I use Accelerated Christian Education. The only thing that I don't use at this point is Word Building for Busy. He was just writing the words (total busy work!) and not actually learning them for his test. So we switched to Spelling Power this year and I LOVE it for him. It's just one workbook (10.99) and he has 10 words a week that he focuses on and then does 2 pages in a workbook per day. I then enter the words on SpellingCity.com (free) and he loves going on there. I still use Word Building for Sweety.
Adding extra stuff is really hard!!!! Currently we go to a homeschool co-op on Monday's and he is in a science class that has a lot of experiments for homework and it is nearly impossible to get them done on top of our REGULAR schoolwork.
Because of the way that ACE does their K/1st program thing, Javon has been a bit ahead the last few years...so instead of keeping him going I stop every year with the 12 PACEs and then we work on extra stuff that I've picked up. Like last year we did extra American history lessons after he finished his PACEs for the year plus lot of writing projects because ACE is lacking in that area. So I guess to answer your question, I try to push a bit and get their 12 PACES done a bit early so that we can work on extra/other stuff for May and June.
I just find that PACEs help keep ME on track. When he is done and we are doing more random stuff I find it much easier for me to not stay on track as much.
As far as literature, we try do a lot of other reading stuff besides the required. He loves to read to Reagan and I want him to enjoy reading not hating it because the books are not interesting to him. We also have a chapter book that we read one chapter together as a family in the afternoon. We just started that this year and I've found that it's been really good to just have them LISTEN to the story as I read it and then tell it back to me in a few sentences. More the Charlotte Mason approach.
We read a Proverbs together every morning. They each pick one verse they like and write it out. This is one of my favorite parts of each day!
Breaking it down:
Regular school year - PACEs except WB (Spelling Power and Spellingcity.com) for Busy
After they've finished their 12 PACEs then we work on other stuff. Specifically I have TAUGHT them American History the past two spring/summers, but not put the pressure of tests or any of that along with it. More me reading it to them and them listening and talking about it.....I wouldn't want them to do that all the time though. It think it's a nice change of pace for a period each year however. We also do a lot more hands on science experiments once PACEs are done. It's a bit of incentive actually to get their PACEs done and labeling the other stuff FUN/DIFFERENT. It's kindof neat to see what I'm going to pull out each day for them.
I pick one day a pick to do ART and then one day a week to JOURNAL. Last year I tried to journal every day and it was just too time consuming so we've backed off to one day a week.
Summers we do lots of random stuff that I've picked up or collected throughout the year. Then in September we're back to PACES and more routine.
Hope that gave you a bit of insight into our world. We for sure don't do it perfect. And every year it changes a bit. I'm sure you know how that goes. I have really tried this year to evaluate things and just relax a bit with it all. They are both ahead anyways. Every once in a while, if I'm confident that they know something I'll mark out a page or a few lines on a page and Busy things that is the coolest thing. :-)
Blessings as you raise those beautiful kiddos of yours.
Sorry it was soooo long and babbling! :-)
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