Thank you so much for posting, I'm checking it out now!

I'm teaching K this year, first year homeschooling. I started out piecing together from different curriculums and found it was too much for me. I didn't feel like there was enough continuity, it was taking a LONG time, both to implement and to plan and so we would occasionally skip subjects. I had also chosen a math program that was just a bad fit, Horizons Math K (it went too slow at first and then WAY too fast). In December I decided to make major changes. I bought Little Hearts For His Glory, an open and go full curriculum and both dd and I are really enjoying it. It isn't perfect, but it takes so little time, planning is about 10 minutes a day and we can do a full day's lessons in less than 2 hours that I can add extras and not feel overwhelmed (specificlly, we do SOTW with a co-op and add extra art and science 'cause she loves it). I feel she is getting a good Kindergarten year in and we are having fun doing it. So, I've done it both ways. Maybe if I had more experience (or if I was a different person), piecing together a program would be great, but I am SO happy I changed to a "boxed" curriculum.

I started out using Five in a Row, Horizons K, Handwriting Without Tears, SOTW 1, Phonics Pathways and Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding. In December I reallized some of it just wasn't working for us (various reasons) and made HUGE changes. I kept HWT, and SOTW 1, switched to Little Hearts for His Glory, Singapore Math K, and Starfall, with extra art and science thrown in as I can. It has been a great change for us. That is just to say that whatever you choose is NOT set in stone. Also, beyond SOTW, we decided to wait on most of TWTM suggestions till DD's 1st grade year. Everything totally depends on your child's current level though. Have fun looking.

I wouldn't worry about it at all. If she knows the actual money and can add it together, that's the whole point of the pictures anyway. I'd give her the actual coins for each worksheet problem and have her do it that way. Her problem might be that she is recognizing the sizes and not the pictures, but with all the new series of pictures on coins (quarters, nickles, pennies all have different pictures on the face side now), it is probably better to learn the sizes than the pictures anyway.

I tried reading Little House in the Big Woods to dd when she was 4 and while she did retain what we were reading, she didn't look forward to the reading and ds interupted almost constantly so we decided to shelve it. We are now doing HOD and reading the Burgess chapter books and I think they are a great introduction to chaptered read alouds. I think I will add a classic chapter book to our reading schedule in a few months. I plan on picking a few and letting dd choose between them.

I was diagnosed as a kid, and my kids both show signs, dh is pretty "normal" though. Anyway, this is our first year homeschooling and our schedule has been a struggle. I have found time and again, simpler is better. I have to keep reminding myself that dd is only 5 and we don't have to fit everything in this year. I switched my teacher intensive, multiple curriculums schedule to a short, all in one program and I have to say, there is a lot less stress and we actually are getting school done every week. We are using Heart of Dakota right now. Is it my perfect curriculum? No, but we actually get it done and dd likes most of what we do so it is head and shoulders above what we were doing, or should I say supposed to be doing. Can you work out in the afternoon? It really helps me if we have specific things we can't do before we finish school. We can never watch TV untill we finish school and usually we can't go anywhere till we finish school. Sure, there are still days we start late, but usually this keeps me focused. Does it always work? No, nothing seems to ALWAYS work, but it works far more days than it doesn't. I also try to find times to fit learning into where dd doesn't have to be still. Dd has the hardest time sitting while I do read alouds with her so we do read alouds while I rock her in our rocking chair or I read to her while she is taking a bath. She retains a lot more this way too. I totally understand hyperfocusing. I wish I hyperfocused on housework, but I usually hyperfocus on books so it gets put on my list of things I can't do till school is done. Could you start the day with cleaning, then school then working out and errands and everything else? With getting bored, have you thought about a three weeks on, one week off schedule? You would get a full school year in that way, but with lots of breaks. For me, I need less breaks, because I have problems refocusing after a break. We get bored sometimes, but my opinion is that school isn't always going to be super interesting and fun, sometimes you just have to do it. I try to always make sure that there is something dd will enjoy each day though like an art project or some dramatic play. Anyway, this was pretty rambly, I hope you find something that helps. :D

I'd check it out from the library first too. I liked it so much that I bought it. I really enjoyed the goal planning part at the begining and the educational philosophy part because I was so new to hs I wasn't familliar with all of it. Her "learning styles" are a bit different than other books I've read and found it fairly useful, but it isn't necessary to buy into her learning styles to use the reviews. HTH

I've been avidly reading this thread. I am giving my BIL's family, 5 kids ages 7-13, a sewing maching for Christmas with promise of lessons when the get out of PS this summer and have been wondering what to use to teach them. There have been some great links posted, thank you. After searching the Kids Can Sew site, I emailed and asked if the just sold the curriculum and they do here, http://www.kidsew.com/index.html . It looks like a really well thought out curriculum and I REALLY like that they have a Boy one and a Girl one. It is a bit pricey, but I'm sure you can use it for more than one child if you trace the patterns. Also, on their business site they offer a whole class on making doll clothes and the owner seems really nice and would probably sell that one as well. I think I am going to give it a try this summer.

I think that is about the age I fell in love with The Chronicles of Narnia, all seven of them. I can't tell you how many times I read those books. Island of the Blue Dolphins was another of my favorites and it was the book that taught my father to read (in 4th grade).

We just started LHFHG yesterday, so this is me speaking without experience, but I plan on just doing kid chosen library read alouds with the program and we will also be reading SOTW 1 because we are part of a weekly co-op that does activities with the readings AND dd really enjoys the stories. Maybe, if I get really ambitious I might add some read alouds from FIAR and Homeschoolshare, but I don't think it is necessary. Are you trying to go more in depth with the subjects or just trying to get more reading in? If it's for subject matter I would just search by subject in your library (or on amazon and request them through ILL). If you want to read more I think that letting the child choose what interests them leads to more books read (at least it does in my house). :D

I agree that typing skills are much more important than learning cursive, but I want to give my children the best education possible so I want my children to at least be able to read cursive before they go to highschool. I feel it is an important skill they should at least be introduced to. I had some major fine motor skill problems growing up. I had a horrible time with handwriting. Consequently I still print, but at least I can read cursive. I see some similarities with dd. We are currently using HWT and I will keep using the program, but IF dd doesn't seem phisically ready to learn cursive (still struggling with print) in 3rd grade I will dely it till she seems ready or shows a lot of interest.

:iagree: I love the idea, but it didn't work for us in practice. I found planning the week fairly time intensive, too. The books are great though.

Today has been wonderful because dd got a playdate and I got to help out a friend. My house is actually cleaner at the end of the day than when we started the day even with the playdate that included a 5 year old and a 2 year old. Dd's attention span is growing each day. I love being able to read longer books to her and having us both enjoy them.

Thank you everyone for your help. You're right, I am a tweaker, but I like to have something to tweak from if you know what I mean. I don't like to start from scratch. I know I'm still trying to get a handle on all things homeschool so that is a work in progress and I admit that I am hoping a "just right" curriculum will help with this. I am wondering, what does CLE stand for? Thank you again, I'm looking into the options you listed. :D

K12 is a curriculum provider with several charter schools offering it for free in different states. The charter school and state make up the rules on attendence, testing and checking in and stuff BUT you can buy the curriculum directly from K12, it just costs a lot, like $1300+ for a school years worth of classes. If it wasn't SO expensive I would seriously consider it.

One thing I would like is a daily plan spelled out so that I know if I'm on track or not for completing things in a timely manner and I would like it all in one place, like a teacher's lesson plan book. I taught PS for a year and I've been taking my different curriculum pieces and making my own weekly lesson plans, but it always takes longer than I think it should. I guess I feel that I need to do more than is listed in the FIAR lessons, it says talk about..., but then I get on homeschoolshare.com and see all the cool things to do and end up printing things off or getting more books and then we end up not finishing the lesson, but I spent an hour finding, planning and printing the cool activity and, well, then it feels overwhelming and slightly useless. The only thing we are doing consistantly right now is math (because it IS open and go), reading, occasionally handwriting and SOTW reading because we are part of a co-op that does activities with it once a week. I WANT to do FIAR and Science consistantly, I'd love to add music and art, but I feel like we are barely getting the important stuff in. I look at our weekly schedule and I SHOULDN'T feel overwhelmed, but I do. I feel like having all the plans in one place, ready for me to teach from would really help with that overwhelmed feeling. Maybe I'm wrong about that though?

It sounds like she might be better off with private lessons and tutors. They would cost less that most college tuition anyway. When your daughter is ready for college (or even upper highschool) level work, if you have community colleges in your area, many of them are very accomodating for gifted highschool age kids (my sisters and my best friend took dual credit classes in PS). It is my understanding (not personal experience) that even without a diploma if you have the right SAT or ACT score and a good portfolio colleges can usually work something out with you. I believe that is how those super young kids get into college.

I'm trying to decide whether to continue our homeschooling journey next year for many reasons, but one is that the lesson planning is killing me. I need something that is already written out (preferably for ALL subjects) and is totally open and go. I was looking at K12 Virtual Academy and was very impressed with their sample lessons. I liked the layout, the teaching helps, the subjects covered (Math, LA, History, Science, Art and Music) and the computer enrichment that went with the Kinder lessons. I did not like the price (we would be using it independently) or that the subjects weren't remotely integrated. Are there any other 1st grade curriculums that would fit what I am looking for? Thank you!

I decided to homeschool my almost 5 year old (in three days) dd this year because she could not go to public school this year, we don't have money for private school and she was ready and interested in doing school with me. It's going well so far (6 weeks into it) we are both enjoying learning together. While it is more work (planning and preping) than I origionally thought, I feel it is worth it. Dd is an extremely social little girl, she loves playing with same age friends and talks to everyone we meet. I know by the end of this year she will academically be ready for 1st grade, but I doubt she will have the social finess to go straight into 1st grade (it is an option in our school district). So that leaves us with kindergarten or homeschooling as choices. My inntial choice is to homeschool, but I just KNOW dd would LOVE school and being surrounded by peers all day. I want her learning at home with me for academic and family strength reasons, but do those trump the fact that I am fairly sure she will excell academically and socially in a ps setting? Our school district and the school she would be going to are rated "exemplary", so I don't feel that school quality is an issue. I LIKE teaching her and being there for those ah-ha moments, but I want to do what is best for HER. What made you decide to homeschool if you had access to excellent schools? Do you have children that you are sure would excell in ps, but feel hs is still the better option? Why?

If only I had known about this three weeks ago I probably wouldn't have bought a membership to ABC teach. What an awsome free resource, thanks for sharing!

You could make a paper bookshelf for your wall, scan the covers of the books you read, resize and print them to put on your bookshelf. We have a timeline we are putting the books we are reading on (based on publication date). I remember when I was in ps I had a teacher who had us put racecars up listing every 5 books we read. By the end of the year they lapped the room.

We have been using Phonics Pathways for four weeks now and we both are loving it. Dd had two years of alphabet instruction before this with letter recognition and letter sounds, but she was still weak on her short vowel sounds. That is no longer the case. We use the book as is. Each page is her "reading" page for the day (although I had her do more than one when she was learning her vowel sounds). Phonics Pathways does not suggest using readers like Bob Books until after they get through all the cvc lessons. We are still working on cv lessons. I really love the systematic way they introduce blending. I tried to just start dd on readers before I bought phonics pathways and blending letters on her own just was not comming to her. With phonics pathways I can tell dd is finally getting it and feeling successful at "reading" her page. She actually ASKS to do reading and sometimes wants to do an extra page. Yesterday dd told me "Mom, I love reading." and I cant think of higher praise than that. Once dd is ready for readers I will suppliment with Bob books, starfall.com and books and reading a-z books, but we still have at least a month more of JUST using phonics pathways. (we usually follow their lesson schedule suggestion of reading page, memory game and then phonics game, but sometimes we just do the reading page)

Everything here is on a September 1st schedule too. We just started dd on K level work this month, but she is preK according to her age (sept 11th birthday), she is speeding through math right now but poking along with everything else, especially handwriting. I'm not pushing anything, just trying to go at her level. I totally get why you would want to "promote" in January. I think dd would fit that schedule far better, but one of the main reasons I homeschool is to be able to work at dd's level, whatever that happens to be. Dd is calling this year preK and I'm ok with that. I don't know what we'll do if we put her in public school, but if we continue homeschooling I feel good about "promoting" with the school system no matter what curriculum level we are using. If we homeschool in high school I totally plan on having dd take classes from the local community college so by the time she graduates she will "hopefully" have an associates degree. BTW I am a July birthday (ps grad) and my parents required me to go to a local college while I lived at home my first year. It wasn't MY favorite year of my life, but it could offer your son an easy transition from home to a university.

Do you have a link to this? I can't find it. Thank you so much for the information!

That was what I was going to suggest. Make your own omlets can be fast and easy. Also, a baked potato bar or big family salad with rolls could be nice.