I'd get both. I have both and don't regret either purchase or time spent reading them.

They have read-alouds and independent reading in each grade. Do you mean the lit. guides? I think they have the student read it alone and aloud in the plans, but I'm not sure. I just have my kids read independently. I have one using the Sarah Noble guide from 2nd grade and another using the Farmer Boy guide from 3rd grade. I'm please with both. I plan on adding a lot of MP next year. This year I also added Classical Comp to our writing and like that as well.

You said exactly what I did. He's going to do both because he's so young. My next son won't do Alg 1/2 bec he won't be working ahead so young.

My 5th grader is doing 8/7. He's going to do both Alg 1/2 and Alg 1. My next son is not working ahead and will do 5/4 in 4th etc... and will probably skip 8/7 and do just Alg 1/2

I started my son on Learnables in 1st grade. He's still with it and doing well. He was an early reader which helped. If he hadn't been I would have picked something verbal.

I LOVE THIS TALK and highly recommend it.

I buy story paper (vertical) from Discount School Supply and put it in a three ring folder for my kindergartner. The paper is great for her daily journal, too.

He's not had any trouble with the grammar on the quizzes yet, so I guess we're covering it ok:)

I wouldn't bother with the book. I ordered it and sent it back for a refund. Dense yes. I think most people would not have the time or interest to read it. I think starting with SWI is great.

Also, I like having the buffer of it taking about 9 school days. If we didn't get to it on the first Friday everything gets bumped back a day. He usually only does math, French, and Latin on Friday. Occasionally we may play catch up with 1 or 2 things on a Sat. afternoon. This 2 week schedule definitely doesn't feel rushed at all. I like the pace. It seems like we both have time for the content to be absorbed.

I'm not really using the teacher's manual much. We go through the DVD together. I usually have the manual open while we watch the DVD and read through the lesson. He's getting a lot of grammar from Shurley this year and so far it has meshed well. I hope I'm not missing something. I'm still wading in the shallow end here. My goal with every curriculum is to teach him to be independent eventually. I don't know if we'll get there with FF, but I see it being possible with the Classical Composition DVDs we've started.

I honestly wouldn't mind overkill with L.A. This is the area we need the most work on.

We do 2 weeks per lesson. We are on lesson 3 and it is going well. I don't do more than one worksheet page a day. Day 1: Watch DVD and look through chapter. Day 2: Drill flash cards and worksheet 1. Day 3: Drill flash cards and worksheet 2. Day 4: he drills cards on own ( our band day, not much time) Day 5: Drill flash cards and worksheet 3. Day 6: Drill flash cards and worksheet 4 Day 7: Drill flash cards and worksheet 5 Day 8: DVD oral drill and flash cards. quiz if he thinks he's ready. Day 9: Quiz I have him review ALL the conjugations and vocab every time we do flash cars, so it takes time. I didn't want him rushing through it I'd rather not finish until July than rush it and have it bomb. He did most of LC1 in school last year, so that was helpful, but there is still a lot of new material. I think 8 is a bit young. My 8 year old will start Prima in January.

Thank you for the input!!!!

To the OP If it makes you feel any better, I successfully taught IEW in a school last year and could not get it off the ground at home this year. I finally ordered MP Classical Comp for my 5th grader, because IEW just wasn't happening. I've come to the conclusion that I want to get the SWI DVD's for both boys in the spring after we've finished most of our curr. for the year and spend time just on that. I know once we get past that and move into some of the more interesting books like Bible Based Heroes or Lion, Witch and Wardrobe it'll get better. I just found that I tend to run and independent homeschool. With all that we have to cover, I didn't have any time left to 'teach' IEW. So it is on hold until some time opens up. I do still love the program, but I fully agree with the poster that said get the DVDs and let him teach my son.

Concepts and Challenges 1, 2, and 3- available by reprint from Mother of Divine Grace. Instead of covering one type of science for an entire year the texts are split up to cover biology, chemistry, etc.... Basic overview that I find age appropriate. (We are using 1 for 5th grade). Has helped my son learn how to answer questions in complete sentences in his own words. Good for my son that can learn independently from text books and isn't very into science. Probably would want something different for my hands-on science loving DS2 when he gets there.

Yes it does. Thank you so much for your input. It sounds like what I'm looking for. I would expect to help out at the beginning and then turn it over only to check work and answer questions. That is how he uses Saxon math, science, and history. With Shurley, I have to use the script. I don't mind right now, but next year, I'll need to give more time to his sister and have a toddler, so I need grammar to be independent. I might begin it before everyone else begins school, so he can adjust to something new.

Thank you. My DS1 can utilize textbooks pretty independently. So this is a text that would not be very dependent on me. In other words, I'm there to answer questions when he gets stuck. If yes, this sounds like a winner for us.

If you use their three year timeline for 6th-8th, does it get into diagramming in year one?

Thank you. I will look into that. Any other suggestions? What does WTM recommend for grammar for middle school?

From Abeka 3 to Saxon 5/4

We are using Shurley this year and are very pleased. However, I will need something next year for my 6th grader that is not teacher intensive. I'd like something spiral that uses diagramming. I'd also like to use the same curr. throughout middle school. Thoughts? Thanks!!!

After B we tried C and didn't like it. We went to Abeka 3 and then Saxon after that. I don't use RS anymore. I just use Abeak before Saxon.

I've used many of the ideas mentioned above, but currently my boys take a sporcle quiz every Monday. DS1 is doing countries of Europe and DS2 is on state capitals.

Memoria Press also has lit guides for 2nd grade.