Thinking of a "boxed" curriculum

[tmstranger]

Hi.  This is my first year homeschooling.  My boys are in 2nd and 5th grades.  I am very drawn to TWTM way of homeschooling, but I'm finding it very difficult to implement in my home.  Maybe I'm making it too hard or trying to do too much, but I think I need a change for next year. 

 

Right now, my 5th grader is very independent and completes most work on his own.  I think he needs more writing instruction and attention from me in that area, but he gets very defensive when I try to help him.  Part of his defensiveness is that I'm trying to pull more info out of him than what he's used to...he was sliding by without much effort in public school and getting straight As.

 

The 2nd grader is using curriculums that require soooo much of my time that I don't feel I have time to help the older child.  FLL,WWE, Saxon...they can really suck up a day! So, the 5th grader just plows through his work while I am teaching the little one. 

 

I think I need another way to structure our day and I think that having something less teacher intensive for the little one would help.  I also think I'd like to have lesson plans spelled out for me instead of having me spend my weekends putting things together. 

 

So, while I know the general "boxed" sets don't necessarily follow TWTM, I'm leaning toward a change for next year.  Heart of Dakota, Abeka...what are your thoughts?  Can I add classical reading to those programs and not have it be too overwhelming for all of us?  Heart of Dakota has a lot of novels in it already.

 

Do you experienced moms have any other suggestions for me to help me balance my time between the two boys while not losing my mind? 

 

TIA,

Michelle

[Ellie]

ABeka, BJUP, Rod and Staff, CLASS, ACE/CLP/AO..those are School in a Box.

 

Heart of Dakota, KONOS, Prairie Primer, Tapestry of Grace, Sonlight...not School in a Box. :-)

 

If you think you'd like a box of textbooks, go with one of the major publishers. You open up the textbooks and off you go.

 

Most of the others will require more time on your part to read ahead and see what comes next, even the ones which are more scripted, such as Sonlight or HOD.

 

You could compromise by doing textbooks for English skills; and you would want to look for materials that are less teacher intensive, even if they're not textbooks. Saxon's primary levels are more teacher-intensive than some, IMHO.

 

My favorite textbooks are Rod and Staff Publishers. They're ideally suited to children working independently. Both of your dc could do R&S English and spelling, then you could do something like SOTW together.

[nannyaunt]

Memoria Press does boxed curriculum.  I think they are well put together and classically oriented.

[Berta]

How well does your 2nd grader read? I LOVE Christian Light Education (CLE) and from about 2nd grade it can be done pretty much independently if your child is a strong reader. I'm not a fan of Lifepac but it may work for you. My 4th grader loves ACE paces but she is very independent, loves workbooks and needs to work by herself. I don't really like ACE for 2nd grade, but 4th and up is much better, content wise.

[SnMomof7]

CLE is VERY independent and we use it extensively - almost all of the skill subjects and Bible. It is important to take the placement tests, as it can be somewhat advanced. We use Rod and Staff for spelling.

 

ACE works for us for content - social studies, science (definitely isn't WTM style scope and sequence, but it's independent and gets done.

 

So, it isn't all from the same box...but from different boxes :).

[tmstranger]

How well does your 2nd grader read? I LOVE Christian Light Education (CLE) and from about 2nd grade it can be done pretty much independently if your child is a strong reader. I'm not a fan of Lifepac but it may work for you. My 4th grader loves ACE paces but she is very independent, loves workbooks and needs to work by herself. I don't really like ACE for 2nd grade, but 4th and up is much better, content wise.

 

He reads VERY well.  I've considered CLE in the past...I'll have to give it another look.  Thank you.

[ByGrace3]

You sound a lot like me. My 4th grader is very independent, but I do writing and grammar with her. My 2nd grader needs me for everything. One change I am making is next year the kids are going to VP self paced history. I need something they can both do apart from me. Math and LA are still our focus and I don't want to compromise those.

 

I don't think "boxed" is necessary for independence either. Choose the areas you need them to work alone and find independent work for those, and save the more mom intensive ones for those that have to be. I think Saxon dive DVDs start in 5/4? That might be helpful when you get there.

 

For me writing and grammar need to stay mom intensive for now.

 

My 4th grader uses the following mostly independently: Math Mammoth, R&S spelling, reading comp, reading, Reading and Reasoning. I then do FLL 4 and writing with her. We do Bible, science, and history together. I do think we may move to a more independent grammar for 5th.

 

How ready for independence is your 2nd grader? That makes a difference. Mine is not ready for that. Maybe pulling could be done independently? R&S or Spelling Workout? I am alternating days for reading. Some days we o a reading lesson and other days he reads independently. I base that on my needs.

 

If there is something you want to work on with your older, don't let him do it without you. Make him wait until you can get to it.

 

As far as "lesson plans," I use all open and go curricula. Lesson plans consist of "lesson 1" "lesson 2" etc.

[tmstranger]

You sound a lot like me. My 4th grader is very independent, but I do writing and grammar with her. My 2nd grader needs me for everything. One change I am making is next year the kids are going to VP self paced history. I need something they can both do apart from me. Math and LA are still our focus and I don't want to compromise those.

 

I don't think "boxed" is necessary for independence either. Choose the areas you need them to work alone and find independent work for those, and save the more mom intensive ones for those that have to be. I think Saxon dive DVDs start in 5/4? That might be helpful when you get there.

 

For me writing and grammar need to stay mom intensive for now.

 

My 4th grader uses the following mostly independently: Math Mammoth, R&S spelling, reading comp, reading, Reading and Reasoning. I then do FLL 4 and writing with her. We do Bible, science, and history together. I do think we may move to a more independent grammar for 5th.

 

How ready for independence is your 2nd grader? That makes a difference. Mine is not ready for that. Maybe pulling could be done independently? R&S or Spelling Workout? I am alternating days for reading. Some days we o a reading lesson and other days he reads independently. I base that on my needs.

 

If there is something you want to work on with your older, don't let him do it without you. Make him wait until you can get to it.

 

As far as "lesson plans," I use all open and go curricula. Lesson plans consist of "lesson 1" "lesson 2" etc.

 

We currently do history (SOTW) together and I think we'll do science together next year.  There is such a big age gap that I was hesitant to do it this year. 

 

I'm very torn.  Right now, the 5th grader is doing CAP Book 2 and he hates it.  2nd grader is doing WWE.  I have read that IEW can be used for both of their grade levels...I just wonder how hard that would be or if I'd still be doing it separately with each of them.  I've also heard such great things about WWS that I'd love my older one to do that next year, but I fear that it will take just as much time as WWE does with the little guy. Every time I think about all of these choices, I think that I should just pick a box and be done!  Forget putting this all together!  :) 

 

To answer your question, the 2nd grader gets closer and closer to independent studies every day.  At the beginning of the year, he needed me to help with spelling, handwriting, everything!  Now, he can generally start those, but will stop if he needs help. 

 

Thank you for your input...I need to keep praying about it and hopefully I'll come to a conclusion. 

 

 

[Clear Creek]

I am on my third 2nd grader, and they have all needed me at their side for pretty much all of their schoolwork. They are still learning skills, which they can't do independently. I have to explain the phonics rule he is practicing, explain the spelling rule he is studying, model and evaluate the new cursive letter he is learning, watch him do his copywork letter by letter so I can correct any mistakes as he makes them, drill his math facts, explain and watch him practice his new math concept for his lesson, listen to him read, read to him, etc. 5th graders, on the other hand (I am on my second one of those) need occasional help with skills, but can do a lot of their content stuff independently with time for discussion afterward.

 

The one thing I do to ensure that I have enough time to spend working one-on-one with all three of my children is to give them one hour of schoolwork per grade - so my 2nd grader only has 2-2.5 hours of schoolwork each day. We start school at 8:00 A.M., so if he finishes between 10:00-10:30 that leaves me a good part of the day to work one-on-one with my older two.

[KeriJ]

I know others define it differently, but I do think HOD is boxed....in that you order everything from them in one "package" and all subjects are scheduled with detailed lesson plans.  I also think it follows TWTM in more ways than meets the eye.  The history rotation starts in 5th grade.  The science, starting in 5th grade, also follows the general plans in TWTM, but with better books in my opinion.  It schedules R&S grammar and uses copywork, dictation and narration for a well-rounded LA.  Official writing programs begin around 5th grade as well.  It definitely has a CM flavor to it, but also classical and traditional components.  

 

I just wanted to clarify a few things because I think HOD gets easily misunderstood unless you own a level with a guide and are able to really look through and understand the whole scope and sequence of the program. 

[Ellie]

I know others define it differently, but I do think HOD is boxed....in that you order everything from them in one "package" and all subjects are scheduled with detailed lesson plans.  I also think it follows TWTM in more ways than meets the eye.  The history rotation starts in 5th grade.  The science, starting in 5th grade, also follows the general plans in TWTM, but with better books in my opinion.  It schedules R&S grammar and uses copywork, dictation and narration for a well-rounded LA.  Official writing programs begin around 5th grade as well.  It definitely has a CM flavor to it, but also classical and traditional components.  

 

I just wanted to clarify a few things because I think HOD gets easily misunderstood unless you own a level with a guide and are able to really look through and understand the whole scope and sequence of the program. 

 

No, not "boxed." :-)

[kbutton]

I don't think "boxed" is necessary for independence either. Choose the areas you need them to work alone and find independent work for those, and save the more mom intensive ones for those that have to be. 

 

:iagree:

 

I have two boys in 1st and 5th. Neither are particularly independent, so it's been a balancing act. It takes a lot of effort to get the sweet spot, and it may change. If you pick the things that are bothering you the most and chalk the rest up to first year woes, I think you'll find a way forward. It takes some time for kids to get used to being a class of one or two--kids in a regular classroom don't spend quite so much time being on the hook to answer any and all lesson questions, and that is a big adjustment. My son is much better about that than he used to be when we brought him home. 

 

I think it helps a lot to put my hands on resources--some of my best finds have been when other moms showed me their stuff, and I was able to flip the pages to compare it to my reality. Our local mom support group has a curriculum show and tell night at least once a year for this reason.

 

Hang in there!

[KeriJ]

I know this discussion comes up often, but I think people usually mean "boxed" to mean that they can get all of school scheduled for them in one place rather than piecing subjects together themselves.  I think the purpose is to not have to do all the planning and to have it be open and go.  So I usually try to understand their intent in asking rather than focusing on their specific choice of words.  I don't think it has to mean that the company publishes the materials itself.

 

Since the OP mentioned lessons plans done for her, that's what I assumed she meant.  HOD is very open and go.  Hardly any teacher prep whatsoever.

 

As another thought, sometimes doing an "all-in-one" or "boxed" curriculum for a year can help you figure out how to do it on your own after that.  Sometimes it can be a great temporary solution as you get your bearings.

[Ellie]

I know this discussion comes up often, but I think people usually mean "boxed" to mean that they can get all of school scheduled for them in one place rather than piecing subjects together themselves.  I think the purpose is to not have to do all the planning and to have it be open and go.  So I usually try to understand their intent in asking rather than focusing on their specific choice of words.  I don't think it has to mean that the company publishes the materials itself.

 

Some people say "boxed" and they mean Easy Grammar. o_0

[tmstranger]

I know this discussion comes up often, but I think people usually mean "boxed" to mean that they can get all of school scheduled for them in one place rather than piecing subjects together themselves.  I think the purpose is to not have to do all the planning and to have it be open and go.  So I usually try to understand their intent in asking rather than focusing on their specific choice of words.  I don't think it has to mean that the company publishes the materials itself.

 

Since the OP mentioned lessons plans done for her, that's what I assumed she meant.  HOD is very open and go.  Hardly any teacher prep whatsoever.

 

As another thought, sometimes doing an "all-in-one" or "boxed" curriculum for a year can help you figure out how to do it on your own after that.  Sometimes it can be a great temporary solution as you get your bearings.

 

yes, thank you...something that is done for me would be great right now! LOL!  Maybe it's the holidays that have me stressed, too! 

 

Today, I tried to really make sure my 5th grader knew which subjects I wanted him to wait for me on...and his brother actually got up and started school really early, so I was left with more hands-on time for the old one later in the day.  That helped tremendously, but I'm not sure that schedule would work out often!

 

[HS Mom in NC]

Hi.  This is my first year homeschooling.  My boys are in 2nd and 5th grades.  I am very drawn to TWTM way of homeschooling, but I'm finding it very difficult to implement in my home.  Maybe I'm making it too hard or trying to do too much, but I think I need a change for next year. 

 

I wouldn't throw away an entire educational philosophy (Neo-Classical Trivium as described in TWTM) after one semester of struggling to implement it no matter what the philosophy is.  I think you need to expect to make adjustments and tinker with things a bit before ditching the whole thing. Most people who pull their kids out of ps take a year or so to adjust to this new option of homeschooling as they deal with personalities, changes in lifestyle, figuring out educational philosophy, family dynamics, etc.

 

Right now, my 5th grader is very independent and completes most work on his own.  I think he needs more writing instruction and attention from me in that area, but he gets very defensive when I try to help him.  Part of his defensiveness is that I'm trying to pull more info out of him than what he's used to...he was sliding by without much effort in public school and getting straight As.

 

Does he just need to do narrations and basic outlining for his writing assignments? You don't need curriculum for that.  You can just do that with Story of the World (SOTW)  for history.  Narrations are the foundation our good writing, so if he hasn't done it, he really should.  If he has narrations down why not Susan Wise Bauer's Writing with Skill?  It's directed to the student (making it fairly independent work if your child is ready for that) and mom only need the instructor's guide with its list of propping questions for each section just in case the child gets stuck and needs help. The matrix charts are very helpful for evaluating assignments. You're still getting things in line with TWTM.

 

One very big problem with any sort of education that isn't directed to a child's individual needs (And what classroom could possibly cater to the individual needs of dozens of children?) is the rude awakening for children who have never been challenged.  They develop an expectation that everything is easy because it always has been.  Then, when they finally get to something challenging (for some like my husband, that's college level Calculus) they don't have the emotional development that comes with facing challenges.  When children have faced various challenges all along the way here and there, it's normalized and more emotionally comfortable.  They have experienced the payoff of having facing a small challenge and over come it and use that as reassurance they can over come the next one. 

 

There are other ways to develop that, but I think it might be time your son experienced that.  He can start with narrations where he reads something to himself or you read it aloud to both kids and has to tell you back as much as he remembers and then narrates those thoughts in a coherent, organized way.  You don't have to protect him from feeling frustrated or awkward with something new or more challenging. Those are normal emotions and experiences that we all deal with.  He can deal with them too. Better sooner than later.

 

 

The 2nd grader is using curriculums that require soooo much of my time that I don't feel I have time to help the older child.  FLL,WWE, Saxon...they can really suck up a day! So, the 5th grader just plows through his work while I am teaching the little one. 

I think I need another way to structure our day and I think that having something less teacher intensive for the little one would help.  I also think I'd like to have lesson plans spelled out for me instead of having me spend my weekends putting things together. 

 

 

There are lots of old threads here about managing multiple ages and stages in a homeschool.  You should read up on those and see what approach works best for you. 

 

Another helpful approach is subject integration.  Instead of doing a read aloud, a narration assignment, history, geography, and literature assignment and a writing assignment separately, each from a different curriculum, you can integrate many of those subjects from one curriculum. If you use SOTW for history as a read aloud and have the child narrate it back for you to scribe and copy it out (if they're younger) or just write out what they're narrating themselves under you supervision so you can pull more out of them, then you can mark off history and writing and possibly handwriting too.  Your child can narrate back literature relevant to history and geography and hands on activities listed in the Activity Guide for SOTW.  Both children can listen to history and literature.  Each can have different expectations of narrations and writing from it.

 

So, while I know the general "boxed" sets don't necessarily follow TWTM, I'm leaning toward a change for next year.  Heart of Dakota, Abeka...what are your thoughts?  Can I add classical reading to those programs and not have it be too overwhelming for all of us?  Heart of Dakota has a lot of novels in it already.

 

Do you experienced moms have any other suggestions for me to help me balance my time between the two boys while not losing my mind? 

 

TIA,

Michelle

 

 

 

[RayDad]

We like Sonlight

[birchbark]

I'd recommend two things. First, prioritize the 3R's. Do not add in other subjects until you get a good flow going with reading, writing, and math. Also, most materials that teach the 3R's do not require lesson planning; they are more just doing the next thing.

 

Secondly, I'd prioritize time with your older student. Then while he is working independently, teach your younger. Most programs for 2nd grade are not super-independent, and really shouldn't be. You could drop FLL for your younger and just do WWE. Grammar is not crucial for 2nd grade, or even third. I always recommend The Sentence Family as a fun, easy intro to grammar if you really want to cover it.

 

As a previous HoD user, I would not recommend it for an overwhelmed newbie. There is no planning involved, but it is a full, busy program to implement. Plus you would need two levels going with the ages of your DC.

[miracleone]

I used an eclectic approach when I started homeschooling and we also did CC but what really helped me was switching to HOD at 5th grade and it's been a great fit for my daughter.  She's now using the RevtoRev and next year will go to MtM.  I am very happy with it.  Now for my 2nd grader, I had a bit of trouble with BLHFHG just because I wasn't crazy about their science and other minor subjects.  The history was ok but not great for us either so we switched to Abeka social studies plus lots of library books to supplement the history topics.  Same thing with Science. 

 

[Cottonwood]

Check out Moving Beyond The Page. We looooove it.

[tmstranger]

I have looked at MBTP so many times.  For whatever reason, I keep looking elsewhere.  I can't put my finger on what it is, but I don't think it's a good fit.  I almost tried ordering just a "unit" of it to try it out, but I could never decide on one.  There are things I like that make me want to try it, though...

[Haiku]

I think I need another way to structure our day and I think that having something less teacher intensive for the little one would help. 

 

Personally, I don't think that you can expect a 2nd or 3rd grader to use an independent curriculum. Kids that age are still learning how to learn and are still learning the skills necessary to learn effectively. They need someone along with them to guide, explain, instruct, and encourage.

 

When my kids were in 2nd/3rd grades, they did about 2-3 hours of work. I was working with them pretty much the entire time. I don't think that could/should be avoided.

 

With your child going into 6th grade, you have more flexibility to assign work and have the child do it independently, but you still need to spend time grading, explaining the things that your child didn't understand, and instructing (especially in math).

 

I have two kids close in age but at drastically different academic levels. This year, in 7th grade, is the first time my dd has been able to do too much work independently. The curriculum we have used has required interaction with a teacher, and by being involved I have been able to quickly correct misunderstandings and head off bad habits. Now I am able to do a bit more of "This is what you need to complete. Read through it and see whether you have any questions. No? Ok, you work on that while I do xyz with your brother."

 

My ds, in 6th grade, still needs me a lot because he has dyslexia and some other learning challenges. I expect it to be a few years still before he is able to work more independently.

 

If it's taking your 2nd grader more than 2-3 hours to complete the work, you may be assigning too much. You could also stagger subjects by day. Not every subject has to be completed every day. He can also be working on things (such as a math assignment or grammar assignment  -- after you have explained the lesson, of course) while you are going over something with your older child but are still close enough to answer questions as needed.

 

I trade my kids off. I work with one while I have another working on chores or doing something independently, and then I switch. We get through the day in about 5 hours.

[Haiku]

Right now, the 5th grader is doing CAP Book 2 and he hates it.  

 

Why does he hate it? If he finds it too difficult, then I would definitely stay away from Writing with Skill. It's a good program, but it is not for the faint of heart, and there are plenty of threads here about how kids in 5th and 6th grades are not able to do it independently and that it takes a lot of involvement on the mom/teacher's part. We used it for a while and then switched to something else. My dd is a strong writer, and she found WWS very boring and uninspiring as well as needlessly complex in its instruction. We used School Composition, a free vintage book from Google Books, and she really enjoyed it. 

[EmseB]

Personally, I don't think that you can expect a 2nd or 3rd grader to use an independent curriculum. Kids that age are still learning how to learn and are still learning the skills necessary to learn effectively. They need someone along with them to guide, explain, instruct, and encourage.

 

When my kids were in 2nd/3rd grades, they did about 2-3 hours of work. I was working with them pretty much the entire time. I don't think that could/should be avoided.

 

With your child going into 6th grade, you have more flexibility to assign work and have the child do it independently, but you still need to spend time grading, explaining the things that your child didn't understand, and instructing (especially in math).

 

I have two kids close in age but at drastically different academic levels. This year, in 7th grade, is the first time my dd has been able to do too much work independently. The curriculum we have used has required interaction with a teacher, and by being involved I have been able to quickly correct misunderstandings and head off bad habits. Now I am able to do a bit more of "This is what you need to complete. Read through it and see whether you have any questions. No? Ok, you work on that while I do xyz with your brother."

 

My ds, in 6th grade, still needs me a lot because he has dyslexia and some other learning challenges. I expect it to be a few years still before he is able to work more independently.

 

If it's taking your 2nd grader more than 2-3 hours to complete the work, you may be assigning too much.

I agree with this. I am thinking of getting a box of planned curriculum for next year. But I don't think with the ages of my kids it will do much more than take the stress out of planning and prepping as much as I might otherwise have to. That will be huge, but day-to-day I'm still going to be in the thick of trying to teach them and manage the baby and toddler. Thankfully my oldest is an fairly independent learner for his age, but he'll still only be 8.

[Cottonwood]

I have looked at MBTP so many times.  For whatever reason, I keep looking elsewhere.  I can't put my finger on what it is, but I don't think it's a good fit.  I almost tried ordering just a "unit" of it to try it out, but I could never decide on one.  There are things I like that make me want to try it, though...

 

The nice thing is that you can order just one unit to try it out and it doesn't cost much at all to sample it that way.   It's open and go and rich!  If you don't like it after you try a sampling, at least it won't nag at you anymore. LOL  I dunno, we love it so much I can't help but gush!

[EmilyGF]

MBTP isn't boxed in the sense of being open and go. There are a lot of things to gather. I think you need to feel comfortable adapting things to your child's level, too.

 

Emily

[ebrindam]

I know others define it differently, but I do think HOD is boxed....in that you order everything from them in one "package" and all subjects are scheduled with detailed lesson plans.  I also think it follows TWTM in more ways than meets the eye.  The history rotation starts in 5th grade.  The science, starting in 5th grade, also follows the general plans in TWTM, but with better books in my opinion.  It schedules R&S grammar and uses copywork, dictation and narration for a well-rounded LA.  Official writing programs begin around 5th grade as well.  It definitely has a CM flavor to it, but also classical and traditional components.  

 

I just wanted to clarify a few things because I think HOD gets easily misunderstood unless you own a level with a guide and are able to really look through and understand the whole scope and sequence of the program. 

 

I think most people would agree with you. 

[RootAnn]

I wanted to add that at least for one more day, it is February. February is the month for the school doldrums when many of us just want to load our kids up on the bus & send them down the street or to the next town over. Others just despair or worry or fuss about one thing or another during February. This is a great time of year to just count how many weeks left of school you have instead of trying to redo everything. So, it could be the month.

 

Another thing to ponder is whether you need to change everything up or if you want to start with just a few changes. Perhaps you want to try a checklist:  check out a thread on the 'notebook' planner/method. Would workboxes help you (just one example)? We've had debates on 'to schedule or not to schedule'. Maybe changing just one subject for your younger to a less intensive one would be helpful. Perhaps you need to have a sit-down with your older about writing and his attitude toward your help in that area. These are all struggles that we've had and some of us continue to have. Susan Wise Bauer even has a gread audio lecture on Moving Students to Work Independently. Here is a link to the slides.

 

:grouphug:

 

 

[tmstranger]

Why does he hate it? If he finds it too difficult, then I would definitely stay away from Writing with Skill. It's a good program, but it is not for the faint of heart, and there are plenty of threads here about how kids in 5th and 6th grades are not able to do it independently and that it takes a lot of involvement on the mom/teacher's part. We used it for a while and then switched to something else. My dd is a strong writer, and she found WWS very boring and uninspiring as well as needlessly complex in its instruction. We used School Composition, a free vintage book from Google Books, and she really enjoyed it. 

 

I believe he thinks it's boring and pointless...but he's an 11yr boy and hates to write just in general.  I ended up buying him IEW and we're only on week 4, but we are so far having a lot of success with it.  I talked with him about it last week and he said, "you mean I don't have to the other book anymore?"  with a HUGE grin on his face.  IEW seems to be a much better fit for him. 

[tmstranger]

I wanted to add that at least for one more day, it is February. February is the month for the school doldrums when many of us just want to load our kids up on the bus & send them down the street or to the next town over. Others just despair or worry or fuss about one thing or another during February. This is a great time of year to just count how many weeks left of school you have instead of trying to redo everything. So, it could be the month.

 

 

:grouphug:

 

I definitely think  the "winter" thing has had me in a funk!  Also, I originally started this thread in Dec. and was trying to get things done for the holidays! 

[Cottonwood]

MBTP isn't boxed in the sense of being open and go. There are a lot of things to gather. I think you need to feel comfortable adapting things to your child's level, too.

 

Emily

I wonder if this is different per level.  While there is a supply list in the front of each unit book, we never look at it and it's not necessary to gather them before getting into the lessons.  A quick flip through that unit should tell you what, if anything is needed.  For instance, DS is starting new units tomorrow and all I need to gather for him is his timeline binder and some art supplies we keep close anyway.  There was a time that I thought I needed to fully gather things up and in the end, I often didn't use the materials b/c we chose to do the other activity option that didn't call for supplies anyway.  So I wait till the day of since most days involves just their notebook and literature book.

[tmstranger]

The nice thing is that you can order just one unit to try it out and it doesn't cost much at all to sample it that way.   It's open and go and rich!  If you don't like it after you try a sampling, at least it won't nag at you anymore. LOL  I dunno, we love it so much I can't help but gush!

 

I finally broke down and bought one science unit for each of my kids so we can try this out!  It shipped today, so I'm kind of excited!