Educational Helps: What Works for New English Learners

I experiment a lot with new and different curriculums for my "yearlings" (a term a fellow adoptive mom used for her kids who had been home around a year). I have found that I've had to be very open and flexible; if something doesn't quite work for one of the kids, I quickly move on to something else. As you will see, we do many math-related workbooks; this is simply because phonics, reading, and spelling concepts take significantly more time for my kids to grasp.

Here's the list of what we are currently using. No two days look alike:

Creative Teaching Press:

Following Directions, 1-2 (this is one of my favorite new additions)
Phonemic Awareness, Pre K-2 (for word lists)
Sight Word Readers, K-1 and starting 1-2


Dover Publications

How to Draw, by Barbara Soloff Levy

Top That Publishing

How to Draw 101 Animals

Critical Thinking

Complete the Picture-- Math, Book1
Mathematical Reasoning, Level B
Can You Find Me? K-1
Thinker Doodles, A1
Math Analogies A1 (for my daughter, home 3 years; too difficult for new English learners)

EPS School Speciality

Touchphonics (entire system, including associated workbooks and other recommended readers)
Merrill Readers

Horizons

Penmanship, Grade 2

Kumon

Writing Words, 5-6-7
Geometry and Measurement, 1
Math Games and Puzzles, 1
Word Problems, 1
Simple Sentences, 5-6-7
(Reading 1 did NOT work for us)

Sylvan Learning

Basic Math Skills, Level 1
Vocabulary Puzzles, 1
Math Games and Puzzles, 1

Saxon Math

Grade 1 (just finishing the end)
Flash cards (with the answers written in on the card in red ink)

Scholastic

100 Sight Word Mini-Books, K-2
Learning Sight Words is Easy, K-2

Evan Moor

Science: Read and Understand, 1-2
Beginning Geography, Vol. 2

Kathy Troxel

Addition and Subtraction Songs
Geography Songs
States and Capitals

Software (for Mac)

Sponge Bob Typing (they ASK to do their typing!)