It is funny how some things work so well for some and not for others. I guess that is why I have all these stacks of unused curriculum around me. MP is what finally clicked for us. We have been using it for 3 years now and two have gone through K. The enrichment portion (like all of MP) didn't seem very exciting to me at first, but the beauty of it is really in the simplicity. It is easy to implement and the kids learn a lot in a short time each day. My children like the predictability of Wednesday is poetry, Monday is a new book, etc.

Welcome.

We have a big room with bookshelves, a large table, two small desks and a couch. The room holds all the school supplies and toys. We sometimes school there and sometimes not. We'll move to the kitchen if I'm trying to cook at the same time. Sometimes we have to move because the kids have used the school table for play. Even though we don't use it all the time, I love having it there.

We have both the complete Grimm's and the complete Hans C. Andersen. Although I've heard Grimm's are better for her age, my DD6 prefers Hans C. Andersen. She informed me this morning that The Wilds Swans and The Little Mermaid are her favorite stories. My DD5 love The Steadfast Tin Soldier.

We haven't used them much yet, but my 4 and 5 year old loved the story about Giotto. When they heard a discussion about a possible trip to Italy, the first thing they asked was if they could go to Florence to see where Giotto painted (this was months after reading about him so I guess it stuck).

I am also trying to make a decision regarding delaying math. I am very intrigued by Benezet's work, but I plan to use mainly Waldorf. I'm wondering if math is taught in the whole to parts, practical way that Waldorf approaches it if it might be better to go ahead and start slowly. My teaching materials say something like learning math teaches concentration and diligence. Maybe this would be the point of starting something earlier rather than waiting until it is easier later? Or could these habits be aquired another way without the risk of ruining her mental math skills? I haven't "taught" any math yet. My daughter is almost 6 and can multiply, divide, estimate measurement and work with fractions all from practical experience. She would fail a standardized test because she has no idea what those things look like on paper, but orally give her a recipe to triple or ask her how much each ticket is if the whole family based on what bill I gave the teller and how much I got back and watch her go. The question is would math instruction enhance this early learning or squash it? And if I don't do the Waldorf math blocks, what will we do instead? I think the math blocks are there in part to give a break from language arts so I'd want the replacement block to serve that function.

This is exactly the debate that I've had with myself. CM or Waldorf? I just told my mom the other day that my mind says CM and my heart says Waldorf. I finally went with my heart and purchased the 1st grade Christopherus materials and I'm so excited about using them. When I read through the Christopherus Curriculum Guide and saw how things progress I felt much better about the slow start with academics. I also noticed that lots of the CM books that I've already gathered (I was going to do Ambleside Online/Simply CM) will be used anyway, just a little bit later.

My four and five year old go to bed between 7pm and 7:30pm. Everyone thinks we are nuts, but this is when they are tired and they get up at 7am no matter when we put them down.