We love the McGuffey Eclectic Readers! My ds5 is almost done with the Primer. We've been reading one lesson per day. However, I'm not sure whether I should continue with a daily lesson (which would mean he's be finished with all six readers by the end of third grade!) or slow down to one to two lessons per week. Or, alternatively, use the 3rd reader for third grade, 4th for fourth, etc. ....... :confused: Any advice would be welcome!

I did the same for our Kindergarten year:001_smile: I love all the myths and fairy tales, and tried to incorporate the Sonlight K readers and read-alouds into our reading plan for the year. My son can listen to books until my voice is hoarse! If I decide to plan our own curriculum next year, I'll probably do the same, using WTM as a base and adding books suggested by Ambleside and Sonlight. But, I must say, all these wonderful reviews of Sonlight are certainly catching my attention. I've spent HOURS AND DAYS AND WEEKS planning our K curriculum, as I'm sure you all do! Next year with a baby might be easier if I followed Sonlight's general schedule. (Of course, I'll probably always tweak a little... ;))

Here's what we're doing this year for K. Every day we do: 1 &2. Penmanship & Artwork (I try to relate these two. For example, last week (theme: Bible stories), we read Noah's Ark. For artwork one day, we learned to mix colors to make a rainbow. For the penmanship, he wrote, "I see a rainbow." Next week Monday, when we read about Egypt and Cats, he'll make Ed Emberley thumbprint cat drawings and write "Happy cats purr.") 3. Alpha-phonics (1 lesson per day) 4. McGuffey eclectic readers (1 lesson per day in the primer. I'm not sure about the pace yet for the 1st and 2nd readers...) 5. Horizon Math K 6. Storytime (s) (Here I include picture books, science books, socical studies, poetry, folktales, art appreciation, etc. and some fun easy readers that he reads to me in between me reading him stories. These are all based on a theme, usually a country. But since my husband's from Norway, we're a bit biased and will be spending 2 weeks on Vikings, 2 on Scandinavia, etc. I also planned some holiday weeks for Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. and included quite a few on American topics, since we may not be re-visiting this until 4th grade! ) 7. Read aloud books-- longer chapter and novel books 8. Music playing while I clean house, etc. So, for this coming week, the theme is Egypt. We'll read the following: Egypt (1 week) Folktales/Mythology:Tasha Tudor's Bedtime Book Stories to Read Aloud: The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting Picture Books Bill and Pete by Tomie de Paola Clever Ali by Nancy Farmer The Winged Cat by Deborah Nourse Lattimore What’s the Matter, Habibi? by Betsy Lewin The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo Reader(s): [b, 1.3] Come Here, Tiger by Alex Moran [C, 1.3] Scat Cats! by Joan Holub [D, 1.2] Cat Traps by Molly Coxe [F, 1.3] Fat Cat on a Mat by Phil Roxbee Cox Social Studies: Ancient Egyptians Usborne Living Long Ago pg. 4-5, 28-29, 52-53, 76-77 Mummies, Pyramids, and Pharaohs: A Book About Ancient Egypt by Gail Gibbons Mummies Made in Egypt by Aliki Cat Mummies by Kelly Trumble Ancient Egypt by George Hart Science: Cats Becoming Your Cat’s Best Friend by Bill Gutman How To Talk to Your Cat by Jean Craighead George Art Appreciation Spot a Cat by Lucy Micklethwait So, you see I like a book-based education, but with a little one due at Thanksgiving, I can really see that having the books on hand, like I would with SL, would be a lot more convenient than our current library-intensive method!!!:001_smile:;)

Thank you for all of the helpful opinions and comments so far! :hurray: Many of you have mentioned that you do not like Sonlight's LA. May I ask what you didn't like about it? This was actually one of my main concerns, because I feel that my son might need different levels for readers than for writing... From what I understand, they suggest you use the same readers and LA level. Thank you all for writing! This truly helps! Keep the comments coming :001_smile:

Well, my dh thinks I'm absurd but I'm already thinking of next year's curriculum for first grade. This year I designed my own (for K). I've read quite a bit about Sonlight and Ambleside, and of course I've read the WTM. What I need now is advice from those who have used these programs, and/or have looked at all three and decided on one (or a combination). Which is the most academically vigorous? The most "fun" for the child (and parent)? Which do you simply feel "drawn to"? What do you find are the positive and negative aspects of these programs? Are any of these simpler or more intuitive to use with two or more children? Any comments are welcome! Whew! Thank goodness I have a while to decide! But I do feel that what I do this year will be, in some part, affected by what path I'm aiming toward. P.S. It's late, and I hope I'm making sense:blushing:

These are perhaps similar to what others have suggested, and overlap quite a few. But I couldn't help responding :) Here's the list I made for suggestions to myself for the coming year. (My son is also five.) Old Mother West Wind by Thornton W. Burgess Animal Stories by Thornton W. Burgess The Burgess Bird Book by Thornton W. Burgess Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis The Princess and Goblin by George McDonald The Complete Book of Dragons by Edith Nesbit The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White Stuart Little by E.B. White The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder My Father’s Dragons series by Ruth Stiles Gannet Black Beauty by Anna Sewell Indian in the Cupboard series by Lynn Reig Banks The Wizard of Oz series by Frank L. Baum A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Florence and Richard Atwater Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren Old Yeller by Fred Gibson Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Complete Tales & Poems of Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne Heidi by Johanna Spyri The Fairy Books by Andrew Lang

We're doing Horizon K this year. So far, it's a great program! I like the idea of starting off my son's homeschooling with the basics reading, writing, and math, since in 1st grade it seems we'll be adding so much more.... This way, I figure the intro. into first grade won't be so overwhelming. Also, my son has expressed interest in addition and basic mathematical concepts. Yes, we do talk about them informally, but I think a basic K math program is the right step for us this year. Indeed, it's his favorite lesson of the day! Just the other day he said, "Math is so easy and fun!" Is it necessary? No, but we enjoy it! P.S. We're not pushing it. Although I know he could cover several workbook pages a day, we're following the general plan of one lesson per day. I think this contributes to his very positive outlook on math :)

Thanks for the advice! I think I may be switching over soon. So, any ideas for what I should do with the 200+ pages of 1" ruled paper I have? ;)

At which point have you switched from 1" rule to 5/8" rule in handwriting paper? Thanks!

... to the excellent ideas here, I'd buy some lovely Easton Press books. I drool over their catalogs in the mail! I recently ordered the Andrew Lang Fairy books from them, but I'd also order the Anne of Green Gables series, the "Girl's Own Library", the.... Oh my! I guess it would be easier to list what I WOULDN'T order from them! ;) I'd also look into Sonlight (I keep pondering this for next year...). Retractable maps (Long on our wish list) Globe-Wernicke bookshelves Lots and lots of children's books (classics) Norwegian children's books (my husband is from Norway; ordering the books from overseas is quite costly) Homeschooling books in general Fun math manipulatives Educational boardgames Large slate board or dry-erase board and felt board with fun felt cut-outs Lots of Dover (and other) coloring books Hmm.. Can you tell I'm a bibliophile? Congratulations, and good luck!:001_smile:

Our favorites are: *Homemade trail mix with dried berries, various nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, etc. *Cheese and apples *Nut butter (mixed with a little water) and apples *Devilled eggs *GF hot chocolate (when you're craving something sweet) Also, here's a quick GF recipes to have on hand when everyone else is indulging in sandwiches: A great 1-minute sandwich bun 2 tbsp. melted butter 1/2 pinch salt 1 large egg 4 tbsp. flax seed meal 1/2 tsp. baking powder Combine all in a micro. bowl very well and nuke for 1 min. Let rest for 1 min. Turn out, cool, and slice in half. For gobs of fun recipes, check out http://www.paleofood.com/. It's for people who follow a paleo-diet, which, by necessity, is GF. There are some awesome cookie, cracker and snack ideas in there! Good luck! :)

I asked my doc about this, because I too wanted to drink it during pregnancy. She told me that it tones the uterus-- So... For 1st trimester, use none at all. For 2nd trimester, have up to two weak cups (1 tsp. loose leaf tea in 8 oz boiling water, let steep no longer than 5 min.) per day, spaced morning and evening. For 3rd trimester, no more than 3 cups per day. Good luck! :)

As a young girl that age, I personally LOVED Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter. I also read all of Lucy Maud Montgomery's books including not only the Anne of Green Gables series, but also the Emily series and others. Other ideas: Andrew Lang's Fairy books (12 books that are great for ANY age!) Black Beauty The Secret Garden Little Women Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Sherlock Holmes Alice in Wonderland and his other nonsense writings (I know people use this earlier, but I got a lot more out of it a bit older...) The book Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt lists several great read-alouds for the 9-12 group. I believe she has also published a Honey for the Teen's Heart, which I haven't personally used. Have fun!

I just started this as well with my 5 year old, in preparation for the time when I'll need to sit and nurse. (Our next baby is due at Thanksgiving.) Here's a list of audiobooks I compiled for our own use this year. Hope this helps! My son LOVED Freddy the Detective on a recent long car trip. He's also listened to Peter Pan and Stuart Little over and over and over again! Atwater, Richard. Mr. Popper’s Penguins. Barrie, J.M. Peter Pan Baum, L. Frank. The Wizard of Oz. Bennett, William J. The Children’s Book of Virtues. Bond, Michael. A Bear Called Paddington. Brooks, Walter R. Freddy the Detective. Burnett, Frances Hodgson. A Little Princess Burnett, Frances Hodgson. The Secret Garden Carroll, Lewis. Alice in Wonderland Carroll, Lewis. Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. Cleary, Beverly. The Mouse and the Motorcycle. Dickens, Charles. Christmas Carol. Gannett, Ruth Stiles. Three Tales of My Father’s Dragon. Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows. [Read by Jim Weiss, unab.] Herriot, James. Cat Stories Kipling, Rudyard. The Jungle Books, I and II. (See also Jim Weiss, below) Kipling, Rudyard. Just So Stories. [Read by Jim Weiss, unabridged.] Lawson, Robert. Rabbit Hill. Lewis, C.S. The Chronicles of Narnia. Lindgren, Astrid. Pippi Longstocking. McDonald, George. The Princess and Curdie. Nesbit, Edith. The Complete Book of Dragons. Nesbit, Edith. The Railway Children. O’Brien, Robert C. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. Osborne, Mary Pope. Tales from the Odyssey Paschen, Elise. ed. Poetry Speaks to Children Selden, George. The Cricket in Times Square. Weiss, Jim. [Classic stories for children. Mostly abridged, however. Check] Story of the World, Vol. 1-IV Unabridged. (Probaby not this year...) White, E.B. Charlotte’s Web. White, E.B. Stuart Little. White, E.B. The Trumpet of the Swan. Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House on the Prairie.

I love kefir, but I would say that it tastes quite a bit like yogurt. Sorry! For a newbie to kefir, I would suggest a flavored variety but these usually contain a bit of sugar and might not be consistent with your new way of eating. If you're ever feeling adventurous, try it! ;)

This pretty much sums up my answer. Thanks, Trivium Academy! I use much less humor online, because I'm afraid it might not come across as I intend.

At this stage of the game, just having a chart full of happy heart stickers and knowing he's done an "excellent job" is enough for him :)

Wow, what a great idea! I'm struggling with a sudden streak of constant groaning and complaining, too, with my 5yo, for ANYTHING he doesn't want to do. We have a chart of his homework for the day, the last entry of which is "Be Happy". (It came that way from the creator, Create-a-chart.) Well, even the suggestion that he could lose his "Be Happy" sticker for the day works at THIS age (5), but I'm guessing it wouldn't for 10? I'll be giving the "thankfulness exercise" a try, though. Heck, it'd be good for all of us! Good luck!

This is our first year! My ds is 5 and in K. We've done all our "work" for today :) It feels great to finally START! We're having cooler weather here, too, for once. Yippee!

Thank you all for sharing. I shall save these words to have on hand whenever I question my purpose. :) I had received a very upset email from a friend's mother who heard through the grapevine that we were homeschooling. The letter, written by a Kindergarten teacher, was very biased, very negative, and upset me quite a bit. I was so very happy to discover this forum, and through it, like-minded people who share similar values to family and education. Your words are, indeed, a great comfort to me! Thank you for your joy! Keep the comments coming!

nm

:iagree:I went through this last year. I finally decided to donate all the clothes that make me FEEL frumpy. When in doubt, I asked my husband his opinion (which was usually a vehement head-shake to get rid of the wretched thing). For very little money, I collected a few key wardrobe items that were stylish, affordable, WASHABLE, and fit. (I'm petite, so this was key. Anything too big spells FRUMP or "potato sack"...) I automatically felt so much better that I started making other changes without even realizing it, like wearing earrings or lipstick, even just around the house. Of course, now I'm very pregnant, and all those slim clothes will have to wait a while. I pulled out my frumpy pregnancy clothes from before and donated them, too. My dh convinced me to buy three new pregnancy dresses from Motherhood Maternity, which have been my staple wardrobe all summer. I live in them! Sure, I have to wash them twice a week, but I'd rather have a few pieces of clothes I wear often and really make good use of, than dozens of things that rarely see the light of day. For me, getting rid of the frump really helped!

Yes, we're starting to school tomorrow-- but for the first time! My son is 5 and will start Kindergarten. :001_smile:

Thanks everyone! I enjoy reading all your responses! This really helps! We came to this decision because: 1) Our local PS is not challenging enough academically and is rather frightening socially 2) In our search for a solution, I read the WTM and knew it was just how I would love to educate our son. Since that decision, only weeks ago, I have continued to find more and more excellent reasons to homeschool. Thank you so much for two-cents worth!

Being new to the homeschooling community, I'd like to hear your top reasons for choosing to homeschool your children. We're quite excited about it. Nevertheless, once and a while I catch myself thinking, "Am I doing the right thing?" So, I'd love to hear why YOU love to homeschool. Thanks!:001_smile: