If you want a fun, gentle introduction to math, math concepts, and numbers, I say the Earlybird series is a great fit for a 4.5 yo. My daughter used both the Earlybird series and Horizons K last year as a kindergartner. The Earlybird books were easy for her (she was almost 6), but she absolutely loved them. She was very disappointed when they came to an end and all she had left was Horizons K. She did not like Horizons K at all. It has a much more "schooly" feel (6-8 different activities per worksheet, covering a variety of math topics) whereas the Earlybird books are "fun" (each worksheet tackles one topic and the activities are fairly varied). The biggest thing about EB, though, that I would have to mention is that, for this dd, it has carried over into a love for the Singapore Primary Math series and, dare I say, math? I hadn't planned to continue with Singapore for reasons unrelated, but she became visibly excited when she saw a friend's Singapore math book (1B) over the summer -- she recognized it as similar to the "primary mathematics" (EB books) she had used. That's what she wanted to do for math. So, we are continuing on with Singapore, which she does happily (and Horizons, which she does grudgingly). I agree with another poster that Horizons K might be too much for a 4.5 yo. However, as others have posted, there are lots of preschool math workbooks available. Happy choosing! Meredith

I'm a bit late joining the discussion but I just wanted to add that, for us, TT did exactly what you want: it solidified the basics and made math fun. My 6th grade dd switched from Singapore 5B to TT7 this past January; she no longer complains about math and even enjoys it on occasion. The complaints about the quality of the program for the lower grades may simply reflect that many feel the grade levels are not accurate. I agree with this assessment (TT7, imo, really covers 6th grade math; my fourth grader will probably start TT5 in the fall). However, if you understand this going in, you can adjust and proceed accordingly. It is definitely easier than Singapore but for us it is producing understanding and retention where both Singapore and Saxon failed. We are supplementing TT over this summer with LOF and my dd is enjoying this program as well. FWIW. Meredith

Yes, you can burn them onto cds. :)

We purchased audio downloads via audible.com. They were pricey but my kids sure enjoyed the luxury of listening to history outside while they scooted or kicked around a soccer ball.

Hi Anne, Can I ask what level(s?) you've used and for how long? Did your dd ever come to a point where she said she just didn't understand the rules? I must say that when I read them I really have to think about what point they are trying to make. I have never listened to the CDs so maybe its all in the delivery. TIA, Meredith

We've been using Phonics Zoo since February with my 2 oldest dd, just 10 and 12. Both enjoy the program and both seem to be retaining. Both are roughly on Lesson 10 in levels A and B, respectively. My question concerns the "rules" the children are supposedly learning. Neither dd can actually repeat any of the rules to me, and when I look at the "rules" contained on the lesson cards I can't really say that what they are learning are actually "rules." And, when I look at the upcoming lists, the "rules" become even stranger -- not at all like traditional spelling rules. My fear is that my dds are simply learning the words on their spelling lists and there will be no transferability, iykwim. I feel that, at this point, the best thing for my 10 yo is a very traditional phonics-based spelling program. Yet, I am afraid to jump ship because we are finally having at least some success at spelling with PZ. In an oral quiz covering words from lists 1-9, she got all right except words from the "i before e" rule -- at which point she flopped pretty bad! So, my query is this: Are there any long-term PZ users who continue to be happy with the program? Do you feel your dc's spelling has improved across the board? Did there come a time when the difficulty of understanding the ruels simply outweighed any benefit? TIA, Meredith PS: The programs that are calling to me, particularly for my dd10 (my oldest is more of a natural speller and so I am not so concerned about her), are along the lines of Apples and AAS although I'd like something more independent than AAS. Are there samples of How to Spell around anywhere? Anyone have experience with that?

Hi, We went through this "worry" with our middle dd, who entered 1st grade as a non-reading 7 yo. We spent the entire year working on reading. It was painful but we persevered and it worked. I tried never to push her too hard, but I felt at that point that some pushing was required for I feel that if I had waited, she would never have shown an interest in reading! She would have been perfectly happy to continue playing with her little figurines all day. :) But, we did push forward. She just finished 3d grade, is reading above grade-level, and, as of this year, does read for pleasure. However, we now know that there WERE reasons for her delay, and she is currently participating in "vision therapy." So, here are some things to look for that might indicate a vision-related (not necessarily dyslexia) problem: dropping small words when reading out loud, losing one's place when reading more often than the average bear, difficulty copying from whiteboard to paper (this sort of task will take a child with visual weaknesses much longer to perform -- the going back and forth in focus and finding one's place is extremely challenging), disdain for coloring or up-close work (in our dd, this morphed into what I would call an "unnatural" dislike for board games), poor handwriting, a lack of sense for how to use space on a page, general clumsiness or lack of coordination, difficulty remembering left from right. Then, there are also the obvious vision clues like headaches, red/teary eyes, double vision, etc. In general, also, I would say that my dd simply had to work "too hard" for what she was accomplishing -- particularly with anything that involved writing, I'd say that things just took much too much concentrated effort on her part. If these signs ring true to you, you will need to see someone who specializes in vision therapy for a proper evaluation. A regular optometric screening will not necessarily recognize the existence of these sorts of vision problems. My dd consistently "passed" annual vision exams yet our visual therapy "self-evaluation" score placed us at 2X the level of impairment that warranted therapy. It is hard to know what is normal and what is not at this juncture. I offer our experience merely for comparison and hope that the information is helpful to you in some way. Warmest regards, Meredith

My 6th grader is finishing up TT 7 this year and it is right on par with what the local PS 6th grade seems to be doing in math. My 3d grader who got 1/2 way through Horizons 3 will start TT5 next year. It is a good program, but I agree that these particular titles are not accurate and could lead to great frustration and disappointment by users who are unaware of this "problem." FWIW: My dd has loved using TT7. For the first time, she's enjoying her math. And, for the first time, she's retaining it! Meredith

We switched to TT this year and it has been great for us. My dd 12 detested Saxon and Singapore just created too many conflicts for us. Since switching to TT, she now does math first thing in the morning, without objection. She enjoys it. She is learning. And, she is retaining. The concern about its rigorousness caused me to scour just about every other math curriculum out there before recommiting to TT next year. I could not find anything that "spoke" to the student in such a straight-forward, understandable manner, or that was as user-friendly. Its working for us, so we're going to stick with it. I do plan to supplement with the Life of Fred books to reinforce concepts and add some real-life application problems into the mix. If you are thinking of switching to TT Algebra, you need to be aware that the scope and sequence for TT is quite different from many "main stream" math programs. It is my understanding that many concepts "normally" taught in Alg.II are not taught in TT until Pre-Calc. So, if you do not include TT's Pre-calc in your plans, understand that your child will not have covered what is normally covered in Alg. II; there will be gaps. This is purposeful on the part of the TT authors; they are introducing concepts when they feel students are most ready to understand them. HTH, Meredith

I have looked at the samples for 1st, 2d, and 4th grade but not 7th, for I thought I already ahd that one figured out! And, I didn't want to start CLE so late in the game... But, the scope and sequence is what got me thinking that it really looked like what we needed for next year. So, I'm off to go check out those samples..... If one were to use both the CLE LA and the CLE Reading how much time a day should be allocated to it? I haven't decided about writing aids yet. I just received my Year 1 and I have to look more closely to see if I think I'll need it. I sure do like the nature of the writing assignments, though! :) Thanks!

Hi All, We will be using TOG year 1 next year and I had planned on using Analytical Grammar for my 7th grader. However, I am really drawn to the comprehensiveness of CLE LA. We used SL LA (old) for the past two years, and after finally realizing that it just wasn't working, we dropped it this past January. We continued on with our own grammar component, and ad hoc writing assignments, but I feel that our overall coverage of LA has been spotty, particularly with regard to poetry and literary analysis (I was thinking we'd get this with SL, but we didn't, and it didn't come through osmosis....). This will be our first year with TOG so I don't really have a feel for the scope of coverage of the literature/writing aspect of the program. I guess I'm wondering if CLE LA Would be too much on top of TOG? I think there'd be some overlap. How much time does CLE LA take a day? Another factor is that this dd will likely return to PS in a year or two and I think CLE will help fill in the gaps I know are there. Then again, I already purchasd and have AG.... Any advice? TIA, Meredith

I'm going to say its around 6th grade work since the assignment was completed in one day. My grade range would be 3rd to 7th because of the vocabulary and word choice. I could easily see my 6th grade dd completing something very similar to this in a one day setting, spending around 30-45 minutes on it. Would a one day assignment like that be much different next year? I don't know, hence the 7th grade end of the spectrum. My 3d grader might be able to dictate something similar to me, but not write it on her own, and her vocabulary might not be quite as advanced. No matter what grade your dd is, I think she did a good job with the assignment. Each paragraph has a theme and the paragraphs flow nicely together. As someone else said, the paper shows promise.

We are enjoying our first experience with Noeo Chemistry I. Why: Science is actually getting done. DD can independently do her reading, and her assignments. With too many other subjects that required my personal involvement, mom-intensive science programs just never got done consistently in our house. With Noeo, my dd can do science relatively on her own. And, she really likes it. She is now reading a book on the periodic table and elements just for fun. And, her big sister, who has never been introduced to chemistry before, is asking to do chemistry because she's hearing all of these cool things about elements. go figure. I do not feel constrained by the IG but use that as a guide for what we need to cover. We read much faster than the scheduled pace (dd is 3d grade). I discuss concepts with my dd as she goes through the books, to insure comprehension, so we might skip some of the notebook pages or combine them or change the assignments in some way. IOW, I tweak as necessary. It has been a hit for us, and we will continue with Noeo in the future. Meredith

Sorry to be adding rather than widdling down! I went into this one thinking "another indian book." It is now one of my favorite books of all time. In an nutshell, its a story about choices and redemption. My favorite of all of the SL books we've read so far. It is part of SL's Core 4. Happy Reading!

Hi, We are SL users who have been strictly SL (modified by supplementing a lot) up until now. I am interested in tweaking it a bit, to incorporate SWB's "outlining" practices into our history studies. For me, the most disappointing aspect of SL has been the lack of written work-product for the amount of history we've covered. And, as my oldest daughter progresses into the logic stage -- 7th grade, I see this as a major failing. She does do her history reading on her own, and I do have her write summaries, but because its not part of the program it ends up putting us further behind Next year we will study World History and are looking at doing Core 6 (or something else--what are Biblioplans?). Does anyone have any advice for how to best incorporate some classical methods into SL's Core 6? Also, what are/were your favorite supplements for that core? How do those of you who do "classical" education with SL do it? Probably a sillly question but TWTM approach is new to me. Oh, and my children are 6/K, 9/3d, and 12/6th. TIA, Meredith