Sequence and Blokus are faves here.

My ds loved it, he was 13.

It may be she's not ready for blending. I know more boys than girls start slow, but that doesn't mean all 5.5 y/os are reading. I have a slow and steady boy. I really like Reading Reflex. It's inexpensive and works well to teach them to segment then blend. Other things to do- *use an index card with a corner cut out to use as a cursor. Guide her one sound at a time. So the word /dog/ you'd uncover the d and let her sound /d/ then the o, /o/, then the g, /g/, then have her read it fast /dog/. If she gets a sound wrong just correct it and move on. *You can also use tiles (bought or make your own) or magnetic letters and have her build words. One day do /og/ words, another /bi/ words, another /a/ words, etc. Switch it up and keep it fun. Mine likes to do it when he's the teacher too- do a few where he says the sound/word and I have to build it. *Don't teach /e/ and /i/ at the same time. We use a cue to remember the difference- a hand to the ear is /e/, a finger on the lips is /i/, use whatever works. If you can afford it Dancing Bears is a great program. You might also look at All About Spelling/Reading. Pricey but really good. If she's really struggling with ETC I, personally, wouldn't keep going. Definitely get her eyes checked, if they haven't been in the past year. Best wishes!

My ds loves Reading Eggs, but he hasn't used the others (except free Starfall).

No, because it just wasn't working. If it had worked we would (probably) have finished it.

I found AAS 1/2 gently used at a good price. I only have one ds still needing it so I can sell to buy the next levels. It is very solid and teaches the whys, not just a list of words. We are loving it! My ds is flying through level one, we'll slow down in level two to go at his needed pace. If your ds is a struggling speller (can't tell you the whys of spelling, misses bigger words that follow the same rules as the littler ones, etc), I'd seriously consider trying it. And, if you buy new and don't like it they'll refund your money.

Homeschooling my son- YES!! Caring for the extra 4 kids so I can stay home with him? Eh, it allows me stay home.

3rd grader: Heart of Dakota Bigger Hearts Math U See Gamma All About Spelling 3 HWT Cursive and a college sophomore. :D

Me too and you can buy it 100% boxed (unless you want to continue with your current math- I don't like switching math if its working).

It wasn't a problem for us. Our ds has a regular diploma from home and has received full benefits. To the OP: We use Heart of Dakota. I like it because it's a nice mix (lit based, but still textbooks when needed) with a nice guide (no planning!) for me. My graduate did very similar 8-12th grade except I had to do all the planning and piecing- yuck. So thankful HOD already has it worked out for me.

I agree. It's naturally boosting what you already have. I don't see it as any different than my using a cup of warm chamomile tea before bed. It simply helps induce what's naturally there. And, since lack of sleep is very unhealthy, especially for a growing child, giving them a little extra help is a good thing. I'm with your dh and try to avoid drugs as much as possible, but sometimes our bodies simply need some help.

I would start with one .5 and increase by .5 or even .25 just until you find what works. My 7 y/o takes 1 mg and that's plenty. My 18 y/o will occasionally take 2-3 mg. Again, it's all he needs. I do know others that take 7-9 mg, so it's really an individual thing. If the melatonin causes restless, fitful sleep or has an adverse affect on dreams it's probably too much.

It depends on reading skills. IF he is a strong reader, then yes. If not, then I'd probably just try Pedro's Journal and see how it goes. I wouldn't buy the full set until testing the waters, so to speak. If he needs for them to be a slightly lower level, check the read aloud lists in Beyond. There's some really good books listed. Or, just find books he loves and have him read them to you. We'll be using Bigger in the fall too. :D

I'm so sorry! Having been there myself I know it so hard. I agree with the others, be honest. Handle it like you would any other death. Then let them grieve with you. :grouphug:

I can't help with MFW, but, from what I read about Bigger, the time period is studied completely differently than in Beyond. We're actually looking forward to it. I think the one day vs week spread is a personal preference. One reason I went with HOD over MFW is because I prefer the one day at a time planning. I know others prefer the week layout. And, the grass is greenest where you water it. ;)

For 1st we did: HOD Little Hearts MUS Alpha HWT and started with OPG, switched to Reading Reflex.

Writing is scored different too. I wouldn't worry about. Nothing wrong with average- 51% means he writes better than many. Keep working on his skills, but don't stress.

I'm about an hour from there. :D Not sure how the homeschool scene is there. Laws here aren't too bad. You have to file some papers, keep plans to a minimum (I say follow TOC or complete lessons 1-148, etc), and have either testing, a supervising teacher or turn a portfolio into a teacher. Seems like a big deal, but it isn't. This is our 7th year hs'ing in Iowa.

This is our second year with HOD, third year with MUS and fourth year with HWT. We love them and will continue with them! We have added AAS. I knew I would, just wasn't sure when.

:iagree: TT has a different S&S, but in the end you'll end up at algebra for 9th grade, which, imho, is where you should be. We used TT for high school and loved it.

My natural hair is very dark, almost black, with tons of gray. I had been keeping it pretty dark (not as dark as natural, but still dark) for about 7-8 years, but the upkeep on the roots was killing me. My stylist suggested going lighter gradually. So I stepped back a color for a couple times, then another step back for a couple times. This last time I used a no ammonia type and it was enough to color the roots but gentler on my hair. I only pull the dye through to the ends just before rinsing. And, I would caution using anything that will pull the color. You'll end up orange. Sorry.

I haven't used AAR as a program, but my youngest LOVES the readers. The stories are interesting, fun illustrations, overall really good books. If they weren't $20 each I'd have them all just for reading fun. And, if level 2 was out now, I'd buy it today.

My struggling reader does his phonics work during the school day. Then, later in the evening, he reads to his dad, big brother or me. We keep those readers super simple. If he struggles with more than a word here or there we do something easier. He'll read a couple beginning BOB books, or another easy controlled reader. And he reads those over and over and over. I read pretty much everything else to him (history, science, directions, etc). I don't want reading frustrations to overshadow what he should be learning. The All About Reading books that go with level 1 and 2 AAS are excellent.

My now 18 y/o started with 10 mg and it worked well until he hit full blown hormones (around 16). Then we bumped it to 15 mg. He, however, does much better with the 2x a day doseage vs the XR. When using the generic we've also found not all brands to be the same. He takes 3 mg of melatonin if he finds he's having a hard time sleeping (more than 45'ish minutes to fall asleep). If you try it start low, 1 mg and increase by .5 mg until you find the right amount. If you think it's needed, ask to bump the dr visit back a week or two so you can see how well it's working before meeting again. Best wishes! We were very anti-meds and spent big $$$ trying to avoid them. They have helped him so much tho, I'm glad we were willing to give them a try.

I agree. Wet, dry, try is important. And stick with one capital letter at a time. I'd use the wb (for now) only for her/you to use as a guide. Guide her verbally too. Big line down, frog jump back up, etc on her chalk board. We used the wooden pieces, then chalk board for about 6 months each before moving to paper. We started a bit younger, but I still think going in steps helps. You can make the pieces from the patterns in the TM. Use other mediums too- rice, shaving cream, Play-doh, etc using the same verbal cues. And, be patient. She's very young.