Thanks! I think that's what I wanted and needed to hear.

Hello Im having trouble schooling my 6 year old. He completed 100 ez this summer right after he turned six and has been reading books since the beginning of the summer when we started the summer reading program and realized he could really read. He's currently enjoying the Mr. Putter series of books by Cynthia Rylant, portions of whichever Magic tree house book we are in, and a coffee table book about planes of wwII. He can read quite well, but I have him read out of the McGuffy readers to me and he hates it. He doesn't like reading the words that are listed before the reading to practice so that when you come upon the word you know it. Some of the words are difficult and he doesn't like to slow down and sound them out. Should I just quit the readers and have him read what ever he wants to me aloud? We have moved on to AAS and are not doing anything else reading program wise. I bought opgttr to use next year with both the almost 5 year old and him together.

I really like Teach you child to read in 100ez lessons. My son just turned 6 and had been doing 100 ez since he was 4.5. We took a break after a while because he was complaining too. Then we went back to it after he turned 5. There was still complaining, but he complains about most school work because he's the oldest of 4 and doesn't want to stop playing. The lessons are short and we cover ther picture that goes with the story so it makes it more exciting to get a lesson done. He was very capable too of reading around 5.5 but didn't want to. Then this summer we signed up for the summer reading program and got some readers he was so excited that he would stay up late reading them. It slowed down after a couple of weeks and he is back to preferring just looking at the books rather than reading them so I have to pick out a book for him to read to me. I guess my advice in all this is to give it time. It'll all just click one day for him. It will be exciting for him to just pick up a book and be able to read it without asking you to do it. But then don't worry if the novelty wears off either. Good luck!

Sorry for this question I tried to send a message but the site kept giving me an error message Thanks for the comment about Saxon. So did you physically use an apple while doing that portion of the worksheets? Seems like they were doing it forever and he wasn't getting the concept at all. I thought maybe I should just try with a tower of the linking cubes. Here's 9 cubes. There are a few different combination of numbers that when added together can make 9. Would you always start with 0 seeds on the left and 9 on right, then move to 1 on the left and 8 on the right and so on? I would always have suggest a number for him to start with on the left side. He wouldn't really know what to do. Thanks for listening to my questions. I'm a first timer with son 5.5, son 4, daughter 16months and another boy on the way in June. I've been worried that I need to pick a different curriculum or something. Someone recently told me that he just might on be ready for that part and it will just click sometime I the future. Sometimes Saxon seems like a lot of work especially when in the future I will be using 4 different levels of it. Thanks again for any advice! You can message me.

It depends on how mathy he is. I bought Saxon 1 for my son this year who turned 5 in July. He also knew how to count to 100 and do simple addition like how many forks would we need if we had two guests. I thought the same as you the k program seemed to light, but we've had a really difficult time. Specifically figuring out 3 ways to break a number into two groups. They give you apples cut in half and you draw seeds, but my son just can't get it. We've been on a Saxon break since before Christmas. We like it besides that one portion. We're probably going to return shortly and maybe just skip that portion of the daily worksheet. It was causing a lot of stress for him and me. For now we've just been doing more of the stuff mentioned above.

Thanks for posting this topic. I have a 5 year old almost 4 year old, 14 mo old, am due at the end of June with baby number 4. It wasn't planned and right before school starts. All of this advice is extremely helpful. I've never been a pack n' play user even though I have one, so I guess it will finally get some use. We are offically starting K next year in a homeschool academy, to which he will go twice a week. I have been scared to think of how the days will go at home. We have been working a lot this year and it's been a struggle. First we tried waiting until baby's affternoon nap time, but by that time my ds was too tired and yawning most days. We've finally switched to mornings, which are working better. I found that dd(14 mo) will play independently for at least 30min after meals. This is when we sneak in any work we want to do. So, my tiny addition to the wonderful advice here is try to find patterns in baby's schedule. Hopefully I can remember this when my next one comes around. :)

We love just reading the books of the week and doing the projects. We sometimes mix up the weeks depending upon what is available at the library. We use Saxon1, AAS, and my son attends two days a week of hooked on phonics preschool program.

Just to let you all know I emailed the company and was told that there are still workbooks and math kits for puchase, but so few that they are not offered online. Their system is a bit old fashioned. You have to mail them a list of what you want and a check with the total price plus 10% for shipping. I would email the to be sure they have the grade level you are interested in. I know as of last week they still have grade one workbooks and the math kit available for purchase this way. No hardcopy text books though.

Do you know if the Japanese math program is sold anywhere else. I went to the website and everything is sold out.

Just one more thing do you all use the traditional or connecting c rods?

You can vent to me if you feel like it. I do nfp, but not using all the temp taking, specimen testing. Natural family planning is method of birth control by knowing when you ovulate.

Thanks for all of the advice! Ds 4 goes to preschool 3 days a week and been doing 100ez since january(currently on 65), but has recently started hating it. I think I've just been reading the prek-k forum too much. People are doing crazy amounts of work with their kids on there. Thanks for the encouragement to let them play.

I have 2 boys ages 4.75 and 3 and a 7 month old. I feel like I never play with the older two because I'm either making s meal, cleaning up after a meal, nursing, or getting ready to leave the house. They love playing together and are great at using heir imaginations, which is great. Unfortunately, I then have a hard time when I want to do100ez with the older one; he complains and throws a fit. He is won't officially start kindergarten for another year when he's 6. Should I worry that they have a lot of free play? Should I have them do more table activities? The older one has never enjoyed coloring and is always finished in about 5 min when the younger will work on something for 30 min. I'm torn between just letting them be kids while they are little and feeling pressure to get them learning.

Just wondering which are better why. Thanks!

Thanks again everyone. I appreciate the input. I am wary of hooked on phonics as the director mentioned that they learned 100 site words this year. I know many site words these days are not just phonetic exceptions so I will definitely be on top of sounding them out with him. He's really only attending this because we can't afford the entire 5 day a week program and the director made an exception for him. He's really shy in group situations so I think he needs this time away from me to build his confidence. He has a 3 year old brother, 6 month old sister, and a dad who leaves for months at a time for work so it's also so breathing time for me. I will probably do more spelling with him next year because he really likes doing it randomly. His handwriting is alright, they use handwriting without tears at his preschool and ill do it again at home next year. I feel much better about having him do another program after 100 ez.

Thanks again everyone. I appreciate the input. I am wary of hooked on phonics as the director mentioned that they learned 100 site words this year. I know many site words these days are not just phonetic exceptions so I will definitely be on top of sounding them out with him. He's really only attending this because we can't afford the entire 5 day a week program and the director made an exception for him. He's really shy in group situations so I think he needs this time away from me to build his confidence. He has a 3 year old brother, 6 month old sister, and a dad who leaves for months at a time for work so it's also so breathing time for me. I will probably do more spelling with him next year because he really likes doing it randomly. His handwriting is alright, they use handwriting without tears at his preschool and ill do it again at home next year. I feel much better about having him do another program after 100 ez.

He loves 100 ez. I think it's a great program for him because we cover up the picture so he is always excited to do the reading work to then uncover the pic. He does really well sounding out words that aren't in the book. I do tell him the rule as we go i.e. silent e makes vowel say its name. And we're at the point where they are removing the special reminders like a smaller letter or the like above long vowels. He also reads bob books, but doesnt like staring a new book because he thinks it will be too hard. it never is though. I think he loves spending the extra one on one time with me. He also likes randomly sounding out words throughout the day. He doesn't search out books unless its a required reading or read aloud time.

How long are your days? What's the schedule like? I'm a first timer and there seems to be such a range of ideas people are using. You have a lot listed here. It all looks great just wondering how you fit it all in. If there is a way to send personal messages I would love for you to send me one about this. I am also starting cc, but on my own until my 3 year old and 4.5 year old can both go together because I have a baby too and the eldest really feels better expressing himself w/o me.

I am currently using 100 ex lessons with my 4.75 year old and we are a little over half way through. I'm hoping to be finished this summer. Next year he'll be using hooked on phonics at a k-4 program. Will this confuse him? I am slowing beginning homeschooling next year, but he will be doing this phonics program twice a week with other 5 year olds. Will this confuse him? I thought it might be good to have him go at phonics again from more of a rule perspective. I try to explain things as we go through 100ez, but it's definitely more of a learning without knowing the rule kind of program.

I would love to go to a convention but my husband is going to be gone when the one here is going on. I don't think I would be able to truly see what I want with my two crazy 4.75 and 3 year old boys getting into stuff or fighting. I'm hoping to find a babysitter! I really need to get in touch with a local support group to see if I could borrow them to see which is a better fit for my son. I really appreciate everyone's input do far!

I'm trying to decide which level Saxon math to purchase. My son will be 5 in July and has done a year and a half of preschool. Next year we are doing k4, but hes already counting to 100, and as master the ab and abb, patterns. Should I be getting the K or 1 level saxon program? I think the only thing we haven't done from the k chapters is counting with money. With that being said what is really necessary to purchase with the Saxon math curriculum? Do I really need the manipulative kit when I already have manipulatives and can purchase indivudual pieces, like the scale, to fill in gaps ? How about the meeting book? Do use yours? Thanks! Oh can anyone explain the difference between Saxon, Math Mammoth, and Seton K math? MM is tempting because of it's price. Thanks!

Thanks again everyone. It all give me confidence to not officially enroll in k, but do k work this year. Then make my decision next year. If I think he needs to repeat. Another on of my anxieties is that I am a low patience kind of person. If I know he can do something, but doesn't want to, I push and we some times have a negative experience (I blame my Asian upbringing). I guess I just want to make sure I'm not expecting too much of him. I'm sure ill be making a new post for curriculum advice I feel like I'm drowning in choices and I'm not up to speed on all the acronyms people use on their recommendations.

Hello I am trying to figure out what curriculums to use next year. It is my first time. Does anyone use Connecting with History? SOTW looks so user friendly but being Catholic I've read that some of what is taught doesnt quite line up with our beliefs. Are there any Catholics out there who haven't had a problem with SOTW? Connecting with History seems like a good choice now that they've created daily lesson plans, but SOTW see much more open and go. Any advice would be helpful! Also just a general question have most of you just bought curriculums and tried them out. I feel like I should see all my options in person rather than over the Internet.

Do you have a son with a summer birthday? Because if you don't than you probably don't understand. Mines not wild, or out of control but boys are different than girls. Most of my concern comes from if he were going to a regular school. If you look up real research, not just news articles, you will find many cognitive and even hearing disadvantages that boys face. With my children to be schooled at home it's been hard to remember that he won't be made to sit at a table all day doing the new "academic kindergarten." This means he will be free to get done exercise in between classes.

Thanks for all the responses. I guess with this being my first time it's more never wracking. Everyone wants the best for their kids. I live in md so I have to file a waiver if he's not starting k next year. I guess I'm just nervous to start all the record keeping involved with homeschooling. My husband is military and is usually here 3 months gone 3 months at a time. I guess I thought this extra year would be good for son who often likes to lay down at circle time. And at the same time give me a year of practice homeschooling.