Thank you. I also just saw a thread about first grade. So many different maths listed! It is by far the hardest choice for me! Gah. I have everything else picked out.

Sorry, is MEP Mathematics Enhancement Programme?

I think workbooks would be fine (he is indifferent, I like them bc I like organization). I remember, as a kid, using the shaped tiles and cubes that click together, but not during actual math lessons (just indoor recess! lol), so I'm not terribly experienced with manipulatives but also not opposed! I don't think I have a preference re: appearance, but maybe color would be nice so his isn't boring compared to brother's BA? That's not crucial though.

Can't edit. He doesn't mind workbook stuff. I know they play with 10 frames at school but I don't know if he has much more experience with manipulatives. He sometimes grasps new concepts a little slower, but once he understands something he takes off with it. That's not all directly related to math, but just learning in general.

I've been reading math program reviews for days and still have no clue what to buy for my first grader. He's in PS kindergarten currently. They haven't really gotten past counting, drawing 10 frames, and counting up (intro to addition). It was easy to choose for his brother because it seems BA would be a good fit for him, based on his skill level and interests. I'm just stuck on what to try for first grade. I feel like I'm going to have to just randomly choose one. But that's potentially an expensive mistake, of it's not the right choice for us. :P If I don't really know what kind of math learner my kiddo is, what do I pick?

We're using the Handwriting Without Tears one, we have only been using it two days but like it a lot. :)

He does really like math. He does well in school but at home he likes us to give him problems to figure out, he likes trying multiplication/division stuff. I think he'd like challenges, he loves to try to figure out mazes and logic puzzles and things--he is stubborn and would probably have a hard time giving up on super hard ones that he's not ready to figure out, but I'll definitely keep that in mind if we start working in BA after school.

I am not positive but I think they use Go! Math at school. I was thinking of just BA? I was looking at that and MM, because I wasn't sure if BA would be too tough to start with, but I'm guessing he'll do okay with it. My husband is afraid I'll overwhelm/overwork him by doing after school stuff, so maybe just a few days a week. Ugh, I wish I could just pull him out now.

I just gave my 7yo (well, 8 this month, second grade public school) the BA third grade pre-assessment--the instructions say a student is ready if they answer 12 out of 16 correctly. The first time through, he got 13 right (working only in his head...HOW are some people just naturals at that?!). Two errors were simple addition/subtraction mistakes--when I had him recheck them (it says to give them a second chance), he got them right easily. The third question he misread/didn't understand--"What digit could fill BOTH blanks below to make this five-digit number greater than 74,500 but less than 75,600?" He initially chose two digits, and when I explained that he had to choose a single digit to go in both spots he figured it right out. I'm not sure if this was too helpful on my part, though? We weren't planning to start HSing until this summer, because my husband isn't sold yet and that was the compromise. :/ But would it be okay to maybe use BA as a supplement, after school? I've read it's more challenging than some other programs, so I wasn't sure if it'd be too much to use after school. If he's ready to do it I'd love to start now and encourage this growth, rather than waiting another 4.5 months until summer. The only math homework he had for the 4-6 weeks before winter break was addition and subtraction flashcards, and Xtra Math speed tests of those same problems. :/ I'd really like to move faster than that for him.

Sorry slow internet--thank you!

I was hoping more that I could work with both on their own grammar and kind of turn back and forth from kid to kid at the same time. But it seems it might be more involved than that!

Okay, this is sooo helpful. I'm starting some copywork and dictation with my 2nd grader now, bc as far as I know he's done none! I think he's capable, just not experienced. Does WWE 2 cover narration? Maybe I will just get 1 to play with now, even if it's easy. Thanks so much. I feel calmer already. ;)

I'm trying to nail down some plans over here. I'll have rising third and first graders. It was my understanding that WWE was meant to be started around third grade, but they should already have a grasp of narration by that point? Did you start earlier (and with what? just reading short stories?) or wait until starting WWE? Or did you start WWE earlier? Maybe I was thinking of Writing Strands.... LOL Would you start your rising third grader with FLL 2 or 3? Would you get a few solid months in with FLL before starting WWE? Or vice versa? (If you weren't starting it all at once.) I wasn't planning on starting the younger one on either just yet. Spelling, grammar, writing...do any of these work with kids of multiple ages working together? I'm looking at AAS and I understand it's not really meant for independent work. Scheduling for two is starting to look overwhelming. :P Naptime for the younger two will probably be the best time to do some things. Thank you!

You guys are awesome. Thank you!! That Time Warp Trio series, whoa. I bet he will love those.

My sister has my SOTWs and has for like two weeks, it's killing me! I need to get them back this weekend. :P I tried a couple of quick searches here, but I'm still getting the hang of the forum set-up and search feature, so I didn't turn up much. I'll check out the other sources, too!

Thank you!! None of these turned up when I searched for books on the time periods, but I've found several at our library searching by title! :p

Same! We have tried to watch it the past few years, but last year (they were 6.5 and 4.5) was the first time they watched and liked it all the way through.

Anyone have favorites to recommend for an avid reader? (He'll be 8 next month and is a Q/R, he's reading the third Harry Potter now but is starting to slow down, it might be a tad too much for him.) I'm hunting around on our library's website and finding lots of reference-type books, or 'day in the life' books for the usual Egypt, Rome, Greece, but I'm looking more for chapter books or longer fiction stories based in that time period but still fairly accurate as far as facts and setting go. He's read the Magic Treehouse one and honestly blows through those in a couple of hours, so something a little longer or a little harder would be fine. Do your kids do notebook pages on non-fiction, reference-type books? I'm trying to piece together our spring/summer plans, and while we'll mostly read about different ancient civilizations and watch documentaries and do crafts and such related to them, I'd like to keep him supplied with lots of reading material, too...and if it's on topic, all the better. :) ETA: I forgot! I do have Greek myths...need to get others. He'd love those.

Following to read up on everyone's experiences. We have four and will only have two in school when we start HSing, but I'll have a 4yo and 2yo home, too. The 4yo will be at preschool three mornings a week, because it is right down the road, play based, and I figured it'd help free up some quiet time for me to do math and writing and such with his brothers. My kids are up at 7, but we still manage to run late and rush most mornings! Gah. I hadn't even considered starting schooling before breakfast, but that totally makes sense!

Thanks sooo much for the replies. I didn't get on much this weekend so I am just seeing the last few. For FLL, I'm on Amazon and see the workbooks and teacher books separate (except I don't see a teacher book for level 1). Necessary to get the teacher books? (Nvmd, found the answer in a review!) There's also a combined 1 and 2 that seems to be an older version. You know, I never really realized that math curriculum in schools changed so often--I certainly don't remember disruptions in my schooling as a kid, and we moved a lot and went to different districts and always did fine. I only ever remember hearing about CC, lol...because so many dislike it (well, and I finally had a kid in school and fell in with that crowd. So it's good to know that we will probably be fine choosing whatever program we want to try, regardless of its degree of alignment. :) As far as returning to school--that's sort of the area where my husband and I are in much disagreement, and it's mostly just the 'newness' of the idea for him. He just doesn't imagine the kids will *want* to be home in the older grades. So I don't necessarily plan on them going back to public school, but it's always a possibility? Idk. Trying to not get too far ahead of myself. :)

Thank you so much, everyone! We're in Ohio. I feel so much better about that particular concern! Just can be overwhelming for a beginnet. Of course it makes total sense to look at local colleges' requirements. :P I guess it's sort of like schools giving you trouble about vaccine requirements, when by law they are required to accept exemptions. :P Know what questions to ask and where to ask them! (Don't mean to start a debate there or anything, just was reminded of my experience, heh.)

I think so? I guess I just didn't realize colleges admitted students without high school diplomas. Like from a school...I obviously have a lot to learn on the topic, but then again, my oldest is 7. :P

I wish I knew what the schools expected--like, if they go back in middle or high school and can do the math, but in a different way...is that going to count against them? Currently they are expected to solve things in certain ways and to show their work. Even now, in second grade, it is mind-numbingly repetitive or over-simplified sometimes. But in 7th grade, are the expected to solve problems that way? At what point can they just...get the dang answer right, any which way?! Gah. So frustrating. Related to college, our district won't give diplomas to homeschooled kids, unless they attend the high school for the last three...semesters or years, I forget. I haven't even begun to look into what that means for our/their future. I have a lot of exploring to do on the boards, it seems. Thanks for the help so far!

It's good to know holding off on grammar is okay while we get situated and check out different programs--I really need to find a convention, because I feel like I'm getting nowhere reading reviews online but not seeing inside the books! Years ago when I was first starting to look into things, I familiarized myself some with Saxon, Math-U-See, and A Beka, but then I didn't think about it for several years, so it all sort of zapped out of mind. :/ Will try to come up with more specific questions with some hunting on the board, I have nothing to compare to but the Go! Math booklets my kids work with at school.

Thank you! I definitely need to find a bookmark of abbreviations somewhere, lol. But a few things--we usually do week day math review and reading over summer break, so we'll continue that this summer. AND I'm having weekly 'camps' for them, learning about different science/history topics (because real camps are sports camps or super expensive Lego camps, le sigh). I'm hoping these things will help us transition to schooling at home full-time in the fall! Because yes, doing it all at once would surely lead to disaster. :P I just deactivated my FB account for a few weeks (house needs more attention, lol), but before I did so I requested to join a couple of local groups. Most locals I know personally who HS actually unschool, but my sister and I are more similar in our plans (she also has a rising 1st grader), so we've been chatting a lot. She's doing a more relaxed system though, not a big math curriculum plan but workbooks on this and that. And just copywork and reading, no spelling or grammar focus at this time.