Wonderful! What breed of cow is she??

North Carolina, 7

Does the student need to watch the DVD while he is doing the art project, or is the project done after watching the DVD instruction?? Our DVD player is in the living room, on light colored carpet, and is not moveable. Our kids will be 6, 5, 3, and 1. Doing the project while watching might just be deal-breaking technical impossibility!

Great info! I'm off to check it out; thanks!

We were using Explode the Code for a year or two, and my 5yo was almost independent with that. But I haven't seen any of the other programs you mentioned, so I don't know how they compare.

We like the readers - there is a primer, first reader, second reader, and third reader. My son was able to read these much earlier than I would have thought, mostly because there was so much repetition in the text. Nicely done!

Great resource! Thanks for sharing!

Another vote for BJU. I had to teach Saxon for awhile (2nd grade classroom), and the scripted lessons drove me crazy, plus I keep hearing the reports of students who can "do" but not understand with that program. I'm using BJU Math 1 with my 1st grader, and we really like it. The TM is full of useful information, it teaches for understanding, there are far more manipulatives than MUS, and it has a fun presentation overall. Nice!

Would there be disagreement in the rules & methods of these two texts? Would it be redundant to do both? My son will be about 1/3 of the way through BJU Phonics/English 1 in the fall, which is when I was going to add in spelling and history. I'm very torn as to which spelling program would be best. I'm not sure how he'll take to spelling, but his reading level is far, far beyond anything I've instructed him.

Ahhh. So perhaps he is a natural speller. He reads way, way behond anything I've ever taught him.

You might want to check out BJU Phonics/English. We were using ETC, and needed a change. My 5yo thinks the colorful BJU pages are just great. Since he was already reading, we aren't doing their reading program, just the 1st grade phonics/english. There is a TM, a worktext, and a practice book. It is fun, solid, and a wee bit silly, which fits my little man perfectly.

...if he's never done a spelling program?? It sounds to me like AAS is a terrific program. However, if he's a natural speller I'd prefer to hand him a spelling workbook that he can do on his own, since the younger kiddos still need so much of my attention. If he isn't a natural speller, though, I'd rather just begin with AAS instead of spending $$, trying, and failing at something else. So how do I assess a young child's spelling ability? He's reading at approx. a 2nd grade level, and has begun 1st grade work in math, handwriting and the bju phonics/english program. But we were saving spelling and history to begin in the fall since he's still youngish to carry a full 1st grade workload.

How big are the AAS tiles? And how are the magnets adhered to the tiles? I'm wondering about using our fridge as a surface for the 6yo to do his spelling work, and then scooting the tiles up higher when we're finished. But if the tiles are a huge choking hazard, or are weakly attached to the magnet, or if the magnets don't 'stick' really well, then I'll have to think some more about this spelling program. I'd hate for a magnet or two to drop off and get swallowed by the baby. How do ya'll have everything set up? What surface does the student use to do his work? Personal whiteboard? Fridge?

Inspired by the turtle that (literally) arrived on our doorstep this week, our son drew a picture and wrote a note of explanation on it. trtl witi ts heb in iisell This, translated, reads: "Turtle with its head in his shell." Should I be concerned about this spelling? He'll turn 6 this summer, and I'd say he's reading at a 2nd grade level. I'm an experienced 2nd grade teacher from a Classical Christian school, so I'm pretty familiar with how they typically read. He wouldn't be at the very top of the class, but certainly in the mix. I had thought that his spelling ability would be a bit closer to his reading ability. We were going to do Evan Moor Building Spelling Skills Grade 1 beginning in the fall, and then go on with the Logos School materials after that since that is the program I have the most experience with & is reasonable independent. But it occured to me today that last year, when he was stumped on reading, he really caught on when I gave him a stack of index cards with relevant words on them, and had him sort them by beginning letter, then again by middle letter, then again by ending letter. Hands on. Maybe All About Spelling would be a better pick despite the higher cost and more teacher-time. Is this spelling (or lack thereof) unusual??

There was a great thread I was browsing not long ago where ya'll shared ideas for extending the life of VP history/bible cards. Some laminated, others use rings, others used little notebooks, etc. I need to read through that again and cannot find it anywhere; I must be searching for the wrong terms. When I went to Staples today and asked about lamination, they quoted me over $50 to laminate one set of Bible and one set of History cards. Ouch! Too spendy! So I bought a little notebook and some sheet protectors, but that still came to about $25. So if I do that once a year for the next five years that would be over a hundred dollars just to keep the VP cards usable. There must be a cheaper way!

That is the one I had too, and it isn't working. It says it has expired. (?)

Anyone happen to have a code? There was one recently which was supposed to go until May, but seems to have expired early. Anyone have another they wouldn't mind sharing?

I was planning on using First Favorites with my 1st grader. I like that he'll be reading real books. But what do you think about the comprehension guides? Do ya'll like them?

Any other input? I'm especially interested in opinions on when to start history with this gang.

I'd like to find something appropriate for K/1st grade. We try to do lots of training/teaching here at home, but it would be great to have something to look through to springboard discussion. Book, workbook, curriculum - any suggestions?

Hmmm. I teach piano and I might be able to point you in the right direction. Do you read music at all? Would you be willing to learn the instrument too?

We're trying to finish up curriculum purchases for next year. Would some of you mind looking over this list and telling me if it is realistic and do-able? In the fall our children will be ages 6, 5, 3, and 1. I'm fairly happy with the BJU things we are using, but I want History, Science, and Bible combined as much as possible, lots of read-alouds, and avoid worksheets like the plague. DS6 Finish BJU Phonics/English 1 Finish BJU Handwriting 1 Finish BJU Math 1 Spelling Evan-Moor Building Spelling Skills 1 Piano DS6 & DS5 together w/ DS3 tagging along SOTW, go through first half of vol. 1 w/ some AG reading and mapwork + VP History Cards & songs only, no worksheets Bible, catechism, psalms, VP Bible Cards Science...not sure here. Maybe Noeo, or something homemade. Mammals, Human Body, Reptiles, etc. DS5 Finish BJU K5 Beginnings - just the phonics/reading portions, skip the heritage studies & science. BJU Math K DS3 Kumon workbooks, then Rod & Staff preschool books How does this look? Achievable? Too much?

Piano is a great instrument to begin with. Both treble and bass clefs are learned, and it is very easy to conceptualize music theory on this instrument. Later, if there is a strong interest in another instrument, it is easy to make a switch, and because the child can already read music at that point, progress is usually swift.

Our kiddos are still little, so our "chores" are pretty simple. Our two oldest will get too goofy if working side by side, so I have the oldest (5yo) do his chores before he can have breakfast - get dressed, make bed, fill sippy cup, collect garbages from around the house and bring to kitchen trashcan. After breakfast he brushes his teeth and sweeps under the table. The 4yo collects the laundry before breakfast, but everything else he does after; get dressed, brush teeth, make the bed, shake out the rug at the back door. The 3yo is old enough for a few chores now, but I haven't been able to consistently supervise him as he learns to work through a list, so he just has to get dressed when I tell him to, pick up toys if I ask him to, that sort of thing. Throughout the day we have toy pickup times, and they clear their own plates at mealtimes and put their laundry away after I wash and fold it. We look forward to the day when they are a bit more independent and able to do more!

We only have 4 kiddos, but I thought I'd chime in anyway. We have a 5yo transitioning into 1st grade, a 4yo beginning kindergarten, a busy 3yo who very much wants to be involved, and a 16mo who is newly skilled at taking the house apart. We do Bible all together as soon as chores are done, laundry is started, and the kitchen is reasonably clean. Then I work with the 5yo and the 4yo at the table, going back and forth between them. The 3yo has "carpet time" with a tub of toys in the adjoining room, and the baby toddles around, and if needed I pull the portacrib right next to me and she plays there for awhile. Then we break for a snack and a romp outside. After snack I work with the 5yo and the 3yo at the table, and the 4yo has carpet time. This has been our routine for most of the year, and it works for us. This last quarter has been harder, though. The weather is getting nicer and the 5yo would really rather be playing. He somehow confused spring break with the beginning of summer break, and was startled to learn that we had another 8 weeks of school before summer. (my husband is a teacher at a private school, so we usually follow that schedule) So we're trying something new; I'm trying to give the 5yo a couple pages that he can do independently, and assigning it earlier in the day, while I'm still giving the littles their baths. If he can knock that out earlier, then we've completed everything by snack time, leaving a large chunk of the day open for free play, which we all enjoy.