We skipped it. DD is doing great with Book 5--I didn't feel the need to go into the open and closed syllable thing. We also use ETC more for spelling than phonics.

Moving Beyond the Page has a great lit unit on Helen Keller. http://www.movingbeyondthepage.com/purchase/skuDetail.aspx?skuID=138&purchaseTab=7to9

Moving Beyond the Page has a great lit unit on Helen Keller. http://www.movingbeyondthepage.com/purchase/skuDetail.aspx?skuID=138&purchaseTab=7to9

Is the kindergarten half day or full day? If full day, would the school consider enrolling her as half-day, so you could have a few uninterrupted hours with your son without sending her off all day? This was a solution for one family I knew in a similar situation.

How about this? I found out about it because my older child does Math Mammoth, but my 5yo isn't ready for 1A yet but MM doesn't have K, and this is one of the recommended programs before starting 1A. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0789457202/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Yes, I am. Try type1parents.org. Good luck--it is so overwhelming at first. It is a life-changing dx that eventually becomes a new normal.

ITA with previous poster about Moving Beyond the Page, but also...are you just following the FIAR manual, or are you adding to it? I used FIAR with my first grader last year, and picked up a lot of ideas beyond the manual at the FIAR forum and websites like http://tinderbox.homeschooljournal.net/five-in-a-row-resources/our-fiar-studies/ and homeschoolshare.com. I think if we had just used the manual, we would have been rather bored, but I found planning the FIAR lessons with ideas from outside resources was fun and a nice creative outlet for me.

I can totally relate. Remember there's always next year. And winter is a perfect time for owls--think how snowy owls are white to blend in with snow, and the book "Owl Moon" takes place on a winter night. I think we did owls in January last year.

Type 1 diabetes can not be cured. People should understand the disease before making suggestions or pronouncements about it. Not sure what you're getting at here if you're saying you've seen it cured--if this is what you mean, you are mistaken.

I think you can. Motivation is everything in reading. "Elephant and Piggie" and some of those books are so appealing to kids--you can read the books aloud, then ask them to read it aloud. Neither of my kids seem to need a lot of direct instruction in reading because they are very drawn to books and try to puzzle out the words on their own. I still use ETC workbooks though, just to reinforce common patterns and make sure they are looking at words carefully.

Make him a spelling dictionary out of a notebook--each page is a different letter A-Z. When he asks how to spell a word, write it in his spelling dictionary, so he can look it up next time. He will grow out of this stage of asking how to spell everything. DD was like this from 5-6, and now at almost 8 just goes crazy with her creative spelling. Now I almost wish she did care more about spelling everything right! But the spelling dictionary does help.

I taught for UB for a while years ago--it's a great program!

My dd8 has never eaten meat (I'm veg too). It's her choice, and she's very healthy. Hard boil some eggs or keep cottage cheese around, my dd also likes tofu warmed in soy sauce. You don't have to do a lot of extra work--she can eat the side dishes (bread, fruit, veggies) with everyone, and then toss in an easy protein like the above.

Totally fine, but you might want to try Five in a Row. Perfect for first grade.

Some hits around here have been: Five in a Row Magic School Bus science kits Animal Habitats (tons of easy animal crafts--they love to pick one out to make) http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Habitats-Learning-American-Williamson/dp/082496778X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348618083&sr=8-2&keywords=animal+habitats

Moving Beyond the Page Level 6-8 might work for you! There are about four concepts per year--one of them is Culture--the others are Community, Measurement, and Matter and Movement. You can buy the concepts separately.

I read it a few years ago and will never understand why people take to it so much. I completely disagree with the ideology and found the entire book so unrelated to life as I experience it.

Yes, I agree that the way she described going about it doesn't match my situation, and looking back I see that's what people were responding to, but several people wrote that the entire concept of half-day school was just wrong, that you HAVE to choose. I don't see it as an either/or and am surprised that homeschoolers and afterschoolers wouldn't see more options like this as a good thing.

I'm very surprised by the strong reactions against this idea. My daughter (2nd grade) goes to school in the morning and through lunch and recess, then I pick her up. It has only been three weeks, but she is not a social outcast, I get a lot of time with her in the afternoons, plus she gets to see friends at school. Feel free to pm me if you want details. So far it's working out fine.

I recommend starting with Vol. 1--so many good books there, and the activities are not too babyish for a 7yo. Then from there, decide if you want to continue at a similar level or jump to 4. Good luck! FIAR is so much fun!

I chose other--Sequential Spelling.

Thanks!

Oooh, really? My second grader is average at math and I thought she wouldn't be ready for BA 3A. Do you think she would get something from it? She is in MM 2A now.

Our house is over 100 years old, and we've been here 10 years and have had to do close to zero repairs and maintenance. This house is solid!

We use it and love it. There are so many hands-on projects that really do "move you beyond the page," though it's literature based and writing-intensive (I let dd dictate some of the writing). We've had so much fun with different projects, like holding a measurement fair and inviting friends over to try different measuring activities that dd came up with. It's very creative and engaging! We've only done one level so far (6-8) and will move to 7-9 next week.