I haven't used Chemistry, but we did use some of their physics. There were some writing assignments, such as an report on Thomas Edison. We did one of them, but skipped some of the others. The overall framework was good, and we liked the projects. One thing they suggested was a rocket launch, but I found out that we are not allowed to launch them in our county, so that was a bummer. I think I like it over chemistry from the preview of chemistry, but I am not a huge chemistry fan in general. We are using RS4K for Chemistry this year. It's only ten weeks. A whole year of chemistry is overwhelming to me.

Look at Classical Academic Press or MCT for literature studies.

I think TOG even uses OUP for Greece. I'll definitely look into them. Cost not too big of an issue, esp compared to TOG. Any feedback on the Guerber's books? I am also considering Genevieve Foster's books, but she only has one for Rome for ancients. Maybe still useful. I see Streams of Civilization used in many unit study programs too. Any thoughts?

I am thinking about using some of the same books they have for Ancients in sixth grade next year. Do you all know what the flavor is for that one? The American was very providential. I understand Ancients would have more biblical history woven in, but is it still providential? Also, how much have they moved away from the Principle Approach toward CM framework in this one?

Hello, I am starting to think about next year when we start our history cycle over again with a sixth grader and a third grader. We have used SOTW and heavily tweaked our own history programs. I have been deliberating for a while over what to use. I don't want to do SOTW again. I don't feel ancients is meaty enough for a sixth grader. I would also like to incorporate a lot of biblical history in with it. I'd even consider a world history course instead of just ancients. For a long time, I planned to do TOG. I still may, but I am starting to think it may be too much as my plate may get pretty full next year. I like several of the titles such as Journey through the Bible though. I even considered doing Bookshark or Sonlight, but I am not crazy about the spines for this topic. I am not drawn to Hillyer's book at all. I also like some hands on stuff. To me, ancient history is really dull without some fun projects. I am thinking I may end up doing my own thing. So..... What is your favorite spine(s) for ancient history for logic stage?

My son is the same age and enjoyed some of the same books. He also liked By the Great Horn Spoon, Johnny Tremain, the Narnia books, Dr. Doolittle, and the James Herriott books. Hardy Boys are a fun, light read for him. Might also try Swiss Family Robinson, Zia and the Little House books.

There are some exercises in the teachers manual. Not as much in Island, but we are going through Town level now. Not here are some labeling exercises and oral exercises. The grammar is heavily applied in the writing component. I use CAP too because I love it. I bought a GUM book this year for usage and mechanics, but Town level goes a lot deeper. So far, I don't know if I'll need it.

I realize the school of thought on this and even considered it, but it was not my preference. I really like the Pentime cursive writing program.

I like Elemental Science and planning to do it next year again. I skipped some of the memory or writing assignments that looked boring. Some projects were better than others, but it gave me a good framework. This year, we are enjoying RS4K though. I am finding it gets done more than ES did, but this was mainly because I tried to supplement too much. I definitely shouldn't donthat. Now I outsource extra fun science stuff and stick to the curriculum. I also find that I need to gather all the supplies in a kit at the beginning of the year or I will blow off the experiment or spend too long scrounging around for supplies.

I have read that SWB has amended some advice in WWE and says you can read the sentences more frequently for dictation. I could never get away with two to three times reading the full sentence. More like five. We found Writing and Rhetoric from CAP to be the perfect thing to transition into after WWE. It has a minimal amount of dictation in each lesson, but it's a small part (once a week) and allows you to read the sentence more. I feel like it has all the classical structure, but it's much more creative and fun and interesting than many other programs I reviewed. It is not a formulaic writing program, but it takes more of a long term approach. For example, it will work on amplification with description and familiarity with good writing long before outlines and six paragraph essays. The first book is on fables with several exercises in each chapter and doing summaries and amplifications with a lesson in writing their own fable at the end. It's gentle in its approach and increases at a good pace.

If you have it, you could try to add some in when it is in context of what you are learning. One of my issues with CC is that they often memorize in a vacuum unless they let CC drive their studies. They recommend SOTW, for example, but they are a three year cycle when SOTW is four, so it will definitely be off. I'd love to have their memory work and pull a chant or piece of memory that ties in with what we are learning, but I don't see how to do history sentences as much because it's harder to tie in for me. Ymmv. Set a fifteen minute memory time each morning and get through any memory pieces you'd like to incorporate. This year, I just made a binder of things to memorize, and we go through a few pieces or songs each morning with a weekly memory verse until it's memorized and move onto the next piece. IMHO, CC seems too focused on memory in the early years and not enough on context or story or marinating in the ideas and rabbit trails of interest. Every time I look at it, I realize I really would just like the memory work to use when applicable.

I have used SSRW, but with my next child, I am switching to A Beka. I was given all the readers and TM and everything, so I just need the workbook. My big beef with SSRW was the very late introduction to long vowels (halfway through first grade) that really slowed down progress. A Beka is a solid program. It is schoolish with the Teacher's manual and all the charts, but it is so very thorough. It's easy for me to adapt. It is such a solid phonics program. My hesitation before was the use of cursive in kindergarten, but they do have a manuscript version. I think their phonics and early elementary skills instruction is their best material. I do not recommend A Beka for content subjects though (history and science.)

In my opinion, it's a bit of splitting hairs and semantics. I suppose a spiral could drop a topic for a longer period as a loose spiral and come back around to it again, but I'd just say Saxon is a tight spiral as it incrementally winds around with small bits of new concepts mixed with review at each step. In theory, incrementalism (which has a philosophical theory all its own in other topics within academia) goes a little bit further in each increment. Picture a number line where each point goes along in measured increases on a number line, for example. True incrementalism technically doesn't have to spiral back at all. Saxon definitely does spiral back to review previous topics. So if we want to be super accurate, it's an incremental spiral. The incremental means a little bit at a time in climbing toward new concepts in its scope and sequence, and spiral as it loops back around to review.

My son is in fifth, and this is the year I decided to increase his writing output. He does Writing and Rhetoric, which often has a summary or amplification with a full story twice a year. We are also doing Paragraph Town, which has him writing two paragraphs twice a week. You don't have to overload him, but I would try to do one longer writing assignment at least once a month. We are doing a state history notebook, so he is writing some essays on history topics for his notebook. I also got some forms for book reviews off of Enchanted Learning's website, and I am trying to build him up to a book report by the end of the year. Every child is in a different place. I'd try for at least one solid longer piece each month or so that stretches him beyond his current ability, wherever he is currently. I don't think all fifth graders have to do X, but all fifth graders should be moving toward an incremental goal that is beyond their fourth grade capabilities.

A Beka grammar also does this as well as Zaner Bloser's GUM books, and also Voyages in English too, I believe.

Fifth grade: Who is God series: LOVE Beast Academy: LOVE Mind Benders: Big hit Maps, Charts and Graphs: Love RS4K: mixed...I like it because it's doable for me and gets done, but the kids have mixed feelings on the experiments so far. MCT Town Level: LOVE CAP Writing and Rhetoric: LOVE I thought I should supplement some WWS lessons on outlining, and I am realizing that would be overkill. Both of these programs go deeper than I thought, especially the Town level of writing and Caesar's English writing assignments. Second grade: A Beka math: we like it so much more than Saxon WWE: we like it SSRW: mixed...love the program, have issues with the pacing GUM: mixed...could use some more explanation Spelling Workout: We like it...gets the job done. RS4K: same as above...we like the textbook, very doable if I gather supplies ahead of school year, experiments are so-so on excitement level. Explode the Code: My son is finishing the first book and becoming very resistant to doing the lessons. I am having him do this for reinforcement and started on Book 3 for some practice with long vowels, and it's easy for him, but he is hating it this past week. Maybe not challenging enough of a level for him? Not sure. ETA: Also, we are loving Artistic Pursuits and Saxon K math for my K-4 child. I also bought the Boys Body Book for 5th grade health, and I think it is very well written. I am pretty happy so far with most of my choices this year. No real complaints. Haven't started Spanish yet until next week.

I think it will depend on the individual and their circumstances. I would find homeschooling one second grader with no other children fairly easy compared to homeschooling a 5th, 2nd and K-4 with an infant. Circumstances within a personal life matter a lot. I, personally, find homeschooling easier than doing all the car lines and waking up toddlers from their naps and early alarm clocks and Mom taxi and shouting, "we're late!" and packing backpacks and lunch boxes and doing an hour or more of homework in the evening. Truly. Does that mean homeschooling doesn't have challenges? no. Each person has a unique personality and approach to homeschooling. Homeschooling looks different to everyone. Some purchase a paced system of workbooks for their child to work through. Others pour their life into lesson preparations, unit studies and craft projects. Some get overwhelmed at the mess, and others love the messy fun their children have. It depends on the personalities and relationship dynamics of the family, community, etc. It depends on the strengths, weaknesses and personalities of your child. No two home schools look alike. Some do co-ops. Some do charter schools and have lots of support. Some do online classes. And some do it all alone. And homeschooling elementary is very different from high school. If you are a mom who has little education and struggled all the way through school yourself, you might be more intimidated than a mom with several graduate degrees who can do algebra in her sleep. (I am not suggesting a mom without an education shouldn't homeschool, but the mother's own knowledge and experience do contribute to the difficulty in teaching some of these things to children...and that would apply to any type of homework any school would give, too.) My husband and I are academics, but we are not science people. Our two boys LOVE science and would prefer to do experiments every single day. I learned that it isn't my strength, and even though I want to have all these living science experiments and nature walks, only so much will actually get done. So I outsource this, and they are participating in lots of science classes this year. It's all a balance. It is mentally challenging in the sense that it consumes your thoughts as it is your responsibility to give your children an education. But the difficulties lie in the details. Your attitude, approach, mistakes, and tools you choose correlate with your perception of difficulty. Some find it very challenging, and others find it an organic part of their life in their parenting style. It's not without challenges or rewards, but it's really what you make of it. I do recommend having one or two main goals at the beginning of the year that truly define success for you. For me, if I don't get to every project or read every book, I will feel successful if my fifth grader starts writing more academic papers and my second grader is reading chapter books fluidly and frequently by the end of the year. The other stuff matters, too, but these are my most important goals. And it helps shape my days and focus my attention.

Do you just want a reinforcement or solid teaching? If you just want a reinforcement, G.U.M. by Zaner Bloser has a good workbook with exercises. I also use MCT, and Sentence Family looks like a lot of fun for after schooling.

We use A Beka. The teacher's manual is easy to find used, and the workbooks and tests are $23. They do often have visual aids and flashcards that can add up, but most are optional. It's very colorful, procedural and has a lot of spiral review. I find it is great for younger levels, and then I supplement with LOF and Beast Academy as they get older to transition them into more conceptual math. It's very schoolish though. You might look at Horizons too, but I don't think it is particularly cheap. However, it doesn't need all the little extra supplemental visuals and flash cards, and I think it may be stronger through Algebra than A Beka is. However, their teacher's manual is not as explicit or scripted as A Beka's. I'd avoid Saxon for its lack of color. It doesn't seem like a big deal at first, but after a while, it really gets to you. Right Start is also great for a kinesthetic and/or visual learner. We have their games. It is more teacher intensive. Math isn't always cheap, but a poorly fitting math program can cause a lot of tears and frustration. Math lays a foundation that builds for many years. I am not trying to make you feel guilty if you can't afford the flashiest of curricula, but imo, math is the most important one to get the right fitting program for that child. I'd skimp on other subjects to afford the right math program.

We took a year for the first book as an intro, but we will get through two books this year. Each lesson takes about a week, but sometimes I spread it out more depending on our workload.

First, I do think it's important for kids to learn the process of art and explore different mediums without hovering adults worrying about the results too much. While I believe good art can be imitated in structure and form, and those things can and should be taught, they should also have free expression time. That said, I think the best results of things I'd want to really show off and hang on my wall are often in chalk pastels. Www.hodgepodge.me has some awesome, free lessons of chalk pastel drawings. We have done some, and we get some really beautiful, and still individual, results.

Look at something like Five in a Row or Tapestry of Grace Primer series. You can also start with some phonics and math. I highly recommend the Saxon K level for preschool as it is all manipulatives and no writing (other than writing numbers on a calendar.). Whether you continue in Saxon or not (I don't anymore,) their K level is great for preschool. because of where she is in writing and developmentally, I would caution against several phonics programs out there that include writing. You could try an oral lesson approach or even get the McGuffey Primer. Hooked on Phonics, Starfall, Reading Eggs, and Explode the Code all have great apps too. But I would just read and read and read. On writing, you can have start to trace letters in salt. This helps her make the motor skills connection with the shapes without the pressure of writing.

The Hooked on Phonics app is great. It is well done. The Big Reading Show is also well done. ABCya has some great games for all subjects. I also hear Reading Eggs is good, but I haven't used it myself. Explode the Code also has an online option.

I had no idea they had a level 8. I was so frustrated that Shurley saved all these things for the end and dumped it in one year. I am considering Abeka for my second son, as well. I went through it as a child, and I had a great foundation. It goes all the way through high school, if needed. My oldest who did go through a few years of Shurley sounded great with the question answer flow, but after a while, I noticed he lacked true understanding of the functions of the parts of speech. Abeka is workbook based and has lots of review and practice. It doesn't have any jingles or question answer flow like Shurley, but it teaches diagramming. I also feel it does a better job with punctuation and usage.

Pentime goes up to a grade 8 level, and it's inexpensive at Rainbow Resource. Also, Zeezok Publishing has Presidential Penmanship in several cursive styles.