I had planned on using SOTW for my first grader next year, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to believe that first grade is too young for ancient history. We are instead going to work on learning about the world though literature (we're using FIAR), looking at the world map a lot, eating foods from different countries, understanding where we are located in the U.S. and the world, and trying to set up a basic timeline of where we are in history. DD might enjoy learning about Egyptians or Romans, but she would have no idea where in time or space these events occurred, and I'd rather work on her developing more basic knowledge first. I may begin SOTW in second grade.

"Other" here. If there were an affordable secular private school around here, I might consider it. I don't want to send dc to a Christian school, as we are not religious.

http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Crunch-Super-SlimDown/70044451?trkid=496751#height1072 This one is pretty effective!

These would all fall under Reading Comprehension.

Does she like Agatha Christie? "And Then There Were None," etc. are great.

What age do you start Growing With Grammar?

Thanks for all your helpful comments!

I'm not homeschooling yet, but I've been in the education field for ten years. I have an M.A. in English and an M.Ed. in literacy. I teach college writing and teach college courses for teachers or potential teachers in the field of literacy. So I may have come across as opinionated on some posts about curriculum for an inexperienced homeschooling parent, but we're all speaking from a unique viewpoint, and I think a wide range of backgrounds and experiences are valid.

Hi, I am thinking about Rightstart Math for DD next year, and I took the quick placement test the website offers and it recommended level B. But she is only in K now. She can figure out 4+2 through finger counting, but really isn't doing any math yet. Should I play it safe and get A? How basic is A?? Thanks! Jessica

Betsy and Tacy, Ramona books, American Girls, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Babysitter's Club

Jennay, I am trying to plan some FIAR units and I can't seem to download files from this site. The site becomes unresponsive when I try. Has it been working for you if you have tried it lately? I also heard that there were more resources on the FIAR boards, but I can't find them.

Our local elementary, which dd attends now for K, is a 3. It never makes AYP in math or reading. However, I don't really blame the school for this. The teachers are mostly very good and are working very hard to get kids up to level in reading and math. The problem is the population of our town, which is a small town in northern New England. There are a lot of impoverished families here and many of them are transient, moving from one town to another in the general area when their lease is up or they get evicted. The teachers in the school have to work on fundamentals--not just basic letter sounds and numbers, but appropriate behavior and general nutrition. They are trying to get past the designation of being a failing school, but as a result they have to drill reading and math from K, and then more educated families opt for a private school (or to homeschool) because their dc are bored or the other students are too rough, so the kids that would help the school improve leave. It's a sad situation--schools that are designated as "failing" get worse partly BECAUSE they were designated as failing. I almost feel guilty for pulling dd out and perpetuating the cycle, but she is bored. Jessica

I'm going with FIAR for my first grader next year. I love the book selections and project ideas, and it leaves a lot of room for me to supplement and be creative. Maybe SL does too--I don't know this program very well. Also we are not Christian, and though both programs have Christian overtones, my understanding is that FIAR is a little more adaptable for a non-religious education.

Yes, I would send him to ps if that is what he wanted to do.

Ours is a 3.

In this situation, I don't think I would use AAS. Have you thought about doing word study instead? He could look at word morphology--study words with the same roots, for instance, and learn about how their meanings have changed over time--maybe make little books about them. Study of historical linguistics is so interesting and can help students understand some of the apparent irregularities of our spellings. I don't know of any particular programs though. Just a thought.

I don't think attendance at these schools is out of the question. She can work pt during the school year and ft during the summer, and take loans out for the rest. It doesn't sound like the debt will be excessive, and there are certain things she can do after she graduates to help forgive some government loans, such as work as a teacher or nurse or be an Americorps volunteer. I have 17k in student loans, and I only pay about $100/month toward them, which isn't too much of a burden to carry. Don't give up yet--think through the possibilities!

I am trying to download FIAR resources from homeschoolshare.com but it's just not working. Is this a problem with the site, or is it me?

You could talk about the activities/groups he will be in. I tell dd that she will be able to be in homeschool theater and take gymnastics and swim during the day and we will meet up at the park with other kids who homeschool, and she really likes these ideas.

If I wasn't using it and she returned it in good shape, I wouldn't mind at all. I would be happy to. But I'm pretty laid back in that way.

This is embarrassing, but dh and I are using (SHARING) a "tracfone." I am really thinking about how nice it would be to have an iphone. Where does one even get an iphone? And how much would it cost, upfront and then monthly? TIA!

I first started thinking about homeschooling about a year ago, as a "maybe someday" idea. Then it started to become more real. My main reasons are 1) dd has a medical condition that requires a lot of monitoring and 2) she is already bored in K. The teachers are struggling to get test scores up, so it's all drill on phonics, and dd isn't learning much. So these are my two main reasons, but now that I've done my research, I also love that dd will have so much less wasted time in her day--lessons will be geared to her needs and she will have more time to try extracurriculars she may be too tired for if she were in school all day. I'm also looking forward to spending time exploring the world as a family. So we're going to pull her out of ps at the end of this school year. I don't know if we are in it for the long haul. If dd ever does want to go back to school, I will be fine with that, but this is something I think we should try.

The Good Life? http://www.amazon.com/Good-Life-Nearings-Self-Sufficient-Living/dp/0805209700/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1298292358&sr=8-2

This is good for me to hear, because I am planning on starting dd's first grade year out with FIAR. I have just bought volume 1 so far. When I read through it I get pretty excited. I see that it will take additional planning, like checking the book and books on related topics out at the library in advance, planning and even researching activities, buying particular foods like baguettes for the week of Madeline, but that all looks fun for me. I'm planning to keep track of all the settings on a world map and a timeline. I think my 3yo will be able to join us for a lot of it too!

Have you looked at Five in a Row? This is a literature-based curriculum--you read the same book five days in a row and do all kinds of activities to spin off the book--geography, art, science, etc. Then you could have additional phonics and math programs for the 1st grader, maybe some letter practice for the preschoolers, incorporate outside/nature activities, and done.