I started with my dd when she turned 4 and she caught on right away and was thrilled to be "reading." She's now 4-1/2 and we're on lesson 75 but she's losing interest in 100EZ so I think I'm going to have to drop it. She much prefers BOB books now. My plan is to start OPGTR in the fall to continue with the phonics training, although I'm also looking at the Explode the Code books. I would caution you not to combine lessons even though your child seems ready for it (especially when you get to the combined sounds like "ch," "sh," etc.). I was amazed at the way things would "cement" in my dd's mind between lessons--you just need to give them space and time to process the information before you load them up with more info:) There's something so wonderful about witnessing the world of reading open up for you child! Enjoy the journey:)

I'll just throw this out as an idea. Have you ever read or seen Character Sketches from the Pages of Scripture, Illustrated in the World of Nature? There are three volumes to this series and my parents read it to my three siblings and me as we were growing up (7 years in difference between the oldest and youngest). We all looked forward to the stories which took an animal and described an admirable character trait and then a person from Scripture that illustrated a similar trait. My favorite part of this series was the beautiful illustration of each animal. I've never forgotten them:) If you're kids are interested in animals at all, I would think they'd enjoy this series. It would be a little more work to track these books down since I don't think they're in print, but I just saw some listed on Amazon... Anyway, not sure if they'd fit your family, but they're one of the favorite memories I have from family devotions as a child:)

I taught high school English for six years, so here's my opinion: It depends on the intent of the writer. If you want to emphasize the SHAPE, place it closer to the noun. If you want to emphasize the AGE, then place that adjective closer. 1- The 2-year-old round table 2- The round 2-year-old table Sorry it's just an opinion, but HTH!

Thank you for taking the time to explain your rationale in supporting HSLDA. Actually, I appreciate everyone that has weighed in on this issue. I see that I need to investigate their lobbying actions and see if they "speak for me" or not--and whether I want to support them if they don't:)

Thanks for posting this question. I'm interested in the responses as well. My 3.5 yo daughter is fascinated with writing her letters, too, and I'm worried that she'll develop bad habits. My mom's a K4 teacher and I talked to her about starting HWT. I decided to let her explore with writing till she's 4 and then try some formal instruction.

Thank you for your response! Do you mind telling me what state you live in? (I'm in Florida...)

Ahhh... that's a good way to describe what disturbed me when I read their book. Thanks for your imput. It's given me food for thought. Looks like I may need to look into them a little deeper. I don't really know much about their social/political agenda...

I'm just curious whether you feel it's important to be a member of HSLDA? I borrowed a book by/about HSLDA (can't remember the name anymore) and alot of the instances where they stepped in seem extreme. I can't imagine ever running into problems where I would need their assistance. Recently, I've read a few threads that don't portray them in a good light (re: Subway). So... as I begin my own homeschooling journey in the next few years, do you think I need to join? I'd appreciate any imput you have in working with them!!! TIA!

I have toddlers at my house, so these are some of our favorites: How Do Dinasours Say Goodnight? (love the beautiful illustrations and the names of the dinos imbedded in the picture) My Dad! by Charles Fuge (big illustrations and a cute story line) Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney (love the illustrations and the creative story) Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (the girls have this memorized:001_smile: but older kids could look at the landmarks painted by Belemans and compare to actual pictures--might be fun) A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon (beautiful illustrations as well as a lesson about peer pressure) Of course, there are many others but these are the ones lying on the floor right now:)

Thank you so much, Tina. The videos in Lapbook Lessons really gave me a good picture of what a lapbook is:)

The previous poster explained it pretty well. I'm a former high school English teacher. In my Christian school, we used block scheduling once a month mostly to allow the science classes to complete longer labs. (Classes would last for 1-1/2 hours instead of the normal 45 minutes.) Sometimes the other classes used it to complete performances or field trips as well. It was nice to do every once in a while and allowed the teachers to included some fun activities that we normally wouldn't have time for. Unfortunately, I observed for a semester at a public high school that used block scheduling full-time and I was not impressed at all. The class time was not used effectively and I can't imagine how they could truly complete a year's worth of instruction in one semester. It takes a dedicated teacher to keep a high school class moving and on task for an hour and a half to two hours every day. Not saying it can't be done, but it's pretty tough... HTH!

Sorry to interrupt your thread, but could you explain what a lapbook is? I keep reading about them on this forum, but I can't get a clear picture of what they are. It sounds like I'm years away from needing them, but I'm trying to learn all I can now:) Thanks!

Beth, My book is the second edition of DEG, 1950, ISBN 0131990837. Perhaps even though the page numbers aren't the same as the first edition, some of the content is. The example I referred to is found in the Sentence Analysis section, with the chapter entitled "Infinitives." Several numbered examples of infinitives are given and this one is listed under #5: Infinitive Phrase as Objective Complement. Under the third illustration is a paragraph that explains that let is one of the verbs that does not permit to when using an infinitive. Suzanne, Looks like you can get a good used copy of the second edition for around $50 at the websites Beth mentioned.

Beth, I found the example on DEG p. 330 (first half of the page). Always glad to help:)