You can just order specific parts (like science/history) from MBTP. You can also even select particular units that you think would be interesting to try out. For geography in K, I would go with something simple. Think about building up from maps of your house, map of the neighborhood, map of your city, and so on. Then move to a map of the US, and start learning about areas based on connections the child has---family in the area, somewhere he's visited, where his favorite book takes place. Have a world map and US map up for reference as things come up. History---we do a prehistory year. There's a unit study from Build Your Library, but we mostly just throw it together. Your beliefs might vary though. Science---there is a great series "Let's Read and Find Out" available from our library. There are tons of books/topics to look at. You can get a book of experiments to go along with it if you want.

K5 is sort of up in the air right now. It depends a lot on DD's progress the rest of this year, as well as some external factors (we are moving states likely, and I have a baby due early Aug---the move and the baby will happen likely the same week). We might have to put off the start of the year until Sept, but we go nearly year round so hopefully DD won't end up too far behind. Spine: MBTP 5-7 Phonics: LOE D (and finishing up whatever might be left of C), 20-30 minutes of reading practice daily Math: Math reasoning B, MEP 1, Spielgaben, Rightstart games History: ancient Science: interest based/building and designing structures Mom made read aloud list Pe: outside classes based on interests Continued PT/OT/speech as needed

As a side note: Sleeping Bear Press alphabet books (ie K is for Keystone) are amazingly detailed and interesting. As part of a general geography study last year, we stumbled across D is for Desert and learned DD's favorite new word ("haboob").

The short phrases Idea reminded me of Progressive Phonics----If you haven't seen them, they are free, downloadable books that contain silly stories. The trick is that the stories have some words for the kid to read, and some for the parent. It made a HUGE difference in helping my kiddo gain confidence for multi-word phrases and eventually long sentences.

A sounder of boar is a current favorite. Because it not only says it's a group of boars, but the size of the group.

This also might be a good chance to have DD involved in the planning/process. I became a vegetarian around the same age, and my parents only let me do it with the understanding that I was responsible for my own cooking and nutrition. I'm not saying that you should do that necessarily, but I will say that I learned A TON about healthy eating as a vegetarian, skills that have been super helpful in life. Having her sit down with a vegetarian recipe book from the library also might help her come up with ideas by seeing the sections, and recognizing the options out there. Good luck!

We also enjoy RightStart games for something math-y that isn't math. Kumon also has some great workbooks with mazes/cutting/dot-to-dot. The other recommendation is to just follow her interests (as she has them). I've found DD wants to go way deeper with subjects than I could imagine. Igloos became a detailed study of different ways of building, attempts to build a triangular igloo, and attempts to see if igloos can really help insulate from the cold.

1-We are part way through C now, and we have yet to take a real break from it. We just go at her speed, whatever it is. There have been slow downs at points, but we just keep on plugging away. For us, reading/learning to read is not something that lends itself well to a long break. 2. C and D include grammar things. We are using it pre-1st grade, so I'm not sure about meeting any standards for grammar in 1st-2nd, but it feels like enough for us? 3a. We don't add in grammar, but we do have regular writing time. We do poetry, stories, essays, whatever. We try to do this about once a week, and it's neat to see her growth. I don't correct the writing at all at this stage. 3b. Current plan is to move to the essentials program (the new one) after foundations. We are also vaguely planning on doing Language Smarts from Critical Thinking Company, but that's still a bit off. I will second the prior poster who said you need to add in additional reading practice. Starting in level B, we began adding readers from the library and free readers. The books and the LOE website have some suggestions of additional readers as well.

Usborne has a neat book---See Inside The Universe---with flaps and all sorts of great detailed info on the formation of the early universe. Activity wise, it depends how deep you want to go. DD is also super into space, and we tend to use resources geared for 8-12 year olds. That means that fine motor wise, she needs help, but she can manage the understanding part pretty well. We pick activities from these books: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0070465096/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=25UPJKCSGXEG7&coliid=I3PPJOU2LGLG9F http://www.amazon.com/dp/089577576X/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=25UPJKCSGXEG7&coliid=I3LEB50ZGWLRQP We also somehow stumbled across a copy of Where In Space is Carmen Sandiago? which is an old board game about space. The other trick is realizing that you have to edit a lot of the information in the books/materials, unless they are very very new. More than just Pluto is/is not a planet, but understanding the idea of many many exoplanets, black holes being more than just a theoretical idea, and so on. (edited because I hit post too soon---sorry)

I spend an embarrassing amount of time imagining what it would be like to have a home library room. My current favorite design involves sliding ladders and multiple stories of shelving.

I let DD watch me fail. And then try again. I let her see me try to build something, and need to ask for help. I let her see a new recipe not quite work out. And we talk about it. She still needs things perfect, and gets sad/angry when they aren't. But I think modeling failure is important.

This. DD was tested at 3 as part of a comprehensive set of tests to determine what sort of developmental issues were going on with her. The IQ aspect was just an aside. It is not particularly reliable at that age, so I don't really think about it as legitimate. Basically it helped the doctors realize that she didn't have cognitive issues, but her problems were related to other things.

There are tons of good resources on this site: http://media.knowitall.org/series/career-aisle-career-clusters He can explore based on interests, see videos of people working in the field, and learn about a lot of different options for his interests. We sometimes look at it if DD has a specific question about what a certain job does.

Amazon tells me I have the exact cart you listed OP. We use it daily, and it's great for organizing things. We keep books separate generally, and use it to store things like RightStart game materials, manipulatives for math, some workbook-y things, tactile cards, art supplies, and Logic of English game cards. DD can take out and put things back independently, and keep all of her things organized. We haven't had a problem with it falling apart. I think the drawers are supposed to hold 10 lbs or so, and as long as we keep it reasonable, it works great for us.

Ugh yes. When a year long curriculum (for kids a few years older) still doesn't even last us 6 months, costs add up. We use the library to the tune of 500 fiction, 200 non-fiction books a year. But there are still some books that are helpful to have in the house on a regular basis. So those add up. And you know, she's four. So even though she's very careful with her science things, she's a kid, and sometimes, stuff breaks.

Yeah, when I first saw it at the book sale, I was so excited. It was a great low-cost way to try it out. But unfortunately DD got hooked, and really wants more. Is there a trick to buying on ebay? Do you find that auctions are a significantly better deal than buyitnow?

We stumbled on a Top Secret Adventure at our library book sale (20 cents!). DD loves it. Has anyone done more of either the Top Secret Adventures or Which Way USA? Any thoughts/feedback? It seems really expensive.

Thanks all for the encouragement. Some things are moving very fast already. The school will send us the assessment plan by Jan 1st, and have the assessments/IEP meeting all done by the end of Feb. The private PT eval went well. DD loved the therapist, and the therapist had some great ideas to work with her. Interestingly, it seems like almost all of her issues are related to the sensory piece. She mumbles a bit because she can't feel her tongue move normally. She struggles with balance and coordination because she doesn't seem to get the same sensory feedback others might feel.

Thank you so much for your helpful comments. It all seems so intimidating and scary to me. I have a meeting with the school today, and I guess we will take it from there.

Hi! DD is a lovely kid, but very uneven developmentally. The pediatrician wants her to have evals for speech/PT/OT services based on some gross motor delays, mumbling speech, and sensory concerns. She suggested going through both the insurance company and the school system. Are there downsides to getting the evals at the school? Do I have to accept the services offered if I think they are a bad fit for us? Does that open us up to potential neglect/CPS issues? DD is 4 if that matters. Thanks so much in advance!

We used them both (and now use level A) and loved them. I think they took about 6-8 months for both? It was worth it for us because the knowledge/concepts really stuck well.

I couldn't imagine doing LOE with just the workbooks. I don't think it would make much sense as program, or be particularly effective.

We use it (4-5 level) and enjoy it. This is our first year with it, and I've been pleased with the curriculum. It's pretty adaptable, and we go through some units faster than others. I agree parts of it are hard to differentiate some things---the letter sound pages are a bit silly for a kid who is able to read independently. But overall, the program has given us a lot to explore. It also has been great for my non-crafty kid. She hates doing crafts without a clear reason, and we've been pleased by the lack of coloring pages. I d supplement quite a bit with additional books and activities, but I like it as a spine.

Thank you for the perspectives! I do worry about puberty issues, but I'm trying not to get too ahead of myself. Fingers crossed that this particular friend group holds for a few more months, and she hopefully finds slightly closer-in-age peers in our next city.

We also had some luck using a spinning top to demonstrate tilt and the way the planet has a hemisphere pointing toward the sun in summer and away from the sun in the winter. We also picked up a book of Kid's First Questions and Answers that help with those sorts of questions. Also, you may find interesting videos on youtube for some of this stuff. We aim for videos 2-4 minutes in length at that age.