Same here! I agree that they can be harmful. I love love love being on here but I have noticed that my level of anxiety has increased tremendously when I started really noticing the sigs.

About 25 minutes, I think... I have never really timed us. Reading is only about 10 minutes.

I agree with you completely!

Thanks - this made me feel better! Oh goodness ... I never thought people did everything in their siggies in one day! I just thought it was a "per week" list! Yikes!!!!!!! Actually, I have been thinking about switching to Singapore because so many people seem to think it is more fun!!!

She can pay attention - she does great with that. She just doesn't want to work hard sometimes, which irritates me. I tell her she has to do schoolwork - it's like vegetables - it's good for you.

I agree ... thank you. I did not decide to homeschool out of fear. I love my daughter so much and did not want to lose her to the government!!! :tongue_smilie: Not just that, of course: I love being the one to teach her, the one who is with her to explore new ideas and concepts. And yes, I love knowing that I am protecting her from people who she will encounter all too soon anyway. I love knowing that if I do this right, she can excel. I guess the fear has suddenly set in - my thinking, "Who am I to think I can do this?!" And also, it's the tension and anxiety of knowing that if she fails whatever test NC forces her to take, it will mean I have failed her.

I thought the same thing (I'm addressing your first comment) - then I joined this forum and saw the long list of subjects in everyone's siggy: Example - DS 4 FIAR, BJU Science, Abeka Social Studies, HWT, ETC, LLATL, Guitar Lessons, Piano Lessons, Latin, French, Choir, Voice Lessons, Private Art class, and on and on.... And I thought, Good grief! I better catch up to these people or my daughter will fall behind! I have met a couple of homeschooling moms but their daughters were older than mine. The mothers seemed so incredibly relaxed; I was like, How can you be so relaxed about this?!?! One mom only used two items to teach her daughter: Workbooks from Sam's Club and old videos of Schoolhouse Rock!!! :confused:

Another good question. Actually it is Saxon Math 1. It's supposedly for first grade but I've read a few reviews that say it is best for kindergarten. I let her take the placement test and she placed into it. I just decided to go ahead and start with kindergarten. However, we don't do nearly as much science as I'm sure everyone else out there does. We do science about once a week.

Good question. The text we are using is teaching adding. If I want to continue with the text, then shouldn't she master addition first?

So if she doesn't "get" something, should I sit it aside and come back to it tomorrow?...

I think it's age 7. But still ... how can I stop stressing? How many homeschooling parents out there fail, even though they give it their all? Truly, this is like my calling - I do feel called to do this - but what if I still fail at it? How horrible! How embarrassing, too! I am very stressed right now. Maybe I should start drinking. LOL. :tongue_smilie:

We just started homeschooling about two weeks ago. I was so optimistic and excited. Then I mentioned to my husband's cousin that we are homeschooling and she said, "Oh, I know a couple who tried that with their kindergarten-age kids. Then the kids didn't pass the kindergarten test at school so the parents had to send them on to public schools." OK, so now I am a wreck. My state (NC) demands testing every year for homeschooled children, and I now am terrified that my daughter will fail a test and the state will make me send her to public schools! So this morning she was not understanding a math concept and I fussed at her and told her she would have to go away if she did not pay attention! (I know, that was harsh, but I was really worked up at the time.) I am really losing my mind over this issue. I don't want to fail! :sad: I also get even more worked up because my 3 y.o. son is running around the house making noise and distracting us while we're trying to homeschool. I've received different advice: Offer him work to do (yeah right - he's a Wiggly Willy), Ignore him, Send him off to preschool, Put him in front of the TV, Give him toys to play with quietly - but you know, none of this is working and I end up yelling at him and my daughter (because he's made me so tense that I snap at her). As you can see, I need help. Please, someone! :crying:

I would do the dark one! It is the best and who cares if it's dark? You can use a dark card so it will fit in. :) If you are absolutely against the dark one, then go for the first one. It's my second favorite. ;)

OK, girls, I'm a freelance editor and I love love love grammar! I could do it all day! My children are going to throw tomatoes at me one day. Even now I'm correcting the way they talk. Double negatives ... UGH! :ack2:

I want to have that attitude - I want to look forward to math every day!!!! But ... :confused:

Wow, this is a very thorough and excellent response - thanks! So many people say they are combining MUS with Miquon. I am amazed that people can do more than one math. Would MUS and Singapore compliment each other well?...

I never thought of giving her tests to see if she knew everything. In doing this, wouldn't I miss out on teaching her how to write the date? That seems the big, most important thing right now. I have to say, though, that she already understands calendars, months, and days. The only thing she gets out of this is learning how to write a date. Two at a time ... isn't that a lot of jumping around?... Don't they forget the Saxon stuff between lessons?....

Hmm ... my gut was telling me to try Singapore but after reading your post I feel kind of guilty, like I should stick with Saxon a while longer. Can anyone tell me why Singapore is more exciting? (I already have their Earlybird Math in my RR shopping cart!!!) :)

I have been using it for almost two weeks with my daughter and I am sooo bored with it. We are using Saxon Math 1 and it just feels so monotonous ... am I the only one who feels this way?... Is there any math curriculum that is exciting and new and different every day???? Thanks in advance.

Thank you so much. If there is anyone at all who could provide a link to Ambleside for this 6th volume, and for the volume covering early childhood, I would really, really appreciate it! :):):)

Hi there! I don't guess I'm considered central NC.... I live about an hour north of Winston-Salem. Anyone in my area? Near Pilot Mountain and Mount Airy?... :)

I would love to find one book that best describes the CM ideas and how to implement them. Which book should I buy? I've looked at all of these but there seem to be positive and negative aspects for each: A Charlotte Mason Companion, For the Children's Sake, and A Charlotte Mason Education. I don't have enough time really to devote to several books, which is why I need to find just one. :) Thanks!

You're right, she is Pre-K, but since she is already reading and doing Saxon Math 1 I thought I should consider her a kindergartener ... should I not?... Thank you! (That's awesome that Sylvia is reading! I hope Truman is like that!!!!! He just turned 3 and he knows 16 letters ... after that comes sight words and hopefully some reading. He is SO wiggly, I don't know how I am going to teach him! :willy_nilly:

Thanks Amber! Is your 3 year old reading?!?!?! (BOB books!) My 3 year old is just learning letters! Here's the thing (back to curriculum): I thought my daughter was supposed to be doing the classical ed thing and learning world history (beginning at the beginning) right now. Isn't she? FIAR and MFW and SL don't do this.... <confused>

Anita, it looks terrific, but there is no schedule for Year 0. There is just a list of readings. This would not be enough for me to go on. :(