Thank you all for the quick and helpful responses. I think I'll skip the extra problems. He's a very math-oriented kid. I'll get the book itself and the companion so that I can have the answers readily available. Thank you again! Melissa :)

My son has used (and loved) LoF as a fun supplement the past few years. I'm getting ready to buy Beginning Algebra for next fall. Do I need the Companion and the Extra Practice Problem books? Are they a valuable addition to the book itself? Thanks! Melissa :) Ps- I apologize if this has been covered. I can't seem to search on my phone.

I'd use WWE 3. The dictation in 4 is challenging at times. I'd give her a year in 3 and then reevaluate. At that point, she might be ready to skip 4 and move into WWS. If not, 4 would still be an option. Melissa :)

Thanks for the ideas! One minute readers look fun! I also found Sound It Out Chapter Books, which look great. I think she'd enjoy having chapter books to read. Melissa :)

I don't need my mind changed about VT. I believe it works. As others have said, I think it's a part of a larger puzzle. In my daughter's case, I'm still trying to get pieces into place. OhElizabeth, I think you hit the nail on the head. She can sound out words, but she doesnt have a good base of automatic sight words. So reading a book requires a lot of tedious sounding out. I think I need to improve her recall of words so that she has a larger sight word vocabulary to draw upon. Hopefully this will make reading easier for her. Thanks again for all the input and insight. Melissa :)

Mom2moon2, take a look at the sample lessons and the pre-test. Those will help you make a judgement call. The book is designed to challenge math-oriented junior high kids, though there are plenty of younger kids having great success with it. My 9yo is sailing through it so far, but many problems leave MY head spinning, lol. Melissa :)

It's great to see so many other kids having success with this. Joshua really enjoys it. Josh tends to do most of the work in his head. My husband was in the "you must show your work camp," but I made the point that that's like telling him he must read every book aloud when speed reading in his head is so much faster. As long as his comprehension is good, I don't see the problem. We all agreed that he doesn't need to show his work, but if he gets a problem wrong he needs to work through it again, writing everything out that time. This is our first year with AoPS, but so far I'm pleased. Thanks for all the great comments! Melissa :)

Thanks for all the great responses! I appreciate it and it gives me a lot to consider and research. I have to chime in on the "VT is bunk" idea. I believe that VT works. My very bright, eager-to-learn child struggled tremendously. She had every symptom of a developmental vision delay. She went from being unable to consistently read CVC words or write legibly, to reading full paragraphs and writing easily. She made tons of progress in a very short amount of time. I do believe that paying money for a product or service might provide a placebo effect, but I don't see how that's possible in this case. My daughter had no idea what her therapy was for and I had no control over her "performance" (for lack of a better word). It's not the same as paying a large amount of money for an energy supplement and then feeling more energetic. The results that I saw were immediate, miraculous as far I was concerned, and certainly not imagined. I DO think that VT is incredibly overpriced, especially considering that insurance didn't cover much of it. But I don't regret our VT experience at all! (I'm not arguing, just sharing our experience.) I'm just not sure where to go next. I think her biggest struggle is fatigue while reading. She just doesn't have the stamina to read for extended periods of time. She has good comprehension of the small amount that she does read. She is spelling relatively well thanks to SWR, and her handwriting seems normal for her age. She loves copywork. Math comes easily to her. She is so eager to learn, and even more eager to really read. I desperately want to unlock that door for her! Thank you again for the responses. Melissa :) She wants to read. She curls up with a novel and tries. She reads a page and then can't continue. We read together, and she loves that, but she really wants to read more on her own. She is beyond easy readers, but can't seem to graduate to chapter books.

I'm hoping to hear from other parents who have younger kids working with AoPS Pre-A. My son is 9yo and really enjoying it. He's taking it at his own pace, usually taking one or two days to finish each lesson. He hasn't started using Alcamus yet. I keep meaning to sign him up, but I never get around to it. Melissa :)

My 8yo daughter was diagnosed with severe visual delays about a year and a half ago. She did four months of vision therapy and made an amazing amount of progress. She graduated from therapy a little over a year ago. She is doing well in school work, but is still behind in reading. She has such a strong desire to read and she works hard, but it is still a struggle. (She's a second grader, reading at probably a 1-2 grade level. She still stumbles a great deal over her words when she reads aloud. The biggest issue, IMO, is that she gets fatigued after only minimal reading. It makes chapter books a real challenge.) I'm hoping to find out how "normal" this is after VT, what I can expect in the future, and if there's anything else I can do to help her. Thanks! Melissa :)

I've been thinking of doing the same thing so I'll be listening in as well! :) Melissa :)

I have AAS level 1 and SWR. I ended up sticking with SWR because I felt like it was easier to move at a whatever pace suited each child. It's also cheaper and a one-time purchase. Personally, I prefer spelling without the tiles and I love all the grammar, word roots, sentences, and enrichments that are included with SWR. Melissa :)

I have both SWR and PR1, and I find SWR to be much more engaging. We discuss most of the sentences provided and root words when applicable, and we pick several enrichment activities to do each week. I reinforce grammar and Latin while we use SWR, though we do have additional programs for both. I like being able to take SWR at a pace that suits each child. Personally I think SWR is more engaging than PR. Of course, that's only in regards to PR level 1. I haven't used anything beyond that. Melissa :)

Homeschooling is a lifestyle, with some unique challenges and so many benefits that make those challenges worth it!! Obviously, for all of us here, the good things far outweigh the hard parts. At our house, I give up most of my personal time in order to homeschool my kids. I try to take a few minutes in the morning to read, but otherwise I don't really have time to myself. I don't shop for clothing or get haircuts. I'm in the "ponytails and jeans" camp as well. I dress up for church or important events. I take all the kids to dentist and doctor appointments. When I really can't bring all the kids, I schedule the earliest appointment of the day and my husband goes to work late. My house would be spotless if I had my way, but if I have to choose between school and cleaning, school will always win. The kids are very involved in housework and I can accomplish quite a bit in short bursts between lessons. The house is not spotless and I often practice "selected neglect" when I need to, but it's usually mostly tidy. The kids are involved in everything we do around here. No, they don't come home from school to a spotless house, drawers refilled, and a special treat waiting on the counter. Instead, they help me clean and do laundry (learning valuable lessons and life skills in the process), they study scripture with me during our daily devotional, and we all gather in the kitchen to make that special afternoon treat together. Homeschooling has been one of the hardest things I've ever done. It's also the best and most rewarding lifestyle I could have chosen for myself. I know homeschooling isn't right for every family, but I also believe that every mom could homeschool if that's what she chose to do. Good luck in your decision. Melissa :)

My kids each have a daily cover sheet that lists all of their assignments by subject for that day. I paper clip any loose papers behind the cover sheet. The kids can be very independent, it's easy for me to check in with them, and ultimately we have a good record for each day. :) Melissa :)

I'd consider most of my kids "average." They are bright and eager to learn. They each have their academic strengths and weaknesses. They are all doing well, enjoying school, and I'm happy with where they are in their education. I only have one (my 3rd grader) that blows me away with how fast and easily he learns things and how far ahead he is academically. Melissa :)

Personally, I've never doubled up on FIAR. It's been easier for me to combine kids together instead. I did Before FIAR this year with my 5yo, 3yo, and 2yo. We did a lot of games and projects and I tried to make sure that the boys had something that would be especially beneficial or enjoyable for each of them personally. We all loved it. Melissa :)

Yippee! I just ordered mine today. :) Melissa :)

Also, I'd love it if you'd share an example week. I already read through the general structure of TOG at your house and found it very helpful. I'd really enjoy a detailed week-plan. What did the kids read? What projects did they do? etc Thank you again for your help! I have poured over old threads looking for families implementing TOG with older kids and younger ones. Your post came at just the right time. :) Melissa :)

I love WWE and have used it since my oldest were in K and 1st. (They are in 3rd and 4th now and using WWS.) There are four books in the WWE series. Each one provides lessons in narration, dictation, and copywork based on short, engaging passages from children's lit. My kids found the lessons to be fun and I have been impressed with how well the program really does work over time. I'd start your 7yo in WWE 1. If your 5yo is ready, he/she could start there as well. Your 10yo could start there or with a later level. I believe there are placement tests/guides for each level provided on the website. Hope that helps! I don't think you could go wrong with WWE. Melissa :)

I've been thinking of questions to ask. Here are two that deal with concerns I have about TOG: 1) I am a "schedule everything" homeschool mom. I plan out 12 weeks in advance and everything is completely ready to go- planned, printed/copied, organized, filed. It's the easiest way for me to make sure that everything gets done for everyone. I read on another TOG thread that TOG wouldn't work well for someone who likes to schedule in advance. I'm curious what you think about this. 2) I am a little concerned about TOG because I already know that I don't favor a guide-style book. I prefer a little more "meat" I guess. So a book that says: "Read about ____. Write about what you read. Draw a map." for every lesson plan would not be a good fit for me. If the lessons and assignments were more in depth and engaging and offered more resource ideas, I'd be fine. Thanks! Melissa :)

Thank you! I am going to read all of your TOG posts and might have some additional questions for you. :) I have 4 elementary schoolers, ranging from Pre-K to 4th grade this year, plus 3 younger boys (3, 2, 1) and a baby on the way. My older kids have always used and loved SOTW. It's easy and fun now when all the kids are elementary and below, but I am starting to worry about how I will balance things in a few years when I have high school kids, jr high kids, elementary kids... I have considered TOG because of this, but I have been overwhelmed by all the material and put off a little by the price. (To be clear, I don't mind investing in a fabulous program that I will use for all the kids. I just don't want to put that much money into something that might not work out for us.) I really appreciate your posts and hopefully they will help me gain some insight and direction. I'd love to hear anything else that you have to say! Thanks! Melissa :)

Visual Latin is geared towards ages 9 and up. My 4th and 3rd graders have used it this year and done very well with it. My 4th grader is average (but bright) and my 3rd grader is advanced for his age. Melissa :)

I have both the student text and the teaxher's guide in book form. I have two kids sharing one book though so they both just do their assignments on lined paper. Melissa :)

Our system is very similar, but for a 12-week time period. Each child has an accordion-style file folder with 12 tabs. Each tabbed section holds one complete week of work. Within one week, there are four packets, each secured with a paper clip. The packet is basically a cover sheet listing all the kids assignments (by subject) for the day. There are places for grades and check boxes for the kids to mark off assignments as they've completed them. Paper clipped to each cover sheet are all the copies and papers that child will need for the day. The kids can be pretty independent and the system is portable and easy to keep track of. I also jot down the supplies that I need and purchase all the non-perishable items in advance. It all goes on a semester supply box. I keep a basic calendar for myself listing projects and things we're working on so that I can see "big" things easily and know what's coming without checking kids' files. This prep work gets extensive because it includes all the planning, copying, organizing, and filing for 12 weeks (done three times each school year). But it saves me tons of time on a daily basis because everything is literally ready to go. This week we got behind due to lots of doctor visits (both planned and unplanned) but it was relatively easy to catch up by shuffling a little work around. We have also made up days by working over the weekend. I don't put dates on the cover sheets. They each say Week x, Day y and are filed in order so we can slow down, speed up, or miss days or weeks if we need to. The only problem I've run into is that it's very hard to change plans mid-semester. Doing so would mean either reprinting all cover sheets or changing them by hand. This isn't usually an issue though because we're pretty settled in our curriculum choices and because I can usually predict the right work load for each day. Melissa :)