I don't think there's a magic age when all kids read. Barring learning disabilities, your dd may turn out to be on the lower end of normal or even fall off the scale. As the saying goes, all apples don't fall from the same tree at the same time. It sounds like your dd is more turned off to the curriculum than to reading. Personally, I would rather change my program than have her develop an anti-reading, reading-phobic mindset. If you understand the basics of teaching rdg, you can use anything to teach her with. Use her cues. I would also encourage you to read aloud to her lots and even try reading together. I used a turn-taking approach with my then resistant 6 yr old ds. I would read a sentence, then have him read an easy word from the next (boosting his success), then part of the next & eventually all of the next sentence. He loved this approach! I eventually would start an enjoyable story & leave him hanging. He would finish the little books on his own. Of course this only works if you use interesting stories. Lots of readers are dull & uninteresting & have an extremely limited vocabulary. He actually enjoyed reading picture books for himself. They're really short but having interesting stories, beautiful pictures, and nice language - at least those are the type I chose. I figured he would eventually progress to chpt books with this approach if I helped him preserve a love of reading. For you peace of mind, you might want to explore a book such as At Last! A Reading Method for Every Child by Mary Pecci to determine if your dd has a particular problem with rdg.

I've experimented with computer systems, even created my own schedules on Excel yrs ago that tabulated hrs, but I found that I needed to see all of my kids' schedules at once to keep myself oriented. Once I determine a suitable schedule for each child & myself, I use monthly planners (~$6 at WalMart) for each child & write their schedules in there. They check off what they do each day & post time spent beside the subject (I do this for younger ones), so it acts as a daily log as well as schedule. I can transfer hrs to a summary sheet once a month. Since I pre-schedule 2 wks in advance, I use pencil & simply erase changes that I anticipate ahead but mark out/write in daily changes in colored pencil. I'm very visual & need to see the big picture + have most info in one place. I like the ability to lay out all schedules side-by-side. I can sit in a room with my family & do this vs. being stuck in front of the computer for typing or using a computer program. You just need to figure out your personal style.

I try to use variety in the genres for read alouds for my family: historical fiction, biographies (historical figures, Christian missionaries, etc.), autobiographies, a couple of poems before the RA, etc. I've found that to be important & helpful in shaping my kids' choices. I've tolerated my kids having imbalances in their reading diets as long as they do include choices from the various genres. In other words, they don't read equivalently from all areas; they each have their favorite genre. I do, however, impose minimums from each genre.

My inclination would be to start level 4, do as much as you can orally with him + some written assignments in order to move through the lessons as quickly as possible without sacrificing true learning. The problem I see with moving too far ahead (such as to level 5) is that you would put yourself at a disadvantage. You're trying to fill in your gaps as well. Personally, I would put less stock on grade levels & more on acquiring the knowledge both of you need to build a firm foundation in English.

You might want to search the TOG Forums year 4 geography area for recommendations. The last time I did that Haywood's Atlas of World History was recommended, but since that book changes regularly, there were particular ISBN #'s to search for. That aside, I think you should determine what your goals are for geography & act on them. If you want your kids to obtain map skills, I think they need to search for places, points, etc. to label. If they simply copy the teacher's map, little to no active learning will take place. I have my kids (ages 7 - 13) sit at the table with me to do their map work. I give them each an atlas suitable to their age - pretty simplistic for my little guy so that he's not distracted by all the clutter. If a specific place that I deem is impt is not in his atlas, I point it out on another & show him where it would be on his atlas. If they're having particular difficulties, I give them clues/hints by using geographic language or guiding them verbally toward their target. That way they're active participants. Sometimes we spend time together searching for & identifing places on maps without creating a physical map even though the TM says we should do one. My goal at those times is familiarity. If you're using a classical approach, your kids will encounter the same info with increasing depth over time.

We first used it for Algebra 2, and it was the 1st time my dd actually "got it" after tries with 2 other programs. We continued with Geometry, and then introduced it to a younger son with PreAlgebra. We love it! The progression is slower than some programs, so you may need to start with higher levels with a math savvy child or he/she can zip through early lessons quickly.

I'm not sure what AAS is, but I've used Teaching Reading at Home and the WISE Guide for Spelling by Wanda Sanseri. She has additional resources as well. These books are based on the Spaulding method but much easier to understand. Go to Back Home Industries at http://www.bhibooks.net/swr.html. I'm not sure if you would be saving any money though. Her books are pricey.

My son has a similar personality to yours. He happens to be a good speller though. My son has enjoyed creating books that deal with his interests. You may try doing some of the more detailed lapbooks where he can illustrate his inventive/mechanical interests. He would end up writing the equivalent of a short essay, but it would be stretched out over many pages. He may be more motivated to work on spelling as he will be working on a valuable keepsake vs. a paper that will disappear into Never Never Land.

My children have never been fond of textbooks, and we've rarely used them for subjects other than math & HS science. Instead we use living books and have lots of discussions. My children love to share thier mined treasures with me & one another. If your children are stuck with reading dry, lifeless textbooks and rarely get to interact with others about what they are learning, school will be dull & boring. You can change their experience by changing your approach. My children have read some beefy primary source documents and literature that I even struggled to comprehend, but they enjoyed the process because we interacted with the material. Enthusiastic teachers who love their subjects tend to draw in their student. Maybe do a few read alouds together just to bring life back into your homeschool. You can bring refreshment to your homeschool without having the perfect curriculum, but I would ditch the textbooks.

My husband & I do not view college as the only option for training our children in their future vocation. I believe that it is a complete waste of time for some, particularly those who have no established objective in being there other than the push from mom & dad. My 1st daughter is in her 3rd year at her university. Some of her general ed courses were great, but most have been less about equipping students & more about the personal agendas & weird philosophies of the teachers. It is better now that she's in her major. My 2nd will be entering a community college to get her associates degree in a very specific training program but probably not going on to a 4-yr university. She would rather get her training through apprenticeship, and quite frankly, that approach is more suitable to her learning style, personality, and gifting. She is bright & talented & continues to self-educate but would probably "check out" of the learning process if faced with 4 yrs of what my oldest has experienced. We are considering distance learning & CLEP testing with my son (a high school jr) because he can earn college credits while still in high school, shortening his college stay if he decides to or needs to pursue that route for his future vocation. From what I hear, this approach is sometimes motivating to students even after high school because they can earn a college degree faster than going the traditional route.

My 1st daughter applied & was accepted into a state university based on her ACT scores, parent-issued diploma, & GPA. However, they required a portfolio from homeschooled students demonstrating their ability to do college level work & a few letters of recommendation. The format of the portfolio was entirely up to the student. We initially met with someone in admissions. She had just attended a seminar about accepting homeschoolers, and they were extremely positive about reaching out to the homeschool community. My 2nd daughter was easilly accepted at the community college with a parent-issued diploma with no additional requirements.

I guess since home births and home schooling are both nontraditional, you will find a certain percentage of people that do both. However, most of the home schoolers that I know do not have home births.

You want to make learning fun,simple, and light with a 3 yr old. Perhaps you feel that you are lacking in how to stimulate learning in a preschooler. Books like Dr. Beechick's The Three R's Series would be great for you in showing natural ways that children learn. You may also like Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready for developmental activities. You might try finding books at your local library that offer a reading list of good picture books for preschoolers. Adding arts & crafts, nature walks, Bible stories, and a predictable daily routine is probably all that you need.

I think this is a good time for you to make the mental-emotional transition to accepting a different level of clean. I'm sure your house is not always spotless with a 1 yr old. You'll have to make a new adjustment with a toddler & newborn in the house. This is not lowering your standards, just elevating your priorities. Secondly, a sterile environment isn't really what you want. One of the pluses of a homebirth is that you're delivering in a place that your body & your baby is accustomed to. If you set up a cleaning schedule where you do certain things each day, your house will always be relatively clean. You might make a list of last min. things you would like for your husband to do or check prior to the arrival of the midwife. Maybe you could have a friend come over that lives relatively close to also address those things & help out with your little one while you're in labor. All of that said, I think you should keep reminding yourself that this event is all about celebrating life, not obsessing over a superclean house. Best wishes on a safe & happy birth!

I've used Phonics Pathways and the old Horizons.

I always started the school day by doing a "school" activity with my toddler one on one. The direct attn seemed to help with that child being less of a distraction for the rest of the morning. I then set up centers in our school room. Activities that never left the school room were hidden in bins at various locations in the room. I would set a timer for 10 min. & rotate the child through those areas. An activity like play dough could be used for a bit longer. Things in the bins were rotated periodically. I also set up slots (15 min. ea) for my older kids to do 1:1 activities with the toddler & used those opportunities for more intensive teaching times (e.g. phonics/reading) with other children. At other times like during read-alouds for history or science, the toddler sat on my lap or near me with quiet toys. He or she was permitted to move about the room if they were not too noisy or otherwise distracting. Take the time to think through & gather toys/activities to hold your toddler's interest. It will be time well spent in the success of your home school.

Imho there are more important things to focus on with 4 little ones, but we all have our idiosyncracies. You probably won't do any harm by doing the program with your 2nd grader, but in reality, you would be doing it for you - not her.

You may want to check out Secrets of Great Communicators DVD set. ($40.95 in Rainbow Resource) It's a 6 session set by Jeff Myers, author of From Playpen to Podium. It is Christian-based, but I don't believe it would be offensive to nonChristians. As others have said, 4H offers opportunities for public speaking, but there is no prepared curriculum. You may also want to contact Toastmasters in your area. I have taken my children there for exposure. It's an excellent place to view public speaking, & they even offered to let my kids participate. I believe they also have some resources for youth.

Great company! I have placed the bulk of my orders with this company for the past 7 yrs. You can't beat them for pricing & abundant resources. In fact, I received a call from their customer service about a recommendation I made on my order form; they actually read them! My orders have arrived quickly, but yes, some backordered items have taken a while.

www.Handsofachild.com/shop offers ebooks with type it in features for reluctant writers. Go to that website to download samples.

I believe modesty is an attitude that begins in the heart. I could weigh in on the what to wear & what not to wear issues, but I believe that leads to legalism. Quite often, women in particular (and men generally) wear clothing that is showy, attention-seeking, or plain old inappropriate because of their own insecurities and need for external validation. I want my children to determine if they are wearing something to catch someone's eye, to seduce or entice, to stand out from the crowd, etc. I prefer that we as a family wear contemporary, modest apparel because I believe that dressing in styles more suitable to the 1800's also draws inappropriate attention & quite often makes us irrelevant to the culture we live in. While I understand why others are attracted to older styles from the modesty perspective, I don't necessarily believe that old & modest are synonyms. When that modesty issue was addressed in Biblical times, exactly what do we think the women were wearing?

We live in a rural area so this option is great for us because we have limited availability to movies. My dd signed us up for a free trial, & we received unlimited movies for a month. When you sign up, you enter the movies you would like to view according to your priority preference. They initially send you 2 movies & then allow you to have 2 movies in your possession at a time. As soon as you return one in their self-addressed envelope, they ship you another. It usually only takes ~2-3 days. You can sign up for different plans. I think the unlimited # of movies is ~$12-$14/mo. I think you can sign up to get as few as 2 movies/mo. for ~$5. Almost any movie you would care to view (classics, documentaries, new releases, etc.) is available. From my vantage point, it's a wonderful option! It beats driving into town to beat deadlines to return movies. I can drop these into my mailbox & view them according to my schedule. You can check out their plans online, & I would encourage you to try the free trial. Hope this helps!

I've used a variety of Alg curriculum because I too had a dd that had difficulty grasping the concepts, particularly with Saxon. Here's my humble opinion. I don't think the opinions of others should rule our thinking, but rather, they should serve as tools to help us make wise decisions. If the objective is that your dd grasp the concepts, then I say you should go with whatever assists her in doing so. You may need to forsake a prescribed time table as some children may need more time or a less rigorous program to accomplish that goal. If TT appears too easy, why not allow her to take the chpt tests & move quickly through the familiar material? That's what I did with my ds. As for careless errors, I've found that my kids respond well to a reward system of sorts with programs like Saxon. I would have them do the even or odd numbered problems. They had to do 2 additional problems for any problem done incorrectly. That generally motivated them to be more precise. They tended to work more carefully through less problems.

My girls received decent scores on the ACT, one of them having finished only Alg I & II, the other having completed only Alg I & Geometry. I have no doubt that their math scores would have improved significantly with more math under their belts. Their scores improved 2 pts when retaking the test at the beginning of the school yr with minimal starts in the next math level. I know of one homeschooler that improved a good math score to an excellent math score by taking College Algebra at a community college prior to retesting.

I have never used SM, but I've had 4 children use Horizons Math through the 6th grade level. They have all been able to go on to either PreAlgebra or Algebra from there and frankly could have skipped the PreAlgebra for the most part. My suggestion for you would be to skip the Horizons 6. Have your child do the pretest for PreAlgebra or Algebra with your curriculum of choice. I personally do not prefer the dryness of Saxon either. We've been very happy with Teaching Textbooks.