We love ETC, my daughter and myself. It's easy, engaging, and fun. We add in Phonics Pathways and she's doing great. She's 5.5.

Thank you all for the feedback, I am a Christian but am not insistent on it being a "Christian" program. I could always incorporate our religious theology and stories as we go along. I was worried about ToG being overwhelming, I have read about the ToG "fog". We will be moving next year and it will be my 1st graders first year of REAL history and I thought it would be easier to start with HO and then go into ToG as the kids get older. But maybe I can adapt it to fit our needs? I am fine with planning, I actually prefer that, I tried Sonlight before and did not like the schedule. I pretty much plan most of our things now. Thanks for the tips, I will keep researching both of these.

So, I have been browsing both of these programs and both look great for different reasons. So, if you have used these programs or looked at both, which did you end of getting? What do you see as the pros and cons of both? Right now we use SOTW and are on Vol. 4. I will have a 5th grader, 1st grader, and 4 year old when I am planning on using it. So, thoughts about these two programs in comparison? Thanks in advance.

This is what we do as well. Typically it's FLL Monday-Wednesday (as we start losing steam by Thursday) and WWE Monday-Thursday and then my son does a Story Starters/narrations/journal entry on Friday.

nm

I recommend the Spalding method using WRTR, it has worked wonders around here, even if to help build my son's confidence in spelling or even attempting to spell. He still struggles but it is getting much better and it's very simple once you get the hang of it. You are not a failure, I think spelling is one of those slow and steady subjects.

My son could have in 2nd grade, he is now in 4th and would be capable of accomplishing that assignment.

I use the US Edition and looked at Standards but we started with US and it works well for us so we have stuck with it. We have the HiG, Textbook (we work through together) and then the Workbook. We also throw in some CWP and Intensive Practice when we want to, not scheduled.

I always feel like saying, "I didn't ask you if you could do it." I don't get offended but it's just annoying, you ask me what we do for education, I say, "We homeschool, you respond with, "Oh, I could never do that." I want to say, "I didn't ask you. You asked me." :) But instead I politely reply, "It's not for everyone but it works for us."

I didn't do Grammar in 1st but I just don't have my child repeat it as many times as listed.

We tried both and stuck with Hans Brinker.

I am in the EXACT same position. I ordered FLL4 and we began with it this week, I like R&S and plan to continue after FLL4, it seems like we were skipping large portions because there was so much review and we are on Lesson 44 in R&S4. I think I will move to FLL4 and then go to R&S6. Thanks for opening this topic.

4th- DS9 -Singapore Primary Mathematics (US Edition) -Writing With Ease -Story of the World -Writing Road to Reading (Spelling) K -DD5 -Surprisingly, Phonics Pathways is a real winner here, effective, easy, and seems to be working. -Explode the Code (SHE LOVES THESE) -Singapore Essentials K I was going to try Rightstart Mathematics but then it just never took hold for us. My DD-K seems to really enjoy the workbook format of Singapore Essentials so we might just stick with that. I wanted to love RightStart, I love the idea of it, it just wasn't working in practicum. I still am not in LOVE with our Science or Grammar but it gets done.

Great ideas! Thanks for sharing.

You always have the best lists, thank you!

:iagree:

COMPLETELY agree! :iagree:

Great, thank you. We are studying Vivaldi this month. :)

I think we started because I could see my son was starting to fall through the cracks and I heard echos of the dreaded ADD diagnosis. I could see he was burning out and I hated the schedule. We now homeschool for a variety of reasons; academic, social, religious, etc.

I have no degree. I started college and never finished. I suppose having a mother who never finished college and homeschooled six children for six years showed me that it is quite possible to homeschool without a degree. My love for education and learning is not reflected by whether or not I am college educated. My DH has been serving as an Active Duty Marine for 16 years. He has no degree although he is nearing his finish for a degree in Business Administration. Retirement is nigh for him and a second career approaches. :)

Maybe I am unclear by what you mean by "solutions" but the US HiG has the answers to the problems for both the Textbook and Workbook and Mental Math sheets. I just tab it all and go back and forth. Not sure if that is what you meant. However, it does NOT show how the problem derived it's solution, perhaps that is what you mean. We, the instructor, do not see how the solution was worked out. Hm...does Standards show that? Interesting.

1) have ever read The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer all the way through or not I read, perused WTM before I heard about these boards. What I read really resonated with me and what I was trying to create as a new homeschooler. It empowered me and gave me confidence and a good set of "guidelines" without feeling like I was boxed in. 2) read TWTM by SWB before or after you came to the boards I read it before the boards. I read it after reading Cathy Duffy's Homeschooling picks and picked up things to read about Charlotte Mason, Montessori, and Classical homeschool philosophies. I go back when I am planning our year and piece together what will work for us. It's a great resource.

This is for us too! :) I ordered the Standards Edition to go from 3B US to 4A Standards and I actually returned it and re-ordered US. It just works for us. My son loves Math, it has become one of his favorite subjects and I actually prefer the US Edition HIG. So, I suppose it's just each person's preference but we are sticking with US over here.

I have the 4th, 5th, and 6th editions. I started learning with the 5th and purchased the 6th with phonogram cards and then ordered the 4th and I have to say the 4th is what made me fully understand the process. I really felt as though the author was sitting down explaining it to me. So, I have stuck with the 4th and put the 5th and 6th on the shelf. I do agree that whatever edition you have that works for you is great. They all have a wealth of information and helpful tips. I have seen such an improvement in my son's spelling and his confidence to even sound out words outside of Spelling that I am sold on the Spalding method using the WRTR. :)