Dear Parent,

Thank you for your question!

Congratulations on beginning your first year of homeschooling! It sounds like you're right on track.

My suggestion is that you stay as close to the CHC's lesson plans as possible. If you feel that she is ready to move on, then I see no problem in doing so. However, I would not rush too much through the core subjects, because you need to lay a very strong foundation for her, ensuring that she understands completely what she is learning.

For this grade, it is quite normal to spend no more than an hour or an hour and a half on school each day. In the regular classroom, children are at school longer because of lunch, recess, bathroom breaks, etc. Obviously you don't have to worry about that when homeschooling.

As far as the alphabet sounds, if you look in the Little Stories for Little Folk's Alphabet Sound List [in the Parents' Guide], it explains the sounds that each letter should make. Perhaps you will find this list helpful when you are practicing the sound flash cards with her. Children often confuse these sounds for the first few months. As with all skills she will master this over time.

God bless you and your family!

Laura Nicholson