Can anyone tell me around what lesson is considered "1st grade" reading level? Thanks!

Oh yes this is for next year! Not for now. Just trying to budget and math is pretty much the only thing I'm buying.

So we are going to homeschool my oldest for a few years. He will be in K next year officially. We are taking it year by year and at some point he may go to private or charter school. Anyway, we have been playing with Right Start A. He likes the games and it makes him excited to do math, which I obviously like. BUT I find it hard to teach. I need something easy, open and go. Maybe that's because I have an older edition? I've heard the new edition is easier to teach? Also, I don't think it has the same sequence as typical schools and I want him to be able to transition when the time comes. Oh, and he's quite precocious in math. At 4 he has had no trouble with the RS lessons. Ideas?

Oh I never thought of that! Of course it will make boredom worse if he's ahead. Lol this is why this forum is awesome. He loves maps so we are going to focus on geography kits this year. They don't do that at all in elementary school here. Thanks everyone!

So we were planning on homeschooling this year, but plans changed so now my 4.5 year old will be going to public school. In some areas he is quite gifted. I planned on doing some after schooling because when he gets bored he acts out. I had already bought most of the Right Start A kit. Can I do this after school? Or is it too intense for after schooling? We will for sure be doing 100EZ Lessons as he started that last year (we're taking it slow so he still had over half the book left). I am also looking at Math Seeds as he loves computer games. Thoughts?

My 4.5 year old will be doing a mix of K4 and PK. Right Start A (with no writing) 100 Easy Lessons (we've already started it but will keep going) Suggested read Alouds from Sonlight Kumon books to work on fine motor skills which are a bit behind Memorizing nursery rhymes and personal information Little passports subscription to do with dad

We foster and we are about to take in a 5 year old boy. He is labeled "developmentally delayed" but they say it isn't an intelligence issue but a neglect one. He is supposed to be in K but they put him in PreK because he's so far behind. My 4 year old is currently doing Kumon books, 100 EZ lessons, some memory work, and lots of readalouds. What should I do to catch my 5 year old up? It needs to be gentle since he will have to go to public school until we adopt him. Any ideas appreciated!

My first thought was to teach them to type.

My number one goal is for him to love books and love learning. I also really want to work on fine motor skills because mine is mentally ahead of his fine motor skills so I'm trying to save us some headache down the road. Other big goals are mostly life skills and moral skills. We do have formal school using sonlight and right start because he enjoys it but that's just extra in my mind.

Thank you! I was thinking it would probably work better for us if each child did a separate core and it's nice to know that it's possible with several kids. I read on the website that each core takes around 2 hours of parent involvement so I was multiplying that per child and it adds up fast! If you don't mind me asking, do you not find that you have to spend that much time with your olders? Also, if you don't mind me asking, how much time total do you spend doing school each day. (I'm mainly asking about the time mom spends, not the kids). Thanks again!

Okay, I'm thinking WAY ahead here but this has been driving me crazy and I can't seem to find a complete answer. I've been looking at Sonlight and I love the idea of it, especially for younger grades. We are doing the PK this year with my oldest and love it and I am fully intending to do the K next year. Here's my dilemma for using it long term though. How do I find the time to do this with each of my kids? I have a second child now but we are planning on having more. I know you can combine kids into the same core, but the whole idea of that REALLY confuses me. Eventually, you have to stop combining and I just don't see how that would work. For instance, let's say we decide to do Sonlight through 4th grade and I combing my two kids who are 2 years apart. So, my oldest will "graduate" 4th grade having gotten to do 2 less cores than my younger will then get to do which seems really unfair to me. I know I'm overthinking this but if someone has the patience to listen to this rant and decipher it I would appreciate some insight. Thanks!

Those are great resources! Thank you. I was thinking 1st edition. It looked fine to me and I thought it would be easier to find used.

Ok so I've decided to buy Right Start A for my son but we are kind of on a budget so I thought I would buy used. But I'm so confused. Some sellers have the workbook, some have the teachers manual, some just list "manipulatives", while others list specific manipulatives. Can someone list for me all the necessary parts of the program so I don't leave something out? I looked on the website but I couldn't find a detailed list. Oh, also, we already have an abacus from IKEA. Can we just use that? Thank you!

Thanks everyone! I thought about Miquon but it said 1st grade was the lowest it went so I was concerned it would be too hard. And especially thank you for that description Jackie. I think Right Start is a good bet because he loves playing games so much that I can just teach with games. I really want everything school related to be really fun at this point. I don't like the investment but on the bright side maybe I can re use it with little sister in a few years. Any other insights would be appreciated. Thanks again!

For the record, I am not ready for this or pushing my kid lol. If I don't do "school" with him every day he gets bored and starts misbehaving. So far "school" has consisted of reading books, playing games, and 1 Kumon worksheet per day. He loves playing "school games" and asks for them all day. I'm kinda getting to the point where I don't know what to do anymore. I'm not the type of person who can just come up with fun educational stuff or adapt stuff I find online. I need stuff spelled out for me. So would Right Start be a good math fit? It's mostly games isn't it? He's ready to start simple addition I think but he can't write yet. Thoughts? And do you really need to buy everything that goes with it?

I guess I need to clarify that my kid has acess to play dough, crayons, paper, Etc. He has blocks and things like that. It's just that *I* don't want to facilitate it. And if it is such a natural part of childhood why do I have to make it artificially?

Jackie yes!! That is how I feel. And maybe it's just my kid but I don't think he really gets anything from it. It's like a preschool version of busywork. I work part time and I don't have time for busywork lol

Jackie yes!! That is how I feel. And maybe it's just my kid but I don't think he really gets anything from it. It's like a preschool version of busywork. I work part time and I don't have time for busywork lol

Freeindeed have you used sonlight science? I have pretty much fallen in live with sonlight core because we are such a reading family and because I don't like lesson planning but I get mixed reviews on the science. I love the idea of it but I've heard some people say their kids didn't retain any of it. Could you share your experiences? Thanks a ton!

Okay, guilty mom confession here. I have a preschooler and I am learning that I HATE doing science projects or big projects of any kind. It's not such a big deal now, but I feel like as he gets into "school years" it will be. Basically I want some light at the end of the tunnel because this is making me dread homeschooling which makes me sad. I love teaching him new things and reading to him. But the idea of gathering empty milk jugs and toothpicks and whatnot every week for the next 18 years makes me twitch. So, how often do you do sconce experiments and history projects in the early elementary years? And are there any curriculums that come with all supplies so I don't have to gather anything? I think that would make it easier for me to handle and I wouldn't mink paying a little more for it. Thank you!!

Maybe not a Theology class, but a Religions class. I took a Religions class in college that taught all the different religions/denominations and it was very helpful to me because at the time I was quite lost in finding a church I could call home. For what it's worth I am now Episcopalian. We dress up, we have liturgical services, BUT I feel like it is a very open minded and loving church. We had a bishop visit on Easter and he said something that I think sums up what this church believes. "The Episcopal church is only an instrument in great orchestra that serves God. It is not any better than any other instrument, but it is a beautiful piece of the music." Also, most priests I know are quite educated in the different types of denominations and if you tell them what you are looking for they will help you find somewhere you can feel at home, even if it is not their church.

Today my 2 year old was acting out different animals. "I am a frog" - jumps around. "I am a snake" - lays on his belly and slithers around. "I am a lion" - lays down. I was like, um, what are you doing? It took me a while but I finally realized that at the zoo the lions are always sleeping lol.

I don't have children that old so take what I say with a grain of salt BUT I remember reading somewhere on the MUS website that everything taught in Primer repeats in Alpha so it is completely okay to skip Primer.

We had Palm Sunday service today which was beautiful. We processed in waving palm branches and read the entire passion. On Maundy Thursday we have an Agape Supper at church. Good Friday there is a silent service but we won't be going because of the kids. Then on Saturday we have the Easter Egg hunt and the kids plant flower bulbs. On Saturday night we have the Holy Vigil service. On Sunday morning the kids find that their bulbs have become "flowers" and they dig up their alleluiah's (which they bury on Ash Wednesday). Then we have Holy Eucharist.

My grandfather is in his late 80's. He has had 3 heart attacks and last November he had triple bypass surgery. He travels all the time and drives himself. He walks on the treadmill 3 times a week and lifts weights. Last week he drove 12 hours to come visit me. He is living proof that even major health problems can be overcome late in life.