We're using RightStart, too! DS has now decided that math is his favorite subject, and I give all credit to Rightstart for making it fun. We're going very fast through it, at a pace of about 3 levels per year (1 1/2 per semester), but it makes it very easy to do without requiring a lot of busywork. I did find that C was pretty redundant for fast learners, focusing almost exclusively on subtraction and multiplication, so we skipped a lot when he quickly memorized his facts, but I also like her geometry lessons that she sprinkles in.
Latin: We're just starting Word Roots, which is a workbook. I also really like the look of English From the Roots Up, which uses an "index card" type system, but we'll probably move into that later. DS is very interested in etymology, so I think we'll study latin stems from that standpoint rather than the language itself.
We're also adding in a little Spanish. We have a bi-weekly class through our co-op, weekly classes through our charter, and I hear our charter is getting RS. I tend to follow the priniciples in WTM, so I think we'll mainly focus on Latin before we get really serious about other languages. You may want to ask Kriston about RS. I think it was she who just tried that with her children and didn't find it ideal.
As for timing and organization, I'm looking forward to hearing words of wisdom from HSers who've been doing this for awhile! We're only 1 semester into it, but I'll share what's working for us so far.
We're just moving into 1st grade, which requires the "4.75 hours per day." (This doesn't count lunch or breaks, so it's definitely as much as they'd be getting in a school.) Through May, we were just at 3.25 hours. You'll find, though, that you can do more in half an hour with a homeschooled independent learner than they do in a day of school!
I may not have the best advice for scheduling because we are always way too overbooked. My ideal will be to have 3 "home days" each week:
Our schedule 3 days/week will be:
1 hour on Math (w/ RS and EPGY; it's not all about worksheets so it's fun)
1 hour on LA, including HW and creative writing
1 hour on "social studies" (usually SOTW and the literature and crafts that go with it, plus geography)
1 hour on science x 1-2 days
1 hour plus of PE (soccer/taekwondo count), music, art, etc.
Our Mondays will be in co-op, where they will do:
1 hour of science lab
1 hour of spanish/music appreciation (alternating weeks)
1 hour of geography/share time (they're getting penpals and will compare writings)
1 hour of fine arts (taught by local artist using the Monet method)
1 1/2 hours of musical theater/LEGO robotics (alternating schedules)
Our Friday co-op this semester will be:
1/2 hour of group
1 hour of PE standards
1 hour of human body science
At charter, we also have Spanish, AIMS math/science and writing workshops bi-weekly. They also have other art-type workshops, but I don't know how much we'll get to those.
Oh, and he's in a weekly religion class and Tiger scouts too.
When we're at home:
I usually start the day at the kitchen table right after breakfast with handwriting and grammar, since these are his least favorite. After that, it's usually a nice switch to get into SS and science (which we usually take outside for a more casual environment). After lunch is a great time for us to do math, esp. since my DS2 naps then. The afternoon is then a great time to let him go write, do his online math, read on his own, etc. If he gets all his work done within 4 hours, I'm also going to let him play half an hour of "educational games" on the computer or his DS for his remaining "school time."
With our charter, we have to turn in 2 work samples in every subject every other week, so I've given up on work binders. We keep everything in folders that connect in a binder, and then let our certified teacher pick out what she wants.
Are you HSing on your own? If so, and you want to see what records we use for our 2 week planning and daily logs, feel free to PM me. Some people hate the paperwork, but I find these really useful, and I'll like to look back at what we did since I have a little one coming through some day, too.
