So, after some help here on the boards we did 12 weeks of Vision Therapy and started Phonics Pathways. I've been impressed with it and DS has improved, though he still grumbles about doing the work (but he grumbles about other subjects, too.) We're going very slowly, rarely more than 1 page per day and some pages we do over for several days bc he struggles so much. However, today we did the first nonsense word page. He balked about it and said it didn't make sense to read words that aren't really words...but you know what?? He read this page with only 2 mistakes and in lightning speed. What should I make of this? I don't even know what to think. Does this means he knows the rules but he's so worried about making mistakes with real words or is just too focused on trying to know the word before he reads it when it's a real word? Should I just press on as usual? If I could get him to read the other pages with real words how he read this page we could fly through this book!

I'm also drawn to MFW for high school. We're using the 1850-Modern program this year and I like it...but I don't LOVE it. It's a lot of books to shuffle for one thing and sometimes I feel it's disconnected. We're on Week 19 right now and I'm not enjoying the book we're reading for Bible or the read aloud. The selections for both of those are long, too. I know that whatever I choose I'm going to have to "let it go" so to speak and allow him to be more independent bc I'll still be teaching my younger 3. And although he loves to read, he doesn't love lit analysis and discussion or writing. His interest is on science and computers. I don't want to burden him with things he hates and take away from what he really wants to do, though I realize we must cover this subjects enough that he's proficient. I'm starting to wonder if I should get him a history textbook and call it done. We have Notgrass America the Beautiful for Middle School and I have him reading through it right now as we're doing MFW and he hasn't complained about it.

Thanks for this post. I've really been agonizing over my oldest starting high school next year. This perspective is helpful and refreshing.

This looks interesting. Wish there were some samples we could look at...anyone else used this?

If you are a young earth Christian I recommend Apologia; it gets done and my kids like the elementary series. There are lapbooks from A Journey Through Learning to coordinate with most or all of them if you want to do that. I got sick of Apologia (one topic all year - ugh!) so with my 2nd grader this year we are reading some books and doing some experiments from the Usborne books - your library probably has them to check out before you buy. We are also doing some experiments from Soda Bottle Science. This inexpensive little kits are fun for him and easy for me. I try to do science with him twice per week. Usually one day is reading about a topic of interest like birds and the 2nd day is an experiment. We also play outside a lot when weather allows and I try to have all three kids work in their nature journal weekly (though this year we've done a poor job of this!)

wondering how Reading Pathways is going for you? We finally got to the first pyramid in PP and at first my son balked but then realized he could do it! I'm now thinking I might should add this in though he is still really working through the pages super slowly!

I keep looking at Letter of the Day, too. I'm just concerned that its going to be lots of printing/prepping and I don't think my girl is ready for it yet.

This thread is enlightening and encouraging for a mom who has had two "late" readers - according to public school, both not becoming fluent enough to read sentences until the end of 2nd grade - and now I'm teaching my 3rd child, who is even more delayed. When I began working with my children on reading, I realized that I really knew little phonics. I couldn't quote or apply any of the rules. I just always knew how to read - my mom says she always let me watch Sesame Street and I was reading when I started 4 year old preschool (which she paid for me to go bc I was driving her crazy talking constantly!) She says she never one time had to work with me on letters, words or spelling and even math. Teaching my children has been humbling because I realize now how easy things came for me and my kids have all struggled with various aspects of reading and math. I have despaired quite a bit this year with my 3rd boy - he wants to read so badly but he struggles so much. We're doing some Vision Therapy now and starting over again on Phonics using Phonics Pathways to get him blending more efficiently. This post is very encouraging to me! Thanks for sharing all your advice and stories, ladies!

Well the 5th grader is super creative; I feel a lapbook would seriously limit him. The 8th grader despises cutting and pasting but is taking a computer class and learning how to make powerpoint presentations, etc, so I was thinking along those lines.

We have a short 3 day week coming up where I will be preparing for surgery for my youngest. I want my older children to spend the bulk of the time their week doing an individual unit study. I want them to pick a topic, do some reading, have some output. How can I help them plan this? This are checklist kids so I need to give them some kind of guidelines to help them succeed. I'm mainly speaking about the 8th grader and 5th grader.

Silvermoon and anyone else, do you also use the Bible cards and curriculum?

Thank you CMama! Am I the last person on earth to know how to find samples like this?!

so do I want the printed teacher's manual or enhanced CD with manual on it? was hoping to find the cards and manual/CD used so I could really look at it. I wish there were samples of the teacher's manual and cards online somewhere. And Silvermoon - now I'm seeing how I could possibly manage FUFI and history studies. Sounds like if I use the VP cards, we can keep history interesting but less time intensive!

Ladies, as always, thank you! So it sounds like I could use the cards to teach my 3rd and 6th graders (next year's ages) but add in additional resources/assignments for the 6th grader. I've been planning to put my oldest into MFW highschool program next year for 9th. Now I'm wondering if I could possibly make VP work for all 3 of them and keep us in the same time period. I love history but honestly, my kids are more science/math focused, so while I want to cover it thoroughly and in an orderly fashion, I'm really most interested in them enjoying the study while learning, not becoming an expert in history. Hopefully my catalog will clear up some of my questions and help me to "see" how it could work!

This is helpful....so the following year I couldn't do the 4th and 7th grader together? That may be a deal breaker for me....

We are completing our first round of the history cycle this year and need to return to ancients next year. I am sort of considering some other options (geography study or Narnia) but I really just want to go back to ancients. We loved MOH this first time but my son doesn't want to do it again (he'll be in 6th grade) and we're using MFW this time. I like MFW ok but I'm intrigued by the history cards and doing some history memory work. (We can't afford and don't want to be out of the house weekly for CC, so please don't recommend it for us.) I can't follow the Veritas Press website. I had looked at it a long time ago but it looks like a different time period for each grade. I knew that would never work for me so I haven't been back...until recently when someone posted about using it with multiple kids. So could I do ancients with a 6th and 3rd grader? How can I tell what I need? (I have ordered the catalog but it hasn't arrived yet.) I would need some lesson plans - not necessarily scripts but how to know which resources to use when..... I can't find anything like this on the website but maybe I don't know where to look? The website indicates this is a Christian curriculum..is the Bible in the history or just in a separate Bible program? Please help!

So now I have three ideas rolling around in my head. 1. Maybe use Our Island Story along with the curriculum to add to the history. I could drop the DW stuff and maybe have oldest (who will be 6th) pick one ancients topic per week and outline or take notes (as described in TWTM.) 2. Maybe use a Geography curriculum with this this - I think I like EE from Confessions of a Homeschooler - along with her animal/habitat study - both my boys would like that! 3. Or add a study of Mythology to this. I'm still concerned about the science being "enough" but we can always add in a science encyclopedia and work through additional topics on weeks that are light in FUFI unit for science.

Mine's up here.

As always, SilverMoon, your comments are so helpful! I need to move to where you live and have you mentor me! My oldest used the Diana Waring stuff in a co-op. I didn't love her overly animated speaking style, but he enjoyed it. Is that resource scheduled in the lesson plan? I just have kids that really like to "get school done" so I'm hesitant to pick a curriculum that is going to take longer than necessary. Of course, the flip side of this is that if they like it maybe they won't mind it. My 10 year old likes artsy kind of things - right now he's been making a collection of origami finger puppets of multiple themes. He also dislikes reading (which just really hurts my soul!) but has enjoyed Narnia. I've been planning on MFW or back to MOH, but he doesn't want to do ancients again! So I was thinking if we did this Narnia study and just listened to the Waring CDs or SOTW CDs, maybe that would be enough. As much as I want to be a classical educator, it just doesn't fit my kids. It's the education I would have LOVED growing up - lit based and in-depth. My kids are more science focused and "get 'er done!" minded. When I look at Veritas Press I thought each grade has a different history. Looks like ancients is 2nd grade...does the curriculum work well for other grades? Obviously I don't understand VP very well! I've looked at it several times but always decided I couldn't run multiple history programs. One other question - can you tell me if this is scheduled for 4 or 5 days a week and for how many weeks?

I'm glad to find this thread! My 7 year old son is a Narnia maniac and his 10 year old brother enjoys it, as well. I'm beginning to consider this for next year as 10 year old doesn't want to repeat ancients (which is where we'll be headed chronologically). I see the website indicates you would still need to add in history. This seems like a very full study already, what history could you add in that wouldn't be TOO much. If you are doing Diana Waring's Ancient Civilizations CDs as part of the study is that enough? or that just a suggested resource? Does it have enough science for a 6th grader? If no, do you add a full additional curriculum or just extra studies on the covered topics or rabbit trails?

Week 10 complete!

I have had my son write the lesson in his journal using a texture under the paper - like sandpaper or the plastic lacing mat at craft stores. for example, he would write ba be bi bo bu while he's saying the sounds... Not super exciting but he likes it.

Mine is done!

For those who have used Phonics Pathways, do you think Reading Pathways would be helpful to use along with it or just too much?

There are some pretty good experiment books that your library might have. Some of the Usborne books have experiments in them and my library has most of those. Search your library database and she if you can find something. My kids love experiments, too! Of course, I'd rather just a read a book bc it's less clean up! :D