Thanks for sharing. I think these would be a great addition to our curricula. I'm going to try a few sets out this year.

I let my dc have full access to c-rods at that level. Now, if he were really struggling on every problem without rods, I'd rethink moving on. I wouldn't give it another thought otherwise.

:iagree: and were you using Singapore Earlybird? If so, I hated that series but love Primary Math. They are written by different authors. If you were doing Singapore Essentials and didn't like it, you may not like Primary Math. I'd still try it out with the HIGs and manipulatives.

I would go in at a reasonable time...say 11pm. I wouldn't be upset at my neighbors for having extended parties every couple of months as long as it is on the weekend. We live next to a rental and one of the tenants would have loud parties until 3am on random weekdays at least twice a week. I was pg with my 3rd at the time and almost blew a gasket. Once woken, I couldn't go back to sleep! They would play guitar hero right outside my bedroom window.:glare: If it had just been loud talking, I wouldn't have been so annoyed. Thankfully, they moved out and we've had great neighbors ever since.

:iagree: I have the 1st grade one (in addition to all of the other levels) and it is worth it even though I don't use the I Can Read It Series. I start the schedule with the remaining books. My dc have been enthusiastic readers, often finishing the packages way ahead of schedule, but I like have the schedule and questions on hand as a minimum requirement.

I wear minimalist shoes to do most of my workouts (Crossfit and boot camp) and short runs. It is hard for me to give up regular running shoes for my long distance running (5K-1/2 Marathon). Dh has given up running shoes, but he's also strictly Crosfitting, so not much distance running. He did just run a 5K in his last week and did a 10K in them earlier this year. I'm interested in those who use them for longer distances.

Thank you for this and :lurk5:. I opened it but quickly realized it was about tonight before I read more than 3 words. I'm really glad the result wasn't spoiled for me. I would have been very disappointed.

Here's link to another company that created some inexpensive hands-on supplements: http://www.handleonthearts.com/cart/handson-activities-prek-4-and-5-c-24_28.html I haven't used them, but they get good reviews from the moms on the SL boards.

:iagree: There have been a couple of book changes and they updated the IG to include more hands-on activities. I really like the new books, but it would be easy to add those on if you felt like it. I haven't upgraded my IG to the newer version because I didn't feel like the older one was lacking. So...I'd say go for the purchase. I combine P4/5 & P3/4 into a super preschool/Kindy program, reading through the books several times. I use Core A more strictly for 1st, but the preschool and Kindy year have evolved into a SL mishmash for us. Even my ds8 has declared that we aren't to read any P4/5 stories withhout him. Have fun!

Welcome! You've already got some great advice. I'm in my 4th year of using SL and it's been great for us, but it isn't right for everyone. We love the abundance of books and lack of worksheets. I just want to encourage you to simplify your first year and try not to supplement much at all. Just sit back and enjoy the time with your dd. She will learn plenty with the programs you've chosen. AAS will help her reading and ETC will be fun for a worksheet-loving girl. Next year, you'll have a better working knowledge of dd's limits and interests. Have fun with that baby too! The toddler stage has been tough for me while homeschooling so I like to relish in the cuteness and long naps of babyhood.

:iagree: with both posts above. I do think the forums cause a lot of problems. They seem to serve as an amplifier to the companies errors. :lol: I do this often with thread titles, but never with such eternal consequences!

:lurk5: I'm interested in what others think about this. I love the series and advance my dc at their own pace, but I'm curious about how they stack up against typical reading levels. Either way, my two oldest are devouring the books and loving the content (surprising since my oldest hates bugs, insects or arachnids of any kind).

:iagree: My oldest was like that for about a year to a year and a half. Once he turned 5, he took off. We use SWR and it was just the thing for him. My nearly 4yo is the same way, but I've learned not to push it. He joins us voluntarily for phonogram drills and is doing well. I had one that taught himself super early (ds6 @ 2yo), but that hasn't been the norm. The salt box has been my best friend in the preschool years.

I find this interesting. The friend I was taking to this weekend thinks she has more time with her 10yo dd because girls don't talk about it as young as boys. I was surprised to hear her say that and would tend to agree with you.

:iagree: and gave this advice to a friend this weekend. I like them, but haven't started them with my oldest yet. We're going to do the first one soon. I like how everything is presented in the series, but wanted to wait on that level of detail.

I love this. And :iagree: with dressing for your body. I am also a curvy girl even at a very low weight. I don't wear baggy clothes and love fitted tops and skinny jeans. Frumpy clothes just make me look fat. You can still look fashionable while dressing age appropriately and modestly. I'm not a natural, but am getting better with practice. I have quite a few fashionable friends so I take my cues from them. Do you have anyone you can ask for help? I do not enjoy shopping, but it is more fun with a friend. I find that I'm wearing more casual dresses and skirts with flats during the week as I get older.

:iagree: I think under 1200 is small. 2000 is quite large to me. Now, raising my 4 boys and 2 dogs in the 1300 sq ft post-WWII era house we had in CA would have been tough but it was ample for the two kids and 1 dog we had at the time. I grew up in a 1500 sq ft. House with a family of four and it never seemed small to me. Where I live in San Antonio, all the houses are pretty big if not huge. I think if you have a lot of things in a house, it can seem much smaller. I've tried really hard to keep our house decluttered, but it is harder now that we don't move every two years. I'm in a decluttering, deep cleaning mode right now.

I also grew up in a family of four with one bathroom (three of us were girls) and now have a family of 6 sharing two. Right now, we only use one...the boys just use our master bath, but I'm sure that'll change as they get older. I don't anticipate any problems.

I haven't read the other responses but both my 4yo and 6yos are in 5pt harnesses. My 8yo just grew out of his by height (all three have Graco Nautiluses) and is using it as a high back booster. The oldest two are allowed to use the Graco Turbobooster in Dh's car, but the 4yo is not. He won't be allowed until he is 6. ETA: My 6yo is right about 40lbs and my 4yo is around 35 (will find out soon). My 8yo is in the 50's (he is tall but also very thin). Since the Nautilus harnesses until 65, that hasn't been an issue. They'll all be in harnesses until they get too tall. If weight were going to be an issue, I'd opt for the Britax Frontier which goes up to 80lbs.

I am Christian and teach mythology. Not only is it part of history, it is essential to understanding parts of the New Testament. Paul fought against the religious culture when introducing Christ to the Greeks. I guess you could make the argument that you would introduce them when dc are older and I get that, but not to teach mythology at all would hamper them from understanding that part of the Bible. We actually compare and contrast these types of creation stories with the Biblical accounts. My dc haven't had any trouble distinguishing between our beliefs and the stories. I don't see that it is much different from fairy tales.

I have used the older version of Core A (used to be Core K) and think it is even more sensitive than P4/5. The selections are great and thought-provoking. They took a couple of the mature books out replacing them with Curious George and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I'm glad I have the older version! I would miss the titles they took out like Apple and the Arrow and Family Under the Bridge. They did keep some of the sensitive material in like Twenty and Ten and Mary on Horseback. I do use this Core with my 6yo so that we can discuss these topics on a higher level and don't have to worry about maturity.

I do agree with this! I think there is even a huge gap in between Kindy and 1st grade and I'm finding 3rd grade another mental milestone. I do love working with my 4yos and investing in great books, but it is very different. The best thing the first couple of years did for me was get me in a homeschooling mindset and gave me time to research what I wanted to use in early elementary.

Welcome! I don't think you're lazy at all for wanting something laid out! I find that I like to take advantage of the work others have done for me and spend my time and energy in other areas. I bought Little Hands years ago when I was doing the same thing with my now 8yo. It was a flop for him at 3yo so I think you're probably on the right track. It was way too simple and not engaging for him. It totally turned me off to HOD even though I like the philosophy. I wonder if I'd tried Little Hearts at 4, things would have been better. Turns out, the guide format wouldn't have fit my teaching style anyway. Instead, I turned to Sonlight which has been a great fit for my literature obsessed dc. Have fun beginning your journey.

P4/5 makes a great Kindy curriculum. I think Merry's characterization of mature is best. I use it on the lower end of the age range and it has been perfect for my boys. I like the discussions it has sparked in our home. That story about the bird was a good one. I've read it several times to my ds8 when he displays similar behavior to the boy in the story.

:iagree: I could have written this post. I've done this K lineup twice and will be doing it a third time in in 2013. I use SWR instead of WRTR. P4/5 is perfect for a K'er and adds fun into the day. My dc have all finished Singapore Essentials a month or two into the K year so we do Horizons K and the Singapore PM1A to finish ou the year. We also add in Miquon Orange. Since I have older dc, my K'er can do extra science and Latin with us voluntarily. Latin (SSL) became ds6's favorite subject last year. My oldest didn't have any of that and we had a very nice year.