I'm eyeballing the Home Art Studio dvds. I think my DD's would love them. I think the website suggests doing 1 project a week, but the Kinder. dvd has something like 18 (?) projects. That's definitely not a full school year. (And maybe they don't say they do last a full year, LOL.) Basically, I just want to make sure I'm not missing something. :D What do the lesson pdfs include? (Are there only pdfs for each dvd presentation...or are there more for you to do on your own?)

I'm not an experience homeschooler by any means :D but my plan is to continue phonics through 2nd grade (R&S). At 2nd grade, we'll also add in English/Grammar and rules-based spelling. You said you were wondering if it's overkill to add in CLE. What is it that you hope to add by doing CLE? You seem to have phonics, reading & spelling covered. I guess CLE would add....? grammar? formal reading comprehension? some writing?

I like the look and idea of them, but for my *very new* reader, it was too much for her to be adding in all their sight words (major confusion!). I'm considering doing all of the phonics lessons and then going back to the reading lessons afterward. Right now we are just doing the phonics lessons, workbooks, and adding our own readers (we really like Beginning Steps to Reading from Eastern Mennonite Publications....very few site words -- like 5 total in all 50 stories.) *ETA: we are not Mennonite, but I've found myself drawn to many of the educational items published from these conservative groups. :)*

Aw, too bad. I was looking at LLATL Blue but ended up passing on it.... I don't know much about the setup of LLATL, so I don't know if there's any way to make it salvageable... My 1st grader is really doing well with R&S Phonics (we like it better than we liked AAR). Very inexpensive, very open-and-go, short lessons that are easy to finish in a sitting. Buy just the teacher's guide and the phonics workbooks. There is a bit of writing involved, but DD doesn't mind as long as I let her use crayons and markers and fancy pens. :p Anyway, it has really built up her confidence quickly (in just 3 weeks, she has gone from struggling with c-a-t to reading words like "tuck" and "mess" easily).

DD is in 1st grade this year. She is still a beginning reader, so we are not doing any formal writing. (We had WWE but got rid of it when I realized we couldn't use it -- above her level right now.) I'm just curious... when did you begin formal writing? And what did you use? And what did you use after that? I know you've got a long-term plan ...please share! We won't hold you to it if you change your mind! :D Did you: WWE 1-3, then WWS Or did you: follow WWW all the way IEW? Bravewriter? Writing Strands? Or ???? There are so many writing programs out there; it's hard to know how to fit them all into a long-term plan. We are currently using R&S Language Arts -- which incorporates writing -- so I may not even need an extra writing curriculum, if we stick with R&S. But I'm still curious. :D

Love the colors! So bright & cheerful!

I'm keeping an eye on this thread..... DH has been an ordained minister for 12 years, currently working with a parachurch organization (ministry @ a university). He's also an elder @ our church, where I am the Children's Minister/Director. I totally understand the need to have a safe place to talk & put things in perspective! :grouphug:

Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're not the only one behind. :tongue_smilie: We're only 1 week behind in Math, but I think we're approx. 5-6 weeks behind in phonics/reading (that's what happens when you hop curricula and don't settle down until a month and a half into the school year...) And our reading plan is pretty full, so there's not going to be any doubling up on it to play catch up...not any time soon.

I have that sitting on my shelf waiting for youngest DD's K year, next fall. I think it looks great! A nice solid base, to which to add lots of fun stuff! (Plus, my DD likes "doing schoolwork" and doesn't mind workbooks.)

Yeah.... we are reading together (I read aloud, often). I just loved the idea of R&S's reading program, with it's Bible-based readers. :tongue_smilie: But -- I am reminding myself -- it won't harm anything to hold off for a few months. I don't have to do Reading Lesson 3 the SAME TIME as Phonics Lesson 3. :D

Yes! This sounds exactly like my DD. Thanks for all the feedback! I'm glad (and sorry, :grouphug: ) to hear that my DD isn't the only one like this. She is very strong and coordinated, otherwise. A natural athlete, great core strength.... but has developed some bad habits (hooking the hand) and some bad attitudes (refusing to hold the paper still when I suggest it :glare: ) that I think we just have to work through. Again, thanks for all the responses!

Thanks for the feedback. I think I will just postpone starting the Bible Nurture readers (and not worry about adding anything extra, other than phonics readers). I think DD really needs to get her sounds/blending skills down pat. I'm considering doing both years of R&S Phonics before doing the readers that have sight words (then maybe do the readers at an accelerated pace, to get caught up to grade level). IDK how that'd work....just a thought.

I think it's fine....but I'm far from rigorous. :p My first grader does handwriting, math and phonics/reading 4x a week. We do light history/art 2x a week, via a Little House on the Prairie study, which is mostly interest-led. We mostly do read-alouds, but occasionally add to a US map (when the Ingalls move) or do some science-y thing (like shake cream into butter) or some craft/art (like making covered wagons from shoeboxes). :D We also do light science 2x a week. We use ACSI student text as a loose spine. If nothing else, we read 1 unit every 2 weeks (spread it out). If we're feeling ambitious, I check out dvds from the library, other books to supplement, crafts, experiments, etc. :) But it's been a very pain-free way to get a healthy dose of science in our week. And -- for me -- I don't feel guilty if all we do is sit down and read through the student pages together; DD enjoys it and I think it's sufficient for her age (young 6).

Games with the 100s chart? When I taught 1st grade, we would play a "game" where I would call out a "secret code" (i.e. I would start by saying "color this number" but move on to "color the number that is before 33, color the number that is after 29" etc...) and after all the secret codes were colored in, it revealed a picture. Here's an interactive 100s chart, so you don't have to copy and color on so many print charts....handy. :) Also playing around with a base 10 set might help him visualize the numbers... Maybe something like MamaJenn's math game, Off the Grid. These 100s chart puzzles are fun. I like this little tool, too....

I am still love-love-loving R&S Phonics. Seriously... :001_wub: However, I'm having 2nd thoughts re: the reading program. I was fine to give it a try, but the very first lesson -- 2 weeks in -- that we introduced sight words (made, light), my daughter looked at me with a face that just seemed to say: "Wha?!?! You JUST told me that 'ma' said /ma/! What's all this craziness!?!!" I could hear the cogs turning and echoes of "Warning! Warning! Does not compute!" :glare: This is my child who, after many months of not getting it has finally been showing signs of progress & understanding with R&S phonics. I'm not sure I want to throw any wrenches in there.... So....if I were to pause R&S reading (Bible Nurture series) until...IDK, maybe phonics instruction is finished (until we've worked through Phonics 1 & 2?)... is there anything I need to be adding IN ITS PLACE RIGHT NOW? Extra reading in terms of phonics readers? Check, got those. Anything else? Comprehension activities? Just add narration to our current literature activities?

:iagree::iagree: Same here, exactly.

Yeah, I feel your pain. I'm currently trying to sell some impulse buys (a 2nd math curriculum? what was I thinking?!) ... AND I'm kicking myself right now because I *just* purchased a phonics reader for DD but found a 2nd copy for much cheaper, so I bought the 2nd and tried to cancel the first order. Can't cancel. So now my bargain buy isn't such a bargain, LOL, because I have 2 copies of the same reader coming to my door..... Bah! :tongue_smilie:

You'll get varying answers... but I don't do any formal writing for my 6yo/1st grader other than a VERY brief copywork each day + the writing in our phonics lesson.

Hmmm, you could always just add seasonal crafts if you just want to have something like that.... (i.e. fall leaf collections, sponge painted fall trees, etc). What my first grader is doing that I think is fun: I think our math is pretty fun (Singapore usually has a game/"Enhancement" suggestion every lesson or 2). DD likes them a lot and it does break of the monotony of the lessons/workbook work. (I also just purchased the Right Start math games, to add in more "fun" math practice time.) For Lit/History/Art, we're doing a year long Little House study. *I* think that's fun, haha. We read a bit, then do a related craft or experiment or something. 2-3x a week. This week we're making covered wagons from shoe boxes. :tongue_smilie: Science is *somewhat* fun. We follow ACSI as an outline, but throw in dvds and library books and I try to add a craft/activity at least 1x a week. For example, this week's focus is BIRDS, so I have a dvd on birds and we're painting a robin picture from a footprint (found on pinterest :D). FWIW, I personally did not care for any of the EM Literature Pockets I saw (I think we had Fairy Tales?) There are better (more creative and easy) ideas to be found online. For free. :)

Well, goodness! I have to think a minute before I can do that! :D Sounds like he's right on track & you know it. :)

Yep. I have this problem.

I *clean clean* whenever I have company coming. :D I do *tidy* (laundry, dishes, generally tidying of toy tornadoes, wiping down a table after a meal) most days. :)

Week 8 for us... We have changed: Evan-Moor How to Teach Art + Beginning Geography ----> for a Little House on the Prairie year-long study (with *some* maps and crafts) TWTM science recommendations for Year 1 ------> ACSI science text + add-ons we tried just about every phonics program out there ------> finally landed on R&S Phonics & Reading

My DD has an interesting habit (?). She refuses to use her left hand to "assist" her right hand when she is writing (like holding the book still). I'm not sure if she's refusing to do it because I suggest it (:glare: ) or what....? But she'll let her writing page/book slide all over the place before using that "extra" hand to hold it still.... She keeps that hand on her lap (or sits on it... or props it on her hip). This child is very athletic/coordinated/strong, so I don't think it's a matter of a physical problem, but I could be wrong... Also, though she is right-handed, she "hooks" her wrist around, like a leftie might. I've tried to show her how to keep a semi-straight wrist and write from below the letter, not above/over it. I think this is the main reason she continues to misform certain letters (starting many from the bottom up). Anyone deal with either of these issues? How did you remedy them (or did you even bother)? Thanks!

Yeah, I was wondering if this was a simple matter of RS not looking like "traditional" math programs :p and her being concerned because of that.... ?