We used bread bags or even walmart type bags in our shoes, over our socks for snow and if we had tons of rain we would put the bags over our shoes to get to the car for church, school, etc. My parents had 5 of us girls and couldn't afford rain boots, snow boots, stc. So we made do. We didn't get a lot of snow so we also did the socks as gloves. Layering a few pairs. Made it hard to use your fingers but worked great for making snowballs. :) I have used these same techniques for my son. Whatever works right??

I am interested to see the replies as I plan on using MFW Adventures for my son who is 8. This is our first year to homeschool so I know almost nothing about the different curriculums.

Thanks so much :laugh:

I want to follow this as I almost used Khan as the only math here. I just wasn't sure.

I bit the bullet and ordered the CLE this morning. I did go with second grade though because I seriously haven't seen him do a lot of what was in the samples. I guess that is the good thing about being home. We can take it at his speed and he can review if he already knows it or pick up new skills he wasn't taught. He is not very good at independent work so I assume I will be right there with him the majority of the time anyway so that is no big deal. He is the only child I have so I can focus just on him if need be. I am hoping a lot of his anxiety will dissapate and maybe using a lower level will make him feel more confident and give him the courage to try more on his own as well. I really just want the facts and concepts to stick. I am so thankful to all of you for your help and opinions. It makes things so much easier to decide when I can talk to people who have kids like mine and have used different choices.

Honestly, the meds have made the biggest difference in my 8 year old ADHD/ASD son. I tried everything under the sun before we started them. We eat as much organic as we can which can be hard as he has a limited diet due to sensory issues. I have found replacements for some of his faves that he likes as well so that helped. We removed all red dyes from anything he takes in or uses or wears. THAT has made the biggest difference in his behavior even on meds. If he is exposed I know within 10 minutes. It is so crazy. He knows now too and looks at every package to make sure it doesn't have any red dye in it. He even tells the people at the houses we trick or treat at that he can't have red. SO cute. We get some odd looks but whatever. He is being responsible for himself. The ASD helps with the rule following sometimes. ;) He rarely gets sugar, drinks no types of soda (says they are hot), and no caffeine unless he has sweet tea when we go out to eat. Usually he wants ice water though. We drink raw milk as he can't tolerate grocery store milk.

Oh my gosh. First of all, thank you all so much for the information! So helpful for this newbie! I had never heard of CLE so I went to look into it after reading the responses and I do believe I really like their approach. Especially after looking through the samples they have. The layout looks very neat and orderly and nice but not overly distracting. Blaze tests half a year ahead in math but I see him struggle to recall his basic facts. Plus as I was looking through the samples, not just for CLE, there are things in the 3rd grade curriculums I know he isn't ready for and things in the second grade curriculums I never saw him bring home at all. I am shocked. Can the public school math really be that much behind? Blaze has receptive and expressive language delays, processing speed issues and he is very hard on himself. If he can't so something perfectly the first time he doesn't want to do it. The anxiety of doing something wrong can sometimes overwhelm him. He has done a lot better since school let out and I am working on some brain quest 2nd grade worksheets here and there to help him review. I just really think he should be able to do more than I feel he can do. Does that even make sense? I can't see how he tested above level. Not meaning that in a mean way either. i don't mind what ever level he is on as long as I know he knows what he is doing. I don't want him to not have a complete grasp on math and just keep moving. I feel that is what the public school was doing. Because he had an IEP I think they "helped" too much. I believe I am going to try the CLE but start in the 2nd grade to make sure he has retained info and concepts he should have down pat. After all, if it doesn't work then I can change it!

Hi! I am new here to this forum, new to homeschooling, and feel new all the way around lol. I have nailed down all of my son's curriculum for his 3rd grade year. Except math. I think because I am not so hot in math I get worried he won't excel. Although in school he tested about half a year ahead. He just seems like he struggles when I watch him do it. Blaze turned 8 on Aug. 9. He has ADHD and Autism. (Asperger's) He is very smart but has processing issues. Things can take him longer to do due to his processing speed. We decided to homeschool this year after he begged me. He went through such bad bullying last year from two kids that it ruined his love of school. I hate that because he really did enjoy going and playing with other kids. I decided on My Father's World Adventures in US History, a free online spelling and language arts curriculum from k12reader, extra science requested by him is Apologia Astronomy, Handwriting Without Tears (he has dysgraphia), and Keyboarding Without Tears. I am so stuck on the math. I am leaning towards, Teaching Textbooks, Life Of Fred, and Singapore. What is your experience with these programs? Any help is truly appreciated. We are starting the first week of September so I need to get on the ball haha. Thank you in advance!

Well, I am new here and new to homeschooling in general. (first year) but I am using a free online spelling and language arts curriculum from k12reader. It is all planned out and the language arts lessons correspond to the spelling lists and they have dictation sentences and activitie to do daily. You could do as many or as few as you want. I printed all the lists and lessons out and organized them by week in a 3 ring binder. I am not a fan of common core but it is aligned and 36 weeks planned out already. That took a lot of stress off me and some cost as well. :hurray: