I started spelling with my first grader at the beginning of this school year. I figured that he was ready because he was a decent reader and we had used a program that teaches reading through spelling. But no. We quickly dropped it and will probably try again next year for 2nd grade.

When is the typical time to begin Latin instruction? I have a rising 2nd grader. First grade has been very lax around here. We will typically do a math lesson and he'll read to me. He loves to write, so other than the occasional WWE lesson, he mostly just writes while he plays. We are going to incorporate quite a bit more structure to our days next year, so there is going to be quite a learning curve for all of us. Because of this, I am not sure if adding Latin is the best idea. When do people typically begin Latin? Also, I know nothing about Latin, and would need a very scripted/easy-to-teach program. Any recommendations on what might be a good fit? Visual or hands-on is ideal for this kiddo. He's pretty Type-A, but loves to create things with his hands. Worksheets are a slog...but we do use them some (CLE math...I'm looking at you.) Thanks!

She's amazing. What a great website!

Bible/History/Science: MFW Adventures Grammar: FLL 2 Writing: WWE 2 and he'll keep working on cursive (Pentime) Spelling: Rod & Staff Spelling by Sound and Structure Math: CLE 2, CWP and FAN math level 1 Reading aloud 20 to 30 minutes/day He also attends a weekly homeschool enrichment program that teaches science, social studies, Spanish, PE, art, and music. He plays baseball in the summer and wants to start violin lessons.

Thank you! This is very reassuring. I appreciate your reply!

You're my hero.😂

My rising 2nd grade son will be doing MFW Adventures next year. We will be using CLE 200s for math, WWE2, FLL2, and Rod & Staff Spelling by Sound and Structure for language arts. We will keep practicing reading and I'll read aloud to him. Oh and I also have FAN math and CWP both level 1 that we will use to supplement CLE. For those who use/have used MFW, (specifically Adventures or the program in general) did you supplement any of the subjects they cover? If so, can you share what you used? Does what I'm planning look like I'm missing anything? FWIW I haven't yet decided on whether we'll begin foreign language next year. Thanks!

Do you always make an attempt to "finish what you start" in terms of read-alouds? I ordered a bunch of the Sonlight read alouds for my first grade son. We are totally slogging through A Year of Miss Agnes. There isn't anything awful about the book itself. I am enjoying it well enough, but my son is not clicking with the book at all. How do you guys handle read alouds that your kids just aren't getting into?

The Teacher's Manual and the Student Workbook are a must. The phonogram cards are very helpful too. They have the sounds of the phonograms and examples of each printed on the back, which is helpful. That's about it. We never used the tactile handwriting cards, but the usefulness of those would probably vary from child to child. It really does depend on whether you are committed to their handwriting program. The whiteboard was helpful, but you can buy those cheaply anywhere. Also, we attempted to use the phonogram tiles, and those itty bitty things are a huge mess, and obnoxious to sift through. Think of confetti. :) Of course, if you love to organize, you could probably think of some nice little system to keep them neat. For us, though, all of those things were extras that weren't necessary. Just our experience!

Me too. I cant imagine it taking more than 2 or 3.

This is probably what I'll do. Going through the curriculum and creating somewhat of a plan (chapters associated with lit recommendations, project materials, etc.) was mostly an effort to help me not find myself scrambling at the last minute. Thankfully, the only time those hours must be shown is if you get dragged into court. No annual evals or anything required. It really just is my hand-to-the-paper that shows what we've done. From HSLDA for my state (Missouri): Six hundred of the 1,000 hours of instruction must be among one or more of the following core subjects: reading, math, social studies, language arts, and science. Of those 600 hours among the core subjects, 400 must occur at the "regular" homeschool location, which is not defined in law. If you are homeschooling a child who is younger than 16, you must maintain (but do not need to submit) the following records for the child: A plan book, diary, or other record indicating subjects taught and educational activities engaged in. This requirement can be satisfied by keeping a daily log of hours of instruction. (HSLDA offers a fillable spreadsheet that our members can use to keep a daily log.) Samples of your child’s work. Academic evaluations. (These could be regular tests in the various subjects, annual standardized tests, etc.)

You're definitely right about the Abeka materials and WWE. I just wanted to reiterate some phonics, but he's so far advanced past the Abeka Language book that it is almost a waste of time to do it I can't imagine it taking him more than 30 seconds to do several pages, which doesn't at all help my documenting requirement. The penmanship book is because he wants to learn cursive and he *loves* to write. But his cursive is actually excellent because of a brief intro to Pentime this year, so the Abeka penmanship is probably unncessary too. That would be more of something to do if he feels up to it. Thankfully, the only time you have to *prove* anything in my state is if you get dragged to court.

Thank you all for your helpful replies! It appears that planning runs quite the gamut. I should've probably noted that my state requires documentation of 1000 hours of instruction (a unit of TIME, according to HSLDA). So having *something* that is somewhat formally documented is necessary in my situation. I love the more laid back approach. I'm going to find a happy medium, because in my case if I don't have some sort of written plan, it doesn't happen. Not to mention I've had 'document, document, document!' drilled into my head as an RN. ☺️ There are so many helpful tips on this post - thank you all for that! It's nice to see the variation among homeschoolers, and it's nice to know that as homeschoolers we can have that variation. Again, thank you for giving me a glimpse into what is working for you and giving me plenty of options to consider.

I'm curious if anyone has lesson planning tips to share? I am currently planning first grade for my oldest child. I have all of my curricula purchased and ready to go, which is a big relief! I'm finding that it takes a significant amount of time to go through teacher guides, write out page numbers, supplemental reading and activities, etc. for each of the various subjects. Of course I know that this is expected, but with a demanding toddler and a busy preschooler underfoot, I'm wondering if any of you seasoned homeschoolers have any tips or advice for creating lesson plans? Currently I'm considering just planning in 6 week blocks. Any other planning-made-easier ideas? What works in your homeschool? (FWIW - SOTW 1, CLE/MM combo, Memoria Press 1st Grade Enrichment, WWE 1, Abeka Language & Penmanship, R&S Spelling, simple unit study style Science)

We used Singapore Essentials A and B for kindergarten and started in on Singapore 1A. After loads of resistance with Singapore, I got out CLE, which I was saving to start in the fall. (I have always planned on using both until I figured out which was the best fit for my son.) Some sort of switch flipped in my 6 year old boy. He absolutely loves math now and his number sense has grown leaps and bounds. He does math for fun now, and is manipulating numbers in his head with ease. He tells me he likes CLE so much better. When asked why CLE is more fun for him, he said, "I don't want pictures, mom. I want numbers!" We only got through math 102 before summer break, but we won't be giving up CLE any time soon. Also, the flashcard system is incredible. I cant imagine going through this program and NOT being rock solid on math facts. I cant speak to Horizons, but I dont think you can go wrong with CLE. Plus it is fairly cheap to try, so if it doesn't resonate with your child for some reason then you aren't out much. CLE is a winner around here.

Hello, all. We just finished Logic of English Foundations C, and we are bogged down with the pace and quantity of phonograms that C dished out. My guy just finished up Kindergarten and is reading fairly well, but we still need phonics work. Does anyone have recommendations of a simple, affordable way to practice and solidify phonics? We are going to wait on LoE D, perhaps saving it for 2nd grade. I'm thinking maybe Explode the Code? Abeka Letters and Sounds? Any other suggestions? Simple worksheets work well for him. Thanks in advance!

Thank you so much!

Has anyone used Dr. Jay Wile's Science in the Ancient World along side SOTW with a 1st grader? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

I guess I was under the impression until they are reading really well they still needed explicit phonics instruction? I don't know...I'm new at this. :) Thanks for the advice!

This is my experience almost exactly. That being said, it has been great for reading comprehension, gentle artist exposure (we didn't do the music...ahem), and has introduced us to some great books. We only have K. I bought all the books on Amazon for less than that package deal on MP. I just check the science and recommended reading books out from the library. On Monday we do part 1 (read, vocab, comprehension questions) and Thursday we do some of part 2 (science read-aloud, art/artist card). I do like it. I think it is sweet and gentle. I don't think much of the artist or illustrator information is being retained whatsoever. It is a little verbose for the K age, but the vocab and reading comprehension portions are great.

My kindergartener is just beginning LoE Foundations C. I own D, and after looking through it I'm not sure that we are going to continue with Foundations after C. That particular style of teaching spelling isn't jiving for either one of us, not to mention we're using a different handwriting program as well. Looking through D, I don't think it is going to fit us any better. Can anyone recommend a more traditional phonics program for a student who has successfully completed much of Foundations? He is reading fairly well (Frog and Toad, Level 1 and some Level 2 readers, etc.) I am strongly considering Abeka Phonics and Language 1. Any insight? Would that be too easy? Any other recommendations? Thank you! FWIW: We'll also be using WWE 1 and I'm considering SYS B as well.

We've enjoyed: Dominic (by William Steig) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Dahl) Toys Go Out (Emily Jenkins) Fantastic Mr. Fox (Dahl) James and the Giant Peach (Dahl) among others that have already been listed. We tried Freckle Juice. For some reason that style doesn't resonate with my guy.

Thank you for this! It's interesting, because I'm also looking at Abeka Language 1. I appreciate your feedback!

I am looking at Spelling You See for my rising 1st grader. I am planning on doing WWE 1 next year as well. Is that just too much copywork? I'd say that we'd just use that as our handwriting as well, but my son is really loving cursive, so we'll be doing a cursive program too. Does anyone else combine SYS with programs that also have copywork and dictation, such as WWE? What does that look like in your home? Any input appreciated!

Thanks, everyone!