No, it looks great huh? We have the wedgits already, my oldest likes them at that age and my son turns 2 this fall. I think this summer they are coming out with more stuff to add onto the toy package, some books and an activity guide. So I have my eye on this too :) Edit: we have the Lauri toys as well!

We have Happy Phonics (~$60) and it sure has helped us! It is all different kinds of games. It's very Mom directed and you choose each activity and when to do it though, so if you want a Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 program then Happy Phonics might not satisfy. AAR looks so great but I haven't been able to plunk down the $$ on it, and now DS newly 5 has begun to read anyways so we are Happy Phonics-ing, and we'll do MFW K pretty soon too. My son also had NO interest in writing for AGES. We just did art for that "skill area". Then one day he was like, "I want to write those letters mom." while I was scribing for him.

I love this book, "Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way" it is fairly introductory and has great PICTURES! Maybe your library has it? http://smile.amazon.com/How-Raise-Amazing-Child-Montessori/dp/075662505X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430765981&sr=8-1&keywords=raise+an+amazing+child+the+montessori+way We use Right start math, that's pretty Montessori, they sell classroom curric to Monti schools (I got the homeschooler package :) ) and I think the creator was a Monti educator. Similar manipulative, Japanese math inspiration, pretty gentle. You can start at 4, we did, slowly, but I don't think people need to start formal math at 4.

My son JUST turned 5! So we are in a similar age :) He could also "read" books back to me verbatim, he had that ability for years. Maybe test out your son's prowess on a book that Mommy has NOT read in a fun voice? If BOB books have been (rightfully :p ) labeled as "boring" maybe get some Nora Gaydos books from the library or online? They are similar, very phonetic, with different difficulty levels, but more interesting than BOBs. Or any other books, but you know, gauge his understanding by presenting an unread book. My son is at the same stage, he can read and blend, "crab" "green" "help" etc but we haven't taken it further yet. He just learned to read last month though (like a light switch!!) so I'm in no hurry. We use Happy Phonics and other games and ideas. I would continue giving him some kind of phonics instruction while at the same time not discouraging his Dick and Jane. Feeling the success of reading is oh so important! He can read D&J but then you guys can have short, more mechanical phonics lessons right? There is SUCH a wealth and variety of program and ideas for phonics, you would know which one your son would like best, right? :) Hope this somewhat helpful, lol! DS5 is my oldest as well and the first kid *I* have ever taught to read :D

I didn't think of catologs. I'll order one too! I want some learning toys.

Thanks for that detailed breakdown! I am enjoying poking around the sites :)

Those Mother Goose Time boxes look cool! I am a huge crate/subscription junkie. I am looking for something to get my toddler when the new baby comes in the fall, but this looks like it may be a little above a newly 2 yo? Spryte, may I ask what age you used it at?

I was about to mention the new MFW K package! I like the looks of, but didn't use, their 3's program, lots of learning toys, so I am eager to see this 2s one. My boy is 17 mo and I am also like, what do I do with you tot?????? I only have 1 older, about to turn 5. Both crazy needy atm!

This is a fun post! My youngest is 17 mo and I feel bad he does a lot of tagging a long but not much dedicated "Eli activities"

Kumon books! :) Totally agree, they are so enjoyable! Workbooks are very "big boy" school right? ;) And if he or you wants something more academic, there's the ETC primers, we did those at that age. Or maybe one of the many super affordable rod and staff books. Slightly OT but happy phonics, I got it like 2 years ago and it sat and we only used muffin match and sometimes reading house. A week or two ago DS suddenly "got" blending and reading and we are using a TON of the games!!!! Glad I cut, laminated, and then sat on the program when I did :D

Basket right, not eggs? We do mostly books. We usually include a new Bible for each kid. Maybe pack of socks. A few squeezee food pouches, which yes even the big boy likes. We have never done candy, we have occasionally put a toy in. One year I gave D stretchy thread in basket and then in the Easter eggs I hid different kinds of beads :)

We really enjoy rightstart. I love how it's scripted :) The whole level might be a bit much $ for a supplement, but they have some specific kits too, time telling, etc. Or you could just get the abacus and it comes with a pamphlet on different ways to use it. That's what my friends did, just bought the abacus, and it's serving them well. My sister enjoyed the time telling kit a couple years ago (she was 7).

.. it's also a forum for after schoolers and people who just want a little classical inspiration! Welcome, I personally agree with the above about gadgets, but I don't live in New York or a comparable city and have no IDEA what schools and prices are like there, I hope you find something lovely for your son that makes you both happy!

Good ideas above! Is it your 2010 boy? I have a 2010 boy! :) For years every time we played hide and seek I counted to 20. I would also count to 20 as he stirred, or jumped, etc. That kind of sunk in eventually.

Oh and we do RS math A, but we have had it for awhile and are only just now ramping up to do it often. We are on lesson 7, so I don't know as you could say that was really part of our K4 year! It should last us well into our K5 year. I am not in a hurry, but I love the program so far!! (DS too ;) )

My son turns 5 next month! Meaning that we are just wrapping up our 4yo pre-k year!!! I would love to share some of our favs with you, even if they are redundant with the above postings :D Kumon books were a great introduction to workbooks, my son LOVED tracing and Amazing Tracing. We also did Easy Mazes, Beginning Mazes. Let's cut, and Let's fold. We did all the ETC primers, but I can't remember if he was 4 or almost 4. We have NOT moved on to ETC 1, Ds is not ready and that's okay! We are in the second DEL book, those are good, more challenging for him than others. We loved the Rod and Staff workbook we did, "Everywhere we go" And my sons fav, which was not really "academic" but I slipped it in there to help enhance his love of school time, was Usborne's Little Boy's Activity Book. ^^ so we did a lot of workbooks! But not all in one go, variety is the spice of life for me AND him so we do a page or two from a different one each time. And our meat and potatoes, which to me WAS worth the money, was Sonlight P4/5. BUT I realize that as a mom starting to include her youngest in an already busy homeschooling family, you may not want/need a complete "curriculum" like me, a mom chomping at the bit with all energies available to devote to her oldest starting school :D SO I would highly recommend going through the P4/5 book list and picking out the SCIENCE books, they are amazing! My son has learned SO much. So many science concepts. And painlessly, they are a far far far cut above the boring non fiction Scholastic drivel that PS kids are getting for science.

He may enjoy one of the Rod and Staff workbooks for younger kids. They are quite varied in content even in a single book :) and super affordable! Kumon books are amazing! When my son was that age we loves this one best. http://smile.amazon.com/First-Book-Tracing-Kumon-Workbooks/dp/4774307076/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425944104&sr=8-1&keywords=kumon+tracing

Did someone already mention Pass the Pigs? That was a household staple growing up. Has some math. Has pigs.

Little Blue Truck

We do the same as Lisa and Shawthorne! We have really enjoyed cycling through different storybook Bibles and I feel like my oldest has really soaed it all in! Also our HS curric has some Bible components, stories and memory verses.

We go inside the boot with the inner elastic liner, outside with the outer layer. That way the snow has to make like , a z to get in next to skin, you see? Massachusetts Represent!!!!!!

I like the scripted nature of RS a lot! We are not too deep into A but good so far. the script is great for me. I wonder about singapore because my son DOES enjoy workbooks, but also he enjoys hands on, so I'm happy with what we already own.

I know what you mean Shawthorn, about books you never would've known about, UW, the sciencs book... Also I just bought the golden book treasury used on amazon ($4!!!!) and I can't believe how wonderful the stories are!. I mean of course we have a few of them but the vast majority I've never heard of. 46 stories for $4. It's made my month :) DS4's too, it's our bedtime book atm and he always asks to read it again in the morning. Sorry to go OT Mommy of 4, I hope you find a curric/school method that you love as much as we love ours! And I can't help but commenting on how well thought out your school is attachedMomma. I love these "peeks" into other peoples school lives :) ETA that's crazy you got one too, we are UW twins!

No freaking way! US TOO! He loves it! I also bought him a second slender volume of Uncle Wiggly tales because we went through the Sonlight one like way way faster than scheduled, even with reading some of them multiple times. Love that Bunny Rabbit Gentleman!

Lol, right!? Glad you guys are enjoying it too. I really feel like it's enhanced my sons (admittedly already great) listening skills and really BROADENED his taste. I mean yes, we still check our a Lego Ninjago book each week when we go to the library, but what I take great joy in is that he takes EQUAL enjoyment in sitting down for Uncle Wiggly, or Brer Rabbit or any of the other long sometimes old fashioned format books that are included. You know? Like he's gonna be entranced with Spiderman no matter what, but it's awesome that he is ALSO entranced with Milly Molly Mandy a little girl from the 20s. Who'dve thunk it!