Thank you, everyone. And thanks for the explanations. Yes, growing up, I always visualized 3x5 and 5x3 as three groups of five. I always imagined it was a [smaller number] times [larger number] because it was quicker and easier. I wasn't concerned about getting the grouping right. No one asked. :D However when homeschooling, this is not the way I want to teach. I asked the question because I want to make tables, a "times one" table, a "times two" table and so on. I just didn't know if it should be 1 x 2 or 2 x 1 because these "sources" were all doing it differently. I'm inclined to write a "times one" table as "2 x 1" ("two groups of one") and so on, but I wanted to ask for your advice. :) I will admit I'm not a math-obsessed person and it would've been fine with me any way. This isn't about my own preferences though, but about doing it right. On consulting the Saxon text, it says indeed 2 x 5 is "two groups of five" and 5 x 2 is "five groups of two." Oddly for me, Saxon spells out 2 x 5 as 5 and says that is "two groups of five." x2 ---- What? I'm kinda used to reading problems like this from top to bottom, so I'd read that as "five times two." Of course, Saxon acknowledges "switcharound facts." Maybe I will find a clarification when I read the whole text! Still thinking of switching to Singapore Math though.

Anyone tried "Big Book of Homeschooling Ideas"? Never tried it but they have a Volume 2 now, so it must be a hit...

We do FLL 2 in Grade 2. But to be honest, I think a lot of it is unnecessary. What's really important to know early on is (as others have noted) sentence structure, basic punctuation and capitalization. I am a big advocate of proofreading too. I would suggest that if you skip FLL 2 that year, that you at least keep up with FLL 1 concepts (nouns, pronouns, some verbs). Also I'd suggest this exercise: When your child writes a sentence, occasionally mark off the common nouns, proper nouns, action verbs (and maybe adjectives). Circle a word and say "that's a verb" or write "v." A child is not supposed to know this by heart right away. Repetition is the key. Just expose them to it without any pressure. The four kinds of verbs will drive your child crazy if you push it (heck, it will drive some adults crazy too), so don't feel it has to be mastered. Action verbs are easiest. For adjectives, pick the child's favorite things and ask them to describe it. "What's a cat like? What's this toy like? Big? Small? New? Old? Those are adjectives." Simple stuff like that. I try to use grammar in real life examples as much as possible. It works better that way. Anyway, to get back to your question. It should be fine to slow down on it. If you do WWE though, understand that the two go hand in hand together. Oh, also grammar is very important if you plan to teach foreign languages later on.

LOL :D

OP, do you guys read the Bob Books? They are great for beginning readers. Of course, a break is fine. Everyone gets into a rut once in a while. Go for a change. But I would suggest keep on reading EASY stuff. Read for pleasure. And keep reading to the child on your own, so he can just listen and enjoy. Fill his head with beautiful language in these early years. No two kids are the same. My DS took about a year to finish our phonics primer, while DD is flying through it. You'll be fine!

Thank you. I know the answer is the same, and in that sense it doesn't matter. But WILL it matter down the road? I always thought of 5x3 and 3x5 as three groups of five either way. It is simple when memorizing math facts and tables. But wouldn't it matter when you demonstrate with manipulatives? And as Farrar says, with standardized tests? It is kinda confusing.

What's the correct way to write out multiplication tables? If I want to make a table of "times two's" do I make it like this? 1 x 2 2 x 2 3 x 2 ... and so on. Or like this? 2 x 1 2 x 2 2 x 3 ... and so on? In other words, which one is "two groups of one" and which one is "one group of two"? I've been looking at math table posters for sale and also printable math tables. Some do it one way, some do it the other way.

Sweatpea, thanks a lot! Sounds like I should look for the Workbooks, Textbook sand Home Instructor Guides. But they are named differently.. I see "Math Level 1: A&B" but it says for Grade 2! I don't see anything for Grade 1 except books with a different cover that reads "Primary Math." There are so many titles it is confusing. I still want to give this a try. Would it be okay to start with the Grade 2 books without getting stuff for Grade 1 first? I would prefer to have the whole thing though since my youngest is math-obsessed and catching up quick with her brother. :D

nixpix5, thanks for taking the time to share that information. Very helpful. We like the idea of kids getting a chance to socialize with others their age. But what if the family decided to change things? Like maybe take a year off, go back to a lower level or switch programs? We'll definitely consider this.

So sorry to learn about your son's death. That is something no parent should ever have to go through. Will be praying for you and your whole family. Take care. :grouphug:

Farrar, thanks! That's exactly the info I was looking for. No, I don't need to add more "fact sheet" or "formula" problems. I want to change the exercises a bit because as you said, Saxon is kinda dry. I like SM from the samples available online. I think we'll give this a try and see how the kids like it.

One more thing. I'm really keen on Singapore Math now. I checked out sample pages and it seems to be just what I'm looking for. Lots of visuals to help explain math concepts. We've already been doing some of it (with manipulatives) and I like it. But here's my question. HOW do you buy this stuff? With Saxon, we get the TM plus the workbooks. We skip the meeting book. But what about SM? Do you buy a textbook and a couple of workbooks too? Is there a separate answer key? Also are the workbooks consumables or reusable? I also read old discussions on Saxon vs. SM. I agree it would ultimately depend on the child. Would SM pair well with Saxon?

Oh, I am not discounting the importance of conceptual thinking at all. I've been asking about this lately here in the forums because I wanted to make sure they got a good grasp of it too while using Saxon... which is part of the reason we've been doing exercises like the above. I just want to be sure that the kids are introduced to it appropriately. Conceptual vs. procedural is also one of the reasons I've been considering MM as a supplement to Saxon. I am interested in Singapore Math but will it be such a big change for a Saxon student?

Oh, I thought this site was free!

Thank you so much. Oops, sorry my bad. It's actually 5 hours a day for 2 days. Still, that is far too long for me given how far we have to drive back and forth home! Are you officially enrolled if you use Edmonds' services? That sounds great but what exactly does the progress report entail?

I don't remember ever seeing that. What's CWP? I must have totally missed this one if it's Grade 2.

RS is good but kinda pricey. As long as they keep speaking it, hearing it and writing it, they will retain it. I am 100% fluent in the second language I am teaching my kids, but when I forget to use it, they forget too. :D

Okay. Thanks for your input. We do it just to make things different from the usual Saxon routine. Yes, we use manipulatives. I do this to see if he can figure out real-world problems that don't follow a standard formula. First grade Saxon is basic addition, subtraction, fractions, money and measurements (plus days of the week, seasons, etc.). There are problem solving exercises too, but very repetitive. And I asked about MM because I'm thinking of using it along with Saxon. Saxon also does the N + ? = 10 but kinda limited. CTVKath, my DS does equations quickly too because they are familiar. Sometimes I wonder if one should even be worrying about conceptual vs. procedural at this point. I read somewhere that in the Logic Stage they will be thinking more conceptually anyway, and at this stage, memorization is essential. I can tell you this much: my kids know better math now than I did at their age. :D

"Mr. ABC uses 5 bricks from this pile. There are still 6 bricks left in the pile. How many were there originally?" Do you think problem-solving like this is OK for a 7 year old? Does MM use problems like this at second grade? As you can see, it is just doubles plus one. Very familiar to Saxon students but worded and presented differently. Or another one: "There were 12 blocks here. A thief came in and took away some. There are 4 left. How much did the thief make off with?"

Thanks for all the suggestions! I am interested in Studies Weekly. I've never encountered this before. Do you use it as a supplement or can it replace a textbook on a subject? Also although it might be a touchy subject, we don't want a book on Social Studies that has an obvious political-social agenda. I'm not familiar with what is out there, but I just want an unbiased presentation as much as possible.

I think the consensus is pretty clear: OK to teach now but better not wait til Logic Stage because it's too basic! So I guess that's what we'll do. If he gets bored, we'll move along. BTW, has anyone checked out the Usborne "handbooks"? We really enjoyed the Roman soldier recruit's handbook. We're going to read the knight's and pirate's handbooks too! So funny but also packed with information.

Thank you. I may have seen it. We are looking for an online class, ideally secular. But it is more important to do it online for convenience. This one sounds good but it is a live class, for 10 hours a day, for 2 days! Edit: Well, now I lost the link I forgot to post. DH and I have talked about it. We'd much prefer an online class but it seems most are live classes.

Yes, read aloud. But also, find time to read together. We often read as a family and take turns reading passages, aside from them doing independent reading. There are many good fairy tale renditions out there. "Treasury of Children's Literature" is a good selection of fairy tales, poems and American stories. But pick those with a happy ending first if she is easily bothered by sad stories. Does she like poetry? A.A. Milne and Robert L. Stevenson are some favorites. Good to expose kids to beautiful language early!

Thank you all. I'm assuming SOTW4 covers the world wars, right? I can certainly understand that. Of course all history has violent periods, but it hits especially close to home because it's more recent. We've all had family go through that, directly or indirectly... Should I hurry through it to make sure we cover some Medieval this year? Or should I not worry about it?

Hi. I'm looking for a homeschooling qualifying course for parents that meets WA state requirements. I'm trying to find independent feedback or info on familaycademy.org. But there doesn't seem to be any. It is the only online course I've found and it claims to meet legal standards. Nobody answers the phone though. Does anyone have any experience with this?