For those of you asking for a review - following is a video review: http://planetmommyhood.net/2014/08/14/skrafty-homeschool-minecraft-class-review/

If any of you are using Story of the World with Minecraft fans you might be interested in this class which incorporates Minecraft projects along with the book: http://whenyouriseup.com/story-of-the-world-meets-minecraft/

I was going to suggest A+ Tutorsoft also. My 10 yr old is using it now and we really like it. They have a free 30 day trial and it's actually 50% off right now until the end of Feb.

Yes, you can do that on AllRecipes.com :) Click "ingredients" right below the big search box at the top to search by ingredients.

I check Amazon daily for Free Kindle books for kids, and update this post: http://www.igobogo.com/Portal/featured-articles/free-kindle-books-for-kids-2/

Pinterest is awesome! I have a few Homeschool Boards on mine: http://pinterest.com/hollysyx/

Phonetic zoo is very independent, but not exactly computer based. My 4th grader puts the cd into the computer and it reads him the rule for the week, the word list with definition and the words used in a sentence. The next day he plays the spelling test, and the narrator also walks him through grading it himself. If he misses any words he has to write them correctly 3 times, and repeat the test the following day. The only thing I do here is look at his test each day to see how he's doing.

Veritas Press has a summer camp online that looks good. Here's the link: http://resource2.veritaspress.com/Resources/Scholars_Online/Summer_Camp.html Hth!

Thanks so much for the replies! I think I'll go with Level 2 then. I'm wondering why it's recommended to skip levels. Is it that there's so much review built in? Just curious:)

I am planning to purchase Shurley for my 8 yr old son(9 in July). He has not had a formal grammar program yet. I've heard that there is enough review in the levels that I wouldn't have to start with Level 1, but I'm not sure if I should start him in 2,3, or 4. Any suggestions from others who've used it would be much appreciated!

Thanks so much y'all. That's exactly what I needed to hear:) I just placed my order!

I purchased MUS Alpha to use with my 6 yr old. I bought the TM & DVD used, but am wondering if I need the Student book. I saw the worksheet generator on the MUS website. Can I use it to make the worksheets or will we be missing something important? Thanks:)

Solid Rock has the larger sized cardstock at a reasonable price. http://shop.rocksolidinc.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=rocksolid&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=912304103&Count2=829444527&Keyword=card+stock&Target=products.asp

Thank you for all the great ideas! We've been using the rods for a couple of days now & they are really enjoying them. I do have the Alphabet book that I plan to start them in soon. Thanks again!

Thanks! I'll definitely be checking out Miquon.

If you're looking for something for grammar only then I highly recommend Rod & Staff 2. I started it with my 2nd grader this year & it's perfect. There's alot of writing, but we skip it and do it mostly orally.

I have read great things about using Cuisenaire rods for math in the early years. I have 3 yr old twins & a 4 yr old that I'd like to start with. Does anyone have any suggestions/ideas on where to begin with them? Thanks so much!

I love Lesson Pathways!!

Thanks so much for your reply! I have been reading some other posts on MFW 1st & am still considering some parts of it for my 5 yr old. Specifically the math, timeline and the Proverbs memorization sound really great. That brings me to more questions..sorry;) Would it be overkill just to purchase 1st(used) for the math and some of the Bible aspects only? Keep in mind I will likely need it next year for my K student. I read that the Complete Book of Math is just for extra practice. Is it necessary or can I use other math worksheets from the internet or other books I already own? Are the Pattern Blocks necessary for the math program? Meaning, are they scheduled or just for extra practice? Thanks again for everyone's help.

Thanks to everyone for the great input! To answer your questions - My 4 yr old is definitely ready for a K program. He knows the letter sounds, and is ready for reading instruction. I chose MFW because I love the looks of the program. My 5 yr old ds is 3/4 of the way done with OPG. We are still working on his handwriting. He's not ready for a huge amount of writing. My 6 yr old is still on 1st grade level for math, but ahead in reading. I'll continue him in his math & la while letting him join my 7 yr old in Adv. I think they're going to love it!! I am leaning toward not adding 1st. In a perfect world I would love to do 1st with him, but I just don't know if it's the best idea time & money wise. It looks so wonderful, but I think he will greatly enjoy joining in the fun stuff from K & Adv while doing his own math & LA. He's a very eager learner who is always ready for "schoolwork". I am so excited to be starting this journey with MFW. I have admired it for years, but for one reason or another I've not bought in to it. I only stumbled across it again because I was looking for a U.S. History program & state study for my 2 oldest . Adv came up & well here we are. It must be a God thing because amazingly my dh agreed to let me purchase it even with our bookshelves full of unused curriculum:blush:. Anyway, I greatly appreciate everyone's input, and if you have any other suggestions I'm listening:)

I have purchased MFW Adventures & MFW K. I plan to use Adv with my 2 oldest (6 & 7) and K with my 4 yr old. My dilemma is with my 5 yr old, and I was hoping someone who has used MFW could help me decide. He is reading very well already, but we're still working through phonics instruction. He is currently using FLL, HWT & OPG with Math Mammoth for math. My plan was to have him continue with his math & LA, and have him join his older brothers in ADV. However, on looking at MFW1 it looks really great, and I think he'd enjoy it. On the other hand, he's doing fine with the current setup. Plus I don't want to over complicate with another MFW program in addition to ADV & K. I need to simplify my homeschool, and not add more work on my part. So, That's my dilemma. Does anyone have any suggestions or input?

If you live in Alabama or Georgia you can get it for free through your PBS station. I have been using it for about a year now, and we love it. I think it is definitely worth $199/year.

I just started using Hooked on Phonics with my 4 yr old who already knows all his letter sounds & is already reading some Bob books type readers. It does begin with the letter sounds, but I skipped that with him. It is very easy to just start where they are in the program. It seems very complete and he is loving it. It has a roadmap where you put stickers on each level as it is complete. Hooked on phonics has the K program on sale right now for $29.95, plus get an extra 50% off if you use the code SLICK50 to make it $15.00. That's a great deal, it's regularly 64.95. You can get the K & 1st program together for around $30 plus shipping. HTH!

We're using WP Shoot, Sprout, Buzz & Bite. It teaches about insects and plants, and it has ALOT of hands on activities like actually collecting & observing bugs, creating an ant farm, raising mill worms, etc. It uses the God's Design series from Answers in Genesis as it's spine which is written from a Christian perspective. HTH!

I ordered the download.:)