On my way....:lol:

I forgot...I also have TWSS and SWI B (need to get the notebook)

Thank you everyone... I am using TT for math w/ my older two. Would LOVE to do RS w/ my 6 year old and eventually my 4 year old, doing Horizons w/ my 8 year old. We have Capt. Jax Math Facts (anyone have a better way of doing math facts, my kids do NOT like this at all) Surely there is a better way or at least one not so boring...? I had thought about Logic of English but honestly, right now, I don't want something "just coming out" AND I already own the WRTR manual, SWR and AAS..ha! I eventually want to do History Chronologically, I had thought about getting "Preparing" from HOD and just do the History part/read a louds/readers but..again...am I just asking for it by trying to add something else. I would love a program that says "on this day have them read....such and such". I had thought about just getting the Sonlight Readers Schedules so they have something that they can read from everyday and then have a read a loud? I get so overwhelmed by all the options and, honestly, get caught up in trying to do it "perfectly", I get paralyzed.

WOW...thank you guys so much, this is exactly what I am looking for..lots of advice. I was going to just order a bunch of stuff (we get our school money soon), then look at all of it and decide when I get it. I don't have an opportunity to go and "look" at stuff so... Anyway...one area of mine that I want to change is to really get focused with the kids and not worry about what we "aren't" getting to, just for this year...really be consistent in the basics and getting solid. I find I am easily distracted, but looking at this or that and I need to really focus this next year, even if that means getting stuff, doing it whether we are "enjoying" it or not...and stop "searching" for something better. Kim

Hi, My head is spinning and I am hoping to get an "ah ha" moment here. I am really wanting to take the next year and get my 4th and 5th graders really sound in spelling/LA/writing (grammar skills), have them focus more on math (mainly really fill in some gaps with the basics). I also want to work w/ my 8 and 6 year olds with reading/spelling/math and get my almost 4 year old doing a few things. It has dawned on me that I have been focusing on History/Geography etc...and I really need to take time and get some kids on track. I also want to have some great readers/read a louds in there. I feel like I have hurried through the "important" stuff, trying to get to "other" stuff and I want to slow down and do the "important" stuff right. What would you use? I have: PAL, AAS, AAR (not sure if I will use this or PAL) I am going to be purchasing TOG year 1 however...I imagine that will get done very, very slowly. I had thought about: Writing Tales w/ Easy Grammar OR R & S Grammar, had considered Megawords. With 7 children, 5 of whom I need to be actively working with. I am getting a headache. I want to simplify but I really, really need to work w/ my older of the bunch on getting a good solid foundation and making sure my younger ones have the same! I know a lot of this is repititous to what I have been asking about, I look to much at posts and then think..wow..this looks good also. I know me and I know that if I have too much, it won't get done. So...my main focus is on getting solid in the basic stuff, getting started in grammar/composition and having great readers/read a louds. If there is anyone who has some insight I would love to hear it. I will say, my older son is quite a challenge for me, I can't go into everything but it has been difficult. He does NOT like to do school at all, feel like I have spent years tyring to get him to like it and now he just has to do it but I want to help him get a good strong foudation and work on him becoming more independent eventually. Thanks! Kim

Really?? You are gonna throw that at me? I just got the manual/method wording right! Now I have to change it to the "original"??:banghead: Okay..so..yes, I have the 4th Edition, have you seen the new 6th Edition, wonder how it is different? Alrighty then....is the marking system a lot more complicated in SWR than in the ORIGINAL? :confused:.........:lol:

I forgot about Reading Pathways...thank you, and Victory Drill Book..great ideas!

Hi, I am wondering in the marking system in WRTR is "different" than in SWR. Geesh..I was looking at the marking system in SWR and found it confusing. Now..I will say that I have not started using w/ my children, still trying to figure all that out, but I know I want them marking words. I can see a huge benefit to that, especially for my older son. Hi Ellie!! WRTR/SWR, manuals...Spalding is the METHOD :lol:

Hi Merry! Thank you... No, I don't do a lot of reading aloud. The older kids often read aloud to the younger ones. I have had them read to me out of books they were reading to check on how they are doing. Oh...boy...feeling some mistakes I made early on! Kim

Hi, I have a daughter that reads at grade level, maybe a smidge below, but I feel like she needs "fluency" work, really reading maybe w/ expression. I feel like my two middle children read well, they can tell you what it is about but I feel like they hurry through too many words. Not sure this makes sense, not even sure how to explain what I mean. I feel like with both of them we missed some important Phonics stuff maybe..maybe not. They are reading and understanding. We will be doing AAS, maybe this will help fill in what I feel like we have missed? Kim

Thank you all for your input, I greatly appreciate it!

Yes...this makes sense. I have tried to use it before and I think the problem I had is giving them the book and they get too far ahead so I would definitely check it!

I would actually be starting with JR AG, if I go that way. I had decided to use Easy Grammar. I am very weak in Grammar skills and want something "fairly" self teaching. I know these are two totally different programs, one does diagramming, one does not. I am not really fond of diagramming but do admit I don't quite understand the need for it. Would love opinions of these programs....which one do you use and how is it working? Thanks, Kim

You know....with me and all the curriculum up and downs, I feel if we get the History, Church History and some Lit we will be doing good, I may go w/ IEW for writing and Easy Grammar. I am only doing LG, UG and some D....maybe. But..I am going to keep it as easy as possible!

Hi Missy, I will try to remember to post. I have heard from many who use it, one lady emailed me, she has children close to your kids age. She said it really doesn't take as much planning as people think. It is flexible enough to do it as it will work for your family. There is a video on Marsha's Blog, you can get there from the TOG website, about planning lessons etc...that is supposed to be very helpful, think I will go there now. :001_smile: Kim

Thank you...I will remember that. I appreciate you checking in! Blessings, Kim

Hi!! Well...I am thinking TOG. I am also thinking about getting the "Preparing" book from HOD and checking it out. I am almost sure it is TOG. I, however, will mainly use the History, Church History and Literature for now. Thank you for asking and thank everyone for their input. I want to just get Unit 1 and just look at it, I might do that. Kim

Hi, I have a ds4 (in Feb), ds6, dd8, dd11, ds14...two older girls doing their own stuff, one is graduated. The 11 and 14 year olds need basic work in Grammar/LA

I am going to throw one more question out there....what curriculum has the best readers/read a louds? That is the most important thing for me..I want to get my kids reading good books, focus on getting caught up in LA areas etc.. Just curious...I am looking at Preparing from HOD..that looks good to. I want TOG to work but am thinking it might not this next year because of everyone needing help w/ reading, writing, LA skills etc..it seems really intense right now with the stuff needing to get done and the time I need to take. So...I want Bible, Memory verses, great read alouds, a timeline would be nice to do also... Sorry..please bare with me while I muttle through this! Kim

Thank you all for your help, it is much appreciated!!!

I am not worried about history cycle rotation, I do want to do it chronologically but not worried, at this point, how many times they go through it etc..or how fast we get through it. I just want GOOD history, GOOD books etc...in a plan I can actually do.

Wow..that sounds good....does TOG include Vocabulary?

That would be great, if it isn't too much trouble..really! See..this is my problem, as much as I want a "daily" plan, we too have lots of different things that come up. It makes it tough, in our house, to follow too close of a schedule. So...maybe TOG would be best as I love that that include bible and church history and the lapbooks! On the days when things are "working better" we do more and on the days the aren't we don't. I love looking at the Sonlight IG but know we would get "behind" quick, I have tried it and always felt like certain boxes were getting checked quicker than they were supposed to and others we not..so I always felt way off balance so maybe a weekly plan would be good? ALSO..I just purchased TeacherFileBox through Evan Moor and that may be the "help" I need for geography worksheets or whatever. I just looked and they have worksheets for learning the seven continents etc... Kim P.S. I am looking for any input here, if something sounds like it just wouldn't work, let me know... ALSO..My husband wants mostly workbooks for my 14 year old (any suggestsions on that) as he goes a lot and needs a different approach. so..I would be mainly doing the curriculum w/ my ds6, dd8, dd11

I would love to know how you do it.....TOG..what else do you use?

Thank you..that is what I was thinking. I don't want to do MFW, I have looked and looked at it also years ago and tried it once or twice, it didn't click w/ me. I appreciate your two cents. This has been very frustrating, this is the time of year when I am trying to get things figured as we buy school stuff w/ income tax return money sooooo..