I've only read a couple about her, but the one that struck me was the brief chapter book (a bit over 100 pages) by Judith St. George. I remember thinking that it did a pretty good job of storytelling while clearly trying to stick with the facts of her life (not inventing scenes and conversations). At the time, I remember thinking that it might work well somewhere around age 10ish.

We, too, used RS through B/C. (ODS made it all the way through C at breakneck pace; DD jumped ship midway through C.) I really wanted to use MM for the cost and simplicity, and it's got such a great reputation...but then I considered my students. ODS would be way too distracted by everything on the page, and DD would take one look and burst into tears and claim she couldn't do it, just from the packed-in nature of the problems. (Neither would be helped by covering parts of the page, which some folks recommend, since even the individual sections of the MM pages are pretty crowded.) DD is happy as a [pick your cheerful animal] with SM, so I'll stick with what's working. (ODS moved to BA and is also happy-as-aforementioned-animal.)

My mom pointed out that Ash Wednesday is this coming week already, which got me thinking about Lent. Last winter after an extensive search for a good family Lenten devotional, I was encouraged by my husband and my mother to create my own. After much agonizing, I did, and last year I had my family members (including my brother, who is a pastor) take it for a test-drive with me. Though I hesitate to do so for fear of seeming presumptuous, I finally decided to post this resource on my blog in case other families are also looking for a good way to walk with Jesus through Lent. The materials include daily retellings of stories from the life of Christ with both simple and deeper discussion questions at the end, a public-domain artwork to go along with each story, and a small image to color for each story. (All of the colored images combine to build a mural.) I tried to aim this at a pretty broad audience, but my brother chastised me for my long words, so this may be a good vocab lesson for the younger set. ;-) The first reading is for Ash Wednesday, and I included stories for Sundays as well, all the way through Easter. Week 1 is posted here (along with all the mural images); I'll post the following weeks on the Friday or Saturday before they're needed. (I'm still re-reading each of them several times.) If you want to skip the story of why and how I crafted this project, you can scroll to the bottom of the blog post for the PDFs. If you choose to provide feedback, please be gentle and keep in mind that these were primarily designed for my family and that I have prayed over and agonized over every story, image, and word in these.

One possibility that could combine reading practice with learning mechanics--and actually some close reading/comprehension--is reading books like Lynne Truss' The Girl's Like Spaghetti, Eats, Shoots & Leaves, and Twenty-Odd Ducks, which feature punctuation errors that could drastically change the meaning of a sentence along with hilarious illustrations. I know there are others out there that focus on parts of speech or other facets of language. Not games, exactly, but a fun way to learn. "Spot the Errors" is a fun way to work on a variety of things. Write out a sentence and tell your kids how many errors they should find. Errors can include spelling, grammar, punctuation, vocabulary... They can also create sentences for each other, or you can each make two and pass one to each other person, so everyone gets two to work on. You can talk about story structure by typing out simple stories and cutting them up, having your kids arrange them in a way that makes sense and talking about the purpose of each part. (Then if you want they can do partner writing: Each one writes a story starter and then passes it off. The next person has to introduce the conflict and pass it back, etc.)

Why has no one mentioned all the picture books based on TV characters? Someone gave us a Thomas the Train book once and I thought it would be a sweet story, but instead it was crazy and disjointed--and my husband pointed out it was because they were trying to summarize a TV episode in book form (and were probably running low on novel episode ideas, too, at the time). Since then we've had several other run-ins with books that either started out as a TV episode or were based on popular TV characters. It's like they figured, "Eh, the kids'll beg their parents for this book because of the character, so the actual story doesn't matter. Let's find a D-list writer or use the script from Ed's 7-year-old so that we can have the highest possible revenues."

My older two (14 mos apart) were actually working at the same pace initially--when ODS started sounding out words, DD did, too; when ODS wanted to learn more about numbers, DD was right there with him. Last year, however, I decided that I had to separate them for math and language arts. Even though they are very similar in ability, DD is very competitive, and it was frustrating both of them. Also, their strengths and weaknesses are just different enough that they each needed to slow down for different things, which frustrated the other child who didn't need more work on that topic...and isn't that part of why I'm homeschooling? So while it was really easy to teach everything together, it just didn't work practically. Everyone is much happier now that they're doing work independently, though scheduling is a little more hairy. Of course, YMMV.

I couldn't find a workbook I liked, either. I didn't want too much practice on each letter, but the one workbook I tried had too little practice, so the kids were frustrated. It said "Beginning Cursive" but seemed to be more like a fast review. I ended up making my own worksheets using this free website. I liked the fact that I could make the font whatever size I wanted (big at the beginning, and smaller as they got better), and I could do just the amount of repetition I thought they needed. I used the general sequence from several cursive books I saw online (you can usually see the table of contents for the workbooks on the RR site).

Yep, that's why we switched to Beast, too--ODS gets annoyed when a curric makes him do too much repetition and he kept wanting more/harder material. We use Beast as our main curric, but I do like the way that Prodigy keeps all those other concepts from getting rusty. A lot of people seem to use Beast for the problem solving aspect and use a standard curric for their main material, either because they don't want to force the problem solving too much on a kid who gets overwhelmed by the challenge (that would be my DD!) or because they like the integrated review of other programs.

My 7 yo is absolutely OBSESSED with Prodigy. It's a free online RPG (though you can have more pets/stuff if you pay) where you are a wizard and have to answer a math question to take your turn in battles to complete quests. It's actually pretty good strategy work, too, since you have to figure out what type of creature and spell is best to use in what situation. I love that it cycles through the whole gamut of math stuff, from story problems to comparing fractions to long division, so he's constantly reviewing (or learning) all kinds of things. He adores both the math and the strategy. We're only in BA3C, but since math comes intuitively, he's been able to figure out a lot of extra stuff he's encountered in Prodigy--and it actually slowed him down quite a bit. (Since I let him do some gaming every day, he hasn't been doing as many pages of BA--though he was only doing a book every two months, not every month like yours!)

Also consider Easter songs--a perfect occasion to sing for joy, and lots of options!

Mine seemed to go hand-in-hand, with reading slightly ahead and progressing more quickly. All three of mine started trying to write letters shortly after starting to sound things out on their own. The more they got excited about reading, the more letters they wrote. But the reading definitely gained ground faster...though it could be because they were all early readers to one degree or another, so the fine motor was not quite there yet.

Who would you have screen him for ASD or sensory issues? The pedis keep telling me he's growing and seems bright, so there's no issue. I'm not sure where else to go. So far in the past 3 years, I've shelled out big bucks to see a pediatric allergist, a pediatric gastroenterologist, and now this sleep study, and all of them smile patronizingly and tell me there is no problem. I actually offered to send him home for a week with the (world-renowned, BTW) gastroenterologist, who said, "All kids wake at night--my grandson wakes at least once or twice a night. It's a phase." Thank you, sir, for helping with my child who has been waking at least five times if not ten for the past four months. (That's when he was about 10 mos.) Yes, it's just like your grandson. ARGH! The sleep study was NOT the first time in three years that he had STTN. He gradually improved from 12 mos (when I started the supplements) to waking 1-3 times a night by 2 or so, and at 3 would occasionally STTN. Then he got worse. At the sleep study, we brought our own pillow and blankets, our own sound machine and music... Basically they provided a bed--AND I slept in the room. I think that was huge. When he spends the night at my mom's, she sleeps in the room so she doesn't miss him waking, and she says he will occasionally sit up and check if she's really there and then go back to sleep. So maybe this sleeping business is a phase. I guess I just figured that the toddler years were tough, but he would gradually improve...but instead I feel like he has measurably deteriorated in all areas over the past year. His screaming, his sensitivity, his eating, his sleeping--they're all worse than last year at this time. It's disheartening. I kept telling myself, "Once he's four, things will be easier." But it looks like they won't. And I feel like his issues are really putting a strain on the whole family.

I've pretty much given up on the medical community, but I'm holding out one last hope that Dr. Hive will pull through for me. I'm looking for anything that can help me effectively parent my soon-to-be-four-year-old. I'll try to give his life summary as briefly as I can in case it's helpful. Full term, very fussy at birth but we discovered within days that I was hardly producing milk. He was allergic to several formulas and ended up on Nutramigen, which we had to thicken with oatmeal or it came right back up. Doc also prescribed reflux meds. He was then a super happy, laid-back baby. Everyone commented on how happy and easy he was. Started reaching for solids around 6 mos, so we let him have mushed fruits and veggies, graham crackers. About a month later, he started sleeping horribly--waking 5-10 times a night arching and writhing. He went from happy and content to perpetually grumpy and screamy. He continued this pattern for about 6 mos. Had an endoscopy and an allergy test, both of which came out clean. Every doc we saw said it was a phase. I journaled everything I could think to track, and we couldn't find any patterns. We also tried eliminating gluten and dairy for a couple weeks with absolutely no effect. Went to a vitamin store in desperation and bought their recommended items--probiotic and digestive enzymes (plant-based). He gradually started sleeping better, progressing only waking a few times at night and sleeping on his own between-time again within a month. He continued to be screamy and grumpy, though, going from playing happily to throwing a fit instantly. Currently: I gradually weaned him off his supplements this year, but I questioned that for a while because he woke increasingly from October-end of Dec, at which point he was waking hourly starting around 11. But we did a sleep study mid-December AND HE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT. They said he has no issues. Suddenly this week he's only waking 2-3 times, but he's crankier than ever. He has a consistent bedtime (7 pm) and a calming routine (brush teeth, read, pray, lights out). He's now in his own room because he was waking his brother so much. He doesn't get out of bed, just wakes up and calls me. No bad dreams, no consistent issues. (Sometimes potty, sometimes drink, sometimes blankie on, sometimes a snuggle... Mostly I think he doesn't know why he's up.) He doesn't nap. He's awake by 6 am. He's always either shrieking with laughter or screaming with anger--he has pretty much no middle ground when it comes to interacting with others. (He can play calmly on his own, though. And he seems more even-keel when he's slept well.) He's also become an increasingly picky eater over the past couple years, to the point where he eats peanut butter toast almost exclusively. I've now got him smelling different foods and choosing one to touch to his tongue at every meal, but that's been an uphill battle. He's very sensitive to touch. He always wails as if desperately injured if someone bumps him (and requires a bandaid, which can then NEVER be removed until it's causing a sore of its own), shoves other kids who try to hug him unexpectedly, is very upset about the sensation of having a BM, and he doesn't like to wash his hands or drink from an open cup. If he does the latter, he drinks all he wants in one long gulp and demands to have his mouth wiped instantly. He's even taken to wiping his mouth on his sleeve after each bite of PB toast. He's 95th%ile on the growth charts for both height and weight (which shocks me given that I estimated his daily calorie intake to average around 900 calories). He's developmentally on-target, he can be super sweet and charming, and he's generally well-behaved. He even has excellent social skills--he CAN play very nicely with others and have great give-and-take, and he tries to negotiate EVERYTHING (future politician? salesman?) and is sometimes obviously aware of how his voice and facial expression have an effect--but often it's like something overrides those skills and he hits and screams instead. More than anything, he CANNOT handle any change in his world, whether its a new situation, a change in plans, being contradicted/corrected, or even transitioning from one activity to another. These can all spark long screaming fits. I have asked the last three pediatricians we've had (we moved and then our new guy retired), and all of them pretty much scratched their heads or said he seemed bright and there was no issue. The newest one (saw her late December) kept saying how bright he was and how big he was and suggested preschool or daycare, saying her daughter behaved the same and was much better once someone else was caring for her--it was a parenting issue. She suggested a counselor for my parenting. DH was livid. I was willing to try since perhaps a different technique is needed with this personality, but DH is wary of counselors. If any of you have had a kid like this and can give me suggestions of resources you found helpful, I will be eternally grateful. I'm tired of being shouted at all day. The other kids are tired of wondering what will set him off (both of them have recently--and separately--voiced a wish that he wasn't in our family, which makes me sad). I know he's little, but he's far more volatile than either of the other two, and I'm not sure how to help him handle his big emotions. TIA for your input.

Our dance teacher recommended RevolutionDance.com or DiscountDance.com as having good quality products at reasonable prices. (There's a code for 10% off your first order that I can give you if you find something at the latter.)

This. I got the cup because I'd go through a super-plus tampon AND a "heavy" pad in an hour on those first couple days. Now I can at least get an hour...but I avoid anything but brief outings on the first two days if I can help it. I guess that's better than bad cramps, though, so I'll take it. I used to get bad cramps occasionally--ones that would not only feel awful but would trigger diarrhea. That was pretty wretched if they hit unexpectedly while I was out.

I downloaded a whole bunch of the books when I first started using it because of this very fear!

I've been pretty happy with what I used for the first two, so I'll probably keep it pretty much the same: Math - RightStart Language Arts - Depends on what he's ready for. The older two learned to read pretty organically before this point, and he's looking the same. If so, lots of read-alouds and free-reading. Spelling - If he's already a solid reader, I'll move on to AAS to solidify phonics for at least a couple levels. Handwriting - Getty-Dubay again, the first two books Writing - Probably at least some of IEW's Bible Heroes if he's ready for some writing. The whole year felt like too much, but I think if I spread it out more or condense the concepts... Science - BFSU plus extra hands-on History - I'm inventing my own as I go along, using Usborne's encyclopedia as a guide.

I absolutely adore RightStart, especially level B. The games, the incremental, hands-on building of knowledge... Both of my kids who went through it so far have an awesome grasp of fundamental math concepts. ODS moved on to Beast with no trouble after level C; DD wasn't ready for "hard" yet, so she ended up on Singapore. RS is pricey, though, especially if you buy the whole manipulatives kit and can't find used. Math Mammoth was too visually overwhelming for my kids, even when I tried covering up some of the page like folks suggested. (The font is pretty small and thus things are pretty packed together.) The price sure is great, though, so if it works for you, have at it! Singapore's Primary Mathematics books are the same method as Math Mammoth, just with more white space and some puzzles and cartoons inserted. My workbook-y daughter loves them. (And you don't have to get all the different books if you don't want to--you can start with just the workbook and textbook, or also get the Home Instructor Guide if you would like a walk-through of how to introduce concepts.)

Also consider if he's an introvert or extrovert. My introverted 7 yo has no desire to be on a team sport because there are simply too many people for his liking. (Though he did try two seasons of soccer--of which he enjoyed the post-game snack the most.) On the other hand, he loves swimming, jogging, and riding his bike (got him a bike speedometer which really made him obsessed). He recently salvaged some wood from a fence someone had taken down, and he spent several hours happily hammering and sawing away today. He pours himself into playing his guitar. He is obsessed with Prodigy. He spends hours creating towns or entire continents out of wooden train tracks/Duplos/Legos/wooden blocks. He can get engrossed in Snap Circuits or K'nex Education kits. Any day it's not thunderstorming, we all walk/bike/jog the .75 miles Grandma's house (and back home again later). I also encourage the kids to play outside for as much of the day as possible. I think the fresh air, sunshine, and exercise are wonderful for everyone, but especially for growing bodies. For him, though, organized sports aren't needed, just energy outlets on his own and lots to engage his creative mind.

Right Start might be right up his alley. Lots of hands-on and game playing, and very brief, to-the-point worksheets when needed.

Yep, in RightStart the kids would be taught to add up the tens, then add up the ones and find the total. 20+40=60, 8+3=11, and 60+11=71...so 28+43=71. It's taught that way because you're more likely to need to add numbers mentally like that in real life, when you can't sit down and write up a nice column. On the other hand, I've noticed my sister's girls coming home from school without having things adequately explained--particularly in math, since curricula often mandate that the child be taught several ways of solving each problem--or simply with misunderstandings of the explanation. If no one has explained it in a way the child understood (and given a good reason for it, for pity's sake--since there IS a good reason!), no wonder the poor kid is confused.

It has to be somewhat intrinsic. My mom and my sister are the born-organized types; I am not. It's not that my sister and I had different training or what-have-you. I'm not sure if they're just more efficient with their use of time (they seem to be always purposefully on the go, though not harried at all--and instead I flutter from one thing to another, constantly getting sidetracked), better at keeping on top of the little things that add up... I've always been a bit messy. When I was a kid, my mom finally resorted to keeping my bedroom door closed because even if she had me clean it, my room seemed to attract clutter instantly. Even now, I'm pretty good at keeping things CLEAN, but not so much de-cluttered. As for that, my mom and sister are constantly getting rid of things (and sometimes regretting their haste), while I hang onto a lot of stuff thinking I'll get around to using it sometime...

You may have just made my oldest's year! He had me quizzing him from a Geography Bee Handbook I found in the $1 bin, but he can do an app without me!

What are you hoping to accomplish by changing things up? If what you've been doing has been working well and your child is happy with it, it's always a bit of a gamble to start switching. If you feel like she needs something different for a time, then knowing what sort of change is needed could be helpful, so folks can better suggest programs. As far as spelling, AAS is meant to give as much or as little practice as needed. If your child is understanding the concept being taught, you can keep breezing through. As soon as she starts to struggle, you hunker down and spend more time on the concept, rotating through the main words and the additional practice words and dictating the sentences with target words until she gets them. I've found it to be fine so far, though we've only gone mostly through AAS3. Needing a change is totally understandable, though. I've even changed my method of presentation for a subject or switched to doing it in a different room if I was getting restless with it. I think I'm restless by nature, though... We switch things up often, though I wait until the kids are getting frustrated with a subject before doing anything drastic with curriculum.

I was trying valiantly to do it the RS way, but my kids naturally were doing it the R-to-L way and were getting confused when I tried to re-orient them. After a couple days of confusion, I just said, "Here's how this book teaches subtraction. [Did a problem the RS way, explaining as I went.] Here's how you are doing problems like this. [Did the same problem R-to-L.] As you can see, both ways work--they both get you the same answer. You may pick which way makes more sense to you as you work through subtraction problems." They understood that there were multiple ways to do the same problem and felt empowered that I wasn't forcing to work in a way that didn't make sense to them. And yes, I have noticed that they naturally do R-to-L on paper but L-to-R mentally.