Hello, I am passionate about art curriculum and have almost always switched art curriculum (or added to it) when I use MFW curriculum, because I find that MFW art curriculum alone doesn't usually keep my kids attention. I want them to be as passionate as I am, so I use art items that they enjoy. Wit...

Thanks, Lucy. I struggle sometimes with how much the kids should do independently. Today, for instance, they were on Exercise 7, which is helping them learn organization. I had them write the list of things in the living room themselves, but their organization is pretty off. I hate to make them do i...

Hello all, So, my kids did online school this year, and i feel like it was a complete waste of a year. They never learned anything well. They glimpsed over tons of topics, but didn't really absorb anything. I fear their math skills have diminished, because we had to keep pushing them to move along b...

I am much more calm now. I will breathe (10 times in, 10 times out, slowly) :) and choose to relax..... I really am excited about ECC next year. Looks fun, but may still veer (aaaaaah, I've never done that yet!) some from the LA and math recommendations. I researched math curriculum today, and while...

hi ruby,
what is the home instructor's guide? do you mean the small booklet that came with the MFW math curriculum? I have that, but so far I thought it was just telling me the answers to the kids' math workbook problems. I also have the Singapore textbook. Are you talking about that?

Shape Bingo: Make a 4x4 grid for your child. Have each child fill in the spaces with shapes of their choice. They can repeat if they want to. Limit the shapes to the ones they learned this week. Give them pennies for place markers. Randomly call out various shapes, and whoever fills in a whole line...

Thanks everyone! I love how quickly everyone chips in with advice! Can we count going to grandma's as field trips!?

We used My Very First Book of Animal Homes. It is perfect for Day 2, because it is a split-page board book, and children can match each animal with the home it lives in. Where do the bees live? Where does the bird live?

I found this link for making a nest. This might be a little easier than the nest project in the parent instructions, but it still helps your child to see how complicated and amazing a bird's nest really is.

• http://www.brighthub.com/education/earl ... 43338.aspx

Thanks ladies, I got these responses after I had already discussed the plant and lonely leaf with them. But I read the verses, from Psalm and Jeremiah, with them out of the Kids' Study Bible, and it included some great questions that really got them thinking. One of the questions was, "How are we li...

In the Insect section, the TM suggests we tell the story of The Little Red Hen who works hard even when the animals around her do not want to work. Only she and her children get to enjoy a delicious meal. I wanted to mention that the author, Amy Lowry Poole, retells an Aesop's Fable called The Ant a...

Thanks everyone. It was encouraging to remember that part of the kids' behavior is because this whole school thing is new to them. Of course they would want to see how much they can get away with! :) Thank you for that reminder. It is good to remember that if I am consistent now, they will soon figu...

When checking out the Zoobooks magazine website, I noticed it has a virtual zoo coming soon. Right now, it has info on lots of animals' homes, food, etc.
Here is the link: http://zoobooks.com/animalsatoz.aspx?n=284783

Has anyone ever started k with a child that doesn't know any of their letters? My son will be 5 in April and I plan to start him doing K in the fall. We work on the MFW preschool package several days a week. He also enjoys getting on Starfall and he has a preschool workbook he enjoys doing. However...

I've been thinking and praying about this alot. Which always leads to self-evaluation. I realized that I have been really frustrated at my daughter for not wanting to learn. For not liking the "fun" activities that I have planned for her. I'm realizing now why I am so frustrated: I think, when paren...

In beginning to read "For the Children's Sake", I have already begun to evaluate the way I parent. Do I give too many rules, or do I enforce just the necessary ones? Do let my kids play, or do I plan too many things for them? Do I treat them with respect, like people, or do I treat them like they ar...