I tried AW a few years ago, using their 1-4 program (then) with my 1st grader. What a bust! She thought she was "into" animals, but it turned out to be waaay too many animals for her. For us, the adventure reading was the best part, and the One Small Square Square books were a big thumbs down. The books for older kids were pretty difficult and I was really wishing we had stuck with the younger set, even though she was in 1st. We thought the adventure reading was the best part, actually. I still think it looks like a great program, but if I do it again with a younger kid I will definitely use the younger books.

I haven't used this lit program at all but Among the Hidden is one of my absolute favorite contemporary books for children. The whole series is riveting and introduces all sorts of neat topics for discussion, like freedom, governmental control, civil disobedience, etc. Sure, older children can have deeper conversations about these issues but it's not like you can't talk to younger kids about them, too. For me, knowing that Among the Hidden is on a syllabus would make me more interested in the curriculum for sure! Off now to check out the program you mention!

I'm glad to share my experiences. I don't really feel in a position to convince someone to use TOG, because I didn't use it with huge success, but I did learn from my mistakes and do think I will try again after this year. At some point for me it comes down not only to what I *want* to do, but also what I feel I *need* to do. Although there are some things I do love about SL (for us, anyway, it's very relaxed and informal and fun), when I step back and ask if my kids are getting what *they* need out an education, I have to say no. I'm not indicting SL here, just probably how we use it. And honestly, before I more or less gave up on TOG 1 I have to admit they did learn a lot. There is a learning curve and I think I never quite got out of SL mode and into TOG mode, kwim? Best of luck as you chart your course!

I think the scope and sequence of the A, B, C levels are mostly parallel, and it's just a question of the depth and complexity of the material. So I think you could have her jump into level C if you wanted more of a challenge. However, since you say you have the TWSS DVDs, yes, they do contain the same material. The TWSS course is intended to teach you how to teach, but if your daughter is as motivated as she seems I don't know why you couldn't let her learn off of those. If she doesn't get it, you could look for plan B, but if you already have them, you don't really have anything to lose by letting her try them, right?

I switched from TOG back to SL "because of the books" but in my year back with SL, I came to the conclusion that that was not a particularly good reason, at least for us. Here's why... I think it depends on what year plan you are doing, what level studies, whether you do in-depth history or just the core, etc. I have to admit, I did not care for the books we used when we did TOG 1. After my year of that, I went back to SL 5. Now, a year later, I am really disappointed with my SL year and realizing many of the mistakes I made when I used TOG the first time. I did not "make it my own." I tried to do everything, including waaaay more history than we like to do. I bought all the books up front instead of by the unit, so I didn't have room to tweak. I used Dialectic across the board with my HG 4th graders--they could read it, but they didn't enjoy it much. I didn't allow us to spend extra time on the lit, which is what we all enjoy around here anyway. Now, looking ahead for my kiddos, I have realized some things. 1) We like Sonlight for the appealing novels. So, fine, I can buy the books that appeal to me and they'll read those 'on the side.' Especially as my kids get older, I find I really miss the lack of classics in Sonlight and I REALLY dislike the lack of analysis, etc. The questions and guide in SL are useless to me, because they are 90% or more about comprehension. That's just a non-issue here; they always "get" what they read. 2) I don't really like Ancient history. I think I blamed my personal boredom on TOG when it should have been on the subject matter. 3) Sonlight has a number of "duds" every year for us, too, so it's not like it's magical just to be a SL book. 4) TOG offers so many choices in books...if you include the alternate resources, there are *many* more TOG book choices than SL ones. So it's not necessarily fair to switch based on "the books" of TOG. These are some of the musings that have been spinning through my mind as I realize that, even though I have done 6 Sonlight Cores, it is really not taking me where I want to go.

I'm not a hard-core IEW fan, but we have used it in the past, through the first set of DVDs. I felt like IEW was giving tools but it was then something I could apply to whichever writing program or whatever writing assignments were to follow. I think you should base your next move on how you feel (and how your daughter) feels about IEW right now. Love it? Cough up the money for SWI-CC level C. (You can always resell it, right?) Just so-so? Move on to the LTW. Also, check out the scope and sequence for SWI-CC...I think it involves moving through the rest of the 9 units, including writing from pictures, etc, which you may not value as much as the fundamental skills taught at the beginning. (I didn't.) Or maybe your daughter is an accomplished writer and it's time to ditch the writing programs in favor of writing assignments simply drawn from her various studies. By 9th grade, I didn't have a class in "writing"--but I was expected to write English, history, science, etc. papers.

I think they're really targeting mushy gushy stuff or making-out stuff. I lived on Ft Rucker for 20 months and I never heard of this rule and saw plenty of soldiers in uniform acting naturally affectionate with wife or kids. Never saw making out, but I definitely saw "affection" (kiss on the cheek, hug, piggy-back ride, etc). Maybe they weren't as conscientious because they were on base? I also know that when my dh came home from leave from Iraq he was in uniform and we all fairly pounced on him at the airport, and I am HAPPY to say that he hugged all of us without worrying about PDA. And my dh is a stickler for rules. So I have to believe there is some room for interpretation here. I'll betcha anything when they all show up for their arrival home from Iraq (soon! hip hip hooray!) there will be plenty of affection to go around--and it will most likely be caught on camera, too! :001_smile:

So, it started with me fooling around with history plans for my oldest 2, since I really only have 6 more years of history with them. You know, what do we want to cover in the time we have left? So then their plan impacts their younger sister, so I start planning my 8 yo's schedule through high school, too. Then, of course, while I'm at it I throw in my 4 yo and even the nursing baby...for whom I now have a tentative all-the-way through history plan! Yeah. So 2 years is looking really sane to me right about now! :tongue_smilie:

I use Latin for Children for ds 11 because I want to keep it fun and I don't see the need for him to accelerate in Latin. He has occasionally asked if perhaps he shouldn't have LA because this is quite easy for him, but I told him that he has enough difficult/accelerated stuff on his plate in all the other subjects, so how about a fun one? There are crosswords and other "fun" activities in the workbook. I do not feel that the program talks down at all. So, from what you said about your dd, I think LfC would be a good fit.

I voted Saxon 2 because I did it and I liked it, and you don't mention any reason you want to switch. If I were talking to someone who didn't already have a program and switching weren't an issue, I would suggest Right Start. But I really enjoyed my year of Saxon 2 with my daughter.

I think you could use the RS manipulatives and games with any math curriculum, couldn't you? And, I don't think I agree that Singapore is similar to RS. RS is all scripted and full of games and tells you exactly how to use all the manipulatives. Singapore is a very strong program, but unless it's a new product, they don't hold your hand in the teaching of it. My boys went through Primary 1-6 and half of NEM 1 before we switched away, and my little one is using the EB right now, and it seemed very workbooky and in some ways the antithesis of RS. I don't mean to put down either program; I think they are both excellent. Just maybe not very similar.

Yeah, the colors are blue and yellow. Good idea about getting different beads from Michaels or something. I never thought about something like that, but it's clever. I actually probably already have a million different beads. I don't think blue/yellow really matters but it would be really nice to have just two colors used, and be sure to switch which one is first on lines 6-10. Also, fwiw, I just wanted to comment that Right Start does have a lot to the program and I'm not sure most kids would "need" supplementation. I haven't been through a whole level of it yet, but I have used a lot of math programs and looked at this one extensively. If you actually play the games and don't measure math progress as a huge collection of worksheets, there's really a lot there.:)

If I can piece together what you're saying, it sounds like you have a complete schedule, notes, and activity pages, which is all you need. You also have essentially 3 different programs; the Core, the science, and the LA. So in one sense, it should be usable. But... you don't have any of the books that go with this? Really? Do you have a plan on how to get the books that go with this? This is obviously quite an old IG (as publishing goes); surely many of the books are out of print, some are probably published by Sonlight, etc. Since it sounds like finances are really tight for you, I'm guessing you're planning to use the library a lot, but that's going to be a nightmare for the books that are used constantly, like CHOW. And if you are planning to buy some books to make life a little easier, are you sure you want to sink money into a program that, quite honestly, it sounds like you didn't really research and may not even really know what you're getting into? I just think it would be super tough to start with an 8 yo IG that no one uses and then try to somehow find all the books that go with it that may be hard to find, even with a good library system. You seem to feel trapped by this purchase, but be careful not to fall for the sunk-cost fallacy. By that I mean, if this was a bad purchase, be sure not to throw good money after bad and spend even more to try to justify the original expense! I'm thinking maybe you got a good deal on this, since you purchased without knowing much about Sonlight. Maybe you could re-sell if you end up changing your mind? I'm just sayin'.

:iagree: The Core itself is a lot of very nice books, suitable for about 3-6 year olds. I think most 3 yo would not have the patience to sit through the readings of P 4/5, but the content has wide appeal for older kids. I was just reading to my 4 yo and my 8 yo found a reason to be in the room so she could listen in! The science is very basic, and I thought the Developing the Early Learner books were way too easy for my 4 yo, although he is already reading rather well. I know others will give you coordinating LA to use with the Core, but frankly, I've had it with SL LA and will never use or recommend them to anyone again. I'd say, if you like the core go ahead and use it, but don't be afraid to use a different phonics program. There are not really "lesson plans" but there is a schedule if you find that helpful to staying on track. Actually, Sonlight really doesn't do lesson plans at any of the levels I've used (and I've used all from P3/4 through 5...oh wait, not Core 2....but anyway...). SL is mostly a schedule for reading. Anyhow, I am on my second time through this core right now, and it's lovely reading. I do recommend this core for the value of the books and the cuddle-time, even though I am pretty much "over" Sonlight in every other way. This core, and p 3/4, are sweet, and the only ones I can imagine doing over.

46 chapters; bridges after 7, 15, 22, 29, 36, 46. :)

See, I didn't find the manuals hard to get through at ALL. In fact, that's one of the reasons I prefer WP to SL. In WP there is a lot of introductory material (which I read before beginning) but then once you get started, each week is all right there, together. When you are done with one week you just turn to the next. SL's IG was useless to me except as a schedule because I HATED having to flip one place for history, another for readers, another for read-alouds, etc. For the OP...I can't speak to the catalog because I just ordered online without ever seeing a printed catalog, but maybe you would find it helpful to poke around the website as you think about what you would want. There is a tremendous amount of information on their website. Also, for buying stuff, note that their website is divided into two main components, one information and the "store" which is a different site (you get there by clicking on the "shop" tab). I'd suggest reading through relevant pages on both sites.

It sounds like you have just the right expectations for this series. That is how we've used this program with success here. At some point this kind of sketching is an extension of handwriting skills, and it is also great for developing skills of observation. Like, how far along the back does the mane reach? That sort of thing. I guess, upon reflection, that is an artistic skill! :) Anyway, have fun with it!

I have a bunch of the books, and they do have their place--like when a child really wants to know how to draw the likeness of something specific. But I think as far as actual art instruction, they are far inferior to programs that teach artistic concepts and develop creativity. Draw Right Now does not teach concepts like color, line, perspective, etc. Nor does it teach creativity in any way. It does teach step-by-step directions on how to copy specific images. I would personally rather get a handwriting book that has my preferred style, and then add in an art program that teaches fundamentals of art, rather than rely on this series to cover both bases.

Although I do have the RS abacus, I also modified our Melissa and Doug abacus so it would be a little more RS-ish. It was very easy, although not a perfect result. I just unscrewed all the screws, took apart the ends, took off all the beads, and then put them back in a different pattern that had 5/5 on each wire. It wasn't a terrific result since the two-color format really is very meaningful on the RS abacus, but I thought it made the Melissa and Doug abacus a slightly better toy for my baby and a possible "spare" occasionally for my RS A kid.

I recently ordered a whole heckuva lot of books from them including 2 levels of QMA and accompanying readers. Apparently I placed the order on the very weekend that they were picking up and moving their house and company across the country. (It was on March 29). Anyway, they were admittedly rather slow in getting me every last one of the many books I ordered, but I felt in the loop and they were very upfront about what was going to ship when. As in, "we can get you some more of your books next Thursday but we're having issues with these 2." And so forth. I did call weekly because of tips I read here. I felt like a valuable customer every time and they always followed through with what they told me would happen. I think I had all of it within 6 weeks, but at no point was I worried that I wouldn't get it. (it was *really* hard to wait for some of it, though!) Later, I felt like a total cad when I found out that one of my "nudging" phone calls happened days after they had been involved in a major flood in which they lost the family car (!) and a bunch of curriculum, too. Basically, I do agree that it's a small family operation and that it's not as smooth as Amazon but I bought the whole package from WP and I would do it again. FWIW, I did intend to buy part from Amazon and part from WP but after I put it all in my Amazon cart and added it up, it actually came out $30 cheaper to buy it from WP because of the free guide if I bought the package. I think that's because I got a combine package though. Still, I definitely want to keep supporting this small company.

We did book 3 last year and I just bought book 2 to do for next year. I don't see any reason, when I look over our new book, why it wouldn't be ok to do it out of order. So my guess is you are fine as long as you stick within the level (i.e. K-3).

Martha in GA, how funny; we were on exactly the same schedule. To the OP--yep, what she wrote, those are the exact dates I would share, too. Guess they are pretty consistent! :001_smile:

They sent an email when they received my order, and then another with a UPS tracking number and estimated arrival day.

Hi, I haven't used QMA yet but I have it on my shelf all set for fall. Reading your post I was struck by how you and I seem to be in similar situations with similar homeschooling histories! We're coming to WP after SL too and although I haven't yet used WP, I have read several of the books and extensively studied the guide, so I have a good sense of how it differs from SL. For us, the improvement is going to be dramatic. The differences between the 4/6 and Jr/Sr guides are not huge. The reading load is similar with only a handful of different books. The main difference between the two is in the Investigations/notebooking portion. In other words, when choosing which program I think you need to consider not whether he is a strong reader but whether he will enjoy longer projects and more in-depth work. This is not necessarily writing but can be research, model construction, event planning, etc. The "Quests" part of QMA is only in the Jr/Sr guide. The 4/6 students are expected to read, do some crafts/activities, complete maps & timeline work, and do the Make-Your-Own History pages (mostly writing activities). I am glad I got the Jr/Sr guide as well, but looking back I see that the 4/6 would also have been enough history for my boys, even though they are working well above grade level. One caution I would have is that I do not think all the readers for the Junior High program are well chosen, if you decide to purchase those in addition to the main program. Ivanhoe, particularly, looks really tough, and I've found it on many lists for late senior high World Lit reading. A Life of Paul was interesting but as it is non-fiction I don't think it's appropriate for a literature course. I will be subbing out those readers for the boys. However, there are so many neat selections for the time period, it's a fun task for me to select the subs. Right now I'm thinking Robin Hood and maybe The Sword in the Stone....or a Rosemary Sutcliffe book on King Arthur. Doing it all over, I would not have purchased the reader set since I won't be using their LA and it's easy to find my own books. Anyway, the 4/6 books look more fun and some of them would be appropriate for a 12 yo (Crispin sequel, eg.) but some are more 3rd grade level. Regarding your question on req. resources, you need an atlas of some sort of med. history, some source of maps, timeline figures, timeline book, and possibly the activity supplies pack they sell. I believe they sell all of this, but I'm not sure about the atlas. I bought one on Amazon. HTH! Unity

I agree that participating in the life of the Church is key. We've done many things at home but I think regularly attending Divine Liturgy is what has most shaped their understanding of what it means to be Orthodox. That's where they learn the beauty of liturgical music, the creeds, the importance of prayer, the rhythm of the church year, etc. However, I think that supplementing that formation at home with Bible and saints' stories has been also been very valuable. It seems that the readings and sermons at church seem to go right over their heads until around 10 yo or so, so I think at-home work is a great idea. There are many specifically Orthodox curricula. We did get Children's Garden of the Theotokos and it's sweet but honestly I didn't use it much. It's good for a kindergarden year. There are also lots of choices in the Light and Life catalog or through the Greek or Antiochian dioceses. I have certainly purchased my share of that stuff (esp from Light and Life--love that catalog) but I admit that frequently what I've done is educate myself (another convert here) and then adapt Protestant materials available from homeschool sites to my needs. Children's Bibles don't *usually* require adaption but read the NT stuff carefully--especially the Last Supper. If the story has editorial summary you might consider getting a different Bible. There are several ones with iconographic illustrations available that are very pretty and specifically Orthodox but I know I've used others too. Saints' stories can be lovely to share, sometimes, but some of them are extremely disturbing to sensitive young people, so you need to preview them and choose appropriately. There are many available from L & L with beautiful artwork. I hope this helps! Unity