At this point early in the school year, new homeschoolers can panic if they feel they've "gotten off to a bad start". I've visited several of the online homeschool forums and have seen this common occurence. I've replied to several in hopes of encouraging those who are overly worried. One recent example is this discussion thread over at Homeschool.com.
Here's a copy of my reply - I hope it helps others who are new:
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For elementary school, we love and would recommend Sonlight or another literature based approach. The kids love being read to and will not fight it. Teach them to read with a good phonics program, add a little math and you are done up to about age 8. Then you'll be a "pro" and can mix in some science, etc.
Remember workbooks and highly structured curriculum were designed for institutional settings where the teacher can NOT be with the student 1-on-1. Since you can, just toss the workbooks and structure and love learning with your kids.
Here's a little more on our elementary grades experiences:
http://www.everygoodpath.net/node/92
http://www.everygoodpath.net/HowToStartHomeschooling
Have a great year! -Mark
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