We are enjoying FIAR and certain classical aspects too. My thoughts are let you child lead a little more. If you want to stay with your plan then have a more life is learning approach and when she is interested in something encourage that persuit but not to the exclusion of everything else if you don't want. Help her do an 'in her own time' project. We learn everyday. If it is Sunday and the kids ask a question we get out the books and start finding out about it. I guess if your child went to school and came home and was interested in something would you encourage and research it with them? ofcourse, so encourage and foster her interests.

I am keen to see responses too. I am looking to incorporate some Ambleside when the kids are a little older and would love to know what works well and doesn't. We are just reading a few from the 0 list this year.

No feedback but i have heard only good things about Artistic Pursuits. I am planning on that when my kids are a little older. Will check back to see others peoples responses.

Hi Anne, Thanks for your response. Can i ask what you are using for your boys? Anything specifically Australian?

What about something like B4FIAR or FIAR. Structure but with room to move. We did the boxed curric thing and it lasted 5 weeks DD hated it! It was $600. It wasn't Calvert tho. Have not seen their stuff being in Oz. Goodluck! I know how tough a decision it is to make.

WA actually. Hi Rosie!

Gee that sounds pretty thorough FloridaLisa might have to note down your strategy for when my kids are old enough to write papers. I was never taught anything like that!

When i was in PS i had an excellent teacher in year 5. Her idea of taking notes was - Read the paragraph. In a well written text each paragraph should have a main focus. Summaries that focus into your own words and write it down. No more than 2 sentences per paragraph. Then put the text away and write the assignment from your notes. HTH

Thanks, i guess you have all just confirmed that i should continue doing what i am doing - making quality materials available and follow her lead. This is what we are already doing so on the right track. There is NO pressure we do 'school' when she wants an she chooses what to do. Some weeks we don't do any school, some weeks she does something everyday, even weekends. I just leave materials where she can get to them and facilitate when she asks. Children Just Like Me looks great and i will get it next time i put in my book order. It will give us another talking topic. Thanks for your input!

Thanks for those books. I'll check them out they sound great! I guess where my confusion arises is when i look at what she is capable of i feel she is operating at a late pre-primary to early grade 1 level only age wise she should be in Kindy this year. So i am torn between providing what i think is appropriate stimulation when she wants it and continuing to rehash what we already know which is considered K appropriate. Going round in circles....

Laura in China - if you think of that book title i would love to check it out. Thanks for the advice on SOTW, maybe we will hold off and that. ma23peas - thanks for your advice. DD asked to learn to read so we started 100EZ. We don't push anything and have a very informal approach to everything we do. We don't do school every day just when she asks. I looked at something for math because we have been doing the counting games you speak of since she was 2, she is so over just counting up we started informally teaching addition and subtraction just before i decided to get a program. I didn't want to teach her any bad habbits that i have. Thanks for the book suggestions. We already do heaps of reading. They would both sit all day and listen to me read, they love it. We normally read for DD2's entire nap period and they still bed for more that isn't to mention any other picture books they might grab off the shelf during the day. I guess i could continue on the FIAR path for another year. Hmm, decisions, decisions.

Hi :seeya:, i am new here and need some help working out what to do next year. DD1 is 4.5 and here in Oz she would have been Kindy age this year (we do Kindy, Pre-primary, then 1 etc) she stayed home with me instead :thumbup1: I guess our aim is to be a little CM, a little classical and a little just us :) A bit of background first- We didn't do anything formal for the first half of the year, then we messed around with a few things i made up then for the last couple of months we have gotten a little more serious. We are using 100 EZ for reading/phonics and this is going VERY well. We are only at lesson 40 and she is reading well (only sounding new words). We have just got ETC 1 to complement this and will start tomorrow. We have started MUS Primer but she is breezing thru it. We started on 1 Oct and she is already on lesson 12. She can form all uppercase letters and most lower case letters well. She will do copywork eg she sat and copied a 4 sentence letter to her little friend in 2 sittings 100% correct, she had narrated the letter to me first. She narrated Cinderella back to me to type up in 564 words. We are also doing a little B4FIAR, FIAR, HSS and Kumon workbooks. I really have no idea what grade/level she is working at or if she is perfectly on target for a K'er. I went to a PS and didn't learn to read, write, add etc until grade 1, so age 6. Here is what i am thinking for next year, prob starting the year in March as we will work over our summer finishing what we have already then take a small break and get back into it. MUS Alpha - is this lacking? Does it include measuring and weights? ETC 2 FFL - would Queens be better? WWE - will this be too much for her? SOTW1 Usborne First Encyclopedia of Science Some Ambleside reading from level 0 Also considering but really unsure and after some comments from you all Mind benders beginning book 1 Something specific for geography??? I think we will continue to mix it up with FIAR from time to time because we are enjoying the little bit we have done with it. Also continue with some Kumon workbooks because she really enjoys their layout and style. I also have to consider that DS is a tag-a-long so will be on board for all read-alouds and is always at the table wanting to do 'work' too. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The only HS'ers i know here are unschoolers or just use the books our PS's use which i don't think are very good. Thanks again :001_smile: