I have 2 boys that will be in K and 1st grades next year. I know I don't NEED either program but they are children 4 and 5 out of 8 so I WANT something to do with them. I have something already planned out for Phonics and Math. Which program should I pick knowing that we have a terrible library and that I want something with a Christian worldview. Thank you!!!

I'm considering buying Sonlight this year for my K and 1st grader. I've been looking over the IG samples and they seem like they require a lot of page flipping. One page tells you what to read but multiple other pages tell you questions to ask based on the readings. Is this something that you get used to doing or is it as confusing as it looks. I REALLY like the look of Sonlight but can't imagine reading to my kids on the sofa needed a big binder to flip through? Please, let me know what's it's like to actually use it. Thank you all!

Thank you! Those both look great!

Are there any phonics books or early K/1st grade type workbooks that have cutting and pasting exercises? My son LOVES those and I've been able to print off a few but was hoping there was a great book I can buy. Thanks!!!

What are your favorite teaching guides, helps, seminars, manuals, etc? I'm looking to purchase some things that will aid me in becoming a better teacher. I'm interested in all areas! Thank you!

I've narrowed next year's choices down to these three for my 6th grader. If I choose Biblioplan I'll most likely use it for my younger kids as well. If I choose Notgrass I'll most likely use Beautiful Feet for my younger kids. Does anyone have any thoughts that might make my choice easier? Thank you!

OK thank you. That's a great plan. That's what I've been doing with the other kids but I like the idea of making it more accessible to the student. Thank you!

I will be teaching 5 kids next year and need something that I don't have to plan or think about for K and 1st grade. Has anyonre done some sort of boxed curriculum for those grades so I don't have any planing to do? The other option would be to use what I've normally used but to just plan everything out this summer. Thank you!

if you use an IEW theme book with your 5th/6th grader, do you make them do additional writing in other subjects? If so, how much/often and what type of assignments? Thinking ahead for next year. Thank you!

Ok - great! Thanks for the info. We are required to turn in our attendance but only 170 days are required so that's what we do. :) It's just a little off with Horizons ~176 lessons. I do like the idea of not dropping math in the summer. I've always said I was going to do that but never have. Maybe I will this year. Do you do math everyday or just a couple of days per week in the summer?

My son finished Horizons K and is started Horizons 1. It's review because I'm assuming the publisher knew kids would most likely start this book after a summer break. Anyway, he is saying it's easier than the K book so I'm wondering if I can just have him take the tests until I find where he needs to start. Also, I find it hard my older kids to finish Horizons (grade4,5) because there are so many lessons - 160+16 tests. We don't school that many days a year. Should I test them ahead at the beginning of the school year like I'm suggesting with my Kindergartener or should I just cross out sections and combine lessons?

Also following because I have the same question. I also am leaning towards omnibus. I like the fact that Omnibus has a "spine." It seems easier to actually implement. My plan is to start with Omnibus and just take it slowly - and maybe just do the secondary reading the first time through. But I have not used either. Hopefully someone who has will respond.

I agree. Stick with what's working unless it's going to drive you crazy not to change. :) There are plenty of rocket scientist, doctors, etc, who used "traditional math" in school and are doing just fine.

I bought Science Shepherd to use with my kids - grades 5th, 4th, and 2nd this year. It is way too easy for my 4th and 5th graders. My second grader likes it and retains the information but it is probably too easy for him too. I'm sticking with it just because I don't want to buy anything else at this point but I won't use it again with my other kids. :( I'm disappointed because I had such high hopes for it. I really like Apologia but it just never got done. I don't know why. I'm still on the hunt for the "perfect" elementary science curriculum.

Thank you all. Sounds like I should at least go through Horizons 6 before switching. I've never heard of Dolciani Pre-Algebra (following Horizons 6) so I'll go check that out too.

Please help me with my math progression. We've been using Horizons and I do like it thus far. However, I know I'll eventually have to switch to something else. Should I stick with Horizons through Algebra and then figure out what to do? Should I do Lials BCM(6th), then Pre-Algebra(7th), then Jacob's Algrebra(8th), Geometry(9th)? Or should I use something entirely different? My husband is an engineer and I was an accountant previously so we're not afraid of math or teaching it. :) Thank you so much for the help!

Would you only do Writing Strands even though it's only 1 semester of instruction? Should I do both R&S and WS?

Where do you actually purchase it? The samples look great! Thank you!

I've never heard of Treasured Conversations or Meaningful Compositions. I'll go check those out. Thanks for all of the ideas so far.

I honestly have no clue what to do. This is for my 2 daughters in 4th and 5th grades. We've never done anything formal since 1/2 grades when we did WWE 1 and 2. I occasionally have them write summaries from history but that's about it. We've also stared and stopped IEW 2 times now because I really just don't like it. However, now I have nothing for them to do. I don't know how much they should be writing or really even what they should be writing? I need some kind of guidance. I'm currently doing GWG and both girls like that so I didn't know if I should try WWW? I also have R&S books 4 and 5 so I thought I could just pull the composition exercises out of those books and have them work through them? Should I go back and do WWE 3? Anything else I should be considering? But along with a writing curriculum, what else should they be doing? Is that enough? Do I need to require writing summaries from history and/or science each week/more than once a week/how long? I feel like I'm on top of everything but this and they are getting older now so I know I have to figure this out. THANK YOU!!!

Should I go with BJU Reading for all 3 and then pick other "real" books for them to read? Should I go with Memoria Press or Veritas Guides and no BJU? I want something they can do mostly independently. Thank you!

Does anyone skip all of the grammar in EIW and only use the writing portion? Is this even possible? Thanks!

My daughter will be in 5th grade this coming school year. When looking at her course load for next year, I tend to want to try to teach her/expose her to everything. I could probably give her 15 subjects if I wanted to do so. However, I really think I want to pull back this year and focus on the fundamentals that will be needed for the logic stage work (and beyond.) If that includes ancient sand art, then we'll do it! :) I was just hoping you might could help me come up with a list of "must have" skills/subjects for moving to the next level. Thank you!

I used it for half of a year with my third child. I thought it was way too classroom oriented. There were too many pieces, games, flash cards, and songs for me. It was very time consuming and I though my son could learn to read faster with another program. We switched to "Reading Made Easy" and he progressed much faster and can basically read anything now in first grade. He actually didn't mind doing it but I didn't want to spend and hour a day on learning to read when it could be done more quickly. I ended up cutting out almost 50% of the program and then finally dropped it. I have another friend who taught 3 of her kids (all different learners) to read with Phonics Museum and she absolutely loves it. Also, I LOVE everything Veritas Press puts out and we use their History, Literature and Bible. I wish I could have made it work. I really do. I think if you have the time to put into it and don't mind it being an activity as well as a learning to read program, that you might like it. Oh, and one more thing - it teaches handwriting with a type of italic writing (I don't know what it is called) and my other children learned manuscript. That may seem silly but I wanted them all to learn the same style of handwriting. Here is a positive review: http://www.raisingarrows.net/2012/08/teaching-your-child-to-read-with-phonics-museum-a-review/ Here is a neutral review: http://www.exodusbooks.com/category.aspx?id=5340 I hope that helps!! It's hard to make curriculum decisions with things that cost so much!!

Wow! Thank you so much for taking the time to type all of this out. Off to look at your articles!!!