Agree with EKS. Just start reading Grammar Island with child, then, the whole thing just flows from there, and it won't seem so scary. I was really concern with how to start it too. But once I just started doing one books at a time Grammar Island>Sentence Island>Building Language>Poetry>practice book (at one or two sentences a day), it worked so well. Good luck!

After many years of good intentions with only minor dabbles into a foreign language, I finally have Spanish lined up in a mini co-op like class. The class consists of a couple of friends and a relative that is a native speaker helping the kids out once a week. My job is to find a book that they can use to guide them. Age ranges will be 5-8 yr olds, HG to PG kids, all able to write, spell, and have had at least some exposure to English grammar. Any great recommendations?

A stretched child makes noticeable improvements. A under challenged or over challenged child makes no improvement. That may seem like I'm just kind of restating the question, but when I realized how simple it was, it helped me tune into that zone. If they are ready to give up and bang their head against the wall, they won't be learning anything. If they are banging their head out of boredom there is no learning going on. I can almost see the brain growth going on when we are in that good zone, I notice improvements daily.

We have all of the sets. DS is really mathy and science-y, and loves those two best. He is also history obsessed but doesn't like the history set much. He thought the geography series writing was sub-par. He would recommend the science set. I think he has read them all at least five times. He LOVES them.

We combined BA, SM, and LOF....but we skipped a lot of stuff in BA, and we don't do every problem in SM. We did one program at a time, not rotate daily. So we spent a few months going through just LOF. Then, we'd go back to SM, then, at a good breaking point, we'd stop for a few weeks to do a chapter or two in Beast. SM is most like our spine, and in BA we only do the chapters that are extra topics not seen in other programs, like the perfect squares, binary, exponents, logic puzzles, counting, and rounding-estimating. We used the other books of BA (text-comic book) just for fun reading, even if we didn't do any chapters in the workbook out of it-- like the upcoming 4C has no new topics in it for us, so we will just get the text for fun. Not rotating through the programs weekly has added a bit of review in, but since each program approaches things differently it also adds in some novelty to old topics. It has worked well so far (about ready to finish and move to Pre-a). I don't know anything about MEP, so I have no insight if that plus SM is too much and too similar. But for us, the three programs staggered has worked well. I love that we have been able to use the strengths of each program and I think it was a good move for us seeing a lot of different style problems. BA has its strength in visual, discovery approach, out of the box thinking, SM is pretty solid in just ... basic math, I guess taught the way I learned more or less and story problems, and LOF is great in real life story problem approach, seeing math being used in daily life.

Some topics just take longer to click. If it turns to anger and tears it's time to stop, take a break, and do something else. The mind can't learn when its revved up in anger. Try watching online videos on the topic, AOPS has a great pre-A video series, or try presenting it in different ways, different books, but hold off on making him solve anything for a week. Just give him input and let it stew. Then slowly step back to the problems, with calmness. There is no problem if it takes longer for something to click. You are not behind, need not stress about keeping pace. Slowly go back and talk about the sticking points. But give it a break of output for a bit and see if just stewing on the concept will help.

Wait, I'm so curious Gil. Did you stop homeschooling and put your kids in school? I'm so curious what happened and how your super accelerated kids can handle that huge change in level. I must have missed your story elsewhere. I can only imagine it would be frustrating not only for you, but them. "Uh, yeah that's right first grade teacher, not only can he read, but he is doing algebra. So if you could just skip the addition within 20 worksheets and find something on factoring binomials that is appropriate for first graders, I don't know, maybe a worksheet with some cartoon characters at the top, that would be great." I'd love to hear the rest of the story, and how your kids are coping.

DS(6.5)'s lessons are an hour. He has had two different teachers already after only taking lessons for six months. The first class was three months with two other kids, so the longer lessons were necessary to deal with all kids. The next three months with an independent teacher have also been an hour (and she frequently goes over). I feel like his current teacher is less organized and not at good at keeping him on track. They frequently don't even get through all the songs he learned the week before. There seems to be a lot of wasted time. Practice time is however long he needs to complete his songs, usually at least 30 minutes daily, up to an hour.

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I kind of depends. We live in a very rural area so driving over an hour to meet others is no big deal. It takes me 30 minutes to get to the grocery store. If your kids like sitting in the car and listing to music or books on tape, and the gas budget doesn't get blown and you enjoy the group then go for it. But if there are closer options and the group doesn't blow you away then I'd look elsewhere. We just started driving 45 min to an ok-ish co-op. I'm not blown away but we have friends there already. It's hard moving and meeting new people so if it helps you feel connected go for it.

Yeah, unfortunately all rooms in my house have digital clocks. Part of that is just that the way computers are taking over. So although my DS has learned it, he hasn't used it since and I have not gone back much to check for retention. I think he'd probably get the short and long hands mixed up. We just don't see many analog clocks around anymore. I've thought about buying one just so he could see it daily, but why bother when the stove clock is right there (by where we do our school work). I'm sure it's a skill you will pick up when it is needed. I'm not too worried about it. But if you are into screen learning there was a really good app we used long ago-- I think it was just called Telling Time lite--free, good and kind of fun. Apps make everything easy learning after all, right?

Ds6.5 has done through Singapore 5a, LOF Fractions and Decimals/Percents and has done 3 chapters spread out from BA 3-4. Of those only BA really causes frustration at times. He did his first BA4a chapter when he was almost six and it was just too much frustration for him. He had never been challenged like that before. Right now we are working two chapters retro-actively out of BA 3 (estimating and perfect squares) because I thought those two chapters were great topics that don't really get any kind of coverage in other programs. Now, at having been though all of elementary math in some form, he goes through them much, much easier, but still there are times it pushes him to frustration. I can't imagine starting Beast cold out of any other program after finishing a 2nd grade curriculum. It just does things on such a different level. For DS, I think doing them after he had learned a little more frustration tolerance (not much, but some more) and gong back and basically dropping him down a few grades to do them so that he'd already learned the concepts but just not in the same depth that or way that BA does them. So yes, a six year old can do them, but personally it took a six year old who'd already covered almost all of elementary math to make the transition easy.

I'd keep going, but slow down to just "maintain" until she has the facts down cold. It will make going forward so much easier. With the online scene now, there are so many amazing math fact apps and games that make getting them down fun, easy and pretty fast. Try Timez Attack! It is a downloadable computer game that in 20 min. a day will have her up to speed in a few weeks or so. We loved it. There are lots of others too. With the ability to make it so much more fun these days don't make her suffer with boring flash cards.

Thank you for this. I think it is a wise view. I really need to tackle it in other areas first and just let him do what he does academically, since that is his natural bent and yes, he really is doing fine there. Yes, he may refuse or goof off instead of practicing handwriting when I ask, but usually during the course of the day, he does write something for some project he is doing on his own. So it doesn't matter there. But I do need to get ahold of him in daily life. He's a good sweet kid, but he is used to directing the show. Even with his paino teacher, I'm amazed at how he plays her into doing things he wants. Or taking over at his co-op class. He just has one of those personalities that make most people stand back and be like, okay, so you are in charge here. I know we have done a terrible job of putting him in his place and I know it's a major parenting fail. I just don't know, after all these years, how to undo it.

DS6.5 is impossible to teach! I feel frustrated at the start of the year once again as anything I attempt to do with him is met with disinterest. Partly I feel that I am to blame as I don't run a very structured life and never have and he has always easily directed our family life as he is an only. Partly I feel that it is DS's personality to attempt to control everything and partly I feel that he is a natural autodidact and he learns what he wants when he wants (and does a great job at it). But he is not teachable, and I feel that it to at least some degree is an important trait to be able to take direction. Sure he does plenty of leaning in the course of a day on his own-- but zero of that is directed by me. As in, if I tell him to please do this chapter or worksheet or write something, he will refuse. Whereas if it is an idea he has come up with on his own he will slave away. I love the fact that he is into learning for his own sake, but I'm getting annoyed that I seem to have lost all power in this relationship. It's not that I want him to learn more, it's just that I want to have some part in the direction it takes. I want him to do something if I ask. And yes, it is a problem is all areas of our life, not just school. I just have a kid whose personality seems to overthrow my more laid back personality and he has figured out how to capitalize in that. So how do I take charge without taking his own drive out of him? How do I lead this kid?

Sounds amazing. I'm curious, how many students are in this school? I'd love to start my own school that operated like that.

We started about 4.5, I think. We started with Narnia. We haven't stopped since. I agree with others, don't pass up great picture books. Most picture books have much richer language than the really early chapter books. In my view, early chapter books don't deserve the time to be read aloud. (I'm talking about the Magic School Bus, Magic Treehouse type of books.). If I am going to read aloud I want it to be rich enjoyable language that we can both appreciate.

My DS struggled on rates too, but he could do the story problems, but it was in his own way. He didn't quite get using a conversion factor. Any time he saw the word conversion factor he panicked. This was a kid who with no teaching figured out how to convert all measurement on his own. But when you wrote out that you needed to do something with a conversion factor, he freaked out. Conversion factors and rates are so critical though. So I just keep holding his hand through the problems and I know that eventually it will click. Sometimes I will take out the big numbers and make the rates really easy/obvious like the 3 cookies per hour type, then have him do the same function to the larger numbers so he can see it is the same thing. Don't skip.. Just work through even if he doesn't get it this time around. It will come back.

I have a very sensitive 6yo child, but also one who loves history. He did SOTW 4 and had no problem with it. Personally, I don't really find volume 4 more violent-- only closer to us. It might be just fine for your younger. I was actually surprised that it didn't bother DS.

This is all interesting and helpful for me to think through how I want to use Aops. Do I want a lot I hand holding, or more independence? I need to start on the book myself so I know just the level that it is asking for and then I will know better when DS will be ready for it. Thanks for all your thoughtful replies. I am quite floored that ashleysf's 6.? Yr old is staring on Aops, not that there aren't really really mathy kids that could do it, but just that they could possibly be ready for the format and the emotional struggle of being challenged. I know my DS has at least a year or two before he reaches that stage. He still freaks out just seeing a starred problem in Beast, no matter how hard or easy it is for him-- just the star sends him into panic, and not out of experience as we have only hand picked out a few Beast chapters so far.

DS is done with elementary math in one of our three ongoing math curriculums. Having done one, the other two should fly by even faster. He is done with LOF, on 5a with Singapore and working through Beast as they come but has only done one chapter in 4 so far. He is not even remotely ready for Aops PA. He just doesn't even come close to the maturity needed to tackle it yet, but it is the curriculum that I am aiming for. I am trying to figure out how many years I need to plan for slowing him down. I can't put off Pre-A forever, but I am trying to figure out how long I need to space things out. Maybe I cut math back to 20 min. a day and if he doesn't get much done-- all well-- that will just help slow us a bit. I'm thinking that at most SM will take us four months to finish 5 and 6 and Beast might be another four. At which point DS won't even be 7.5 yet. But that seems way too young to start Aops, as does 8. Nine seems more manageable. But that is 1.5 years to fill with ???? Two other pre-a programs (LOF, JA)?? At which point it just seems crazy to continue with running three consecutive math curriculums. So I'm just wondering the youngest age to start Aops successfully with "average" very non-average kids? Can I really hold off an extra 1.5 years till nine?

The only book I remember being read aloud (beyond picture books) was in 6th grade and the book was Little Britches. I still hear it in that teacher's voice when I read it.

We struggle with this something terrible. DH has an insanely early work schedule. DS and I can't get to sleep as early as DH needs to-- not even close in the summer. I need as much sleep as my six year old-and have always had high sleep NEEDS. I literally get brain fog and can't function on anything less than a full eight, but nine is better. It makes getting up early hard. We miss a lot of those early morning play dates and events. But we catch up with our night owl friends and after most kids are in bed, we are at the playground. What really suffers is DH and DW time. I'd like to make it easier for him-- but is have to be putting DS to bed at six to make time for him to wind down and sleep at a husband schedule reasonable time. Just can't happen. It is rough.