I don't know but it's a pretty large range, I'd say. There are things that are just right for my 4 year old, but there are some concepts (in the math) that are a little too advanced for my 6.5 yr. old.

Yay, thanks for the quick response! I did purchase The Joy of Handwriting-Cursive earlier this week (but it was on sale!), but I think I need more hand-holding (and LOE looks like it does that!) Plus, I like what I've read/heard about the no-tracing method they use... Also, I'm glad to hear that it can be done without purchasing all the extras (though I'm tempted by the quick reference sheet... :)) Thanks again!

Or does one have to buy a full curriculum to get the teaching instruction? I'm interested in what I've read about Logic of English's cursive program (The Rhythm of Handwriting?). I have had a look at the samples, but can't tell exactly what I need to buy. (I am not using LOE for anything else, nor do I plan to...but I am interested in their cursive!) Anyone use this and can let me know? Thanks! (Sorry for the 2nd cursive thread today!)

Haha, okay. So maybe switching to cursive won't help our print at all. Alright, I guess I can deal with that... (as long as her current penmanship improves -- and if it's cursive, I'm alright with that. :))

My DD is 6.5/first grade. We haven't worked on handwriting as much as we should've, mainly b/c we had a lax K year, plus she has been *so* writing-resistant. (Unlike her younger sister -- who writes and draws nonstop -- older DD has always been outdoors and active and totally uninterested in putting pencil to paper. :p) Anyway, her print is so-so. She is very resistant to my instruction (when she forms letters incorrectly, I gently remind her but she immediately raises her hackles). Printing is slow and laborious. I don't want to continue as is -- she's solidifying bad habits and incorrect letter formation. She's shown interest in cursive & claims she'd be glad to write it. I wonder if cursive can be our do-over/clean slate, in regard to teaching her how to write legibly. :D So that's not my question -- I'm pretty sure switching to cursive will be better than our current struggles..... HERE'S the question: DH & I didn't learn cursive until 3rd grade, and I'd always assumed that I would wait until her printing/manuscript was *very good* before moving on to cursive. But her print is NOT good.....so will it also improve when we switch to writing in cursive for the majority of our schoolwork? (ie. she won't be stuck at kindergarten-level print, right? :p) And for those that do cursive early on.... when you have workbooks (like phonics) that are assuming you do print, do you still just fill them out in cursive? **Forgive all the questions/rambling -- I'm still trying to wrap my brain around this early-cursive concept! I NEVER thought I'd be interested in it!**

We're doing Home Art Studio for artsy-craftsy kind of art. My 4 yr old loves to draw, but I didn't want to start Kistler's stuff yet ($) so I got 1-2-3 Draw from Amazon and it's right up our alley. We do it very informally, all of us sit down with sketch pads and work through a lesson (I have the animals & pets one since my girls are big animal lovers.) :) I like How to Teach Art to Young Children (Evan Moor) and it's good, but a little dry (mostly elements/art theory type stuff). I've put it aside until later... but I do think it's worth doing at some point! Next year I plan on keeping HAS, but adding in something a little more formal for drawing/sketching. Maybe Kistler. Maybe something else, IDK...

We pay the subscription for moreStarfall and I think it's awesome. It opens up a lot of math activities, a read-aloud library, and other things. My girls (though older than your child) enjoy those activities more than the regular Starfall!

:iagree: And :grouphug: to the OP. My dad (and granddad) fairly frequently ask me when I'm going "back to work." Just yesterday, my dad asked if I'd thought of going back to get my masters. (In my head, I'm thinking....why?! Why pay $$ we don't have to advance a degree I have *no* intention to use.) Anyway, I'm pretty sure my dad's concern is financially-based. We're scraping by and I'm sure he sees more value in the other route. I don't.

I completely ignored the Reading Eggs placement tests. It placed my slow-to-read DD *way* higher than she could function. We just started at the beginning and she's enjoyed every minute of it.

Thanks for all the feedback! I'm definitely leaning toward combining the girls. Now my dilemma is determining WHICH curriculum I want to use with them!

Thanks for mentioning this! I'd never looked at this program before. I'm planning on using the Picture Smart bible study for my hands-on/artsy girls, but they're still a little young for it. This will be the perfect bridge until we're ready for it! (I ordered the Christmas *and* the Old Testament sets!)

The paperwhite the new one, right? If so, it's got a lot of negative reviews (ie. that it should currently be a beta test, not a final product, etc.) I have a Kindle Keyboard that's a year old, but I admit that I was interested in the white screen... (the regular Kindle, IMO, is slightly difficult to see...)

Which do you prefer to do for science? My DDs are close in age (2 years apart) and next year my youngest will be in Kindergarten. At that time, I'm planning on starting a more formal approach to science (it's been hit-or-miss up until now). I've been planning to combine them using Elemental Science and keep them together up until 6-7th grade. However, now I'm wondering if they would be better met doing science on their own level... (i.e. picking up something like BJU Press science for each of them, separately). Thoughts? Do you combine science or keep it separate? (I am planning on combining history, up until middle or high school.)

Well, I like the look of this... I might have to add it to our art time...

My 4.5 year old is currently about halfway through Book C (Counting w/ Numbers) and there are times when it is too difficult or too much writing. I think the preschool books the previous poster mentioned ordering were these that are for the 3 yr old crowd and come before the ABC series.

No, no....this isn't some cool new curriculum that you must have, LOL. Instead, this was my lightbulb moment. My lil' girls are hearing so many great works of literature (age-appropriate chapter books at their request) but I realized that they were missing out on some other genres. So now each day we have "Little Lit" time. We pick from each category once a week: Aesop's Fables Mother Goose fairy tales poetry I pulled together several books with great illustrations, and each day we read 5-10 minutes. Short & sweet, and I'm super-thrilled that I have a semi-organized way to ensure that my kiddos are exposed to some stories they've not heard. (Isn't that sad, LOL. We've read Burger Boy 845 times, but my daughter had never heard "The Emperor's New Clothes"!) Anyway, I just wanted to share! It's nothing fancy or ellaborate; just a way that I am covering some bases. :)

Agree with the PP. I did NOT enjoy the book AT ALL (and I have always loved the movie).

Oh, I'm working big time on Mommy Organizational Skills. Also need more exercise, water, prayer; less take-out and forum-time. We're adding in Writing and Grammar after the holidays. I should also add in House Cleaning and Grocery Shopping at some point in our week...

We are enjoying Singapore this year for first!

Not to veer too far off-topic, but are you able to use BJU with multiple ages? (That's one thing I'm looking forward to with Elemental Science -- being able to combine both my girls....)

If you like ETC, look at Primary Phonics. Made from the makers of ETC, I think. There is a phonics workbook set, a set of readers for practice and even a set of intervention sheets for struggling readers. We're currently using the phonics workbooks, readers, comprehension workbooks and really like them. Level 1 does CVC (my DD *can* read CVC but I felt she needed more practice). These can be used nearly independently. :) There are a very few sight words. Right off hand, the first several lessons use words like: I, and, a, no, for, are....and some color words. I purchased from CBD (which you probably can get a free shipping code for now -- they're floating around out there for Christmas.)

We're schooling lightly up until the 21st (which is when we leave for our holiday travels). Then we'll be taking a solid break until New Years.

Born & raised North Carolinian (way east, graduated Purple & Gold ;)). Currently live near Chapel Hill.

My preschooler loves to draw -- and my DH & I (may be biased but) think she's got some natural talent. She is currently obsessed with doodling/sketching all day long on her Magna Doodle (I try and get pics of her really good stuff since she has to erase it all to draw something new, LOL). Anyway, what are some must-have "Artist" things to get her for Christmas? I know I'm getting her a little spiral-bound sketchbook to collect her work in.... And is there a good how-to-draw program out there that would work for her age level? We have (but haven't used) Home Art Studio, but I'm not looking for a craftsy program. I'd like a *real* drawing program (but 4-yr-old-friendly). Is there one? Thanks!

Well, I hope you can... b/c I have even less experience than you & I plan on trying next year! :D