I have a few questions: 1. Instead of buying separate science encyclopedias for the four year cycle for 1st-4th, is there one your would recommend? Or is there two or three I can get to cover all 4 years of sciences for the lower grades? 2. If not, are these the best to go with? Thank you!

I tried to use it with my very advanced 6 yo. I wish I didn't waste the money. I ended up selling it. It was overkill! A lot of it went over her heard, even though she was a great speller.

My 5 1/2 yo did 50 lessons in100EL and we both had enough of it. She knows most of the phonograms from LoE also. I checked out Reading Pathways from the library. (They don't have Phonics Pathway). I did some searches on the board here and looked at samples of the book of Amazon and couldn't tell if I need to get Phonics Pathway or if I should just go with Reading Pathways? She LOVES Reading Pathways and is doing pretty well with it. Do I need both? I like to keep it simple if possible. Thanks!

Kate, This is really helpful. Thank you. I am looking into both of these. What do you think about using CLE or something else during the year along with MM? Some days my DD 7 (who is in MM 2A) needs a lot of help with math. Some times it doesn't "click" and I have to sit with her for all her math and walk her through some of the problems. Is this normal? I was thinking if I used something else with MM it may help, but I wonder if I just need to switch math curriculum. I just realized that MM has review sections so I printed some off for her to do. I didn't do any of the review sections with her in MM 1A or 1B. Thank you for your help!

Do you do the Skill Sharpeners Math right on grade level with Mammoth Math?

What could I use to supplement MM for a 2nd grader? Something with more review built in. We did MEP for a while but I would like to try something else. I was thinking maybe CLE? We school year round. I feel we need another math to reenforce and for more review before moving to the next level. I am looking for something not too expensive too. :-) Thank you.

We used God's Design from Answers in Genesis and LOVED it. We will be using it again this coming year too. https://answersingenesis.org/store/product/gods-design-science-curriculum/ It was very open and go, projects/ experiments that were fun and applied to the lesson, and fun worksheets and quizzes. I used it with a K and 1st. We did three topics/ books. On their site they say you can use it up to 8th grade. There are two parts to each lesson. One is written to a younger audience and one to an older. I only read the simple part of the lesson to my girls and I still learned a lot. :-)

Jennifer, Thank you. That information is helpful! Do you use the readers and flashcards with CLE LTR? Do you think CLE 100 would have enough phonics for a child that finished 100 EL and knows the 70 phonograms (from LoE)?

I am finishing up 100 EL with my 5 1/2 year old. I need a simple, not lots of parts, open and go phonics for her. I was thinking about doing OPGTR and also using LTR but just the LU. Could the LTR LU be independant alittle? I was also considering ETC. ( I have other kiddos). She loves workbooks. Thoughts?

Does CLE run any yearly sales? I need to place an order sometime within the next few months and I was wondering if there was a sale coming up. :-)

How did you have her rate a book?

My 2nd grader is an advanced reader. For the past two years I have Iet her choose what she wants to read. I have her read to me a IittIe and also read alone. I ask her some basic questions about what she read. But should I be doing a reading or Literature program or something more structured. I Iooked at R&S, CLE, VP, & MP. But I don't know what to Iook for in a reading or Iit program or what grade to put her in. She couId probabIy read up to the high schooI IeveI but I don't think she could do aII the comprehension or activities in the workbooks. I hope this makes sense. :-)

My 2nd grader is an advanced reader. For the past two years I have Iet her choose what she wants to read. I have her read to me a IittIe and also read alone. I ask her some basic questions about what she read. But should I be doing a reading or Literature program or something more structured. I Iooked at R&S, CLE, VP, & MP. But I don't know what to Iook for in a reading or Iit program or what grade to put her in. She couId probabIy read up to the high schooI IeveI but I don't think she could do aII the comprehension or activities in the workbooks. I hope this makes sense. :-)

Piano Math: MM Language Arts: CLE Writing: WWE 2 Science: God's Design History: SOTW 2 CC Memory Poem Memory: From FLL 2 Geography: Geo puzzles & IabeIing maps from here

I Iove these: http://murrayshire.blogspot.com/p/first-language-lessons-2.html

How do I buy directIy from Rod and Staff. Do they have a website or do I caII them.

We use God's Design & I cannot say enough good about it. Easy to implement & the project reaIIy appIy to the Iesson & they are easy to do. :-)

We do both as weII & Iove them.

Is the teachers edition reaIIy helpful? How about the bundle?

I am using Classical Conversations (CC) songs as part of our memory. We are also using FLL 2. I noticed that the CC preposition list does not line up with FLL preposition list exactly. This may be a very obvious answer, but does it matter which list I do? There are just a few that are different. Thank you for your help!

Thank you both! This was so helpful.

Would it be best to do 2nd grade R & S phonics with the 2nd grade spelling program? Or should I go back and do 1st grade phonics? I was just planing on doing the spelling but then I was looking at samples of it and the phonics. My child is 6 and reading at a 7th grade level. She did 2 years of Spalding and a few months of LOE Essentials. I need to keep it as simple as possible. WRTR and LOE were a struggle to get done consistently. Should I consider another spelling and or phonics program? Please help, I am so confused and overwhelmed with spelling and phonics.

I need a solid spelling program for my 1st grader who is an advanced reader. I have used WRTR for a year then switched to LOE Essentials for 3 months. She did great with them. But they are not getting done because of all my other littles. :-) She knows all the phonograms and a lot of the spelling rules. Please help. I need to simplify this area of my home schooling. Is there a good independent program for her?

Four weeks ago I started Essentials with my 6 year old, 1st grader. We are doing one lesson a week. Since we are doing only one lesson a week there is not a lot of writing daily. IMO. And honestly all the spelling words are quite simple for her. I am thinking about getting the advanced lists on LOE website. I am not doing any of the grammar yet. By the way, the LOE cursive book is excellent. We had previously tried CC Prescripts and Zaner-Bloser and did not like either. Teaching the strokes has helped her. Her cursive has improved so much over the past four weeks since starting LOE.

Would it work to school year round? Just plan on doing school three days a week all year long expect time off in December and a month in the spring or summer?