We have base 10 blocks that I pull out when kids don't understand things like this. My set came with an activity book. I would not switch curriculum either, but just supplement what she isn't understanding. A teacher I knew glued 10 beans to a popsicle stick and used that for "base 10" counting--if you wanted to do it cheaply.

I homeschooled my oldest son for 8 years like this (through 7th grade). This year he is half time in PS for 8th grade so that he can go to PS high school. I have learned a lot about how to homeschool a difficult child. He crosses all the descriptions from passive-agressive, avoiding, distracting behaviors, to yelling, crying, tantrums, spreading misery around the family, etc. I learned that the best response to his behavior was to avoid engaging him. I don't respond to crying and tantrums. I get up and walk out of the room. I either send him to his room to get over it, or if he won't go, we all go somewhere else. I respond with sincere disappointment to his inability to get his work done and I let the consequences do the teaching. He is highly motivated by the computer, so he is not able to access that until I have checked his work and agreed that he is done. He even though these were the consequences for a long time, it took his maturing out of it, like every other nasty behavior my kids have had. His behavior was better probably starting at 11 or so (but not perfect). I still see this when things get tough or he's up against a deadline and doesn't think he can make it. Although it was VERY difficult to homeschool him, I am glad that I had those years to work on his work ethic and discipline. He's a good student now!

What about capture the gag?

Read science education people think science should mostly be about the scientific method, hypothesis, experimentation, repeatability, and all that. They label all the "experiments" we do at school age (correctly) as demonstrations and point out that the child isn't learning the scientific method. They're correct But, I don't think a child really NEEDS to. Before there was a printing press, adults spent their whole lives discovering and rediscovering the facts of the universe and the world around them. After the printing press, they could read and absorb the information in a shorter amount of time, without having to "discover" it on their own. Our children could be prepped as children to investigate the scientific method and discover the wonders of the world themselves, or they could just read about it in books and leave the investigating and discovery to the adults. I think this is an example of pushing stuff down to the younger kids and thinking that if we teach them earlier, they'll know it better. I just don't think it's true. I think there is a place for learning about real experimentation, but it comes after there is a lot of knowledge built up in a person. I'm all for yearly science fairs where kids learn to be experimenters, but I don't want to be burdened with trying to fit "real" science education in 1 hour blocks three times a week. It can't be done. It takes a life time.

I'm compiling a list of the best educational websites you use for your preschool/elementary kids. What are you favorites? Paid or Unpaid

I think a Right Start background is a great thing to bring to Singapore Math! I've done RS A and B and I way prefer the teaching of Singapore. I supplement with rightstart manipulatives and games all the time, but I really disliked the scriptedness of Rightstart. Becky

I've been thinking about your challenge on and off all night! What a big job! I think the next thing to consider is to group them by relative ages. That means that you need to teach a multi age classroom and teach to the middle, helping the bottom and enriching the top as much as you are able. This is what would be done with one teacher and a lot of varying age levels in a public school. Also, what about a mother's helper? Can you find a grandma or a young woman who could help you during the day or after school? If you go age 10 or 11 in a girl they are usually eager for babysitting experience and will even help for free! Becky

I was drowning in little kids at one point (not as many as you) and we didn't get anything done except the basics. You can always use videos to "teach" history and science. Liberty's Kids, Magic School Bus, others from library. I wouldn't teach anything except reading, writing and math for a year or two to your 1st and 2nd graders--wait a few years for things to settle down and then you can include them in the lessons for your oldest child. I also second the suggestion that you utilize your husband. Mine teaches math in the evenings to two boys (sometimes late) and a science lesson on the Sunday night. Don't be afraid to use non-school days either. Saturdays and Sundays need to be open for reading lessons and math workbooks, journal time, etc. I would make everything as simple as possible and if you're keeping your head above water, add in one thing at a time. We only really get school done 3 days a week here (mostly year round) and not one seems to be suffering. If you teach half the lessons 6 days a week, you might be able to spread yourself around enough to get it all done. Good luck! It's going to be a challenging year! Becky

I subscribed in February of this year and will be renewing in Feb of next. I have all his videos lined up with our science for the year--it's fun to have a video component showing things I would never think of doing, and answering interesting questions. Becky

I would consider it teacher intensive. Which mean that if your child needs spiral--you make it that way. If they need mastery, you make it that way. It requires some out of the box thinking about math learning and a mom who wants to fully tackle math, completely. It's a neat program, but I just don't have that kind of time on my hands (or don't want to use the time I have in that way). I finally decided that my math program wasn't broken enough for me to use MOTL.

I feel for you. I put ours together two years ago, used it for about 6 months and then stopped. Now I can't bear the though of getting rid of all those popsicle sticks, cans and plastic bottles. So it's in a box in the bottom of a closet until I decide I want to use it again! Becky

Having just moved from the Northwest (where I have lived my whole life) I now live in Utah. I loved the summers in Oregon and Washington, but I tell you, the rain and the gray skies just about kill you by March and April and May and June. I really didnt' know that SAD (seasonal affective disorder) was a real thing until I moved here. In Utah it's absolutely beautiful almost all the time. I look out the window and what do I see? Blue skies. Plus we get all 4 seasons--and I still love the snow (having rarely seen it in the PNW). So, that's my input. We don't get to live here for long, but I am loving the weather while i'm here! Becky

We make a version of a schultute for all our kids for the first day of school. It is filled with school supplies, both practical and fun, and little treats and sometimes toys. It's a little like a easter basket in that way. I roll a big piece of paper and then tie a ribbon from the top and hang in on each of their doors. All my kids think it's great.

Nope, no problem. My oldest has an August birthday and always worked about a year behind. In 5th grade, we decided to no longer try to catch him up and he "repeated" 5th grade. He didn't really know anything about it except that he said, "man, 5th grade takes a long time!" I've registered him for part time school this year (8th) and they don't care how old he is, only what grade I've put him in.

what about thinking skills? or test prep practice books? Or a grade level geography book from evan-moore? I use mark Kistler's online drawing videos (homeschool buyer's co-op) or magic school bus. How about time for learning or spelling city or shepperd (sp?) software? These are some things on the top of my head that I use to keep my littler kids busy.

Happy Phonics, while fun, is not very organized. I love the games, though. I tend to use them to support any phonics program we are going through. We've used: Phonics Pathways and First Reader, Explode the code and a few others. This time we're trying McRuffy K Reading because I need something in a box due to my time constraints. I've really never found something I like for reading, nor have I ever taught a 4.5 year old to read, so no help there.

I'm using Sequential Spelling for Adults next year with my 8th grader. No reviews yet, but I've liked the lower levels with my younger kids.

There are a lot of TJed ers around here, too. I find most of them to be kind of superior in their attitude toward anyone else. Also, most of them are organized in kind of an MLM system, where you have to pay yearly to "re-certify" as an official TJed person. I am attracted somewhat to some of the tenants of DeMille's book (classics, learning from the most knowledgeable, etc), but the application of it and the rigid adherence to it creeps me out. I am definitely an eclectic, classical-leaning homeschooler, and I don't lean much toward the child-led, almost close to unschooling type of homeschooler. That said, I have a friend who leans that way with good results, so. . . YMMV Becky

freerice.com

I always have to buy more pencils, scissors and glue sticks. And crayons. These are on my list to buy a lot more of this year. I always buy a whole box of spiral notebooks and those last us all year.

We are covering chemistry next year with my 4th and 6th graders. I will use Mr. Q's elementary chemistry and The Elements. I think these curricula compliment each other nicely. I think this applies to your child because it seems rather meaty. I am frankly worried about my 4th grader keeping up. We considered Mr. Q's advanced chemistry, but it has a prerequisite of pre-algebra which is definitely beyond my 4th grader and also we haven't covered chemistry before. Something to consider, anyway

I think a schedule really helps. I stick to it until it's done, even though it cuts into what I need to do and what they want to do if they are resistant and slow. After a few days (years) of missing their friends, activities, TV and computer time, they stopped complaining so much. My older kids now have a "get-r-done" approach to schoolwork. They still don't love it, but they don't complain the whole time, either. I see this same thing happening to my younger kids. They whine and complain every day, but as they practice doing school every day and getting their reward of friends and comptuter time when it's done, hopefully they will complain less, too. Just so you know, it probably too 4-5 years for my oldest to stop complaining hard about school work. My next 2 only 1 year or so. You'll have to learn to turn a deaf ear. Not every kid loves school work.

We tried to do Story of the World when my oldest was a 1st grader. Didn't work. We revisited it when he was a 6th grader and it was a hit! I expanded his required work (additional literature, notebooking from other sources) but he really enjoyed listening to volume 1 with the rest of the kids.

And this is the challenge: I already own the textbooks from the US edition 1A-6B. We're using them on our 4th kiddo now. I've bought the HIG for 6A and I didn't like it at all. It was basically a bunch of paragraphs to read through before you taught the section. Very few bullet points or easy on the eyes ways to scan and get the info. We never used it. I've got 3 1/2 more kids to got through the program. Should I buy the standards editions? Are the HIG's that good? We always have challenges with Singapore math that could be helped by more practice, games and review, if that is easily accessible in the standards HIG. . . What would you do?