Here is my bunch:
From left to right, you have D (5yo and Kindergarten), F (7yo and 1st grade), L (almost 3yo), E (9yo and 3rd grade), H (1 1/2yo), IJ (13yo and 7th grade), and S (11yo and 5/6th). The oldest three need to work independently as much as possible because of our out-of-the-house activities and younger students/siblings.
This last school year, IJ and S used BKSK 7 Reading with History. IJ is a voracious reader, is a night owl and a late sleeper, hates being told what to do, and understands and retains just about everything he hears or reads. Despite the frown on his face, he is quite funny and keeps me in stitches with his history/science/homeschool related jokes. He read everything in the core, including the read alouds, and was tested on nothing. He did no timeline activities or mapwork or vocabulary. I purchased the Language Arts to go with this level, but he read the readers so quickly that I couldn't keep up and made him use Writing With Skill Level 2 instead. He still hasn't forgiven me. S, on the other hand, is not a fiction reader. He doesn't comprehend fiction when he does read it, so I pulled him out of BKSK 7 just after the WWII unit and he joined...
...E in BKSK 3. For years I bought Sonlight versions of the IGs and up until a few weeks ago I was using an old version Sonlight's Core D. It's old enough that it might even be called Core 3. Core 3 scheduled the old Landmark history book and the old Story of the USA workbooks. E wasn't thriving or even comprehending what she was being assigned, so I went ahead and upgraded to the BKSK version of Reading with History and the updated Landmark book. I pulled S down to this level and formed a study group and we are now in Week 16...in May. Since S never read any of the readers, I am having him follow with the Language Arts and advanced reading list. He is being a good sport and starting at Week 1 in BKSK LA3 and reading A Lion to Guard Us. Even though the LA is called "Third Grade" he knows he has some catching up to do. E is working in the Sonlight Language Arts 3, which used to be the Intermediate LA2. At the rate she is going, she will be moving on to the next level mid November. She is the most diligent, steady, meticulous student and makes sure each letter is formed correctly, but she is soooooo sloooooow. S is impatient, fast, and sloppy. These two are not taking the summer off and will go straight to BKSK 4 as soon as they are done with 3.
F and D are my "Grub Club" class. They have completely different personalities too. F is sweet and bubbly, but forgetful. She, like her oldest brother, likes to sleep late and is a slow starter. Teaching her is like catching a feather in the wind. D is an early riser and desires to be the master of his own destiny. He is incredibly competitive and hates being told what to do. He destroyed my homeschool style when he hit a year old and has been trying to break me down ever since. He wants to tell me what to teach him and his goal right now is to pass F in both reading and math. He just turned five and he blows my mind. They are on Week 7 of Sonlight's Core C, which is now called Core A, that I bought for IJ when he started Kindergarten eight years ago. They are also using the science for that level. F is using Sonlight's LA 1 and D is using Sonlight's LA K (and Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons-or 100EZ). Although they have crazy-opposite personalities, they manage to work together on their joint subjects really well!
L and H are my babies and spend their school time crawling on my table and taking turns causing trouble and coloring on other people's books. Their naughty older brothers call them the "Poop Group" because it seems they either need a bottom wiping or a diaper changed right when I'm going to start reading.
And then there is me. My job is to manage the daily routine, keep kids on task, and read out loud to people who need it. But that is a post for another day :)
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