No problem helena. Check out the Book Depository in the UK they ship free and i am sure i have seen them or a compilation there.

We are enjoying the Kumon workbooks for handwriting practice. We have not used a handwriting program and don't intend to.

I am so looking forward to reading more about this. I think it will be excellent for my family! and i really want to get it! Only problem is the exchange rate and shipping. I think i'd be lucky to get it here under $500AUD. Convincing hubby of that one sucks!

I think i have the same plan for the future. WTM history and AO literature.

Thanks

Simply Grammar being for 4th and older is something to keep in mind for the future but isn't something i want to use anytime soon. Thanks for the suggestion tho. I have 'When children love to learn' and am reading thru it at the moment. I will try and get my hands on a copy of 'A Charlotte Mason Companion', thanks for the suggestion. Going to check out Primary Language Lessons too. I still think i need a 'learn grammar for grownups' type book so i can get my head around that side of it.

Thanks, have not heard of this before would you use instead of SOTW? Something else new to check out, the mind boggles!

No help but what is CHOW?

Enid Blyton books, specifically The Enchanted Wood and The Magic Faraway Tree. I never see these on reading lists and my kids just LOVE them!

I am wondering how many people DIY their LA in a CM style. I am looking to do this when we start LA proper after DD has learnt to read and finished the basic manuscript work we are doing. I am thinking about doing something like this. Choose a sentence from a living book we have been reading. Use it for copy work (handwriting), spelling via dictation and narration. Working on the same sentence everyday for a week. Does this sound OK? How would i incorporate grammar into this as she gets older. I am not one to chop and change so if this isn't going to work for me i will rethink. I am not strong in grammar, had not real formal education in this area so would need some kind of guide for me to learn the aspects so that i could choose an appropriate sentence, paragraph when she is older. Is there such a text? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Thanks Janet. They sound good. Going to check them out now.

I was wondering if there is a book with loads of pictures and thought provoking questions? We are not close to an art gallery and we don't have any art work of our own, other than the kids creations. I would love to do some picture study and have no idea where to start. My thinking is i need a book that has picture on one page and some Q's about the pic on the next. Then i can pick up and go which is what i need with the littlies. I'd like to have some Q's because sometimes i struggle to think outside the square. Any suggestions?

You could look at Explode the Code too. It gives a good phonics base without being just reading. My DD is loving it.

If it were me i think i would put everything away for a couple of weeks and have a break. Over that period of time i would include things that she doesn't see as school but is still learning. Have her write a letter to Grandma, an Aunt, neighbour etc. She could write it or narrate to you. Write and illustrate christmas cards. Play shop. Share out snacks. Bake a cake, cookies, write a review on how good and score out of 5 stars. Read-a-louds fun books she picks (we always do after lunch as the kids are quieter then) I'm sure you get the picture. Praise, praise, praise when she does a great pic or story or card, whatever it is you are doing. After a few weeks reintroduce 1 thing and say something like. You did such a wonderful job writing that letter to Grandma i thought we would do some copywork so next time you can write more, neater whatever she needs to work on. Or reintroduce math. I'd try to keep school as fun and engaging as possible. Something that she wants to do, not something that is forced on her. There is plenty to be learned thru play too!

I have DD 4.5 and DS almost 3 and we started formally hsing in July. DS is really keen to participate. DD is writing, copywork. I have been using the Kumon tracing and colouring with DS, he feels like he has his own work to do and really enjoys it. From to July to now he has learned to hold his crayon correctly and will now follow a path and draw straight lines up down, left right. Before this it was all scribble. We are very relaxed so only do 'school' when the kids ask. DD has been using the Kumon Uppercase & lowercase letters aswell as 1-20 numbers. She loves these books! Mainly with our lapbooking/notebooking we colour, cut & paste, discuss. I will have DD write some key words occasionally or the title for the page. Otherwise i don't really require a lot from her.

We read books over and over here too. I also read chapter books as our read-a-louds which they love. A couple of chapters in a sitting, over a week per book slows things up a lot.

Something like this sounds right up our alley too! We spend heaps of time outdoors and also have many resources at our disposal. Our entire science is reading Usborne's First Science Encyclopedia at the mo, so very lacking! I will check back here but please PM me if you find something. Thanks

Thanks ladies! The plan is just to use some of their books as read-a-louds. Use some of it to form a reading list so that we do get in the classics. I had no idea that Fifty Famous Stories even existed until i was reading the AO list. We wont read everything obviously, but i'd like try and get in the must reads. Our library is slim, i have enquired about inter library loan and it is possible but a lot of the titles from AO's list are missing from the catalogue, possibly they were only published in the US. I guess i will check out the SL list too, thanks for that suggestion. Also thanks for the link of audio books. I had been wondering how i could get my hands on some of these cheep. No, we are not going to follow a reading schedule just one book at a time, as much as dc's will sit and listen to at that moment. They do quite well with chapter books such as The Enchanted Wood and The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. Thanks again.

You just want to order Vol 1 of FIAR that is the 'teacher manual'. You would then need the story books which you could borrow from the library or buy. That is basically all you need. The only other materials you would need are normal things like paper, crayons, pencils etc.

As the title says what are your must have books from AO's year 0 & 1 reading lists? Budget is tight at the moment and our library doesn't contain many of the books on the list so i need to work out which to buy for this year and next. I already have a few but want some key ones. Thanks

Not sure if it is enough. We have just started using ETC 1 but DD is already reading. We are using 100EZ for that. For us ETC is to complement and reinforce the reading we are already doing. This is our first year hsing so others will be better equipt to answer.

I think it really depends where your 4yo is at. My 4.5yo knows quite a bit of math for her age and we have started at EB 2A which is review for her. If your dc has no/little math then you should start at EB 1A. EB 1A & 1B are designed for pre-K EB 2A & 2B designed for K Not sure where to buy from (I'm in Aus), sorry.

Yes, i have been researching too and the only 'different' programs i can find are Prof B and MoTL and i am seriously considering both ATM.

We are going to dabble with a little notebooking but project style. Only a couple, on things that interest the kids per quarter. Nothing over the top. Maybe it is just burn out and you need a break. If/when you give it another try don't do as much or spread the load a little more.

Wow, great news! I wish it was that easy here.