Yes, that too! :D

My DD is now toward the beginning of book three. We've been doing them for quite awhile, taking our time. She neither loves it nor hates it:) She enjoys coloring the pictures as we work! I think they're very good at getting children to think in a variety of ways. I recently bought another set of preschool workbooks (http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/Preschool+Workbook+Set+of+4/009785/1235576077-122882) and there's just NO comparison. The cheap ones are so straightforward - tracing lines, learning colors and shapes, etc. The Early Learner books cover all that but in such a more interesting way. I would love to find something cheaper for my DS to start next year, but really I think I'm gonna just spend the money on the early learner books. I agree that once your child can do the work in #'s 3 & 4, you'll be doing other stuff too. I've still found them good though:)

That's cute! Good job!

I didn't vote cause I'm not required by the state to do anything at all yet:) Nor do I have anything to keep anyway! BUT, I think it would be wise to keep grades at LEAST throughout high school, for college purposes. Your son probably would like to know how his work stacks up to kids in "real school" :) You, as his mom and teacher, can see his progress better than he probably can. If that is what he needs, then I would do it, for his sake. For example, say he struggles with math. But you know he's learning. He could end up feeling like he's dumb, whereas if he saw that he was getting B's, or even A's, he'd feel better about himself. Anyway, those are just my thoughts:) I say those things more from the perspective of being homeschooled myself than from any experience yet as a teacher. I had those grades to tell me that I was doing as well as my peers, even if I was having a hard time!

We have two of the LeapPad sets... don't bother with them :tongue_smilie: My DD first learned the letter sounds (mostly from the Letter Factory!). Once she knew those, we started working on putting them together. It took a little while to click, but we just took our time. Eventually it occured to me that trying to put together three sounds was too much (c-a-t). So I made some cards with simple two letter words (it, at, up) and we went through them daily until she was able to read them. She picked it up quickly that way. After that, we did just a little bit of The Ordinary Parent's Guide, then switched to Word Mastery (free!) and use A Beka Letters and Sounds for practice. Oh, and reading Bob books. I'm not familiar with Happy Phonics or Headsprout, but getting started is pretty straightforward and simple:) Just follow his pace:)

I might be wrong on this, and welcome correction:), but spiral essentially means to hit upon a topic, then come back to it later in more depth, then back again in further depth, etc, correct? Isn't that basically what the 4-year history cycle does? In grades 1-4 you would briefly go over each point in history, then in the next cycle (grades 5-8) you'd study it more deeply, and so on. Just a very large spiral??:) Or are you thinking of spiraling within the year?

Around that age, my DD started Developing the Early Learner, Kumon Let's Cut, and Kumon More Let's Fold. We've both liked them very much! Gaining scissor skills has been great for her. I plan to get them for my DS to start at the end of the summer (he'll be just over 3 1/2). He's just started About Three (link in sig) but I'm not terribly impressed with it. It's just alot of tracing lines, at least in this first book in the set. Early Learner is much better, imo, and worth the price. Oh, and DD also loved Kumon First Book of Mazes when she was about your dd's age... maybe closer to 4... I really don't remember!

I would probably focus on reading. I'm not experienced in this area, as my oldest is not quite 5, but that is my top thing to focus on right now:)

I just wondered how many here were homeschooled students themselves! I was! From Kindergarten to graduation :D I'm so excited about teaching my own children!!

Can I just say... eeewwwwwww...... :D

I think we did 3-4 lessons a day, no memorizing or extra work (dd was probably an early 4 or late 3 when we did it). I'll do it again eventually and do about the same.

Thank you!! This is very helpful!! :D

I love my iPod too! I have my own music and the kids music. Nothing else cause it's already packed to the gills. We have a dock in the kitchen. Mostly we listen to "morning music" and "afternoon/evening music". In the morning I put on something calm and refreshing (like Fernando Ortega hymns) or educational (Steve Green Hide 'Em in Your Heart, Singing Science). Evening music is for when I'm working in the kitchen getting supper ready, so it's more upbeat, whatever I feel like at the time. I wish I had more space on it. Whenever I put on something new, I have to take something off!

Have you used it? How do you like it? Tell me about it! I'm considering this for my dd next year in K. It looks pretty uncomplicated. Also looks like I could probably accomplish the same thing at this level with just some internet art or library books. This looks easier and I like the sample pictures that I could find... but the price is painful to me. I'm trying to keep my total costs within $150, no more than $200, so even $20 is alot! So tell me what you think of it!! :D

DD and I are currently doing Pre-K approx. 4 days a week. We'll be officially starting Kindergarten next year. As of right now, I have alot of plans for next year! lol:) Phonics: A Beka Letters and Sounds 1, continue with Word Mastery (see siggy) Math: Singapore EarlyBird B - I just ordered it and we'll be starting it right now, working our way through slowly, into next year. Then MEP 1. I think. I also just bought the Miquon teacher books and have some cuisenaire rods which I would like to incorporate as well. History: Usborne First Encyclopedia of History, possibly followed by an old copy of A Beka's My America which I have from when I was in 1st grade! Geography: Use globe, United States puzzle, World floor puzzle, and songs to learn state names & locations, continent names, and oceans. I'm considering Usborne First Atlas or First Encyclopedia of Our World (or whatever it's called), but alas, I'm not made of money. We might make these a quick library read. Science: Play and Find Out Science Projects, My Body activity (make life size poster of your body and paste on body parts), library books/videos, internet videos, Singing Science records. Handwriting: possibly HWT My Printing Book (grade 1). I might just make my own sheets, but I haven't decided. Bible: a good children's story Bible (possibly Child's Story Bible, looking at others), Discovering Jesus in Genesis, memorize books of the Bible, learn how to look up verses as reading/numbers skills permit Spanish: Flip Flop Spanish Art: she and her cousins do weekly lessons with their grandmother. I'm considering Language Lessons for Little Ones for language/art appreciation. Logic: finish up Developing the Early Learner if we haven't by then (she's toward the beginning of book 3 now. we're going slowly). Then something from Critical Thinking Co. Can You Find Me, Mind Benders, or Thinker Doodles. Think that's enough???? lol:) We won't do it all every day!! Or even every week! :D We'll have all year.

We have My Body too. The kids were having fun with it until a couple trouble-makin' two year olds (mine and his cousin) ripped the bodies from the wall and dismembered them. But it's a neat thing and I plan to start it over eventually. My kids are little so when I made the pictures a bit smaller when I copied them.

Sure!:) My DD was 4 1/4 when we started. If your ds sounded out a Bob book, it sounds like he's off to a great start! I initially helped my daughter put sounds together by making just a few cards with very simple 2-letter words on them (it, at, ad, on, up). Once she was able to do that, we tried a few lessons of Ordinary Parent's Guide from our library, which I liked. But then I switched to Word Mastery (toward the beginning http://www.donpotter.net/education_pages/) and A Beka Letters and Sounds K. And we read Bob books:) Go for it! Have fun and take your time:)

They're on this page, approx. halfway down http://www.peacehillpress.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=71

It has a font that IS the HWT font? That would be cool.... Okay, now I'm seriously considering this! It would save me tons of money over the years, teaching my three kids how to write (and hopefully we'll have more kids too). I had planned to use HWT for print, then something else for cursive.

I've been using Word Mastery with my DD, along with A Beka. I was looking through it this morning and found something I thought was strange. Either I'm not getting what they're saying, or maybe time has just slightly altered the pronunciation of these words??? It's on page 56 http://books.google.com/books?id=ht4AAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA117&dq=complete%2Bcourse%2Bin%2Bphonics#PPA56,M1 It says that in these words, "y=short i": cherry merry windy kitty penny chilly sorry sunny And so on. Umm... I would say the "y" makes a long "e" sound... wouldn't you? Short "i"??? "cherrih" "merrih" "windih" Word Mastery was written in 1913. I thought it was kind of funny. Or Funn-ih???:) Does anyone here say them with a short "i"?

Thank you! That does help :)

Also, how does the leftie instruction at Kindergarten level compare with 1st grade level (in any edition)? I think I'd like to start my dd in the 1st grade book, as she already have very good handwriting for her age. BUT, like I said, I want the help for MYSELF in guiding her. Would I be okay with just the 1st grade TM or is there any extra help in the K TM?

I found some older edition teacher's manuals for Handwriting Without Tears for a good price. The main thing I'm interested in is the guidance for teaching left-handed writing. Would I still find this to be good in older editions? Thanks!!

Mystery of History? I haven't used it yet myself or looked into it thoroughly, so there might be aspects that don't fit what you're looking for? My SIL uses it with her 6 & 7 year olds and it looks good.

Oooh, excellent idea! Our county library doesn't have it, but you gave me the idea to check the university my husband attends. They do have it! Now to just talk him into picking it up for me....:)