Oh, another thing. I'm not sure how AAR is set up, but OPTGR suggests stopping at double consonant blends (-ss, -ll, ff, etc) and just reviewing until they can sound out the words. If it were me I would stop there if they weren't blending, reviewing past lessons daily. Are you doing any reading? Like easy bob books? Just another activity where you can model blending. HTH!

I would keep moving on but just model the blending for him during lessons. That's what I did for mine, and one day it just clicked.

I'm working on adding a second language, too. Also just a few minutes a day. I took french through high school and two years of university. I'm just brainstorming unit ideas. I want to focus on themes that can be easily incorporated into our daily conversation. For example, beginning with meal times and food vocabulary. Should be fun! I've heard that the music for CC is great. Do you have to be a member before you can purchase the cd's? I suppose when people refer to the cost of SL, they by the whole package (math, etc) and then it's expensive? Or is their kindergarten program different?

That is EXACTLY how I felt about FIAR! You could also do BFIAR for your younger OR just go to homeschool share. They have lots of Literature Unit studies. The cost. I know. Everything adds up pretty quick. We have a good library system here, so at least most of the Primer books I am not planning to purchase. There is one book that my library doesn't have, a book on Ancient Rome, and I know I can grab other books,but I am having a really hard time doing that lol. I have a problem when it comes to straying from things. What else were you planning on doing with your K4 (or will he be K5 then?)? I Just try to stick to math and phonics/reading/Sight Words, TOG and some good books. And isn't SL SUPER $$$ Expensive? I don't know a lot about it other than it is Charlotte Mason, I think? I remember MFW was my choice before I found FIAR. I switched around a lot. The day the released the news of TOG Primer I was SOLD! I bought it the day it was released. I had to wait to start it as we were moving around a lot. Yeah, I agree with you about preferring a chronological and integrated liberal arts program. TOG is top notch. I would suggest joining the Loose Threads on Yahoo. I enjoy reading all the questions and answers as I know one day I may benefit.

Hi! We are using TOG Primer. So far I really like it. Granted I am only on 'week 2' (We started January). We are doing the two year, half-paced schedule, since my DS is only 4 1/2. This is my son's first foray into listening to a non-picture book stories, so we are still in training mode for that. But I don't let that affect my view of the curriculum. We did our first hands on activity yesterday from the activity books they recommend (Old Testament Days) and it was a big hit! It is also super easy to incorporate Well Trained Mind techniques, like narration, so we have been doing that after every story. I may be sort of biased since I have been waiting to use TOG since before my DS could walk. :P I like that they don't have too much too much planned for the first mini unit, so you can't get bogged down with everything you need to accomplish. It looks like they sort of add on each week as you go. I had originally planned to use Five in a Row for his K4 year, but I just felt like I could read good books on my own. I wanted to DO something that felt more substantial and at least this prepares us for our TOG years ahead. As the Primer is as much for the parent as it is for the child. I am learning so much :)

I have Set 1, 2, rhyming and Sight words: Kindergarten. I would definitely agree with your list. Looks good to me. Although, I do agree with a PP that I wouldn't consider it a curriculum on its own. But I find it goes well enough with our OPGTR. I just use them as practice. I have also used This Reading Mama's Bob Book activity printables to go along with some of the books. Good extensions and extra practice for the words encountered in the books. :)

Oh! One game he loved is when I put paper on the ground with different letters on each one and we went around the house looking for things that begin with that letter. We would put the items on the letter sheet they belonged to. Super fun, but took a long time to clean up. :P

On the topic of phonemic awareness, how about moving specifically toward recognizing beginning sounds of words? Just around the house and in everyday conversation and than slowly add activities to your 'reading' lesson. On Themeasuredmom.com she has some fun printables where you match letters to pictures. (ie. picture of a dog, match the letter d). Another games she calls blackout bingo is just a sheet of pictures and when you shout out a letter and/or sound you find the pictures that match. http://www.themeasuredmom.com/beginning-sounds-activities/. After watching Leapfrog Letter Factory with my son he knew all his sounds and we just moved on to recognizing beginning sounds. "Oh, look a garbage can , guh,guh,guh, what letter is that? Than after that is too easy don't even repeat the beginning sound, just repeat the word. "Garbage, garbage,garbage, hmmm what letter sound is that start with?" Very important skill when they want to start writing words by themselves while journaling/colouring. I have been working with my son on blending since 3 1/2 and it is finally just clicking at 4. I just keep the activities going and reading BOB books and modelling the blending with him.

I really like activities from themeasuredmom.com thisreadingmama.com confessionsofahomeschooler.com

What about Tapestry of Grace Primer?

Anybody else buy it?? Now that I have it I just don't know where to start in terms of planning. Any tips??

From what I can tell, it looks like there aren't many read aloud storybooks in the primer as there are in the full TOG (If you focus solely on just the Y1 mini topics). But you are right very similar. But the full TOG is definitely full of deeper content. My plan was to stretch the primer over the 2 years pre-k and k). By the time we start Y1 it won't be too fresh in his mind. Also, I am set on starting Y1 at 1st grade age so that by the time he's in the 12th grade hits he had do the full 3 rotations, in order.

They do! http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/company/products/newproducts.php#2 If you scroll the the bottom, in the "assignments in real books" section it says click here. That will lead you to the bookshelf central website. Although, after looking through the sample pages, I already found a book listed in Mini-unit 1, Topic 1 that IS NOT in the resources given on Bookshelf central! Strange, Still working out the kinks, I suppose, Funny thing is that I was planning on using Five in a Row for my Pre-K'er and going to Tapestry starting in grade 1. After doing lots of research recently I just didn't love the program anymore. I was thinking about starting Tapestry early with him instead...and then I saw this thread! I ran straight to the TOG website and I am so excited. I could't sleep all night. What I love is that it sort of is like dipping your toes into Tapestry, and hopefully will help me to avoid the Tapestry fog that people complain about all the time. I am buying as soon as it is released!!