I am waiting for my book and journal to arrive. I plan to use it in the fall. We are currently using Botany with three children. Two in lower elementry age and one upper elementry. I plan to go thru it in half a year and then do a different Apologia book the other half.

I am going from HOD's Preparing to MFW ECC. I was all for going with the next HOD guide but I really want to teach everyone from one guide and I have a larger age gap than what HOD has. Using three guides next year seemed tiring to me and since I am living overseas I don't want to be doing school all day long. I just hope that DD still stays independent like she is now with Preparing.

We keep the yearly test and toss everything out. This year I may keep the notebooking journals and let DD toss them when she feels like it. I take lots of pictures so that's my record of schooling besides the yearly test.

I started my oldest with FLL the summer she finished 1st grade. We pretty much zipped thru the first half and slowed down for the second half. I didn't use any other language because I was using Heart of Dakota's Beyond curriculum but wanted to add more english and not use the recommended Rod and Staff english. Using the HOD and FLL my daughter enjoyed her lessons for english. I did get tired of the repeating the rules and stuff but its' what you got to do for them to memorzie and learn. Four years later I am glad for all the pushing to memorize in the grammer department. I am gearing up to teach 1st grade all over again and the only thing different is that I added Explode the Code and A Beka's reading to First Language Lessons.

I use to use it and I cut back since having kids. It now seems like a negative word. I rather say Be Quiet. When I say Shut up it's yelling and am at my end. When I say it I know that I need a Mommy time out and will look for a sitter or just pop in a movie for the kids and have me some quiet time. So I am going with those who say it's Rude.

I bought my journals for my 4th/5th grader. She will be doing this science semi independently so it was worth the price. I bought them on sale thru CBD.com. I like how I don't have to print out pages and get a binder and page protectors. I tend to be on the pile up and organize later type person (this will never change for me) so having the journal with it all there is worth it.

I just started this recently with my fourth grader. I just took it one step at a time. showing how it used multiplication as well as subtraction. We do a handfur a problems a day. I have stopped for now because she is still needs some extra work on upper multiplication so I we are doing daily multiplication drills until she's quicker at the answers and then go back to division. I was using MCP and Kumon workbooks but the just sitting with her and going thru the problems one at a time and then letting her off on her own worked. I didn't use anything hands ones just explained and used little arrows on the problems. Now I am switching over to MUS this fall only because it will help with getting her more independent on schoolwork and to make my load easier since we have quite a bit going one right now. Also I did try teacher her last year and it wasn't working and now a year later it's sinking in.

I am using the ECC one. I am using HOD's preparing and really like it but ECC program has what I would like to do for this year. Science is included but I have Apologia and Real Science 4 Kids. I used these along with HOD because their science was not as much as the history part. I liked the HOD history but been using HOD for three years and would like a change. Just hard not to do the same with the second as the first ya know. My son likes comics and that is why hubby suggested the ACE program.

My Father's World (with older child) Math U See Prima Latina (with older child) Explode the Code (just started book 1 now) First Language Lessons Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons (using this now) Do I need anything else for my first grader? My first year homeschooling I bought Alpha Omega's Lifepacs for first. First grade with second child is going to be a big different.

My daughter uses the Kay Arthur studies. they are pretty much open and go with the books that are studied written in the back of the book so it can even go on the road.

We are a military family. Hubby is in the Navy and I am a mom and wife. Plus it's easy to remeber.

I do all the teaching myself. I belong to a group for field trips and other gatherings.

100 EZ Lessons-just don't care for it. I would like something more fun. I am sucking it up for the year because while it's boring it is working. My son reads and now his little sister in almost on there. HOD Little Hearts For His Glory-wanted to enjoy this as the previous guide and the other guides but this one just didn't click. Sold the guide but then again bought it again and will suck it up to finish the year with it. Mostly because it's bible history and we already do that with church/Sunday school. Lifepacs-math seemed to jump around. My daughter was able to just fill in the blanks and not really remember what she learned. She remembers the books she read and not the workbooks. SOTW-Just isn't working for us. Wanted it to bought the whole set. Finally sold the activity book 1 and gave away activity 2. I still have 3 and 4 but don't plan to use them. Will keep the books and books on CD because we enjoy the reading but don't want to use it as school. Abeka - ya was given some for the early grades and bought for 4th grade. just wasn't a fit too school like. Horizons and Singapore not so good either. I know quite a bit of negitives but I have found some positives and after finishing my third year I have found (I hope) what is going to work for my family. I am not straying no matter how tempting the other stuff looks

I use the base's weekly paper. Ya it's about this and the surrounding bases but it don't have all the bad news plastered all over the place. My children are not sheltered from it since now that my 10 can read and we do watch TV. I just don't point that stuff out. I don't do it steadily only when I think about it. I don't remeber anything current events related until high school. My children are still elementry age. I may do more once the oldest hits middle school and still home.

My game plan: 5yo and 6yo Apologia Science (tag along with sister) Explode the Code Math? may continue with singapore math still on earlybird math History/Geography-America related Language-Japaneese because we are living in Japan First Language Lessons vol. 1 10yo Heart of Dakota's CTC (oldest is really enjoying Preparing) ACE english math? history/science-HOD extra science-Apologia Language-Japaneese and Latin

I am looking for something more independent for my daughter to use since in the fall. I like the looks of TT and I am also a bit drawn to the ACE math. I have heard good reviews about TT but what about ACE? Anyone used ACE for math? Pros and cons about it. I am going to use ACE for our LA subjects and that's what got me to think about their math. TIA

I am enjoying Preparing and so is my daughter. We are on break right now (move) and she is looking forward to going back to it. IMO the science is on the easy side but it's ment for independent so it's a perfect fit for her to do on her own and she's remembering what she's learning. I do add extra science because I personally enjoy science. We don't use her Bible study (have our own). I like the history part of the program and how there is some writing assignments. I have the younger guides too but so far Bigger/Preparing have been my favorite guides and my daughter's favorite. I am using CTC next year along with Real Science 4 Kids.

I have an numbing feeling every now and then from my first epi from 10 years ago. I have also had 2 other semi ones, the first was a full.

what is gfcf?

I skimmed thru the book during my oldest's second grade. Now with her being in forth she can read the book herself and I can skim with my Pre-K and Ker. I like the apologia for the older reader because they can read the book themselves and then do the activies together when it's time. I have all the books and enjoy having them as part of our schooling.

two years ago we skimmed thru that book for second grade. my oldest didn't have an issue with it but I didn't do all the activies in the book. I am using the book again this spring/summer with everyone again but will be doing the activies. I have done the zoology 1 and the astrology as part of 1st grade and 3rd grade science. you can do the books in any order. I am buying the newest book in the series for the fall along with the notebooking journal (easier record keeping for me).

I am gonna use CTC next year after we finish Preparing. While I don't love HOD it does work for my family. Bigger and Preparing have been enjoyable for my oldest. I like doing it all sepeate and it's easier for me to be seperate with each child. I like that it can be independent and less mom consuming since my husband is gone more than home now. I like that we are done with school by 1-130 and we can enjoy the afternoons.

if hubby ain't concerned about, I ain't concern about it.

I took box with all the basics like hammer, wrenches, screwdrivers. Duck tape, hose clamps, zipties, disposable gloves (when emptying the tanks). Stuff to change a tire, you car one will not work. I kept a bin of dishes in the RV, stocked up on the can goods for those last minute lets go. Just stop at the store for the cold stuff and yu are on your way. Kept towels and outdoor toys in the RV. Toys is different for everyone. We started with toddler toys and now we have pool stuff and baseball gloves, soccer ball and stuff to dig in the dirt. I also have basics for drawing/coloring. Oh there is also a box of bedding for the beds. This is what we always have in the RV.

I bought the TM for books 1 & 2. I haven't looked at it yet. I like TMs because sometimes I do get some ideas to help with the teaching. We are using the a,b,c ones w/o a TM.