We actually have been looking at Colorado as well as Tennessee! Great suggestions so far! I should maybe add that I'd like it to be a state where there are not super involved homeschool reporting requirements. Right now in Illinois there are no requirements which is really nice. I don't want to go from that to writing reports every semester, you know? Keep em coming!

Hubby recently got the official go-ahead to work remotely and we're looking to move! Need suggestions. Do you love where you live? Do you have great co-ops, a great community, great resources, museums and zoos nearby? We're also looking for mountains to climb and places we can get into nature. We're in the Chicagoland area now, but we'd really like to get to somewhere a bit warmer and with a supportive community. We've got a 6 yr old that has homeschooled for a year, a 3 yr old, and a new baby. Greenville, SC has been recommended. Pluses are it has a lower cost of living, it's warmer, near mountains, and we've heard there is a good homeschool community there. St. Louis, MO seems to have so much good free stuff - zoo, children's science museum. And lots to do. Though not much warmer.. If you love where you live, let me know!

I didn't read every response, but maybe try switching to a similar yet different phonics book as well, like Phonics Pathways. That really went fast for us, and it has less "instruction" and more "just read these words" to get the child familiar with a set of words and repetition. It may just be different enough to make her feel like it's a different book altogether? And our library had it before I went and bought it...

:-) Alright, I'll look at that some more. The Writing Road to Reading, yes? It was hard to see some examples of the layout online, so I was unsure of it for a while. But I'll look more.

Thanks for the ideas everyone! Phonics Pathways is working well, I just feel like it's incomplete. I feel like I'm brushing past some important rules, because that book is about being able to read the words on the page, not understanding the rules and why the words are the way they are. I really liked the examples you gave Merry. I was looking on the All About page, and he would be in AAR 3 I think. But those little details you gave, like when to use C or CK at the end of a word, etc, is what we need - so yes, more of a spelling thing. And I don't feel like I'm proficient enough with all of the rules to pull them out of thin air. So AAS may be a good one, but the cost and all of the materials/manipulatives looked overwhelming to me last I checked. Are there any more paper based spelling programs that are thorough in the phonogram and phonics area? How about Spelling Power, Sequential Spelling, etc? I don't think I want a whole "English" and "reading" program at this point. Is AAS the only one with a good fit or are there other options?

It is, but when I look at other things like AAR or LoE, they expect the kids to memorize separated phonograms and every sound they make. They talk about open ended words, closed words, etc. Although he can read all of those, he doesn't know the names or specific sounds for some of them. In the AAR 3 test online, they expect a child to know that "ed" can say "ed, d, and t sounds" as in wanted, snowed, and dropped. He can read all three words, but out of context, he can't tell me that "ed" makes 3 sounds. Are things like this necessary? Is it ok to skip over them?

I really need some feedback on this! I feel really unsure about not having a specific "phonics" for my 6 yr old boy - this is our first year homeschooling. I'm trying to follow the WTM book pretty closely - Handwriting - HWT 1 Dictation - WWE Grammar - FLL Reading - Phonics Pathways (3/4 through already) and books Spelling - Haven't decided which yet Narration of other subjects in notebooks As background, he has a secure grasp on handwriting and is reading about a mid 2nd grade level. HOWEVER, I feel like now that we are going to start formal schooling, shouldn't he have a dedicated phonics program - like having to match rhyming words, count syllables, study each consonant blend in depth, study each vowel pair in depth? For example, we are at "ei" and "ie" in Phonics Pathways, and he can read the words, but there is not much explanation as to why both can make the long e sound, just that they do. So he ends up guessing sometimes in reading a book. I ordered Logic of English Foundations B, but having looked through it, DH feels it's too simple, and I don't really think it's right since DS reads past the end of the book level, and he's past the handwriting too. DH says the reading work we do in Phonics Pathways is "phonics" but I don't think it's thorough enough. Is there some other phonics or phonics / spelling program that would thoroughly go back over the phonograms without all the extra stuff in LoE. Do I even need something like that? I feel so unsure! Please HELP!

Yes, that sounds like my boy (just turned 6). And usually those thoughts come up in the car or before bed at night. Funny though, while he was sorting out the reality of God, angels, Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, etc., I tried reading some Just So Stories. He listened intently to one, and at the end, looked at me funny and said, "That's ridiculous!" :-)

My almost 6 year old son is a good reader (mid 2nd grade level), but because he is a summer birthday, we didn't do official "K" with him this past year, but I do think he's ready to start 1st grade formal work now. He was in a Montessori center last year while I worked, and solidified a lot. We also went through Phonics Pathways at home and are 3/4 of the way through, and he fluently reads. (Boxcar Children, Magic Treehouse, etc.) I'm a little unsure of where to start him with grammar and spelling. I ordered Explode the Code 1, and realized it's too easy, but now I wonder if he even needs a phonics program like that as it seems very repetitive and he doesn't usually need a lot of repetition. I like the look of Logic of English Foundations, but I'm wondering if those are not the right level, so maybe we should try Essentials? And I have no idea if I should do a separate spelling program, or Writing with Ease. We did the HWT K book, and are about to start the 1st book, so he has some writing there. But he does so much better if he has an example in front of him to copy as opposed to writing from memory. So help! We need something comprehensive to fill in any gaps he may have (which I'm sure there are many - spelling rules, grammar, etc.). And he loves workbooks. LoE Essentials, or C or D Foundations? Is Essentials very comprehensive? WWE as well? Add in ETC? - this I'm leaning away from even though I hear a lot about it. I'm due with #3 in January and want to get something started very soon.

Thank you OKBud! The video was very helpful! I do think that once we start hitting spelling in the Summer/Fall, it will cement a lot of the reading as well.

Written theory means his ability to read notes, understand rhythms (counting them), and understand different key signatures (scales). I teach orchestra in a school, and majored in violin/upper strings and music education. At his age, I would pursue music in the schools as an option, because then he will get that arts outlet during the academic day, and the teachers and other students will value that interest. A lot of students I teach really thrive and need the instrumental time I provide instead of sitting at a desk all day focusing on academics. I also would not worry about him pursuing music in college at this time. The study of music really leads to kids who are strong in several academic fields (science, math, computer science) and I've seen strong musicians follow both paths in college. At this point though, if he really thrives with piano, it would be great to allow that to be a part of his school day.

We don't have a time limit that we monitor, but if it's getting excessive for a few days in a row, I will limit. The kids are allowed to ask for video games, watch a little Curious George, watch Raffi songs on youtube, or play Starfall. Honestly, some days it's maybe an hour total, but other days, it's not even turned on. In a given week, I think they maybe choose a screen activity only a couple times. If I'm sick of it, or they choose it several days in a row, I'll say "we're turning it off after this episode", or "we're only watching 2 more Raffi songs," but they self-limit pretty well.

Thanks for the input! I really, really like the LoE layout, and yes, I would start him with Foundations B, as he is reading silent E words in Phonics Pathways. But I also like FLL and WWE and they really do seem so popular here. I may just need to see what I can look through from the library stuff. But, like I said before, my big thing is getting him a strong foundation in spelling next year, more-so than in-depth grammar. And I know I don't like AAS or any of the other big spelling programs I've seen from online samples, so maybe it will be LoE and one or both of the other two added. So tough to decide without actually flipping through the books! It's like I want to buy them all just to look through, but that's not financially feasible, ha.

Help me sort out overlaps with Logic of English Foundations, First Language Lessons, Writing With Ease, and spelling. My son (6 this coming summer) is reading with Phonics Pathways and writing with Handwriting Without Tears, and I know I want to start more language arts next year, especially spelling. He writes letters and I can't wait to start a more formal program to help him spell! Of all the grammar programs, I really like the ones above, and I could also add home-made spelling from dolce words, etc. if need be. But if I did the Foundations series, would it overlap with FLL and WWE? Do any of those provide spelling? Is Foundations an all-in-one type of deal? Help!

Interesting thoughts. I think that he remembers words by sight, and is good using sentence/context clues, but probably couldn't sound out kn words,etc. out of context. So perhaps I'm answering my own question that in his case, we should methodically go through the rules. The think that irks me is that he tires if we do too much work in the OPGTTR book. I like to plan a couple of lessons in different spots (a blend lesson, digraph lesson, and silent E lesson) because I feel like the blend stuff is review, but he doesn't have the tolerance for getting through more than 1 or 2 lessons each time. So for that reason, I feel we are forced to work slower. Perhaps I just need to be patient!

We are currently in the consonant blend/digraph section that comes before silent E (though I introduced this a while back on the white board), but my DS5's reading level is soaring beyond the lessons we do. He seems to see a new word in a book, and just remember it next time he sees it. For example, he reads "ai" "ou" silent E words, and "kn" and "ght" words very well in library books, though he never has had instruction on these. He just asked at one time what the word was, we told him, and now he reads them. My big question is, should I continue going page by page through OPGTTR (even though he already knows the concept?). We are flying through the lessons, but he seems to like them and pronounces each blend clearly, etc. And he's not bored or annoyed. OR, should I skip ahead to help him with the new concepts he hasn't fully grasped? P.S. He's my oldest, and we are very new to teaching him at home (and loving every minute!)