Yeah, WinterPromise also comes to mind. Maybe something like Enki or Oak Meadow, depending on how old your kids are :)

Oops -- double post.

Gee, thanks! I'll be showing it to dh as soon he gets home! (He's the art teacher :D)

You may try Beginnings Publishing's Spectrum Science. They are shorter, student-directed lessons. Some say not enough meat, but as unschoolers you know that's a not a problem as whatever you're interested in you want to keep researching and uncovering. Has a decent amount of experiments. Otherwise, you can always just order science kits based on what questions your teens are asking. I greatly admire unschoolers. I have a friend who's unschooled and who unschools her children and she's one of the most interesting, smartest people I know :)

I think you can't go wrong with either Story of the World or History Odyssey :)

Biking, running and playing at the park, swimming, tennis, exercise with Daddy (Tae-Bo), walking around the block, soccer.

Loved it! Thanks for the link! I used to play the piano -- I played it for nine years. Never heard it quite like that -- beautiful! I'm originally from Aruba, so I love being multicultural. There are 40 different nationalities in Aruba, so I grew up around modern Caribbean music like reggae, socca and calypso, Latin music, Western European music, American music, classical music, and of course Aruban music (where the piano is played in a unique way as well :)). My mom surrounded me with music from gypsy music, Russian folklore, and at the neighbors I used to listen to Chinese music, which I really appreciate too. Now my mom is into Middle Eastern music. Can you tell we love music? :D

:iagree: That is exactly me! Thank you so much to whomever recommended Artistic Pursuits to us. I think it meshes well with Story of the World Ancients too. Next year (first grade) I'm going to convince dh to do it with ds -- he's an artist :)

I use Honey for a Child's Heart, Peak with Books and Paula's Archives. I also have Ambleside if I run out of ideas.

:lol: I never swear either, so that's really funny :D

I read the Ann McGovern Aesop's Fables is a good one.

I like MCP Math for the elementary levels.

Thank you! That's it! Dressing frames! :hurray: I like the doll idea too. I know it's a bit early, but ds (almost 5) hasn't learned how to lace shoes yet (maybe it's because he doesn't have any shoes with laces), and is still working on buttons. I learned how to lace shoes at 7, so I'm not concerned, but would like for him to be a bit earlier than I if possible ;)

Whole foods, whole grains.. try to avoid packaged stuff. Organic and local if at all possible geographically and financially.

I'm going to be using Maps and Mapping by Young Discoverers, which is in IMO a great introduction to maps. It also has experiments where you can chart your own home and neighborhood. In addition, I'm using a cute little book called My World and Globe (First Geography lessons), which includes an inflatable globe and stand, and reusable stickers, including one that says "I live here". Hands-on for this age is great! For planets and stars, a good book to start with is I Wonder Why Stars Twinkle and Other Questions about Space, then go to The Planets in Our Solar System and The Sky Is Full of Stars. Also, check out Stars and Planets (Kingfisher Knowledge).

First of all, please take care of yourself. Get your partner to watch the kids for an hour or two and relax in the tub, listen to soothing music, close your eyes, take a nap.. do whatever it is to regain your center so to speak. Then you can know what you really want -- and most importantly, what you need. It can feel like we are not good teachers sometimes, but remember, you are more important than that -- you're a mother. Nobody knows your children better than you do. A wise lady who's way ahead of me in this homeschooling journey told me, "When I stopped being a teacher and went back to mother things just took off in a whole new way." That said, here are some suggestions: Shiller Math (you'll have it for a bunch of kids -- you can try a sample first) Making Math Meaningful (also scripted) MCP Math (many people say it has helped their children with learning disabilities. This is the one we use. My son is easily distracted.) And it's nothing to be ashamed of if you need a curriculum package, everything spelled out for you. Each person is different. That's why there are so many types of curricula and materials out there, to try to suit every taste and budget. Good luck, and we're here for you :grouphug:

:lurk5: Ooh, I want to hear suggestions form those who've been there, done that. When my dd turns two my ds will be starting first grade. Here are some of my book ideas: Montessori Play and Learn The Toddlers' Busy Book (create a busy box as mentioned in that book) Create activity centers around my house where she can explore, paint, and dress up.

I would read two books -- to get two perspectives: Yes, A History of the American People by Paul Johnson and A People's History Of The United States by Howard Zinn Enjoy! :)

Hello, mamas and papas: My dd is going to be a year next week. I wanted to get her this toy (or maybe for Christmas since we're probably too late OK, I'm going to describe it as best as I can. It's a board, I think it's used in Montessori schools. A wooden board with different dress up activities, such as a button, a pair of laces, a zipper, etc. I think it's a great way to learn how to dress oneself. My ds didn't learn all this until he was 4 and a half! :tongue_smilie: What is it called and where can I find it? I checked some Montessori online catalogs but there are hundreds of things it seems like -- I don't know where to begin. Thanks!

As someone with a long list :D, I have to say that I wasn't offended at all. My eldest IS turning five, and I've been contemplating homeschooling since he was two. So yes, there's definitely some eagerness here, but not too much :) We want to enjoy his childhood, be relaxed, have him play a lot, go on a bunch of outings and read a lot of books. I got that advice from a friend of mine who homeschools her four children, ages 16 to 5.

Which one? I missed it? I refreshed too (as I was curious what the risque ad was) and only saw Egyptian and Greek dresses and shoes :001_huh: BTW, cool site! The historical figures are cute :)

Noeo has middle school science now? I wasn't aware of that! I thought it just had the elementary grades covered. I'm going to await what Prof Nebel is going to come up with by the time my kids reach middle school age, but as of yet I had Rainbow Science as my choice for this age range. Thanks for the feedback on those programs.

Well said, Nancy :iagree: Even though my list looks complicated, I want to focus on the 3Rs. Ds already writes decent letters and numbers, but I want him to learn how to read too. Give him a good foundation in Math as well. All the other stuff is secondary.

Perhaps Noeo? No experience, but looks good. I'm going to be using Building Foundations in Scientific Understanding by Dr. Nebel book for K, but this is not laid out lesson plan, more of a philosophy of scientific learning.

I use Teaching Children by Diane Lopez from Child Light Publications, as I'm using the Charlotte Mason method. It includes a section on Kindergarten as well, which I'm using this coming year.