I thought I saw that homeschool buyer's co-op had it at some point, but it doesn't now.

PHP has the mp3's. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/store/history-and-geography/mp3.html

Are there ever discounts for brainpop?

I think you should use phonics to teach her how to spell. Get some phonogram cards (spalding or og, your choicee), review them and then have her spell them (like a game). Then go through spelling words saying them slowly and writing down every sound. She'll probably catch on. It sounds like my daughter. She is an excellent reader (was reading chapter books before K). I did teach her phonics, but she learned words so quickly! I could really tell in her second grade spelling that she stopped relying on phonics when she became a fluent reader (she relied more on whole word recognition). She quickly remembered the rules when I reviewed them with her for spelling, though!

We also really like the New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes. I love the writing and the number stories are in it. We've read it again and again. http://www.christianbook.com/new-bible-pictures-for-little-eyes/kenneth-taylor/9780802430571/pd/30571?item_code=WW&netp_id=279311&event=ESRCN&view=details

We like the Jesus Storybook Bible, too. We also like a four volume set that sounds like what you are talking about. Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/Read-Aloud-Bible-Stories-1/dp/0802471633#noop They are oversized books with gorgeous pictures that take up all of the page. It is well written and simply written.

How about if the kids make baked goods and set them up before service at a table for adults to partake in before and after service. Produce would work as well, but I think would involve more space and be messier. I would suggest doing it "by donation" and explain what the donation goes towards in the church bulletin. I believe it encourages donors to give without requiring them to buy lots of goods.

I believe it is inaccurate for cc to claim it is "their" order. There are numbers on the bottom of the VP cards that allow you to place them in strictly chronologic order. You can place them in that order for your timeline. I believe this is the order that cc uses. There are also numbers on the top part of vp's cards. This is the order VP uses with their guides because it allows the students to study events within regions at a time. I can honestly see the reasoning for both ways. Strictly chronological order gives students a timeline. Yet, studying by regions allows a student to see how that region has changed over time and how it has developed into the nation it is today.

I think stopping to work on memorizing the facts is a good idea. After the facts are memorized, the time it takes to do the lessons will be greatly reduced.

Have you looked at MFW? It sounds more like what you want. You could start all your kids in one spine. It doesn't take long (but it can be extended with lots of picture books/chapter books from the bookbasket lists in the back). You could start in ECC or CTG with all of them. I just finished adventures and all of my kids liked the bookbasket books and minimal effort activities (even my 5 and 3 year old).

Congrats! I didn't find it until my 3rd pregnancy, but I found that Mommy Bliss really helped make the naseousness more manageable. http://www.amazon.com/Mommys-Bliss-Sickness-60-Count-Capsules/dp/B001G8YAC4 It's concentrated ginger and b vitamins. I found it helped a lot. I also carried ginger chews in my purse.

Thanks everyone! Lots to think about...

I think it's helpful. It's necessary in first grade. After first grade it GREATLY reduces how long it takes to grade things. I've used it for first and second grade and will continue buying the guides.

Thank you! That was very insightful. I was wondering about their intended audience. It sounds like it's for people not familiar with classical education in general. I would hate to be spoonfed information that I've already read about extensively. It sounds like it would be a lot to ask of my two younger kids, too.

I've been doing CC at home this year. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth it to do the "free" 3 day practicum. For me, it would involve enrolling three kids in the program($99). This would cut into my curriculum budget. Did you find the info highly valuable? What do you learn?

Be careful with this. I'm a former science teacher and mixing cleaners to produce chlorine gas as VERY dangerous (one of the experiments in the book)... I haven't looked at all of it yet, but that one really caught my attention!!!

I highly recommend CLE math (newer Sunrise edition). It's rigorous (but gentle), solid and students can work very independently by the end of 1st grade! I'm a former public school teacher if that helps and I believe it to be the best program out there for elementary. They don't have a k program, it starts at 1st. Personally, I think that is good because too many k kids start hating math because it means they have lots of writing to do (and their motor skills aren't ready for it). For K, I would get them working on writing numbers easily, being able to count coins, tell time to five minutes, skip counting forwards and backwards by 10's, 5's, 2's, be able to add with dominos or dice so many times that the facts up to sums of 12 are effortlessly learned.

We stumbled across The Complete Book of American History mid-year. I only bought it because I found it for $7 and I thought it might make a good supplement. My kids and I really enjoy it! Honestly, it surprised me. It's written in a narrative style (somewhat like SOTW). I also used the history sentences from CC cycle 3 (their American History cycle). You can flip through some examples here: http://books.google.com/books?id=toMAcrWyDigC&printsec=frontcover&dq=complete+book+of+american+history&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false

You can see some pages from Kingfisher here: http://books.google.com/books?id=kJ6PZ7g3Yw0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=kingfisher+history&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false

I think you should try to look at both with your kids. I think it's highly personal! I find the Usborne highly, highly distracting. Tons of tiny detailed pics make it hard for me and my kids to focus on what's being read.We just want to explore the picture and little else is remembered. It also has more of a cartoonish feel. I find the Usborne writing less interesting than Kingfisher. I think Kingfisher reads a bit more like a story. It is rich with details, has plenty of pictures and has a more interesting tone. I prefer Kingfisher.

Apparently there is now a kid version of Case for a Creator! http://www.christianbook.com/the-case-for-a-creator-kids/lee-strobel/9780310711483/pd/711489?event=CF

You might check to see if your library has it to try it out! Many do!

Well, I know about Case for a Creator. It was written by Lee Strobel, but it's for adults. He started out atheist and changed his mind when he did the research.

thanks!

Can you share? I'm not far from there. Thanks!