LOL...yeah...I'm not too keen on ripping the books apart, but I think I'll try it out anyway. It looks less overwhelming in a little file for the week at least!!

Hmmm, I'm probably not being as anal as everyone else here. I'm breaking down workbooks like FLL3 and WWE, but I'm not even going to attempt to file math and such yet, at least not a whole year's worth. I feel like that is a subject that could easily speed up or slow down. We're using WP so I already have a basic schedule for that, so I'm just trying to get things copied, etc that we will need. I don't want to waste my time overplanning, either!!

It's more work than I thought...but it's exciting! I've always just gone on to the next thing too, and run around looking for stuff I need and making copies. I'm pretty excited NOT to have to do that this year, at least with most things.

OMG!!!!! Scratch that one off my list. That's also one of the reasons I'm not high on SL like some people are. I want my kids to learn about the world but I also think their innocence is something to protect. They will learn enough when they are older.

Thanks guys. I don't why I had a panicky moment. :willy_nilly: Thanks for bringing me back!!!! Last year was such a crazy year for us with a toddler, DH away a LOT, and a toddler, oh yeah and moving (and traveling to house hunt and being homeless for oh 3 months where we bounced from family to a vacation rental to fill the time for our house to be ready) that we just didn't get through what I'd hope to get through. I have to remember this year will be different!!!!!!!! :D

I haven't really done spelling formally at all. We got Spellwell last year and ditched it after a couple weeks. DS knew most of the words for the first 2nd grade book, and then thought the work was boring anyway. It kinda was lol. He reads above grade level but spells on level. I'm considering AAS (almost hit send several times LOL) but I just can't decide. It looks good and thorough, and we never did a true phonics program and this kind of includes phonics. I'm scared about the time though. DD1 joins us formally this year. I'm ditching RS for DS now to free up some of my time and because we were having some trouble with it. I will do RS B with DD1 though bc I feel it is outstanding. I'm just afraid of bogging myself down with too much stuff so we don't actually accomplish what we need to. Sitting down and learning a list though just seems so artificial??

OK, I was a little shocked at the size of the book after the first book!!! However after looking through it, it looks great. :) We never finished FLL2 though...it says that shouldn't be a problem...is that right? With DS in 3rd this year, I wanted to pick up the intensity a little bit with him in general after a gentle first few years.

I'm having each child make their own, too. I think they will enjoy each having one and personalizing it. Plus they then have it as their own reference.

I haven't used Sonlight science, but we are going to try Pandia Press REAL Science Odyssey. It's for 1st-4th and all spelled out, and only a couple days a week. Also, they have try before you buy so you can download the first 6 weeks or so and see if it works out for you.

Sometimes it seems like never!

OK, that's kind of what I was thinking. I just need to find a way to get myself to do that planning as time goes on LOL. I get lazy about the crafts but I think the kids need at least some of them. ;) Did you do all the History Pockets stuff? It looks cool but also just like an awful lot!

I thought I had this straight but I was about to order and got confused again. I was going to get two level 1 kits, since my kids will be starting at the same time, and one level 2 since I expect DS to move more rapidly than DD. I was getting one starter set...but now I think I need 2? 2 sets of tiles would be better, right?:smash:

I'm liking this filing idea and I'm trying to plan. How are you all choosing which activities to do? It could take me days and days to choose ahead of time and I see myself changing my mind as time goes on...how are you handling this? There are some I know I definitely want, like things from the craft kit, but the rest???

It does, but they are not nearly as nice as the ones in my old Blackberry. I'm sure I just need to find the right app...but where? lol And of course I have to figure out all the many things to input. ;)

Seriously, I can't even go that long without a snack, let alone my kids. No matter what I eat, my blood sugar tanks and I'm starving well before 3 1/2 hours can go by!

I need alarms and the like to stay on top of things, and I always have my phone with me (but never a planner LOL). Is there some app or something to merge something like that with a phone planner???? Or a way to do it myself I don't know about?

Yes it's easy to do quickly, though you could leave it as-is since it's not related to phonics and reading instruction at all.

I think I would stick them in a binder or file for the year so I have the records. I'm working on my stuff finally, and my plans are a little off. There is no way this will all fit in one file drawer LOL!! I'm definitely going to need a crate or two for the closet for the stuff we are not working on yet. The 4 file folders per file alone are huge!!! (I'm doing one for each child, and one for me for the things we do together)

Great to know, bc I'm thinking of using Earth and Space. ;) I'm still pretty sure the only subject I won't be able to file will be math. I'm thinking of switching to MM, but now bc we will have to do some 2B to start the year since I'm ditching RS C after getting to lesson 100 last year...I can't really judge how far we'll get and when. Which stinks bc I think having things defined by pages in a folder to complete would be really helpful for keeping me on track. Unless I can convince DS to do the work this summer....but that's doubtful LOL!

Haven't started yet, but very inspired to try for the first time after reading the mega-thread!! Now, however, after the title of your post all I hear is Dori from Nemo singing "just keep filing..."

I would either correct them or not use them. That would drive me CRAZY!!!

How did you do FLL3? I haven't bought it yet. Did you get the pdf and just print out each lesson that way?

Oh that list looks great! Except the Tarantula one...that's one of the ones I put down. As for Henry Huggins...wow love them! We wound up getting most of them on iTunes after and listening to them on our road trip when we moved!!

OMG, thank you for this thread! I think I'm making the switch!!! We have been using RS, and overall we really like it. Except now in C, with the crazy subtraction that even I can't really make sense of. We made it to lesson 100 last year, and it's just getting harder and harder for me to teach with 3 kids. My second starts this year, and the time involved for teaching RS C and B was worrying me in my planning. I think I am going to switch DS to this program this year. He'll be in 3rd grade and ready for independent work, something which I really feel our curricula lack (though it was by choice, I think it is time he start doing more on his own.) I will still do B with DD1, because I LOVE the way it REALLY teaches math for understanding...even I learned a lot from it (DH too). Plus, with more time freed up for me, we can continue with RS math games more. I had all but stopped these last year, I just couldn't figure out how to get the time with a toddler in the house. Plus we moved. Yeah, it was fun LOL. I feel like a load has been lifted off my shoulders!!! Can I really just give him the sheets and he learn it independently for the most part? I mean I expect to teach him of course, but the idea of not spending 30 min with him on math daily is so foreign...

We are still in C so this is a nice thread to see. :) I can't decide what to do. Part of me wants to head into SM or something soon because of the time teaching involved, though I'm not really sure something else is less intensive LOL!!! I have DD1 starting with B this year. I'm excited to do it again.