I paid $5.99 for Algebra 5+ only a few days ago *sigh*

Got it for $5, too. Thanks!

I second the Leapfrog dvds. Very effective and painless! Letter Factory teaches letter sounds and Talking Words Factory is about CVC words building. Your local library might have these dvds. Starfall.com is another fun way to learn alphabets, letter sounds and more. (And it's free!) When my ds knew all letter sounds, we started Hooked on Phonics K and loved it, too. It's an open-and-go program with little instruction required.

Got AAS 1 & 2 (Teacher's Manual only) with $8 discount and free shipping. Thanks, OP! :)

I know it's an old thread but I just found Life of Fed Elementary 10 books listed for $136 (free shipping) at www.freehomeschooldeals.com today. Is it a good deal? I've heard good things about LOF but not sure if it's worth to buy all 10 at once.

I'm not religious but got most of the readers from BFIAR and Sonlight P3/4 (some of the books overlap) for my dc and we all LOVE them. I didn't grow up in America so it was the first time for me to read those classic picture books and I truly enjoy the stories. My only complaint about the Sonlight P3/4 readers is that the 20th Century Children's Book Treasury is so crowded with condensed stories and missing or tiny illustrations... my kids didn't like this format at all so we ended up checking out most original books from library. Harper Collins is edited better with fewer books but still too bulky for our bedtime storytelling. Most of the Sonlight classic books are available at any local library or used book stores, which can significantly lower the cost of this program.

I have both of Essential and Earlybirds A & B (and even Earlybirds workbooks) and agree with what jennynd said above. I used Earlybirds textbook A & B with my son and it was not a good fit for him because it required more manipulatives in classroom setting which quickly distracted his attention. We finished EB A and are half way through EB B now but skipped most of hands-on activity suggestions and just focused on problems. Think EB A and Essential A are more pre-K level and he flew through EB A but slowed down with EB B. My son is a workbook lover and he learns better that way so I'm going to supplement with CT Math Reasoning A when he gets done with EB B. I'm saving Essential A & B for my dd (and EB workbook A & B if she needs a hands-on approach). It really depends on which approach you prefer. EB is colorful with more detailed instruction on each page while Essential is b&w and workbooky.

Oh and another fun way is to use the Starfall's Learn to Read app. It costs a few dollars to buy the app, but it comes free in MoreStarfall app if you are a subscribed member. And it is free in the Starfall.com website. MoreStarfall has a few other word building games, e-books and math games.

My DS3.9 just finished the Hooked on Phonics K set and slowly works on the 1st grade set now. I also have the HOP app on iPad but rarely use it. I prefered the actual set of workbook and readers (We even skipped its DVD. Think it's boring and not effective.) that actually made him practice sounding out the words on the page, rather than clicking the screen to hear the sound. When I first tried the K set with my ds when he was 3.5 yo, he couldn't focus well and didn't do a good job, so instead I showed him the Leapfrog's "Talking Letter Factory" dvd which teaches CVC word building. (Leapfrog's "Word Caper" is the next level that teaches letter blends and silent e.) After he watched them for a while, I started to teach the HOP K again from Lesson 1 and it was a great success! We have been doing each lesson almost everyday including weekends. I'm using Bob books only as a supplement. HTH

You guys are all AMAZING! Thank you so much for lots of encouragements and inspirational stories. I'm still pondering if homeschooling is the best choice for my dc but in either way, I won't give up on teaching my native language to my kids, at least as a school subject. I'm feeling much more motivated and confident after reading this thread, and I appreciate everyone who took time to leave a comment here. :)

Thank you so much for your replies and suggestions! I'll definitely look into all those recommended resources. :) The consensus seems to be that I should speak my native language or both languages to my kids. I had always wanted to teach Korean (yes, I'm from Korea.) to my children and tried to stick to the "one parent, one language theory" while we were in Korea. My DS 3.9 went to a Korean daycare and had a chance to establish Korean as his first language while my DH was mostly busy at work. So, I think the transition from Korean to English was much smoother and quicker for him than for my DD2.5 who has been receiving a speech therapy. I think English will be her first language since that's the only language we have spoken since last year. Her serious language delay is the reason why we decided to focus on English until they both catch up with their peers, and then reintroduce Korean to them as a second language. At home we have hundreds of children books and many audiobooks in Korean that we can continue to expose them to the language if they want. My DS still watches his favorite Korean animated shows now and then. My DH spent 5 years in Korea but cannot speak the language at all. He often felt left out when I spoke Korean to the kids and I had to translate for him every time. It is sad, but true, that most English speakers who live in Korea can't speak Korean (Korean people will try to speak English to you.) while you can't survive a day in U.S. not knowing the basics of English. I have seen how other kids at playground looked at my son like a retard when he babbled and did not make much sense mixing both languages. He couldn't make friends and I had to help him sound like a "normal" kid ASAP, so teaching Korean to my kids is not my top priority at this moment. If I speak Korean to them all the time, in fact, my concern arises even more that, should I send my kids to school to balance out their two languages? Listening to audiobooks in English and bedtime storytelling with DH and going to the co-op meetings just don't seem to be enough. Maybe afterschooling them in Korean might be a better option though my DS will be most likely bored (and acting out) in Kindergarten. And if I do teach them full time at home, how would I explain complicated things like photosynthesis or the Revolutionary War in English? Most of my knowledge are based on my native language, and Korean and English are as starkly different as sun and moon. Do you use English terms and concepts in the book while you speak your native language to teach your kids? Or do you teach the same concept in both languages (for example, photosynthesis is 광합성 in Korean)? Wouldn't it confuse them even more? How can I have an in-depth discussion with my kids after reading Shakespeare? Can I even assess their writings and reports? How can I assure that their English is as good as their American peers? Maybe I am thinking and worrying too much. I know everyone's situation is different and I'm the only one who can answer all these questions. Like someone said, I guess, when one thing doesn't work out, I can always change it to something else. I'll take everything into consideration and look if there is any good public school or homeschooling support group option wherever we go. I just wanted to see how other non-native speaker moms do homeschooling and feel glad to find many of you do such a daunting task so well. I really appreciate your thoughts. :)

Is there any non-native speaker who is/did successfully homeschooling children? If so, could you kindly share your story/tips? I am a mother of two little children, who recently immigrated from an East Asian country to U.S. My husband is a native English speaker. In the past few months I have done a LOT of research on homeschooling for my bright soon-to-be 4yo DS who is currently reading 1st grade books, almost done with HOP K & SM EB B, and writing all letters and simple words well, which seems pretty impressive for a boy who could barely speak English until 6 months ago. His verbal skills are still behind his peers and he sometimes mixes two languages causing confusion to others, but he is very social and has been picking up English quickly. Before I signed up here today, I've read hundreds of posts in this forum and even more elsewhere online. I read more than ten books on homeschooling (WTM and Home Learning Year by Year are by far my favorite ones) and already have detailed hs plans for all subjects in K & 1st grade years. Here are my reasons to consider homeschooling: creating an academically challenging environment and being a military family who moves almost every year. Like I said, I am really good at researching and learning. I grew up in a very academically rigorous and competitive environment and managed to earn BS & MA from the top univ in my home country. However, I never felt my ps well-equipped me for college-level studies and want to provide my children with the best quality education possible. (I've heard public schools around the military bases are not the best ones and the cost for good private schools seem prohibitive.) OTOH, here are my main concerns about me teaching my kids at home: my language barrier and a lack of support system. IMO my English is quite limited as a teacher (esp. for logic & rhetoric yrs) although I do not have much trouble with daily talks. We do not plan to teach my native language to my kids for a while and I speak English only to my kids thesedays. No matter how much effort I make, however, I think I will always have difficulty with expressing myself or carrying out debates like a well-educated American mom does. This is my 2nd year in US, and I am still struggling to adjust myself to this new culture. Moreover, as a military family we will always be in a new place without any consistent support group. I am an introvert and it doesn't help, either. I'm fine with isolation and I'll actively take my kids out to activities but I still wonder if, in my situation, sending them to ps (a language-rich environment) would be more beneficial for them. I know I can easily teach them with teacher manuals and scripted curriculums, but I wouldn't want to impede their verbal/communication skills due to the fact that they spend most of their time with me (a non-native speaker with a heavy accent) at home. I have never been to any American school so I wouldn't know what they'd be missing, either (socially and non-academically). If I do homeschooling, that would be mostly for the academic acceleration, more focused activities and college prep. Please share your thoughts and experience. Thanks!