I write assignments in planners for all three of my kids. They go to today's work and pick something to do. They highlight it when they are done. It helps create independence and take a lot of the burden off of me. I check out books from the library that have book quizzes on Book Adventure (free) and when they have down time they utilize it. I use the points for house rewards. For my daughter, I laminate thematic games from teacher pay teachers for her to play. For the younger two, I write their current poem to be memorized on sentence strips and cut it up. They put it together in a pocket chart when they practice their poetry.

I used PLL for 3rd grade, because it is part of MODG. When we got to ILL for 4th it just wasn't working for us. I remember early on there was a writing exercise where he had to rewrite a story changing a few things and it was a disaster. I felt it was to implicit for both of us. I favor explicit texts, and he does as well. We swtiched to Shurley this year and are very happy with it. We prefer consistent routine that adds on as you go, and PLL/ILL are not that. Honestly, he retained all the memory work from FLL in 1st grade. Neither of us can tell you anything he learned from PLL. As for the writing, he is getting some explicit directions from Shurley and I've just added Memoria Press Classical Composition. I do prefer to teach writing in these ways. I know a lot of people that can just use narration for writing for much of the early years, but it didn't work for us.

Since I loved FLL but hated WWE I'd drop WWE. Also, when I feel like I'm doing too much, I alternate days. For example, my young 3rd grader is now doing Shurley Grammar every other day. I'll be adding PLatina for him in Jan., so that will help, too. I tend to spread out a long school year, so we can pace ourselves in that way.

Bummer. I'd still love to know the title/ISBN to see if I could find it used.

My son went into 8/7 in 5th grade. He had used a variety of RS, Singapore, and Saxon intermediate in school when he was in school. I'm having him do 1/2 a lesson a day (Power Up, Mental Math, Read Lesson, Practice Problems on day 1 and Problem set on day 2). Even with 1/2 a lesson a day, he'll probably finish it before next school year, because I will do math year round. Since he is so far ahead, I will likely not skip Alg. 1/2. If he were older I wouldn't do both 8/7 and Alg. 1/2. HTH

Can you share this? I tried to find phonics readers two years ago and everything was sight words.

I'm highjacking.....I have a 5th grader/10 yr old that is on Level 2 of Learnables French and would love a suggestion.

DS1 Started Learnables French in first grade. He was an early reader and began reading at 3. I say that, because a child shouldn't try to learn to read a new language if they are not solid readers in their first language. If that is the case, the 2nd language should be conversationally taught. He is now in his 2nd year of Latin in 5th grade. DS2 was not an early reader, so he will start his first language in January in 3rd grade.

If the other programs don't use memory work, you could do FLL1/2 just for the memory work. We added Shurley this year after my kids received NO grammar in school last year. My DS1 still remembers all the FLL 1/2 memory work which is paying off.

I would think that would be ok. We will probably finish AAS in 6th as well.

I don't either, but she isn't quite ready for those independently. She's more along the lines of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. :)

Thanks! I've put several books on reserve at the library:)

Where do you buy this? I didn't see a lot when googling. Thanks

Saxon Math Shurley Grammar All About Spelling Various Memoria Press

I have a 5 year old girl that is zooming ahead in her reading. I want to start keeping an eye out for good chapter books for her to read. I already read the following to her: Ramona, Betsy and Tacy, All of A Kind Family. I'm looking for books for her to begin to read out loud to me. Thanks

French: I started DS1 on French in 1st grade, because I'd taken Spanish on and off through HS and college and wanted something different. He loves it. Latin: for all the obvious reasons I haven't decided what language the younger two will start on yet.

I've been very happy with Shurley English. We do not do the jingles. I had memory work cards from when DS1 did FLL1 and 2. I modified them a bit to match Shurley and we go over those with our daily memory work. We are only on week 6 or so, and both of my boys have learned a tremendous amount. I also love how she teaches vocabulary with antonyms and synonyms and they are cumulatively reviewed on the weekly tests as well as the practice/improved sentence writing activities.

I've been very happy with the Learnables French. My DS1 is starting to randomly say sentences in French around the house.

I would look at Memoria Press

I've been very pleased with Shurley this year.

From talking with many experienced mothers and going through it myself, I've come to believe that having 3 kids about 3 years apart when the youngest is 0-3 is the hardest part. We are having a fourth soon, and I have so many good helpers, I don't expect it to be ever like that again.

Oh my goodness....someone liked this post I made today, and I read this for the first time in 3 years. I have to laugh now. DD also took to climbing the outside railing of our two story stair case in the foyer and getting all the way to the top. She would then yell BAD NEWS. Things are so different now. I gave away all our clutter,mostly toys. We moved into a different house (no two story foyer.) We have a Rec room in the basement, so legos are upstairs in their rooms or down there. I have no toys on the first floor:). My kids are old enough to do the dishes, get their own breakfast and lunch, help with laundry, and we get school done every day:) It did pass, but it was sure not easy going through it.

I'm glad I read this. I've always been skeptical that a valid purchaser could not then sell it to someone else. I myself decided against RS and have been happy with what we bought.

Thank you again. I'm much more interested in him acquiring the knowledge than rushing through it. We stretch our school year out, to allow for taking longer with subjects like this. :)

Ok. Thank you. I didn't realize that. Actually I like that even better, because then we can take our time. I'd rather take our time with such a foreign subject than go too fast at first and miss important concepts. DS1 is taking two weeks for the FFL lessons right now. I have a feeling it'll speed up later, but I want to make sure he gets the vocab memorized and conjugations down.