Yes its on your own time but sometimes it says if you want to read one of the additional books that such and such is a good one for this lesson. As for the new units I do not get the change? I think its more chaotic personally than the older units because there is a ton of stuff to cut out and now we have some in journals and the course book. I see people getting to excited about it being open and go and I'm like, ummmm, its no different! Just harder to organize now. I do like that they have streamlined the lessons more though, some of the older units were SO wordy and long to read that "I" got bored, lol!

This is so profound! I'm so glad you wrote this because I'm realizing I have struggled with this without really knowing it.

I don't think this a homeschooling issue but an issue with too many activities. I have teens and you don't have to be that busy with activities even as they get older. I would do 1 for each kid and that's it! no martial arts and basketball. Also you're doing a majority of your schooling after lunch maybe if you changed that you would feel like you have more time? When we get up and get it done first thing we all feel like we have more time to do other things. What time are you getting up and starting your day? Realize that all the activities your doing now would be very stressful if they want to public school because instead of a nightly routine you'd still have homework after all the stuff you're doing now. It may be less busy while they're gone but you'll be busier in the am and pm of your day.

I just really hope I'm doing the right thing by switching! 😬🙈😭I don't want to buy it and then the same thing happen, i did that with my older kids and we just eventually had to stick with something and make it work. But he's never switched so i just don't know.

Yes, the old was getting hard to want to do as well because of all the pieces, lol! The new really is SO much better! Its just feeling like a struggle and can't even say its him I'm realizing its me too. We both have a hard time with it. And I don't know why! It explains really well, is fun, and has logic. I tried all the tips today and his focus was 100% better he got in and did his independent practice without any problems while I worked with my kindergartener ....then we got to the lesson and we were both struggling, I ended up just saying you did great lets stop, lol! Its not that its too hard or anything its just something...and I don't understand what is going on.

It is colorful but NOTHING like The good and and the beautiful, they have full on gorgeous pictures intertwined with their math. Its really beautiful and so fun! Horizons is colorful but it isn't like that.

I just can't add another math to my thinking at the moment 😉 but thanks for the suggestion! I LOVE TGAB simply math but for whatever reason it hasn't been working, And its not just something new we really struggled last year too and ended up taking 6 weeks to 2 months off in the middle of the year just because it was a fight (It wasn't just him either I had to fight myself to want to do it). So I feel like I've given it a year and after starting up new after time off and still feeling this way I think we should switch.

I think that is what I'll do. He can look the answers up on his multiplication chart for things where he needs to know them in other places.

That is a great idea!

That is amazingly brilliant! I have not tried that but I think it may work. I'm definitely going to try this strategy starting tomorrow! Thank you!!!

I could possibly do some prep work... I'm not really sure how i would do that but I'll give it some thought. As for the sitting with him during independent part I'm not sure that would be helpful or not. The images are distracting even when i sit with him 🙄 but maybe i can give more direction during that time or set a timer... I'm not sure. I did look at the next levels and they cut the color images quite a bit so if we can just get through this level he might be okay in the next ones.

Okay here we go again! I really thought we had found the math we would stick with till my 3rd grader gets to Saxon but we need to change. He isn't ready for saxon yet because his handwriting isn't good enough yet to copy into a notebook that is why I'm not switching straight to that, We've been using The Good and the Beautiful math his whole schooling and I have completely satisfied with everything they have taught, he is very good at math and his thinking is beyond what any of my other kids have been at his age. I credit it to the hand holding I've had as a teacher using Tgab math. However, the last year my son has been frustrated with the math and it boils down to 2 things, the biggest issues is the color their new editions are SO colorful that he will start his independent work and then before he knows what is happening he is off to daydream and can't do a simple 11-5= problem and math ends in tears because he has spent 30 minutes on 2 problems most of which is because he is so distracted by the fun images that basically cover the whole page. The other issue is now that he is 1/3rd through their 3rd grade book I am NOT liking the way they teach multiplication. They don't do it by families but random problems based on music the author wrote that has no rhyme or reason to the facts, they say its because it all has be memorized so why teach by families and waste time? This may be true but my son has not mastered any of the problems and we've been doing it faithfully. I think their method is just plain weird. All that to say I am now looking at Horizons, Saxon 3, or possibly Abeka (not sure about his one). Except I'm worried about them because tgab math has such great logic and rea life math that its been so refreshing instead of just facts, I'm worried my sons great understanding will go away with using these very fact driven programs. I know Singapore or beast academy is good but I am ONLY considering those 3 I mentioned because I wouldn't be able to teach the others. Question 1. Do they need to all the multiplication facts for Horizons 3? My son knows 2,5,10,1's, he understands the concept completely but the others aren't memorized yet.. He passed everything for 3rd grade horizons except the multiplication without help. Question 2: Do you think doing tgab lessons with me (only the lesson not the additional practice) and then horizons work pages would be too much or even work? I love the way they teach and hold my hand without being too much work or manipulative heavy and the only reason I'm considering switching is because he can't focus with the color pages. Any other suggestions to make tgab math work would be appreciated.

I vote beautiful feet! Doing 2 years in 1 might be a bit much at that level but why don't get it and see how it goes as planned an you can go from there? I suppose you could always work through summer if you really felt like you have to finish all 4 but there's also no reason to do all 4 years, I would just pick the ones your kiddo is most interested in!

Treasure from Mcgraw hill has these science books and are free https://web.archive.org/web/20190619192117/https://www.mhschool.com/instructional_materials/ca/fwo.html

Id try Beautiful Feet history! Lots of beautiful stories and books but can be done family style! https://www.bfbooks.com/Literature-Packs/4-6th-Studies

Wow, that's cool! Thanks!

Thanks! I'm afraid the links don't work anymore in most of the posts but it did give me some ideas :0)

My husband is going to be teaching highschool zoology course and can't seem to find what he is looking for. Do you know of any good ones? He wants hands on activities and such. It doesn't matter if its secular!

WE Really love The Good and the Beautiful! They just redid their level K and its AMAZING!!! Not too time consuming or hard and is a mix of different philosophies like charlotte mason/classical/ and others.

I agree completely!

Well, that's your opinion 😉 the fact they are trying to make their products better is a GOOD thing in my opinion. Their first editions were written by a mom with no editing by anyone else and as they have grown their resources have changed so they have tried to make it better. its simple really. I know you are anti tgab and that's fine. I was simply letting them know that these new editions are better and have changed from what the other poster was saying had been in them. I hated their earlier editions for the same reason @ktgrokmentioned but having looked at it thoroughly it doesn't seem to be an issue anymore.

This is exactly what the new edition changed! They used actual reading specialists for this edition and they didn't before.

If he likes reading biographies then let him read all he wants! Try to suggest ones about mathematicians and maybe he will want to try some of the problems they were dealing with himself. Maybe taking a class on construction would be his geometry because he'll need to know how to compute for different things. Just a few thoughts. He doesn't sound college bound and trades might be a better direction for him since they are real life and might be something he enjoys more.

Maty Ruths Organics supplements are the best!!!

They have redone the Language arts k as of this month and other more recently and I feel they are FAR better than they used to be. OP, I have used tgab for a few years and I feel like for me it is easier to implement and my kids enjoy it a lot more than something like AAR. As far as comparisons with there new editions there are some similar principles taken from OG that I felt were beneficial and it helped a lot. If you used the preschool course and then kindergarten prep then AAR 1 would flow great afterwards!