You're welcome! I like free stuff and this works perfectly fine for a beginning Bible timeline. :) (and I like the game that goes with it)

Shew! Glad to hear some more positive feedback -- since I'd already hit purchase, LOL. DD does like games and it is such a chore to get her to do any ETC pages... so I think this will replace that, for sure. So if Happy Phonics covers up to approx. 4th grade, would you say that it is as complete in scope/sequence/content as OPGTR? Or are they 2 completely different things... (DD has not been pleased with our OPGTR-time, though I do use letter tiles, white boards, etc. to help it along...)

I am not familiar with the Veritas Bible timeline (so this may be way different than what you're looking for), but I will be using this one in our schooling this year or next year....

Not to mention formal lessons on dental health and personal hygiene...:rolleyes: Yep, when I taught public school, instruction/introduction of a concept and group practice always took up a good part of the lesson. THEN they moved on to independent practice (aka worksheets or projects).

As a former 1st grade teacher... PS kids do a LOT more worksheets & busywork than their homeschooled counterparts. And a lot of sitting -- whispering with their neighbors -- while the teacher helps a handful of students. Or waiting while behavioral issues are addressed. Or standing in line while the entire class takes turns using the restroom and getting water at the fountain... Just for starters...

....the programs/games I already have? I am interested in Happy Phonics for my 6yo (I also have a 4yo following quickly behind her.) We are currently using (loosely) OPGTR, ClickNRead Phonics, Starfall, Bloomfield's Let's Read readers (for fluency practice), ETC. I have the Evan Moor "Take it to your seat phonics centers" for PreK and K, which cover the following topics through phonics center activities: visual discrimination rhyming words identifying like letters recognizing & matching upper- & lowercase letters listening for initial consonant sounds listening for final consonant sounds word families short vowels counting syllables We also have the file folder games from AAR LEVEL 1. So....is Happy Phonics so fabulous that I absolutely MUST add it to my phonics arsenal? Or pass? (I have a wiggly girl who despises writing and I'm trying to separate our current reading/writing times.)

We don't have the IKEA shelves, but we did use the cube bookcases from CLosetMaid and did a whole wall of them in dark brown/black. I love them. (We bought 4 of the 3x3 systems and anchored them together and to the wall.)

I have a 1st grader and a 4yo. We are not doing formal history this year. We are doing a geography workbook (Evan Moor Beginning Geography) to get basic map/geography skills. But, then again, I don't plan on starting the 4-yr. history cycle until after we do a year of state history, then a year of American history, and then a year of world geography/cultures....so what do I know? ;)

I am using the BOB books, as well as the Let's Read (Bloomfield) readers (which are great practice -- I prefer them to BOB books for sounding words out.) We also use the flash cards at Reading Bear and stories at Starfall.

:bigear: Your description of your DD sounds like my 6yo. We're starting with baby steps: no tv before lunch (which I hope will be simple to do because we'll be busy with school work.) After that, I hope to limit afternoons to a specific, small time block where t.v. is allowed.

My 6 yr. old DD will be in first this year. We also did a preschool outside of the home (2 days/wk) and a VERY relaxed Kindergarten year. Our plans for this year: Reading: OPGTR + ETC + BOB books Bible Math: Singapore Spelling: no formal spelling this year (had AAS and sent it back, we'll probably do R&S next year) Grammar: no formal grammar this year* Writing: no formal writing this year* *we're doing an Evan-Moor Writing/Grammar workbook Geography: Evan Moor Beginning Geography Art: How To Teach Art to Children Science: we're following TWTM recs (animals, human body, plants) I had a much more involved plan (with WWE + another writing, FLL, Miquon in addition to Singapore) and I had to have a reality check with myself. I decided I'd rather start small, succeed and build....than to start big, crash and burn. :)

Another one here who had less-than-thrilled parents. :p I was 19 and we got married exactly 1 year after our first date. We had our 12th anniversary this summer. :D (Everyone thought I'd drop out of college, etc....well, just to thumb my nose at them, I graduated a semester early and with a 4.0. So there! :p)

Well, here are some that I'd saved.... https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B97VumpziE6VZDdhZGQ0YmYtNzhiMi00NTU2LTk3YzItOTNlOGYwNWIyOGRj/edit?pli=1&docId=0B97VumpziE6VNzk3NjkxMmItY2IwNS00Mjc1LTk4MmYtOTMzZjIyMWNhNmNj

My 6yr old DD will be in "first grade" this year. I decided to not use formal spelling, writing or grammar programs this year. DD is still a *very* beginning reader and everything I looked at seemed overwhelming (especially in terms of the writing required). However, we will be using Evan-Moor's Grammar and Punctuation, Grade 1 workbook. I wanted to do something that focused on conventions/grammar, and I figured this would help keep me on track...:) So far, I like the looks of it.

The ones she did for Exercise TV/American Heart Association are good and quick-paced. I believe there is a 3 miler. I like the 4-mile super challenge walk (which I have on a compilation dvd, "5 Day Fit Walk"). I also like one of her newest walks (Ultimate 5 Day Walk Plan) that gives you 5 different miles to mix & match.

Interesting thread. We had our first official date 7/1/1999. Engaged 12/13/1999. Married 7/1/2000. Engaged 6.5 months.

I'm playing around with next year's plan (haha, before we've even started this year...typical). Anyway, I never noticed that R&S had a phonics element in their reading program. (duh!) Since I'm considering R&S for grammar & spelling next year, I wondered what people thought of the phonics portion? How does it compare to a program like, say, OPGTR + ETC (this year's plan)? Also, can it be a stand-alone program (purely phonics?) or does it reference their reading program (which I have no interest in using)? From the samples, it appears to be completely separate. Does it have a heavy usage of diacritical marks? Thank you!

I'm considering R&S for next year -- do they use diacritical marks any in their Spelling program?

Wow, well he was really, really rude. Ugh! I don't know if any further action is required of you, but I'm sorry you had to deal with such negativity when you were donating those items... Frankly, I'd find another location to donate.

Oh my! My 4 and 6 year olds just started this! And they're GIRLS! I don't know what it is, but I'm tired of it, too. Mine aren't full-on spitting, but more like constantly blowing raspberries & other such tongue/mouth noises at each other, the dog, the floor, etc...

Every time someone posts a link to that, I get sucked in for hours.... So funny. Very clever.

I will be thinking this exact same thing next week... :glare:

Here's some printables for patterns w/ unifix cubes: http://www.heidisongs.com/Free_Downloads/assets/Unifix_Cubes_Directions.pdf

Those are fantastic! Just what I was looking for, thank you! :)

Someone (Confessions of a Homeschooler, I think?) has a bunch of printable cards for bear counters and unifix cubes (patterns, sorting).... ETA: well, now I'm not sure if that's where I got them b/c I can't find the link now.... :( I would love to find some geoboard printables!