I agree that the first section is based on speed. My DD took this and had a big discrepancy between the first 2 sections. The first is supposed to measure words that they can recognize very quickly, the second section is recognition of words, but it is not timed (so they can take their time and sound out each word and then choose without penalty). My DD did the first two sections in the same way, reading and sounding out each word then choosing. So, she placed 3 grades higher on the second section than on the first. We use the Phonics Road to spelling and Reading, which covers many (all?) phonics rules. We have liked it for teaching those phonics rules that help with both spelling and reading. We are finishing level one in a few weeks and will continue with all the levels.

Thanks ladies, I will look for some of these!

Hi, I am looking for ideas for readers for my DD. She's reading comfortably at about a level 2 reader. Some hits have been Amelia Bedelia (although these were challenging to her), Henry and Mudge, Magic School Bus, and the Winnie the Pooh Level 2's. She also likes the level 1 or pre-level 1 to read just for fun. For example, Puppy Mudge, Mittens, Biscuit. These books she can read through in 1-2 minutes but she likes them for the cuteness factor. Any books around this reading ability level that have been hits at your house? Any at a higher level that you recommend? Animal based books are usually a hit, and she likes series (like the Henry and Mudge books) where there are multiple books with the same characters. Thanks!

The Apologia Science books have kits available for the experiments. It is a separate purchase, but they match the experiments and are broken down into bags for each lesson. Convenient, if you are interested in the topics that are offered.

Nope, no, and no way :) Way too early for us! I have a hard time making a commitment to 9am...

I work nights, so the days I am off I still tend to sleep late. My kids get up and usually let me sleep for awhile. They will wake me up when they are hungry, thirsty, or are having a disagreement. With that being said, I'm leaving nights soon, so I would like to get up a little before they do, but right now it's not possible.

Unfortunately, we have 7 days we are out. 3-4 of those are kids things - church and Awana, as well as Tae Kwon Do. The other days we go to the Y so I can workout, and I work part time out of the home. I would love a few days a week to stay home!

I also think Teaching textbooks might work. My daughter didn't quite test into the 3rd grade book. She knew a portion of the problems, but not all. We used it anyway and she is over 70 lessons in with no problems. They start very gentle and basic, and especially if you're around to guide her through any tough problems she may excel at it. They also have little study buddies that to actions (like a caterpillar going into a chrysalis then into a butterfly. It makes it fun.

We use the Phonics Road to Spelling and Reading - they also teach spelling before reading :)

Generally here May is nicer than June, and March is still freezing. So, we may end up switching and doing school Jan/Feb/Mar, taking off April and May, and then doing June/July/August. It is so nice to have the flexibility! We'll plan it the way I initially posted but if March looks like it won't be a great month off, we can keep chugging along for another month while we await Spring!

We school year round, and are trying a new schedule this year. We have decided to do school in Oct/Nov, Jan/Feb, Apr/May, July/Aug. We take off December, March, June, and September. December we're off for Christmas, September is our family vacation time, and June will be for enjoying spring. March, well just because it fit into the rhythm of the other months off!

We're using the TT3 and really like it, we plan to continue.

I just got an email that Veritas press is offerng $50 off their self paced Omnibus and History classes until April 6th. For History: http://resource2.ver...tm_medium=email For Omnibus: https://vpsa.veritas...tm_medium=email Enjoy!

This year we are using both the lapbook and journal for Zoology 1. We are planning on doing that again for Zoology 2 next year. The activities are different, and my daughter likes the copywork and coloring pages in the journal the most, and the cutting and pasting type activities in the lapbook better than those in the journal. The journal usually has 1-2 mini-books per lesson, while the lapbooks have many more activities. We read a section or two, then do the corresponding activities in both the jr journal and the lapbook. It works well for us, and is a nice hands on element after listening to me reading science to her.

We spread each chapter over 2.5 weeks. We are using the jr notebook as well as a lapbook. So we read a section, do the corresponding lapbook parts and notebook activities. Depending on the length of the sections we may do several in a day or just 1 or 2. We usually do science 3 days a week. So each chapter is being split into 7-8 days. I think doing it over less days would be really hard. Doing the lapbooking activities really seems to re-energize the kids to listen again, as it gives them something hands on to do after each section.

We used the kit for zoology 1, and I definitely think that they are worth it...if you use them! We had trouble with some of the experiments (squirrels eating the bird food, etc) and some we are choosing not to do (my DD has no interest in mounting bugs, for example). We are planning on getting the kit though for next year in swimming creatures as well. I think that the experiments we did do using the kit were worth it, and may not have been completed without everything right on hand and divided out like that.

We will be at my parent's house. They will have french silk pie and pumpkin pie. I'll make pumpkin ice cream, gluten free chocolate cupcakes, and possibly gluten free carrot cake cupcakes.

I voted 5-6. What I actually do is make a big batch of a sugar cookie like GF dough, and then make some cutouts, and separate the dough to add different mix ins. We'll make peppermint cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate/sugar swirl cookies, and make some with some variety of candy added (m&m's, white or butterscotch morsels, health bits, andes candies, etc). So nice to only make one dough and then customize from there!

I've been working night shifts (either 8's or 12's depending on the day) for about 2 years now. I've had enough. I've had a lot of success in losing weight since I have decreased my nights. It is really hard to work nights for several days in a row (I was doing 3) and then try to switch back over. It takes two days to start to feel normal again and then you hardly have any time before you have to switch back. I could do nights with no problem if I didn't need to wake up at a reasonable hour ever But, with kids getting up at 8am on my days off it doesn't work for me to be on a schedule of staying up until 6 or 7 am and sleeping until 12-1 every day For meals I would usually take leftovers of whatever or pick up a salad. Eta: Dark curtains and white noise machines are great for when it is light out and there are other people awake in the house when you are trying to sleep!

We just got back from Disney yesterday, and my son turned 3 while we were there. He is 38", just barely with shoes. He was not able to ride at magic kingdom - big thunder mountain railroad (a little coaster), splash mountain, space mountain (another coaster)...I think that was about it. The only thing he was dissappointed about not being able to ride was the dinosaur ride at animal kingdom but that was too scary anyway. Magic kingdom had lots he could do - shows and rides. There were honestly many more things that he could do that he shouldn't do - like shows that were scary or rides that he was allowed on that scared him due to loudness or darkness, etc. He's easily frightened though. We went to sea world also, he loved the animals and the shows. Also, they have a kids ride area that my 2 loved! There was one kids coaster that required 38" that he could ride but your little one couldn't at 36". All the other kids rides he was able to ride, and they were appropriate as well - not scary or too intense. HTH

My 5 year old who already knows how to read is using the Phonics Road 1 right now. We are using it more for the spelling rules, it is a really great fit. We're going through it pretty quickly, if we were teaching her to read while doing the program I think it would take much longer. I prefer other methods to teach reading, but it is great for other aspects of language. She knows all the rule tunes, and I hear her singing about the 5 reasons for a silent final e all the time when she is reading and spelling :tongue_smilie:

Thanks! Just ordered this, it was under $43. My kids will love them ( I might too...) :)

I work full time depending on the week (some weeks are more like 60 hours, some are in the 20's). Obviously then there is more time on my lighter weeks for school, but the really busy weeks are even harder than just a regular FT job - so I think it balances out! I work pm's / overnights / weekends. It is hard :( We get our work done, but my daughter is just in K/1 right now. We do school whenever we can, whenever I am home. Sometimes it is mornings, afternoons, weekends, and even some evenings. We do a 8 week schedule where we have 6 weeks of school, one week off (like a sabbath schooling schedule) but I have added and 8th week at the end for catching up on material that wasn't done. If we stayed on track, we will either review material, look ahead to the next 6 weeks, or just do some fun projects/field trips to fill that week. Lesson planning saves me so I know whether I am getting enough done in a week and in a 8 week cycle. I can't just do as much as I think I need to / feel I can every week. I need to know that we're doing enough. Good luck! Oh, my DH doesn't really help. I will occasionally leave him a worksheet, or ask him to have her read to him. He doesn't really like to though, so it often doesn't get done. I don't plan on him helping, if he does, it is a perk!

We have similar restrictions on movies. One we have on our DVR to watch is Source Code. I've seen it, it has explosions and a some violence, but nothing controversial in it as far as sexuality - no nudity, no sex scenes, not even any sensuality or innuendo as far as I remember. A little kissing, but that's it. Hopefully DH likes it :)

Great job :) I've lost the amount of cheese an average american eats in a year. Working on a newborn giraffe :)