AAS for non-natural spellers (awesome!), vocabulary for naturals. That is what we did. No regrets.

I recommend Elemental Science. We did chemistry last year and are doing physics this year. The reading material is very brief and from several different sources. Some of the sources may be too sophisticated for a 3rd grader, but perfect for a 6th grader. Any student from grades 3-6, if they retain most of the material from an ES year, will have an excellent background in the studied subject. After a two-week introduction to the subject, there are options for 2-4 experiments per week. The experiments have (mostly:)) worked and the experiment books (mostly:)) explain the reason for the outcome of the experiment. I have a science-y son and he loves ES. He wanted lots of experiments and ES fills that bill for him. For me, ES gives me a place to implement dictation and narration in a subject he enjoys. Also, my science knowledge is apparently abysmal. I'm learning a lot, too!

I started my third grader in AAS1, even though he could spell every AAS1 word correctly, and I'm really glad I did. AAS is a system of how to THINK about spelling. There is a routine. I wanted both of us to learn the system/routine before he had to spell struggle words. Worked for us - ymmv:) BTW - we spent about 6 weeks in AAS1 and we are doing 3 steps per week in AAS 2. My plan is that he'll be done with AAS4 by the end of his fourth grade year.

We went through Singapore level 6 with my oldest, Singapore level 4 with second child. Youngest HATED Singapore at about the same time MM was getting popular here. So, I tried it and we love it. Some day I will sit down and write out some of the similarities and differences I experienced. For now, I will just say that I agree with one post-er who said the MM directions are sometimes a bit "off." In chapter 1, page 33, of level four is the following problem: ************************************************ 22. Add and subtract. Estimate first by rounding. a. 3782 + 2255 b. 8149 -4888 Estimate: Estimate: ************************************************ First off, I think the instructions should say "add OR subtract" because the student is not doing both at the same time. Second, I think the instructions should put the requirement to estimate first in the instructions because that is the first thing the student should do. So, I would agree the instructions can be "off." Not bad or misleading. Just sometimes not exactly clear or orderly. IMO:) But, the bottom line is we love MM for all the reasons already stated; oh, and we love Puzzle Corner.

sorry - don't have time to read all the replies so I may be duplicating a suggestion. My kids all found those early reader phonics books to be tedious and boring. What I did is have them sound out one or two words per page in a high-interest book I was reading to them. Not sight words. Gotta sound stuff out. So, pick a word he has to sound out (and one you KNOW he can sound out). Or, do a brief phonics lesson before you read aloud and pick a word that aligns with the lesson you just did. This worked for us.

I used Elemental Science chemistry with my third grader last year and I learned more chemistry in one week than I learned in my high school career. So, that leads me to believe it would be sufficient for a fifth grader:). It was awesome. Loved it! Can't wait to start Physics...

We had two years of extremely positive experiences with The Potter's School.

...it was AWESOME! I'm quite sure when my son graduates with his chemistry degree, he will attribute his fascination to ES:)

...but its effectiveness will depend on why your son's spelling needs help. AAS gave me and my 9-year-old exactly what he needed: 1. It forces the student to differentiate the sounds in a word. 2 It teaches common rules and includes easy-to-use flashcards for review. I love it. We started with level one even though he spelling was far above that level. I just wanted to start the "system" with easy words so that once the words get hard, the system is already in place. It took us about two months, but we didn't do spelling every day. My goal is to do levels two, three, and four this year, so that by fall 2012, he'll be at grade level in spelling.

What about getting old computers/phones/fax machines from the Goodwill and letting him take them apart?

1. Intimacy - I wanted the benefit of family and individual intimacy that is only possible with tons of uninterrupted time with each other. 2. Identity - I wanted my children to be clear about who they are and who they were made to be. I believe young children decide who they are in the reflection of the metaphorical mirrors of those who surround them. I did not want my children to decide they are smart or stupid (or whatever) based upon the opinions of their same aged peers or a teacher who does not really know them. 3. Influence and imitation. I believe young children tend to be influenced by and to imitate the people they spend the most time with. I did not desire for my children to imitate or be influenced by other six year old people. 4. Individuality - I wanted my children to be able to learn at their own pace, consistent with how they were made, and not the pace determined by: the author of a curriculum, a teacher attempting to accommodate dozens of needs, or a government standard. 5. The Immeasurability of the most Important things in life. "Not everything that counts can be measured. Not everything that can be measured counts." (Einstein) The relentless obsession with tests and scores will singularly cause the ultimate demise of real education.Further, in our family, the most important thing in life that "counts" and can't be measured is God and we are allowed to talk about God all we want:) Knowing exactly why I was homeschooling enabled me, early on, to be focused in my purpose. This knowledge also liberated me, when it was time to send my children to school, from lament. I had laid the foundation I wished to create. I knew when it was time for them to move to school-in-a-building (even though I had assumed all along I would homeschool through high school).

THANKS! I was JUST thinking yesterday I needed to do something like this (well, not like THIS, as...well...you know:)). Awesome! BTW - I believe subject complement is spelled with an "e" and not an "i."

My son has a love/hate relationship with MCT. He loathed Grammar Island, cries, writhes, and moans when it is time to do Building Language, and dreads Music of the Hemispheres. He relishes Sentence Island (and has been known to quote it) and (bizarrely) loves Practice Island, despite being an avowed handwriting hater. Go figure. However, I was just telling my husband last night how the knowledge from MCT is infiltrating this child's brain. He stops mid-sentence to decide if the word he just used is an adverb. He runs about saying things like, "Pelicans are foolish! I don't actually believe pelicans are foolish...I just like saying that sentence." He was reading a Jack Prelutsky poetry book (on his own accord) and started identifying the rhyme scheme, internal rhyming, and eye-rhymes. (BTW - I had never heard these terms before. Ever. I was a business major:)) So, he claims he hates (some of) it. But, wow! The foundation in language in nothing short of amazing to me. I am planning to do a short MCT course this summer with my unwilling daughter. We'll see how that goes:) Meanwhile, he also adores his Elemental Science curriculum. Would be happy to skip any history any time. Feels so-so about Math Mammoth (but likes the geometry we are doing). I am noticing some themes in these posts - and it is very interesting to me as I am contemplating several of these products for next year, including Lively Latin and AAS.

Kudos to those moms who come up with creative ways to incorporate a 3-year-old into a school day. I never could do it. I hired an awesome, young (11 at the time) homeschooled girl to engage my 3-year-old after he stopped taking naps. It was one of the best homeschooling investments we ever made.

I agree with a pp who recommended a quick email acknowledging the awkwardness. I thought her words were perfect:). Meanwhile, I generally keep my mouth shut when folks are ranting about homeschooling. Indeed, most folks rant when they know little or are jealous of or personally hurt by someone else's choices. But I just couldn't help myself when someone accused me of "indoctrinating" my kids. "Well," I responded, "someone is going to indoctrinate them - either the government or me. I'd rather have them be indoctrinated by someone who can live within a budget."

oral till fourth grade

My son, who turned 9 in November, absolutely adores Elemental Science Chemistry. I do too. I've posted about it several times so if you want more information, just search for Elemental Science or ES Chemistry. I think the program is ideal for the 9-10 year old, and plenty rigorous.

This is our eighth year of homeschooling and each year has looked different. The first year, I had an academically-inclined first grader, a quiet 4-year-old and a 1-year-old who napped on a schedule. That year, I did a WTM approach with the first grader in the afternoons while the baby slept and the 4-year-old played. As the middle child got older, it became (excruciatingly painfully) obvious that she was NOT designed to thrive in a classical environment. We became more MOntessori-ish/CM/about as unschooly as I could get. This worked for us then. As the oldest approached fifth grade, it became (excruciatingly painfully) obvious that we all needed to resume structure and we developed a routine (not a schedule). Now, I have one third grader and he likes being on a schedule. So, we do math for a half hour then science for a half hour then we move to the couch and do read-alouds and history and ....you get the picture. The beauty of homeschooling is you can do what works best for your family. Sometimes the process of getting to that point, though, can be a little rough:).

Funny - I just read that section this week and it struck me as odd....

For years, I found that fewer transitions resulted in fewer distractions, especially when I was homeschooling three children. Now that I am down to one child at home, transitions actually reduce distractions. You just have to find what works for you:)

Loved that book!

Second The Potter's School!

I wouldn't say that 3&4 were a problem for us. It wasn't the material covered that we had issues with. It was just that after being completely engaged with volumes 1&2, 3&4 had longer chapters (too long for me to read aloud and keep their interest), and denser material with more names, dates, and places. It was just too much material for my then-fourth grader. My daughter is now in sixth grade, and I think it would be perfect for her...

If your husband is asking for structure, and he is home, might I respectfully suggest he take the 4-year-old to the park/zoo/gym/woods every morning at precisely 9 a.m.??:) Oh, and the baby, too...

Since my children all despised copywork, I generally chose material from books or subjects they particularly enjoyed. They have copied out of Charlotte's Web, Harry Potter, and now my son's copywork is from Elemental Science Chemistry, which is currently his favorite thing in the world:).