Some changes that need to be made for language arts and math

[@captain7471]

Homeschooling with a newborn is hard! Sometimes you have to just stick with the basics and the extras get set to the side, and other days you can do it all. I have a 5 year old, a newly two year old and a nine month old. It’s tough, but it can be done 😊

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

You have a baby AND a toddler…I know that’s tough! I’ve done school with a toddler which was definitely a challenge for sure, but never both a baby and a toddler at once.

[@captain7471]

@@thepracticalhomeschooler it’s hard but so worth it! The older the baby gets the easier it is, at least for us. I set the baby down with some toys and the toddler plays or sits with me and watches

[@Masonsept2011]

Homeschooled with a newborn this last year. Nap time schedules! That’s been the biggest help for me. Also, I highly recommend math mammoth. With my older 3 girls (currently 4th, 3rd, 2nd) we have bounced from gatb old and new, Saxon and back to math mammoth. It is the straight forward like Saxon, but shorter lessons! And there are videos to go with each lesson if you don’t feel qualified to help lol. Also lots of computer games for extra practice.

[@sarapayne9445]

I’m sticking to the basics this year. My daughter is currently 2 months and my son is 4. He’s doing kindergarten work which is 🤯. So we’re keeping it simple. Bible, phonics, and math. That’s all we have time for at the moment. So excited for you. Babies are fun and sweet.

[@jenniferl0804]

Homeschooled with a newborn this school year! Did it all during her nap time, mainly her first nap of the day to get it done

[@crystalh28]

Thank you for the reminder that we should be praying for our curriculum choices. I am currently considering trying out Math With Confidence for next year.

[@HomeschoolwithRachel]

I love your thought process to choosing curriculum and reminder that prayer is vital to the process! I wanted TGATB to work for my kindergartener’s LA, but sadly it’s his least favorite and we will be switching it out next school year… haven’t quite decided to what yet! Math with Confidence is on my radar for when my youngest is in kindergarten in 2 years time… never too early to start the prayer process ❤

[@lesliedavis5323]

Math with Confidence is SO great! We came from Math Mammoth. It’s amazing how fun it can be and how much my son loves it!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Nice! Love hearing that!

[@worldofweeze]

I like hearing your thought process😊 IEW sounds so great. Easton’s Easy Peasy Language Arts this year and last have been very focused on writing. He isn’t always thrilled about it but it’s good for him!💪🏻

[@HeLives88]

I highly recommend getting the Teaching Structure & Style as well. It helps you teach writing and know what their style is.

[@PenniesAndSalt]

Love Math with Confidence and we love Christian Light Math. Horizons might be one to look at too, it’s pretty solid and colorful.

[@livingbreadbaker]

Congratulations!!! It’s the extra driving that is really hardest for me. My youngest was 3 months old when we started the year and hated car drives. 🤪 Year by year

[@socalmoore8463]

I think you should go ahead and start with IEW next year. Don’t wait until 7th grade. Plus their video based option will help you next year! We do The good and the beautiful and leave out the writing and do IEW instead!

[@littleacrehomestead8914]

I switched my second and kindergartener to BJU online video's and we are loving it. I have been struggling to get get their school done with my busy 1 and 4 year old running around. Now I can set them up and help out as they do their video's. BJU so far seems like a very strong program.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Yes it is! Glad it’s working for you!

[@caneshajacobs202]

We switched from TGAB math K to apologia Math 1 and it was the best decision ever! So easy to teach so fun and interactive but very logical, and builds solid math skills, and has a clear pacing! The writer has a very strong math background and you can just see how it all works so well together and builds! So happy to have found this math unicorn for our family. Praying you get clarity on all the lingering choices.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thank you! And yes I’ve been watching her videos explaining the reasons of why she chose what and it aligns with everything I am looking for and think is important in a math curriculum

[@roseylove1543]

I’m doing the Good and the Beautiful LA for my kindergartener and Math with Confidence and seriously I can’t say enough about how much I love MWC! It is so fun and builds a great number sense. I love it so much and my daughter does too. Another thing I really love about it is that it’s very open and go (once you get an organized system for the Flashcards).

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Good to know, thanks!

[@laurene9166]

🎉congratulations!!!!! Oh my goodness!!!!!! So happy for you guys 😌

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thank you!

[@crazychappellchaos9910]

Baby wearing was a life saver with my current youngest when it came to homeschooling

[@Vixxen___904]

Homeschooling with a newborn isn’t impossible, but it’s definitely a challenge. I had 3 babies in 2 years and we just focused on core and lots of reading. Slowing down was a must though. I’d actually argue homeschooling with a 1 and 2 year old is much harder lol

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Yes that seems to be the consensus! Haha

[@kristinabronder8733]

We love MathMammoth! I used that for the first 2 years and this year switched to TGATB but I quickly realized we needed supplemental work so we also use MathMammoth supplemental work. Its working really well. I bought through next year (year 4) of TGATB (on sale) so we will probably use both through then and then I may switch back to only MathMammoth for year 5. What I love about MM is that the number sense and algebraic thinking is outstanding and solid! The only thing I will need to supplement is some of the extra topics...money, time. Mental math is high priority with MM and because of that I can see how strong of a number sense my daughter has because of the multiple ways Maria teaches for one problem...they know the why and how! It is a very "boring" curriculum but solid, which is more important to us. Im glad we tried TGATB but hands down MM is a stronger math program.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Yes it is opposite of TGTB in terms of beauty and being alive (?) and colorful…but thankfully my oldest doesn’t care about that. She still likes math band doesn’t need it to be flashy…she just wants to do the problems while understanding the concept.

[@kimberlyanderson547]

We are moving from TGATB for 6th grade to Mr. D. Still figuring out language. We love IEW and will continue with that.

[@roseselthofer7207]

We used TGTB for many years, but this year we switched to Saxon for my 5th grader and use Nicole the Math Lady. I feel like it’s solid and like it much better.

[@elizabeth0265]

We switched to Saxon this year also and it has went so well!

[@stephaniedarling3722]

We also switched to saxon this year for 5th grade. We did teaching textbooks in 4th grade. He enjoyed the I ternet component of it but I wanted something a little more rigorous and something that encourages actually writing out problems. It is a lot at first... we definitely don't do ALL of the curriculum but it is so thorough and my kiddo now enjoys math because he understands it!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I’ve heard great things about Saxon and Nicole the math lady!

[@rachaelsantos402]

We switched to BJU Press English 6 and 5 this year and my 11 yr old twins love it and so do I! love the flow and how it alternates grammar and writing as it breaks things up. I thought the writing part wasn’t going to be enough, but it is! We started with BJU Math 6 at the beginning of the year but this unfortunately does not work for us. It’s a lot for the parent/teacher and for someone that is not great at math, it was just to difficult to find our groove. We went back to Teaching Textbooks. I highly recommend BJU Press English! 😊

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Yes the math does have a lot of moving parts for the parents if you teach it yourself. I think the English seems more manageable for us too!

[@kailynolson2281]

We're doing fix-it grammar, structure and style 1b and phonetic zoo with my reluctant writer and I've been blown away with how much he's retained and how his writing has improved! Doesn't work for everyone but I feel like for us at least they have complimented each other perfectly and been a wonderful fit

[@rangelchronicles296]

We are using Math With Confidence and All About Reading / Spelling. Both are working out wonderfully 🙏🏼 I’m so grateful. We tried TGATB and as much as I wanted it to work, my kindergartener wasn’t grasping the math or reading.

[@LMPM0909]

I love Math Antics for my middle school son. $10 a year with videos and printable worksheets. My son has learned and retained so much with it.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I’ve never heard of that one. I’ll have to check it out!

[@amandab.6815]

We've been doing Singapore math this year with my 1st grader. I like the quality of it, but it is not easy to teach, in my opinion. There is so much information in the home instructors manual that it is overwhelming. Next year I am seriously considering Second Grade Math with Confidence. It teaches the same number sense as Singapore, but with a scripted, simplified teachers manual. Continuing Strong with All About Reading and All About Spelling. I can't imagine ever changing that.

[@MargotBrown]

Which Singapore math are you using if you don’t mind me asking? I purchased dimensions 1a with the home instructors guide, and Primary mathematics with the HIG too as a back up!

[@amandab.6815]

@@MargotBrown I use Primary 2022 with the home instructors guide. I have to do a bunch of prereading the night before to figure out how to teach the concepts. It's not step by step scripted.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I’ve heard it’s a simplified version of Singapore and right start

[@MargotBrown]

@@amandab.6815 thank you!

[@nicolentwiga7049]

I commend you on stepping out and changing...following that prompting! That is is hard. I mentioned in another comment that we love math with confidence. I will say that it is so teacher friendly. You don't need tons of stuff. What you do need it pretty budget friendly. The lessons are scripted. I also love that she gives lots of info for you in the teacher manual. There are unit checkpoints and she tells you exactly what needs to be mastered before moving on, what doesn't, and how to work on any concepts you may need more work on. I know it's a tough choice though!

[@assabaakwei6714]

Everything Nicole said about Math With Confidence! Great mix about just enough sit-down worksheets and hands-on play and using manipulatives that are common, multi-purpose, can be used over multiple years, and won't break the bank. Teacher friendly. I used MWC from Kindergarten until now 2nd Grade, and plan to use it again for 3rd grade. I recommended it to two other homeschool mama friends who love it now for their kids.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thanks for the breakdown!😊

[@rebeccanixon7926]

We love right start math for kindergarten ❤ we will be using it for 1st grade as well. The lessons are simple & they really catch on so quickly with it.

[@fab5bailey369]

Another great video and you have the right to change your mind...lol! My 6th and 7th grade boys enjoy IEW and Fix it. But they dislike watching the long videos and repeating the same writing topic over. So I had to adjust it to fit our homeschool. Instead of doing four paper per month, we do the last two papers and I combine all the information taught from that unit into those two papers. Even though IEW is working for us, I am considering Essentials in Writing (EIW) for next year which is a lot like BJU but shorter lessons. We also tried BJU, I liked it for all the same reasons but when we took a break from grammar my sons had a hard time remembering the rules. My 4th grade daugther who dislikes writing as well is having a lot of success with Evan Moor Real World Writing. She just finished writing a review for a resturant. Last thing...haha! Traditional Workout is a spelling that goes up to 8th grade and is similar to Evan Moor's spelling. But you can't go wrong with 180 days of Spelling either. As always thanks for sharing.

[@bethart1985]

I am going to have my 2nd grader do Evan Moor Real World Writing next year. It looks super cute!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

That’s such a cool idea about the restaurant review! We love Evan moor!

[@bessboschetti7972]

We do Rightstart Math as our core and use TGTB math on busy days bc they can do TGTB math on their own. We also love IEW!

[@jessicabodden5875]

Loved these last two videos about how you think about curriculum 🎉

[@schultesweeties]

We are also switching at least my oldest from The Good and Beautiful math. I was planning to switch her for next year but she told me that she wanted to switch now. It sped up my research, but we landed on Aleks math. It is an online program and so far she is absolutely loving it.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Ooh I’ll check it out! Glad to hear you guys found something you love and that works!

[@jaclynfisher5587]

I use math with confidence kindergarten and it is amazing. It is exactly what I wanted in a math curriculum. Can't rave enough about it!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

It looks so good! It’s hard to decide though!

[@nicolentwiga7049]

We also use math with confidence. We switched from Simply good and beautiful. I feel like it's the perfect mix of conceptual, straight math facts, and fun! We love love love it.

[@jaclynfisher5587]

@The Practical Homeschooler I know! I want to try everything, though that isn't possible! I was a mid level math education major, so I knew exactly what I wanted in a math curriculum and this was the only one that fit all the requirements (so that I didn't have to adapt it). So happy with it!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

@@jaclynfisher5587 love hearing that!

[@aimeejohannes6713]

This was so helpful! I have a 5th grader this year as well who has followed almost the same sequence of curriculum. 3rd grade Abeka, 4th and 5th the Good and the Beautiful. As much as we’ve loved it, we are looking to mix things up next year. I’m really interested in the BJU reading for 6th grade, I’ll have to go check it out!

[@pagecole6857]

We used BJU 6 last year for my oldest and it is a great, solid program. We use the DLO option, but either way I love how they really hand hold during the writing process and make it a step by step approach. And the grammar taught me as well! 😂 And switching between writing and grammar is so nice!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Glad to hear that, and that’s it’s been successful for you! Thanks for sharing !

[@allyh193]

My daughter didn’t enjoy math with confidence so we switched to Saxon. It was a much better fix! Nicole the Math Lady is a great teacher so I’m more of a support. There are also joke breaks that my 6th and 4th graders like haha One that I love to add as a more colorful supplement is Mathematical Reasoning from Critical Thinking Co. It teaches math from a critical thinking and logical view. It’s very bright and colorful!

[@angel.wilder]

I love hearing your thoughts on the Simply Good and Beautiful math. My first two have used the old TGTB math and I am so happy with their number sense from it. I keep looking at the new stuff for my next child and I just haven't felt like it meets my standards. I am glad it works for many, but I have certain goals out of an elementary math program for my kids. I am currently stuck deciding between the old TGTB math once again or Math with Confidence.

[@elenahajda9291]

When I had a newborn and 4 year old I started k4 with Abeka Academy, video based lessons, helped me a lot. I couldn't do it myself and quality of those teaching videos are amazing! I don't know if you've seen but BJU have video lessons as well, lots of homeschoolers really liking it.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I have!

[@nicoles9223]

Also don’t feel pressured into baby wearing during homeschooling. This sounds terrible but it’s never worked for me. I was always so afraid I’d hurt the baby while bending over to get something etc. it almost feels like you are pregnant because you have restricted motion! I’ve done all my homeschooling either with a baby, pregnant, with a toddler or (baby/toddler, pregnant/toddler!) what worked a lot of times was having the bassinet with wheels I could move close to where we were doing school

[@GenkiKitty]

I love to hear all of your ideas, it's like looking into my thought process for this next school year. I have twin, will be 6 yr olds in the summer) going into 2nd grade for Abeka. We found Abeka through your recommendations, I'm forever thankful. I've heard they have a great program for the younger ages until around 3rd grade, so constantly keeping an eye out for a variety of ideas. We started out with Timberdoodle, Math U See was the math curriculum. We loved the STEM and All About Reading programs however the MUS was not the best fit for our little ones. The books are in black and white and the instructor is very monotoned. I assume it works great for kids that just want to complete the task and move on but for our littles it was not the best fit. After about the second week of doing the exact same math, they were completely bored with the repetition. We do Abeka Math with review days of KZbin videos for fun and educational games to reinstate all the rules. For us, we are looking into Brave Writer for creative writing beyond Abeka's normal LA program. Just in case you haven't looked into it, they have a new program that contains lessons online, even a selection for multiple ages.

[@rolandabradley6193]

We have always used TGTB since kinder....my daughter is in 5th now.......last year I knew something had to change....I wasn't loving it as much as I used to and my daughter wasn't either. She didn't like the writing at all. So this year instead of doing TGTB for math, LA and science...we changed to BJU and we have both have loved it! We use the videos for some courses science and history and sometimes reading....and english we use just the writing chapters. It has been such a good fit for. us. I love the look of Math with Confidence....my daughter would have loved that in the earlier years.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I’m glad it’s working so well and has been a good fit! 😊

[@bethart1985]

For math for our 2nd grade daughter we are doing RightStart Math, and mathseeds online as well as the book. For Language Arts we are doing All About Spelling, All About Reading, Fix it Grammar, Reading Eggs level 2 workbook, Reading Eggspress online, A reason for Handwriting, Evan Moor Reading, and Evan Moor Real World Writing. I think Math with Confidence will be great for you guys because it's games based and makes it more fun. I was debating between that and RightStart Math but ultimately decided RightStart because we have so many workbooks in other things. The less worksheets the better for my girl. Hope your kitchen remodel and pregnancy are going welllllll!

[@TheRebecaB]

I am right there with you in your opinions of TGTB math. Neither of my children seem to mind it, they like the games but I notice, especially with my youngest currently doing level K, it doesn’t review enough to really master the concepts. I know it’s supposed to be age appropriate but I find the lessons too short if that makes sense so then it’s like whatever was taught that day wasn’t fully grasped. Based on one of your videos I actually got Abeka level 5 math to help supplement and so far she is loving it. I think she is the type of child that likes the color but also to just get right into it without all the fluff. I am also undecided what to choose for math next year. I’m waiting to see how things pan out. For LA my eldest loves TGTB but my youngest not so much. At first she did but now she complains when we have to do it. I honestly think she would do well with Abeka so I may switch her to that next year. She seems to like doing worksheets, but ones that just go straight to the point. As for grammar I just saw a video by Ashlee from Gathered and Grounded talking about Beowolf Grammar. I think my 3rd grader would love that. But I’m not 100% decided on that either. As for writing I have yet to make a decision if I will add a separate curriculum for that.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

So many decisions, huh? Lol Sounds like your daughter might really do well with Abeka if she likes worksheets and straight to the point!

[@karivanhorn1765]

We have used BJU English 2,3,4 and we love it! It is solid!! And with the baby coming you might consider doing BJU Online!! It has been a blessing for us!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I think she’d be able to do it pretty independently, as that’s what she’s done with TGTB for the last 2 years. In think she prefers to get to the point rather than having to sit through a whole video explanation every day. But I do hear good things about the online versions, and depending on how it goes, would consider it for future subjects down the line!

[@karivanhorn1765]

@@thepracticalhomeschooler my son is now only doing math, english, reading, handwriting on bju homeschool hub he is doing sonlight with us for history and science.

[@melissaroush]

If your daughter like learning about root words you should check our Caesar’s English for Vocabulary or maybe for challenging spelling. It with Royal press. It’s challenging but even my 3rd grade now uses the words from listening to her sister study. For writing we have done IEW and my 3rd grader is doing it now. My 5th grader switched to Writing Rhetoric - I highly suggest looking at that. My daughter wasn’t the most enthusiastic writer and now she writes a story a week and extra for fun. I love you videos. I am so happy you have a little one on the way. 🥰

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I’ll check those out too!

[@amandamendoza4181]

You might try Christian Light Education for math. It is an excellent mix of mastery and spiral. It is straight to the point as well as geared towards student lead.

[@primaryadventuressnow]

My kids love horizons math. It is similar in format to saxon BUT is very colorful, it is both mastery and tightly woven spiral if that makes sense. My kids love the amount of concepts per lesson-a lot of variety but lots of review.

[@mhals5251]

BJU press has the online video classes that are so helpful if you have a newborn and can't teach all the subjects per kid. The downside is they are a chunk of change but the convenience is so nice as the Mom. My kids have LOVED them too!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Yes I’ve been thinking of those too!

[@abeautifulmess5036]

We just switched from using TGATB LA and math. my son is a very reluctant writer and needed something to help him so we switched to IEW structure and style and fix-it-grammar and it’s working out amazing! We are still doing TGATB handwriting because it works well for him. For math he wanted straight to the point Black and white math so we switched to Saxon and he also loves that and Nicole the math lady is amazing…I also paid the $20 extra for the online grading and it’s money well spent since it saves me time, lol. Plus he gets so excited when he gets immediate results if it’s right or wrong😂

[@karli7966]

We started with BJU reading this year for both of my kids (2nd and 4th) and ended up switching to Sonlight. It was so hard to implement without the Instructors Guide. I hope it is more successful for you guys!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I think we’ll just read the text and discuss it. What we get to, we get to and if it’s not 100% finished at the end of the year, that’s ok too

[@karenu.7500]

We use Math With Confidence with my kindergarten and we’re loving it! Love the hands son activities and games! Will continue with first grade! We use Saxon with my 3rd grader and use Nicole the Math Lady which is a game changer! She teaches the lessons and one less theming for me to teach ( I have 4 kiddos 🤪 so hard to do all the things) Saxon is spiral which my daughter seems to enjoy, we came from math u see which didn’t have a lot of review. We’re thinking of IEW for 4th grade. I hear such great things about it. We’re using Abeka for LA this year and love it but we need a more structured writing curriculum.

[@lifewithginab]

180 days has been such a good fit for my 3rd grader... so curious what you will be using next year ❤️ I've been hearing so many good things about BJU!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I think she’d like 180 days of spelling. Glad it’s working for you guys!!

[@marygibson2518]

We moved to BJU for English, spelling, reading, and math this year and I honestly wish I would have done it sooner. We had used GATB language arts for my first from first through fourth. We weren’t crazy about level 3 and I started supplementing a lot in level 4, but level 4 was almost the death of us. I hated the 2 books. Our oldest is a perfectionist, highly motivated and the writing was not serving her. She needed more direction of exactly what to do and BJU has given her that. Since we switched her we also switched out now second grader at the same time. Our third is in pre-k but he’s being using their k5 math. We had a baby a just turned 1 year old at the beginning of this year and surprisingly the bigger workload that came with BJU was not a big deal at all. Our days have been so smooth…aside from the 1 year old.

[@marygibson2518]

Commenting as I watch the video lol BJU was a game changer for my now 5th grader in writing and has laid such a good foundation for my second grader. I’m so impressed. My oldest used to shed tears over writing when she had too. I cannot say enough good things about BJU English.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Thanks so much for sharing this! I’m happy to hear it’s going well and you’re all enjoying it! I can’t believe how much my 3rd grader enjoys it (she says she feels like she is learning things).

[@marygibson2518]

@@thepracticalhomeschooler I was telling you about mixing Notgrass and BFB and I attribute the success of that to this because everything else just fell into place in our day that we actually had time for history, science, art, and foreign language. It didn’t apply to that convo because obviously you wouldn’t want to change language arts and math just to make a history work, but if you are considering it, it kind of applies lol if that makes since. BJU streamlined our day and my kids love it. We don’t use the supplemental activities books for English or math though, I know some make their kids do all of it and it’s too still and kill for us.

[@emilywalrath7450]

We are diving into IEW next year! Doing All Things Fun and Fascinating (3rd grade), phonetic zoo, and fix it grammar

[@gracenorton5261]

Math with Confidence has been a wonderful choice for my kindergartener!

[@PenniesAndSalt]

I am currently using BJU English with one of mine and LOVE it!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Glad to hear that! ❤️ what grade?

[@PenniesAndSalt]

@@thepracticalhomeschooler 3rd! Definitely planning to use it with a couple others next year.

[@irenescotti4687]

We use BJU reading and English for grade 2 and it's really good. Also, I used TGTB for my older and ended up using MWC for my younger for the younger years because of the same thing-- number sense and foundations of understanding.

[@andrewjessicahersh9466]

So curious to hear about what made you decide to switch math curriculums!

[@paigebyler1387]

Not to throw in something else but we did winter promise this year and my 3rd grade daughter loved it.I'm going to be using it for my going to be 2nd and 4th graders next year. I feel like your girls are similar to mine and it may be something worth looking into.

[@OurMessyHouse]

We are struggling with TGATB math K. We just finished K and felt it was not a complete curriculum for a long story short summery. Considering Math U See. 😅 wrestling with the change. Trying to see if I can add to the curriculum to make it complete for us. Not sure if it’s worth the time though.

[@alindsay7365]

We are doing BJU 4 English and it is so good!! We really like it. We are doing it with Zaner-Bloser Spelling and Abeka Readers.

[@kaylastewart644]

Is this combination working well? It is exactly what I'm planning for next year. We love bju English but zaner bloser looks so good for spelling and handwriting.

[@jessicabodden5875]

Oo I hope you use BJU, I’ve been thinking about using them as well. Their whole English Language Arts program looks comprehensive and thorough.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

It definitely is!

[@RockSimmer-gal4God]

I’ve recently learned not to say no to a curriculum that I used and hated when I homeschooled as my kids could love what didn’t work for me!!! My son uses Singapore math and it didn’t work for me!!! I like to use what works for us!!! We do spelling but no formal spelling again!!! We are yet to use BJU press!!! My older kids don’t want to do handwriting so I don’t make them as I see they are practicing in other ways!!! I’m thinking of using word roots with my older kids!!! My kids love the examples of writing in TGTB!!! I don’t add in reading for my older kids but encourage good choices of different types of books!!! That’s what we did when I was homeschooled!!! We love book studies as well!!!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

That’s a great point…not discounting a curriculum just because it didn’t work for you personally in the past.

[@nicoles9223]

Ok so this video really made me realize that what I’m doing for math with my son isn’t working. I’ve commented a few times before (7 kids 🤪) and I think one of the comments was talking about my son who has been struggling. We’ve spent about a year and a half (on and off because of moving) doing the good and the beautiful math 4. He’s in fifth this year (repeating because he was behind in everything) and still on math 4. He was on unit 3 assessment and He got almost everything wrong. So I have him grade 3 unit 1 assessment and still everything wrong! Obviously this was a surprise. Anyway, I’ll be keeping the good and the beautiful for my kindergartner now, second grader now, and daughter who is also in fifth and carry this on to next year. It works well for them and I am personally terrible in math. For my son I’ve been doing the lessons from tgtb because they are online but I’m feeling bad because it’s very much geared towards a younger child. After watching this video I think I’ll be getting some kind of inexpensive math workbook for third or fourth grade and make sure to stop at the problem areas. No idea what I’ll use for an actual curriculum next year. I have switched math so much before I was not wanting to switch but it’s so obvious it’s not working. In the past we’ve used Abeka, math u see, Saxon, teaching textbooks, none of these worked well for him. I’ll be looking forward to see how it works for you! (And still so excited for your baby, my baby is one so I’m loving hearing about newborns!!)

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I can imagine how frustrating that must be to feel like you haven’t found the right fit for math. I hope you can find something that sticks 😕❤️

[@carinthiamontana7069]

You are the only one I know of that is both homeschooling and at the same time has a child in private school. I have two children that want to homeschool and one that wants to go to school. I think that you are very respectful toward your children, letting them choose.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Ultimately my husband and I choose, but do take their desires into consideration. We do what we feel is best for them for that year, and what is feasible for the family as well. Just taking it year by year! ❤️

[@MelindaRGrubb]

Look into BJU Math! It is engaging, conceptual, and uses lots of manipulatives. They even have online streaming or DVD options, which we love, and will be very helpful with a newborn. I have a 2 year old, and I tried MWC this year with my first grader, and while I loved it, I just felt so burnt out doing every subject one on one. I bought him the videos for Math, and he likes it. And, it's one subject I don't have to teach! Also, Rod and Staff Math starting in grade 4 is very similar to BJU. It is a textbook for independent use. My daughter was using TGTB 4 this year, and we're switching mid-year to Rod & Staff for her. If that works for her, we'll continue next year. If not, she'll be doing BJU videos as well. BJU and Rod & Staff are both mastery, but also incorporate a nice review every day. They're not as focused as Math U See, but not as spiral as CLE or Saxon. I have found that this is the style that works for my kids! Good luck!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I didn’t realize rod and staff had math! I’ve checked out BJU and do like their approach. I’ll have to look into rod and staff!

[@karivanhorn1765]

Regarding TGTB- I felt the same way with MB. We needed spiral and BJU has been awesome for us!

[@jerilyn-ourhomeschooltable]

I’ve used Sonlight History for two years and we’re looking at switching to Notgrass. I just need something a little less reading intensive, and cheaper. I’ve been using BJU English and Science for two years also and I already changed to Lifepac Language Arts and might also use Science for next year. My daughter prefers more independent subjects instead of me teaching her. So we’re trying things that I never anticipated using. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Totally taker to that one….here’s to trying things we never anticipated using 😂

[@jerilyn-ourhomeschooltable]

@@thepracticalhomeschooler Cheers! 😂

[@katiehinds720]

I love hearing your thought process! It's super helpful for me as I am planning for our first year of homeschooling next year. My daughter is already doing level k of tgtb math, and I agree that it doesn't really feel very substantial. I thought maybe it was just because it's level k, but she's flying through it and will definitely need more as she gets older. I'm excited to look into all these things you discussed!

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Best of luck deciding on something!!

[@elizabethl2092]

This is our 3rd year (grade 3) with TGATB, and I do love SO many things about it, but the writing in my opinion is really lacking. I have started implanting some activities through TPT, but next year, I’m considering something else as well that will allow us to focus more on that skill. Also, my kids love TGATB math, but I don’t for a couple of reasons…so trying to decide about that too. 😆 I agree with what you said about math. I feel the same way. I do like how they explain some concepts, but I do have concerns as well.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

For the younger grades, I wasn’t really concerned about the writing so much (had I preferred a stronger writing, sure! But it wasn’t a MAIN concern). But we’re getting into 6th grade now and it’s time to buckle down and find what is going to work. Best of luck with your decision for next year!

[@wearyourcrown88]

I love the idea of using Masterbooks as your history spine and pulling in the beautiful feet books. When did you start beautiful feet with your kiddos? I love the idea of that! My oldest will be in 1st next year.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

We start BFB around the world 2 years ago, but did a year of Abeka American history before that. My oldest was in 3rd. But 1st is totally fine to start too!

[@wearyourcrown88]

I have no idea how this happened…the comment above was supposed to be on your other video. 😅 I hadn’t even watched this one yet and I saw my comment I was like what?! 😂 Anyway congrats on your pregnancy! ❤

[@HeLives88]

IEW Structure & Style is a very good writing program. It has helped my 4th grader is doing so well

[@crazychappellchaos9910]

We have always done TGTB and I’m having a baby (March) so he will be about 5/6 months old at the start of our new school year and of course I have also decided to change everything 🤦‍♀️😂

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Haha of course! Cuz why shouldn’t we add more to our plate 🤪😂

[@crazychappellchaos9910]

@@thepracticalhomeschooler I’m just blaming it on a weird form of nesting 😂

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

@@crazychappellchaos9910 haha love it! 😅

[@karivanhorn1765]

Also my daughter is 8 and loves the colorful bju math

[@ravenbird3014]

I’m having issues with TGTB’s math being too cluttered. My son will skip stuff. I think apologia separates it the most, but I am also looking to switch to Math with confidence or math mammoth. I am good at math so I naturally instilled the concepts very early on so he can figure out simple multiplication and division. I just don’t feel the need to push him. I’d like to do Singapore math, but it look way too intensive. I don’t want to have three books.

[@elizabeth0265]

Love hearing your thought process!I'm undecided what english to do with my third grader. We enjoyed what we did this year but I feel she needs a little bit more. I'm considering abeka or bju. Not sure what direction to go in🤷‍♀️

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Tough decisions!!

[@ThreeGsHomeschool]

We absolutely adore BJU, but we also LOVE Sonlight!! We have the hardest time choosing between the two. Sonlight won this year. We are also using Saxon with Dr. Shormann. Have you looked into Dive into Math. His videos are very quick but very informative. I think the longest video we have had this year is around 10 mins. They are usually between 5 to 8 minutes long. Also, if you take Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 with him, you will receive a full credit of Geometry for high school credits. We are doing 5/4 and 7/6 this year.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Dive into math…I’ll have to check that one out too! Thanks!

[@Jss766]

We are not there yet but I am planning to do a rod and staff and Christian light education mix.

[@raigeyraigs]

Any recommendations on good reading curriculum for 4th, 5th grader who can read just fine, but struggles slightly and not excited about it?

[@adriennehallgoolsby2919]

Have you ever checked out, Michael Clay Thompson for language arts? It's fantastic. I used BJU for a while and switched...as you advance in BJU its just very traditional and tons of problems on a page...BUT if thats your jam then go for it!! I love MCT because its lit based, and gentle, but very thorough! I save money on it by purchasing the PDF version. Just my thoughts :)

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I’ve never heard of that one! Love checking out new curriculum ☺️

[@Teach.love.glamp.]

Does math with confidence only go up to grade 3? I have never seen this one before and was going to look into it for my son, but he’ll be in Fourth next year.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

At this point yes 😕 according to their website, summer of 2024 will be level 4 release

[@MrsTricia778]

What about Singapore math?

[@Kyml705]

It’s sad tgtb switched their math we switched to teaching textbooks it’s been really good but I work outside the house so it helps with our time my kid is 3rd grade

[@DanielaNoel143]

I know we switched to Saxon with Nicole the math lady. my daughter likes art so I let her use the colored erasable pencils to brighten up the page and then I let her doodle after she's done :-)

[@tarrastivers1396]

Can anyone share thoughts on iew or eiw. My kiddos struggle with writing. I need something that can teach them as it is not my strongest area. I am worried about how long iew looks. We use CLE for language and love it so much but I need something for just writing! TIA

[@fab5bailey369]

Does CLE Language Art NOT include writing? I was considering adding CLE with Fix it Grammar. I am also on the fence about EIW but look up a KZbinr "His Arrows Our Hands" and she has flip thoughs and reviews on EIW.

[@tarrastivers1396]

@Fab5 Bailey it does include it. However, it does not walk you through the process as much as my daughter needs.

[@abundanceintheson_316]

I have been using IEW since Sept. 2022. It is a solid program that will walk you through the process. They DVD or streaming video lessons on how to do everything. They have levels (A or B) or themed writing. My daughter has definitely done well learning to write using IEW. She doesn't love it but it is working.

[@angelalopez8062]

Have you looked into Horizons for Math? I've heard good things about it.

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I have! It’s not quite what I’m looking for at this point, but I have heard great things about it too!

[@lindseydsimon]

What do you think of BJU math that your middle daughter is using this year?

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I really like it! I tried to use it one year mid way through the year and it was too difficult to match up the scope and sequence mid year. It was also teacher intense with a lot of moving parts. But I know they have a video lesson option. But it is a good math program!

[@annajohnson7139]

What about RightStart Math?

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

I think that one might have a little too many moving parts, but it does look like a good one too!

[@laurabeth7755]

Did you homeschool with a toddler before? I think homeschooling with a baby is pretty easy (besides mama being a little more tired)... but homeschooling a toddler IMO is so hard, lol.

[@L--C]

So much this! A homeschooling baby is fine, toddler(s) are hard!

[@laurabeth7755]

Also - I am looking into Math with Confidence for my second grader. I don't hate TGTB but I don't love it. Its so hard to find a good fit for math! I tried Math Mammoth with my oldest in 2nd grade and I hated it-but I know a lot of people love it. *

[@thepracticalhomeschooler]

Yup! Lola was 2 and cried the first 3 months of our homeschool (it was our first year). Lots of sitting on my lap and coco melon that year 🫣😂

[@lorriel9629]

This year we changed a lot mid year and it’s working well. We changed to Teaching Textbooks, IEW and Fix it Grammar. TT is like a game and all the grading is done for us. IEW is videos with a funny guy in a classroom setting. He explains it so well and breaks it into small parts. Fix it grammar is like a puzzle where you have to find all the prepositional phrases and then it’s easy to figure out what everything els is. I hope all is going well with the baby😊

[@laurabeth7755]

@@thepracticalhomeschooler - Then you will be fine!

[@kllawrence]

Baby wearing has made our homeschool days smoother.