Just chiming in to say that I totally agree the whole "elementary graduation" culture is ridiculous. I have a friend whose preschool had a graduation ceremony with caps and gowns! All I could think was, "What a ridiculous waste of money on those stupid, cheap caps and gowns!" Congratulations, preschoolers...you can now identify the color red. I also dislike the phenomenon because it feeds into the idea that children need to be endlessly congratulated for doing what they are supposed to be doing. Awards and ceremonies are rendered meaningless when there is an award and ceremony for everything. I think it's so much better to support children's growth quietly, simply by paying attention and being there on a daily basis to recognize their everyday efforts.

I am a total homebody and introvert as well, so I completely understand how you feel! I just work really well on my own (ya know, hence homeschooling in the first place, lol!), and like you, I don't feel I need tons of input and interaction from others (on the contrary, I find too much social interaction totally draining and exhausting). This is how I make it work: my family participates in a homeschool co-op one day per week during the school year. This is my max. I participate because my KIDS love it, not because I love it. So, it's a sacrifice I make for them and I really put forth an effort to have fun and enjoy it myself while we're there (I teach classes at the co-op), but the one day per week is my limit. My girls also do dance and gymnastics classes weekly and see other friends for individual playdates probably twice per month, but these are activities I essentially just have to take them to; I don't actually have to do anything other than greet the other parents and sit down. (I actually love taking them to classes because it means I get to sit and read my book while they are enjoying time with all their friends! It's blissful!) So that works really well for my family. A couple of other ideas: (1) Pick your favorite of the many local groups you get to choose from and say goodbye to the rest (without guilt). (2) You could start a kids' bookclub (or other sort of club) and host it at your house. This way, you would be at home in your comfort zone, where you wouldn't have to actually go anywhere, and yet you would still be creating a social opportunity for your kids. (3) Sign your kids up for classes where they get to be with/make friends with other kids, but you don't have to do anything other than drop them off or read in your car. (4) Take your kids out for trips in your community, but make them solo trips with only your family. (For example, maybe chose two local museums or educational spots to visit each month.) This is something we do a lot; I'm not drained by being out and enjoying the community with just my own kids, but I am drained when friends and other families are along. So, taking trips like this with only my kids is fun for me, not exhausting. Maybe that could work for you? For me, it serves as a good way to be "out in the community" without having to make all these commitments to friends and talk to people for hours. We particularly love to see stage shows and performances because you get to go and sit and watch and experience art, without having to talk to other people. So, in short, I think there's nothing wrong with be an introverted homeschool mom! I do think you should probably make a few concessions so you are meeting your kids' social needs, but you certainly do not have to participate in all 10 groups you have access to! Good luck!

We do not! But...I used to be a high school English teacher (before I had children and left work to stay home/homeschool), so maybe I'm just super comfortable with teaching literature in general? My kids are little (8 and 5), and we read tons and tons of novels and picture books, and for us, we simply enjoy the books! We talk about the books in depth and my children are very comfortable using words like "character" and "setting" when discussing books, so my focus in these early years is just on enjoying the story and cultivating a deep love for literature. (I think beating each story to death by asking them to write out answers to questions, etc., would put a huge damper on their enjoyment. I suspect, for example, they would be put off by formal questions, or even purposely start seeking out short books with fewer chapters if they knew there would be questions at the end of each chapter, etc.) I do always ask them questions as we read (to informally assess comprehension) and we'll often discuss how the characters feel, etc., but we do nothing formal or written. (And if they don't understand something, they immediately stop me and ask, "Wait, which character said that?" or whatever.) It works really, really well for us! (Plus, I feel my older DD gets plenty of writing practice through all the narrations she does in all her other subjects and through WWE, FLL, etc., so I feel no pressure for her to write specifically about literature.) What has surprised me most is the constant connections my kids make, all on their own. All the time, they'll shout out things like, "Mary Lennox is so much like X character in X book!" Or, "The setting in this book reminds me so much of X book!" And then they'll go off on a happy tangent discussing the books naturally, without me needing to draw any predetermined answers out of them. So, I feel like they're inherently doing all the thinking of a literature guide, without experiencing any of the negative associations. That's what I really care about at this age--that my girls are thinking deeply about the books we read, identifying with the characters, and really enjoying the richness of the story. Long story short, we simply read great books, stop to savor beautiful sentences, and discuss whatever comes up, in a natural way. Thus far, my girls LOVE books and reading and I'm hoping to keep it that way. :-)

We always tear out the consumable pages; my children just write directly on the pages. (We only have two children, so it's not a huge hit financially to re-buy what's necessary. If I had several children, though, I would probably do things another way in order to save money.) Anyway, in our house, once the work on the consumable sheet is complete, it goes into a clear plastic sleeve which then gets filed into the appropriate section in that child's master binder. (So, each child has a huge binder with a divider for each subject--i.e., one divider for math, one for FLL, one for cursive, one for WWE, one for science, etc., etc.) I find investing in a huge pack of the clear plastic sleeves (you can easily find an economy box of bulk plastic binder sleeves on Amazon) makes all the difference. Then you don't have to punch any holes and nothing gets ripped out or lost. This system is also nice because then I just take the master binder to my homeschool review each semester and I have everything all ready to go, all in one place.

I would start with FLL 2, but adapt it to your needs. For instance, you can always just skim through the table of contents, pick out the lessons you want/you feel your daughter absolutely needs and skip any of the others that you feel aren't necessary. In other words, if you want to complete FLL 2 at an accelerated pace, you could just do the most essential lessons--the ones that go over specific grammar rules--and maybe skip some of the copywork exercises and/or narrations. (My daughter really loved making the "Book of the Year" where she did all the poem copywork, made an illustration for each month, and memorized the big poem about all the months, but I don't think it's a component of the book she absolutely "needed," you know? So while I love the book, had fun with it, and generally think it's great, you can certainly trim it down to suit your needs.) Then, after you cover what you need from FFL 2, you can move onto FLL 3 and not worry that your daughter has significant gaps in her grammar knowledge. That's what I would do, anyway, but I also don't think the world would end if you just skipped to book 3! In my view, grammar (like spelling) is one of those subjects that I think absolutely benefits from direct instruction, yet at the same time, it's something your daughter will also naturally absorb through all her reading and everyday learning. So I wouldn't stress about it. Good luck!

Hi friends! I just had my annual homeschool review with my county yesterday (was once again deemed "compliant," yay! lol) so now I am in full-on planning mode for next year. This is the point in the year where I love to read, reread, or flip through what I think of as my "inspirational" homeschool books--the ones that got me excited about the idea of homeschooling in the first place. I find doing this gets me in the right frame of mind and highly motivated. I always reread many parts of TWTM, of course, but I'd love to hear what others' favorite inspirational books are, since I'm sure there's still many out there I haven't read. Thanks in advance for your thoughts! :-)

Thanks so much for this input! Your ideas sound amazing. It's funny you mention American Girl - my girls are crazy for the historical novels, and the associated history books ("Kit's World", etc.) are actually really great. I'm really tempted now to just do a delight-driven course like this for the next two years, focusing on US history like you've done, and pick up the classical history cycle in 5th. I think it would be so much fun and really get my girls into history, so they're all the more receptive to the classical cycle as they get older. Thanks so much for the inspiration!

My oldest DD is going into third grade and we have used Math U See Primer, Alpha, and Beta so far. We really love this program! We will definitely be using Gamma next year, and my youngest will be moving on to Alpha. I love that MUS makes use of the colorful manipulative blocks and the DVD lessons are great. (I know the DVDs are intended for the parent/teacher to watch, but I always just watch them with my daughters. The DVD lessons always seem to be just the right length to get the concept.) MUS also offers free online drills on their website. (We're going to make better use of that to really get facts down before we move into multiplication next year.) So, my vote is for MUS; we've been very, very happy with it! Best of luck deciding!

Great info and ideas, thank you!

I love the idea of incorporating life skills more formally into our homeschool week, but I haven't actually managed to do it yet. (Of course my girls are learning life skills informally, through daily living, but I was looking through some of my early-childhood Montessori books the other day and I love the way life skills are taught more formally through that method. I'm thinking of getting back to that in an age-appropriate way....) Do you do anything specific with life skills? Rely on any specific books or programs to guide you? I'm thinking of teaching my girls to fully take over certain chores this year (such as their own laundry) and I'm curious to hear what you do in your home. Thanks!

I really love the idea of pressing flowers and recording the names of items found, etc. Sounds lovely. Thanks!

Your family's nature notebook sounds really lovely! :-) Thanks for sharing!

This is super helpful information--thank you so much!!

I don't have any curriculum suggestions, but I just wanted to chime in to say that we just finished our second year of SOTW and I don't love it, either! I adore Susan Wise Bauer and have several of her other books and I love her talks, etc., but I think SOTW is so...uninspiring for young kids. I wish the materials were more visual and beautiful. (All the coloring pages, etc. in the activity book are just so awful. I just really dislike the overall style of the illustrations, etc.) Like you, the best part of our history study this year was when my daughter went off on a weeks-long tangent to study Queen Elizabeth I. I am thinking I might go totally rogue next year (my girls will be in third and first grade) and just do something totally different for history. I'm even considering just doing interest-led stuff for the next two years and then returning to the classical history cycle with the ancients when my older daughter hits 5th grade. Anyway, not sure if any of my thoughts have been helpful, but I wanted to let you know you weren't the only one who isn't crazy about SOTW. (I want so badly to love it, but I just...don't.)

I've used/am currently using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. That book worked like a charm for my oldest and my youngest is whipping through it. It makes teaching reading so incredibly easy. Pros: The lessons are completely scripted and very short (~15 minutes), so you don't have to do any prep whatsoever. Just open and go! My children had/have no trouble following along. My children felt/feel very, very proud of themselves after completing each daily lesson, so it might help your daughter's confidence to see so much quick progress! Cons: The reading passages and illustrations are not very inspiring. (They're just kinda bare-bones and dull.) But like I said, this program gets the job done. So, that book has been the simple tool that has gotten both my kids reading with no issues whatsoever. (Well, that coupled with tons and tons of reading aloud and audiobooks.) That said, I do agree with the previous posters who suggested you do nothing (no formal instruction) for several months, if your child is having anxiety about reading. I think for the next few months, I would just focus on cultivating a love of reading by reading aloud as often as you possibly can, and by choosing beautiful books. Strew tons of books around your house, make sure your child has good reading lighting over or near her bed, and make lots of visits to the library. Have fun! I have also seen great success with both my girls by using the "My First Reader" series books such as Biscuit and Mia. Those are really friendly books; the illustrations and stories really seem to appeal to that age group. Best of luck! Don't worry!

I think I am going to try doing things this way (the super-prepped way) for the coming year. (My oldest is going into 3rd grade.) I have been more casual thus far in our homeschooling (mostly planning weekly), thinking that doing so would allow me lots of flexibility, but in reality, I just haven't gotten as much done as I hoped. (Especially for things like art projects that require gathering of specific materials.) So, I'm going to take most of June to do all my planning, prepping, and printing and see if things go better. (I suspect they will!)

I never bought the WWE instructor text because we're on a budget and a homeschooling friend originally told me I didn't need it if I was using the workbooks. So, thus far, we have just been happily using the workbooks (my oldest is currently finishing up WWE Level 2.) After reading here a bit, I know some people are apparently on the fence about WWE Level 3, so now I'm curious if I should go with the instructor text instead and create my own lessons for Level 3? (Why don't some people like Level 3?) Mostly just curious what I'm missing with the instructor text. Thanks!

We plan to start keeping Charlotte Mason-style nature notebooks next year and I'd love to hear from anyone who has done them before. Would you consider your child's experience successful? I'd love to hear the specifics of what your family did. (What kind of sketchbook you used, the art supplies you used, where and when you did your observations, etc.) Mostly just looking for feedback and inspiration. My only fear with starting them is that my girls will be frustrated by their still-developing drawing abilities. (My oldest tends to be perfectionistic and I don't want her to be frustrated if she can't draw leaves exactly as they appear in nature, know what I mean?) I want to keep it fun and casual, but I'd like to hear about others' real-world experience with the project. Thanks!

Hi all! I'm thinking of teaching geography as a separate subject this coming year and was wondering if anyone could recommend any resources or curricula that would work well for a 1st and a 3rd grader? Some context: up to this point, we've just been addressing geography as it comes up through our studies in history (SOTW) and in science, where applicable, but I'd like my girls to have a stronger understanding of geography in general, so I'd like to put more emphasis on it. I would like to teach it as its own subject this year, but don't have tons of extra time to come up with my own program from scratch. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks in advance for your feedback and ideas!

Thanks, friends for the feedback so far! This info is really helpful!

Does anyone use DreamBox or another math facts computer game? I've been looking into it, and it seems like it might be a fun way for my daughters to strengthen their math facts (we really want to get them down cold), but at the same time, I'm very hesitant to use any kind of computer-based materials for school. (At the moment, my kids don't use any sort of computers or iPads or anything and I'm scared I'll be opening a Pandora's box by introducing them, lol.) But math is a bit of a struggle, especially for my older daughter, and I was thinking that something like this might reinvigorate her love for math. Has anybody used computer games for math? Did you get good results? Thanks in advance for any feedback/recommendations!

This past year, we used a super simple book I found on Amazon called Teaching Cursive! This Method Works by Linda Corson. It has been great! It's nothing fancy - just a little spiral-bound book with simple lessons inside. (You need to supply your own three-lined handwriting paper to actually do the lessons.) But the author groups the letters together in a way that makes perfect sense and the lessons are easy, short, and simple. It has worked like a charm and my daughter now writes with beautiful cursive. Highly recommend!

We're mainly classical homeschoolers, but I have do have a soft spot for many "Waldorf-y" things, such as lots of handwork and limiting kids' exposure to electronic media. (Thus far, my girls have not used iPads or computers in any capacity for school, and I like it that way.) That said, the post about typing programs got me thinking and I am wondering when most people start introducing basic computer and typing skills? I had initially planned to wait until middle school, but I'm wondering if others tend to start earlier? (Context: My oldest will be starting third grade in the fall; since she has just finished learning cursive--and will use it from here on out for all of her writing assignments--it occurred to me that beginning typing skills might be a good next thing to add to her schedule in the fall. If we did it, though, I'm pretty sure we would be doing it just to teach her HOW to type; I'd still require her to handwrite all her writing at this stage.) In short, what are your thoughts on age and computer skills? When did you/when do you plan to introduce typing and computer skills? How much, if any, of your schoolwork is done on the computer? Very interested to hear what others have done/plan to do! Thanks!

We bought this one two years ago and have been very happy with it! It's nothing fancy, but it does the job and my girls haven't managed to damage it yet! ;-) I like that it's lightweight so they can get it down off the bookshelf themselves very easily.

This is such a great idea--thank you! I love the idea of just keeping a log and making note of when we've addressed/discussed a specific health topic. This would be the perfect tool for providing "evidence of instruction" at my review. I think I'm definitely going to start doing this and then just grab a suggested text or two. That should work really well and will feel so much easier on my side of things! Thanks, friends, for all the feedback so far! :-)