phonics Pathways book with my ds in 1st grade. He started reading Little Bear about 1/3 into the year. He now reads very well, and can sound out pretty much anything. Phonics does work.:001_smile:

I would stick with the more classic easy readers. Frog and Toad, Little Bear, Owl at home, oscar otter, mouse tales, mouse soup, CLP nature reader 1, check out Sonlight and HOD emergent reader list when he needs something harder.

Just wanted to add that I saw all the leap frog DVD's at Costco for 6.99 each. I picked up a couple for my niece:001_smile:.

He usually doesn't have a problem finding things to do, and yes the girls do play well with him a lot of the time. It seems to mainly be an issue in the afternoon right after school that he tends to get riled up or something. It doesn't help that dd1 is kinda tired at that time and reacts easier, so he tries to antagonize her. I'm thinking it could just be a lack of exercise because it has been so hot here.

My ds is an active boy he likes, running, jumping off furniture(even though it's discouraged), cartwheels, building things(I wish we had legos, but they are expensive), army men, cars, castle toys, anything science related, anything messy, Wii, movies, bike riding, swimming, sports, and he is interested in making things with tools. He doesn't really like to draw, but we are working on that.

Looks pretty good to me :) Here is the list of books my ds will be reading for second grade. We are doing American History this year, so they mostly go with that theme, but it might be helpful to you. http://bobandabbies.blogspot.com/p/busters-second-grade-reading-list.html Some other books he has enjoyed are Frog and Toad, Owl at Home, Oscar Otter, Mouse tales, Mouse soup etc.

I have a 7 year old boy, and I need some ideas for something he can do in the afternoon to keep him occupied. We generally do school from about 9-2:00ish with some breaks. He does all right during that time even when I'm working with dd1. In the afternoon it is a different story. He does have a Wii, and I let him play some or watch TV, but I do not want him to play for hours. Our yard is small, and it has been very hot lately. There has been a lot of him terrorizing his sisters, and I think he is bored. What do you all do between the hours of 1:30-4:30? My dh thinks he needs some exercise or some kind of projects to do in the afternoons.

Like I said I was combining a K, and 2nd grader in Beyond. The biggest reason I decided to bump my dd back down to Little Hearts was because I bought the Bigger guide, and saw how much more work it was from Beyond. If your just using HOD for History, Bible, and science it could work, but your younger would miss out on the notebooking and such. Also Preparing I hear is quite another step up. We are doing everything in the guides though.

I personally would not attempt to combine a 2nd in a Ker in Bigger. I tried myself to combine my 7 year old and 4.75 year old in Beyond and it was too much for my dd. She is quite advanced for her age, but I was feeling like she would be missing too much. I'm going to be doing Beyond and Little Hearts instead now. If you absolutely want to combine I would go with Beyond. My 2nd grader is loving it. We do add in a bit with AAS, PLL, and apologia zoology 1, and he is doing SM 2a/2b. I have the Bigger guide and it is quite a step up.

I am using 2a/2b with my 7 year old. I'm following the schedule from HOD, and no we do not do every problem on the page. He does all the workbook problems, but we only do how many textbook problems it takes for him to get it. I use the textbook as my instruction time, so the problems in it we work out together using manipulatives and such. When we get to the review/practice pages I pick out some problems and use it like a little test.

Sorry about that not trying to confuse you.

Well we use them a little. I didn't do any grammar for 1st grade except some mad libs, and school house rock. This year we are using Primary Language Lessons, and I got a big thick book of mad libs at Walden books for like 5 dollars in their bargain section. You might check Borders, or Barnes and Noble.

I find it annoying too since our curriculum HOD uses the US edition. I was able to find 2b used, but for the 2a portion we are just gonna do the hands on stuff from Little Hearts along with MEP Y1.

My ds is 7 and in 2nd grade, and we are using Beyond Little Hearts For His Glory. I'm also doing Primary Language Lessons with him 2 times a week. Next year I plan to do Bigger Hearts For His Glory with him. I'm wondering if I should do Rod and staff 2 or 3 with him then. He will be 8 and in 3rd grade. Any advice? The Bigger guide has R&S 2 scheduled in it.

Thanks again guys:001_smile: I was having a rather frustrating afternoon. Baby is sick and was screaming, 2 year old tearing up the house etc. Up until now the spelling has been are easy subject. My dh had worked with him quite a bit in K with some speech practice I will have to have him do some more th practice this week.

If it helps any I posted the list of books my 2nd ds will be reading this year on my blog. Might give you some ideas:001_smile: http://bobandabbies.blogspot.com/2010/08/busters-second-grade-reading-list.html I know for my ds I want to spend this year building his confidence in reading. I also want him to learn to enjoy reading. I save the longer books for storytime.

Maybe I'm confused but what your saying doesn't make sense? According to your chart kids in England who turn 5 between Sept. 2010-Aug. 2011 start K, so basically dc would be anywhere from 5-to just turned 4 when they started. In Canada kids who turn five from Jan. 10-Dec. 10, so dc would be anywhere from 5.5-4.5 when they started. If you are in England than your kids should be younger?

Thanks, I think I was getting really frustrated with ds today, because it seems I have been working with him on this forever.:001_huh: He is 7 and reading at a around a third grade level. I have to practically spit when I say the word to get him to realize it is a th word:lol:.