We were in the same boat last year after RS E (my DS finished in 4th grade). I felt he needed some more work with fractions, so we did the entire Key to Fractions series over the summer. I ordered Singapore 5A & 5B for the start of 5th grade. My DS, HATED Singapore, I thought it would be an easy transition from RS, but not for him. Sooo, I scrambled and ordered MM 5. It has been a good fit for him. He did that with LoF Fractions and is now finishing up LoF percents. We will do the Key to series for Percents and Decimals over the summer then we are going to jump in Pre-Algebra. I bought MM 6 on sale, just in case.

I got ours at Target, for $3/each. I bought two world maps and two US, they are 3x4 (roughly) and awesome. They have them at the beginning of every school year, and are cheap enough that you can write on/pin/etc, without worrying that you spent a boat load of money!!

Is IEW non-secular? It looks like the TWSS is secular? But the majority of the rest of the programs state that they contain "distinctly Christian content"? Is it still worthwhile if we can only use the TWSS?

Thanks for your replies, it helps give me a little perspective. My oldest DS (10) does his math independently now because we aren't using Right Start G, and most of the MM 5 comes easy to him. For some reason I just always had it in my brain that math would always be one of those teacher intensive subjects, hmmm, stuff to think about!

I posted on the other board about why the math program I am using gets rave content reviews, but I don't see that many people using it. A lot of the responses I got said that one of the reasons people don't use it is because it's teacher intensive. So now I am wondering what other mom's "teach" if teaching math is too teacher intensive? Am I not focusing on other things that I should be, so I can teach them math? We do History 4-5 days a week, Science two days a week (but those are done as a family) as well as our Composer study and Geography study that follows our History. I "teach" all those, and we spend till about 1pm to get everything done. I have a DS (10) 5th grade (LoF D&P, MM5, GWG5, MCT, Digging into Diagramming,Compser Study, BFSU2, SOTW, World Geography-2xweek) DS (6) 1rst grade (AAR2, AAS1, RightStart B, ZB Handwriting, ETC, Composer Study, SOTW, Geography) DD (4) Resident Tornado Am I missing something that would be teacher intensive....?

Our oldest DS (10) is taking piano lessons at ($40/ half hour), our middle DS (6) would like to learn how to play the drums, can anyone recommend a drum program? We plan on purchasing good quality equipment, but don't have the $$ to fork out on lessons next year. Thanks!

Thanks Everyone! It's good to hear that RightStart is not the "white elephant" of math curriculum! I have enjoyed engaging and learning along with my kids, those "ahaa" moments are what keep my homeschool fires burning! We tried Singapore (twice), and MUS, but my oldest son is not a workbook kid. He LOATHED Singapore both times I tried it (once in first grade, and this year for 5th) to CMama: We finished up level E in 4th grade with my DS (now 10), he did not like any work that had anything to do with the drawing board and t-square, so we didn't think the geometry heavy, Level G program would have been a good fit, even though I really like the idea of it (how are you liking it??) We are working on concreting concepts, and trying to make math seem "relevant" to him. We are using MM 5, and LoF Fractions (which he finished) and now Decimals & Percents. Next year I am thinking AoPs with LoF pre-Algebra, but I really haven't gotten that far yet...... Thanks Everyone!

Why do people rave about the RightStart Math program, but I hardly ever see anyone using it, especially in the older grades? We are currently using level B with our first grader and my son finished level E in 4th grade. We really like the program and even though we needed to fill in some minor gaps with my 4th grader (now 5th grader), we thought it was excellent. Just not sure why I don't see more of it on the boards. Thanks.

I've been meaning to introduce Latin for a couple of years, and now I have two kiddos "in-school" . What would you suggest for a 2nd & 6th grader. I also have a 4 year old but she's a tornado and probably wouldn't be engaging. Can I get away with one program for both kids?

Thank you! I hadn't considered he may just not be ready developmentally. I was hoping to start AoPS next year, and maybe do Hands-On-Equations. Do you think I should wait? He just doesn't seem to care to learn how to solve things when I try to give him strategies, like if he has to work at it, why bother. Maybe things up until now have been easy for him and now he has to work at it a little. The skill of problem solving is a crucial life skill, more so for me than "getting" his math, and his entire attitude has kind of sent me for a loop. He does have "chores" and is responsible for taking care of our six chickens (i.e. letting them out every morning, feeding them, cleaning their pen, and closing them in at night, he does this without much prodding), he also takes care of the family dog, takes out the garbage and empties the dishwasher.

My DS is 10 and as we start to get into more prealgebra he has no idea how to look at a problem, analyze the information given and put it into a formula he can solve. He has never been good at the Critical thinking books, he really dislikes Singapore challenging word problems. We have used RightStart Math through level E, this year we introduced LoF fractions (which he likes), we ran through the Key to Fractions series (which teach no problem solving but help reinforce concepts) now we are using Math Mammoth 5 and he doesn't like that either. This is most noticeable with math, but it really overflows to every single aspect of his life. When he comes across a problem that requires some work, he just huffs and gives up. Maybe its more of a life attitude change? My other DS(6) is the exact opposite, not only does he not give up, he HAS to figure it all out himself, which amazingly enough he usually does. How do you teach this skill?

We use Confessions of a Homeschooler - World's Greatest Composer Study along with the Story of the Orchestra. There is a little set-up work, but the day to day is pretty easy.

Thank you all, you've given me some more ideas. I was hoping to not start a "new" program. He LOVES LoF, and gets it, works through the problems and gets them right, but right now it's review for him. We are doing it 3x a week and I'm hoping to run through the Key to series for Fractions, Decimals, Percents, by the end of December (he's flying through these - 5x week) Then measurement review and geometry review. Would you start pre-algebra if your child had a solid understanding of all the above concepts? I like the the look of the Challenge Math, and the Kaliedoscope math book in one the the siggys looked cool. He REALLY does not like anything about Singapore, not sure why, he says doesn't get the way they are trying to teach it. Coming from 4 years of RightStart I thought it would be pretty seemless, but that's not the case.

My DS (10) finished up RightStart Math E last year, and because of his loathing of anything geometry (or more precisely, anything involving a t-square and board) we decided not to do RightStart G. For this year I bought Singapore Math 5 (standards) along with LoF Fractions and Decimals/Percents as review. He HATES Singapore! We tried it in first grade and he didn't like it then either, but I thought we would give it another try. I dumped it, and we are currently reviewing with the Key to series..... Fractions/Decimals/Percents, etc. He is flying through these and I'm not sure what to do with him now? I am planning on using AoPS in a year or two and maybe RightStart G next year but I have no idea what to use for him now? Would the Key to Series along with LoF be enough for 5th grade? :confused1: Work-at-home, homeschooling mom to DS (10), DS (6), DD (4)!

I have a similar question. I was wondering if you could combine Bravewriter and IEW. I have a very reluctant writer, and much like we did with his reading; I'm trying to engage him to LOVE it, instead of drill the love of it out of him. Both programs are very appealing. :bigear::bigear:

I'm in the same boat! Two DS (6 & 10) - so I'm :bigear: too!!

Wow, thanks for all the great input! I hadn't thought about the unabridged versions on audio, great idea! My DS (10) inhales books, and read almost all of the Sonlight books in his American History study last year, plus the Eragon series and the Mysterious Benedict Society series. I'm trying to work in literary analysis this year to give him a greater depth of understanding of what he is reading, because I think he is ready to delve deeper.

My 9-year old (now ten) read all four books this spring, he enjoyed them, but about half way through the 3rd book, it started getting to "heavy" for him and we talked about it being okay to put it down and come back to it later. He read a couple of the Mysterious Benedict Society books and then returned to it and finished the series. He loved them! Happy reading!

What do you read to your kids? My father has ordered the kids a beautiful, gold leaf bound subscription to unabridged, classics, they deliver one every couple of months, and I'm wondering how everyone else reads the classics. When we were studying the Civil War, we tried Red Badge of Courage, but it was hard for my kiddo to follow with all the language "twangs". So he read the Classic Start version and liked it. We just started the unabridged version of the Jungle Book and it seems to be going well. And if you do use the abridged versions, what ones? Classic Starts, Puffins Classics, Penguin Classics....??? and why? Thanks! Work-at-home, homeschooling mom to three great kiddos: DS (10) DS (6) DD (3)

My son was 8 before he started reading for pleasure. At the time he was very into Star Wars, so I let him pick out some easy leveled readers at the library, way below his ability level (I'm not a fan of the new star wars by the way, so this was difficult for me to indulge). He could read them with ease and inhaled them, which prompted another trip to the library for more "easy" readers. This went on a couple of times, and them he moved to the chapter books about star wars. He is now 9, and has since read all of his Sonlight readers, by himself (yeah!) and finished the first three books from the Eragon series, the last being over 700 pages. Now I have to tell him to put the book down and come do his school work :lol: , a great "problem" to have.

While we are sorta on topic, what are your thoughts on "red-shirting", does it benefit kids in this society that pushes them to learn earlier and earlier? Are we putting them at a disadvantage in later years, or when they are 17-18 does it really matter that we held them one more year?

This is great! Thank you! For our school district in (MA), he would be considered in first grade (the cut off is August 30th, and he has a August 19th bday), but school is not compulsory until age 6, so I am thinking I would have waited to start him in Kindy until when was 6. This is what you refer to as "red-shirting", as a previous poster mentioned. I think I will call him Kindy for one more year:thumbup: in the long run, I think this will be better for him. Thanks everyone!

My DS is 5, going to be 6 at the end of August, and I'm trying to decide whether to push ahead for first grade work or do a Kindy/1rst grade year. Does this mess them up as they progress being half way through one grade, or do they catch up? Where would you put us? This year he did the: Get Ready for the Code (A,B,C) moving onto ETC1 RightStart A (half way through) HWOT (preK) Lollipop Logic (books 1-3 - he loved these) All About Reading (pre-level 1) He can read through the first couple of series in the Bob books and can sound out CVC words, although he doesn't have all of his lowercase letters down pat..... What I am contemplating for next year: ETC HWOT Kindy AAS 1 AAR 1 OPGTR RightStart A, then B LoF - apples It seems like he will move through it quickly because he is already sounding out words, but I don't want to forge ahead without making sure he has a good foundation. On the other hand, I don't want to beat all the fun out of it for him. I've been going back and forth for weeks over what to do with him. I've also thought about doing AAR 1, OPGTR, and HWOT over the summer, then it would be more of a 1rst grade spread. He is pretty easy going, and likes his school work, so he would be up for anything I could decide on:tongue_smilie: Any advice would be awesome! Happy work-at-home, homeschooling mom to 3: DS, 9, DS, 5, DD, 3

Is MP, Memoria Press? I'm doing ancients this year with a fifth and 1rst grader and I'm interested. :bigear: Thanks!

Great idea for ideas! I'm still deciding on some stuff because I have a 1rst grader as well. Math: LoF, Singapore Stnds 4B,5A,5B - maybe some of Righstart G (we've used it since 1rst grade and DS likes it. Grammar: MCT (finish Island level, move to Town), GWG, Writing: WWW - we may dump this for something else, I just started reading Writer's Jungle, so maybe Brave Writer. Literature Analysis (Center for Lit - Socratic method) Spelling: AAS 5 & 6 Science: BFSU II, with RSO to supplement, I also bought the Joy Hakim Science series on sale last year, and we may do start that. History : SOTW 1 w/ History Odyssey Geography - Confessions of Homeschooler - world geography Art - CoH - Composer Study & Artist Study w/Meet the Masters & Artistic Pursuits. RE - we are UU so still undecided - so many great choices Language - Mango - Spanish (free through our Library) Extras: MCT - Self-evident truth books Logic - Critical Thinking Co. & Mind Benders Brain Pop DE Streaming Piano, Cub Scouts, Church RE, Soccer, Sassafras Earth Education Obviously this is too much - but I haven't sat down to widdle things out!:lol: