I plan for us to say it every day in the lower grades.

I used to have bookmarks from the bookstore that have a tab in them. It would be extremely simple to make with cardstock, though the ones I had were either slightly plasticky or made of metal. I can't find an example online right now. I was actually just thinking about that the other day, planning to use them for a few of our books. Am I making sense? They're very simple, really!!!:)

I just got the Target dollar section cards, too. They restock regularly, so check again if you don't see them the first time. If you have a Target near you, that is:)

I haven't started any of them with my kids yet. But I am currently reading through SOTW 1 myself and enjoying it so much! I intended to just read a little, skimming here and there, to see if I wanted to use it next year. But I'm hooked and nearly through the book. Definitely start with the beginning:) It's quite well written and I'm confident that your 4th grader will enjoy it too! I think alot of it would be over my 5 year old's head right now, but as long as you work in some pictures, coloring pages, related story books, etc, I'm sure it'd be fine.

I was just wondering how much trouble it would be to do in Microsoft Word? I just tried making a 2(rows)x2(columns) table and resizing it so each section was about 3"x4". Then you could add pictures or text and cut them out on the lines? If there are online resources that would be neat too!

This is our first year, so YES!!! I'm almost done converting the study to a schoolroom which has been alot of fun:) Luckily for my DD, I'm watching a friend's two children this summer, so we can't start until they do. Otherwise I am quite sure I'd be pushing to start already!:)

That is neat! Thanks!

Perhaps you could find or make animal flashcards? Not as a drill at that age, of course. Just as an easy way to see only one animal at a time:) Maybe a coloring page for each animal? Even if she just does random scribbles, it would still be another chance to point out the animal name and sound. Ummm... I can't think of any other ideas right now... my brain really hasn't woken up yet:)

I like them alot! My DD is almost through with the 3rd one. I intend to use them with my DS also:) I think they are worth the extra $$ compared to other preschool level books. A few months ago I bought these preschool activity books http://www.rodandstaffbooks.com/item/39-0--/ and I was not impressed. The Early Learner books do not teach numbers or reading. They focus on thinking skills. My DD was younger than yours when we started, so we've taken... maybe a year and a half to get through them. But done consistently, they could be done in far less time:) Oh, and amazon has them as part of their 4-for-3 promotion, plus you can get free shipping, so it's only $30 total for the set.

It looks great!!! Where did you get the big chalkboards? I love chalkboards! I'm working on setting up our schoolroom and trying to choose big chalkboard, smaller chalkboard that we already have, or whiteboard. I reeeallly would prefer a big chalkboard but I don't want to spend a ton of money on it!

I kept going back and forth between the two also! Last year we used Word Mastery with just Letters and Sounds K (no other A Beka stuff). They synced up really well. I liked Letters and Sounds alot. We skipped alot of pages because she simply didn't need that much review. This year we're going to continue with Word Mastery, though now I own Phonics Pathways too, so we'll be seeing which we prefer. Like I said, I kept looking at ETC cause it looks good, too! I finally decided to go with Letters and Sounds 1. I just got it in the mail a couple days ago:) It looks just as good as the previous one! Honestly, I think you'll get a thorough phonics education from either one! When I showed the different samples to my DD, she was attracted to ETC simply because she would be able to color the plain pictures:) But she likes A Beka just fine, too. Which would YOUR child enjoy more?

Nice website - thanks for sharing! I found something I "needed":) lol

It looks great! I love the color. Our livingroom is similar:) I love the wood color of your desks and bookcases!

http://donnayoung.org ?

I was just reading the thread Workboxes for Little People. I really liked some of the ideas for my 3 year old! But they would just NOT work for my 1 year old. He puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. And then after he tries it in the mouth, it gets thrown. So rice is definitely OUT for that little boy! Does anyone have fun, similar, hands-on ideas for the really little people?

Me!! :D I'll be with my SIL, just at the curriculum hall on Sat. Someday I'd love to go to the workshops too.

I know you're already considering it, but my DH uses Quicken for macs and really likes it:)

Katilac, you beat me to it! :D ROFL

I love the Wee Sing Bible Songs versions :)

Oh, good, I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't cry! I liked the movie too:)

I just recently put ours in one of these http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80098583 I LOVE these little containers! I have others filled with chalk, hair elastics, hair barrettes (yes, we have too many hair things), foam letters, and plastic army guys. And three more empty ones waiting for their perfect match:)

Ooooh, my DS would LOVE that rice idea! Unfortunately my 1 year old DS would ALSO love rice - the shower curtain wouldn't help to keep it from being wildly flung all over the room!! But still... if I could keep HIS little hands off of it.... Maybe some puzzles? Last year when DD was 4 1/2, I bought this wooden U.S. puzzle. http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/USA+Puzzle+-+Jumbo+Wooden/008142/1245466076-964861 She did it with help then and can put it together herself now. DS3 likes trying to work it himself. He doesn't do too bad! They also all enjoy these http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Tall+Stacker+Pegs+and+Pegboard+Set/001213/1245466076-964861, esp. the boys (but they are younger than your son, so I couldn't say how they really hold the attention of 4 year old boys).

I love this thread! What great ideas! This summer I'm working on turning our catch-all study into an organized schoolroom. So that alone will make the first day fun! Just this past week I thought about getting her a small backpack or something and filling it with fun supplies. And I wanted to get her a new school outfit, just to wear at home. I was homeschooled and remember all the friends getting new school clothes! My mom would get us something new, too, just for fun:) The Schultüte is a new idea. How is that pronounced??

My DD is starting K this fall and writes nicely already, so I chose the 1st grade book. It looks like it will work out nicely. As mentioned, the 1st grade book focuses on lowercase letter and words. I'm just going to take a little extra time beforehand to make sure she knows how to properly form the capital letters, then we'll just move on through the book. I also bought the teacher's guide and would recommend it! I like their suggestions.

I took the baby last year (he was a few months old) and I can't say I'd describe it as FUN!:) This year I'm leaving all three at home with DH. I told DD5 that she could come if she wanted to. As first she liked the idea until she found out that the alternative was a day playing with daddy! I'd like to take them when they're older, if they can not be whiney about it. lol:) Doesn't seem too likely, does it?