Every kid is different and I think that we should leave it at that. I have learned through the years that all children learn at different levels and at different times. If my son is interested in learning math concepts at 3 I am going to let him...why not? If you need to work on a grade an extra year who cares? That is the beauty of homeschooling!! My oldest is labeled gifted and there are different levels even inside the label "gifted" so what works for one kid might not for another. Even though my son is labeled gifted we continuted to do Saxon in the early years because it worked skipping levels is a big no no! Yes he got kinda bored with it and the monotony, but hey it worked! And now that he is in higher math I can use a different curriculum and know that his previous math was solid and therefore has the foundation for any math. And thankfully he has done really well. Saxon is great for some and evidently not for others but it was a good foundation for us here. And again love the simplicity of it!!!

I have been very drawn to CM as well so we integrate it in our classical home as well. It has been a challenge for me to try to fix our schedule to include it "all". This is what I have done and hope this helps some. For the "character study" after trying many things.... for my older kids I have them pick a quality that we mutually agree on that they need to work on. They read scripture and stories to help with that paticular area and write how they plan to work on it. For my youngest we read stories relating to different traits each week and discuss them throughout the week or when they come up. It doesn't take that long and easy to work in. Nature Study- one day a week we go outside for about 30-45 minutes without playing and go for a walk. We have it easy here because we live in the woods... :laugh: And I usually pray before we go out (I need all the help I can get) that we will find something interesting. Thankfully God has helped me in this area....it can be anything the kids find interesting anything from weather to the skies to bugs, animals, flowers, etc. When we come in they choose what they will draw and write about in their journals which takes about 30 min. (we do right before lunch) While they draw and write I will usually read a living nature story during this time as well. For one hour in the morning we do group learning this is when I incorportate everything we learn together it kinda goes like this: Monday: Hymn study (read about composer/writer 8 scheduled for year) and learn, Bible verses and Bible (speed drill) and Bible/History reads Tuesday: Hymn, Artist( show a pic each week and read some about the artist 3 scheduled for year), Bible verse, Latin drill, Bible/History reads Wednesday: Composer study (read about the composer 3 scheduled for the year) then we listen to him on the way to church at night...Bible verses, German/Arabic drill, & Bible/History Reads Thursday: Shakespeare (study 2 during the year) I space them out we listen to a tidbit about it at first, then we listen to it and eventually watch the movie, Hymn, Bible verses, Latin drill, and Bible/History reads Friday: Poet study (read about the poet studying 3 scheduled for the year) when pick a poem to read and discuss, Hymn, Bible Verses, Grammar Drill and Bible/History reads This way I get everything in that I want to include in our schooling and doesn't take up too much time. The trick is to do 15-20 min. at a time and even if it is only once a week it is amazing what you can get done by the end of the school year. HTH!

The rigor is not much in the early years but when I started out homeschooling my kids were a little older in the elementary years and since the private school they attended prior used Saxon I stuck with it. It worked for my kids and they have done very well with it. I used it through Pre-Algebra but then we were looking for something a bit more rigorous and went with Harold Jacobs for Alg. & Geometry. As I am having to start over again looking at Math programs for my little one I have come back to Saxon because: 1. it works 2. love the drills (even though my kids got sick of them by the end...but life isn't all sweet with a bed of roses...:) 3. easy to implement My oldest could read and learn it on his own never really had to teach him. The set up is perfect for those type A kids.... My 3 yr. old is doing Saxon K this year and enjoying it wanted to be like brothers and it is like you said a gentle program in the beginning....so I can see if you start early how you can move up quickly. But 5/4 at 1st grade is impressive. Hope it works well with him! So yes, I am still a Saxon fan...... :hurray:

My son and I like to pretend we are at the grocery store and use play food, however sometimes I just get some of his toys and price them. :)

That would be great...thanks Kathy!

My 11 yr. old is really into the military and all he wants to do is shoot and he does also enjoy archery. That is about the only thing he is "passionate" about. We would like for him to have one outside activity besides church functions because our other kids have one activity they are in and we hate for him to miss out. We tried getting him into other things and interests but it never lasted. So the past couple years he has done nothing and with homeschooling I feel you need to have at least one thing to call your own. My oldest is into everything and I feel my middle child is just lost in the middle of our other kids and I don't want him to be neglected. We are trying to find some type of organization where he could practice and maybe compete if there is any such thing out there. He really wants to join CAP or something similiar next year but just trying to find something for him now until he is 12. Any suggestions? We live in VA. We have looked into 4H and haven't found any clubs around where we live. TIA

I am very interested to see how you get started in this kind of sport. What type of organizations are there? My son is very into the military and is hoping to joing CAP when he is old enough but he is only 11 and we live in VA and have had a hard time finding some type of activity for him to be involved in. He loves shooting and archery as well and is good but was hoping to find some organization with other kids to enjoy with. What's out there that is related? thanks for your ideas!

This is our first year with German too and my son is enjoying Rolling Acres self paced course and you can't beat the price! We have only been using for 3 wks but so far we like it!

Thanks for the post momee.....that looks very interesting!

Yes, I have been using Let's Find Out Series and he LOVES Magic School Bus he has been in love with that before he was 2! Forgot to mention that. Will look into One Small Square and Cat the Hat series (haven't heard of those). I did check out the living math link....thanks! Some good ideas!! Any other favorites?

So anyone have any favorite books that their kids loved at this age? I have seen Sonlight's book list, as well as AO and Memoria Press, BFIAR, FIAR. Any other suggestions? Looking for specific subjects like history, science, math that teaches topics in a living book form. I have also seen RightStart books for math and he loves Berenstain Bears Science book (I think it is in the Sonlight list.) Any others? TIA!

Yes, we used BFIAR this past year and I have the first volume of FIAR. I guess that is what got us hooked on rowing good books. But he loves to read so I was hoping we could find a lot of living books on various subjects and just read! Any other suggestions would be great! Thanks for your posts!

Great will check into those! I have started him with Saxon K and he is enjoying that. He LOVES to read I mean as long as I will sit and read. So those math books have been great! I wish I could find more "living books" to help supplement his learning for next year. He is eating those up! Thanks again everyone for your comments!

Those Math start books look fantastic! I haven't heard of them and he loves to read this is going to be great! I can't wait to look at the other items you mentioned. Thanks for your ideas!

My oldest two used Abeka for pre-k. - 1st grade for just phonics, after that we didnt need anymore phonics and I'm not a big fan of anything else except for upper grades for grammar. I thought it was very easy to use and great for a first time homeschooler I think! Good luck!

Yes....I had to ask once we enrolled and told him our situation and he sent it to us for free! What I love: the detailed notebooks for taking notes and lectures, quick feedback, and the fact my sons SAT scores and standardized test scores this year were so strong....and he is only in 8th grade this year. So glad I heard about him through this forum!

We have the same problem w/our internet. Derek Owens.com which uses Harold Jacobs text sent all the lessons/videos on a disk for us and it has worked great! He has been great and I love the format he uses!

Thanks for the info Anna's Mom! Will look into that!

No I haven't that sounds very interesting! I will have to look it up. Thanks!

Yes we have done the Kumon books. He enjoyed those and does great cutting and pasting. :) He does already know the lower case letters occasionally he will get a d and a b mixed up. But I figure it is the age. He also loves mazes!!! I do have a set of C-rods he has played with them sum matching and sutch. How did you like the Miquon? Not too familiar with that...thanks

It has been quite awhile since I taught preschool and there is so much out there now! I am curious to see what everyone has used and liked and to see if there is something I haven't seen. :-) We teach classically with a bit of CM thrown in. My son will only be 3, so I am not sure what to use. I don't want to overwhelm and depend heavily on academics but I do want to introduce some things. I need a solid phonics program and would love to have something easy to implement since I need to spend most of my time on my older children's schooling. He asks for schoolwork... otherwise I would just let him play and read all day. :) What he knows well: ABCs and all sounds(known since he just turned 2 thanks to Leap frog videos), counting 1-25, and number recognition 1-20, colors, shapes, etc. LOVES to read will sit for an hour if I had the time. Ha! It usually is about 30min. a setting. He has very good fine motor skills and loves to trace, draw, and write his letters and numbers. We have worked on this year: weather, time, he has worked through BFIAR, Rod and Staff Preschool set 1 books, Brightly Beginnings Preschool Program (was able to do most of this it was a 4yr. old program) I guess that gives you somewhat of what I am looking for. My older ones are taking on German with Latin so if there is any preschool videos/music or anything that he could do along with them would be great! He seems to be interested in language. Thanks in advance!!

We like DerekOwens.com my son has done really well w/ the Geometry and we intend to continue w/ Algebra 2...Fast feeback and great helps when needed.

I liked Foundations Press but the history and Bible I am looking for don't go hand in hand....I ended up going with Simply Charlotte Mason Genesis- Deut. & attempting to finish the Joshua-Malachi one as well since I can do all my kids with it. I like MFW but for the price and simplicity I chose SCM. Thanks for all your suggestions!!!!

I liked Foundations Press but the history and Bible I am looking for don't go hand in hand....I ended up going with Simply Charlotte Mason Genesis- Deut. & attempting to finish the Joshua-Malachi one as well since I can do all my kids with it. I like MFW but for the price and simplicity I chose SCM. Thanks for all your suggestions!!!!

I have decided to count my son' s as a semester credit. He took one year of group lessons and then just taught himself. The internet has amazing helps out there! I was thinking it was 60 hrs but maybe Im wrong but he goes way beyond that in a year. He plays in a MS band at church and will be playing in the HS next year. I highly recommend this if you have an opportunity he has really grown and has really developed as a worship leader. I view the credit no different from band at school. :)