This is what dd5 just said to me while pointing at the globe....... What do you do with that??? I was planning to incorporate geography into our K routine using Children Just Like Me. I also have some Continents Cards laminated and ready to go. I was planning to notebook our journey around the world, sort of like a passport and go on a travel adventure. How does this sound???????

Dd5 (turned 5 in December) completed all 80 episodes of Headsprout. We also included the Bob readers at this point along with some Progressive Phonics. Now, we are doing Phonics Pathways. As I was told, Phonics Pathways is do be done as a phonics/reading program first and then once a young child matures, go over it again as a spelling program, with the rules. My dd5 is still a bit young to learn/memorize rules so we go through the lessons, easy does it, and I only briefly and simply explain the rules as we get through them. Right now, we're on the ch, tch rule. With the vowel stick on hand (I always keep the vowel stick around) we go over what a vowel and consonant are and explained when the ch and tch are used. I then dictated some of the words that apply to the rule for her to write on the white (my dd5 likes to call it "wipe") board. She then proceeds to read the words in the boxes that correspond to the lessons. I also add in ETC (which she loves). We are currently on Level 1 1/2 and moving very quickly as she does about 5-6 pages at one sitting (at her insistence, not mine. I only require 2 pages). Sometime this summer or fall, I plan to incorporate AAS as well. This all depends on when I think she'll be ready to absorb the rules. I do plan to introduce her to the phonogram cd sooner than later since I do think it is absolutely invaluable to know them all. She's already had experience with the letter tiles and likes to do her phonics lessons sometimes with them. HTH!

I initially began using HWT cursive book but decided to purchase the Startwrite program to use for both my dd8 and dd5. This program, hands down, has gotten my dd8 to write beautifully in cursive. Her penmanship is much better in cursive than it ever was in print!! The Startwrite program is customizable and is really versatile. When I first satrted my dd with the cursive, I used the gray letters to have her trace over with her pencil and then gradually moved onto cursive copywork and now she does it all freestyle and this program helped her achieve the desired goal, to write in cursive.

Thanks for all your wonderful ideas. I'm thinking a new art book and some art supplies would be right up her alley. She also loves to ride her bike when the weather permits and I'm thinking maybe she'll love some rollerblades! Thanks again!

Also.... She would really love a handicraft lesson of any kind. Right now, she's learning how to crochet. Knitting would also be nice.

Thanks for the ideas! These are great! Here's what I think she'll like: -Book boxed set -Gift Certificate (books, clothes) -roller blades and outing to the roller skating rink (she loves to ride her bike, this would be a great extension of that!!) -making pottery (great idea!) Just recently we gave her a digital camera dh wasn't using and, ever since, she hasn't put it down (if I could only remember to actually print the photos)! I'm a scrapbooking junkie/hoarder and we have tons of supplies on hand, including a good selection of albums. Maybe a scrapbooking party wouldn't be a bad idea (although we usually skip the whole party bit and use the funds we would have spent anyway on a special outing for the birthday girl).

My dd8 will be 9 in a couple of weeks and I'd love to find out what suggestions you could offer. She's an avid reader, loves the arts, loves to do arts & crafts and to draw, loves to sing and dance, and still plays pretend but with a "big girl" twist (like teaching a class, cashier at a store, etc.). Last year we took her to see the Lion King on Broadway (won't be splurging like that again this year!!) and I'm not looking to top that. She said she wanted us to take her to to the movies with some of her friends and then go out to dinner which we will probably do. I'm just stuck on what to give as a present. We're not into electronics (aside from dh's slight obsession with stereo equipment) so all the gaming systems are a no go here. So, if you had a dd turning 9, what you you get her for her birthday!! Where has the time gone!!!!! TIA

My dd8 will be 9 in a couple of weeks and I'd love to find out what suggestions you could offer. She's an avid reader, loves the arts, loves to do arts & crafts and to draw, loves to sing and dance, and still plays pretend but with a "big girl" twist (like teaching a class, cashier at a store, etc.). Last year we took her to see the Lion King on Broadway (won't be splurging like that again this year!!) and I'm not looking to top that. She said she wanted us to take her to to the movies with some of her friends and then go out to dinner which we will probably do. I'm just stuck on what to give as a present. We're not into electronics (aside from dh's slight obsession with stereo equipment) so all the gaming systems are a no go here. So, if you had a dd turning 9, what you you get her for her birthday!! Where has the time gone!!!!! TIA

If you go over the vowel phonogram cards, all the sounds for each vowel are clearly stated and must be reviewed until mastered. Even though dd knows them forwards and backwards, I still have her recite them from time to time to make sure she retains the infromation. Aslo, the phonogram CD is excellent for learning the proper sounds. As someone previously stated, in an open syllable, the long sound of u will be oo (stooge). HTH

I have a 6 week menu that I typed up in Word. I used to have cookbooks I would reference but decided it was just too much work! I rotate the menu every week. I made sure to ask my family what they wanted to see in the menu because it was going to be a staple and not many changes were going to be made to it. Just doing this has made my life so much simpler!! Every Sunday morning (grocery day) I look up the menu for the week and check off my grocery list (also typed up in Word) for any extra items I need that week. Because I usually keep my pantry stocked with staples, the extras are not many. Yes, it did take some time to set up my system initially but now I could do it with my eyes closed and takes no time at all. This week's menu was: Monday-Turkey Sausage & White Bean Stew with salad and whole wheat italian bread Tuesday-Oatmeal Pancakes (homemade) with fresh fruit and sugar free syrup Wednesday-Baked Salmon with Quinoa and salad Thursday-Spaghetti and meat sauce with Broccoli Friday-Eggs and Polenta with sauteed spinach So for this week, the extras that I needed were: *Turkey Sausage *Italian Bread *Salmon *Polenta Everything else I already had on hand. The rest is on my list and I grab items according to my stock. Since I typed the list according to the isles in my grocery store it really takes no time at all to be done, especially when dh tags along and does half of the shopping! We usually wing it for lunch, most days a sandwich or leftovers. HTH!

I'm no expert but I hope this helps....... In the word SUPER, the u is making the other long sound of u (pronounced oo). I have level 1 and within the lessons there is plenty of review that covers the consonants and all the vowel sounds. It is important to keep in mind that the vowels have more than two sounds, short and long. In the case of the u vowel, the sounds are: u (us), u (unicorn), and u (put). So, again in SUPER the slient e is making the u say it's other long name, the sound of u (oo). The other long sound of u (unit), and the one most people probably think of, will make the workdsay SU(YOU)PER and that of course would make no sense; hence two ways to say the long u. Now, in the word SUPPER, the extra p is placed there to act as a buffer between silent e and the u vowel, therefore preserving the short u sound. I also often use the phonogram CD (a must buy if you don't have it) so that my dd can listen to all the vowel sounds especially. There is a blog dedicated to AAS that you may find usefull. The web address i: thechatterbee.com HTH

I wanted to hear from some of you with regard to this question. I am now using Blend Phonics with my dd5 and it's going really well. We are on unit 6 of BP and today we used the AAS tiles to do the lesson which my dd positively responded to. Last week she wote the letters out on the white board while I dictated them to her. Here's what we've been doing: Teacher cooses word and dictates letter by letter Student writes letter/chooses letter tile Student blends sounds of letters dictated (Teacher sometimes has to remind student to do this) Student then says the word Student uses word in a sentence Teacher moves on to the next word and continue until ten (10) words are used. Student then reads corresponding section of the reader that come with the Blend Phonics program (created by Don Potter) Lessons have been taking 10-15 minutes total since it's just been review so far and dd says she really enjoys "phonics". I decided to incorporate these lessons after finishing up all 80 Headsprout lessons. Event though it's a great program (HS that is) I felt that dd still needed more phonics instruction and found Blend Phonics to be a good fit. Initially I planned to do the Webster's Speller with her but found BP would offer a smooth transition between the two. I can only think that Phonics Pathways could be taught the same way. I'm only asking b/c they seem very similar to me and even though I have PP, I just couldn't figure out how to "teach" it to my dd5 whom I think is not quite ready to memorize rules. Any thoughts? Thanks!!

I am also using RSB but with my dd8. With dd5 I use RSA. Although I already have RSB and could have done this level with dd5, I opted to order RSA for her because I knew it would be done at a slower pace than RSB. Yes, RSB can and does cover a wide range of ages but (for my daughter anyway), developementally I just knew that she could would fare better with RSA. Since some of the lessons are repeated in RSB, I plan to review (or maybe skip altogether) and keep going where RSA leaves off. My intention is not to discourage you. I just wanted to offer what I do at home. Now, with mental addition, I have repeatedly scoured the message boards over there and have spoken to them over the phone and the consensus has been to let the student use the abacus until they can "see" the patters. The have promised that the abacus will not become a crutch. RS is a wonderful program and I've seen what it has done with my two girls. I would keep reinforcing the cocepts until they can understand and review, review, review. It works everytime here. All the best!

My dd got her facts nailed down in no time playing this game! I do consider RS a splurge but it's absolutely amazing!!

Thanks to all who posted. I'm still leaning towards the Standards Edition so that we could be more in line with what dd is learning in school. Right now, with RightStart, I feel there's a disconnect between her and the material she's learning because she's not done it (or heard of it) in school. I'm not "mathy" and I heard that the HIG's are less "fuzzy" with the Standards Edition. I'm thinking I'll feel more comfortable teaching the material, especially since it's so different from the traditional methods I was taught in school. Thanks again.

And so I've decided to take the plunge and purchase Singapore as a supplemental program for my dd8. I've been on the message boards trying to figure out what I should purchase. I've only come out the other end just as confused as I went in! Please help...... US Ed vs. Standards Ed.? HIG and text or either/neither? Extra practice books or not? I'm planning to test my dd sometime this week but by looking over the placement tests, I'm thinking she'll place in 2A just so we can backtrack a bit and learn some foundational information, the Singapore way. I still plan on finishing RSB within the next few weeks so I do have some time (albeit, not too much) to gather information before making a solid decision. It really saddens me to let RS go but with my dd's increasing school demands I really do need to look ahead and implement a supplemental program that she can use in conjuntion with what she will be doing at school. Although RS is so far from her school math, it is what attracted us both to the program. As many others have said, however, it is soooooooo teacher intensive and really gets put on the backburner because of the prep work involved. As a stand alone, homeschool program, it is excellent. It has provided my "gifted" dd with a strong foundation but, alas, I do fear it's time to move on!

Thanks to all who posted!! We will be done with RSB in the next few weeks and I am seriously considering switching to Singapore when we are done. Possibly play games until the end of the school year and wait to begin Singapore in the summer. As I said in my fist post, I absolutely love, love RS but it's starting to really bog me down. Thanks again and have a great day!

Thank you to all who responded!!!!!!!! I have already printed out a map and am marking away at the places we want to visit. I will post when we get back from out trip and tell how it all went. We are all very, very excited!! Thanks again and have a great day!

I'm on the boards, once again, looking for a possible alternative for my dd's (8) math enrichment. I have been using Right Start B since last year, 2nd grade. We are now more than half way done with this school year and I just can't seem to fit in RS anymore. We are still working through Level B!!! Although I absolutely love, love, love this program (and am using Level A with dd5) and have seen the wonders it has done to help my not so "mathy" dd, I just get so bogged down sometimes with everything else that needs and has to get done that I often put RS in the backburner. It's been at least a few weeks since we've even cracked open the math books, in part because we're near the end and it's material tha dd is already familiar with. Even though I appreciated the way the concepts are taught and that the program is not workbook based, I'm started to get frustrated by how teacher intensive this program is and how long the lessons seem to be getting. I would love to know what you all out there use, curriculum wise, to afterschool math?????? Thanks and have a great day!

Hi, My family and I are planning a post-inauguration trip to the DC area. Although I want it to be a fun experience for my girls (8 & 5) I also want to incorporate some enrichment activities (which can also be fun) that we can do while we are there. Any suggestions would be most welcome!! Thanks!!

Does anyone out there feel the same way. I actually don't remember the series from years ago. I found out about it through these boards and DVR it for my dd's. They love it!! It is wicked awesome!!!! Check it out.

Samba, Do you samba?????? Who would've known there would be a place for use afterschoolers to unite!! These message boards are the best and I am always parusing to keep myself current with what is going out there in the home "edu" world. The homeschooling board has been an invaluable resource for me and the work I do with my girls. I've been "schooling" my dd's since their birth, because let's face it, we are our children's first teachers. My dd's have been in public school since Pre-K and I have always supplemented their education. Yes, people do think I am nut job and I even tell me that I have to "let go" but really, public school is just not enough. Besides it just feel natural to provide them with enrichment activities outside of school. Who says education should only happen at school? My dd8 always says that school is easy for her because of "the smartwork we do at home". My dh coined the term "smartwork" but not sure we'll stick with it. I have learned and discovered a new passion, educating my kids. I can only hope that my girls will catch some of the fever! Good luck to all you endeavors and stay tuned. You will always learn something new around here.

I just happened upon this post when I did a search for "Webster's Speller" on these boards. I have read all of the posts and am very interested and intrigued by this program. First a little history...I have 2 dd's, ages 8 (almost nine) and 5. My dd8 first learned to read at age 4 1/2 using Headsprout. Half way through the program, her reading took off and she continues to be a strong, voracious reader. Although I really liked Headsprout and how it helped dd transition between blending letter to make words to reading, I have always felt (and continue to feel) that I could still do more to help to increase her reading level. She is a naturally good speller but finds herself getting "stuck" with multisyllabic words. Fast forward to my dd5, who just completed Headsprout yesterday. This is true testament that the same program will not work the same way with two very different children. This time around Headsprout did help her get over the hump as well but, she isn't as fluid as I was expecting from my previous experience and she guesses at words when she's having a hard time "sounding" them out. I think the guessing, over anything else, is what has led me to research what else I can do to help her with her reading. Enter, WTM boards and Webster's Speller. From what I've read so far, this may just be what I am looking for. Although, I do have some of the apprehensions some others have mentioned abotu being able to teach this program. Enter, Elizabeth and her infinite wisdom about this program and the thorough and wonderful information on her website and I think I can actually, really pull this off. I'm thinking this program will benefit both my girls. Thank you for the all the post and to the wonderful people who posted. I'm very excited to begin and see where this program will take us. Have a great day!

As I sit here, on a snow day and the kids are home from school, I'm trying to plan my day and what activities to choose to do with the kids, afterschool activities that is. That prompted me to ask what you all out there do with your children. I'll go first... DD8:3rd Grade RightStartB RS Math Games (has really helped with multiplication!!) AAS Espanol History Unit Studies Thursday Night Book Club (her idea!!) Read Alouds (Inkheart will be our next title, just finished City of Ember) Letter writing to friends and family (practices cursive) DD5:Pre-K RightStartA Headsprout Explode the Code Handwriting Without Tears (yellow book) Unit Study (current: A Chair for My Mother) Read Alouds (both me and her) Hooked on Phonics Spanish Now it's your turn!! Thanks

Regarding spelling, I have been using All About Spelling with my 3rd grader. She is a good speller by nature but I like how AAS uses the rules to cement the knowledge. My dd8 reads at a 6th grade level will sometimes confuse the spelling and pronunciation of some "big" words. This year I decided to go back to basics and do AAS level 1. We do spelling 2-3x per week and do a lesson per day right now because the spelling words are very basic in the beginning and she knows it cold. Another book you may want to look at is The ABC's And All Their Tricks. Although I've never used it with my dd I think it's a great resource to have on hand to explain why letter and their combinations make the sounds that they do and why they are spelled a particular way. As far at the writing goes, Handwriting Witout Tears wins hands down, IMHO!! I think the program is magical in the way it produces results. There are books for kids in the upper elementary grades who need help with their handwriitng. HTH and good luck.