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!

I just picked it up from the library! I'm slowly coming to the realization that the books that are used in public schools are NOT conducive to learning. I can see how kids' love of learning is squashed. The social studies text that we're using is so general and goes into nothing in great detail. My boys have had so many questions, but we kept pushing through to get to the next chapter. Forget it. We're scrapping this text and going to make social studies fun and worthwhile!

Thanks, everyone! I ended up buying TypingPal through HSBC. So far, I really like it. It's great for my boys because there aren't a lot of frills, which tend to distract them. ;) Thanks for all the suggestions!

I haven't heard of World or History Odyssey. I'm going to check them out now!

Thank you for answering my post so thoroughly. I appreciate your advice. I love the suggestion to check out library books to fill in the gaps. I'm very interested in SOTW, but had no idea how I could do that while covering economy, government, etc. I think I need "unschooling" more than my boys. I'm still very much in a public school frame of mind. :) Our state requires annual standardized testing, so I'm terrified that I'm going to miss something.

It's our first year. I'm so incredibly paranoid that I'm going to miss something. Here's hoping that year 2 will bring me a little peace and calm. Not likely. ;)

I will, thank you! My son does have an IEP (well, now it's been changed to an ISP), that outlines flexible testing accommodations, but I will need to check further what is actually required for him.

I see that many people use and enjoy Story of the World. Is there anywhere I can go to see samples of the material?

I've been using myWorld grade 4 to teach my boys (8 and 10yo) Social Studies this year. I hate, hate, hate it! It is such a mish-mash of incomplete material that jumps all over the place. This is our first year homeschooling, so I felt like I needed to choose a program labeled as "social studies" to meet our state standards. Come to find out, this book isn't covering half of what we should be covering. My questions for you all: 1. Do you try to follow your state's standards for the various subjects? 2. If not using an all-in-one "social studies" program, what do you make sure is covered (geography, history... )? 3. What do you use to accomplish question 2? I'm trying to plan our curriculum for next year. I would like to find something that I can do with both of the boys that is hands on. My boys are "do-ers" and learn best with activities and projects, that don't include a lot of writing. I would also prefer something that is pretty laid out for me and not a lot of preparation on my part. I don't mind setting up projects, but I don't want to spend a lot of time searching out information and coming up with my own activities. Am I dreaming that something like this really exists? :001_huh:

Wow, you guys are the best! ITBS it is! :)

In our state, we are required to test our kiddos. My school district has given me the option of giving the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) or the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT). What is the difference between the two? My boys are 8 and 10 years old. My 10-year old is on the autism spectrum - I'm not sure if one test is better or worse for kids on the spectrum. I'd appreciate any advice/input! ETA: It looks like they can also take the CogAT.