Your ideas are so helpful and really have me thinking. I had never heard of the Bonnie Landry booklets but I definitely want to look into the dictation one more. I would like to have a better idea of how to do dictation effectively. In looking into Writing With Ease, I think we do a lot of similar things already with our literature, but it might be nice to have it all ready to go and incremental. I also think my girls would love the excerpts she chooses because many are from books they have listened to or read. I have also looked more at Writing and Rhetoric and really like the look of that for my 3rd grader, but I think I want something I can use to combine the two oldest so I might put that off for now until my two oldest are both ready. I hadn't considered that it might be best to wait and see on spelling, but I like that idea. Right now, it seems like they need it, but I feel like it might click as they keep reading and writing regularly. You are right that they are young and we could definitely hit it more later if needed. Thank you though for the spelling suggestions. I will definitely keep those in mind. I had looked at Climbing to Good English, but wasn't sure if it was secular. It seems thorough but I am not sure if my girls would like it. I am definitely going to look at it more. Thank you again!

I have been using the Phonics Road for my daughters in K, 2nd and 3rd grades, but I want to consider other options for spelling and writing that are more independent and require less teacher prep. I have 5 children, 9 and under and we are expecting twins in a few months, so I just want to keep things as simple as possible. I prefer secular materials so our charter school can purchase them. I also need to provide paper samples of their work so I don't want an online program. I am thinking of using Analytical Grammar when they are a little older so I don't know that I need to cover grammar right now, but I'm not ruling it out. I have been looking at Soaring with Spelling and Vocabulary. I have also looked at CAP's Writing and Rhetoric for my 3rd grader, but I'm guessing that is not very independent. I like the look of Cottage Press's Language Lessons for Children, but of course that is not secular and I would still want to cover spelling separately. I like aspects of Brave Writer but it just isn't planned and prepared enough for me right now. I have also used Logic of English Foundations in the past and might use that for my K student since it is more open and go than PR. My 2nd and 3rd graders are good readers. My daughter in K is reading beginning readers. They struggle a bit with spelling and writing confidence, but they are good at narrating and very creative. They love beautiful language, and enjoy reading and listening to books. I am drawn to Charlotte Mason materials, but also just want to do what is effective and works for us in this stage of life. I am always amazed by the knowledge and ideas offered on this forum so I know you all will have some great ideas I am not considering or some feedback regarding the programs I am. Thank you!

This is one of my favorite homeschool blogs. http://joyouslessons.blogspot.com/ She is Catholic and she just posted about her morning time.

Card stock, computer ink, paper, Jim Weiss downloads, history unboxed?

This article, written by Laura Lund who visits the boards, helped me get a better idea of what it is and aims to do. Being LDS, I feel like there are plenty of great options for approaches and curricula out there without this needing to fill a niche in the LDS community. Perhaps it appeals to some LDS people because it has the end goal of creating leaders or people who can influence for good which is a strong value of the LDS faith. Whether or not it actually does that seems uncertain from what I have read. I also think it just spread throughout the LDS community by word of mouth and as it became popular, people took comfort in feeling they were joining a like-minded group. As we know, homeschooling can feel a bit outside of the cultural norm and perhaps intimidating at times so receiving validation from one another must promote it. I must say, there are plenty of LDS homeschoolers, including myself, who are inspired from other approaches like TWTM and Charlotte Mason.

Thank you so much for sharing. Some of these bring back lovely reflections and there are so many I look forward to reading. Thank you for sharing something so meaningful to you.

Another book that left me changed was "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. I am curious about people's books so I can add them to my future must read book list.

I will start. Some that have influenced me most profoundly are Les Miserables, To Kill a Mockingbird and Jane Eyre.

Phonics Road 2 Nancy Larson Science 1 and begin 2 Bookshark grade 2 history and reading along with classics for read alouds Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization Math Mammoth- just continuing on Memoria Press art cards Artistic Pursuits book 1 Memory work Art class and Suzuki violin

I think the originals are from Academic Success For All Learners. Click on "all products" and they have the original, non color ones. I recently ordered the first two sets for my daughter and she is enjoying them too.

Yes, I was also going to mention Bookshark.

I ordered Teaching the Classics!

I am excited to look more at each book. I agree about buying hardcover versions of classics. I definitely prefer that as well. It is never a bad time to think about Christmas :)

Yes, I agree. It seems many could be used at earlier ages. I really like the novel and picture book sets for third grade. Do you think they could be used as early as 1st grade? Some I have already read to my children so I know they would work but I am not sure about others.

They have read-aloud sets for each year up to 6th grade. Here are the 4th-6th grade selections. You can click on any grade level to see the lower grade selections as well. There are so many great classics and there are a lot of fun picture books for the earlier grades. What do you think? I love the idea of ordering a package of really wonderful books but so many literature packages have a lot of books that do not appeal to me. I am not familiar with all these books but many seem excellent. In the end, I would probably just choose some from the list to save money but it seems like a good selection from which to choose. They also have these K-1 "Supplemental Science & Enrichment Sets" that look intriguing.

I think it is just human nature to want to feel in control and it is his way of asserting that need. There is so much a young child does not have control over so maybe that is just something about which he felt he could voice an opinion. My children do that sometimes as well. I would just try to be genuinely patient as you have been and keep your relationship strong as he works through his need to figure out and vocalize opinions (even if they are not his true opinions). You could even talk to him about it lovingly saying something like, "I thought you had really been enjoying those art classes. Do really want to be done with them because if you so, that is completely fine." The more you can connect through it, the better.

Yes. I think only a couple of the American Girls videos are free though.

I just found a couple of American Girl episodes too.

We once watched one of the Scenic Routes Around the World and enjoyed it. There are quite a few.

Thank you for the insight you all are sharing. It is so helpful.

This is all so helpful. Thank you. I am curious about the frustrations in high school. Would you mind elaborating? We are a long way from high school but I like seeing the big picture.

This last year, we have been with a charter in CA to help pay for curricula and classes. Although we are able to use the curricula we choose and it has made it possible for her to take art and swimming classes we would not have otherwise done, I just can't decide if the money is worth it. Every once in awhile I feel like we have to do something just so we have a sample in a certain subject when I would likely have just read and discussed something instead. I also don't love writing a learning record of everything she has learned. None of the inconveniences are huge but I wonder if it would feel really freeing to do our own thing completely. Have you felt really glad you did or did not join a charter school or do you have any advice to share? Should I just wait while my children are young and keep things as stress-free as possible by not continuing? I would love to hear your thoughts on personal pros and cons. Thank you!

Also, I am sure I am missing some so please let me know if something needs to be added.

I went through this thread and combined the suggestions of everyone in one list. There may be a couple of books listed more than once and sometimes people just suggested works from a certain author so the author is listed. I generally put them in the grade level suggested by all of you. Are there any that seem really off on their age level? I have not read every one of these books so some may be out of place. This is obviously not in line with the 3 books per grade idea but it is still a great list of books to look through. Have fun :) Pre-K - 1st: A Bear Called Paddington Ballet Shoes Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales Big Susan Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey Cinderella Clamshell Boy Curious George, by H.A. Rey Eskimo Twins Favorite Poems, Old and New Five Little Peppers and How They Grew Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales Illustrated Children's Bible - Selena Hastings King Midas and the Golden Touch illustrated by KY Craft Little House on the Prairie Mandy Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton Mr. Popper's Penguins My Father's Dragon Oxford Treasury of Fairy Tales Raggedy Ann Raggedy Ann in Cookie Land Mother Goose Stone Soup, by Marcia Brown The Aesop for Children The Jungle Book The Little Engine that Could, by Watty Piper The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton The Red Fairy Book The Steadfast Tin Soldier. Uncle Wiggily's Storybook Where the Sidewalk Ends Winnie-the-Pooh 2nd - 4th: 50 Famous Stories Retold (Baldwin) A Midsummer Night's Dream Adam of the Road Adventures of Robin Hood Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (in one volume) Amazons and Swallows Andrew Langs' Arabian Nights Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by E. Nesbitt Black Beauty Boxcar Children Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Charlotte's Web Christmas Carol Crickett in Time Square D'aulaires Greek Myths and Norse Myths Dr. Doolittle Everything For a Dog Gooney Bird Greene Island of the Blue Dolphins James and the Giant Peach Just So Stories Key to the Treasure King Arthur Lassie Come Home Little House books Little Pilgrim's Progress Mary Poppins Misty of Chicateague (or other Marguerite Henry Book) Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Native American Myths Norse Myths Number the Stars Oliver Twist (and other Dickens) Peter and Wendy Peter Pan Pinocchio Pippi Longstocking Pollyanna Robinson Crusoe Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Stone Fox The Hundred Dresses The Incredible Journey The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe The Little Princess The Little Riders The Railway Children The Reluctant Dragon The Secret Garden The Trumpet of the Swan The Velveteen Rabbit, by Marjery Williams The Whipping Boy The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame The Wonderful Wizard of Oz The Year of Miss Agne Tuck Everlasting Understood Betsy Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Where the Red Fern Grows White Fang Witch of Blackbird Pond 5th- 8th: A Separate Peace A Wrinkle in Time Anne of Green Gables Arabian Nights Around the World in Eighty Days, by Jules Verne Black Ships Before Troy and Wanderings of Odysseus - Sutcliffe Call of the Wild Flowers of Algernon Gulliver's Travels Harry Potter series Heidi, by Johanna Spyri Huckleberry Fin Johnny Tremain Jonathan Livingston Seagull Kidnapped King of the Wind Little Women Loeb Plutarch's Lives VII Loeb The Gallic War My side of the Mountain Myths of the World (Padraic Colum) Pilgrim's Progress Poe Stories Red Badge of Courage Robinson Crusoe Secret Garden Shakespeare (Tales From Shakespeare maybe) Sherlock Holmes Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Swiss Famiy Robinson The Autobiography of Ben Franklin The Bronze Bow The Call of the Wild The Children's Homer (both the Iliad and Odyssey retellings in one book) The Chronicles of Narnia The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories by O. Henry The Giver The Hiding Place The Hobbit The Little Prince The Old Man and the Sea The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson The Three Musketeers The Time Machine The Westing Game Tom Sawyer Treasure Island Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe White Fang 9th - 12th: 1984 A Tale of Two Cities A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Animal Farm Anthology of Greek Plays Anthology of Shakespeare Ben-Hur A Tale of the Christ Bullfinch's Mythology Catcher in the Rye Chaucer Crime and Punishment Diary of Anne Frank Dickens Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes Dostoyevsky Edgar Allen Poe Fahrenheit 451 Grapes of Wrath Great Expectations Half the Sky Homer In His Steps Into the Wild Jane Eyre John Steinbeck Julius Caesar - Shakespeare Leaves of Grass - Whitman Les Miserables Lord of the Rings Mabinogion Macbeth (Shakespeare) Mark Twain (probably have to go with Huck Finn) Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare) Middlemarch Moby Dick Oedipus Rex On The Road Paradise Lost, by John Milton Pride & Prejudice Shakespeare Silas Marner Something by Agatha Christie Tales from Shakespeare - Lambs The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes The Aeneid (Virgil) The Age of Innocence The best King Arthur version I can find (which??) The Divine Comedy, by Dante The Grapes of Wrath The Iliad and The Odyssey The Inferno of Dante - Pinsky The Life of Fredrick Douglas The Oresteia (Aeschylus) The Republic Three Theban Plays (Sophocles) To Kill A Mockingbird Walden & Civil Disobedience What is the What?

There are so many wonderful ideas here. For me, it really is my perspective that makes all the difference. If I am focused on the goal of staying connected to my kids and enjoying them, I feel pretty good about whatever we accomplish. I try to keep a steady pace throughout the day with some focused time learning together/ teaching them and then give them some free time to play. While they play, I do a bit of cleaning, food prep, read a book, play with the baby or play with them, depending on what I feel we all need. When I start to have really rigid expectations of exactly how things will go, I start to get stressed and more easily irritated which is not good for any of us. I have been reading "Hold On to Your Kids" and it has reminded me that the most important thing for my kids is that we have a healthy and strong attachment. If I can be successful at that and provide a rich family culture, they will thrive in their development which is what we all want, right? Basically, I do what I can each day to accomplish what we can in all areas (academically, physically, spiritually, etc) while focusing on responding with love and then I try to let go of what I didn't do. We have a pretty good routine but I adjust things as needed so I can meet both their needs and my own. Some days, like today, one child just needs more attention than usual so I worked that in. I feel so much more peace at the end of the day when I feel like I connected well with my children. It doesn't always go perfectly, of course but having that as my overall goal relieves me of a lot of stress.