This is our first time doing a timeline ever. We are doing it in a 3 ring binder and using it for a notebook as well. We are putting articles, writing assignment and pertinent handouts etc in between the timeline pages so it will sort of read like a history book.

I think she moved them to www.homeschoollaunch.com

Treasure Island Redwall (fun, not exactly great literature) The Pearl Second Mrs. Giaconda Little Britches

Get Ready for the Code covers consonants b, f, m, k, r, and t. I do not know the reasoning, but I know they are great books!

General Science is intended for 7th or 8th grade. I would think it would be over their heads most of the time.

Are there samples to view?

We used MFW K and the content was great (although too easy for my son), but the format drove me batty. I need the SL or WP type format. The MFW format and wordiness made my eyes glaze over. That is the single reason why I wouldn't use it again.

We did all of the elementary books over 1 semester with the exception of Zoology 3 which was just too much to cover in a semester. We do science everyday and typically covered a lesson in 1 to 1.5 weeks depending how long it was.

Plus Jeannie Fulbright (elementary series author) is coming out with an Anatomy book by year end and next year a Chemistry book so that really would make the Apologia series cover just about everything for K-6.

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Here is an option you could consider- purchase ALL the Apologia elementary books and rotate them a chapter at a time. Meaning, do chapter one of each of the books one right after another, then chapter two and so on. It would take you years to get through all the books and the topics would be rotating to keep boredom from setting in.

Apologia's Jump Into Writing is very methodical and step by step. I love it.

No disrespect, but the Zoo 1 book isn't just about birds, it is all flying creatures. I personally love the Apologia books for how in depth and informative they are. We never got bored with them. Just FYI here are some of the other topics Zoo 1 covers: Bats Flying Reptiles Insects Beetles, Flies, and True Bugs Flying Factuals (a unit about how things fly and why it works etc- actually very cool!) Also the whole first chapter covers what exactly Zoology is and the classification system.

We haven't started the new curriculum yet, but we switched from Sonlight to Winter Promise. I have to say that as far as the planning/organizing goes I am already having way more fun with WP than SL. I feel confident my kids are going to love it. I am feeling guilty that SL isn't appealing to me anymore, but I am chalking it up to growth on our homeschool journey.

I know these books are marketed as K-6, but honestly I think they should be 3-6. It is possible it IS boring to him because it is over his head. Zoology 1 is relatively challenging and Zoology 3 is definitely the most challenging of all of them. We have done them all over the last 4 years and I will be using them a second time around with my youngest. I am waiting until 3rd grade to use them with him because I want him to enjoy them. I would suggest just putting them aside and getting something more appropriate for a first grader. Just my .02

I find this sad too. On my Facebook, many non-hs friends are doing a countdown. I am really biting my tongue by not telling them how horrible they sound that they can't wait to schlep their kids off to the local "learning" institution.

We are going on our second year of Kindergarten. Last year was a trial run and we weren't really serious. We loosely followed the My Father's World K program, which was much more like pre-school. This year we will be official Kinders and will be doing WP Animals and Their Worlds while tagging along with big brother's WP Quest for the Middle Ages. Also SL K for LA. I *think* we will be about 2.5 to 3 hours a day with breaks. Here is the plan: Breakfast Morning Devotionals Pledge Calendar Update/100 Days Chart WP & QMA Reading Breaktime SL K LA Breaktime Lunch Playtime Afternoon activities Read Aloud in late afternoon or at bedtime

When I do "instruction" I call it "Lecture" on my lesson plans and on my son's assignment sheet. When he see's that he knows that means I have something to teach him or discuss with him and he will probably be taking notes or copying notes from the white board. If it doesn't say that then it is something he knows to just do. Of course I am always available for clarification and explanation.

Hi Cindy- Our expeience with BJU History was that it was borrrrring! We LOVED Notgrass American History for the conversational style writing, the great literature and the thought provoking writing assignments.

At what point do you start teaching your child how to use a dictionary? What beginning dictionary do you suggest?

I don't know what the Saxon one looks like, but here is one. HTH. You have to scroll down a little to get the blank pdf's. http://dl1.yukoncollege.yk.ca/yukonquest/weather

I don't think the government should pay for lots of things, but if the 102 yo has insurance they deserve the surgery in exchange for their premiums.

I tend to take the whole summer. However, I am not writing out whole lesson plans. I use Sonlight and/or Winter Promise depending on the child and I set up the IG's and "add" to them my notes about websites or handouts that I am supplementing with. I also note down what Netflix video or other video we will be watching to enhance our lessons. If I can find audio's (like this year Diana Waring's audio's will go great with our lessons) then I write down which audio track to listen to etc. I add in extra books or cross of things I know we won't do as well. When I first started homeschooling I used a teacher planner and wrote down day by day what we would be doing and that took forever to do as well. Then the next year I duplicated the planner sheets on my computer and printed them out, stuck them in a binder with tabs numbered 1-36 and behind the assignment planning sheet I put all quizzes, tests, worksheets etc that were from that week. Those years went pretty smooth. Then I switched to SL/WP and doing what I do now.

We watch or have watched: Sid the Science Kid Word World Super Why Clifford Little Bear Diego (used to be DORA!) Maisy Franklin Shows I can't stand for whatever reason- just commercials/previews make me cringe: Lazy Town Yo Gabba Gabba

Thank you! These are great selections. I have another question. Currently I read story books with pictures and my son loves to help hold the book so he can see them well. I am a little worried about not holding his attention or him not being able to follow the story. So, when reading chapter books like Mr. Popper's Penguins or Charlotte's Web how much do you read at a time and do you stop and check for understanding?