So you are telling me we can just read books and do whatever related 'project' or 'activity' strikes our fancy?! Listening to books on CD has been the best teaching tool I've discovered for my DS. Our library storytime hour has been the next best thing.

6 year old DS is bored out of his mind with Heart of Dakota's Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory. I'm looking for something fun for him to do without knowing he is 'doing school' and easy for me to prep for. What would you suggest?

Made them but never used them. We do all our lessons on the couch using a white board.

Based on that part of your post, I myself have a question. We are using Math Mammoth, my son is 6 and we are at the last part of chapter1 in 1A. No matter how hard I try to get him to do a problem 7+3, where you have 7 and 3 more after 7 is 10, he still will line up 7 dots/objects and 3 and count 1,2,3,4,5,6,7...8,9,10. I have wondered if Miquon would be something to try.

http://potterfamilyarrows.blogspot.com/ Our birthday weekend!

http://potterfamilyarrows.blogspot.com/ Here is ours! Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory and Little Hands to Heaven. (my blog is still a work in progress, I'll figure it out someday)

We started OPG last year (Kindy) with a newly 5 year old. It was horrible! So I went back to the basics. I did a letter a day (The first 26 lesson in the book) and we did something fun with that letter. A we made stamps with apples, D went took a trip to Krispy Kreme donuts, Z we went to the zoo. I put everything we did in a binder, Krispy Kreme hats, zoo maps, pictures of them and all. Then continuing on we struggled in lessons 27-40 and he still didn't 'get it'. We pretty much stopped OPG and just played with the alphabet and went to our local libraries storytimes. He would cry if he even saw the book. (Skip summer vacation. We did nothing. I had horrible morning sickness.) Now we are in 1st grade, a newly 6 year old, and started back at lesson 27. I now do each lesson on a white board with him. He doesn't even know we are doing OPG, I do not show him the book. Along with our spelling program (the one givien in HOD's Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory curriculum) reading and spelling are his favorite part of the day! We are currently on lesson 40! However at first, though he loved sounding out short vowel words and spelling, I could not get him to read a sentence of any kind, until I bought book 1 of I Can Read It! Some days are better than others at getting him to read a sentence or two from the OPG lessons or one of the little stories in the I Can Read It! book, but we are getting there. All he wants to do is write on that white board! Hang in there.

We are doing Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory and Little Hands to Heaven! I have a 6 year old, 4 year old and 2 1/2 year old participating. (Then you have the 1 year old and baby growing in my belly as well). We are starting Unit 5 in each tomorrow. Loving it! I have a blog started (1 post from our first day) but it's still a work in progress. Maybe someday it'll be one of those real blogs!

This is what we started with! We then went onto Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, Saxon Math K and A Reason for Handwriting K.

My son just finished his Kindergarten year. We kept it simple. OPGTR up to lesson 40 All of Saxon K first 12 pages of Math Mammoth 1A All of A Reason for Handwriting K and lots and lots of library books For 1st grade we are going for Heart of Dakota's Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory...I hope. I plan on continuing OPG through the summer...here's the but... BUT, he hates OPG. It was a struggle to get to lesson 40 and he still isn't really 'getting' it. What should I do? He will be 6 in September, btw.

Ok scratch the co op. Do I want open and go were there are actiites my K4er could easily join in? Or focus more on my 1st grader and do what I really want for him (option B)? I still really do like HOD and still really like the idea of holding off heavy language arts and 4 year history cycle for early elementary. Can anyone tell me by my post/responses which one I'm leaning more towards? Because I still don't know which way I want to go.:tongue_smilie:

Honestly my biggest concern is my co-op options. I really don't like any of them. It's just that my oldest needs to get out some energy! Plus I'd like him to learn to follow direction from others. I myself like option B but I don't know if I can make it fun enough. Plus, I've proven that getting school done every day a difficult task.

Good call on the audio cd! We almost always have a book going on in the van and they are listening to a book every night to bed. (no tv rule and my husband and i listen to books every night too)

First you need to know I have 4 children and my oldest is 5. With that being said here are my options for next year: A. HOD's BLHFHG (w/ MM instead of Singapore math) local co-op science local art academy YMCA programs (if we don't get into the local co-op that I want: CC or Homeschooler's Academy) B. MM Light Blue Series FLL1 WWE1 SWO A Emerging Readers/Library time/Read Alouds SOTW 1 w/ activity book (I think I could add a co-op with this too) local co-op science local art academy YMCA programs NOTE: we are still on a waiting list for the co-op that I like the best ALSO: we are possibly considering Classical Conversations, we are touring on Friday (in case we don't get into the co-op...) ALSO: we have a Homeschoolers Academy (in case we don't like CC) which has art, music, drama and PE once a week MY Questions: Is the Language Arts thorough enough in Option A? Am I more Charlotte Mason or am I more classical? How much do I want to take on? How much do I want to put on? Do I have the ability to actually do Option B with all those little ones? And how bad do I want to start SOTW? Will it be fun if I do? Oh the decisions! Also note: I'd like to do HOD's LHTH with my 2yr old and almost 4 yr old And note: I'll have my K4'er join my 1st grader in co-op and bible/history/science/art/pe/and add OPG and read alouds of course) Thanks for letting me think out loud! What are your thoughts?

Hmmm...good point! I really think now the hands on part was for me:tongue_smilie:. He hates writing so I was alternating the hands on part on days where he has to write. But he really like math workbooks. I have rods...and I also think an abacus would be helpful. I've used things like stacking blocks and m&m's too. We just started 1A and are on page 23. Learn Symbols + and =. He can just look at it and know the answer with out counting each thing. I guess I wanted to make sure he understood it. Thanks :)

We finished Saxon K and I just picked up Saxon 1 and I'm thinking he already knows this stuff...we also just started our MM 1A workbook after finishing R&S's ABC series... My Q: If I want to use MM Light Blue Series as our workbook what hands on math curriculum do I want? I want to have something to have that helps me as a teacher make sure I'm teaching correctly. Because, remember I'm a kindergartener going onto 1st grade too ;) (my student (son) is 5 and we have been taking kindergarten in a very laid back manner. He is very strong willed, but he is super smart. Math is his thing.)

And loved it! What should we pick up next? We are using Saxon K too, but want to add another workbook for math. Suggestions?

My son is successfully moving through a phonic program but I'm at a loss for math. I'm new to homeschooling, as in I need to be told daily what to do or it wouldn't get done. So I am looking for a curriculum to help me introduce math concepts to my almost K'er. He cannot yet even recognize numbers but can count objects up to 29 and does when he plays hide n seek. (those preschool workbooks from walmart are not working for us but we do like flash cards) Is there anything like that? Oh and is there a video like Leapfrogs Letter Factory for numbers? That really helped us for phonics.

Thanks ladies!! I definantly will check out TG's IRL. We have a convention in May and there is a new homeschoolers meeting once a month, but I have not had a chance to go yet. My children are so close in age that I can group them together in pairs so I think I could make either one work. But I have to admit, I really really like MFW. I'll keep praying for the right curriculum for us;)

I have PKers now. I'm in love with my MFW catalog right now and I've been visiting HOD sample lessons and LOVE how they are set up. Is MFW teacher guide easy to figure out. I like how it's bible and history and you add your choice of in LA and Math. HOD, what is the history like? Can I do our own choice of Math and LA with it? I will be homeschooling my children and I'm pregnant with number 4. My first born is almost 5. Trying to figure out what to do. K and 1st I plan on just focusing on bible and the 3R's.

Can I see your blogs?

Thanks so much everyone!! I'm glad I came up with this thread!!

So, I have been going though threads (ones with the most pages) and looking everyones signatures. I want to see what every one is using!! Want to make it easier for me?? You could copy and past what you have in your siggy or write me a detailed list:) I am set on homeschooling my children. I have 3 kids and expecting number 4. Any advice you have for me is welcome. For preK/into K curriculum this is what I have been doing: Math: Saxon K (we are loving the manulatives) Phonics: OPGTR (I use this as a guide and have made this LOTS of fun! We have been making a book. For example, short vowel a. We took pictures of A things. Apples at the supermarket, the alligator at Bass Pro Shops. Wrote a short sentence about the alligator. Cut out letters from a magazine. Etc. Will be so much fun to look back on and read what we have done) Get ready for the code (but only if he gets to use a blue marker) And CLE Beginner Activity Series and ABC Rediness Series (C D E F) Lots of outside adventures, LIBRARY BOOKS and life :) In K I will plan on adding Zaner-Blozer Handwriting. What I have learned about my kids style of learning: DS age 4: anti-workbook unless he can use a blue marker. Wants to know what we are going to 'build' every day. I'm going to have to get creative with this one. DS age 2 1/2: already doing simple math 2+2=4. Have the feeling I'm going to have challenge this one.

Thank you!!

Thanks for posting this Q! I also have the same Q about K/1 CLP Science. Wondering which is better... :lurk5::lurk5::lurk5: