We just recently purchased the Yesterday's Classics collection when it was on sale for $49.99 (not sure if it still is or what the price is now). It is really a fantastic collection of books. Most of them you can download online too if you don't want to purchase them, although sometimes you sacrifice pictures and formatting with the free version. Most libraries also have an online source for borrowing books, although I am not completely sure how that works with traveling.

If you have the Magic School Bus DVDs I put a science curriculum together based on them and added library books and a few eBooks I purchased at Scholastic dollar days. http://wateronthefloor.wordpress.com/homemade-studies/. I am currently using it with ds9 and dd7.

My darling 4 year old attempted to dress himself today. He insisted on wearing his favorite sweater...here are the results.

Thank you! Many of those were on my radar. It is just so hard to narrow it down sometimes!

Since we have the YC collection I would like to use them more with our history studies as read alouds. We are just finishing "Peeps at Many Lands: Ancient Egypt" and the kids are really enjoying it! So out of the following list if you have read any, which ones have been favorites? A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys Tanglewood Tales Streams of History: Ancient Greece The Story of Greece Famous Men of Greece The Story of the Greeks The Odyssey for Boys and Girls The Iliad for Boys and Girls A Story of the Golden Age of Greek Heroes Our Young Folks' Plutarch The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Greeks Old Greek Folk Stories Told Anew Gods and Heroes Our Little Athenian Cousin of Long Ago Our Little Spartan Counsin of Long Ago Peeps at Many Lands: Ancient Greece Men of Old Greece Stories of the Ancient Greeks Plutarch's Lives for Boys and Girls Old Greek Stories Favorite Greek Myths Three Greek Children Stories from Plato and Other Classic Writers Stories of Old Greece The Heroes Ideally I would read them all, but I just don't see that happening:) So which ones would work well for younger children with the oldest being 9? Are there any you could see a 9 year old reading independentlyThanks so much!

Here is the link to KISS http://home.pct.edu/~evavra/kiss/wb/PBooks/index.htm. I would suggest level 1 for 2nd grade. What I usually do is print off the student pages (under doc) and I check the answer key (under AK) on either the laptop or iPad so I don't have to print that too. Here is a link to Grammarland http://books.google.com/books/about/Grammar_land_or_Grammar_in_fun_for_the_c.html?id=iXgSAAAAIAAJ or you can get it free on Librovox if you prefer listening instead of reading http://librivox.org/grammar-land-by-m-l-nesbitt/. Here are some free worksheets to use with Grammarland http://dontneednoeducation.blogspot.com.au/2010/01/grammar-land-worksheets.html.

Have you looked at all at KISS grammar for 2nd grade? My dd7 is working through it right now and it has greatly increased her grammar knowledge. We are also going through GrammarLand just for fun:)

One thing I will add for you to consider is something I just discovered this year. I do not like having science and history scheduled together. I have used MFW and HOD this year we are finally branching out on our own. I never realized how much having everything tied together stressed me out more than it helped me. I like to be able to spend more time on a topic if we want to and not feel like it is throwing the entire week off and then have to play catch-up to get back on track. But, that is just me and some people probably like having everything together. If you feel this may be an issue then Sonlight or TOG may be a better option. I think all of your options have language arts suggestions, but you can substitute in your own (the exception being the current guides for Sonlight which now have integrated LA, but you could always purchase used guides). As far as the combining your children (if you are only talking about the 4 & 6 year olds) that should be completely doable with any of the options you listed.

The only things we have used in addition to what was already mentioned was their health workbook. It was quick and easy and just a nice little overview of different health topics.

For my ds4 I am using a combination of Miquon and Math Mammoth. I just use them at a pace he is comfortable with. You could always look at the Education Unboxed videos and use some of those if you don't want to start a formal curriculum yet.

Thank you! I have never really looked into these books but I hear about them a lot. I'll have to check and see if our library has any. What a great site! I'll have to spend some time looking through some of their suggestions- thank you! We actually just purchased these and I think she will love some of the books (there are certainly enough to choose from:) Now I just have to get her used to reading from something other than an actual book. I have toyed with buying her a kindle of her own, but she is the only one of the kids who actually would choose not to do something electronics related. Maybe if it was an eReader of her own she would change her mind! Thank you! We have a few of the If You Lived books so I will have to try them with her and see what she thinks. There are probably enough pictures to keep her interested. We have been reading a few of the You Wouldn't Want to Be series with our history so I may get a few more on different topics and see what she thinks. I will have to check these out- thank you!

Is there a website or list anywhere that will help me find some good nonfiction books for my kids (especially dd7) to read? She just recently let me know that she would much rather read nonfiction books for her reading time and save fiction books for read alouds. So are there any good book series out there? I know about the Lets Read and Find Out series, which she loves, but what others do you know of? She does seem to really enjoy science, but books for history or other subjects would be great too. I would prefer to find some longer books, something similar to the level of The Littles (like a shorter chapter book). Thanks so much- I know I can always count on you all for some great suggestions:)

I would first suggest Writing Road to Reading. It does have a learning curve (which I believe is most easily overcome with the 4th edition) but once you understand the method it really is open and go. If you are looking for something more independent that doesn't have a learning curve I would suggest IEW's Phonetic Zoo. They have a placement test here to find out which level to buy. If you are willing to read the words you can buy the cards without the CDs.

We actually purchased this set too. I thought and thought about it (since you can get most for free) but I am SO glad we did. I love the format and the selection of books will keep us busy for years! My dd7 is loving all of the science books right now:) Glad it was a good purchase for you too!

This is how we use it too.

It does look good! I actually just ordered ATFF for ds9 and dd7 but if this gets to be too much I may use Bible Heroes it for dd7. And there are always 2 more coming up for me to use it with if she doesn't need it:) I have always thought going from PAL writing to either a theme based or SWI was kind of a leap, and this seems it would fill the gap very nicely!

Here is what I have planned for my daughter who will technically be 2nd grade in the fall: Religion: devotional of her choice, SOAP Bible study, Character Quality study using www.characterjournal.com and memorizing Bible verses that go with each quality Math: Math Mammoth blue series Language Arts: memory work from Living Memory, copywork of memory work selections to continue cursive practice using www.worksheetworks.com, Writing Road to Reading for spelling, WWE style of writing using our own selections, I just ordered All Things Fun and Fascinating from IEW, KISS grammar Latin: continue with Getting Started with Latin (not sure what we will do when we finish) History: Mystery of History with some added books/ supplements Science: Magic School Bus DVD science Piano lessons Art: she chooses a handicraft to work on (currently cross stitching) at least 30 minutes of free reading per day, read aloud practice using McGuffey readers, and read alouds after lunch and/or in the evening I am also going to attempt some parts of either FIAR and/orBeyond Five in a Row with her when we have extra time in the afternoon

For our weekly science topic I read to my kids one nonfiction and one fiction (fun picture book) about the subject. I also get extra books for our book basket that they are welcome to read on their own during free reading time.

Here is a link to a ton of great ideas for keeping both toddlers and preschoolers busy during school http://www.mamaslearningcorner.com/2012/08/ultimate-guide-to-occupying-toddlers-during-school-time/. I have used several of them with my ds4, but even more so for ds2. My 4 year old is very content to play with just about anything (just an easy going child). So if I take some time to get some toys out for him (like trains, blocks, puzzles, coloring books, etc.) he does well playing while we do school. Sometimes he comes in a tries to get involved with schooling, but typically I try to get his little bit of schooling done first thing in the morning. I think that helps him too because he gets his mommy time before everyone else:) Here is another link that has a list of 100 ideas of things to do instead of watching TV- it may be a good jump start for your list:) http://naturalparentsnetwork.com/100-ways-to-avoid-tv/

Definitely Writing Road to Reading. Once you have the method down it is very open and go. I have seen great improvement with spelling in ds9 and dd7.

We technically started our school year in January, but according to the school system ds will be 4th grade in the fall. Here is our current curriculum (still working out the kinks!) Religion: devotional of his choice (currently Sword Fighting), SOAP Bible study, Character Quality study using www.characterjournal.com and memorizing Bible verses that go with each quality Math: Math Mammoth blue series Language Arts: memory work from Living Memory, copywork of memory work selections to continue cursive practice using www.worksheetworks.com, Writing Road to Reading for spelling, WWE style of writing using our own selections, I just ordered All Things Fun and Fascinating from IEW, grammar with a mix of Blue Book of Grammar and KISS grammar Latin: continue with Getting Started with Latin (not sure what we will do when we finish), a scholastic e-book on Latin/Greek roots Logic: a scholastic e-book of Logic problems History: Mystery of History with some added books/ supplements Science: Magic School Bus DVD science with the science supplement Piano lessons Art: he chooses a handicraft to work on (currently origami) at least 30 minutes of free reading per day, read aloud practice using McGuffey readers, and read alouds after lunch and/or in the evening I am also going to attempt some parts of Beyond Five in a Row with him when we have extra time in the afternoon

Here is ours: You've Been Found!

If you want to chose what copywork they do www.worksheetworks.com is a great site. It is very easy to type some sentences in and then it generated worksheets for you. We use our current memory work as copywork (right now the kids are copying Psalm 139).

We have the download version, but we are actually using the Blue series. With the download it is much easier to pick and choose sections to print off if we don't need the whole book.

OK, I am really late this week, but here it is! Hope your weeks are all off to a great start!