What is the main lesson book that you said your daughter does her work in?

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll take a look!

Your kids are exactly the same ages as mine. My youngest was 3 in Sept and my oldest is 6 in Dec. My oldest used Little Hearts for his glory last yr. He really enjoyed it and school went well. I tried sonlight this yr and he just hasn't been loving school like he did last yr. I finally had him say yesterday that he loves his Abeka 1st grade math. He loves science. I think that he would benefit from OM k as well. He isn't in tune with his surroundings so I think that might help him out. He can join in with my pre k when he feels like it. It just seems so expensive for 3 books.

I would say don't stop doing school til it is finished. I was homeschooled and there wasn't a difference between school work and homework. If you finish teaching by lunch then after lunch could be a trigger. Maybe she could exercise or have a snack after you finish teaching if it is later in the day and she can know to finish up the homework when she finishes one of those things?

Is there a book that kind of gives more of a structured Montessori at home type thing. Something that has kind of daily suggestions of things to do?

Would the K work as a prek? I like the idea of establishing a rhythm to our day. We don't really have one. I tend to need plans that tell me when to do things. So I kind of like structure for that, but then I'm not structured in life. I kind of feel I need something to help me along to find a rhythm. My youngest will turn 4 in Sept next yr. He likes to do school like big brother. I don't feel the normal pre k stuff fits him well. He isn't as ready for it like older ds was, but he desparately wants to have his school time and joining in with brother doesn't count. They have arguments over who's school is storytime. They don't get that it is for both of them. It has to be one or the other LOL. So I would like something special. He knows all his letters and sounds, but he doesn't have very good phonemic awareness so I can't progress into reading he can recognize numbers but has no one to one correspondence. He has speech issues and is really hard to understand so it make dicussion difficult. But I want to find him something. Also he is more in tune with cycles it seems. He is always commenting that the sun has gone down and so it is time for bed and in the morning he tells me wake up mommy the sun has come up. He came up with this on his own. My older one has always been very academic and not in tune with any kind of cycle at all, so it is really interesting. I'm thinking we could all benefit from having more of a rhythm. Do you think the K would work for a prek and what would a day look like in the K program? Thanks!

This looks interesting and I plan to use it in 3rd grade. http://www.bitesizephysics.com/index.html This looks good too, but expensive. http://www.superchargedscience.com/ This is what I'm using next yr in 1st: http://www.castleheightspress.com/product.sc?productId=29&categoryId=3

Has anyone used this? What is it like? How is it set up? Thanks!

Has anyone used the first grade Beginning recorder book and their CD and song book? Is it any good? What kind of songs does it have on the CD? Thanks!

It's been a while since I've read A Thomas Jefferson education. It is more child lead, but I think around 13 it starts to get pretty rigorous in that the child is supposed to be self educating the majority of the day and writing summaries over research that has been done and reading great books and then they meet with the parent once a week to go over all they have studied. I don't think video games and TV come into the picture. They really wouldn't have much time for it. The parent is supposed to be self educating as well and organizing all sorts of clubs and lit discussion groups and debate team type stuff and exposing the children to all sorts of things. In the book they had some classical musician friends come over and give a little concert for their kids and then talk about the instruments. There was a lot going on. When I read it, I really felt that it sounded great in theory, but unless you just have kids that are really driven then it isn't going to work and you also have to have the money to really stock your shelves with all different kinds of books in various subjects so the kids can find different things to study. I don't know your sister, so I don't know what all is going on, but she might want to look into a video school or something if she doesn't want to teach. TJE does tend to be delayed on the start of math and reading because it starts when the kids are interested. When they start reading late, they usually pick it up quickly, My sister was 8 when she started reading and she was reading Sir Thomas More's Utopia by 6th grade for the fun of it.

Flopdom - This is when nearly all your curriculum choices for the yr have been flops. I was in the state of flopdom earlier in this yr and I have finally worked it all out and am no longer in the state of flopdom :D.

What does CCH stand for?

Well if he watches the leapfrog videos he'll have the sounds down in no time.

You could use Key to Algebra for pre algebra and maybe throw in some Life of Fred with it. I really like the key to series.

I think I would try MUS before I would try Horizons because Horizons moves a lot faster and the addition gets hard much faster than MUS. I really like the way MUS presents addition.

I haven't used it but Timberdoodle has this: http://www.timberdoodle.com/Animation_Kit_p/223-003.htm and http://www.timberdoodle.com/Creativity_Express_p/197-196.htm I just bought my son this for his b-day that is coming up so we haven't tried it yet http://www.timberdoodle.com/Corefx_p/853-853.htm

Why don't you get one of those chocolate science kits and maybe the chocolate unit study from hands of a child?

I try to buy used if I can find a good deal. If I buy new it is usually from RR and I get free shipping.

Ooooh Something New! I really like the looks of them too:drool:

I've gotten some Abeka on paperbackswap.com

We are using Abeka 1st and really enjoy it.

When I was 9 or 10 we were at the duck pond with some friends and I ran to get my mom yelling that the one duck was trying to drown the other duck LOL. My mother had to have a little talk with me :blush:

Don't you just love kids? They just have a way of putting things.:D

Sam you don't even want to know what dh said when I tried to turn it over to him.:ack2: I decided that it was best if I discussed it with ds instead.

Which level would you recommend?