I'm using Bigger Hearts this year with my 2nd & 4th graders. We don't follow their grammar and math recommendations, in their skill areas my kids are 3rd & 5th. In the past we followed WTM recommendations and used Story of the World. This year I really wanted to focus on American History and I liked all the wonderful literature that went along with the curriculum. My 4th grader uses the extension and enjoys it very much. We're enjoying HOD so much that I'm planning to stay with it for next year at least. We actually get much more history, Bible and literature done throughout the week b/c she schedules it in manageable chunks. My girls are also really proud of the notebook they're compiling. I'm not crazy about the science, but we're using two additional science curricula so it could just be that I'm overloaded in that area.

Do you think I can just turn them inside-out? I'll be using them to make a "vest." Cutting out arm and neck holes and cutting up one side. I don't have any here right now to experiment with.

Being more active has become a priority for us this year. Monday we run as a family in the neighborhood or on a nearby trail. Tuesday we hike/canoe/bike with an outdoor club (for homeschoolers) we started. Wednesday we meet with our running club (thru our HS group) and do the workout together at a park. Thursday is soccer practice for the kids, mowing for me. Friday is co-op, one child takes martial arts, we often go to the park or go skating after co-op. Saturday is games for whatever sport is in season. Sunday we usually bike or hike after church. We aren't spending much, just making sure we get outside. Our running club just started this year and is doing the couch to 5k program. The kids don't always enjoy it, but running on trails seems to improve attitudes tremendously. We're in NC, so the weather doesn't get too bad here. I hope we can stay this active through the winter.

I'd like to find plain brown paper grocery bags for a preschool craft at our co-op. All the stores I shop at have their advertising all over the bag. Does anyone know of a place I can get (or even purchase) plain bags? Thanks!

5:50 - the recycling truck wakes me up, send some emails, dress for running 6:30-7:15 - running in neighborhood 7:30 - coffee & toast 8 - wake girls, instruct them to eat and clear table while I shower 9 - big girls begin with three R's while I do 100 EZ lessons w/ the little one 9:30 - teach math to 2nd grader, check math of 4th grader, teach grammar to 2nd grader, then 4th grader, give dictations, help 4th grader along on Writing Strands. 11:30 - leftovers for lunch (4th grader still writing) 12 - 4th grader eating while I prepare chili for dinner 12:30 - read/discuss history, review poetry, Bible verse, the Transit of Venus and Apologia Astronomy 1:30 - see what's unfinished, cursive for 2nd grader, spelling for 4th grader 2 - emailing people about field trips and meetings that I'm planning. 3 - went to make brownies and found that we don't have enough sugar. We had a club meeting today, but the car is in the shop so we're stuck at home. I'm sure I left something out, but that's the main stuff. Dh wakes around 9 and interupts us a couple of times now and then. He works from home (upstairs) while we work downstairs. Since finishing, the kids have been reading, catching bugs outside, and doing extra chores to earn for something they want to buy. We have a science activity from BJU that I'd like to get done today, they'll probably do it after dinner.

We just finished our seventh week and it's going really well. We have several new activities start up this week and we traveled over the holiday so we're taking this week off from HOD and just doing basics and a couple of catch-up projects. My big girls really enjoy Bigger and I appreciate how much we get done. I love the binders that they're creating. My 4 yo isn't doing too much Little Hands, but I am pulling a lot from it for her co-op class which begins this week.

My oldest was reading chapter books at 4, but couldn't spell much at all until she was 8. I didn't consider one skill necessary to the other. I would focus on blending the sounds. My current 4 yo likes the leapfrog fridge phonics speller or whatever it's called. She's learned to spell many three letter words just by playing with it. We start Spelling Workout here at 6 yo.

Done daily unless shown otherwise: Copywork Memory Work (poetry & Bible verses) Dictation History Reading Literature Reading & Written Summary Math Fact Drill Singapore Math BJU English Writing Strands Bible Study BJU Science (3x) Geography (1x) Timeline (1x) Vocabulary (1x) Art (1x) History Activity (1x) Science Experiment (1x) Phys. Ed.:tennis (2x), swimming (1x), cycling (1x), sport of the season (2x) She'll add more history/literature (American Girls History), art appreciation, and Apologia Astronomy when co-op begins in September.

Another vote for vacations. Our house is 2600 for family of 5, I wouldn't want to clean anything larger. We spend our money on ski trips and beach house rentals, the more the better!

Dh brought home a box of these old westerns. I know nothing about them and he didn't read them, they belonged to his cousin. Does anyone know if they would be appropriate for my 9 and 7 yos? Reading level isn't an issue, I'm more concerned about mature topics, violence, and inappropriate language.

Our first day back was July 13. Public schools in our county are year-round, so it isn't like everyone else is on break while we're working. We also vacation at unusual times to get better rates.

Math: Singapore 4A/B Spelling: Dictation Day by Day Grammar: BJU 5 Writing: BJU 5 & Writing Strands 3 Handwriting: Copywork Reading: Drawn Into the Heart of Reading History: American History - Bigger Hearts for His Glory & American Girls Science: Bigger Hearts, BJU 4, Apologia Astronomy Music: Church Choir Memorization: Proverbs & Poetry from Bigger Hearts Homeschool Co-op: Art Appreciation, Astronomy & American Girls History PE: tennis, golf, soccer, basketball, swimming, running, cycling Bible: Bigger Hearts & Little Pillows devotions Extra: 4-H, youth group We're taking a break from Latin this year and will restart using a new curriculum next year with dd joining in. Planning to start Spanish in January.

We've switched to BJU English this year, only used it a week so I can't say too much about it. Our grammar path has been FLL 1&2, Rod & Staff 3, FLL 4, and now we're in BJU 5. She didn't really dislike R&S but I wanted to try something else so we went with FLL 4. That was before I ever looked at BJU. Once I saw it I knew I wanted to use it, I really like it and I like that it includes more writing. Now dd#2 is using BJU 3 instead of R&S 3, I don't think she'd get along with R&S at all so I sold it. I plan to continue using FLL 1&2 and then start in with BJU for my youngest as well. It's colorful, the sentences used in the lessons are interesting to the girls, the lesson explanations are straight-forward.

I try to let my kids go deeper into subjects they're passionate about. I haven't let them skip grades though they do work above grade level. I certainly don't want them to graduate early!

I've used it on 2 kids and am in the process with my third. I wouldn't say that any of them loved it, but they got through it and were reading well by the end. Following up with Pathway readers and ETC cemented things and they really took off. My oldest started right before her 3rd birthday. We sometimes broke the lesson in half. Not sure when we finished it but she loved reading Magic Treehouse books when she was 4. My middle child started late, she needed speech therapy, but then moved through it pretty quickly. My current 4 yo is on lesson 39, she does a lesson a day. Sometimes asks for more but I never go on to another lesson, we might just read a few more words or sounds. I want to give things time to sink in. We do 3 or 4 lessons a week. Glad it's working for you!

Yes! Dh and I are getting along well, I love being able to homeschool and be with my kids all day, we're all in good health, and I have a few wonderful friends. Dh still has a job that provides well for us. I thank God constantly for giving me this life!

Indiana University '96 B.A. Political Science, Theology Meredith College '99 Teacher Certificate

My two oldest learned with 100 Easy Lessons. We follow up with the Sonlight reading list (grade 1 and continuing) as well as Pathway readers. My youngest is in 100 Easy Lessons right now, Lesson 37! They use the 1st grade readers in K, and stay a year ahead until 2nd when they seem to take off and read whatever they can get their hands on.

I think the Apologia Notebooks are just out, so probably not many people have had a chance to use them. My daughters will use them this year in co-op. I haven't seen them yet, but their teacher was impressed with them. We had the lapbook for Zoology 1 last year and most kids (mine included) burned out on them. Their teacher said there is a bit of lapbooking type activities in the new Notebook, but there is more of a variety of review activities also.

I'm trying to bump my daughter's writing up this year. She's doing daily copywork, dictation, Writing Strands, and a written narration each day which rotates between history, science, and reading. She only writes in cursive when forced to, so I force her for copywork, but nothing else yet. Last year she would write several pages at a time, but only every other week or so. I'm trying to be more consistent about doing a bit each day so she can build up slowly. She seems to like it and doesn't complain.

My oldest, as a rising first grader, could read chapter books. She really got into Harry Potter at that time. My middle, at the same age, was reading beginning chapter books, like Frog & Toad and Amelia Bedelia. She might have been able to read more, but was intimidated by thicker books and just wasn't interested in trying. She progressed very quickly though and is now reading just about whatever. I started teaching my oldest to read at 3, my middle at 5 (needed speech therapy), and my youngest at 4.

If you go with Saxon math, you could put him into grade 2. That's what I use for 1st grade and he sounds like he has the skills to do it. If you want to use Singapore, go to their website and print off the placements tests. Just remember that their math is advanced a grade. Sorry, I can't advise on the other areas b/c we use Christian providers.

We've taken all our kids and haven't had any problems. My oldest was the most sensitive to noise and I vaguely remember covering her ears with my hands as she relaxed and watched the show on my lap. My greater concern is grumpy kids due to the late hour, but they always seem to have enough energy to enjoy the scene.

In the past we've used the bonus room for a school room, but it's dark and doesn't maintain temperature as well as other parts of the house. Our computers are in there and dh is now working from home, so that also makes it more difficult to be in there. He often needs complete silence for conference calls. We're currently using the kitchen table and storing books and supplies in a dining room bookshelf. We'll soon have a new dining room table and I'd like to use that for school so I don't have to clear the table for every meal and snack. I'd like to make the dining room a more dedicated school room b/c we don't use it for anything else, but dh doesn't like that idea b/c it's the first thing people see when they walk in the door. He doesn't like the look of maps and timelines on the wall. I'm trying to come up with more attractive ways of storing and hanging things so it won't bug him so much. I really need to get some maps back on the wall!

I've done more planning this year than ever before. We're using HOD, so I'm following their plan for most subjects. We're doing additional science along with another family and we're covering a chapter a month. The number of lessons vary per month, ranging from 8 to 12, so I've just planned each month out and will decide how/where to fit the lessons in once we get going. At this point I've planned out the first semester. Our co-op begins after Labor day so we go down to 4 days a week and I've planned for that as well. For math and grammar, I'm just looking at the number of lessons we need to complete and dividing that so I know how many lessons or pages we need to cover each week. My goal is to get more accomplished and feel like I can really take time off during our scheduled breaks. We don't have time off at regular intervals, we range from 4 to 8 weeks before taking a break, depending on travel plans. Our co-op ends right before Thanksgiving so I'll plan for second semester during that time.