We do OPGR with my just-turned-5 year old, and she HATES it! She infinitely prefers the books with pics, though what an earlier poster said is true--it's often because the pictures help her guess what the words are, instead of forcing her to actually read them (which is one of the main reasons I LIKE OPGR, ha!). But she finds OPGR boring and overwhelming. She does love the magnet board, though, and we play speed games--I'll leave "at" on the board, and then swiftly add b, then switch to p, then s, then r, etc., and she jumps up and down with excitement trying to see how fast she can read them. (My daughter can be convinced to do almost anything if she can "win"!) This game alone has done wonders for her mastering blends. (She can also do ck, sh, ch, th, etc.) We also do pages with flaps--so it'll have "at" written several times all the way down, and you flip a piece over with letters on it, so now it says "bat," "sat," "rat," etc. She likes this, again, because it feels like a game. Mind you, we still do slog through OPGR because I want her to grow accustomed to reading without pictures. We're on Lesson 37, and I do use a white notecard to cover up so she can focus on one sentence at a time. We just go slowly with tons of encouragement, and sometimes I'll stop short of a whole lesson when there's a lot of reading and she's reached her max. I also do reward charts--for example, she earns a sticker on her chart when she reads a Bob book aloud on her own. (After she finishes a row of stickers, she chooses a prize out of the prize box. She also earns stickers for things like making her bed and getting dressed without being told--since I started doing that, she has NEVER had to be reminded! yippee!) So glad to hear today was a better day!

My K-er is currently dressed as a woodland fairy. I think it must surely help aid her concentration.... :) We do have a "no wings or wands at the table" rule, however. :)

Yes, I second that. With "to lay" it can help to add the word "down" in your head to distinguish it from "to lie." * Tomorrow I will lie in my bed all day while my daughter brings me bonbons. * Tomorrow I will lay down all my responsibilities and hop a plane to Paris. * Tomorrow I am hoping my chickens will lay, so I can go to market. --So in the example you cited, the use of "lay" in the future tense was a grammatical error, unless the situations were planning to lay down a particular thing or they were planning to lay eggs, of course. These are extraordinary days, so I wouldn't want to presume what the situations may or may not have been intending to do, of course! (speaking as an English teacher, who has spent many years correcting students on this error....!)

It SOUNDS exciting, but I assure you it was far more exciting to me than to Queen Noor (no, I didn't spill the tea or anything; I was completely non-memorable). The company I used to work at ten years ago in DC hosted a meeting focused on charities. There were a dozen or so "famous" people there, including Queen Noor, and I was one of the lackeys considered un-clumsy enough to be allowed to serve refreshments. So you see, no terribly interesting story! But it was certainly a memorable honor for me. :)

Thanks so much for all the suggestions and advice. After a bit of doing, I was able to reach a royal liaison (!) who filled me in on the precise details I was searching for. The luncheon is this month, so yes, I promise to update everyone once it's over! My only personal experience with royalty was once serving tea to Queen Noor (nobody curtsied, and she was perfectly lovely!), but this is a whole other ballgame.... :)

A friend of mine is joining a luncheon with the Queen in a few weeks. I've been scouring the Internet for guidelines on protocol and attire, but except for the obvious (don't hug her! don't talk with your mouth full!), there isn't much to be found--and our local British Embassy wasn't able to supply much more. So that's where the WTM family comes in, right?? Story time, please! Has anyone on the boards or anyone you know met the Queen personally? If so, what was your experience, and what would be your advice? Thanks!!!

I'm new in homeschooling (dd, 5, and we've just started K this year), and the book that helped me most shape my ideas (in addition to WTM) is Mary Pride's Complete Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling. It was helpful and meaty enough that after I'd been banned from renewing it from the library anymore, I finally bought my own copy. And have lent it out to friends considering homeschooling. It's not for sale on Amazon, but they've got a good description: http://www.amazon.com/Prides-Complete-Getting-Started-Homeschooling/dp/0736909184/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257215226&sr=8-2. A great summary of the reasons to consider homeschooling, and a very useful summary of various styles and approaches, with both pros and cons.

Sorry, I should have said--this is a girl--I've edited the original message to reflect that. Thanks so much for your responses!

Someone gave me a $50 Amazon gift certificate for my dd 5-year-old K'er's birthday, and I am finding myself completely overwhelmed. $50 is both too much and too little! She loves the color PINK and Tinkerbell, is already reading and counting who knows how high (she counted once until 250 but got bored), and wants to be a doctor when she grows up. Very bright, very curious girl. Would love input, please. If you had $50 and were planning to follow WTM all the way through, what would you buy now? Classic books? Teaching materials? DVDs? Toys? HELP please! would love advice/suggestions. Thank you so much!:tongue_smilie:

Love it!!! If only all school projects were as delicious. :)

No problems for me flying with my Kindle either. Kept the Whispernet turned off for the flight, of course, and the whole unit off during takeoff/landing. That battery lasts forever! I LOVE MY KINDLE!!!!!!!!!!! :)

I have a dilemma I would love The Hive's input on.... NOBODY KNOWS... but I am pregnant with d? # 2 (I'm just 7 1/2 weeks--due early May). Next week I'm scheduled for my first prenatal appt, you know, the fun one where they Check Everything. But here's the deal. My dd(4) has had for the past year an unusual and great passion to be a doctor. Today I told her I have a checkup next week, and she freaked out with glee--she can't wait to see them draw blood, etc. (She immediately assumed I was bringing her!) My dilemma: 1) If I don't take her, she'll be crushed. PLUS I don't have family (hubby travels) or babysitters, which means I have to leave her with a friend and come up with a good, vague reason as to why I'm visiting an ob/gyn. 2) If I do take her, how can I keep this very smart, very precocious child from finding out? I don't want anyone in my life knowing about the pregnancy until I'm safely past the first trimester, and keeping a secret this huge is too large a burden for my sweet 4-year-old. Do you think the doc & nurses will agree to use coded language? Will even the office itself with all its photos of babies be a giveaway? I just don't know what to do. And my appointment is Tuesday.... I would love your comments/ideas/suggestions. Thanks! P.S. If any of you know me IRL, please disregard everything you just read! :lol:

What an inspirational story. Thank you for sharing! Thanks to everyone for your comments (including the hilarious ones!! we could use some superheroes!) and insight and suggestions. DD is just 4, so I am doing everything to slow myself down (I'm a weeee bit of an overachiever--my mother always said she didn't care what grade I got in school, so long as it was an A), and have fun while encouraging her passions at the same time. Thank you!

Only our 2nd week of homeschooling, ever, but.... DD is 4 (5 next month) and we're doing kindergarten. 15 minutes before school she's probably nagging me to get off the computer, which means 15 minutes before school I am.... well, you know. :) Love all these comments and ideas. I have big goals (dd will cure cancer, of course), but really very little idea what I'm doing.

My dd (4, turning 5 next month) has insisted for the past year she wants to be a doctor. She's fascinated by the human body and loves studying the various systems etc., which has made it a lot of fun for us, especially now we've officially started kindergarten at home. My question is--I continue to be surprised she is so committed to being a doctor at this age, and for so long, given how often she changes favorite princesses and (now) fairies. Has anyone else experienced this drive with a child, and did it last? Just curious. Thanks!

This thread totally cracked me up; I'm so with you. Although mentally I have responded to several hundred posts--surely that qualifies me somewhere? Just in my mind, I suppose (where most of my good intentions also live...). :lol:

I soooo wanted to start DD(4) in first grade this year--she'll be 5 in October and can already read, count who knows how high (the other day she counted to 250 until she got bored; she can count by 5s and 10s), but I am forcing myself to go as sloooowly as I can (excellent character development for me!). That said--for K we're doing 5 days, with reading, math, and some type of P.E. every day; and art, music (including piano lessons), and science spread throughout the week. Lots and lots of wonderful hands-on stuff: crafts, experiments, storytime, tumbling, running around outside, dancing to music from around the world, baking cupcakes. Things may, er, change slightly, however, in the future... I'm due the first week of May...! haha!

Getting ready to start kindergarten with dd (who, by the way, just somersaulted off her bed--THAT was smart)--and will follow WTM once we hit first grade. I'd like to find an art (drawing) book appropriate for her age which will actually teach her progressive concepts, and not just say, "Here's how to draw a cartoon cat." I have yet to find any book or program that does this. Help please??? I also see there are several beginning piano books out there--Bastien, etc., and since I barely play piano myself, would greatly appreciate your opinions on which is the best for this age (she can't read notes or anything yet). Thanks so much!

Hi everyone!! I'm brand new to the forum. My princess is just 4 (only child) and we'll be doing a very relaxed "kindergarten" this year, but next year I plan to leap into the WTM classical approach, and I can't wait! I didn't expect people whose kids attend public schools to really "get" my choice. But what I'm finding surprising is the negative response from my local homeschooling community. They imply "classical" education is unrealistic and I'm completely ignorant and naive for even attempting it. People have been laughing at me, saying knowingly that I'll change my mind pretty quickly once we get started. WTM appears so clear to me as the best method for us, so I'm finding this response a bit disheartening. Why the harsh criticism against classical education? Am I missing something? :confused: Thanks in advance for your feedback!