Thank you! So should I buy this or the other?:confused::confused::confused:

Thanks for the link ladies! What about on Rainbow Resource? I do not see these books there ("standard"). I see only Earlybird 1A, 2A, 1B, and 2B. Which should I order if I order from them? Thank you! :) :):):)

OK ... I really want to try Singapore! But how do I know which books to buy?! I've seen lots of "1A" and "1B" mentioned, but when I go to their site and look for kindergarten math, I don't even see the books labeled this way....

So you use MUS also ... does that mean that Singapore is not adequate as a complete math program? (By the way, you did a good job explaining why it helps students not forget! :))

How does a child not forget things in a program like this? (I really want to switch to Singapore but hesitate for this reason)

So does Singapore return to a concept again and again in one school year, or does it rely on the next school year to cover a concept? (Sorry if that's a dumb question....) Hmm ... it sounds like you think spiraling is when a topic is continuously reviewed.... Which is it - spiraling or something else, as Tabrett stated? Now I am confused :001_huh:

Edited to add: Can someone please help me figure out which Singapore to use? I am clueless. I have looked on Rainbow Resource and my head is spinning with the choices for kindergarten: Earlybird 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, or Earlybird Standards.... Which do I choose? I would really appreciate the help! If you need me to tell you what my daughter can do, I will! LOL. I hope I'm wording this correctly.... The spiral technique is when the match curriculum continuously reviews all that has come before, correct? Like Saxon, which I am using? For those of you whose math does not do this (such as Singapore, right?), do your children forget what they have learned because they do not review it over and over again? Just curious. You may remember how I expressed boredom with Saxon earlier and I've been thinking of switching maths to something like Saxon, but not if dd will forget what she learns.... I'd appreciate your input! :)

There's someone on ebay who sells lowercase letters.

I've already bought him every single season of The Andy Griffith Show. :001_huh: I can't think of any other show he would want. Political talk shows? He would love a ticket to see Prairie Home Companion! Oh - and goodness, you reminded me - his birthday is January 14! Yikes! :tongue_smilie: Now I need to think of more presents! That's actually a good idea for my dad....

We (my mother, father, and I) are clueless. My husband is a conservative teacher and college professor and the absolute pickiest person on earth. No clothes, no shoes, no socks. I would appreciate any suggestions!

I see! We are using 100 EZ Lessons so the ETC is reinforcement. I just don't see the point of the TM and I regret buying them. I guess they're good to reinforce what is shown in the workbook but really ... I already am overwhelmed enough and have enough for dd to do!

I'm so glad that I'm not the only one who doesn't see the need for them!!!! Phew! Sigh of relief!!! :)

OK, I confess: I don't know what OPGTR stands for. :001_smile:

Just wondering if you use the Teacher's Guide or just the workbook. I know this might be an odd question but I'd love to know what other moms do! I have both but don't want to overwhelm my 4.5 year old. She's on ETC 2 and the workbook seems like enough, but if I'd be leaving something out and therefore hurting her learning, I don't want to skip those teacher's lessons any longer. :) Thanks!

Oh Jenny, you have really helped me put things in perspective! Like you, one of the main reasons I am homeschooling is that I don't want the years to fly by without me really knowing my children. I remember reading a book on homeschooling in which the author said she recalled seeing parents cheering after they dropped off their children at school on the first day - saying things like "I'm free!" and "Finally, I can live my life again!" This is heartbreaking to me - imagine how those children would feel if they knew their parents said those things. I don't want to be like that. I want to enjoy my children while they are young. But with this recent anxiety, I have not been. Thank you for reminding me what is most important. :)

Yes, that's exactly right!!!

Thank you - I see what you mean now. This is the way I see it: My daughter was ready to learn to read, but my mom kept telling me, "Why would you want to teach her to read?! What's she going to learn when she gets to kindergarten? She'll already know everything and will be bored!" So, I listened to my mother and waited to teach my daughter things that she was ready to know. Then one day I thought, "Wait. This is not right. My daughter wants to read, she is showing all of the readiness signs, why should I let the state of NC tell me when to teach my daughter to read? It's not fair to make her wait!" So, I started teaching her, and it's been great. I look at all academics that way ... if my child is ready to learn something, I am being unfair to her not teaching it to her. I guess I looked at the math that way, too. If she is ready for Saxon 1 and I don't provide the information to her, it's not fair to her. Does this make sense?... I hope so. Of course, I am sadly aware that I am not being fair to her by fussing at her, either. That's why I started this thread!... :(

To answer your question about why I am using Saxon 1, it's because she placed into it. :) Good point about the age... This is great - but okay, I look at your siggy and see ETC 3 for your 4 year old and almost started to hyperventilate. My daughter is behind! the voice in my mind panics. My daughter is behind! My daughter is behind! EXACTLY! I love having leeway! Thank you for putting it into words - I didn't quite know myself how to say it, but you said it so simply and perfectly! Thank you!

I actually took a little break today from math and did it very casually - and enjoyed it much more! So did my dd! Your last statement is profound - you are right: Naming it doesn't change anything. I guess I'm just terrified that someone will come and tell me I am not doing good enough.

She can count past 30 and recognize her numbers that high ... I was just pointing it out.... Not that it matters anyway. :) If it's not mandatory, then why do teachers around here make such a big deal out of it?... Thank you for saying that - it's sweet of you! I definitely don't want it to backfire. On top of everything else, I'm terrified of making her not like school. ANOTHER thing I meant to mention in my original post: CM said to never repeat directions or stories twice - she said to read things only once and never repeat it because otherwise we are encouraging our children to be lazy listeners. So one of the biggest deals with the apples was that she needed me to repeat the directions sometimes and I was like, "No! I can't repeat the directions because then that will make you a lazy listener!" :tongue_smilie: How "literally" should we take what CM says?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!

Yes, it is hard ... I taught kindergarten and first grade so I admit totally to being stuck in that mindset. Never thought of it before.... I know CM says this, but the state of NC says children have to know numbers up to 30.... You are right on this last part ... we sat down to draw apples and seeds this morning. She got it, no problem!!:)

Oh, please let me clarify: I did not threaten to send her away! I told her she would have to go to public school. :( Meaning, I'm so scared that if she fails the state test, the state will make her go to public school! I did not tell her that *I* would send her away. Does that make sense? I hope so!!!

Glad I made someone laugh! :D There is no one to help ... my husband works three jobs so on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays we do not see him at all. I read some of the thread ... I need to go back and read the rest - thanks! I guess I worry because, for example, our math yesterday had apples on paper divided in half. My dd had to draw seeds in the apple, some on one side, some on the other, then write the number of seeds she had drawn beneath each side of the apple and then add them. She kept forgetting what to do (though I know she knows how to add!) and I was so frustrated. I was thinking, "What if the state test demands that she adds this way and she can't remember how to do it, and they think she doesn't know how to add when she really does?!" This was stressing me out!

Wow, I can't believe it - are you serious that no one came to see the test results? Could it be because they got a copy in Raleigh and did not need to ask for them directly from you? Glad you caught it! (hyperbole!) Wow ... reading two hours every evening sounds like heaven. We are nowhere near that. I am about to collapse from exhaustion. I think we need to rearrange our schedule to read more! We used to read about an hour a day. I miss that. :(

Hands on Math sounds like a good idea - I will look for it.