We are doing 100EZ without the writing part. We are using Kumon workbooks to build motor skills. DD is reading and writing well. DS has his pencil grasp and is improving his motor skills thanks to Kumon. Go for it on the reading front and ditch the writing. Work on fine motor in other ways until she is ready to write!

Thanks for the idea Crimson Wife.

Well done everyone!!

I was taught an acronym. EGBDF - These are on the line notes Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit FACE - These are the notes in the gaps Plus ofcourse you have middle C which she should be able to read from sight and D below the lines. Sight reading notes takes ages in my experience. I was terrible at it!! I learned piano from about 7 or 8 until about 12. I could play OK but couldn't read the notes to save myself. I guess the only thing i can recommend is practice, practice, practice. Perhaps you could have her copy a line from a favourite piece. I also did piano theory books which we got from a music store. They did help too. Also another thought, the notes read CDEFGAB then over again. Perhaps if she is reciting whilst playing the scales that will help. Reading music is like learning another language, it can be hard.

I second the Nora Gaydos recommendation. My DD is reading the level 1 books with minimal help ATM.

Thanks jplain. Yes it is like the pic you provided. Thanks for the game ideas! Just what i was after.

Thanks! Testimony, i do get the CM approach and how it works i just want the rules and what not so that i know what to look for in a good sentence, to make sure it is gramatically correct etc. I don't plan to teach from this book just learn from it myself ;)

I don't dot here. I think it is important for the child to develop spacial awareness and improve motor skills by making a best effort at getting the letters on the line with tails below the line. I do observe and make sure formation is correct. We use blank paper with no lines at all when practicing the formation of the letters then progress to trying to get them onto a line and about the same size. I remember in ps we didn't use lined paper until i was almost in 2nd grade. The focus was on formation, neatness and size to follow. But i do think you need to do what works for you. Some people do the ETC lessons orally avoiding the handwriting aspect altogether so i don't think you are doing it 'wrong'.

Thanks for those links stripe but this one just has 10 beads all in a row, no bar. Maybe it is like the RS ones then?

Thanks for all your suggestions! I just did a google search and there is a Grammar for Dummies AUS edition so i might look at that. I must say i have never really noticed a significant difference in punctuation between AUS, UK and US but then i don't really know what i am looking for. I do notice the different spellings tho. ABCs and all their tricks sounds good too. I will check out all the other recommendations too. Thanks so much!

My Mum just told me she has bought DD an abacus for christmas. I have never used one before neither has my Mum, Dad or DH so where can i find some instructions please. From what she said it is just a standard wooden childrens abacus, not like the rightstart ones. Am i right in thinking it is as simple as ones = first row tens = second row hundreds = third row ???

I am looking for a handbook that explains all the rules of the english language, grammar, punctuation, spelling etc. My schooling was sadly lacking in this area! I want a handbook written for me so that i can read it and have a better understanding of our language. Also, so that i have a base of knowledge to work from to teach dc's. I want to use a CM approach to our LA so don't really want to turn to workbooks for grammar, spelling etc. I need to have a solid base myself so that i am able to teach dc or at least look up the answer to their question :001_smile: Hopefully someone has a good recommendation for me. Thanks

So glad i found this, just what i need ATM. Excellent!! Thanks for posting the link, your a star!

We like to play shop with real money.

I am in the same boat as you! I think I have nubby convinced but now I need the $ the exchange rate sucks at the moment too which isn't helping my cause

WOW that book looks amazing, thanks Jessica!

100 easy at our house too and lots of readers from lesson 40 on

my kids sit and listen I am reluctant to let them do other things as I don't think they take it in properly if they are not concentrating on what you are reading. If they fidget too much I know they have had enough and need to stop and do something else

We are using it and loving it too!

the germ one is excellent I know a nurse who Dix that with a group of kids and it was excellent! What about making a stephoscope or other Medical instrument. Also I know I have seen somewhere making a lung with sponges, you might need to google

loving all this chat on MoTL I think I have DH convinced too.

Oh, Lori's ideas on fray and meat sound good.

I have no idea about this book but thoughts that come to mind when i think about history & medicine are - Disection - heart, brain, kidney, liver ask your butcher. Progressively make your own human body including internal organs and bones. You could use posterboard and put on a door. Maybe use DDs own body as the outline. Is there a medical museum or other olden days museum you could visit to see some old medical instruments. Discuss, list all the crazy types of medicines no longer practiced, like was it chraniology the study of the bumps of the head? Could be way off he make with my suggestions. Like i said i have no idea on this book. If i think of anything more i will come back.

My 4.5yo can write all her letters and we are not following a set cirric for LA at this point. She writes about 3 sentences a day. That is copywork. I'd say somewhere between 1 and 3 sentences copywork is about right. Do you have a method of choosing your spelling words? Do you discuss the grammar of the sentence she copies? Basics like capital letter at the start, period, comma etc. I don't think you need a cirric for LA but what you are doing needs to grow over time as ability improves.

Yet another history post sorry!! I am trying to work out what we are going to do on the history front, have not read WTM yet, copy on way so bear with me. What i understand is that i should be aiming for 3 cycles of a 4 year world history or 2 cycles of a 6 year plan, more CMish. We have 3 kids quite close in age and are planning a 4th for late next year which will see our biggest gap (2 years). My thinking at this point is that i should combine the oldest 2 for history and start when the younger of the 2 is 5yo. Do the same again with the younger 2. By the time i start with the younger 2 the older 2 will be about 10 and 8.5 so should be reading more independently by then and i could start the youngers at the beginning while the olders finish their cycle. So, now i need a filler for K/1. I am thinking some kind of geography, open and go preferably because i am already putting a lot of time into other things and run a business from home. Any suggestions? Galloping the globe has been suggested but i don't think it's really open and go, please correct me if i am wrong, i have not seen it IRL. Any other suggestions? Happy to listen to views on changing the history plan above, i am just trying to formulate a plan ATM.