Nicole - love all the info! You didn't mention, did you do the placement test or since he did well with AAS 2 did you decide to just jump into level A and go from there if it was too hard for him? I love the IDEA of AAS but I'm concerned about the time it's going to take me. I keep looking at Phonics Zoo but not quite sure my 6 1/2 year old is quite ready for level A, but would love to have a reason to give it a shot since it's such a independent approach to managing spelling!

I plan to use Draw Write Now as a more "fun" supplement to the other writing I do with the kids... and if it teaches them some art (which it sounds like it will from this thread!) that's a great bonus!

I'll have to check out the program, sounds fun! Thanks for the "lead"!

After too much research I'm trying out All About Spelling. I'm afraid it will be a little time intensive, to be honest, but I have read it can be done in 15 minutes a day. So I'm going to give it a shot because it gets great reviews, teaches all the phonics rules behind the spelling, and they have a 1 year 100% money back guarantee if you try their program and decide you don't like that. It's also very scripted for the teacher, and I like that!

I switched a fairly big site over from blogger to wordpress, and it wasn't too hard. You do have a lot more customization options with wordpress. Do you have any techie type background? I wouldn't say you NEED any, but it wouldn't hurt to know a little about html. Although there are great tutorials online to walk you through anything you want to do to your wordpress site! I say do it! What's the worst that can happen? Your blogger site will still be there waiting for you if you somehow manage to "mess up" your migration. :)

I think Pentime cursive is very pretty. :) I'm using Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting, just because I can write all my own practice sheets and it's a straight to cursive from the script... and easy to read!

After too much research for my 6 1/2 year old I'm going with AAS this year. :) I prefer the phonics approach for young kids! You could do the test (google placement test phonics zoo) and see if they're ready for a program like that, it's another good one. I have my eye on Spelling Power if All About Spelling doesn't work out/becomes too time intensive for us. Hope that helps a tiny bit, just my two cents!

Duplos or megablocks Puzzles Building Blocks Hot wheels and a track or two Balls and a mini ball hoop As other posts have said, could rotate through 1 of these every day of the week to keep them "novel"? Might only provide 30 minutes to 1 hr of fun, but that's better than another show! :) I don't think it's probably too necessary to do "school" with him unless he really wants to, but I do know all my 3 year old boys have wanted to be active/active/active! Good luck!

I agree that the Horizon books are very colorful and "fun". They are still a bit repetitive though, you probably want to go at least one grade level ahead... at least that's my experience with them!

my kids have enjoyed Liberty Kids, just for fun!

My kids enjoyed Headsprout. Not the very best phonics program, but once they finished it up we started right in with all the phonics cards and they're doing great. Headsprout wasn't too time intensive for me, as the parent (about 15 minutes a day outside of keeping an eye on them while they did the lesson on the computer). Most importantly they were excited to do it and they came back asking for more every day. They learned to blend words and it teaches much more than sight reading. It was fun for them!

I don't really think this is 3rd grade level (I haven't researched it TONS yet), but it did catch my eye today: http://www.grammaropolis.com/ maybe it would be fun? It's $20 for a year subscription right now at the Homeschool Buyers Coop

another vote for safe! I did a lot of research due to necessity of many ultrasounds in my twin pregnancy.

it takes so much time (and it's exhausting!) evaluating choices to make the *best* one for your kiddos... and then I take into account that I have three of them, similar ages, and not all with the same learning style! I have hopped a lot. I think I'm evolving as a teacher, and since I'm new to this schooling experience I'm still coming to understand the type of curriculum that I, as the parent, work best with. I hope that as I have a better understanding of myself I'll be better able to make choices that "stick". Some things just click - you try them and know they're right, and don't look back or consider changing. At least that's how it is for me. With handwriting, for example. Love the program we use, don't ever look at another! Some things sounded great from the reviews, but try as I may I just can't make myself like them or make my kids like them. Like the reading/writing program we used this last year. So it's okay, to me, to let go and move on. Some things are great, but it's fun to add more. Math is a category that comes to mind... I love math, and I love supplementing with different products to make it more fun!

If it's not too time intensive with your older kids I know the 5 in a Row Program is a lot of fun for the preschool crowd!

I have a 4 year old (almost 5!) boy and a 6 1/2 year old boy too. I think 10 minutes sounds just about right for a spelling or hand writing type of lesson. If it's a subject they don't have a natural *keen interest* in, than I don't push it. As long as they can focus for a little bit and I can see progress we're making over time, I consider it good. I definitely think the almost 5 year old has a much harder time focusing, and it's not just personality. A lot of maturing happens in that year between 5 and 6. At least, that's my experience! Good luck!

crockpot oatmeal dishes, which can be prepped the night before? home made granola with milk? i have corn flakes and cheerios around for the kids when they want them homemade bread turned into toast we eat a lot of fruit at breakfast, sometimes I just add in nuts and milk and call it a meal. :-)

If you're seriously thinking about going the iPad only route you could get a blue tooth keyboard to go with it. I did that and love it for writing longer things on my iPad. But I, personally, would go for the desktop if I had to pick just one. Even though the iPad is a lot of fun, it's just not as efficient for some tasks. And we have apple and microsoft in this house - the iPad has lured me into the world of Mac, but not sure how far I'll stray yet... :)

It is WAY too addicting! I wanted to find a birthday present for someone the other day and put in "green earrings" and found LOTS of awesome new rabbit holes to go pursue... :-) Off to look for "homeschool" boards! http://pinterest.com/karaemilie/

ack! wish I hadn't just purchased for full price on their website ONE WEEK ago! now wondering if I should purchase the next level or 2, although since we haven't started level 1 yet.... choices choices. I'm off to check out Homeschool Buyers Coop, thanks for the great new resource!

Tina, Can I ask a side question since you're already subscribed to this thread? :) I've read hundreds and hundreds of posts on this board about Phonics Road and think I'm ready to buy it but curious - do you think it worked as well with your boys as with your girls? I'm a little leery of the concept of spending the ENTIRE 2nd year on Little House on the Prairie, wondering if it will entertain my 6 year old son? What do you think? Also, did you read lots of other books along with it? Or - worded better - at what point in the program were your children able to pick up other beginning reader books and really dive into them. I want to create avid readers here and have read some posts implying that this program "slowed down" their children? Any thoughts on that? :) Thanks for your time! I hate making curriculum choices. I think this is the right one but gosh it's a lot of $$ for me to change my mind about after trying for a month!

Congrats to you! I'm due any day now (already I wish!) so will have some first hand experience with newborns and trying to homeschool in the next month or two... yikes! Hoping for a baby with a calm temperament and no colic! LOL

Both are important. Vertical does help with the grouping/carrying and is how multiplying with big numbers is done, BUT as you move into higher grade levels it's the horizontal format that is used for complex equations/simplifying and solving for x. Not sure how old your kids are, but I try to do a mix of both so mine are equally comfortable with both formats since they "mean" the same thing in addition/subtraction at least!

I love their customer service. Bought an expensive humidifier that quit working after a year, and took it back. They offered to refund my purchase price, or give me the new model. No problems or hassles at all!

I agree with all the other posters! Time enough to get formal when they get older, but the pleasure of being young is in playing and having fun! And I'm sure you naturally teach things like colors/numbers/sounds, a program isn't needed!