Have you looked at Intellego Unit Studies? Secular from what I remember, and I think I saw a deal for them on Homeschool Buyers Co-op not too long ago (not too sure if it's there). We've used the Sonlight booklists--but left off the IGs, and it's worked well so far (although we might bite the bullet and actually buy IGs next year). :) That allows me to pick and choose if things are too religious for us. There's also a Secular Sonlighters Yahoo Group which has great ideas on which books to avoid, etc. Although to be honest, we're not ignoring all religious aspects, because I do believe knowledge of Christianity (along with all of the other World religions including Paganism) is necessary because there's so many references in literature, etc. I remember reading one book about missionaries with my kids and we talked about why they do this... what our beliefs are... etc. I want my kids to view people of all faiths (and no faith) with respect--and to understand why some of their practices/beliefs may be different from ours.

Fifth Disease, Kawasaki, or Measles. Had a classmate of my son's who was dx with Kawasaki's....twice. Can be really really bad. She went into heart failure, ended up with a bone marrow transplant, etc. It's not something to fool around with. Re: Measles...remember that many young doctors have never seen it. Much better to go with an oldtime ped or GP who has experience if that's the guess.

According to the video, they're just adding LA to the regular Core... beefing up Bible bits (adding Bible Resources to core).... and changing some of the books. http://www.sonlight.com/whats-new You'll be able to see the new samples in early April--so I think that will tell a lot. I hope they still keep the option of not purchasing the Bible portion.

I've had Donna's (Christopherus) Kindy book for a few years now--and I've used it on three kids. I honestly think that for the price, it's worth the buy regardless if it ends up being your "curriculum" or not. There is so much in there that is so valuable. It's not a set curriculum. She's not going to tell you... week one... read this story, make this craft, do this finger play, etc. It's basically a giant resource book (or at least my version is) of different ideas, stories, etc. I think even if you end up with another program, you'll still benefit from having read it. I've been an Enki lurker for years... LOL. I had a chance to buy a used copy (illegal according to Enki laws)....but didn't move on it fast enough. If the price is an issue, one thing I remember hearing from people is that they usually felt that had enough material for 2 years in the Kindy package. You really need to sort through it and decide what you want to use. Little Acorn Learning has some samples on her website... I think there's a Fall sample as well as a Spring one. Eileen also runs an in-home kindy as well. Her facebook page is excellent. I ended up with a hodge podge Kindy. Definitely not uniquely Waldorf--but Waldorf inspired. I bought Donna's Kindy book, as well as the form drawing (because I was curious) one. I used a lot of the Sonlight and Ambleside booklists for ideas on books. I used Donna's book for stories, routines, and craft ideas. I also bought RightStart Math A--because I love math and HWT Kindy. Kindy at our house is so gentle--and it's worked well for three kids so far. We read lots of books. We do math almost in blocks...when the mood strikes... and then another period of time we might focus on science or whatever. Lots of time for drawing, painting, baking, playing. I'd love to lazure my entire house--but that's unlikely to happen. :) One thing that I read about in a gazillion Waldorf books, but just recently started doing was using a candle as part of our bedtime routine. All of my kids (even the 8-1/2 year old) love it. We take turns on who gets to blow it out after story time. It really adds a nice feeling to our nights.

There's a great free character building program called "Ready Set Happy" which has 16 character traits that you focus on. www.16guidelines.org I also really like the Brite Music "Standin' Tall" series. The company is Mormon, but the program itself seems to be totally secular. My kids love the stories/music. Digital downloads are the way to go...and you can download them one at a time. The website http://www.powerofmoms.com also does a character/value of the month...and each month they give various ideas on how to teach it. Once again, Mormon....but even though I'm looking for secular stuff, I find tons I can use. :)

We tried it for Arabic and it did not work well for a variety of reasons. 1) It's Modern Standard Arabic...which nobody really speaks...so kind of useless. 2) They don't use any transliteration...so for kids who can't quickly read Arabic, it's quite difficult. We then switched to Pimsleur, which did not hold my kid's interest (although it was Egyptian Arabic). I then heard about a program called Michel Thomas which is popular in the UK which has worked so well with my kids. The Egyptian Arabic program is done by a pair (Jane Wightwick and Mahmood Gaafar) who have written many of the Egyptian Arabic books on the market...they know how to teach to English language speakers. The lessons are short (we do one or two after dinner)....and immediately applicable. So, for example, you'll learn the phrase..."Mumkin _____?" Here's a sample http://www.michelthomas.com/learn-arabic.php I really really love this program and only wish we had discovered it prior to the probably $1500 we spent on other programs.

You might want to check with your local homeschooling groups... both to see if there are curricula you can view...as well as to see any used deals. Conventions are way too tempting for me, but then again, I'm a bit of a curricula junkie. They all look good to me. :) One thing to know is that you don't have to buy everything at once. Also, don't forget about your library. I've been surprised (pleasantly) at some of the things I've found in the two local libraries where we've lived. Calvert has a sale going on right now until the end of the month. I think it's 20% off if you pay installments, 30% if you pay in full. Oak Meadow usually has a sale around April-May. Sonlight has an amazing return policy--I think it's 180 days, maybe more. If you have a specific curriculum you're looking for, try and see if there's a Yahoo Group. That is often a good place to find used copies. Ebay, Amazon, Christianbook.com (even if you're not Christian), Rainbow Resources....all great choices.

Right now, DS1 is finding a bunch of online games he likes a lot...far more than manipulatives. We like TimezAttack on the PC....and Rocket Math on the iPad. We play lots of games.... Yahtzee, Sum Swamp, various games from the Right Start games, etc. I let my younger daughter use the abacus when we play Sum Swamp, so that she can play along. I expect to use the GeoBoard more next year.

For Kindy, I think Live Ed is too expensive. I like Christopherus or Little Acorn Learning for that age. :)

What about saving up various containers...and then letting your DC figure it out in the bathtub....lots of bubbles (of course :)) so with an 8 oz cream cheese container (or whatever)....how many cups go into a quart milk carton.... how many into a gallon? Just play...and then write the answers on the container with a Sharpie.

Read...ask questions.... maybe do a craft...or a field trip (if applicable). Kindy should be gentle. I really like a pseudo-Waldorf approach to Kindy... being read to....lots of arts and crafts... being outside in nature... playing with open-ended toys.... etc. It's nice if you can set some sort of rhythm to your week...and day. So...it might be a weekly schedule that on Mondays you paint...Tuesdays you build with blocks.. Wednesdays is picnic day... Thursdays is library day...and Friday is a nature walk. It might be a daily rhythm that after breakfast, you go for a walk...or you do yoga.... or you sing your good morning song or whatever. Buy books...but don't forget about the library too. Children's librarians are such good resources. At first, I bought everything...but then I started checking them out of the library and buying only our favorites (because I have a serious Amazon problem...and not enough bookshelves ;o) ) If you want to start teaching reading at this age, I've had great luck with the online phonics programs...my current favorite is Reading Eggs. You can get tons of free trials for it...and if you decide to buy....homeschoolbuyerscoop is the best price that I've found.

I'd go for the iPad...because you can add the Kindle App....but then add so many more fun educational apps.

We like RightStart. I would buy Level B, not Level A, though. (I've had both.) As for Singapore, I'd just do the placement test. http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm Have you looked at Miquon as well? As for reading, just keep going. Let him choose books that he likes, but don't forget to read to him as well. I honestly don't think you need any formal reading program/language arts at the Kindy level. The Sonlight book lists are great--you can look at the various levels and see which books he might enjoy. I'd also add some sort of handwriting program for Kindy--although be forewarned that some boys have trouble with writing (which is one of the reasons I liked RightStart for my Kindy.) I really loved Hanwriting without Tears--as did my kids. If price is an issue, you can get buy with just the books....and just have your kids form the letters from playdough, pipe cleaners, or whatever. The songs on the CD are great (IMHO)...and at the Kindy level...the teacher's guide is worth it (to me).

We've used Math Mammoth, Right Start, and Saxon. I always thought of Math Mammoth as a supplement more than a stand alone--at least for us. I really like RightStart as a math foundation and the kids enjoy it. It's the abacus program--lots of games as well. Not as much writing--so MathMammoth fits well. DS1 and DS2 are also using Saxon Math in school. They seem a little bored by it, but it does seem to be well thought out. It's a spiral program--so there are plenty of opportunities to go back and revisit things. I don't see the easy patterns in the fact practice sheets I see with MM. So many people I know love Singapore. Just be forewarned that you should take the placement test before buying a level. Sometimes people start off a little behind, but quickly catch up.

I love these magnetic chore charts. So many good ideas for those that are crafty. Sadly, I'm not one of those people. :) http://www.somewhatsimple.com/2009/11/magnetic-chore-chart.html http://blog.silhouetteamerica.com/2011/04/spring-into-silhouette-tutorial-week_22.html In our house, we tend to put things on post-it notes... kind of like this: http://www.smockityfrocks.com/2009/10/scheduling-chores.html It works really well, and you can easily change it. :)

At age 5, I really think art is all about the experience rather than the final product. Buy some nice big drawing paper and a good box of crayons. My kids really love the Faber Castell beeswax crayons. The colors are great. All of Maryanne Kohl's books are great for art with young kids. They are also easily available at most libraries. You can get some ideas at her website as well http://brightring.com/

We've done supplemental/afterschool work the past year, but are going to go back to full time homeschooling next year. I have two boys--one will be in third grade. He's an excellent reader and great at math. His big problem is that things have always been easy for him--so when things get tough, he doesn't want to put in any effort. Our other son will be in second grade. He is a good reader and good at math (although he doesn't think he is.) His problem is rushing through things making silly mistakes. I'll also be homeschooling our daughter who will be in kindy--but I'm not worried about that. I've done Kindy many times before--and our gentle approach has always worked very well. We'll have a toddler rambling around as well, who no doubt will love listening in on story time and coloring. We've used Right Start math in previous years, but this year for supplemental work are using various Math Mammoth books as well as the math games from Right Start. We supplement also with literature from Ambleside and Sonlight, and Arabic. For next year, I know the boys will have different math programs. I'm not sure if we'll move to Singapore (but use Math Mammoth as needed)--but we might stick with Saxon for my youngest as the spiral approach seems to work well for him. I'm thinking about Shurley English, ideally using just one book for both, as grammar has been sorely neglected. Need recommendations for the other items--history (SOTW?), science, language arts, etc. Iideally programs which can be used with both kids together, but if not possible...that's O.K. I thought about a Waldorf approach, but honestly, we're going to be in South Florida--and Waldorf tends to be way too seasonal to work well in that climate. Also, any tips for scheduling three kids at a time would be appreciated.

Wading in gently as a Muslim who was a seminary-educated Christian not too long ago. It's not a simple answer. On one hand, Muslims and Christians do not worship the same God as Muslims are strict Monotheists who do not believe in a Godhead or Trinity. Christians consider God to include God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. For Muslims, God is simply God. God has no children. God is neither male nor female--so there is no God the Father concept. However, if you ask Jews and Muslims if they worship the same God, most will agree. They both worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Just as a Muslim finds the concept of the trinity troublesome, so do most observant Jews (of course, Messianic Jews tend to be the exception.) For those who try to get in a tizzy regarding the word Allah--it is the commonly used word for God among Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews (yes, there are both), Allah is the word used for God. Also in Indonesia and Malaysia, Christians there use Allah--and there was a lawsuit regarding whether or not the Catholic church could use Allah for God not too long ago. If you go to the Wycliff Bible Translators site and pull up the Arabic Bible, you can read Allah used for God in 3:16 and in Genesis and throughout. From an etymology-standpoint, Allah existed as a word long before the English word God did. Arabic, being Semetic, is quite similar to Hebrew El, Eloah, and Elhim. Many dictionaries link God to the Sanskrit word "hu". I've read a lot of weird and simply untrue statements in only browsing through these, so all I can say, is that I recommend that for those who want to learn about Islam to actually read a copy of the Qur'an. Mohammed Asad and the Oxford version (Haleeb I think is the translator) are two good, well-respected versions used by native English-speakers today. You'll find many familiar stories from the Bible--including an entire book called Maryam (Mary)--note in Aramaic her name would be Maryam as well. Shannon.... Muslims still respect all the People of the Book (which means any group of people that God gave scriptures to--Jews and Christians are the most common). Well, at least they're supposed to. Yes, you'll find Muslim-Jewish and Muslim-Christian issues these days, but those are relatively new phenomena and have to do with politics, land, and wars rather than religion regardless of what people may say. It's people using religion for political manipulation--which happens with all religions. Remember, in the Dark Ages Jews were being killed by Christians so fled to Muslim Spain where both groups flourished in science, medicine, art, etc. When the Muslims were kicked out by Isabel and Ferdinand, the Jews and Muslims were given the choice convert or die. I also highly recommend Yahiya Emerick's "Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam." It's a quick read and accurate. Reza Aslan's "No god but God" is excellent. If you're wondering why the Egyptians are attacking the Israeli embassy right now, it's not just about Palestine. You should really read up on the Suez Canal Crisis. If you're studying the Crusades, read "The Crusades through Arab Eyes." Etc. Muslim society flourished when Muslims remembered the commandment to respect the People of the Book. When Muslims worked with Jews and Christians, treated all with respect, etc. Isolationism or demonizing other faiths has not helped Muslims--and I don't think Islamophobia helps the US or others as well. There are so many common themes in both religions, heck all religions. The Golden Rule exists in all. Variations of the 10 commandments exist in all. The mercy, grace, and compassion of God is gigantic in Islam. It's why Muslims say "Bismillah-ar-Rahman-ar-Rahim" probably 100+ times per day--to remember that mercy and kindness. (It means "In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.") I recommend googling "Hadith Qudsi" to read a bit about God's mercy and forgiveness in Islam. On a side note, one of the reasons Muslim societies tend to be less economically robust than Christian ones is the prohibition on riba (interest). The Bible also prohibits usury, but I'm not sure how/when the Christian feeling on interest changed. To be honest, I know way too many people in debt who would have probably done better to avoid interest payments and the like.

I've heard that Shurley English is very comprehensive...and memorable. https://www.shurley.com/

I'd hold off on much until the eye exam, if the pediatrician is concerned. Just so you know, that often with young kids, they need to use drops to get an accurate reading. (Used to be atropine, not sure if they still use them or not.) For letters, all of my kids have learned the basic letters/sounds using the LeapFrog Letter Factory DVD. They love it. We also had the Fridge Phonics thing by Leap Frog which might work even if your child has some sort of vision impairment, as the kids can feel the shape of the letter. I bought mine years ago (at least 5 years ago), and on Walmart.com they used to give you the numbers as well for free. No idea if they still have that deal. My daughter is 4, and has really loved the new HOoked-on-Phonics stuff. They usually have codes online you can find--we used HOP35 and got 35% off of the Pre-K one. It includes a workbook with star stickers for each page, online activities, flash cards for rhyming/letters, story books, and DVDs that feature songs for each letter as well as an ABC song. If you go to Youtube, you can see the Hooked on Phonics ABC song at

How is the 9th grader struggling? What areas? That might help. In terms of math, I like the "Life of Fred" series. For a 1st/2nd grader... I like Right Start math--probably level B or C, Singapore, Math Mammoth, etc. But it really depends on how your child learns. What's a great fit for some is not for others. For learning to read, I've heard good things about Headsprouts. We used Click-n-Read phonics with two kids. My DD did not like computer stuff, but really loves the new Hooked on Phonics materials. I'd probably buy a bunch of literature from Sonlight, as well as Shurley English. A foreign language program--possibly Rosetta Stone, but it would depend on the language. I was not impressed with their Arabic offering--and that's what we're learning right now. A British company's Michel Thomas method has worked much better for us. For Science, REAL Science. History, SOTW or History Odyssey. Lots of arts & crafts supplies. :) Maybe a microscope or pottery wheel--would depend on the child.

For supplemental math, I like Math Mammoth because you can buy the units/areas you're interested in. It's also super affordable. Singapore is great, but I think it's harder to transition into Singapore at the 5th grade level vs. 1st. For a 1st grader, I'd probably go for either RightStart Level B or Singapore. I just love RightStart--and all of the manipulatives. It really makes math fun. We also do additional copywork--which is sort of tied in to a character education program. IMHO, the public schools these days spend very little time on handwriting and it needs supplementation. DS1 wanted to learn cursive when he was in first, so I just picked up the Handwriting Without Tears cursive book for him. Worked great.

We just tried Math Mammoth to use as a supplement for Right Start and both kids love it. So happy to have found it!

I'm hoping there are others who've been there who can offer some tips. DH is Egyptian--and speaks Arabic and English fluently. We have four kids, and he has not spoken to any of them in Arabic--yet is somehow upset that they don't have a native accent nor know Arabic. :001_rolleyes: We just had a new baby (well he's six months old) and I'm trying to get him to at least speak to this little guy just in Arabic. Our other kids are 3, 5, and 7--so I still think that a lot of good could happen from him speaking to them in Arabic as well. He says that he feels weird speaking to the kids in Arabic, because they don't understand him (and I won't understand at all). I say, "I don't mind--and I'd rather they actually learn Arabic." We have the Little Pim Arabic DVDs, Arabian Sinbad, etc.--but none of those will do what a native speaking father can do. Help! (Please :) )