That sounds great! I'll look into both. Thank you!

I have a upcoming kindergartner and second grader that I am looking for a solid, in depth, Bible and history curriculum for. We have everything else picked but I'm struggling to find something I feel is a good solid program. I know a lot of parents are able to create their own curriculum, but I'm not able to do that at this point - time is not on my side. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

I am so overwhelmed by the options for phonics/reading. I honestly don't even know how I am supposed to choose. Each seem to offer a little something different, but how do I know which is best for our family? At first I considered using Horizons because it's what we'll be using for math. I then started considering Abeka. Now I'm entertaining the idea of Explode the Code, All About Reading/Spelling, and Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading. I want to make a decision in the next couple of days but not sure how to narrow my selections. If any one has any suggestions or advice it is greatly appreciated!

I have an upcoming kindergertener and second grader. We plan to use Horizons math for both of them but we are on the fence when it comes to a reading and phonics curriculum. We tried Horizons two years ago when my oldest was in kindergarten but it was a lot of writing. It became overwhelming and unenjoyable for us both. After that experience I became very discouraged and put her back in public school for first grade. I'm being pulled back to the idea of homeschooling but get so overwhelmed when trying to find curriculum. My biggest fear is for us to experience what we did in kindergarten. I don't want that for her, my son, or myself. I want this to be a fun and enjoyable experience for us all. Of course we'll have our days, but overall I want it to be enjoyable. So I'm curious to hear what other moms and children enjoy. I looked into All About Reading/Spelling but I'm not sure how that program will work when transitioning into higher grade levels.

Posted in wrong area and not sure how to remove. Sorry!

Yes, I agree! I am having my five year old write "We love you" so I'm not doing all of the work. :-)

I feel like I have this debate with myself every year, so I am curious to know how others sign their Christmas cards to distant family? Like the type of family you only send cards to or hear from once a year. ;-) I typically will just write something brief. For example, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The XX Family. My cards are always pretty detailed with the inside message and scripture that comes pre-printed in them, so I figure keeping them brief is best, but I am curious to know what others do.

I just wanted to let you know that I went and picked up a pack of the pencil grips you are referring to and they did the trick!!! She is now holding her pencil the proper way and keeps saying "LOOK MOMMY! I am doing a great job holding my pencil the right way and it doesn't even hurt!" Even little brother (who naturally holds his pencil properly) commented on how great she is doing! Thanks again!!

You ladies are awesome! Thank you for all of the informative responses! I want to add, I don't think there is something "wrong" with her. I just want to help correct her in a gentle in loving manner that won't cause her to feel like she is doing something wrong/bad. She is definitely a very artistic little girl. I am amazed at her passion for drawing, coloring, and just creating in general. When I said lazy, I was referring to her attitude towards doing her work. She will begin to write sloppy, will complain that she's tired, say her hand hurts, "I don't want to do this anymore", and so on. Things that I am sure are very common for her age, but I don't want her to get burnt out. I would like for her to have a positive outlook on school and enjoy learning and the knowledge she is gaining.

Thank you so much for sharing this article! I have been debating between starting cursive now or waiting. Maybe this article will help me out. I'll have to read it when I get the kids down for a nap. I love the picture idea! I usually ask her to read it and then we can look at the picture and how it relates to what we just read. I'm going to give it a try tonight when she is doing her reading and see how it works. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you so much for all of the very helpful information! I didn't think to look further into her doodling. Like you said, I am sure there is a underlying reason for it.

I could really use some advice from the experts... My daughter is 5 and we recently pulled her out of public school to start homeschooling. We are struggling with breaking bad habits, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed. For starters, she holds her pencil incorrectly and complains that it hurts when she writes. I've tried teaching her the proper way but she always resorts back to what she is used to doing. Is there any ways to break this bad habit? Second, she writes nearly everything backwards. 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9. Also majority of her letters. Is there anything I can do to help make this easier for her? Also, while we are reading she gets so distracted by pictures and doesn't want to look at the words to sound them out. She also likes to guess the words rather than sounding them out. Is this something that is common at this age, or is it a bad habit I need to work on breaking? And lastly, she has a lazy attitude. Which I expect for a 5 year old, but she is doodling all over her page and wants nothing to do with what we are doing. Is this something she'll grow out of or is there something I can do to help entice her? Thanks in advance for any helpful tips and tricks!

Our curriculum (Horizons) does it the same. I suppose since you read from left to right recognizing the beginning sound is important.

Thanks ladies! We will focus more on sounding out individual letters and see if that helps her out.

When you were first teaching your children to read, did you teach them to sound out the beginning syllables or the ending ones? For example, the word 'can'...would you teach the child to add the 'c' sound to the 'an' sound rather than the 'ca' sound to the 'n' sound? I am finding it very difficult to explain to my five year old that 'can' has a short a, even though it makes the "an" sound.