My son just turned six years old. For the past six months, we've been using Explode the Code books and reading aloud to teach phonics/reading. Over the summer I'd like to start using a more formal reading program with him. I looked at two of the program's listed on the AO site...Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and AlphaPhonics. Can anyone recommend one over the other or share their experience with either, or recommend a different program all together? Thank You!

Do you feel that the Horse Guide would be too much for a 3rd grader and 1st grader? My plan was to do it with them together, not having it done independently yet. I actually won the Science guide from a giveaway a few years back which is why I was considering it as well since I already own it, but the horse one appeals to me atm, because my daughter is horse crazed! :) Thanks for you response!

Thank you for the response. I looked at the Geography one as well since my 6 yr old son loves maps, but was worried that it may be too much for him. I may contact them at BFB and ask what they would recommend as my best option for my 8 & 6 yr old.

I'm looking for some feedback on the BFB Study Guides, particularly A History of Science guide, History of the Horse guide, and Teaching Character through Literature guide. Has anyone used any of these? I love their literature based approach and the book lists look pretty great! I was planning on using either the Science guide or the Horse guide as our history for the year and the Character guide as Bible/Literature/Read-A-Louds. Any help or input is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Anyone? :)

I'm trying to decide which route to take for reading for my 7 year old DD who still struggles with fluency. We just finished AAR 1 and it wasn't a good fit for us, so now I'm trying to decide between RLTL and Phonics Pathways. I also bought a few pathway readers and am planning to purchase the ALS readers to go along with whichever program I choose. I'm also stumped for science. I used apologia astronomy this year and really wish I would have waited until my children were a bit older. So, for next year, I'm trying to decide between Queens and SCM 106 days. Can anyone share their opinion of either one for me? Thank you!

And sorry to keep asking so many questions, but Mindy, what does SM 2A and SM 1B mean in your signature? :) (sorry...I'm very new around here!) :)

Sorry, but I am not sure what the abbreviations LOE and PLL mean. :) I just looked up the Christian Liberty Press Nature Readers and they look like a good fit for us. I was also thinking of using the Thornton Burgess books. Since I purchased Delightful Reading, would adding RLTL and ELTL be overkill? Or would they be better suited for my 7 year old over DR? I really bought DR with my 5 yr old in mind. I just bought it yesterday so I haven't had the opportunity yet to look at it and see how exactly the program is written out and how it works!

I am so sorry that I just abandoned my thread! I got busy after posting this and never got a chance to come back and check it until now! Thank you for sharing what you are doing or have done! It helps me feel more confident in the direction I want to go! So, I see a lot of you are doing or did spelling. Should I start spelling with my DD even though her reading still needs improvement, or should I wait until she is a stronger reader? Or, will the spelling lessons help with her reading? And what about grammar? Does she really need it this year, or should I just hold off until 3rd grade? I ended up purchasing the Delightful Reading kit from SCM mainly to use with my 5 year old DS, but also going to look through it to see if anything would be beneficial for my DD! I purchased some Pathway readers for her to help with her fluency and I am hoping that through the practice of just reading, she will get better! We have been using horizons for math and I have been very happy with it. I just bought MOH at our local homeschool workshop last month, so I'm excited to see how much we like it! I hope a lot! I'm still torn on what to use for science! I have been considering the science from Queens Homeschool as well as what Is offered from the SCM website. Anyone have any feedback regarding either one? Does anyone use lapbooks? I was thinking of using them for our literature readings. Not for all of them, but some here and there to make it a little more fun! We started using A Reason for Handwriting this year and I plan on continuing with it for next year! I don't think I am forgetting anything! Oh...and of course lot and lots of reading...my favorite part! :) Thanks again for all the advice and help!

My state does not require anything from me until my DC are 8 years old. My oldest just just turned 7, so I have another year to enjoy this "freedom"! As I start to prepare for next year, she will be going into the 2nd grade, I'm wondering what to do, not worry about, etc. This year I focused a lot on her reading, which is ok, but still not fluent, math, a little handwriting, science and history. I'm leaning more towards a CM style of education and would love to hear from others who follow her philosophy what your 2nd grade looked like.

This is so helpful! Thank you!

Hi! This is my first post! :) I am about to enter in to my 2nd year of homeschooling. My daughter is 6 (1st grade) and my son is 4. I am wanting to construct a timeline to use with our study of Early American History studies this year but am having a hard time finding some that are either free or very cheap! I want something to hang on the wall that I would stick pictures of people and dates too. I found a wall chart that would work for our space...History Odyssey Timeline...but now I am having a hard time finding timeline cards to adhere to it. Has anyone made their own? I was thinking of googling pics and laminating my own, but figured I ask around first to see if there is a free download of some cards somewhere first! :) Thank you!