Wow! Thanks so much for sharing this! What an encouragement. The funny thing is that my upcoming 5th grader pretty much followed the exact same LA path as yours, and I'm ready to have it all come together this next year with HOD. Thanks again!

:iagree: Also, correct me if I'm wrong birchbark, but we are using Writing Tales this year and as I look at samples of Writing with the Best (used in CTC) it looks very similar to WT... just a little step up from what we are doing now. I have also used WWE and FLL for my children up to now, and we are going to start with HOD in the fall (so excited!!), and it seems to me that it will be a nice transition. Really, really excited to see a new HOD thread, and even more excited to begin using it this fall! CTC for my 5th and 4th graders and Beyond for my 2nd grader!

And PM me too, please. I would like to hear what you have to say. :)

Top three add-ons for us are: The AG HandsnHearts History Kits Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece and Rome and The Usborne Internet Linked Ancient World Have fun!

Totally agree with Carrie, the spines in Core 1 and 2, IMO, are not nearly as good as SOTW. :) Also agreeing about the AG, maps and other activities were a life-saver! We didn't use them every time, but knowing they were there if we wanted was awesome!

Here is what I pulled from SL Core 1 (which isn't as much as I thought): The Great Wall of China Tut's Mummy Lost and Found The Usborne Time Traveler and The Greek News Again, I used all the readers and read-alouds for SL 1 because we love books here! :) Some other additions I used (and I can't remember if these are listed in SOTW AG or not): Internet Linked Usborne Ancient World The Children's Homer And several other books listed in the SOTW AG. HTH!

For 1st grade I started all SL, but I did not like it much, so we switched to SOTW with the AG and some of the SL books as add-ons (and all the SL read alouds and readers). IMO, the AG with SOTW is WAY better than the SL IG (sorry SL) and I wouldn't personally waste the money on the SL IG. Using SOTW, we had an amazing 1st grade year, learned a TON, and did lots of fun things!! Another thing I added which made it really fun is the HandsnHearts Ancient Egypt History Kit. We made orange mummies, played ancient egyptian games, and lots more. They come with everything you need, which is nice for mama! HTH!

I used BF Primary Am. History with a 1st grader and two 3yo's and they all LOVED it. The twins still like to talk about Abraham Lincoln and they all memorized the Preamble and still love to say it! :) BF uses a lot of the D'Aulaire's beautiful books with amazing artwork and I would often scan and print these pictures for the younger's to color while I was reading. All in all, it was a great success. I have heard great things about HOD too, I just haven't used it personally. Hope that helps a bit!

My thoughts exactly! :D

Thanks! :)

I use living books for history. For guides, I like the Beautiful Feet History Guides. For hands-on I LOVE HandsnHearts History Kits. It has crafts according to time periods with everything included to make the crafts. It also has map activities and notebooking pages to print and use. We are reading a book about Lewis and Clark and the kids just sewed Leather Fringed Pouches yesterday from the Westward Expansion Kit. Hope that helps!

So happy for you and her!! :001_smile:

At the beginning of this year, my friends and I put together a co-op and were able to design it just how we wanted it to look. Here's what we decided: We have co-op two days a week and two classes, early elementary (k-3) and upper elementary (4-7). We have one class time Wednesday afternoon for 1.5 hours, and one Friday morning from 9-12. So each subject is taught twice, and the classes switch between 2 subjects. On Wednesday: Indonesian language class (taught by a native speaker) Music/Drama Friday: Indonesian Art Science Geography/World Cultures (we used to have PE but dropped it because there weren't enough of us to teach it, and since it's summer year round here, we figured our kids were getting enough exercise :)) On Friday morning, we also have two moms that teach preschool to the little kids (ages 3-4) from 9-11:15. Since we live overseas, we had to get "package" curriculum, science curriculum with the experiments included, etc. We each have had to tweak a lot of the curriculum we bought, but overall, these classes have been a huge hit! Hope our experience helps in some way!

Daisy, I love that you put The Muppet Show under culture! So true!! :) Hope everyone is feeling better, high fevers and sinus infections are no fun! Oh, and I loved the model of the planets! We need to make one of those! Blessings, JoyinIndo

Hoping to hear too! :bigear:

I always start with My Father's Dragon (and the two sequels) for my kids when they are 5. They are very simple chapter books and the kids love the silly adventure. Then, after that, my kids have enjoyed Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Pippi Longstocking, Charlotte's Web (like you mentioned), Trumpet of the Swan (a favorite book here), Little House books (even the boys), and then Mr. Popper's Penguins. Those are our favorite starting chapter books! HTH!

My kids (8 and 10) are using Typing Instructor for Kids and love it. They are always begging to do typing. I will have to look at the others that Angela mentioned above, they look good too. Dance Mat Typing has me curious! :)

As far as B4FIAR or FIAR, I'm sure that either could work just fine. But, I would be sad for you if you missed the B4FIAR books. Those are the books that all my kids, young and old, still pull out to look at. So many that we love!!:) B4FIAR with either Confessions of a Homeschooler's Letter of the Week or HOD Preschool would be a great combo, IMO. Most of all, have fun!

Thank you Holly. I appreciate the help! :)

Thanks for the great ideas! :) These all look great!

My husband is heading back to the States next week for training and I want to load up his suitcase with fun things for him to bring back for us. :) I am wondering if you have a website or own kits that you love for handicrafts or hobbies? I would love some sort of woodworking kit for my oldest ds (10), something like knitting or sewing for dd (8), and anything else that you enjoy or recommend. Since I don't have a craft store I can run to, I'd love to have kits with all supplies included. I'm all ears!!:bigear: Thanks!

My oldest son (now 10) has an August birthday. Even though he probably could have done 1st when he was 6, we opted to wait and let him have another year. It was the best decision I have ever made. He is flourishing in school, loves to learn, and I think it's because he is just a little "ahead of the game" rather than trying to catch up. Once I got over my personal hang-ups of worrying about what others might think, it was a great decision.

So excited for you! Your list looks great and I'm sure you are going to have a great time with your new curriculum!! :) Yay!! Please tell your mom what an inspiration she is to me. What an amazing story and legacy she has given to you. To face adversity in life, and still come out so positive and helpful to her children is a testimony to us all. Thank her for me (some random person on the Internet she has never met :)).

Another great idea! Thanks Amy!! :001_smile:

Lisa, Good advice. She is probably getting more than I realize, and you are right, reading over their head doesn't mean they aren't learning anything. :) Thanks for that wise, sound advice. Gwen, Great idea! I am heading over there now to see if I can supplement and add some fun things into what we already have. I love this board, you all are the best!! Thanks so much!