My fourth grade daughter is very easily distracted. Her attention span is very low. However, she is very talented in art and creativity. She has a hard time learning a new math concept and then remembering it later. It currently takes her about 1 1/2 hours to get through one lesson of her math (Teaching Textbooks) each day. She is getting frustrated and hates math. Do you think I should try a different math curriculum with her? If so, would Horizons Math or McRuffy Math be better? I think she would love the color workbook pages that they both have and the manipulatives with McRuffy look like something she would enjoy (my hesitation with that is that they would turn into toys and be a cause for even more distraction). From looking at the samples, I think I would need to start with the third grade levels for both programs (although, I will give her the Horizons placement test if I decide to go with them). What are your thoughts? Thanks!

Thank you all for your responses. I really appreciate your help.

I saw this sample on AOP’s Horizons Math website. It’s the middle of 3rd grade. This seems really advanced for third grade. Is this typical of this curriculum? I know my fourth grader is not ready for their 4th grade curriculum and seeing this in the 3rd grade program has me a little concerned.

I have a 4th grader who is a struggling reader and speller. She can read picture books, but doesn't have the stamina or fluency to read chapter books yet. We have tried several spelling curriculums where they are given words for the week, activities to do with those words each day, and then a test on Friday. She can never remember how to spell the words on Friday. It's like she has never seen them before. I've been looking at Spelling You See (Jack and Jill level) and Sequential Spelling. I worry that the writing involved with Spelling You See (especially in the higher levels) would be too much, but I also don't know if Sequential Spelling would give enough practice with each word for her to be able to remember how to spell them, as well as it being too much for her to write 25 words each day. Which one do you all think would work better for her? Thanks!

I've asked for spelling help for my oldest daughter, but now I have a question about my youngest daughter. She will be going into the fourth grade, but is a struggling reader. She is probably reading on a first/second grade level. Would you recommend Sequential Spelling or Spelling You See for her? Thanks!

I am trying to plan out language arts for my sixth grader. I was thinking of using Sequential Spelling and Megawords for spelling and Wordly Wise for vocabulary. Would this combination be redundant? Should I leave off Wordly Wise? I am also planning on using Growing with Grammar, Jump In Writing, and having her read a variety of books for literature. Is all of this too much? What do you all think? I've used all-in-one curriculums in the past. This looks like so much, but I don't know how to get in all the language arts elements without them, though. Thanks!

Do you all use a formal literature curriculum for 6th grade or just have your children read a variety of books? If you just have them read books, at what grade should they begin a literature program? Thanks!

I've been looking at Megawords, but I'm not sure how the program works. How do you all use it? Do you just have your children complete the pages and they just learn how to spell the words that way? From the samples I've seen, the teacher's guide talks about giving reading and spelling skill checks. Do you all do that? If you give spelling tests from this, which words do you use? There are a lot of words at the beginning of each chapter. That would be very overwhelming. I guess I just need to see how this program is used by different people and what is working and not working for you all. Thanks!

Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it!

How many pages each day did your daughter complete in order to go through the series in 2 years? Do you give tests on the words? The teacher's manual is confusing. Would I need to follow the teacher's manual or could I just use it for the dictation sections?

Thank you all for your help and suggestions. I'm looking over them all and researching. For those of you that recommend Megawords...I've been looking at it, but the teacher's manual confuses me. Do you use the reading and spelling checklists, and, if so, how? Does the teacher's manual tell you when to use them? Are there pre-tests and post-tests or does your child just work through the book page by page without any testing?

My daughter will be going into the 6th grade next year and really struggles with spelling. Many of the spelling curriculums are graded or leveled and I would have to start her way under grade level. Since many of them teach a weekly list of words, it would be hard to just work on the skills she struggles with so there wouldn't be time to finish them all before high school. We tried All About Spelling and it didn't work for us. What are some spelling programs that will allow her to progress quickly as she is able? Thanks!

Does Soaring with Spelling teach spelling rules? Thank you!

Thank you! I'll check out those videos. We tried Spelling U See, but the amount of writing was not a good fit for my daughter. I liked the program, though.

Thank you that helps a lot. I just saw that there was a Sequential Spelling for Adults. It's discontinued now, but I think I can find a copy. It's supposed to cover all seven levels in two years by leaving out some of the repetition. Do you think I should use that for a 6th grader who doesn't spell very well? I would like to be finished with spelling before high school, so there is no way to finish all seven levels by then. Thanks!

I have level 1 of this program, but I haven't been able to implement it well. I hear many people saying they have the child spell the word, correct it if it's wrong, and then move on to the next word. However, the teacher's directions at the beginning of the book talks about the teacher writing parts of the word in different colors to help the child see the patterns. Do you all do this? How do I know which parts to make different colors? It seems like that would take a really long time to do.

I am interested in using Acellus next year. However, does anyone know how much evolutionary content is in the science classes? Would it be easy to skip those lessons (in tutoring mode), or would there be too much to do that? Thanks! (I am going to post this in the K-8 board, too.)

I am interested in using Acellus next year. However, does anyone know how much evolutionary content is in the science classes? Would it be easy to skip those lessons (in tutoring mode), or would there be too much to do that? Thanks! (I am going to post this in the high school board, too.)

Does anyone have any experience with Nessy? Did it help your struggling reader? Thanks, Bethany

We switched to LLATL Yellow recently. However, due to starting later in the year, my daughter is working on Lesson 9 right now. We are doubling some days here and there, but I don't think she will be able to finish the book before our school year is up. Would it be okay to just stop whenever our school year is up and then start the Orange book at the beginning of the next school year instead of finishing the Yellow book? Will doing that make her miss important information that she will need for the next level? I would appreciate any advice! Thanks, Bethany

If you were trying to choose between Progressive Phonics and The Reading Lesson for an antsy, almost 7-year-old first grader, which would you choose? I can't decide which one will help my daughter the most. I keep going back and forth in my mind about which would be better. We are on Lesson 6 of The Reading Lesson right now, but it is not holding her attention at all. However, I'm afraid of using Progressive Phonics because it seems too simple to actually work. :) I don't want to waste any more time if I will just end up going back to The Reading Lesson. Do you all have any opinions??? Thanks, Bethany

I was thinking about using Progressive Phonics to teach my first grader to read. She can sound out CVC words, but pretty much has no interest in learning how to read. I am trying to find something that has no pressure, etc. and that will be fun for her. Would Progressive Phonics alone be enough to teach a child to read? Thanks, Bethany

I am looking for a program to use in order to teach my first grader to read. We have tried Phonics Pathways and The Reading Lesson and she doesn't like either one. I think she needs color and a "fun factor". I have Happy Phonics, but I was looking for something with more structure that I could add Happy Phonics to. Do any of you have any experience with Lifepac Language Arts 1? Did you like it? Thanks, Bethany

Do any of you know anything about Coventry Health Care? I'm trying to decide if we want to switch insurance companies. Coventry is a lot cheaper than what we are paying now, but their reviews online are horrible. Do you all have any experience with them? Thanks, Bethany

We used HOD Beyond last year and started Bigger this year. We switched to Easy Peasy after the first week of Bigger, though. My daughter didn't like HOD and is much happier now with Easy Peasy. I am really happy with it, too. This is the first year that I haven't been continuously researching curriculum! We are satisfied with Easy Peasy and plan to use it next year, too. I hope this helps! Bethany