MEP yr 1 :)

Do you use the HIGs? Using them would give you daily review/hands-on work and help you to feel more "in the loop". It doesn't sound like working together is the issue. I could be wrong, of course ;).

I don't think you need them for the 4 y/o. For the 2nd grader: My personal preference is to do ETC along with PP. I would stop AAS until I finished ETC and PP. ETC does a great job of cementing what they are learning in PP. I appreciate the gentle way each lesson progresses. Some people think it is busy work, but I have seen a huge difference between doing PP alone and adding ETC. I suggest doing at least ETC 3 and 4. You should be able to get those for $15. Then you could choose whether to continue with ETC or move into AAS. I also have a 4 y/o boy. He learned how to read CVC words from Leap Frog videos. This year we will play with letter magnets and math manipulatives if he wants to, but no written work or formal school work until K.

Yes, it was one of many factors.

I prefer mine in his flight suit--pickle or not ;)! But then again, I'm a child of the eighties when Top Gun was as cool as it got :D. (Head hung in shame) I can't believer I just said that out loud.

:iagree: Oh yeah, team NAVY here!!

No, I just didn't realize it was only the army that raised the enlistment age :blushing:. I know at least two other branches have more applicants than they can handle and are actually more choosy (in practice)than they were even a few years ago--so it makes sense if I would have stopped to think about it :).

What branch is he considering? Ummmm, trying to be diplomatic...I'm not sure that his experience would be everything he wants it to be. We love military life (I have wanderlust as well ;)) and dh loves his job. But there is NO WAY I would want to start at the bottom at this point! You could certainly work (especially in education!)wherever you were stationed. If he does end up being serious about this :) and you have any specific questions you can pm me. My husband worked in recruiting at one point and can give you specifics.

:iagree:

Looks great, IMO :)

What grade? They are both fine. :) Of the two, Singapore is the more teacher intensive program. I wouldn't call that a bad thing ;). Have you looked at MM? That might be a better compromise.

DH is active duty military so it is part of his benefits package. We sacrifice a lot, but he is paid well and the benefits are good. It is worth it.

You might like AAS. I just wanted to point out that if you spent another year on phonics reinforcement, then you could easily move into a less intensive spelling program in 2nd grade. Young advanced readers often use a combo of phonics and sight reading (even if we don't teach them that way ;))and benefit from continued phonics. Explode the code is fun, painless, and effective. I am very much LCC inspired so I tend to err on the side of mastery :001_smile:. YMMV I love your K choices--have fun!

IMO, that is far too early to drop phonics. I think you will find that if you spend a bit more time on phonics, then your child will have a stronger foundation for spelling. At the very least I would continue ETC through first grade. You could also try a spelling/phonics combo using something like Phonics Pathways (after finishing OPGTR and before beginning a formal spelling program). HTH :)

Thank you. I read reviews that the book was a bit heavy-handed, but some of the discussions in the guide related to the book look fairly interesting. I can easily work with it if it is meant to be read by me and then discussed. I just don't want to mess with it if it is intended as a read-aloud, kwim? I don't even know how much of it I would disagree with so perhaps the best thing to do is to read it and then decide ;). Did you enjoy BF? The book selections are fabulous.

Do I need America's Providential History? I bought the jumbo pack but left out this book because it does not appear to match our religious beliefs. Now I am second guessing myself... How providential-ish :tongue_smilie: is it? Would it make the guide useless if I leave this book out? TIA!