I have only used Sonlights history and literature but I really love it! Its feel so relaxed and the stories are the best part! Like others have said don't be a slave to to whatever you use, let it be a tool!

Language arts tgab level 4 Art tgab Spelling tgab and dyslexia tutor Math tgab level 5 History Sonlight C with 5th grade readers & Little school of smiths Adventure to a new world Science Gods design Heaven & Earth

I would drive my kids at least one way if they went to public school (actually some do and that is what I'm doing). Breakfast and lunch are free here (though it is super unhealthy) At our elementary school there are fundraisers at least twice a month. FroYo Friday to support teachers classrooms which is $5 each month (kids are looked down on and feel bad if they don't get it). All field trips cost the normal price no discounts so anywhere from $8-$12 for each one and there are several a year New backpacks School supplies Classroom snacks Teacher gifts (so at least 5) for Christmas, Mothers/Fathers Day and Teacher appreciation day. Random events that are usually around $5 per person Thanksgiving meal for family at school during lunch $5 per person All in all I spend quite a bit of money with my kids in public school! I think it actually is a bit more expensive for me than homeschooling. If you throw in my added stress from all that schools require, driving, always having at least one kid I have to pick up for sickness or something, homeschooling wins 😉 ETA: I didn't even include sports fees because I figured either way we'd do them. However, there are other fees in each class like lab fees, band fees, ect. Depending on what kids get in their schedule. Also I'm not including my salary IF I were working because I've always had at least 1 or two that would require daycare if I worked which would cost more than anything I would bring in. Even now I'd need half day of daycare if all my kids were in school.

Why don't you start a park group? Where you meet at the park kids play and moms chat! Its super simple and low key, we did one for years and really loved it! Your kids are young so the other thing I'd do is just invite a couple other moms over with their kids and let them play while you chat.

I'd look at the Good and the Beautiful math! My daughters are loving it and its fun without being too much at the same time. Its also spiral so it reviews a good amount.

I had the same question and found this video really helpful! https://youtu.be/Nc35fU8q46Y?si=uvKi7JMqwypogMpI

That's what I was thinking too, that spelling would reinforce or teach what she doesn't know.

My youngest is an amazing reader! We have done The good and the beautiful and she has flown through their reading booster cards so much so that she's finished all of them in 1st grade. She reads the Boxcar children fluently AND even gives each character different voices with the correct expressions. She is reading American Girl books and many others and isn't even 7 yet. I am just wondering if I should drop any reading curriculum so we can focus on spelling next year. She doesn't want to sit and do a reading curriculum and gets so upset! I don't blame her she knows most of it and what she doesn't she picks up on quickly. I would like to drop a few things, and tgab is possibly one of them, so I have more time for other things. Unlike my older boys she doesn't seem to need the same things and get frustrated because she wants to be writing or doing copy work but we are spending time practicing advanced phonics and she doesn't want to, she wants to read and write (but we do need to work on writing/spelling because she is very much her grade level in those). Give me peace of mind that she will be okay if we drop reading curriculum/phonics, even if its only for a year or two? She turns 7 soon and will be in second grade next year.

Have you considered letting go of what you think they NEED to do? You are reading good books so why does the writing matter to you? (rhetorical question here), I grew up doing very little school, and while its not a path I've chosen in my homeschool, it also wasn't a bad way! We owned our own business and us kids worked a few hours a day at it and read lots of books. all of my siblings are successful, some own their own businesses and do very well, some have college degrees, some have certificates for certain studies, but all are succeeding at whatever they have chosen. Yeah we were all behind in math and writing but we caught up with what we wanted for our goals really fast. I'm not saying this to persuade you to unschool but consider what owning a business and having your kids help in it IS teaching them! You don't have to feel bad that they aren't doing things like you think should be done. There are many ways to homeschool and none are better than another but some fit others more. I guess what I am saying is, consider if what you feel is missing in your homeschool really matters to you or if there are other things that matter more.

Have you thought of doing Thinkwell? I've heard some great things about it.

I understand it is overwhelming! I have 7 kids (5bio 2 foster) and homeschooling is hard with all their different struggles. I will say my experience with public school and therapies hasn't been great and even the ones getting it aren't doing much better because the schools are so over run. I've had better luck finding private places. As far as reading and comprehending maybe see if your local Masonic lodge has a reading program by the Scottish learning Rite, it's often free and the tutors are trained in being able to help.

Do you mean reading struggles, or math, or processing information in general? Have you had him tested for adhd or anything? I ask because my son is autistic but is very high functioning and getting him on the right meds has made a HUGE difference! My youngest son also has ADD (the non hyperactive) and struggles with attention so much I thought he had dyslexia but it was in fact not being able to focus enough to learn. We started him on the supplement from On Task Naturally and it has made night and day difference in him and he finally started to read and is at or above grade level now! All this to say getting the help he needs either in therapy or meds can make a significant difference. Ps On task is not mlm just a small company. https://ontasknaturally.com/shop/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAzc2tBhA6EiwArv-i6f9iN_c5f0KGoeyesAHYi44g86PG60WQhgpIkigkg0ZV6hVAfEmBmhoCOSUQAvD_BwE

TGAB is wonderful! My oldest scored a 94% on the SAT with English being quite high and the only language arts instruction he got was from tgab. OP. MB isn't bad and I actually think it could be a good option for some kids. their math is the only math my 16 year-old liked. I like their Gods Design science quite a bit. I have also considered Americas story because I like it! I think Language arts through literature might get boring because its the same thing every week and each day is about the same my kids hated that but its about the only negative I can really think of. I probably wouldn't get the pre packaged option because there are things I like better on the same levels not offered in the premade but basically I think it can be great for some kids.

The regular one! There are some simple experiments too, which is nice.

I had forgotten about those books. Maybe I'll check them out. I did start Masterbooks and I'm quite liking it! We are using it as a spine and then I found a bunch if books on the topic at the library. The way I'm doing it takes 30 minutes for 2 lessons and we are enjoying it! The language is more simple and holds my kids attention better, and mine since its so short. Its early to say but for the 6 lessons we've done I'm enjoying it. Its kind of like doing their own thing but with some guidance of the spine and filing it out with books they choose.