I don't paticularly care for STOW, but my kids like crafts and honestly, I'm just too tired to plan things myself like I would like to, so we went to SOTW as something that gets done. My kids love it. Other things to look at: Intellego Unit Studies Layers of Learning Both of these are crafty and we can get them done.

Hakim's A History of US is available as an audio but may be too much for your ages.

If I need to watch the lesson (or a few lessons) to refresh my memory, I do. Simple as that. TT teaches math the way I was taught growing up, so it's usually like riding a bike and I quickly remember how to do it. If there was something that neither kiddo or I could figure out then we would hit Khan and Youtube and figure it out. Not a big deal. I will tell you this, you can not let TT take you mostly out of math!!!! I promise you, you will be one of those people who claim it's no good, didn't teach your kids, etc. within a year or so! Learn from my mistake. Luckily, my mistake is one of those super mathy kind of kids and there was no lasting damage (he passed the Keystones which is a state high school exit exam here in PA in 7th grade when he returned to PS). I let TT take me out of math, I was sick of the struggle with that kiddo and felt it was a good place to give me a break. He learned quickly to "work the system" and even though his grades were good when I looked, he wasn't doing the work. You need to have your kiddo watch the lesson, then do the work on paper (we use the workbook), then I check their work... I do not use the answer key, I work through the problems myself so that I know the kids worked it right (you do not need to do this, you can go into the computer even make a name for yourself if you want, and watch the solution.. it shows you step by step how it works out). I have the kids fix their mistakes and I check again... this continues until it's all correct. Then they get to enter their answers into the computer. I promise you, my younger kids "get it".

I used to be in love with the whole MBTP package, but it was never in the budget. Then after feeling like I changed at least one portion of language arts on a weekly basis, I bought a lit unit. We all love the language arts, but if we were doing the same style of learning for the content subjects I'm not sure we would love it any more. We plan on sticking with the lit units for a good long while. My kids are working behind level in them because there are books I didn't want them to miss. They are still getting plenty from it.

I think I read somewhere at they talk about evolution???? Gah, I can't remember now. We decided to not buy them, my kids weren't all over the moon when I read the sample to them, so they got pushed into the dark recesses of my brain.

I whole heartedly reccomend the workbook.… TT can NOT do it on its own! I have my kids watch the lesson, do the work in the workbook, I check it, kids fix mistakes, I recheck, this continues until its all right... Sometimes it means me watchng the lessons with the kids to see where they are getting lost, helping one one one etc. Then they enter answers into the computer. The last step lets them do bonus rounds and such. I have learned from my mistakes wi not doing all the steps.. Kids get good at "playing the system".

We began TT3 after McRuffy 1st twice, and probably will again next fall. Its worked well for us because McRuffy is advanced and TT is more on level. I know most say its behind but I whole heartedly disagree. Its right on level, most homeschooled maths are ahead of level.

R.E.A.L Science Odyssey has worked well with my span of 1st, 4th and 5th being rolled into one.

Does it need a disk drive? Using TT makes it a must for us if we plan on using it for school at all. I have been very happy with my HP, it's old, like 6 years old, and looks horrible now from being drug all over the planet, and really needs opened and blown out because it keeps wanting to overheat, but it has been used hard pretty much every day since I have had it. It still never shuts down, just gets crazy hot to the touch sometimes and warped the bottom lol. I would buy another HP in a heartbeat. In fact I was just looking at new ones... dreaming of winning even a small lottery so I could buy one lol.

Gombrich's A Little History of the World is available as an audiobook. It's not just ancients... but wanted to throw it out there. I really enjoyed listening to it.

Is 5th grade the only one she has done? I would buy 4th...lol Seriously.... my 5th grader enjoys even the K level. I keep hoping that Ms. Volin will put out some more levels. I will be as sad as my kids when we come to the end of HAS.

I would start with K, really... I have even made most of the projects along side the kids. They are really fun.

Home Art Studio is awesome and really, I would ignore the grade levels. I have older kids who love the kindy level and younger kids who love the 5th grade level.

I think most who use Excel just create their own.

We really love Which Way USA, they are expensive but if you watch ebay you can get them cheap. I bought mine off of someone on Craigslist for under $70 which included shipping since they weren't local. I just emailed the seller and said I was a homeschooler and really wanted them, if I paid extra for shipping and her time would she consider mailing them and she did without a problem. We also love the Complete Books of Maps and Geography posted above. This year we joined a 50 state post card exchange on facebook. It was fun getting a card from every state. We plan on eventually hanging a huge map on the wall and surrounding it with postcards, we had started this but then I decided to paint that part of my house. I took it down and it never got put back up there. Maybe someday soon ;) Eat Your Way Around the USA is fun to add to anything!

We have lab sheets with our science that require very little writing, that is all I require. I don't require written work for history either really, it's all hands on fun, though sometimes they will draw a picture and write a short description. I take pictures of the things we do, this is how we document our learning.

I don't think so, there is a list on the disks if you put them in the computer.

The Time Travelers packs are really fun, and you don't have to buy them all at once... and you can buy them used... and they hold their value pretty much for resale.

I have my 10 and 11 year olds in workbook 2. They need extra practice. I would think a kiddo who didn't need to backtrack would do fine beginning in workbook 3.

The workbooks make it easy. I just work on a page with the kids until I know they have it.. then we move to the next page. So say we are on the early pages of WB2, it's all kinds of beginning sounds. I go over the whole page. Then I use my manual to give them words and phrases for a few at a time until I feel they have them. I then pull the next 4 or so and throw in a few review each day. I give them about 15 words and 2-3 phrases a day. There is no consistent structure to our week.. sometimes we may have to spend 2 weeks on one page of the WB sometimes we may need to only spend a day or two. We just move along when I feel they are ready. If you don't want to get the workbooks... then you need to remember to not over think it. It's not as hard as it seems. Work your way through the sound charts. Give your kids words they are able to handle. Circle back and revisit rules giving harder words as you feel they are ready. I skip giving them nonsense sounds... it seems to just confuse my kids.

Wanted to share. I saw it on facebook. It says it ends at midnight EST. I'm pretty sure I read there will be 3 winners. Win a complete level, of your choice.

Igniting Your Writing. You can get it on Currclick pretty cheap usually.

For the grades you are looking for I would suggest looking at Lightning Literature.

Teaching Textbooks, but I stay on top of my kids to know they "get it".

We love Which Way USA and Top Secret Adventures. I bought all of mine on eBay and craigslist. I even went looking out of my area on cl, and then asked if the seller would ship if I paid the shipping. I explained I was a homeschooler and was desperately searching for a good price. I cover the whole workbook with laminating sheets, we work with super fine sharpie markers, so the book stays done till we are finished with it, then I use rubbing alcohol to clean the sheets before putting the on the pages of the next book.