I do believe that some kids don't test well. The pressure of being timed, like for a sat can add undue stress and won't truly show what a student knows. My husband for exapke is currently working on his masters degree, though he's older that our homeschool kids, doesn't test well. He has a GPA of 3.85 and gets A's in his 6000 level classes, yet he struggled with the GRE. If that test hadn't been timed, he would have nailed it. How to take a test is almost a subject in itself. There really is a learning curve to it. I plan on testing my children, even though it's not neccesary for our state, but I think they do need to learn how to take tests so when they enter college that won't be an issue.

I think as homeschoolers you want to make insure that your children understand every subject the best they can, and that often we are tempted try and buy more than we need. It's nice that we can taylor our lessons to an individual child though. I find myself very tempted to buy it all to insure my daughter has the best education I can give her. sometimes though simplicity is best. We started kindergarten with Saxon 1 and loved it, but I got tempted buy the easy workbook formate of Math mammoth. Though I liked how math mammoth was going, I just didn't feel like it covered math facts as well as saxon did for us. So we went back and now I have spent way more on kindergarten math than I needed to. On a positive note though, we as homeschoolers are so lucky to have so many options for teaching. 8-)

I just got my Spelling workout a and b workbooks today (for 1st grade not starting till summer) and just glancing at them I have some questions. First, I've read chapter 5 in the well trained mind, and it says to do 1-3 pages a day for 4 days. That seems to be a chapter a day. So are you guys doing 2-3 chapter a week? Second, There is review every 5 chapters but no test or suggested memorization. I guess coming from being taught from public school I"m used to the idea of review, memorize, and test. Does anyone test? Is this something that may be in the Teachers manual that I didn't buy? I understand putting "troubled words" in the notebook, but in 1-2 days per chapter, how can that be enough time to see troubled words. And third, if you are doing 2-3 chapters a week week, that seems like a really fast pace. How is the child supposed to memorize the words? Do you just keep moving through the workbooks at this pace? Does the later books do more repitition and memorization? I like the look of the activities, but it just seems too simple to me. I mean, I don't want want to add anything making it more complicated than it needs to be it this method works.

Just curious is anyone has gone through Saxon math 3 and then moved into Intermediate 3 before moving into 5/4. I see that intermediate 3 has worksheets for the problems and that could be a nice transition for a child that doesn't like much writing. Whereas, 5/4 the child has to write out all their problems. Just thinking out loud, but i could see how intermediate would be a nice transition to help child move into a more independent math book. But would saxon 3 and intermediate 3 just be the same material? Any thoughts on using one after another?

That's what I wants to know too.

This is my final plans (sort of) for starting this summer. Reading- She will be finished with OPGTR by then. So we will continue read alouds with mommy 30-60 minutes and 30 minutes of her reading to mommy. We'll also continue with Reading for all learners set 5. Writing- Pentime 1 Math- Finish Saxon 1 part way through the year and move into Saxon 2. Spelling- Workout A Phonics - Explode the Code 4 & 5 History- Story of the World 1 Science- Activity bags- Science experiments, magic school bus Art- Access to art supplies a couple of times a week. Am I missing anything?

We use ordinary parents guide to teaching reading and love it. My daughter just turned 6 and is trading so well because of it. We'll probably finish the book I'm may and I'll miss it. Thankfully my 4 year old will start using it this summer. Thelessons only take 10 minutes a day. But they have dine the trick with daughter. You very tautly need to prep anything. Its open and go.

I guess I didn't really look hard enough. 8-) Thanks for the info. I guess to keep it simple I should just stick with R&S english and use the writing.

Rod and Staff English doesn't appear to have much as far as writing. Those that use R&S what have you used for Writing to go along with the English?

I live in a city that doesn't have a library, so we have to pay to get a card for the library in the next town. Its a small library and costs $30 a year. Their selection is bad though.

I have the what you're 1 St grader needs to know. There us lots of info in it, but but much direction on how to actually teach the information. How do you use your book? I have the older version 1991. I like how much good stuff there is, but am not sure how to implement the book. Suggestions?

I'm writing in our plans also. Baby due may. Can't wait to read others plans. We are planning on sotw for history.

I have a copy of English 2 sitting in front of me and first off I notice it's really set up for a class. It seems like its thorough though. Is it a good program? I was given it and am debating whether to wait to do grammer till 2nd grade when R&S starts. It's nice that I have several of the R&S English books that I don't have to buy. Just curious how others use it with just one child. How have you liked it?

Thank you for all the nice suggestions. They are all great and I've had fun looking at the blogs too. I ad match a lot at Walmart. That helps a ton. I need to find me some good bean recipes. Any favorites?

Food is so expensive. It seems like everytime I go shopping I get less food for my money. I'm trying to figure out how to make my budget work. We have a family of 4 and I have to keep our food bill for the month under $350. It's a struggle. I need some ideas. How do you make it work? Do you have any limited ingredient recipes you mind sharing? Know of any blogs with good tasting, inexpensive meal recipes? I came accross the blog Great Depression Cooking and watched some of her youtube videos and it got me thinking. There has to be a less expensive way to cook. Anyone bought her book? How are the recipes? I want to cook healthy meals for my famiy and just feel stumped. Any ideas?

Just curious what everyone has done or is doing to help your kids learn their Addition, subtaction, multiplication, and division.

My kids are still young but I plan on continuing with our quite time for many years. the 6 year old chills on my bed with her stack of books and a few toys for the whole time my 4 year old is napping. Usually 1 1/2 hours. my 4 year old still asks for naps (Yup she asks) and my 6 year old is bummed when we have to miss her quite time. I am surprised how much they count on it every day. And I of course, being pregnant and very tired, take the opportunity to nap as well. Good all the way around.

As I understand some programs require more prep time than others to use. since I have more than one child, and plan on having more, I was just looking for curriculum that would be easier to use. I have all intentions to be right beside my children as they learn. Even though we are on our kindergarten year, I have bought things and already shelved them because prep time was awful. when I posted this question I was just looking for some of your favorite, hoping to find some I hadn't looked into before.

I hires what I was looking for was to see what programs I might have missed. I'm working on our 1St grade plans and wanted to find programs that w could continue all the way through the entire program. I I don't like the idea of switching to other programs for different grades. just want to find programs that are easy on the parent. So what my question should have read was: What programs are easy to teach and is not to time consuming on the parents part?

I'm just looking for I'm a few years. I'm planning in starting fll 1 for first grade and just wanted to pick programs that would be good to continue with all the way through the program.

what have you used that was easy to use, open and go, and not parent intensive. Grades 3+: Math English/grammar spelling writing Reading Science Edit: my question should have said programs easy to teach without to much work for the parent?

Correction: less parent intensive and more self taught.

I don't mind the parent intensive programs for 1St & 2nd like fll, but I was wishing I could find a program I could stick with. What is fll 3.& 4 looks? What other programs are led parent intensive and me self taught. It doesn't have to be completely, but with other children I'd like to make it more simpler on mom. Suggestion?

Worked fine for me. I have Firefox

there is a teachers instructors guide, WWE workbook 1, and a student pages. Looking at the samples of the instuctors guide and workbook they look the same. What is the difference? and what is the student pages?