We started Spelling Power last spring with my daughter who was in 1st grade at the time, so we had to use their modified approach (somewhat more traditional), but it worked great for her and we will probably be doing it the same way this year. I will be retesting her the week before we start school (Spelling is something we do not do over the summer), to see which list to start her on. Having done it, at least a little, I can't think why it wouldn't work for anyone. I hated spending $70 on it, but my husband finally convinced me- its one book that all three kids will use until they graduate. All it costs me is printer ink and paper. The new version comes with a disc that you can print the froms from (part of the higher cost)

My dd5 will be starting kindergarten next month and will do tracing pages. I wrote words out in dots on lined kindergarten paper for her sister and scanned them into my computer (the dots annoy me, but the kids love them). She has a tracing notebook filled with these papers (memory verses, ABCs, Care Bear names, Little Einsteins names and phrases, family names, whatever they are interested in at the time). By about halfway through 1st grade last year, I wouldn't let my older dd (starting 2nd grade) trace anymore, she had to copy. We have a notebook with pages of kindergarten paper with sentences I like from stories and memory verses and blank lined paper in the front. She got to pick any from the notebook to copy. I did get tired of seeing the same verse over and over so I would occasionally redirect her choice:tongue_smilie:. Last year we did it for Writing but in the future we will be doing WWE. I think it helped her handwriting a ton and we may just do that this year for handwriting instead of doing a handwriting workbook.

1) How much time do you allow for your morning routine before you officially begin school? Why have you established that much/little time? Do your children shower in the mornings? Have bible study? What kind of morning chores? Etc. My kids are little(3, 5, 7) and usually up by 7:30 or so. I try and get in the shower by 6:30 or 7:00 (depending on dh and when he is done.) All they have to do before we start are eat breakfast, get dressed and wake up enough to have a good attitude. We try to start by 9:00. 2) How much time do you allow for lunch break? Lunch is around 12:00 or so regardless of what we get done in the mornings. After that is quiet time for about 2 hours or so. They can read, listen to audio books or stories, draw, and play quietly. 3) At what time does your school day officially begin and officially end; this should include ages of children because it differs from grade to grade. We have about 10-12 things on our daily list(including quick/fun things like piano, free reading, handwriting). Usually I let dd7 do 3 things and then have a play break (no more than 15-20 min.). Then repeat the process all day. We try to get at least half of our list done in the morning (math has to be done in the morning to prevent whining). We finish up with another hour or 2 after 3:00 and a snack. If they are really focusing well we can delay lunch a little (if we need to) and finish in the morning. We have a white board(4'x8') on the wall of our school room and she gets to put it in order, but I pick what goes on it (that way she has some control over her schedule). She loves being able to cross things off or erase them as she finishes. 4) How many activities per week are in your schedule during school hours (ie: co-op, special foreign language class, etc.). Activites are on the list of things for the day. We go to CBS 1 day a week they have a great homeschool program for 1st grade and up (able to read and write - at least some). We will try to do dance class or something this year - depending on cost. 5) Do you schedule 4 or 5 day weeks? For those w/4 day schedules how do you complete all the math and grammar lessons in a year? (I realize programs differ, so maybe a mention of that is helpful. For example, Horizons Math has a full 180 lessons.) We do school five days for the most part. We are required to do only 172 days in CO, I will keep records for those days, but we will probably do more and try to finish the stuff for the year (history, math, writing and grammar)

My husband loved the Little House books when he was young (in other words, not too girly). Sherlock Holmes is always good. Encyclopedia Brown is also great for that age and there are a ton of them, all with about 10-15 complete mysteries at 2-7 pages each. I remember liking the Boxcar Children books. We also both really liked the Wrinkle In Time books (4 of them).

I also have family where I am the one they ask to babysit. I usually try to give them options. For example, if my sister needs me to watcht he kids so she can go to the doctor. I don't just usually say okay. if the time she asks won;t work, I'll say 'can you reschedule for the afternoon, then I would be happy to watch the girls for you'. Sometimes I also have to say no. "I've already had to reschedule a few things this week and we really need to get some school done. If you give me a little more notice next time, I can arrange our schedule ahead of time". Eventually they will come to realize that you do have a schedule. Also as your kids get more used to doing school (and older) they will be better able to do it different if things come up.

For my too-soon-to-be 7 yo, we will be doing memory work 2 days a week, longer bible verses and poems from FLL. She has them in a special notebook in page protectors (her memory book) and we go through all of it randomly on those 2 days a week, instead of one daily like FLL suggests. She really likes it if I let her do it in front if the video camera. Her little brother and sister love it too. They all take her getting up in front of the family and getting applauded when they are done. It is like a memory work recital.

Can he just look at the workbook pages (for reference) and do the actual copywork on a separate piece of paper? Does he get frustrated trying to write on the different lines? If he doesn't, I would have him use them, even if they are different and not as neat, he'll get used to them in time.

Mine are all still little, so I have to make lunch, but I refuse to make them each something different. We sometimes do sandwiches, spaghettios, top ramen and chicken dinos (way too much), hot dogs, usually fruit to go along with whatever. I really like the leftover idea, it mostly works at our house with spaghetti, since that is one of the few things they all eat well.

My husband also gets up way earlier than I do, so I am trying to have him be my alarm clock. I try to get in the shower as soon as he is done in the bathroom. Being a night person, this is a challenge because I often stay up too late at night (its quiet and I am awake). As much as I hate getting up early, I have to start. I need a shower before we start school (for me its way better than caffiene) and prefer to have one without interupptions:001_smile:

There doesn't seem to be any memory work in WWE, other than for learning dictation, but there are several poems that you memorize in the course of FLL. I also added an occasional long bible passage from their Sunday School (the Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23). I can't say all of Psalm 23 but now my 6yo can.:)

I three-hole punch, page protectors would get too expensive. Even better is to buy printer paper by the case that is already three-hole punched (check office supply stores).

I got my book and am eagerly waiting for Aug. to get Workbook 2. I am very excited. I think it is great, we just finished 1st grade and writing was making me crazy with trying to find sentences for her to write. Sentences in good books are long! It is set up in year one that you do it 4 days a week, copywork days would only take about 5-10 minutes. Working on narration (at least one day a week) will take longer until they start to get the hang of it.

We are just finishing up Bob Jones Math 1 and my daughter has done great with it all year. I have already bought the K5 and 2nd grade levels for next year. None of the pages have a lot of problems and there is review at the end of every lesson.

Okay, after talking to my husband, we decided to order R.E.A.L. Science Earth and Space level 1. Thank you for all of your help, I had no idea where to start.

This is a textbook in two volumes of American History form the beginning to the 1990s, by William Bennett. My husband listens to it on cds all the time, but it should work for a 7th grader also

My oldest just finished 1st grade and my next is starting k. this year. I ended up last year making them a tracing notebook and a copywork notebook. I wrote out a sentence (or a memory verse) on first grade paper and (for the tracing notebook) scanned it (so I could keep seeing the red and blue lines on the paper). I also always left a blank line for them to do their writing under mine. I started doing this because they love tracing and I get real tired of making dotted words all the time- now I can just print them out. Mine will do the same verse or sentence over and over whenever I would I let her choose. I figured, its still practice writing and it lets them feel in control - they can choose anything from the notebook.

I made a spreadsheet on excel that I used for 1st grade last year, so that it was easier for me to make changes when weeks or days didn't go as well as I liked. If you are interested i can show you a sample of it. It was pretty much 2 columns. In the left one I would just list out what needed to get done in a day (primer lesson, math pages, history or science, etc.) I would leave the second column blank, print it out and then could write any notes (done, she did the reading, only partly done, try this lesson again, you get the idea). You could plan out several weeks at a time. I usually just did a week at a time. Jenny Felicia (almost 7) starting 2nd grade Tory (5) starting kindergarten James (3) Coloring, puzzles and playing

We are just about finished with The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading. We are going to start 2nd grade in Sept. I loved it and my daughter did really well with it. It has about 230 lessons, so we did it for both kindergarten and first grade. She asked me the other day if I was glad that she could pick up any book and read it.

My 6-1/2 year old is dying for a pair of skate shoes/Heelies

I am looking for a 18 week (or so) Earth Science curriculum for my second grader. I don't think I just want to wing it for science like we did last year. Any ideas?? Jenny

I keep track during the summer, since we participate in a number of summer reading programs. It is getting harder as my oldest has started reading on her own now, and goes up to her room and reads to herself. I do it on excel and try to get her to tell me her favorite part (need to know for Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Log). Jenny