HOD is open and go....until you need to tweak it. We used two guides with children at the younger end of the recommendations and it was still not challenging enough....so I had to supplement greatly. If you need some flexibility in your schedule, HOD can drive you nuts. Each day is laid out and each subject is interwined. You cannot skip history one day and pick up where you left the next day because it may not correlate to that days science...and vice versa. I was going batty!!! Eventually, I kept the science and used it in order, kept the read-alouds and the math and sold everything else.

I am seriously considering BJU for my rising 1st and 2nd graders but would like to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly first. TIA :-)

My current 1st graders curriculum is in my signature. My rising 1st will be using: Rod and Staff Arithmetic 1 Learing Language Arts Through Literature Blue Book Lollipop Logic Our Fathers World Science Beautiful Feet Early American History

We have HOD a shot but it was too confining for us. It was hard checking all the boxes every day with our busy schedule...but if we didn't the whole week was out of whack. However, we kept the science and love it! In fact, we now incorporate quite a few CLP subjects into our day and it gives us a great Christian base without being a "boxed curriculum".

My son finished Rod and Staff 1 and was a third of the way into 2 when I decided to switch to Singapore late last fall. I took him back to 1A because I wanted him to really grasps the concepts as it is a VERY different style of math than what he learned on. We finished 1A in a little over 3 months and started 1B today. I would not think of it as losing anything if you go with 2A....its more reinforcement. And I think it will be worth it.

I thought maybe it was the curriculum (Adv in Phonics) so I bought some Dollar Store books. Those were a miss so I pulled out ETC. He raced through all of Book 3 in 7 days, never missing one thing, but declared it "boring" and did not want to go on to the next book. It not about the work being too hard....maybe too tedious?

DS will be 7 in July. He can read really well. And right now, phonics as a subject is reducing him to tears. Its putting a damper on our school day. I decided to shelve phonics for a bit and focus on reading comprehension and end the stress. I am just wondering if I need to pick them back up or just call it good as we are starting a phonics based spelling in the fall.

My DS is a wiggler....we solve a lot of that by doing lessons on the floor, the picnic table by the creek, the couch.....it really works!!! Our second grade line up is looking like this: Math: Singapore 2A/2B and CLE 2 Language Arts English and Grammar: Abeka Language 2 Penmanship: Writing with Diligence Spelling: Abeka Spelling 2 Reading: Sonlight 3rd Grade Readers History: Beautiful Feet Early American Science: Apologia Astronomy Latin: Memoria Press

...how do you schedule it? DS is heading into Singapore 1B(US) and I am thinking of adding in CLE Sunrise 100 for him. He loves Singapore and we do 3-5 exercises a week but I want him to solidify his facts, especially since he IS "mathy". DD is just starting Essentials B and its been a rough go but she is getting it now. I want to start Liberty Math K (from CLP) just in case the Essentials is not going to work out. I just have no idea how to schedule it all. Help!!!

HOD - too many boxes to check for us :-( VP Phonics Museum

We gave Song School Latin a real go but my kids were just not enjoying it. DS will be starting 2nd in July and I was thinking of trying SSL again.....but maybe he would like Prima Latina better? Can someone compare the 2 for me?

I am torn about LA for my DS who will be in 2nd next year, although a younger 2nd starting the month after he turns 7. My thought was to do Abeka Language 2 and Spelling and Poetry 2...but I wonder if it is thorough enough. He is a good reader and enjoys reading, hates the physical act of writing, and will have probably wrapped up phonics by then. His favorite curriculum is Singapore math... he loves it and the style suits him. I am open to any suggestions!!!

TY!!!!

We have teddy bear counters and lined them up to imitate the drawings in the book. We also have cuisenaire rods but I honestly have no ides how to use them.

DD did great with Singapore Essentials A. Less than a week into B and it obvious its not her math style. She can easily figure out 7-5=2 but her brain is NOT processing 5 is ______ less than 7. We have gone over the concept repeatedly and she just does not get it. So I am broke....I can spend $30 on a different math...not a cent more. Suggestions are needed!!! She actually loves math and is good with numbers but we need a more literal method.

So far, its looking like: Math Singapore 2A/2B Singapore CWP 1 LA Abeka Language 2 Literature ??? Building Spelling Skills B Writing with Prayer History Beautiful Feet Early American Science Apologia Astronomy Language Prima Latina OR SSL 2

My Nature Journal by Olstead is a great resource! http://www.christianbook.com/my-nature-journal-adrienne-olmstead/9780967245911/pd/724601?dv=c&en=google-pla&kw=homeschool-0-20&p=1167941&gclid=CPH_o-mVu7wCFYqDfgod4DoAkA

If I had a vote, which I don't, I would say neither one. SOTW is not appropriate for K unless its tagging along with an older sibling. FIAR is lots of prep and to make it a full curriculum is hours worth of work on Mom's part.

DS is just finishing up Singapore 1A (US Edition). He is easily solving the subtraction problems but he is not really getting to the answer the way the book is teaching. I let him solve 19-5=14 his way (in his head, counting backwards) and then I walk him through the SM way (9-5=4 and add the 1 [or tens position] in front of the 4 and you get 14) but that was is not how he does it. Should I be doing it different? Should he get it the SM way before moving to 1B?

We are thinking of spending two years abroad.......but we have no clue where, lol. It needs to be relatively safe, homeschool friendly, decent healthcare, and able to work with a budget of $3000 a month for 2 adults and 2 kids.....also someplace to make a living in either non-profit work or retail if we decided we wanted to stay.

I am thinking of ordering the guide but I have a quick question: Does it follow just one book at a time or does it jump around like Sonlight? I really want to use it but my budget will only allow for a couple books at a time. Thanks!!!

We start back tomorrow, too...having taken all of December off for the most part. And the holidays were just lousy. My BIL died suddenly, a dear family friend passed, I found I need bilateral knee replacements, we found our dog dead two days after Christmas, and on Friday a young man we know killed himself. Sigh. I was scambling to plan tonight and my heart is not quite in it yet.

DS is reading really well....3rd grade level. DD is just barely sounding out CVCs and hates to even try.

What curriculum would you use? I am having some health issues and I worry that the kids will have to be put in school down the road. We have generally followed the CM method and just delved into AO but I know if I put them in school now, the only place they would be able to jump in is math. I need to make some changes, and quickly, for my own peace of mind....please give me your suggestions!!!! Secular or Christian is fine, nothing too pricey....thanks!!! ETA: I would also need something that my folks could step in and do with the kids easily for a few weeks here and there when I have surgeries.

Cost is not a factor here and every few months I get enamored with Sonlight. I never quite hit the purchase button, though, because when I start digging deep I always come the conclusion that Sonlight is more quantity than quality. Sure, many of the book choices are fabulous, but some are not... and there are so many of them.... I would feel like I was trying to cram them all in if I use the schedule. And then I read reviews and realize I would be tweaking the schedule, perhaps going verticle, and then I think "why spend $500+ per child to buy something I need to change.... so its always a no go in the end.