I was doing so well reading a book a week for awhile. Then I failed for a few weeks. This week though, I have already read the Hunger Games and Catching Fire. Can't put these books down!

We have used P 3/4 and P4/5, but I never used the schedules. I just bought the books and we read them here and there. The books are great, I loved almost all of them. I am going to be doing P 4/5 again this year and I'm debating buying the IG this time, but I need to research that. I think last time the reason I didn't buy it was b/c there were complaints about the books being read in a very choppy manner- a page from a few different books every day. Drives me nuts to read like that. Everything seemed pretty age appropriate to us.

Not necessary, but I agree they are fun. The kids love them. One of my kids actually prefers to just watch the experiment and not do it. Fine by me, some of those experiments are kind of a pain to do- though we have only used the Core B DVD, not A.

Previous years, we have stopped everything by the end of June and picked up where we left off in mid-August or early Sept. Now the kids are getting a bit older, and I want them to at least finish the math book! So this year we will continue with a bit of math over the summer to try to get my 11 y.o. through her current math level, however long that takes. We will continue with our Sonlight readings too, a few mornings a week until the middle of July. Then we will break for a month (except for math if needed) and pick up everything where we left off in mid-August.

The only one we've used is Rightstart. All my kids have loved it and I am hesitant to change now because I'm worried about gaps...but if I had to do it over I would pick something less teacher intensive. It takes up a good deal of the day once you have 3 kids in different levels. I'm not sure if Math U See is less teacher intensive, but it's just something to think about!

I think it's just something you do when you're starting out. I too, spent hours and hours trying to decide on different programs/approaches. I think it was time well spent. There are certain things, like math, that we've just continued on into the next level each year, and other things, like grammar, that we ended up changing or ditching entirely. But I do feel like all the time I spent looking at stuff for my first 1st grader made me very aware of what was out there, what the options were....now I don't spend nearly as much time, even with four kids because I already know what I like and don't like and know what I am looking for. I'd definitely take a week or two off from looking and then go back to it. If you've done so much thinking and researching, it's unlikely you would make huge mistakes and order something entirely wrong- and even if you did, it's not the end of the world and it happens to everyone.

I am planning on doing 3 cores next year- Core E with a 6th and 4th grader, Core C with a 2nd grader, and Core P 4/5 with my youngest. Based on our SL experiences so far, I think it would be do-able. Right now, my older two do their own science reading and as much of the other reading as possible, so that for their core my main job is to discuss and just do a read-aloud or two that are more difficult. With the youngest, if it feels like too much I wouldn't worry about doing a core at all. We always just did phonics, math, and handwriting for K. This time around though, my youngest really wants in on things so I am getting her her own Core. Maybe your older ones could read some of the K core to the youngest? I think we may try doing that as well.

We keep it pretty simple and just do picture study once a week. I print off 4 x6 copies of a painting from the Art Renewal website (used to be free, now you need a membership) and the kids each have their own photo album to store their copies in. The older one have the kind with space to write the title and artist. Norman Rockwell is another great one to start with-lots of fun, kid-friendly paintings with a lot of detail.

My first two started in 3rd, but my 1st really enjoys doing it too. We're using Typing Instructor for Kids.

AO is very helpful, even if you don't use their curriculum. I also enjoyed A Charlotte Mason Companion (plus her other books, Pocketful of Pinecones and Lessons at Blackberry Inn) and the Catherine Levison books.

We do our "school" read-alouds in the morning and then I try to do a half-hour or so reading library books with the 3 yo in the afternoon. She also gets to pick two books to read at bedtime. My older three tend to read their own library books, so I usually only read to them in the morning and again at bedtime. Honestly, I would try not to feel too guilty. When I just had one or two kids,it was much easier to fit in the extra read-aloud times. I think my now 7 y.o. (third child) learned to read more quickly because I wasn't able to read to everything to him. He spent a lot of time studying the books on his own and picked up a lot that way. If there's anyone else that can read to them, that's another great option. Dh reads to everyone at bedtime too, and often Grandma or an aunt or two will read a book while they visit.

I like having the exact version because my kids like going over the SL questions, and doing that with an older version of the book is impossible. We used a used copy of Mysteries and Marvels of Nature this year in Core D, and we couldn't use any of the questions provided with the SL science. Likewise with the science encyclopedia. Our version was different and the suggested activities and questions didn't line up. It drove me nuts and I'm going to just buy those type of books from SL from now on. It might not bother you though, so I can't say it's necessary.

I miss the descriptions too. They know what they are doing with those catalogs though, except for that part. I had switched to using a more relaxed style for the past few months (after starting the year with SL) and now I want to go back to SL! Just from flipping through the catalog!

I have threatened to assign stuff for homework in cases of severe dawdling- so far the threat has been enough to snap them out of their daze and get going. Actually, I think once someone had to do "homework" due to dawdling. Hasn't happened since.

Thanks! I'm bookmarking for later-can't wait to watch it!

I don't feel like "everything" is done by 6. But we do generally eat at 5:30 because the kids go to bed fairly early, and we are always done with lessons by lunch, whether we are "done" or not. Chores, again, I refuse to do them after dinner unless absolutely necessary. So all that stuff is "done" but not necessarily "done", if that makes sense.

We started at 5 with 5 minutes...moving up to 10 minutes max in first grade. Anymore than that they couldn't take (and neither could I, honestly!).

I've been trying to be better about fitting creative stuff in. Makes me feel better when I do. I like to bake, knit and sew (only basic stuff), garden, and write/blog.

We slog too. I can only read for about 15 min. at a time and keep my boys attention span. So it takes us forever to get through a book. I do one lit read aloud at a time, usually just the 15 min. a day, and then everyone has a bedtime book we also read together. I read aloud from history once or twice a week, same with science, when we fit it in. If it makes you feel better, Ambleside Online is very big on reading through books slowly...often only one chapter a week! The reasoning is that the kids will spend more time "living" the book and will think about it more while you are not reading it, leading them to actually remember the book long after you read it- instead of immediately forgetting a book you flew through. In our case, this seems to be true. The books that took us forever to get through are remembered best.

I would definitely go with kids so young. Mine are older (11, 9, 6, and 3). The older two would have a hard time leaving home, friends and activities...but better leave that stuff behind than their dad. Not saying it sounds easy though!

Our is here. A good week, very relaxed.

We used to have four, now we're done to one. I am sometimes tempted to get another one, but one is really nice. She isn't lonely at all, that I can tell. My dad has four cats and they tend to pee in places they shouldn't. I have heard cats can sometimes get stressed out if there are too many and do this to mark their territory. When we had four, this was sometimes a problem too-but we've not had it happen with just the one.

I think 6 and up. Really, these are the kind of books even an adult can learn something from, so I think they'd be fine for your kids.

I don't even remember the calculator lesson. Definitely skip it. I'm all about making math enjoyable at this age. If they like it and don't cry when you bring the book out, you will be way ahead of the game.

You are definitely not behind. We are experimenting with a more relaxed approach- my 5th, 3rd, and 1st graders are all doing interest led science. They choose what they want to read about, check books out of the library, find experiments if they choose, and occasionally write about their topic. That's it, and they are learning a ton and loving it.