Updated to Rafflecopter giveaway!!

I have a See the Light Art Class giveaway on my blog right now! Link is in signature line.

See my blog for a See the Light Art Class giveaway!

LOL. I actually have this program but have not had time to watch it:( Between grad school, teacher certification, 4 kids, homeschooling, and husband, I just don't have the time. Did I mention I am a Girl Scout Leader, too?! My plate is full, and I agree that a book would come in handy. It is much easier for me to read a book in bed at night than watch a movie (no TV in our bedroom, plus more relaxing). I really should try to find time for it...

Thank you all!!!! I feel much better!!! And Michele B., we sound very familiar. My mom also teaches English at a high school and always encouraged me to read. I remember her giving me The Scarlet Letter when I was in 8th grade because she was teaching it in her class. Everyday, should would talk to me about what I had read so far... I LOVE reading and reading aloud, and my children (even our 6 month old) love being read to. I appreciate all of the input, and now I can relax about our literature "program."

Ok, so I have my degree in English Literature and should know what I am doing. However, I feel like we are not doing enough in the field of literature. We have a first grader, pre-kindergartner, toddler, and baby. I am mostly concerned about my first grader. Here is what I do with them, and please give me other suggestions: We read a particular book during literature time. If it is a book like The Little Engine That Could, we read the book each day for one week. If we are doing a chapter book, we read a chapter or two each day until the book is finished. We talk about the book, the characters, etc. I use the Story Sequence chart from PAL (IEW). Sometimes we do a project (like drawing a picture of our bedroom when we read Good Night Moon), but that is rare. We also have a read-aloud each day. These are usually tied to the period of history we are studying and are above their level, but they enjoy them anyway. We are getting ready to start either Tirzah or Mara, Daughter of the Nile. Is this enough???? What do you do???

I am interested in purchasing the actual Starter Kit from Sue's website. I just do not have the time to make everything myself these days, but I am concerned about the centers. For those who have the kit, would someone mind telling me which center cards are included??? And does anyone find the forms provided from the book helpful? I borrowed a copy of her book on my Kindle, but do not have access to the forms and can't decide if I should just purchase the book. Thanks!!!

Interested as well...we will be using this series very soon.

I am interested in purchasing the actual Starter Kit from Sue's website. I just do not have the time to make everything myself these days, but I am concerned about the centers. For those who have the kit, would someone mind telling me which center cards are included??? And does anyone find the forms provided from the book helpful? I borrowed a copy of her book on my Kindle, but do not have access to the forms and can't decide if I should just purchase the book. Thanks!!!

I am hosting a giveaway for the Flowering Baby curriculum on my blog! This program is great for parents who do not necessarily desire to homeschool full-time but would like to do enrichment activities with their children! Check it out if you are interested: http://hernandezhomeschool.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/flowering-baby-reviewgiveaway/ Thanks!

I am hosting a giveaway on my blog for the Flowering Baby Curriculum! I LOVE it! Anyone interested can check it out here: http://hernandezhomeschool.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/flowering-baby-reviewgiveaway/ Thanks!

Thanks!!! I will have to try some of these ideas:)

I have the completely opposite problem of another forum member! My daughter can easily identify and name the letters by sound and look, but we are having difficulty with number recognition. Generally, she is fine up until 6, and then she just guesses. Anybody have any good ideas to help (or curriculum suggestions)? I am not a numbers person, so I cannot think of anything to do. We go over them, we count them (she can easily count), we match them with sets, etc. Thanks!!!

Great! Thanks!!!

So...my printer has been acting up and I am in the market for a new one. I print a lot (mostly in b&w, but sometimes color), so something good on ink would be great:) Any suggestions??

We use SOTW for grades 1-8. The difference is we use the Kingfisher Encyclopedia instead of the Usborne one for 4-8 grades, give them tests, expect better map work and more free reading. SOTW by itself is not going to cut it for a 13 year old, but add in some extra research and expect a little more and it will work out. I expect my 5th grader to have a more detailed map than my 1st grader, for instance. Good luck.

Any form of poetry...just not good at explaining it (probably because I don't know what it means half of the time). And there are very few poets I enjoy...

We use Writing with Ease and PAL writing in First. I start Teaching Writing Structure and Style by IEW in 2nd...A fun curriculum with a little more creative writing would be WriteShop. Your 7yo would probably be Primary C...

We live outside of Carrollwood and LOVE it! I hope this does not offend anybody, but Florida schools are not near as good as northern schools, so you probably won't be happy with them (even those rated as A). There is so much to do in that area and it is very family-friendly. Check out meetup.com for some homeschool groups near there (and don't be afraid to try Pasco county groups, too...many of us in Pasco do most of our stuff in New Tampa area because it is so awesome!!!)

Wow...you all get up early! Is that normal, or just what works for you guys? I feel guilty about sleeping in until 8am compared to you all:tongue_smilie:

I, too, have purchased the planner and have mixed feelings. I think it is headed in a good direction, but it is hard to get ready for school starting in a week when my planning materials can't make lesson plans. I also am not totally convinced it is better than the paper planner, although I think it can be. I love their company, and I am looking forward to the final product. I didn't know about HST+...I'll be researching that.

Mine is a challenge, too...and she fights with the 4 MONTH OLD! This morning, she told me he was trying to kick her off of the sofa, and she meant it. We butt heads and she only does things when she wants. But...I would rather try to help her respect me before she learns to respect others. Maybe try some kind of reward chart for good behavior. Or, have her be your helper. DD loves to feel like she is the mommy, so I try to give her little jobs she can be proud of (pick out an outfit for ds, help me with his bath). Also, I try to spend all of his nap time with her. We just talk and read or do whatever she wants. This helps her feel important and not forgotten. Also, if no one is getting hurt, I would try ignoring it. If dd isn't getting a reaction from me, she tends to give it up. Hope this helps...

I do use a writing program with my K5 along with copy work and grammar. I like both PAL writing from IEW or WriteShop Primary A. You might not need these, but just my suggestions...

I think that it only applies to AAR1 and AAS1. I would agree with the previous poster about working on the level of the child.

DD4 has been doing gymnastics since she was 2 and a half. She now goes 2x a week for a total an hour and a half, and she LOVES it. She has really good teachers and they push them without making it not fun. If your DD has been asking to go, she will enjoy it.