An education post

Lessons learned so far this year:

Rod and Staff grammar is great for my advanced reader and highly creative writer who just happens to be a gifted speller.
Rod and Staff grammar is a horrible fit for my troubled reader with poor fine motor skills that can not pick out details and gets frustrated by a lot of information in a small area.

Singapore Science is great for all learning styles as long as the Mom has a extensive background in science or knows someone with a great background. It is great for fostering scientific thinking but lax on vocabulary and hands-on learning. Thankfully, I can easily make up for that. I have more trouble paring down the info than beefing it up. For non-science moms or science moms with "Barney-brain" the teacher's guides are worth the money.

Explode the Code is awesome for kids who just aren't getting the "code." It also help with spelling and handwriting. The Pre-code books are equally fabulous. The drawings are all a bit...well...Unprofessional but that just seems to be Mom's issue and the the kids'.
MCP phonics isn't nearly as good as ETC and the Teacher's Guide is a total waste of money.

Spelling workout doesn't help spellers with speech problems and it isn't a challenge for natural spellers. But it is great for vocabulary.

Wordly Wise is an asset for children who gifted with words but torture for those who aren't.

MCP math is the bomb baby! Singapore math is just not for kids who have their own strong, spatial, understanding of math. In fact it can be a detriment for kids who have a good grasp on math. It messes with their way of figuring things out and not in a good way. It's cute though and has great word problems.

Story of the World is best done without all the activities and stuff. Just read and discuss. If you need pictures use a supplement book or look up stuff online. All the extra stuff just keeps us from getting it done.

Evan-Moore Daily Geography is fast and incredibly useful. We do the whole week in one setting and it covers most of the "social studies" stuff that SOTW doesn't.

Latin doesn't get done but that is ok.

Mind benders, Building thinking skills, and logic games like Rush Hour and RIver Crossing are worth their weight in gold.

Oh...and snap circuits are the greatest invention ever for boys ages 8 and up.