How crazy it's the same! I'm curious to know if it's THE same. Just specifically the writing portion? I'm thinking this program will work good for my son. I am going to be using the writing portion, mainly because he doesn't have much experience with writing and I just want an all in one program to use over the summer. We will see how it goes. It sounds like continuing with it next year for 6 might not be worth it?

Thanks. Love the ideas. I think teaching her to use the computer would definitely be beneficial. EVERYONE loves computer time. I will check out the Pre-K board also. I didn't even think to check over there. I guess that makes sense ;)

Thanks. I didn't realize the Saxon was referred to as Hake Grammar. We haven't done much in the way or actually writing this year because we have been focused on his therapy and just getting him at a place where we would like him to be in school. So now that he has progressed, I would like to incorporate more writing (We did attempt Winning With Writing- but even that didn't go over well with him. He kept saying he just didn't get it.. It looked pretty simple to me, but I guess it was just not concrete enough for him. I definitely need help teaching him. He does not like the way I explain things at all.) I am not trying to get him to be a master writer, that will not be his strong point. I would like him ti be able to express himself and put together stories, essays, reports, etc.

Has anyone used Saxon Grammar & Writing for grades 5-8? My 11 year old is "finishing up" 5th grade now, but when we started homeschooling this past year he was pretty behind. He has come a long way, but I was looking at the Saxon Grammar & Writing and I actually think it might be a good fit for him. I was wondering if anyone has used this and if there were any opinions on the program. I will give you a little background with what we have tried this year- we started with Oak Meadow 5. It was a total bust for us. My son has comprehension/inference issues and he does best with specific, concrete information and assignments. We switched over and did WWE3, FLL4, Easy Grammar, Spelling Workout E (plus some other things, but this is what we have been doing a combo of for language arts- plus he does weekly educational therapy for reading comprehension, inference, etc) I was thinking about ordering him the Saxon Grammar & Writing 5. It looks like it might actually be what we need. I haven't heard a lot of great things about Saxon, but recently looked into it again, and it just might fit his learning style. I'm hoping it wouldn't be too difficult for him (Easy Grammar is kind of a nightmare unless I am sitting with him and he is doing it out load with me...he loves WWE and FLL because we do it together.) Thanks for any input! I just want him to be prepared if/when he goes back to school. He is on a waiting list for a local charter school now, and we are both really excited about that possibility. We want to make sure he is prepared if he does go back, and moving forward and progressing if he does continue homeschooling. I am just looking for something straightforward, easy to use, and well put together for him. I honestly don't like using a million different things with him and would much rather have it all in one place.

Thanks! Love the ideas! This is exactly the type of thing I am looking for. Sometimes it's overwhelming just doing google searches, and a lot of things for her age that are suggested she just isn't in to. We do have some of the Kumon books, and I make cutting strips for her also. I love the index card and stickers idea and the nuts and bolts. These are great, thank you!

I just ordered Saxon 5/4 for my 11 year old son. He has been using Teaching Textbooks, but I feel like he was "getting by" with it. When he took the Saxon Placement test, I feel that he knew most of the 5/4 stuff but wasn't ready for 6/5 yet.. He did Teaching Textbooks 5 this year for 5th grade, so I guess that does show that TT is a bit "behind" some other math programs. He did know a lot on the placement test though, so it wasn't TOO bad! My friend has a copy of Saxon 1 that she is going to lend me, so I am going to compare Singapore and Saxon, maybe use a combo of both and see what works, etc. I have a feeling that my son is totally a Saxon style math kid and my daughter is more Singapore. We will see if I am right or if I come back later complaining about one of these math programs making me want to rip my hair out ;)

I need some independent ideas for my 2.5 year old. She is going to be starting AAR soon, along with FIAR with my 6 year old. She is already doing Getting Ready For The Code, and Mathematical Reasoning Book 1, along with some random preschool books I got cheap at Target/Dollar store. I need some independent things for her to do while I work with my other kids. Right now she LOVES lego, but she likes putting them together specifically for the most part, and when I pull out the lego stuff, the other kids want to be involved also. I have her do beading, work with wiki stix, sort counting bears by colors, make patterns, use those dot to dot markers, clean windows (give her a soapy bucket and some towels and she is off for a bit), hang play clothes up with clothespins (although she prefers to do that with her sister, not so much on her own), and things like that. I did a busy bag exchange a while back, and I have a ton of busy bags. The problem is those only keep her "busy" for a minute because she is kind of past all that stuff (matching numbers and colors, arranging things in order, etc.) I got some lincoln logs recently, and I haven't pulled those out, but I don't know if she will be interested in that on her own. Her sister is her best friend and they love to build things TOGETHER and make different worlds, etc. I guess I just need some more ideas. I feel like whenever I come up with something new, she is into it for a few minutes, and then just ready for the next thing because she figured it out. She loves art, but honestly I can't trust any of my kids inside with the art stuff on their own. They go nuts (I love that they are having fun- but I like to let them go at it OUTSIDE :) ) and that again, would be another distraction for my 6 year old. I didn't know if anyone might have any ideas of seated things she could do on her own other than the basic workbooks. Just activities that are quiet and might keep her busy for 5-10 min at a time. Thanks so much!

Thanks everyone! I think we are pretty set now, and it's been great hearing everyone's thoughts/experiences. I think for the summer we are going to focus on AAR, handwriting, ETC, and Singapore math, along with FIAR (we only did a few books for kindy, but I think we should get some more in this summer before we start adding in more stuff in the fall)- that way when we begin our more formal history, science, FLL, WWE, she will probably be ready for AAS or a combo of AAR2/AAS1. I have been looking into some great read alouds for the year, and I think we will pick some fun ones for the summer also.

Have you looked into FIAR? It's really fun and gentle, and you can do so much with it. There is definitely art and music incorporated into many of the books, and my girls LOVE it.

We have only just started homeschooling this past year, so take it for what it's worth. For our daughter- she will be homeschooled indefinitely. If she eventually asks to go to school, then we will reevaluate at that time (she has sensory issues, loves being homeschooled, and really is thriving- I don't think she will want to go to regular school, but I would definitely be open to it if that is truly what she wanted to do. She is very self motivated) For my 11 year old son, this is his first year homeschooling. He is currently on a waiting list for a local charter school. For all of our sanity, he really needs to go back to school. He has come a long way this past year, and if he were an only child and I could dedicate ALL my time to him specifically, homeschooling might work best. I'm hoping the charter school will be the answer for him since it is the type of environment I think he will do well in. For our 2 year old- well, she is extremely advanced for her age. I don't think she will do well in a typical school environment. Honestly, she would just be held back and not reach her full potential in school. She will most likely be homeschooled as well. I never set out in the beginning to homeschool. It just kind of happened, and it looks like we are in it for the long haul with at least one child, possibly two.

For kindergarten we spent about an hour a day on math and language arts. Anything else we did (science, history, art, etc) was extra. For 1st grade, we are going to be a bit more "rigorous" than we were for kindergarten, and we will definitely be spending more than an hour a day schooling. I'm not sure how much time we will be spending until we get started, but I know my daughter is completely comfortable spending more than an hour a day.

Yes, I see a lot that Singapore is supplemented with other programs as well. I was under the impression from reading about it elsewhere that it was a pretty solid math program, and one of the more "advanced" ones in the long run. But, when reading about people who actually USE it here, it seems that they use it along with something else. So I'm not exactly sure what we are going to do. I already ordered it, so I will look at it and try it out and see how it goes. I remember checking out Rightstart before and really liking it, I believe it was the investment that made me hesitant. I guess we will see if it works since we are starting in the next month or so, and if not then we will move on to something else. I guess I can't COMPLETELY mess up 1st grade, right? ;) Amber

I am kind of torn right now. I was considering using Singapore Primary, Standards Edition for my soon to be 1st grader. I took another look at the Saxon samples (I remember NOT liking the Saxon samples I had seen in the past- maybe I looked at K?) and it doesn't look as horrible as I remember. Have you ever used or seen Singapore before? I know there are a lot of comparison threads out there..I guess I will do some searching. Thanks for posting! Amber

I do not have the Singapore math in hand yet. I did order the standards edition, so we will see when it gets here if I think it will work. We have enjoyed McRuffy for K, and we could stick with it through 5th..I am just to sure if it's the right math for her. She is doing great in it, but I think that I would like a math that shows more ways to do the problems, and maybe something that doesn't seem to just be all over the place? I'm not sure how to explain it. It works, but I don't think it's the fit we are looking for. She gets things right when we do it with McRuffy, but if it is shown to her a different way, she doesn't "get it" if that makes sense. Singapore might not be the fit we are looking for either. I looked at Saxon and it looks like something that would make us both just go crazy but maybe it wouldn't? I'm not sure! I'm not sure WHICH would be a better fit to be honest! I do think my daughter needs the hands on and colorful stuff though. I have seen the Singapore Practice books in the stores, but I haven't actually seen the Singapore Primary Mathematics books. Are the practice books the ones everyone is referring to when they say intensive practice? Thanks everyone! Amber

Great idea on making the read aloud list ahead of time. I have some books in mind, but writing it all down will help make sure we actually get to it. We didn't do as much as I wanted to with read alouds this past year, but my daughter really enjoyed what we did. And yes, we do tons of library books also. I figured a lot of our library books this year will go with our history and our science, along with free books of her choice. She LOVES learning, so she always chooses some good ones :) Ok, so it sounds like my phonics area might be a bit overkill- maybe I will go ahead and try out AAR1 for now (along with FLL1, and WWE1) and see how that goes. Depending on how AAR1 goes, then we might try out AAS after we finish that and take it from there. Maybe I will just keep ETC around (since I already have it) and if we feel we need it or if she wants to do it we can always use that also. I am really really torn on the Singapore math. I keep reading both positive and negative experiences with it, and I am not sure which way I am leaning. I want to go ahead and give it a shot, because it seems that it is a good program to use long term, but I do want to make sure if we use it, we use it in whatever way would be the most beneficial and I definitely don't want her in a program where she can just get by doing the worksheets and not really understanding things. If we decide to go the Singapore route (the Standards edition)- would I be getting the HIG, Textbook and Workbook? Is there anything else I need to get the most use out of the program? I love the idea of using The Critical Thinking Company books as a supplement- I have the 5th grade one for my son and the Level A one for my 2 year old now and we love those. The Lollipop Logic I am not too concerned about getting through. I figured it would be something fun for her to do if she needed anything extra to do. She requests more work when we are waiting for her brother to get out of his martial arts class and things like that, so workbook type things seem to be good to bring to places like that. Honestly, even the history and science- I am mainly adding it all in because she is totally ready for more than we are doing now, and she is just a little sponge soaking in everything. She will ask me specific questions about things and always makes me research things on my phone or computer to figure out where something is, what type of plant we are looking at, etc. I'm hoping these subjects are fun for her, and I know we will be coming back around to them in a few years anyways. You guys are great- I am enjoying hearing everyone's experiences and ideas. It's nice to discuss this with others that either have done this or are doing this now. A lot of my homeschool friends are very relaxed, and while we have been pretty relaxed this year, we still use curriculum because my daughter BEGS for it and craves it. She is seriously an awesome kid to homeschool and I am looking forward to beginning first grade with her. She totally lights up when she learns something new or when something clicks for her. Ah, 1st graders. :) And yes, I don't want to overload her and I want to leave her plenty of time to explore on her own and do "nothing." I will have a loose schedule and see what works best for each day when I get everything together. I think sometimes lists can look long, but when things are separated into different days it isn't as long as it looks.

It looks like a great program! I was wondering if I should start my daughter at AAR2, BUT I feel she needs to solidify some skills, etc and begin at level 1. I figured we could move through what she already is comfortable with pretty quickly. She really liked the website and I think it looks fun. Amber

Meghann- Thanks so much for pointing that out! I guess that does make sense! Amber

Ok, so it's not necessary to use both AAR and AAS? On the website they seemed different, but again, I haven't used either before. I just know she needs some more confidence in the reading department, and I think she would really enjoy AAR.

This will be our second year homeschooling. Kindergarten has been a fun year of exploring, trying out different curriculums, finding balance, etc. I also have a 5th grader and a 2 year old. We homeschooled my 5th grader this year, but are hoping to get him in a local charter school next year. This year he has come a long way, but getting him back in school is definitely something we all feel is necessary. We will be starting 1st grade next month with my 6 year old daughter (she doesn't want to take a typical summer break, and honestly, I plan on homeschooling year round. It gives us lots of opportunities throughout the year for spontaneous field trips, etc.) Here are the plans so far. I am trying to get everything together, and wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. She loves school, structure, and the more the better for her- I just have to balance out what will work time wise. Math- we have been using McRuffy K math, which she has enjoyed. I am considering switching to Singapore Primary Mathematics, Standards Edition for the long haul though. Is there anything I should know specifically about Singapore Math that might be a make it or break it? She loves math, and I have a feeling this will end up being one of her strong subjects. Language Arts/etc- FLL1, WWE1, AAR Level 1, AAS Level 1, ETC - does this seem to cover what we will need in the language arts department? Logic- Lollipop Logic History- SOTW 1, with activity guide Science- Sassafras Science Zoology 1st semester, and 2nd semester the Sassafras Anatomy Music/Art- Continue Piano lessons, theater class, and either co-op art class or art at home PE- Martial arts classes, running, and maybe another sport or gymnastics. She is a very athletic child, so we are covered there. EXTRAS: ASL, Lego classes at co-op Am I missing anything? I am getting more comfortable now that we have been at it for this past year, but still want to make sure I am covering our bases. She loves the computer, so I would really like to do something with that. Not sure what would be good for her age though. Thanks for any input. I would really appreciate it. This board has been a huge lifesaver for me and I have learned so much this past year just on here!

We moved to Nashville a few months ago from California. We have lived in several states, and we absolutely love middle TN. It is a good mix of the places we have lived, and we live about 25 min south of downtown Nashville. There really is a lot to do here, the cost of living is better, the scenery is beautiful, and people are very friendly. We haven't really explored everything yet, but so far we love it. There are very distinct parts of town, so you really have a wide variety of options when it comes to things to do and places to eat etc. There are some great farmer's markets out here, and the homeschooling community is huge. I would totally be down for a WTM Nashville get together btw ;)

Amber- yes, we learned a lot during our years in the Waldorf school. It wasn't completely for us..there are aspects I love, but also aspects I don't. It was definitely an experience! My daughter did enjoy going to preschool a couple mornings a week at the Waldorf school- her teachers were some of the most kind, caring people I have ever met. I cannot say the same for my son's experience though.

Thanks for the detailed response Hunter. Lots to think about and so true. My son actually went to a Waldorf school for a few years, and what I liked about OM was that the 5th grade seemed Waldorfy but not *too* Waldorfy (is that even a word?)- there are aspects I love about it. It definitely fits my son's learning style much better than my daughter's.

Ha yes Halcyon! Sorry for the highjack ;) I can definitely see how OM works for some and doesn't for others though. I think if we had started out more rigorous and then switched to OM it would have definitely been a huge adjustment.

I think that with this being our first year homeschooling, we have been trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. I decided to go ahead and bring OM5 back out and do it..today went surprisingly well. My 5th grader even went off on his own to do a report (written, oral, and he is working on a display to go with it..) This is BIG over here. He has always struggled in school, and I saw a spark in him today I haven't seen. He has been RETAINING more since we have started homeschooling, but now he is starting to actually pursue things on his own.. I do think OM is great for allowing that, and letting the child get creative. I don't think I gave OM a fair shot. Now, with my daughter, she will be MUCH better for a more classical approach. My son not so much. I think I have been mainly worried that he wouldn't be "getting enough" out of OM, but after pulling it back out and really deciding to give it a fair shot I think he will get a lot out of it. I think the problem was more with ME and not with OM.

We started with OM and drifted away because I thought it wasn't working. This is our first year of homeschooling, so still trying to find our "groove." ;) I tried to sell my OM5, but no takers, so I'm thinking I am going to try using it as more of a reference this year..I'm going to make it work, even though I have tweaked things so much it isn't really considered OM anymore. I'm really not sure if I should trust it more and go with it, or maybe with some tweaking it will be what we need this year? I think we should revisit this again in a couple months and see how it is going. Honestly, we only did a few weeks of it, but I think we will pick it back up and see how it goes with my adjustments. I paid enough for it that I would really like to get some use out of it. I think we can make it work, but for the price and all the adjustments, we will not be using it again next year (unless for some reason later in the year I change my mind because maybe we will find our groove with it and it will work wonders ;) )