I am learning watercolor also, and I have used "Watercolor Basics" book you mention. I think it is very good with precise clear directions on what to do. I looked over many books on watercolor from the library and this one is the best I found for a beginner like me. Buy the best supplies you can afford, especially paper. Good luck!

Another vote for IP. You get a variety of problems, including word problems, that are more challenging than the workbook. And the "challenge" problems really require you to think and stretch. At least that's been true for my kids (who are average, not gifted learners). Because of time constraints we skip around in IP and seldom do CWP. If being able to solve word problems was a struggle then using CWP would provide the needed practice.

Story Stretchers (PK-K) and Story Stretchers for Primary Grades. These are not a curriculum per say, but use good children's books with suggested activities to go along (art, science, drama, math, music, movement). Written for a classroom teacher but certainly adaptable. I have also found "Where is Thumbkin: over 500 activities to use with songs they already know" by Pamela Schiller (for ages 2-6). Here activities are chosen to go along with a song (book suggestions included) and organized by seasons.

We supplement with MEP, and use Singapore as our main program. My kids enjoy the puzzles in MEP.

My kids have taken art and music at the neighborhood elementary school. The staff at the school has been very pleasant and very open to us. They offered us to participate in all their "specials" (library, technology, PE, as well as fine arts), but schedule-wise, it would be too hectic - might as well send them to school full time. So we just picked art and music. It was a good experience for the kids, but also somewhat disruptive to our days (I have a toddler who naps). Let's just say, I am enjoying the summertime. But, we will do it again next year.

Just so you know, I got "Instant Habitats Dioramas" and was really disappointed with the quality of the graphics - they looked very blurry when I printed out the pages. Some of the animal pictures were difficult to make out as to what they were.

We read it (the unabridged book) last year when my kids were 7 and 5. Some parts were hard for them to understand, but overall they liked the book very much and were able to follow the story. This is a book that I would want to read to them or with them again when they are older - every time I read it I discover something new. So I do not regret not saving for later "when they would get more out of it", it is such a wonderful book to be enjoyed on so many levels.

We read Bryson's book, and really enjoyed it. The language is beautiful, the kids still remember the story very well. My kids are young, 6 and 7 yo, but I think this book would be a good choice for older children as well.

You might want to look at "Gilgamesh" by Bernarda Bryson, which is out of print but is available used on Amazon. It's a very "clean" version, and can work for younger as well as older kids. My kids are pretty young, 6 and 7 yo, and we really enjoyed it (I had to read it to them).

I really appreciate all of your comments. I thought I had it all figured out, at least for elementary math. Singapore math was the winner (all the reviews) - and I can attest my older dd7 does very well with it. So when my then 5 yo son got stuck in the 1A, well, it was an unpleasant surprise. In retrospect, I think he was just developmentally not ready for it and we should have waited until he was older, at least 6. Well, I have to think about this for a while... In the mean time, we will continue with RS-B, maybe with a little MEP and Miquon here and there. Maybe those extras will make math more fun for him. I hope.

Thanks to all who replied. I think that maybe I do need an attitude adjustment. My frustration with the situation is very likely showing. I am also willing to explore other options - Miquon sounds very intriguing. I don't want at this point to switch programs completely, at least not until trying and really liking something else. Would adding Miquon as a supplement be overkill?

Well, I am afraid if we don't review, he will forget - things like counting by twos, facts he's just learned. Although I could try to find a different way of practicing this. I am not too worried about him not knowing his facts to 10 at this point. I thought Right Start would be an enjoyable "hands-on" way to learn this as well as other things. I thought that maybe he was not ready for SM 1A - when we started it, and so we would take a "detour" with RS-B, and come back to SM afterwards (perhaps place into 2A). I guess, what I really want for my son is to like math. To enjoy it, have fun with it, to really "get" it. So that is why I am questioning my methods of teaching it. Maybe Right Start is not a good fit for him. I am not saying he is not learning, just seems like such a struggle. I don't believe it should be like that.

It depends, usually about 30 min, sometimes less. The thing is, he starts complaining as soon as I mention math. He especially hates doing the review (warm-up) in the beginning of the lesson - and he drags his feet doing it. It can take us 10 minutes sometimes just to go through the review. Once we are on to the main lesson, it gets better. I typically break up the lesson into parts, so we would do 1 lesson over 2 or 3 days.

My son is 6 yr, and sadly, not enjoying math. We started with Singapore Essential Math B when he turned 5, and he did fine. But then we began SM 1A and he just could not remember the facts to 10 and had to count every time. Another problem was the writing - too much writing!, he would complain. So I figured we could not move on until he learned the facts. We tried several things - Right Start math games - he got bored after a while, MEP worksheets - he liked the puzzles, but it got to the point where it became too abstract for him. I decided to try something more hands on, less worksheets - we began Right Start B, not just the games. We stuck with it for a while, although he does not really like it and complains every day. We are on lesson 38 - he did great on the first test. So, while I can see that he is learning, doing math every day is a struggle - lots of whining, complaining about being bored. I don't know what to do to make math more enjoyable for him. Should I try something else? Miquon? I really don't know what to do. My plan initially was to return to Singapore Math after finishing Right Start-B, and supplement with MEP. Do I throw Miquon at him "for fun"? I know it is supposed to be hands - on discovery type program. Or am I just completely nuts? Please help! Helena.