:iagree:As much as I've come to love this forum. It has only opened my eyes to new curriculum that I simply MUST try out. :lol: However the one thing I have learned is that the only way I know if something is right for us is to check it out myself and sometimes buy and try. If it doesn't work or isn't right oh well, I can resell or pass along to someone else. Yes, I've spent thousands (not just on math but probably close) but it's been worth it when I see the girls learning and we've avoided the frustrations associated with "We MUST finish such and such curriculum because it's what we picked for this year and we PAID for it."

I just keep them in line by sequential topic and then pick and choose the best lessons/problems. If one curriculum's lesson doesn't seem to stick/go well/whatever I use a different one. We use LOF for a fun different approach (same reason we use Math Start books and I have Sir Cumference series and others on the shelf for later). For some families this would really be overkill but it works for us. It helps that we school year round so school about 300 days rather than the traditional 180 so I can fit in more programs/lesson. I would say we spend a total of an hour a day on math usually broken up into two 30min sessions.

We use MUS along with a couple other math programs (weird I know). I find we use MUS when Busy need reinforcement to make sure she is really mastering a concept not just memorizing. My kids are younger so I'm not sure about gamma but I know MUS is what I turned to when Busy was struggling with place value and missing addends. It seems like if she's not really getting something I can just find the corresponding sections in MUS and suddenly she has a better grasp, maybe it's just the different approach. The reason we don't use MUS exclusively? 1. It's extremely repetitive 2. After a while Busy get irritated with having to use the blocks. As crazy as it sounds I find my kids excel when we use 3 or 4 different math programs simultaneously. They get to see math from different approaches and when one method doesn't click for them another one will.

:iagree:Especially in today's world with express shipping etc etc.

This thread has been very informative for me. I've never had a problem getting a catalogue they've been sending them to me for years, thus whetting my appetite for their product. Their catalogues are gorgeous IMO. I am very concerned about the shipping issues though. I wouldn't mind that they take a while I can just plan ahead but I'm concerned that it would come all separately. How can you decide on a curriculum if you only have certain pieces? Also, do they bill all at once or do they bill individually as they ship?

For those of you who do bulletin boards or post charts, timelines etc. What's your favorite resource/website for supplies. I don't have a bulletin board per se but our schoolroom (aka the dining room) walls are covered with charts/posters/timelines etc. Unfortunately we have moved to another state (away from my school supply store) and I need some new resources for visuals.

I just wanted to offer encouragement because I have been there. We moved 3 times in 2 years, we have only been in our current house for a year this June and the boxes and books are finally coming home from the storage units. I was horrified because DD7 didn't have a formal Kindergarten or 1st grade like I planned. Illness kept me from teaching DD5 her letter sounds at age 3 and 4. I did everything "wrong" according to the books. We were able to snuggle, read and when I was well enough play outside. Books and workbooks were buried in boxes deep in storage and no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't make it work. I prayed and prayed and God saw us through. Somehow DD7 learned to read despite my lack of "teaching" DD5 is now learning how to read even though she is a year or more later in learning this than my olders. Now that we are settled in one place and have a routine I see how they are making up for lost time in leaps and bounds. God is good.

Glad to hear such good things about SL. We are going to add in all the SL books from the P4/5 core this year because the girls wanted more books and we haven't done many on that list.

Ugh, I am just starting our curriculum list. I can't make any major purchases until we return from our vacation the second week of June. It makes me feel like I'm already behind schedule.

Dozens and dozens but most of them are for older grades or science/history we haven't covered yet. If I know I'm going to need it in a few years and see it cheap I buy it.

:iagree: I can't imagine taking a summer off! We don't even take weekends off :lol: Now that's not to say we do seat work every day, but we are always doing something even if it's just laying out in the back yard discussing the cloud formations or watching the koi in our pond. I make time everyday for math and reading. Busy, 7 has quiet reading time everyday and we do read aloud or an audio book everyday even if it is only one chapter. We also do some art or craft project at least 4 days a week. It's how we do school.

We are using Beginning Geography and I really think it's great. We also use Daily Math and Daily Math Word Problems for Grade 1.

This forum has been such a blessing because of so many helpful, informative homeschool parents willing to take the time to offer advice.:thumbup:

:lurk5: We are considering Sonlight for next year.

Thank you. I just ordered and don't mind that they are back ordered because we won't use them til next year but that was a great price.

That's great!

Just found Netflix will still offer them on DVD but no longer streaming. Hopefully there won't be a wait for the DVDs but I bet there will.

Don't know if anyone is watching these on Netflix but I just read they are being removed from the Netflix lineup May 15. Sad, I guess I will buy them.

Oh no...why? We have been watching them but I was planning on having the kids watch them again next year when we studied the Revolutionary War. Guess I will buy them, they are definitely worth watching more than once.

We were required to have a name, so we are Saddleview Academy. We own some property at the base of the Seven Sisters mountains the spot between two of them is called the Saddle so we have a Saddle view. We don't have a mascot...yet :001_smile:

Thanks for the info. I may have to try again.

I was looking at these programs. :lurk5:

The Book Samaritan looks wonderful, I definitely have a lot of supplies and workbooks I can send them.

That looks perfect for a lot of the readers I have. Thank you!

No, I will have to Google it. I'm not familiar with it.