You can save Word files into Google Docs as well and set up the permissions for anyone to view them. It will provide you with a link to share.

If you go to the tutor page on the Barton website, she has instruction on how to access her lists already entered into Quizlet if you're interested. The fluency sheet words and phrases are in it, but not the letter sheets. It's easy to access and set up with her instructions on the tutor page and saves me from having to type it all. :)

I have been curious about his products as well for next year.

We just started Rhythm of Handwriting from LOE. My rising 3rd grader is loving it so far.

I would also be interested for an update. I am also going through it with an 8 year old and have wondered about separating the spelling and the reading to focus on reading first and then go back over the spelling for her as well. Spelling is what tripped us up the most on our last lesson.

I'm glad she's doing well, but sorry that you have to replace the glasses. If you have a Costco near you, they also sell some metal frames for children. We are able to get frames and lenses cheaper at costco than what we would pay out of pocket at the eye doctor's office with insurance.

Thank you for sharing. I didn't realize it was such a short course. I may not mind supplementing with it if I could do the majority of the prep work ahead this summer. Would that be easy to prep most of it ahead? Also, I noticed that you have BFSU in your siggy. Is that an easy open and go for the most part curriculum layout or does it require a lot of prep work? I forgot to check out BFSU.

Thank you for sharing. If my DD isn't quite ready to do much written narration and would need to dictate to me at this point, would you recommend that I look more closely at Noeo for more options built in besides the written narration? Also, I noticed in the Elemental sample that other recommended readings a listed that you can use to expand on the topic. Does Noeo do that as well?

I'm trying to decide which Chemistry to use with my 3rd grader. I think I've narrowed it down to Elemental Grammar stage Chemistry (I already own several of the required books), Noeo Chemistry 1, or Ellen McHenry's The Elements. Elemental and Noeo sound like they would cover more topics than The Elements though which is part of the reason I feel more drawn to them. I've never seen any of these in person. DD is a reluctant writer and dyslexic, but I don't mind scribing as necessary on projects for her and plan to read everything to her. I need something planned out for me or it won't get done. I prefer a mix of reading and experiments, but if I have to do an experiment every single lesson I am afraid I won't stick with it unless there is a kit to make it easy to pull it all together. Which of those do you recommend or do have a different recommendation I should consider?

Does he like the extra books from Barton or even the Spelling Success games? If you have a tablet, what about getting a list of words from the tutor that you can put into Quizlet?

I used to own RLTL and we are currently using Barton. Granted, we aren't to level 4 so maybe someone else will have better advice. I personally wouldn't supplement with RLTL unless you have your tutor look through it all and verify he has already covered it all in Barton. You can view samples on lulu.com. It teaches all phonograms up front and all spelling rules as they arise in each word (there isn't enough review or practice with each concept/rule at one time to make it stick for my DD). Spelling words are taught for the Elson readers in order of each story and new words in each story. They are not organized by type at all the way Barton organizes them. I am pretty sure that the silent e (which I believe is Barton level 6?) is taught in level 1 of RLTL. Could your tutor send home practice pages for you?

Thank you!

Thank you all of you for the feedback and ideas. After thinking through this more and looking at samples, I think right now I need to focus on getting subtractions facts solid before moving into a set curriculum. My thoughts are to use a combination of Ronit Bird and MUS for the time being until her subtraction facts are much stronger. MUS comes to mind so I don't have to come up with all the equations to practice on my own and thus save some time (although maybe RB would do this too?). I will also add in extra practice/games that were mentioned to help build automaticity in the basic math facts. I do like how RS introduces/teaches 4-digit subtraction as the method was similar to how they taught 4-digit addition and that method worked well for DD. However, I don't think she's going to be ready for that until she can easily subtract numbers from 1-20 based on what I saw last week with her and looking ahead to subtraction with borrowing/regrouping. Feel free to point out if I'm missing something or should consider other options. Heathermonster & OhElizabeth - outside of the Ronit Bird ebooks, do you recommend Overcoming Difficulty with Numbers next or one of the print books over the other (or all for that matter)? I plan to get the 3 ebooks (even if DD doesn't need dots, I figure it will be helpful for my preschooler (age 5) as she is ready for it now and will be technically in kindergarten in the fall anyway), but wasn't sure if it would be worth purchasing a paper book as well at this point. My older DD is usually happy to play games with the younger DD to help her understand or practice math or reading related activities. I appreciate all the other ideas for extra practice/drill. I plan to incorporate those as well. Once I get DD's subtraction skills "caught up" with her other math skills, I will re-evaluate whether to do a combo of CLE, MUS, BJU, BA, or RS going forward when she fits better into a specific grade/level (her subtraction would currently put her in 1st grade or alpha level, but all other areas she would place in 2nd or 3rd grade depending upon the topic and scope and sequence of each curriculum). I know RS has been good in general, but sometimes there are leaps made before DD is ready and we break from it for a while and other times I feel like some assumptions have been made that the student connects on their own and that doesn't always happen and we stop while I work on those areas with her. I like the idea of the built in review of CLE, but can see benefits in the others (MUS, BJU, BA, etc.) as well or combination of the others as well. OhE - This is what I have for RS fractions. Is that the puzzle you are referring to? I don't see a wooden one on their website. I have thought about also purchasing some of the fraction circle puzzles that were either put out by Learning Resources or Educational Insights I saw on amazon earlier this year. I like to have concrete objects to tie the abstract to when teaching new concepts. Also, to answer you question about math language, sometimes I think that the language can trip her up and I think what usually helps her through that is having the concrete manipulatives to work through the language and understand it better. I always assumed it was part of the struggles of dyslexia, but don't really know if that assumption is correct. I plan to do OT work at home each day before we start "school" for the day. It sounds like this may help in multiple areas. We started doing this for handwriting struggles at the OT's recommendation and it has helped some.

DD is 2nd grade. She turns nine this summer. RS (at least the 2nd edition we have) only introduces parts of subtraction (after 4-digit addition is down cold) and then works on parts of multiplication before going back and working on subtraction. I don't understand their scope and sequence many times which is one of the reasons I think I have struggled pulling it out much lately - that and I struggle trying to combine/modify lessons much with RS itself when DD doesn't always need all material in a lesson, but some parts may still benefit her. I know others do it from comments I've read so it may just be me and maybe if I read through the whole thing vs a cursory overview it would help. My guess is that they continue with multiplication before subtraction as they start with teaching multiplication as adding the same number a certain number of times. I have c-rods but have never used them with math and will look at Ronit Bird's book on them. I will have her go through numbers on dominos and a die cube and see how quickly she responds to the numbers on them later today. I have not heard of MathMod. I will check that out as well. I will try out the number magnets on the dry erase board this week and see how DD responds to those as well. I hadn't thought about those in a while. I installed Quizlet for Barton practice but hadn't thought to use it for math. Thanks. I'll also look at the MUS online options more as well. DD may like the fact generator with the timer turned off. I used one of the MUS online generators to print out some subtraction problems last week but wrote them on graph paper for her to solve. She liked that and requested more math problems on graph paper in the future. It did help me see just how weak her subtraction skills are with numbers between 11-20, which I had suspected. I don't mind modifying any math program we use. I need to either read through RS in more detail to see how to modify it better for DD without feeling like I'm missing something important she needs to review or cover or switch to something that is easier for me to modify. I've been wondering lately if Ronit Bird's books would help me better know which areas to modify and when to make the modifications from a teaching standpoint.

Thanks for sharing what worked for your family. I didn't know much about BJU before (one of the few math curriculums I never looked at and don't know why). That's interesting to know how you've pieced various pieces together as well. I did that some the last two years and for some reason thought I could just go straight through one thing this year (what worked best for us last year - RS), but it's not been the best fit at different times. I forgot about checking our library. I will have to check there. I have some of the sir cumference series, but would like to get some other stories that involve math too for her as she does enjoy that and remembers stories well. I haven't heard of the logic blocks from Timberdoodle and will look that up as well. I also understand what you mean about how motivation can make a difference. :)

DD has had other early math exposure outside of RS as well. So if she has done well understanding math concepts you think there is still enough in Ronit Bird that she wouldn't get bored going back? RB has intrigued me and I've thought about getting it anyway as I start to teach my younger DD. I will take a look at RB again this evening. Her working memory is good (I think it was 8 digits and in the 75th percentile on testing this year), but I know it is good to keep up with it and not lose any of it. I actually think her WM helps compensate for slow processing speed (single digits). We are in OT, but that is about to end and it's only been so-so on how helpful it has been. I keep meaning to update my post about the OT. I plan to start Focus Moves once we are done with the OT. I asked DD how she solved math...if she counted or visualized the amounts or some other way. She didn't know. I know she is very visual in other areas and has visual strengths (outside of letters - she complained today in our Barton practice that they were a bunch of squiggly lines and curves without much meaning). She has been wanting to learn Ticket to Ride. Maybe tomorrow afternoon may be a fun time to pull it out. She would love that. I will look into the other games and drill you mentioned as well. As for the abacus, she used to like it and like using it, but she thinks that she shouldn't need it anymore and will only use it if I made her use it. I'll have to talk to her a little bit more about the abacus and how she does (or doesn't) visualize math to get a better idea of what she uses to solve math equations.

Do you combine MUS and RS or have just used both? Does your DS get bored with MUS because you are supposed to master all the facts before moving on or does he just like the extra mix that RS throws in each lesson (starting with the oral review, geometry mixed in, etc.). I haven't always been consistent with doing all the RS games and should re-think those. I haven't looked at TimezAttack, but the Dreambox she plays is on the computer which is nice for immediate feedback. We tried a couple other online math games or review, but the computer pushing for speed just made her shut down and get frustrated. Maybe I just do need a break from RS. To be honest, I've done little of it this past month and had her doing math in other ways or some days just through games. I think that the problem with RS was more that *I* was dreading pulling it out. I should figure out why as I make a decision to either take a break or switch to something else.

Thanks. I will look at VSL info again. I remember looking at it once and thinking that she was likely VSL, but it's been a while. She would definitely be a "right brained" learner though. Even if we used MUS, I wouldn't send her off on her own to work on a worksheet without making sure she understood the concepts and working through some together first. She likes math for the most part and usually picks up on new concepts quickly. That is interesting about the algebra work and making connections. I haven't heard of that, but my research has been more around reading and motor skills mostly in the past. :) Is BJU something that you use on it's own or something you would combine with BA as well? I read some threads on one of the other forums about combining MUS and BA that were interesting. I will look more at those as well. DD likes an obtainable challenge so she might love BA. As for games, I need to make sure I take more time for games and games with different concepts. DD loves games and remembers so much more in game form. RS is spiral, but I think she would be fine in mastery as well. Granted, I could be wrong. For her, she seems to understand the concepts quickly, but need a lot of repeated practice to get the math facts down well. I noticed that MUS did add a review page (G) to each week, but I don't know how the review compares to spiral programs.

Thank you for the ideas. DD is 8, almost 9, years old. I forgot about Beast Academy earlier. I forgot to mention that she loves Life of Fred (we've only done it as supplemental when I remember to pull it out) so thought she may like BA. Her subtraction isn't strong enough for BA yet though, but that will get there. (We were going over multiplication recently in RS but it hadn't gotten to subtraction yet.) I will look more at CLE and give her the placement to see where she is. I find it interesting how they separate fact drill/practice and letting them use a math facts sheet other times. In all honesty, she has gotten her addition down and faster just because of repeated practice between either RS games or Dreambox games. A light unit or two is a small investment to give it a try anyway. That is also good to know about the spacing and light units.

I have been spending way too much time trying to figure out what to do about math (we're ready to switch now and not just this fall). For background, DD is dyslexic and struggles with writing (dysgraphia hasn't been formally tested, but she has many signs - however she doesn't mind writing numbers as much as letters). We are part way through RS 2nd Ed level C. Both DD and I need a change. She is one who conceptually understands math quickly. Math facts do not come quickly and she also has a slow processing speed. She has been using Dreambox as a supplement and likes it (until she gets to a new concept we haven't covered and then she gets frustrated as she's trying to think and the computer keeps talking to her - but it hasn't deterred her from wanting to use it). In the past we tried math mammoth and DD didn't understand their pictures of explanations and the page layout felt overwhelming to her. In the past she hated the Singapore primary math US edition pictures and begged to go back to RS, but when I showed her level 2A and 2B recently she seemed a little open to the idea of using it as she made a comment about how she could color the pictures afterwards (she is very artistic). She saw me looking at MUS sample pages and she liked the clean layout and white space on those pages. I like the thought of CLE and Horizons with the review built in, but am afraid the pages may overwhelm her after our time with MM. I am willing to combine aspects of different programs if that may be the best fit for her. She seems to want some independence in math, but isn't ready to do everything on her own for sure. A part of me thought of using MUS to give her some of that independence and then using some parts of SM or other to add in more conceptual practice or mental math practice (she likes it when she can mentally do math, but maybe doesn't need more than MUS for the mental math practice?). She is good at coming up with the right answers but if she had to show her work for everything it would be a disaster. I know many of you have children with similar struggles or experiences so thought I'd ask here for advice. I am willing to scribe for her (although for math she has been wanting to do it herself lately) and plan to read any instructions/word problems to her at this point.

Thanks for mentioning your dyslexic DS. I probably should expect more handholding than most need as well.

Thanks. I know this answer should be obvious and I should have thought of that. I use the timer method in other subjects already...I'm not sure why I didn't consider it here. Also, I love the idea of my older being able to play the games with my younger one for practice.

We are only in the 1st half of RS 2E level C (and plan to continue through the summer at this point), but uncertain whether to continue on to the next level. We are using some other very intensive (for both teacher and student) curriculum that we need to continue with for reading/spelling and I am adding a kindergartener next year. I don't want to keep going with RS D if it is just as intensive (unless it ends up being the only curriculum that works for DD). That said, DD is dyslexic and low in her reading level so if there is a lot of writing for the student to read in the worksheets then that won't be a good fit either. RS methods have worked well for her and she has a great conceptual understanding of math. Her math facts are much slower to get down though. I find myself dragging my feet at doing math right now (even though she and I both enjoy math) because of how much time each lesson in level B took even though so far in C it is seeming to take less of my time for the most part. I have debated if switching to MUS or TT would be a good idea for next year, but am uncertain. For background, MM visually overwhelms DD so that is out. Singapore primary math she hated when we did 1B (I think it had something to do with the pictures in the TB and WB) and at the time she begged to go back to RS and we did.

Thank you all for sharing and for the advice. Interesting enough, Lecka, the cursive Loops and groups is the same one the OT mentioned. Listening to all of you share how cursive helped as well as DD has been asking me to teach her cursive a few months (I held off because I had heard about the struggles that dyslexics often have with learning cursive), I will start working on that with her. It is nice to hear how much it helped your children over time. I have a few other thoughts/questions related to the responses. I will be back to respond more another day when I have more time and have had some sleep.

During our initial evaluation the OT noted that DD could do certain tasks, but that it must be taking more effort than it should. She didn't look at all areas though at the time. Yesterday the OT said that she just thought that DD needed to build some core, shoulder, arm, and hand strength and to do activities that will strengthen those areas. She also thought we should try cursive to try to help make handwriting more automatic. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think cursive is going to "fix" her handwriting struggles and suddenly make handwriting more automatic. After 3.5 years of working on handwriting and she still draws letters as much or more than writing them fluidly, I don't see how switching to cursive is going to suddenly fix that part of the struggle. Yesterday she said nothing about the strange pencil grip during the activities either. This OT may do well with certain types of struggles kids have, but at this point I feel like for DD that she would be better off with me working on the retained reflexes and doing other activities - whether it's a jungle gym, trampoline park, or gymnastics - than continuing to spend the time and money with this OT.