I've gotten more paranoid with each one too. The m/c between the 3rd and 4th didn't help. Over 35 being AMA makes me laugh these days.

We're using Sonlight P4/5 as a Kindy program for 2nd time. Great books for a 5yo.

Well, in that case... I found it extremely well-written and organized. I haven't put it into practice yet, but it seems easy to use. I hope this bump will get you some answers.

It is a great book but reads more like an earth science book rather than what we typically think of geography. I'm planning on using it this summer in between Noeo levels.

Sonlight has a Grade 4-5 Readers package that would much more age appropriate. My ds reads at a 6th grade level and maxes out on that assessment but I would not let him loose on the equivalent readers at 7yo! He's reading through the Grade 3 readers and we are both very happy. He likes the stories and the books were too good to skip. He'll be starting the Grade 4-5 readers in a couple of months. I will add that there is a big difference between reading a reading a word and comprehending it. that assessment is a good guide for picking a core but not readers in many cases.

Just wanted to chime in that this has been very important for my boys learning to write. We use salt instead of sand but it's the same principle. After that, we move to a whiteboard. The whiteboard is easier to write on than pencil and paper plus they get to pick different colored markers as the mood strikes. Only after that do I have them write on paper but still not writing much. By first grade, my oldest was plenty capable of doing WWE 1 on paper.

I think these goals are important to remember. Keep it light, especially as it is your first year hs'ing. I was in the same position 2 years ago. We chose SL P4/5 (light and fun), Singapore Math, and SWR for handwriting/reading to start. That's it and it was a great no-stress year. A few months into it, I'd gained some confidence and we added some fun extras but not much. You can see that it went so well, I'm doing the same for my new K'er. If MFW K sounds good to you, go for it. A lot of people really like it on this board. My dc have been too asynchronous for a program like that but it's a good fit for some. If not, choose a math, handwriting, and some great read-alouds You already have OPGTR which is a solid start. Have a fun year, develop a good school relationship, and research for 1st grade.

My 7yo loves I Can Do All Things by HGTA. It has well over a hundred lessons. You can buy the DVDs that go with it and let them do the teaching. I'm actually going through the program with my ds which is fun.

I really like Singapore and Horizons together with some Miquon thrown in for fun.

Make sure to take pictures when he packs his suitcase! :D

We're another family that uses hats, rash guards, and long board shorts. When my oldest was 2, I had to tie an big floppy hat on him. He got used to it after a while. We also have a sun tent that goes to the beach. We do use sunscreen and my boys' skin isn't as sensitive as their getting older. I, on the other hand, expect to burn for the first half of soccer season despite taking every precaution.

1A should be pretty easy for her. 1B and 2A move VERY quickly IMHO. I wouldn't worry, just take breaks as needed.

I use numbers and pages to create my own planner. I love using my iPad for school. I'm off to look at homeroutines.

Core for me would be the 3Rs at my dc's ages. I could see switching writing curricula easier than phonics or math but I wouldn't want to switch between writing philosophies without a lot of thought. I don't consider lit, history, science, or Bible core subjects. Bible would be borderline for me except it isn't a skill-based subject.

I think it would be. I can't say definitively because my ds5 was only 4 when we finished EM and I didn't think he was mature enough to start 1A (as PM moves so fast). Instead, we're taking a few months to work through Horizons K first. I wouldn't have had any trouble putting my very-mathy oldest right into 1A but didn't know about EM back then. Maybe this bump will get you some answers.

I would get CWP 2 as well. CWP really ramps up I'm level 3 and level 2 will give you a good intro. We take a break from the TB/WB at the end of each B level to work the entire book. It takes us about a month. CWP is a important part of SM for us and I highly recommend it.

:iagree: just skip the counting part. My ds didn't start Orange until he was well into 1B and loved it. You don't always have to use the pages at face value. My ds managed to make a lot of the addition pages into demonstrations of the distributive property.

Cool. I really miss living up north and my closet full of sweaters does too.

Congrats!! I'm on week 6 and that's very encouraging!

This sounds reasonable to me. I would be pretty reluctant to switch a core subject unless I had a reason above. We haven't switched any of those. However, I wouldn't hesitate to switch curricula in an elective subject where switching wouldn't have many long-term academic or financial consequences. We're switching geography this year just because I didn't like last year's program.

I'm using SWR with a K'er and 2nd grader right now. When my ds was 6, (and an only student) it took anywhere from 20-45 min/day depending on the day of the week. It isn't just spelling, you wouldn't need phonics, grammar or writing programs if you use the whole program as directed for K-2. I use Cursive First with both my dc and FLL and WWE with my 2nd grader. FLL and WWE only because I needed a scripted program and in those areas and really like them. They aren't necessary. Yes, they are very teacher intensive but provide a great foundation that is worth the time IMHO.

We're using that book with Sonlight's Core B right now and will continue using it in Core C. You can find their booklists on their website. Just look at the Core B and C packages. They pair it with Child's History of the World as the other spine.

We use Khan Academy to supplement some of the harder lessons like long division. It's a great resource.

You have gotten a lot of good advice. I'd also like to add two things: 1. that pnilosphy changes when put into practice. Educational philosophy is a good starting point but it isn't the sole factor on choosing curricula. You'll have to compromise to accommodate your teaching style, dc's learning style, cost, etc. You and your dh have a lot of room for compromise and you can always try things out for a period. 2. Having a well-formulated plan can go a long way with dh. My dh was a little concerned that I wasn't planning on testing our dc. I think he wanted the proof that everything was going well. However, when he saw my plans and then witnessed me being faithful putting them into action, he relaxed. Then, as he saw our dc thriving and learning, he dropped the issue altogether. Your dh might be more willing to let you explore your less traditional tendencies if he can see your well-crafted plans. I can understand that being a stepmom could cause some different challenges but since you and dh both have the same goals and priorities (doing what's best for the dc), it doesn't need to impact curricula choices.

The author says that long division must be mastered before starting Fractions. That's the only thing holding us up.