This looks really cute! (I'm a sucker for phonics programs.:o) I tried several before settling on R&S Phonics, which DD & I are really enjoying. We're only 3 weeks in, but here's a thread where I talked about the aspects that I liked... http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=426790

My daughter's liked Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth. I have no idea of the author's ethnicity.

Well, "...to make sure he's where he's suppose to be" is pretty vague. Did she voice specific concerns that you can actually investigate?

I think my DD will be getting this for Christmas. I bet my DH will love it! :D

Here's a free math site, multiple grades to choose from. It's from Houghton Mifflin, who publishes textbooks for schools, so I would assume the content would be pretty comparable to whatever traditional schools are teaching. http://www.eduplace.com/math/mw/

“It takes much bravery to stand up to our enemies but we need as much bravery to stand up to our friends.” ― Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” ― Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” ― Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Lots of good ones here... ...and my fave HP phrase, which I will someday get as a tattoo: Constant vigilance! ;)

Sensory box? Blue rice + little fish & stuff to play with? (My 6yo still digs that sort of stuff!)

Fridays at our house are... for catching up, cleaning, and the library (story time is on Friday).

This is what I meant! I think I said Learning Resources before ... but THIS site has the games I really wanted!

Awesome! We've finished reading LHitBW, but we're still doing our activities from it. This may be too much for my girls, but for FREE I can't help but check it out! :D

Oh, good. That's where I was leaning. :p Thanks for the suggestions. So do most people just start at the beginning and work through the games systematically...? or pick & choose?

I've never read that, and I'd like to. Do you prefer the updated (1980s?) edition or the original?

Learning Resources has a ton that I'd buy, if I had the $$. Since I don't, I tend to make a lot. Here are some of our favorites and some on our "to do" list: 1. Differential learning cubes (available on Amazon), you can put sounds inside, make words, practice blending (we LOVE these!!) -- also great for math games! 2. ABC city -- my 6yo loves this downloadable board/file folder game! 3. There are a TON of practice file folder games here, if you don't mind printing and making... 4. My kids like the Ziggy Game Supplement from AAR, and most of them are able to be used without the curriculum (just adapt it to whatever you're learning) 5. Here are some neat ones... *but for me they won't open properly (doc files)* :( 6. More.... *these are pdfs* 7. Also, for that age, having a set of letter tiles (I buy the tub from Amazon) is handy.

We like shape puzzles for that age. The McRuffy site has a lot that we like (pattern blocks, puzzle cubes, pentominoes). My 4 and 6 year old also liked Blokus, though the 4yo didn't make it through the whole game...

We just bought the Right Start game set for my daughters. For the most part, I really like what I see. We are currently using Singapore and it has a focus on making 10. From what I see in RS, they do a focus on 5. Is that right? Are the 2 concepts confusing to merge? Also .... place value.... What is this 2-ten 3 (23) mess?!?! I look at that and just :eek::eek::eek: ! Do you RS users like that terminology? Find it useful and *better* than the traditional method of teaching place value? I'm not actually using RS curriculum...I'm not sure I can actually bring myself to SAY 4-ten 5 (45) like the book instructs.... Anybody have any clarification for me? Last question: what's your favorite game?! :D

Yep, it does have sight-words. Here's the rationale that R&S gives on their webpage, for those that are wondering: I'm all for phonics, but I am not anti-sight words (within moderation), so this fact doesn't bother me a bit...

Great idea! Thanks. :) Today was actually our first side list (sa se so su si, etc) and she actually liked it! This is the same kid that would dig in her feet at sounding out words and blending sounds. So far, I'm very impressed with R&S.

I just started a separate thread to talk about R&S Phonics. :) http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?p=4329120#post4329120

I didn't want to derail another thread, so I thought I'd start this one; anyone who would like to chime in, please do. I tried many phonics programs before R&S (CLE LTR, AAR, Alpha-phonics, ETC, OPGTR, AiP, HOP). I was beginning to feel like Goldilocks, LOL (too much writing! over-uses special markings! doesn't teach phonics rules! too scripted! not enough guidance! :p) Anyway, I avoided R&S for a long time but took a chance when I found it used, and I'm glad I did! Some of the aspects that fit *our* family: The price is right! I like that there are workbooks to use, but not too many to get through (Grd. 1 has 3 student workbooks). Also not a lot of extras to buy in order to do the program "right." You can add other components (flash cards, etc) but there's no juggling a dozen parts per lesson, KWIM? Teacher guide + student workbook = ready to go! The guide is very open & go. It's scripted & written for a classroom setting, but easy to adapt (mostly just skipping sections meant for whole-group practice on the blackboard, etc). It's incremental/progressive - the lessons build upon the previous. We also like that we can see our progress because each lesson is easily finished in a sitting (this was one of my main problems with AAR). Lots of review built into a lesson, as well as multiple learning modalities. Not a lot of fun & games (HA!) but most lessons have an oral/listening segment, a written part (workbook), some word- or sound-building component (using "spelling blocks" which are basically paper letter tiles that you can cut out from the back of the workbook). We supplement with Starfall and some file folder games when we have an itch for "fun phonics." The workbook has JUST ENOUGH writing for my daughter. ETC was too much (she absolutely could not do more than a page a day, which meant we were on one sound for.ev.er.) She just didn't like that, but R&S has a good bit of writing and she doesn't complain. I think it's because each lesson asks for answer to be shown a VARIETY of ways (circling, matching by drawing lines, reading a sentence & drawing a picture, marking a word for it's phonics rule, underlining things, coloring parts). Each lesson's work is a 2-page spread, easy to see, the books lay flat. I allow DD to take some short cuts (she HATES to color, so I let her just mark answers in the correct color to show she understands something, instead of coloring a whole picture...things like that). I really like how sounds are presented. Some of the programs we used before blended sound-by-sound or by word family (onset+rime). DD just was not transferring that knowledge. She was painstakingly slow to sound out C------A------T and she couldn't take c----at and transfer that to s----at. (HOP teaches via word-family lists. Boring! Also I found that DD did a lot of guessing with that, for some reason.) Anyway, I don't know what it's called that R&S does, but we like it. Where we are now, it's blending consonants and vowels (sa se si so su, ta te ti to tu). DD has picked up on that quickly and already feels confident adding endings to make words. We also do the Reading program that goes along with Grade 1, but the two do stand-alone. They also have a little series called "God is Good" for reading practice. We got those, too, just for extra reading practice. HTH someone!

ETA: Duh, just reread your post for clarification. Your children are probably above the 2 phonics levels that R&S put out. If I were in your situation, I would then just go for a phonics/rules-based spelling program (like mentioned below).... I don't know of any advanced phonics programs out there (well, HOP has Master Reader). ETA2: I like the games at this site, and they do have a section with advanced phonics... (they level their phonics centers K-1, 2-3, 4-5). I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for, but we just started R&S Phonics 1 and DD is really enjoying it. I can't speak for long-term results (again, just started) but I did a lot of curriculum hopping for phonics/reading (CLE, AAR, HOP, MFW, ETC, OPTGR, AiP) before I found R&S and it was love-at-first-sight. :D (Funny, b/c I resisted it for so long....) ETA: I totally understand what you're saying about HOP not being enough... We used it for a week b/f I returned it for a refund. Nothing but reading and rereading word family lists. That's it. (We found it incredibly boring...) Anyway, they have 2-years of phonics (grd. 1 & 2). After that, I guess they assume you get instruction through their rule-based spelling program (which I currently plan to use). Anyway, I can elaborate if you're at all interested (just don't want to type it all out if you're not :p). One plus with R&S is it is very affordable, IMO! Good luck finding something that fits your kiddos!

Nice space; loved the little doggie perched on the back of the sofa. :D Ooo, love the bookshelves! We school in our kitchen, at the table. I don't have much of anything on the walls b/c I don't have an open wall. We have a small wooden desk squeezed in a living room corner where I set up my laptop for computer work. And we read on the couch. :)

We are in 1A and :iagree::iagree: I like the HIG -- it gives ideas for games you can play (with a deck of cards, etc) that further reinforce the lessons. My DD really likes that! Also I think the HIG aids in teaching the SM way: Concrete > Visual > Abstract (I think I said those right). The concrete is the hands-on learning done with manipulatives as laid-out in the guide.

Prairie Primer ~ I actually do like this idea....we are actually doing a "prairie primer" of my own making this year (year-long Little House series study, but very little history...). MFW Adv. ~ I have looked at this (MFW has *greatly* influenced my history cycle layout...we started off last year with MFWK). I think I'm going to keep this on the back burner... I remember reading that some thought the state study was boring? or moved too fast? IDK.... did you like the state study portion? HOD ~ I wonder if something like this would be worth it if I'm *only* interested in the history/geography/literature. Sonlight D+E ~ can these 2 cores be covered in just a year? I think I looked at those, but thought they'd be too advanced for, say, a 1st and 3rd grader... (I'm planning ahead. :p) I'll have to look at these suggestions. I do like to piece things together....to an extent. :p

:lurk5:

So are most people using these as add-ons or as a complete history curriculum?