Homeschool Curriculum

What homeschool curriculum do you use for the primary grades and why?
2nd grader can read already Kindergartner doesn't read yet We are using the CA state adopted stuff now along with MathUSee. I am interested in SonLight for history and reading, but am open to anything worthy of our time.

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Is it fair for the Duggars to raise their children as they do?
First off, I'm a libertarian and I'm for allowing people to lead their own lives as they see fit (as long as they don't intrude on anyone else's rights), but is it fair or right for the Duggars (or any parents for that matter) to raise their children in a way that is incompatible with today's way of life? For example, their children are kept away from much of society, which prevents them from developing crucial social skills. Plus, the girls are dressed in such a way that even if they were allowed to socialize, they would most likely be ostracized anyway. Second, their homeschool curriculum appears very inadequate, which may prevent them from getting the necessary education they need to make it. Third, many of the girls shoulder a majority of the household chores (including taking near full-time care of their baby siblings), which is taking away from the experience of simply being a child. Yes it's good to help your parents out, but not to do all the work for them. Fourth, Mrs. Duggar has so many kids that she can't even spend adequate time with them and (if I remember correctly) has a sign-up sheet for spending time with mom.... isn't that just wrong? Isn't a child entitled to at least some unscheduled time with their parents? Lastly, they dress and name the children in such a way that they almost have no individual identities/personalities - it's as if they are all one unit instead of unique individuals. I believe that the parents have chosen to live the life they are currently living, and that is fine. But to practically force their children into the same lifestyle just does not seem fair to me. Should they present a fair and balanced overview of different lifestyles to their children so that they can at least be aware of the variety of lives they could lead? There doesn't appear to be any abuse going on, but does that justify raising children in such a way that they would likely lack the necessary skills to live a fully functioning life in this century? A lot of you have made good points about two things: (1) the fact that the Duggars aren't relying on taxpayer money, and (2) as long as there's no abuse going on then it's none of our business. I agree with both those points (especially the first). However, there can be negative effects of religious brainwashing and seclusion from society. Bigotry is a common trend among extremely religious sects. Also, even if the children do not grow up to be violent misfits, they might still have a very hard time coping with a reality that was different from their isolated childhood environment. I happen to know a lot about homeschooling because I was homeschooled all my life until I went to college. It took 2 years to be able to even talk to a classmate or teacher without freezing up or dreading the situation too much. I realize not every situation was like mine, but I see the Duggar's kid's as far more devastating. On a side note, the fact that the Duggar parents have agree to broadcast their family to the world gives us the right to discuss them. If they were a regular family who stayed off cam then it would be rude to talk about them, but since they have signed off the rights to their privacy, we have every right to analyze and praise/critisize their life.

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Good homeschool curriculum for the computer other than SOS?
Okay so, I'm in 10th right now, but for 11th.. I kind of want to do something different. I absolutely dislike SOS (Switched-On Schoolhouse), and I don't want to so any Alpha Omega curriculums, cause it's basically the same exact thing. I need it to be on the computer, so it'll grade itself. If it came with books, thatd be awesome.. But my dad can't grade my work. He just doesn't have time for it. But he's a single parent.. No mommy to grade and teach me. Basically.. I need a good program that will help me, and doesn't cost a monthly fee.. Hopefully the cost is similar to Alpha Omega (which is like 300$ for all the classes together).. We're also tight on cash. Please please please help me. Thank you so much!

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