These have graphics for different activities instead of numbers also includes time cards and help cards: http://homeschoolcreations.com/Workboxes.html These are number cards without graphics plus help cards: http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/Workboxes.html This blogger has a variety of cards available some with graphics, some without: http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2009/11/workbox-system.html Round tags with words and graphics: http://www.spelloutloud.com/2009/08/cassies-workbox-graphics.html Round tags with words and graphics plus mom and dad help cards, designed to be like the ones above: http://mama-jenn.blogspot.com/search/label/Workbox%20System That should get you started. Once you work with the system for awhile, you'll know what you need to tweak. Have fun, Pam

We have a device from Sprint and a Cradlepoint converter. Bottom line = we HATE it. Will soon be going back to cable internet connection. This system is too slow to stream most video without a million stops. And it is constantly dropping the connection. Very annoying. I definitely do not recommend it as your only connection. If that is all you have available then you will have to learn to live with frustration.

We've switched up math for my pre-kindy guy. We tried Funnix earlier in the year but he just wasn't in to it. I set it aside for several weeks. When it came time to start up school again this month, I just couldn't bring myself to do it even though I thought I was committed to it. After hearing about MEP on these boards, I checked that out and we LOVE it. Can't beat the cost. Also, in terms of space, I find that we are doing a lot of school on the floor. I thought we would be using our cute little school desks a lot more. Since most of our work is oral at this stage, the floor just seems to be a lot more convenient. Pam

Here's our board. This for a first grader and pre-kindy. http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/qcaller/6040206118/

So. Much. Fun!! Find me here: http://pinterest.com/qcaller/ I've organized my homeschool boards to kind of mirror my computer files so I can work back and forth between the two media. Pam

I'm liking this one: http://mama-jenn.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-homeschool-planning-docs.html

My understanding from reading WTM is that this age is for exposure and not mastery in the content areas of history and science. Focusing on keeping things fun and engaging is more important than drilling for mastery of concepts. We start next week with a 6yo and 4.5yo. I'm fretting that we will have some of the same issues. Glad you brought up the question and I'm happy to read the responses. Pam

:iagree: Photoshop Elements gets my vote too. There are tons of free tutorials all over the internet to get you started. Many stores have forums where you can get lots of advice as well. My favorite store is Sweet Shoppe Designs. Designers often send out freebies in their newsletters. Happy scrapping! Pam

We are starting next week and will be using the bottom of the refrigerator. (One more reason to be glad we didn't get a stainless steel finish.) We like sitting on the floor around here so that is not a problem. I'm hoping this works because it's all I've got. Maybe after Christmas, there will be room in the budget for a big white board. For now, the budget will be stretching to a new dishwasher. :glare: Pam

Wow - that really stinks! I will say a prayer for you and your situation. As for church, is the message piped in to a nursery or baby cry room? Perhaps you could go there and sit in a rocking chair instead of a hard pew. Just trying to brainstorm a solution for you. It's just rotten that you are missing out on the support of your faith community during this difficult season. :grouphug:

It looks like it is mostly oral. Since we do not have a formal writing program, I've taken a few things from the book and turned them into copy work for my DD. I also found this fabulous lapbook that we are going to work on in conjunction with the lessons. I think my crafty girl is really going to like this.

I have a 6yo first grader and a 4.5yo pre-kindy. I'm deep in the middle of planning and organizing for the year. I've just about got our first quarter all lined out and I'm learning a lot about what will work for us. I've taken the workbox and file box approaches and made it more about me since the littles won't be doing much by themselves. I have a bookshelf with bins for each subject. Books and resources for the future get placed there. When applicable, week-by-week file folders are set up within the subject bins. I have a stack of trays for each subject. Within the subject are the resources for a week's worth of lessons. I've included teacher's manuals as well as workbooks, lapbooking materials, or manipulatives, etc. I have set up 3-ring binders to collect completed materials. At this age, the workbooks are fairly thin so I don't feel compelled to tear them apart. I would show you a picture of our room but my mom-in-law and I are doing some reorganizing tomorrow so everything is topsy-turvy right now. Here is another homeschooling mom who has set things up similarly; however, as you can see below, her room is much cuter! As for planning, I've been trying out Homeschool Tracker Basic but I'm going to try paper for the second quarter. I'm not loving all the data entry for HST and I'm not sure the available reports are worth it. I'm looking at the forms from Mama Jenn for paper planning. I think this will fit my visual style better. Maybe I'll end up with some combination of the two methods. Hope this gives you some ideas! Pam

We switched our kids to twin beds after their cribs. In retrospect, I really wish we would have gone with toddler beds. Our kids seemed kind of scared of the big beds. I suspect we wouldn't have had so much trouble with them coming to our room if they would have been happier with their new beds. Hope you find a good solution.

This will be our first official year so I'm pretty much excited about it all! I've tinkered around with preschool stuff for my son over the past year but my daughter will be coming home for 1st grade this year so we'll get a little more official about it all. I'm excited to see how our relationships will evolve through the process. I'm looking forward to learning right along with her. Pam

I am particularly fond of the ones from Scarlet Threads because of our connection to China. Pam