I want to make sure that I'm not missing any of the "greats" with my kids. I have one kiddo who, given the choice, would only read fiction and another who would only read non-fiction. :) We've been reading books that I remember reading as a kid, but I want to make sure that we have a nice balance. I also want to make sure that I'm exposing my boys to all the different genres. If you have a great book list bookmarked, please share!

Thank you! These are exactly what I'm looking for. :)

I love these guides! https://www.criticalthinking.com/getProductDetails.do?id=09002&code=c They don't have many to choose from right now. Is there something similar available out there?

I just read this article recently and I am SO guilty of telling my son how "smart" he is. http://worth.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2908:the-problem-with-praise

Wow, wow, wow! You all are the BEST! I'm overwhelmed by all these great resources. Thank you so much. :)

I'm considering using A History of US for my boys. For those that have used it, what did you use for supplemental activities? I like how SOTW has an activity guide, but I haven't found anything like that for History of the U.S. Am I going to need to put my thinking cap on and get creative? :)

I think it's a great fit for my 10yo. The variety of it is good for him and I think he benefits from the spiral approach. If he had to focus on one type of problem too long, his mind would start to wander. For my 8yo, I think it's just too much spiral. I think he'd feel more comfortable if there weren't so much variety in each daily lesson. I signed up for the group buy through HSBC for MM. Perhaps that'll be a better fit, with some Horizons supplementation. I also just purchased Beast Academy for him, but we haven't had a chance to check it out yet. I was also a little concerned because I don't see many people using Horizons. I see a lot of Singapore, Saxon, MM, MUS, etc., so I was hoping that I didn't choose an inferior program. Being a HS'ing newbie, I'm second guessing every single curriculum choice. :p

Have you seen this book? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1426300425/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER George vs. George: The American Revolution As Seen from Both Sides I haven't read it, but it's been lingering on our Amazon wishlist. :)

This year I'm using Horizons math for my boys. It seems to be working well for my 10yo, but not so well for my 8yo. This is our first year hs'ing, so I don't have anything to compare the program to. If you have used it and ended up switching, what were your reasons? Thanks!

Well, it seems like an easy decision then. Thanks for the feedback!

I'm trying to plan out our Language Arts curriculum for next year. I'm strongly considering Brave Writer for my boys. If you've used it, did you love it or hate it? Which components did you use? Thanks!

The $17/month subscription is only solo access for BrainPop, BrainPop Jr., and BrainPop Espanol. So, it'll end up being ~$11/month with the co-op deal. There are a lot of times that I wish we had the multi-user access, but it's not worth the extra cost for us.

What about this? Says it meets 100% of the state's standards. http://www.studiesweekly.com/results.php?state=IL&grade=K I just ordered the subscription for my boys, so I can't give specific feedback yet.

We currently have this combo. My boys are 8 and 10. I like that I can bounce between BrainPop and BrainPop Jr, depending on the topic we're covering. I'm paying for a monthly subscription now (~$17/month), but am going to take advantage of the co-op deal. In my opinion, it's worth it. We use it regularly for social studies and science. My boys also like to watch random videos on their own.

I love your approach and everything you said. I don't intend to send my kids back to public school, but I don't want to rule out the possibility. My 10yo ds is on the autism spectrum and receives services through the school district still. I feel like everyone that works with him is judging my decision to homeschool. Of course, it doesn't matter what they think, because I know he is far better off at home. Still, it stresses me out, so I want to make sure I'm dotting all my i's and crossing all my t's. ;) Studies Weekly looks awesome. For our state (and maybe for most), they supposedly cover 59% of the standards. Score!