Yes, they have actually been using duolingo, but they need Internet use for that. We have moved out into the country and have limited internet use...it's very slow and data is capped. Otherwise we would have continued with it. I like that Rosetta Stone doesn't require the Internet.

Thanks for the info!

We are getting Rosetta Stone German to learn as a family so I want something for my dc but also for DH (who needs to be fluent) and myself. The homeschool version is less expensive, but I'm not sure if there's more included in the newer traditional version. It's only a $10 difference so I don't mind paying more if there's actually something different or better with it.

I'd try it out with my K, 2nd and 4th graders. We haven't been able to find a grammar program that has stuck with my old kids.

Agreed. You definitely need the workbooks. I typically use the DVDs and student book not the tm

We have and I go back and forth whether we return each semester. In the past ours has been very disorganized, the classes aren't appealing and to get the classes my kids would enjoy I've over extended myself teaching 3+ classes which I should have just stayed home to teach with less stress. So we take it a semester by semester basis and I'm on the search for a co-op that is better organized and focuses on the extras, not the core classes. My kids are in elementary and I don't need apt he extra help with those. I need th pe help with art, or, music, etc

I've been going through the same debate and we chose to do FIAR this year and I'm considering MP Enrichment for next year. We already have most of the FIAR books, I've done it before and we have loved it. With my oldest being in fourth grade I feel like this is the last year we can all do FIAR again together (with my oldest joining in as he wants since he will have his own course load). I love the look of MP and will probably use that for next year, but for us it's the investment of the books since I don't have many of those (we don't have library access). I do love that mp is all planned out for you though. FIAR can take a lot of work of pulling things together which I typically go overboard with it and it takes me too long to do!

We also have a set time where Each of us goes to a space each day we are alone. Since my youngest still naps this is during his nap times and the other kids stay in their rooms or playroom and do quiet things. It's my time to recharge too and get things done without the kiddos hanging on me.

I agree with getting the DVDs. So worth the money!!!! You can probably find them used too which I did. I think I got mine for $20 or less and they made learning Latin so much easier for all of us.

We have the cd as well and really like it. It is nice to have the choice of what to print and how you want it printed. You can make it any size which I like since I print them on notecards, sticker sheets for timeline books, card stock for our wall timeline and large sheets for coloring.

From what I have looked at (we didn't use the phonic portion, I used AAR instead) the phonics is good and complete when using k and 1st. But if not using the math or phonics, the worksheets are not worth it. They are mainly geared towards those.

In my area many of the co-ops have really great preschool classes but the catch is you can't have your oldest be in prek. Many require to have at least a k or 1st grader also enrolled or some even a 3rd grader or above enrolled to take advantage of the younger classes. I think that this has helped it being more for homeschoolers vs a cheap prek. Many of thes co-ops also have a strong middle school and high school participating too and I wonder if it has to do somewhat with not catering to the younger grades and their standard for academics.

I did mfw k with my 4 yo (turned in November) this past year but did not get the students sheets for him. They are mainly based on the reading and math which I didn't feel he was ready for. If you feel as if dgd would be ready to read, then the sheets would be helpful, but there is writing required too then. If not, there is enough of the program for dgd to sit in on and still learn. I was also able to find free printables online that complimented the program nicely- both the Bible creation days as well as letters each week. Hope that helps!

It will depend on the ability of your child. I used it this past year with my advanced 1st grader who loved it and did well

I'm still struggling with what to do for spelling for my oldest. He struggles with spelling and hasn't found success in any program we've tried before. I'm wondering if the repetition and needing to get the 100% would help? Any suggestions? Any insights to this program?

I have just about all my curriculum in hand and I want to roughly plan out our year seeing how it will all go together. Anyone want to share how you plan out your year? I've always had boxed and just plugged in extras. This y we have sources from all over the place!

Just an FYI the sir cumference items are lap books to go along with the books, not the books themselves.

I did not find the note booking pages useful at all. The book is great, but unless you want vocabulary picked out for you and a sheet to define them, there's not much else. There are a couple of books suggested, but they do not align with quarks chapters. I just finished botany with my kids (and we loved it) and as we read, I'd note different topics covered in the reading, pulling things from Pinterest, the library and materials I already had. It wasn't necessarily ideal but it worked really well and we learned a lot. For zoology, I've found a main text and we will use them together to compliment each other.

We have been using writeshop for a gentle intro to writing. My odd will be in 4th next year and I had considered using IEW. Bit seeing writeshop d in the build your bundle I'm stated thinking of keeping writeshop and then beginning IEW in 6th grade. Will changing curriculum at that time be too difficult for the kids( especially if they aren't strong writers already?)

I didn't use it, so maybe someone else can answer more specifically, but there is a weekly portion that I believe aligns with the letter you are teaching that week. In the tm there is a section that explains the process. If you have access to the tm, I'd recommend having your DD look at it and see how it lines up with her thoughts on teaching her daughter and if she is ready. I only find it as a con since not all kids progress at the same rate with the reading and math. I know had I used this with my oldest, it wouldn't have worked since he took longer to learn to read. I have a friend and the program worked well for her son. It is a good program, and if she is able to use it for free, then it's worthwhile to borrow and try out, even if she doesn't choose to use the reading portion (which Is what I did for my 4 yo this year). The worksheets align with the reading and math I beleive, so those are necessary only for those portions. I chose to use AAR, mus and mfw k for my 4 yo so I was able to move st his pace for reading and math and I felt it worked out well.

I've always wanted to be a teacher and mom. I'm a homeschooling mom who used to teach ps so it worked out well for me. I prefer the option that allows me to do both 🤓

I did mfw k loosely with my 4 yo this year. The one con I can think of will be dependent on the child...I personally do not like that reading is tied to the program on a weekly basis. IMO if the child doesn't progress in reading at the same pace as the program, it can be difficult. Because of this, I chose to not use the reading portion of mfw and rather use AAR which we already had so I could move at DSs pace.

Thank you for this extensive list! I agree in not wanting to take the appeal away from reading at all. Thankfully my kids are all avid readers who absolutely love reading for fun and are reading well above grade level. Definitely something to think about though. I know part of me is pulling this in because English beyond just reading books for fun was not my strength. I think I want to do a gentle introduction for them as we are reading the FIAR books.

Thank you for all these suggestions. I will be looking into each of them. I'm especially interested in the deconstructing penguins. We are actually using FIAR for my k DS next year and they point out the uses of different literary devices/figurative language used in the books which originally gave me the idea of pulling those out for my older children since we didn't cover them when we went through FIAR with them. Also I've never considered brace writer before. I may need to look into that although I think I'm pretty much decided on iew (for both my comfort and for my DS who hates writing!). I'm grateful for all the choices of good curriculum, although it does make it difficult at times to choose which to use!