Hi Sunshine~ I am a member of Grace Community Church. The church uses their own curriculum called Generations of Grace. It is available for download on their website here. Let me know if I can answer any questions for you.

This year my son is doing: Math: Singapore Math 6A/B Logic Maths 1 Memorization: IEW's Poetry memorization and AWANA Latin: Latin for Children Primer C History: The Teaching Company's Early Middle Ages and Late Middle Ages DVD courses Science: Noeo Chemistry II Music: Piano Writing: CW - Homer Extracurricular: My son is working with his dad on creating a video game from scratch. My dh had him write the story, draw maps, and is teaching him programming. This takes 30-60 minutes per day.

AWANA/Scripture memory IEW's Poetry Memorization Singapore Math 4B/5A SOTW 3 Latin for Children B Classical Writing Aesop Typing Instructor Deluxe Rosetta Stone German Science..still undecided violin

If it's any encouragement, I found 5A to be the most difficult (read infuriating!) math. It eased up in 5B and now that we are in 6B I am finding everything much easier. Just to encourage you...you are at the hardest point, in my opinion.

AWANA/Scripture memory IEW's Poetry Memorization Singapore Math 5B & 6A Latin for Children Primer C Classical Writing - Homer w/ Harvey's Grammar SOTW 2 w/ extra reading Noeo Chemistry II Viola

The Pooh books are perennial favorites around here.

Phonics Pathways (1 page a day) Bob books copywork (1 sentence a day) ETC 1 + 2 (2 pages a day) Singapore Math (just finished Earlybird, beginning 1A) (2 pages a day) It takes us about 45 minutes :-)

I agree with Collen. I would drop it all. Every single thing. Your children don't need it at that age. (I would argue that they don't NEED it at any age:-) Your top priority is to run a home where people are cared for and there is a feeling of peace and calm. If that is missing, you need to do everything possible to find it again. I have five children and my oldest just started an outside sport (other than the very occasional 6-8 week thing) last year when he was 10. My husband is also gone 10-12 hours each day, so it is a priority of mine to have a nice, warm dinner on the table when he returns from work at about 7:30. We have school lists and chore lists and don't leave the home, unless absolutely necessary, until our work is done. Sometimes we go 2-3 days without leaving home! But it's OK with all of us. My kids are great friends with one another and they find plenty to do around here - I just love that. You can't have this time back again. Enjoy it while you can: reading together, playing together, singing together. All too soon they will be out of your home...make your memories while you can. Your kids will not fondly remember a frazzled mom and swimming practices twenty years from now, but they will fondly remember quiet times snuggled together on the couch with their calm, loving mom. Blessings as you seek to re-prioritize.

Day 100 here, although I have no requirement. We shoot for 180 days.

We schedule all of our memory work to do either with, or immediately after, mealtime. We use IEW's poetry (we are currently in level 3), listening to our current selection 3 times and then spending another 5 minutes going over the section we are working on. We then spend about 10 minutes doing Scripture memory. We use Charlotte Mason's system and it works great. I also have my children do a daily memory page. It is a 2-sided page that includes all manner of memorization including grammar, math facts, poetry, Scripture, science terms, and Latin. I have a 2 week rotation of pages that include all that we have been working in in the last year. Every 6-8 weeks I add/rotate information. Hopefully that makes sense. I have found that including daily review is crucial to our memory work success.

I would (and have) done SOTW w/ Activity Guide for those ages. You can throw in some extra reading for the 4th grader, and you're good to go. :-)

My son really took off when he was 8. The Redwall books were a HUGE hit that year.

ds 12: The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle dd 10: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis dd 8: Pippi Longstocking and The Door in the Wall ds 5: loving his Tag Reader...current favorite: Po's Tasty Training

toss :-)

Well, my oldest 2 have been using it this year with the workbooks provided by Classical Writing. I think it is doing the job. It is thorough. The language is a bit archaic, but it is easy enough to use words that the children are more familiar with, if necessary. We try to spend one day a week just deconstructing sentences taken from the model and diagramming them. For me, I love that it is integrated with the CW workbooks. I am thankful not to have one more thing to pull together on my own :-) HTH,

I didn't read all the responses, but I think the happiest people are those who can do anything with joy and gladness without thought of themselves. Those people, in my opinion, who are constantly seeking self-gratification are the most discontent in day-to-day living.

Sword Song and Adam of the Road were big hits here.

My husband would agree with this. His dad lived in Yuma for a bunch of years when he was in high school. He hated it!

Yep, I'm with Ria. No child will starve herself. When she is hungry she will eat what you offer. Just stop buying those items and it will be very easy not to give in.

Welcome, Jessie! I am currently teaching Kindergarten for the 4th time. My opinion on what's necessary for Kindergarten? Just work on reading fluently. Read to her. Follow her lead and read about anything that interests her. I would not add any formal science, history, or language arts beyond reading/phonics. The combo. which works really well around here is: Phonics Pathways (Teach Your Child is great, too) Explode the Code Singapore Earlybird Math copywork (as they become ready for it) That's all. Then we just read aloud about anything and everything. Go on nature walks and create a nature notebook. Draw and paint pictures. Make things out of clay. Just enjoy learning about everything around you. There is plenty of time for formal curriculum. The younger years should be about curiosity and wonder. Enjoy your time!!

Mine is up, better late than never. My goofball 5 year old...

Sorry, Brandy...I meant this for the OP. Not sure how it ended up under your post.

Just fold them in as they come. That's what we've done with absolutely no problems and you will be so much happier teaching one period at a time. The last thing you'll want as they get older, and their subjects get tougher, is to have them in different time periods. That'll make for one psychotic Mommy (well, I would be psychotic, at least!) :-)

I agree with Jean. Managers of Their Homes (MOTH) by the Maxwells has been a breath of fresh air around here. Combine the other children as much as is possible. Have the older children take turns playing with the youngers so you can work one-on-one. Institute playpen/room time for the littlest. Make sure you are getting outside every day (or getting exercise indoors if the weather is bad). This will help with focus/moods/napping. Read a lot. This is school!! Enjoy them as much as you can. Sometimes we really have to make an effort to enjoy them, but after a while it comes more easily and the interruptions seems less like interruption and more like life. You can do it!! Take a deep breath :-)

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