Ds began reading small books around 3 as well. I didn't do much other than continue to read to him and keeping him supplied with books that were at his reading level. I kept increasing the difficulty of the books to keep him challenged and he would just read those and move on to harder books.

When ds was still a toddler he drank goat's milk but as he got older and didn't need the fat/protein of milk so much anymore we switched to almond.:)

Eh...we usually put away the box of weapons when friends come for playdates just because you never know what comfort level other parents have when it comes to weapon play. They usually just get more creative and make guns and swords out of the Legos and Tinkertoys though. I really don't have an issue with pirate play and we adore the "Patch the Pirate" series as well!:001_smile:

I became hypothyroid after ds was born and have been on Synthroid since (although I've been trying to persuade my doc to prescribe Armour). From what I've read it really is best to see an endo. during your pregnancy if possible. The baby's thyroid isn't fully developed until approximately the 5th month so your body would naturally produce extra hormone for the baby but with Synthroid you're on one set dose so your body doesn't do that natural regulating which is why you need regular testing to make sure that your dosage is enough. There have been some studies that show if thyroid hormone levels drop too low during pregnancy it could possibly effect the development of the baby.

..bump for the day crowd:).

Hello everyone, I have to admit that phonics is an area where I haven't been..umm..how shall I put this..consistent with. When ds was younger and began to show an interest in reading we started out with an older, handed down version of HOP. We'd barely made it through basic consonant sounds when he discovered The Magic Treehouse series, decided he wasn't going to wait around for phonics instruction to catch up and took off in reading on his own. I figured he was either a strong whole word reader or had some how intuited the rules of phonics on his own but either way he was reading fluently, comprehending well and was voracious in his appetite for books. Despite my lack of involvement in the whole process I patted myself on the back for a job well done, figured "What's the point with phonics now?" and slacked off on phonics in lieu of just letting him read what he wanted.:tongue_smilie: Fast forward a couple of years and I'm starting to have some second thoughts. Ds still loves to read and still has a voracious appetite for books. I can't however get the nagging voice out of the back of my head that is saying "..but what about phonics?..". I think for the most part he knows all the phonemes. He's currently reading through the Narnia series and has little to no trouble sounding out larger words that he comes across. If I show him just the sounds he can easily tell me their sounds..he just isn't exactly clear on the rule for why "y" makes the long e sound at the end of one word and the long "i" at another. I've been trying to put together our curriculum for next year and keep going back and forth as to whether I should take a step back and do some phonics review. Will I be doing him a disservice by not giving him formal and complete phonics instruction despite him already reading well? Are there any other benefits to phonics instruction aside from just learning to read (spelling, understanding of our language, etc...). I'd love to hear other's thoughts and opinions on this. Thanks in advance!:)

No advice but wanted to send well wishes to your ds (and you!) during his transition time.

Do you mind if I ask why, lol.

Lol! That's too funny!

I agree that if Sonlight is working for you then stick with it!

What a sweet family..prayers being said!

Yeah...take out would be the only option unless everybody would be happy with a bowl of oatmeal and hard boiled eggs.:D

I use these and have always been very happy with them! http://www.dharmatrading.com/vt.html You can buy them online but our local craft stores (JoAnnes, Michaels, AC Moore) sell them as well. Happy painting!:)

MUS is a great program too! They don't allow you to progress until you've mastered your facts. Some old fashioned drill work may do a world of wonders as well. I know math drill work is boring for kids..but IMHO it's just one of those things that they need to do.:)

I've found that wet wipes do help quite a bit. Good luck!:)

Thanks for the welcome ladies:). I'm really enjoying these boards and do apologize again if I stepped over the line.:) Rebecca - thanks so much for your kind words..I'll be sure to let you know if I'm ever going to be in your part of the world!

Those symptoms could accompany something as simple and treatable as a vitamin deficiency but could be indicative of something more serious as well. Get to a doc asap and best wishes on the road to recovery!

Another Buffalo area homeschooler checking in here!:001_smile:

Sounds like a neat program, thanks for sharing! I do think it's fair to give both the resources you used as well as your daughter credit for her progress in reading. Success is almost always going to be a combination of what you use along with your child, their learning style, personality, etc...

Those sound great as well! How wonderful to have so many options in your area!:001_smile:

For 1st grade we read Bible together, do a light devotional, read stories from Egermeier's Bible Storybook, memorize Bible verses, pray together, etc.. Next year we'll be adding "Growing Up Plants" to the mix.:001_smile:

We started out the year using WWE for my 1st grader and did enjoy it. About halfway through the year though we started to just use the same model WWE uses but just applied it to the book he was reading at the time. For example, he's currently reading "The Silver Chair". He reads a couple of chapters a day and then I pull copywork, dictation and vocabulary words from what he's read. I've also been re-reading the books (I love them dearly so this gave me an excuse:tongue_smilie:) so that he can narrate what he's read and we can discuss for comprehension purposes. We do use a separate spelling curriculum (Sequential Spelling) and FLL level 3 for Grammar (on a lighter, more stretched out schedule). Like I said, I really liked WWE with the exception that they were only getting snippets of stories at a time which gave it a slightly disconnected feel. By using a book that he's reading in full it feels a little more cohesive.:) Also, since ds is a bit asynchronous with language arts it allows me to tailor things more to where he's at and still allows him to read books that are at his reading level. I hope this made sense..lol!

Your instincts are right on. http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/Passion-Christ.html

The Lego book looks great! Thanks for the links!:)

Prayers being said..