Any updates on this? We just signed up and I'm curious what to expect....

We're reading P4/5 and have been slowly acquiring titles from Core A to read. We read these more on a fun basis. Memoria Press Kindergarten is our main. The literature is only one title per week but the enrichment adds in 1-5 extra titles on topic. We have loved everything! (And I cannot say that about SL 100%) I could talk about MP JrK, Kinder, and First lists all day. So feel free to ask me anything about them. At this point the plan is for MP 1st for our K5 starting this fall 2014 addimg in SL A books for fun. With my older she started P3/4 at 2, MP JrK at 3, and a combination of P4/5 and MP Kinder at 4. My younger is approaching 3 and she is nowhere near ready for JrK, with her we'll continue to let her sit in on anything but go back through P3/4 and picture books in general. We're also probably going to revitalize the board book reading as the youngest is due in July! Other add-ons: Pardington Treasury, Madeleine Treasury, Burgess Bedtime Book, Wizard of Oz, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Little Bo series and plan to read Teaddy Robinson Story Book. We also add in Ambleside Online Y0 & Y1 with Yesterday's Classics for kicks. And My Book House, and Childcraft. I also stumbled upon A Child's World Story Time too. We enjoy the snuggles.

I've put an order in for Adventures in Phonics. It has some color and better images. Only $8.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at bedtime and various picture books through out the day on demand.

I'm sure by now you've made your choices. But I wanted to say I've written long reviews on the various parts of the Junior Kindergarten. Also we are working our way through the Kindergarten and already making plans to start the First Grade curriculum in the fall. http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/tag/memoria-press-junior-kindergarten/ JrK is recommended for a 4-5 year old, but we did it successfully with a 3 year old (my oldest at the time). In the Kindergarten time frame she has been four and she'll turn five before we start he first grade materials. Kinder phonics (First Start Reading) has been right on key with what we've needed. At times we had to stop for a week or two when she felt overwhelmed and just continued along with math and other subjects and caught up along and along with the phonics assignments. JrK is just letter recognition and writing upper and lowercase forms. With basic pictures to emphasize sounds. Actually putting letters together to form words and suffixes doesn't occur until Kinder. Originally the Numbers Books, parts 1&2 and coloring book were part of the JrK. They moved the Numbers Books, parts 1&2 to Kinder and left the coloring book in JrK. It worked very well for us this way. The coloring books are easy for my girl but delightful to combine with our Rod & Staff Beginning Arithmetic, part 1 studies.

For anyone that is interested I've written a series of thorough reviews for the Junior Kindergarten. Just scroll down. There are seven parts. http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/tag/memoria-press-junior-kindergarten/

I really cannot stand the illustrations in ETC so we have been trying to figure something else out in the ~$8 range. I was thinking Pearson Plaid Phonics but would have to order that one online to even be able to see it. My local teacher's store sells Steck -Vaughn's Core Skills: Phonics (Houghton) and is going to order Christian Liberty Press Adventures in Phonics, so I'm hoping to be able to look through those soon. Anyone have experience with these?

We're using Memoria Press First Start Reading and with it we went through the letters and then short CVC words. We just finished (or are in the process of finishing) Book B (A-D) and by the end of it each Friday had a page or two of dictation. This form of dictation being one word per line. Almost like a spelling test I guess. Words like on, Ron, Don, hog, log, Tod, cot, cob, etc. All sounds she's learner and can sound out. So it's phonics, sight words, copywork and dictation all in the earliest stages. MP also has Copybook series that is Bible verses, prayers, etc but it's more or less one day of actual copywork. I plan to add FLL and WWE in more. We already do some FLL but not routinely and WWE I'm still undecided on just doing it on my own or getting the workbook.

I heard someone say (maybe Lexi?) that Science in the Beginning was slightly over her 2nd grader's head but she looks forward to cycling back through. I'm really excited and definitely want it. I hope to hear some more thoughts on people who used it with the primary grades.

Geez I had no idea it was a pricey one. I was just excited about the Anne omnibus! Snatched the both.

FYI the newest 'Kingfisher History Encyclopedia' is in it's 3rd edition and purple, copyright 2012/2013. I got it for $17 brand new.

Oh I went and read your question again and wanted to say that in the case you have a children's Bible your very satisfied with and just don't want to buy a new one even with the endorsements that you could easily substitute your own. I don't know which one you have in mind but I do know that many children's Bibles skip stories and if that occurs you could always just read the appropriate scripture for that week from your 'real' Bible. The scripture references are in the back of the Lesson Plans.

We're planning for the fall too. It's my understanding that some Catholic families do use this Golden Children's Bible for young children. After all I believe that it is on the lists for Laura Berquist and Mother of Divine Grace. Also I believe that Emmanuel books sells it so I think that is another endorsement. In our experience with the GCB and Copybook I it is the paraphrased story we read in the Bible with illustrations and then on copywork day we write the scripture phrase ie: "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Genesis 1:3" The Copybook references are in the KJV translation because of the literary and poetic value as well as the influence of the development of the English language. The teacher pages say "A thorough knowledge of the King James Bible is a necessary preparation for the study of English literature..." Later in the term there is also copywork of poems from such as Robert Louis Stevenson. I believe in later years with the learning of Latin it is recommended to use such as the Duoay Rheims or Vulgate but to young children it is the Golden Children's Bible. I also second the idea to pop in the forums over there. I think without going secular he only way to do better in Math is somehing like Mathematics for Young Catholics from Seton. I was very nervous about the idea of Mennonite faith in my math but tried anyway and have come to love it in discussing a Bible example for numbers. It is not an in depth scripture story and definitely something we can expand on in our own Bible studies. Out Kinder day ranges depending on her focus. We can finish in two hours the whole day and then some or we can take half the day. It depends on her attitude and willingness. Mostly we're done by lunch except I let her go back after for coloring illustrations and such. With changes in 1st I find we'll be doing less worksheets from FSR and replace that with Storytime Treasures. I still think we will have time for our additives and review (we add ETC, Lollipop Logic, Kumon math workbooks, Seton coloring books, and HWOT - but we're switching to Gerty Dubay this fall). We also read the Once Upon a Time Saints books. I think you could add in your reader fairly easily even if not daily. (Forgive me if there are typos. This touch screen is sensitive. Typing on my Kindle Fire)

Biblioplan uses SOTW and everything is planned out and set up. I've been eyeing it myself for first. It four year history cycles. The other thing we are very happy with is the packages from Memoria Press. Their first grade includes a good handful of literature choices, copywork, art appreciation and phonics review. As an addition there are little mentions and reads for science and social studies. Their history cycle doesn't really start until 3rd so there seems to be a mix of introduction to concepts as highlighted in read alouds: ie : Columbus, Abe Lincoln, St Patrick etc, Wright brothers and trains. Oh and our baby is due in July. :)

I'm in the younger grades so things might change, but I do add more reading aloud, but we're a book loving family. We are reading the lower level Sonlight books and I'm a book reviewer so we also read new coming out stuff. But I've heard other people complain that there is already too many books for their family. It varies on what works for you. With the addition of the social studies and science read aloud we find it anything but boring and dry. It gives us just enough hint to splurge into a topic if curiosity strikes or keeping on trekking if not. I should add I haven't tweaked the MP plans any more than to add in reference book page numbers and the other books we read... if we do it great... if not then next week. So as to not stress. :)

Mine is getting their first Life of Fred book for Christmas. And Inchimals, Beginning Geography and Legos. All school, mostly math for that. :)

I keep the ones we haven't gotten together in a quart ziplock. Once we cover it, it goes in a pile that we keep our other flashcards for (math made, math addition - In a Flash, sight words - Education.com, etc) and dry erase markers and so on in an old Huggies Wipes box. I also have a pretty *bed* printable for b and d memory. Other than this year I'm not sure where I'll keep them, but we handle them daily.

6.9 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches

I had mine laminated at a teacher store. Because of the size I felt it was more time and space friendly. Then I trimmed them and they're wonderful. They are more 4x8 or so they are not a full sheet.

Maybe books like these will be better. I was looking and I don't think I have one over 300 Pbs from CS. So maybe they take more care in larger books. On the wishlist!

This looks fabulous and I just made the connection. I printed some of your notebook covers and planners years ago! I'm excited about the product, but it has been my experience with CreateSpace books that they just don't seem to last more than one read. For those of you that have had them in hand what is your experience? (My exp w CS is from reviewing fiction). I do love the idea of digital things but prefer to unplug our school day as much as possible plus my eReading is on a 1st gen Kindle Fire which doesn't afford much space.

Kindle Free Time is the one the lacking on the 1st gen Kindle Fire I have.

@FromA2Z My copy of Just So Stories just got here today. :) I haven't compared things line by line, but of the three I have al far I'm pretty certain these are not abridged. @Caclcoca @chelsmm I would love to have them all but so far we have Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wind in the Willows and now Just So Stories. Next on my list is Pinocchio. I will wait until the girls are a bit older for Around the World in 180 Days and others. Another series I discovered the other day that are similar with full story and beautiful images are the Scribner Classics, such as the newest The Yearling and coming in April Bambi. More to wish for. Pretty much for me I wish list them and then when an additional 20% coupon comes around I'll make a purchase.

I just wrote this post and it disappeared... so here I try again. I'm really excited as I just discovered that finally Sterling Classics is reprinting The Adventures of Pinocchio illustrated by Robert Ingpen. Previously, you would have seen this in a 2005 edition from Purple Bear Books, but finally Sterling Classics will release it. For me this is very exciting as it will match all the other Sterling Classics that are illustrated by Robert Ingpen that are starting to be collected on my shelves. As of now it's available for preorder. I saw it on both BN and Amazon tonight, release date of April 1st, 2014. ISBN-13: 978-1454912682

I don't use any of the programs you mentioned and I have a 1st generation, but wish I had a later because they now have a password locked-in kid's section with whatever you choose to give them access to. It is a pop up keyboard and I use mostly my thumbs to type. Spell autocorrect can be a bugger. There is definitely a limited amount of apps in comparison to iOS. I love my Kindle Fire, but I'm a book reviewer and on it mostly for reading. For all your lists I think I'd lean toward a real tablet computer especially at the prices they seem to be these days. But then I wouldn't trade my fire for one. :)