Ooo, I like those! Thanks for sharing!

Or you could add in a lil' kid-specific art activity once a week (if they're not doing art)... I'm looking at getting Home Art Studio for Christmas b/c we seem to forget to do the fun, craft-y stuff... :)

This has been such an interesting thread to read! We plan on starting a foreign language next year (K & 2nd). We're going with Spanish b/c we have a high # of native speakers in our area and I figure it'd be immediately useful... At the moment, I'm leaning toward School Song Spanish, but I'm gonna check out some of the recs in this thread! :)

Welcome! :) Definitely read TWTM, if you haven't. I don't follow all of its recommendations, but I found it a very encouraging and motivating read. I'm not familiar with Abeka or Paces, but *I* would keep it simple for Science & Bible. Science: get a kid-friendly animal encyclopedia (DK or Usborne or something) and read about one animal a couple of times a week. Have her 'narrate' (retell to you) what she recalls, you write it down, and she can illustrate it. If you're feeling ambitious, classify/sort the animals (reptiles, mammals, amphibians, etc). :) For Bible, I'd start with a children's Bible and read a page/story every day (or a couple of times a week, whatever). If you're so inclined, throw in memorizing a verse every now and then or some kid's catechism-type stuff. :) Neither of the above require planning/curriculum. Just do the next thing. :) (I have no suggestions for Social Studies. We are not doing anything like that this year, other than our Little House on the Prairie study, which is more history/art than Soc Stud.)

We're currently 10 weeks into 1A and I've really enjoyed it so far. It's the first formal math curriculum I've used with DD6/1st. (Last year we did MFWK and it did not have a formal math program.) We are at a point where we'll be taking 1-2 weeks "break" to play lots of math games, practice our math facts....but I've got no complaints. It's been a great fit!

IMO = in my opinion

I'm interested in seeing what others suggest. We are currently using this to learn *about* the Bible and Simply Charlotte Mason memorization system to learn Bible verses. Not a formal curriculum, but good enough for right now.

This is how we use SM, pretty spot-on. (Except we do not use IP, we do CWP for extra....)

Wow, I'm amazed that you guys have 1.5-2 hr. quiet times! I was feeling like mean-mom for our 30 minute rest time that we're trying to get started. :p

Well, gee...... Maybe I'll just hold off and save up for the iPad. Hmmm..... :) :) Thanks for all the feedback!

Ha, I wondered that.... I may be in the minority here, but I have no problem with letting my child use something like that. We also watch t.v. here.... :eek::eek:

:lurk5::bigear:

I'm thinking about getting 6 yo something electronic... but would like it if my 4 yr. old got some use from it. I'm not sure what's the most useful, but requires the least amount of extra purchases (apps, games, etc). As far as tablets, there's the Innotab, the LeapPad one..... an iPad is WAY out of budget (but I'd love it!) I'm even interested in hand-held educational/gaming devices. Leapster? Something with *some* educational components, but also entertainment (for travel, waiting rooms, etc. :)) What do your kids love?

Awesome site! Thanks for sharing. :)

We are mainly focusing on reading & math this year. My 6 yo is using: Rod & Staff Phonics Singapore Math ACSI science (but as a spine) handwriting Little House on the Praire year-long study (includes some art, history, geography)

It's on our plan for next year, too. We're really excited!

Well, I'm certainly hoping our books get read again....but by my child. :p We are reading the Little House series right now, but I would love it if they were to read it again later! (Just please don't ask ME to read it all again. :D :D)

:iagree: We started SM our first week of school. We're on week 10 of school (I think) but we are AT LEAST 2 weeks behind in SM. I've been stretching some units out longer and spending more time playing the games. (Also, sometimes they have several pages in the workbook on a day, and DD can't handle that.)

Have you looked at Rod & Staff Spelling? I think it would fit what you are looking for...

That's funny because I felt the way that they approached these concepts made SO MUCH SENSE! :p For us, beginning with the number bonds and really emphasizing the connection between those numbers made learning addition and subtraction facts so much easier. I don't have any suggestions to make but here's what we do for each lesson: always use the teaching ideas in the HIG often use the game/Enhancement ideas in the HIG do much of our teaching/discussion time with manipulatives and writing on the whiteboard we do the workbook pages together (DD does the work, but I sit with her and talk her through it) (You may be doing all this and more, IDK...:) I hope you guys figure it out!

We read a mix of chapter books and picture books. My 4 yr old MUCH prefers picture books (and even some board books), and I think that that is age-appropriate and I have no problem with it. The 4 yo will also sit through our chapter book reading (right now it's Little House on the Prairie) and I don't ask anything of her. No narration, no nothing. She just likes being included and she'll usually play with putty in her hand or a small toy on the couch. My oldest is 1st grade and she could listen to me read all day.... but I can only handle 1-2 chapters out loud at a time! I don't have that much stamina! Since both of my girls are non-readers, everything is a read-aloud. :p When we make our weekly trip to the library, I let them pick whatever they want (I do peek through to make sure it's appropriate). And we do very little narration during our pleasure reading. Oldest DD usually picks non-fiction animal books, youngest DD usually something with a catchy-looking cover. :) Not to be cliched, but IMO, it's all good.

I :001_wub: math manipulatives. We have pattern blocks, unifix cubes, counting bears, 2-colored chips (yellow on one side, red on the other), abacus, math balance, place value cards, playing cards, base 10 blocks..... more, I'm sure. What we have used the most are our 2 colored counting chips and modified deck of cards ("modge-podged" a 0 and a 1 over my jacks and aces :p). They've been used 2-3x a week.

Same here.

Oh man! That's FUN STUFF! :D :D I don't have an iPhone or anything on which to use an app, but I tried the free web demo and it was fun! Wonder if educational (and SPIRITUAL!!! ;)) learning is a good enough reason to get an iPad. Hmmmm......

When you say CLE's 1st grade LA, are you also talking about their LTR (Learning to Read) program? If so, then I would say you don't need *that* + ETC/handwriting. Totally redundant. And I wonder how much their 1st grade Reading program is needed... For my 1st grader, we are doing phonics (R&S) and reading (lots of readers, Beginning Steps To Reading by Eastern Mennonite Publications). That, plus one handwriting item/copywork each day, is the extent of our LA program this year. Next year we plan to pick up R&S Spelling and possibly English (though I'm thinking this may wait until 3rd).