We don't have one nearby :( At least not that I know of. We live near Vancouver, Canada. Good idea though!

I didn't know about it, good suggestion thanks!

I have used both The Reading Lesson and Explode the Code and I don't think you need both. Explode the Code actually works perfectly well on it's own (just get the teachers guide which has some supplementary lessons and activities). Personally my perfect combo has been Explode the Code together with All About Reading. Both work really well on their own, but I just happen to like doing it this way. There are certain aspects I like about both programs and they combine very well together. My kids are all reading above average level for their age. I did not like The Reading Lesson. It helped initially, but then there was major regression soon afterwards. I don't like their approach with using non-real words, especially for really logical children.

My son is in Grade 5 next year. Right now the plan is to use CPO Science so we might be doing the Earth & Space science in Grade 5 and CPO Life Science in Grade 6, but when I asked about what he wanted to learn in the field of biology he said he wants to do prehistoric animals. SO.... I'm thinking we'll do a mini unit on prehistoric animals this summer or at the same time as CPO Earth & Space next year. I know DK has an excellent book about prehistoric life but that's about all I've found so far. What are your favourite resources? I should add, his reading level is a few grade levels ahead and his scientific understanding is advanced so things that are above typical Grade 5 level are fine.

Love CLE math for my first grader. I started using it with her after having great success with CLE Math with my fourth grader (after trying many different programs with him). I am thinking of adding in a little bit of Miquon or Montessori as a supplement, not because it's necessary but just to add a bit more fun factor. She can currently finish her CLE math lessons in under 5 minutes a day - she's quick! I should add, I've used Singapore and used to be a die-hard fan but I'm not anymore. I'm holding on to the word question books to go through in the future, and I do like some of their intensive practice books - but I'm not a fan of it as a main curriculum. Some of the things I didn't like about it were the format of the teaching guide, the review was not enough, and it didn't cover enough. I find my kids can grasp concepts in Singapore very quickly but that doesn't mean it sticks or that they can apply it to new information as they progress.... the "drill and kill" of CLE is actually enjoyable to my kids. We don't do the speed drills but we do everything else and they are both really loving it and best of all everything they are learning is sticking!

We loooove CLE. It was the 4th or 5th math program we tried. It's the winner. We tried Math Mammoth and my kid did not like the design of it at all. The layout is kind of weird. I didn't like it either and I'm a designer. CLE is nice and clean with good graphics.

Look into Giftedness. This is a very common trait with Gifted kids. I found the website "SENG" to have very helpful articles. You can find it here: sengifted.org

Winnie the Pooh - the one with Dame Judy Dench, Stephen Fry and Geofrey Palmer.

The DK First Encyclopedia of the Human Body is excellent for that age, I believe it's also the one recommended by Susan Wise Bauer in the WTM book.

Your plans sound good to me. We do something similar, I find I don't need c-rods as much though cause they actually draw out the c-rods in the CLE workbooks to represent numbers to the child (in grade 1 anyways).

Spelling Power is intended to be started at about age 8, you might want to look into that. One book lasts you all the way through to Jr. High level.

We use CLE LA along with WWE. I think they work very well together. My son had very little LA instruction before jumping into CLE LA. CLE does incorporate writing but I personally prefer the WWE approach instead. So we skip the writing parts in CLE. I also skip the penmanship in CLE (using Zaner-Bloser Handwriting instead) and skip the spelling (use Spelling Power and AAS instead). I still LOVE the CLE LA program for it's thoroughness and find it to be the best fit and worth purchasing even when making substitutions for some things. My son is really good at grammar and I like that he can work 99% independently. We were doing a bit of FLL before he started CLE, but at this point I'm preferring just CLE.

Agree with OneStepAtATime. CLE is very easy to accelerate and then you don't need to use more than one program. We do the same thing she suggests. We breeze through one light unit every 7 days or so. We double up on lessons and I cross out the questions he doesn't need review on. Skip the quizzes and tests if they are constantly getting most of the questions right in the lessons.

I think a perfect all in one language arts curriculum is never going to exist because there are so many subsections in this category and kids tend to go at different speeds through them.... ie. the kid may be reading above grade level but writing or spelling below grade level. So far piecing together our own curriculum has been the way to go. We do love CLE LA and cross out any redundant questions and use a different curriculum for spelling and handwriting. CLE LA is the closest I've found to a good all-in-one. For phonics I like AAR and ETC together. For vocab we use WW 3000 but I don't think it's really necessary till the older grades. Spelling - AAS level 1 & 2 and then Spelling Power. Might supplement with a little AAS later. Handwriting - A Reason for Handwriting We also pick and choose from FLL and WWE.

We used it for Grade 1 and 2 and it was perfect for what we needed at the time. I really liked the layout. I also tried the K book and didn't like that one.

I went through about one upright vacuum per 1-2 years since being married. They just didn't last, and they didn't clean well. Last year I got a Miele canister vacuum... the best model they carry (got it free with rewards points!). I am in LOVE. Amazing vacuum!!! I am sold on this brand. I love the special filters, the bags are super clean and easy to use, I like the rotating motorized brush for the stairs and for cleaning the car. I even noticed a difference in the air quality of our home once I started using this vacuum. The other vacuums we had just sort of pushed dust around but this one actually CLEANS. ETA: The footprint of our Miele canister vac is actually smaller then the uprights we've had in the past. I store it upright. The pieces come apart at the click of a button. I usually store the attachments and telescoping handle removed from the hose. All in all it takes up less space and is lighter in weight then our previous upright vacuums. The only heavier part is the main electric brush head. But the canister itself is quite light.

The first two videos are available for free. Watching now. She's AWESOME! :) Thanks for mentioning her, I hadn't heard of her before.

We use the A Beka flash-a-card Bible stories along SOTW. The illustrations are gorgeous and captivating! I find Egermeiers pretty dry.

CLE spelling is fine. We were using Spelling Workout and AAS before CLE and kept it up for a while after we started CLE just cause my son needed more spelling practice and that was working out... but a little while back I switched to Spelling Power, which is a better program for him, and now I just cross out the spelling in CLE. I don't feel like it defeats the purpose since spelling is only about one page per lesson and I'm using CLE mostly for the grammar. Just a side note though... sometimes there are some odd words in the spelling lists. Like for example, in the Grade 2 series "stoned" is one of the spelling words. Just not the first word I'd think of to teach that spelling rule ... :huh:

The TOOB toys from Safari Ltd are perfect for sensory bins!! I've seen them at craft stores and toy stores but they are available online as well. https://www.safariltd.com/category/toobs

Explode the Code goes up to about Grade 4 level in phonics. After book 6 my son was reading at a Grade 5 /6 level (according to Lexile scores), but we will continue and finish off with book 7 and 8 this fall when he starts Grade 4. We use a lot of similar curriculum as well, but also All About Reading which I found works well together with Explode the Code (AAR doesn't have any writing, I like that aspect of ETC - that it has a little bit of writing). Christianbook.com has good previews of all the ETC books, you can check the table of contents to see which book would be appropriate. For example, book 1 does short vowel sounds. You could probably skip that one. Might want to look into book 2 or 3. There are half levels available as well which we found useful up till around book 4 when the extra reinforcement was no longer needed (probably due to us also using AAR).

Kindergarten is for play and reading out loud... and lots of extracurriculars as this is the age a lot of things start. As for actual school, I kept it to about 10 minutes 3x per week and for sit down workbook work and my daughter is plenty prepared for Grade 1. Go figure. The CLE Kindergarten workbooks are excellent and cover the basis in phonics, math and handwriting. We also used HWOT workbooks and "Get Set for the Code". Educational TV, nature walks, art projects.

I'm super excited about everything. We've been transitioning into Classical schooling since December. This is the first year... (5th year of homeschooling) that I feel totally on the ball! I feel well prepared. I feel organized. I think my kids are going to have an amazing year this year and I can't wait to dive in!

I do read alouds and independent reading from AO, Wayfarers, and BFSU. We don't do any of the programs as outlined. This works for us. We do SOTW for history. Check out RSO (REAL Science Odyssey, Pandia Press) for science. There are also suggested books to go along with the chapters. The experiments are simple, using mostly household items, and they actually teach - not just busy work. They have generous previews (about a third of the book) on their website you can check out before you buy.

I second (third?) Spelling Power. It's so easy to implement, and it actually does teach the spelling rules. Each list covers a specific spelling rule which is discussed before quizzing. One of the things I love about it is the assessments. The daily lists are so easy. I hated that AAS doesn't have daily lists, it would be a much better program if it did. AAS is also way too expensive for what you get. All 7 levels should be in one book IMO. I love that Spelling Power is one book to cover all the spelling rules and all grades. We started off with AAS 1 and 2, then switched to Spelling Workout, and Spelling Power is my unicorn - lol. With my second kid I'm using AAS 1 and/or Spelling Workout and then moving on to Spelling Power (SP is recommended for age 8 and up). ETA: We also tried Sequential Spelling and the spelling in CLE LA. Sequential Spelling was a BIG FLOP. The spelling in CLE was not bad but I preferred having a program where my kid could work ahead if he already knew the words and Spelling Power allows him to do that.