Might check into that b/c I am officially sick of "doing" calendar. (Well, I guess I would be sick of it if I actually REMEMBERED to do it more than 1-2x a week.... :tongue_smilie:) Right now, our calendar wall says the date is March 9th...

I'm planning for next school year (6 yr. old 1st grader). We will definitely be using: OPGTR (+ ETC1 just for fun/extra practice as needed) FLL1 handwriting (no formal program, as needed) A Reason for Spelling (possibly beginning 2nd half of year) WWE1 (a delay starting this) hands-on science experiments 2x week light geography 2x week I feel like I have all my bases covered, but I can't stop checking out the Growing w/ Grammar and Winning w/ Writing website. I like workbooks, I just do! :blushing: Does anyone use the 2 of these together (meaning FLL + GWG, WWE + WWW)? Perhaps using GWG as a review of a FLL lesson or when you're on the road/having a busy day/want a change? Or using WWW alternating with WWE (perhaps WWE 2x a week, WWW 1x)? Maybe I'm having a hard time trusting "the WTM system" in its simplest form... Maybe I need to read more on TWTM/SWB's philosophy on writing at the grammar stage (I'm admittedly drawn to WWW b/c of it's more "creative" writing aspects, not just copywork). Another option is using GWG/WWW if we finish up FLL/WWE before the end of the school year... So....doing them both together? (I'm not saying doing full-programs, nor on the same day). Thoughts? Feel free to totally SHUT DOWN this idea if you think it's overload or counterproductive. Thanks!

We have Our 24 Family Ways as our family devotional for this coming school year. I'm really looking forward to it! I also really admire Scott T/Joanne M's work. I have both Parenting is Heart work (love it) and Good and Angry (which I haven't had a chance to start). I recommend both of these resources!

Awesome links. Now I want a loom! I think it's good for little fingers to learn busy work, ways to occupy their bodies and use their minds in different ways. I also think it's a shame that we no longer have or value these skills. I am a self-taught knitter (still a beginner) and I wish I'd learned as a child. I will definitely be looking into these things.

I have the Well-Planned Day Student Planner on my wishlist. Just waiting for the 2012-2013's to come out in April. The "mom" one is too busy for me, but the Student Planner looks good. ETA: one aspect that I like is that it has a place to record books read each quarter (something I forget to do).

:bigear::bigear:

I'm using only one. I don't have time for more (between my multiple writing, grammar and phonics curricula.) :D Just kiddin'. But I still will only be using one math program.

Yes. I'll have to look into these recs. I have an "angry" daughter (nearly 6 but she's been this way since a toddler)....and I've about exhausted all of the parental guides I can find. (I purchased "Good and Angry" by Scott Turansky, but I've not gotten around to reading it yet...)

This thread made me go and tally up all that I'm expecting from recent orders. :scared::scared: I'm still waiting on: ------------------- CLE 1 Math CLP Phonics Readers CLP Nature readers A Reason for Spelling A WWE (text) WWE1 FLL1 ETC1 Educating the Whole-hearted Child My Big Science Book TWTM (now I can return my library copy!) Fun With Nature More Fun With Nature a prism a magnet kit weighted 3-size bear counters kit beginner balance -------------------- Oh. my. word. That's the total of several orders spread out over a couple weeks. Um...it builds up quickly!

Well, I'm about the least fashionable female I know. I'm currently wearing a Star Wars Legos t-shirt (from the guy section of Target) and jogging pants. It doesn't often get much better than this, LOL. But I purge ruthlessly. DH --on the other hand -- needs hand-holding when it comes to closet purging. He owns a pair of color block shorts (think Kid 'n Play) that are about SIX sizes too small. He will NOT let me toss them/donate them/TOUCH THEM. So yes, there is some merit to what you've said. Don't know if it's gender-based or individual, though.

And see, I just assumed you were typing on a iPad or phone and autocorrect was wreaking havoc. :D (That's usually the case in this household!) I do think sight words have their place. I like how SWB says they should be introduced as they are encountered in reading, not in isolation. That makes sense to me. With DD (this past year) I was just presenting and drilling flash cards of sight words in isolation and finding she really was not transferring that knowledge to her reading. And that she was doing a *LOT* of guessing on words that she should've been sounding out. I'm still on the fence, but I do think they (sight words) will be less prevalent in my teaching from now on.

Glad you asked this because it was something I was thinking on recently! In the past (when I taught public school) we often relied on sight word drills and a word wall and such. After some of my recent readings, I am beginning to question the benefit (if there is any) of such teaching.

:iagree: Books, books & more books!

:iagree: Which is exactly what I have NOT done this spring and I don't even want to tally up all those "little" orders of $10-30+. :willy_nilly: Another thing I've learned: It's way cheaper to sit on it a while than to impulse buy and be stuck with something that is: 1) unusable (like this morning's CurrClick purchase :tongue_smilie:) or 2) expensive to return (like my big CLE order that cost $15 to return).

There is something quite satisfying about seeing that laminating pouch go in slightly cloudy and come out shiny & clear as glass. :D *You know you're a homeschool mom...when you wax poetic about laminating.*

I am looking for someone who can point me in the direction of free notebooking pages for SPRING. Something generic, easy to use, for a kindergartner. I'd like just a little guidance when I take DD on walks, spring "indicators" that we can be on the lookout for, hints on *what* to draw, or an outline for a simple unit. I know there's that lovely blog that uses Handbook of Nature Study by Comstock (sp?)...but I can't get the doggone free HoNS ebook to load on my Kindle, and I refuse to buy it b/c I *just* purchased "Fun with Nature" and "More Fun with Nature" as our references for nature studies. Anyway, does anyone have any links or files saved or something that would OUTLINE a simple spring-focused nature study? I could probably make them myself (but I'm being lazy) or use plain sketch books (but I like pretty, ready-made pages :001_wub:). Thanks!

:lol::lol: Good point. I keep my subjects in individual upright magazine holders, so I only have a handful for each subject/box that I have to sort through. (And we've been going to Office Max. :001_unsure: I'm a stickler for doing things perfectly, so now I'll be watching them like a hawk! :D Maybe I'll just have DH take the books in for me, save me the stress!)

We'll do this in the fall for first grade. Just glancing at the table of contents, there are about 58 "lessons" total. I plan on using around 2 a week (more or less, depending on what other activities/books we are using). I figure it works out about right for a 36 week year (we'll also not start this right away, but stagger it in after about a month of school).

Oh, glad to hear I picked the good books, then. ;) I have no plan (yet). :D I just remember making one in early elementary and thinking it was soooo cool. I think we used small boxes & little milk cartons covered in paper mache' (then painted them). Thanks for the tips re: Me on the Map! I haven't sat down and done my official plan for the year. I bet there's lots of good stuff out there! :)

I'm going to be using this next year with my 1st grader. I plan on doing a page (plus or minus) twice a week. I bought the following to go along with it: Kingfisher's Maps and Mapping Me on the Map (Joan Sweeney, Annette Cable) Where Do I Live? (Neil Chesanow) Maps & Globes (Jack Knowlton, Harriet Barton) Since it'll be our only Soc. Studies for next year, we'll also do some communities & neighborhoods stuff (courtesy of CLE), paper mache' towns (LOL ;)), etc. My 4 yr old will be tagging along, so it should be fun!

Please excuse my thread-jacking...but are PLL and ILL *not* considered formal grammar? What do they fall under? I've seen them under MFW's recs and have planned on using them (possibly in conjunction w/ FLL/WWE)... Thanks!

.... removing the book binding from teacher manuals & workbooks and having them spiral bound? I can't stop! :drool: It started with our BSGFAA student pages..... and then OPGTR got the royal treatment.... and then WWE1....and...and....and.... So, anyone else do this?

We do! We hit the library for new books & story time. Finish up any crafts/activities. Lots of playtime. :)

Here is a similar thread where I asked this question. The consensus seemed to be that it'd be fine. :)

For *me*, I would consider a devotion either: reading a book about the Bible (of a reflective nature) or reading a verse/short passage with the intent of talking about it's application or a time spent talking, praying, singing I consider our structured Bible study to be more for knowledge-building/retention. Our devotion time to be more about the heart and our relationship w/ God. Does that make sense? I guess the 2 do *NOT* have to be separated. I just see the Bible study time eventually becoming independent....perhaps before I would consider the devotional time becoming so... (I honestly don't know for certain....I'm still working it all out in my mind. :D)