Grace is about to begin 2nd grade work and here is the plan. Social Studies, Science, Reading and Language Arts - CLE Math - don't know which program yet So is that enough? Do I need to add something like spelling? Or for those of you who know about CLE is that included in reading or LA? What if anything am I missing?
I do not use CLE but I believe their LA program does include spelling and grammar. I think what you have is great. The only other think I could think of is handwriting or an electives like music, art, a language (Spanish, Latin or such) or even a logic book (the critical thinking co. has some great workbooks that help kids develop logic skills). My dd will be doing 2/3rd grade next year. We have been using Horizons for 2nd grade Math and that has been working well for dd but there are alot of good Math courses out there.
Yeah - that sounds good! The LA part of CLE has spelling so I wouldn't add. Why not CLE math? Alexis loves it..... I was reading their history & science were "ehhhhh" - pulling teeth.....
Thank you both for your imput. Mschickie I hadn't thought of electives. I guess I just wasn't counting it as "school". We are moving to 200 acres of property in June and she will beging tumbling and piano lessons as well as join 4H. She wants to show animals at the county fair in 2011. So yeah I guess she has electives! Dana I may end up going with CLE for math too. So you didn't like history and spelling? Can you tell me why? I love the input from someone who has actually used the product. And do I need teacher manuals for every subject?
Cross-Curricular Activities Agreed! However, these "electives" could easily just become a part of the core classes by using science songs, creating social studies art, or translating spelling words to a different language. It's always great to use cross-curricular activities as much as possible. -Mark
Sounds great to me! As far as electives go, I'd run with what you have and if you see an opportunity and think he can handle it, just add as you go. All of our "electives" are done out of the home anyway - basics are what we do at home as Mom doesn't really want to mess with most of the rest of it.
Ok - I did NOT use them - but that was the overall general opinion from friends...... snooze-ville/teeth-pulling on subjects which are SUPPOSED to be cool and fun. Math - I'm not using a TM for 4th grade - doubt you would need it for 2nd. LA - I have one for 7th but not for 4th. But - I was raised in an annoying 'correct' English house and so I know a lot of it for at least the younger levels. We are also using a Diagramming sentences book for both kids - which helps a lot with that. Personally I wouldn't sweat about a TM at 2nd grade - it's pretty self explanatory IMHO (which is one of the reasons I like it)
OH - handwriting is covered in LA as "Penmanship" - but Alexis still likes doing the Handwriting separate...
We do Horizons math and DS really enjoys it. We're also panning on the CLE L Arts and Reading next year (3rd). I think the reason most people do not like the CLE science is that it is not in Sunrise Edition yet. The math is, though, and I've actually looked into it for next year.
I should add...on the snoozeville comment..she is probably right. Packet type programs for science and social studies...well, let's just say, there is soooo much good out there. The workbooks will get so old. When she finds herself simply doing page after page after page after page of workbook pages, only to face it again the next day and the next and so on, it just might get very old. I know it is not the same exact program, but I did sign my older children up for a distance learning program this year. It is all workbook style learning and they do not like it. In the past, I have done stuff like Considering God's Creation and Story of the World and Apologia Elementary science. This has been a major snooze-fest. This will last the one semester and then we are moving on. I always knew from others that this style of learning applied to every single subject gets old fast. But I did not realize how bad it could be. It is basically do 6 pages in each subject each day. Sounds simple, but is not. It is mundane. Boring...big time. Then it becomes hard to focus and remember things when it is presented in such a redundant way. I am suspecting that it won't be long before you are fighting to get your child to complete things and then posting about how you are about to take your child down to school to enroll her because you cannot get her to get her 40 pages of workbook pages done a day. Institutional school gets us in to the mindset that education is about getting a certain number of things done and checked off. And it makes us forget that school should be about learning, experimenting, finding what we love and like, etc. Anyway, just something to consider.
In case you are curious..here is what my children at 1st and 3rd will do next year..... Singapore Math or MUS (haven't decided yet) Younger one will do a phonics program or Explode the Code Older will do Spelling Workout Both will read books they like, they can take quizzes on bookadventure.com if they like to earn prizes Older has a cursive book he is working out of now. I will pick an English program now. I have used BJU in the past and liked it so I might use it again Story of the World for both plus reading real books for history I have a lot of science stuff around. They can pick according to their interests. Right now, older one is doing Real Science for Kids Chemistry We watch educational TV and go to museums and such. We have many books too. I want to add in Latin. I am very curious about Song School Latin. I used Prima Latina in the past. Younger child is not ready for Prima Latina. We will see. If I don't find a Latin that I think woulod be enjoyable enough, we will do French instead. I also have a Minimus book, Rosetta Stone French, and "French for Children" on hand. I have sign language videos too.
Well crap. And I thought I had it all figured out. So maybe math, la and reading CLE and something else for history and science? Momofafew I have heard good things about SOTW so I will check into that. Ugh confusion.
Tiff.. what about something like unit studies or living books (fun living books like Magic Tree House and Magic School Bus) for history and science? For second we just used a variety of books. Tomarrow if I have time I will look at them and tell you what they were for sure.
Totally doing unit studies, delight directed, for history and science here. On top of scouts, of course. And Animal Planet! That channel is awesome!! Also Discovery - my kids are in love with the Mythbusters right now. :lol:
Our spelling is Spelling Power. In short, you take a pre-test and that result tells you what placement test to use. Those results tell you where to start the program. You test for just 5 minutes each day, but I don't follow that, I do an entire list because they are all mostly short lists. If any words are missed, you practice those. There is a CD you can use for practice ideas. The next day, retest those missed words, and go on in the list you are in. You still only test for 5 minutes. In all, spelling should only take 15 minutes per day. You can use this curriculum for many years in a row, too.
We own SP also, and love the concept. Can't wait to actually use the book... we've only dabbled and played with it some. 6yo will be using it probably soon, summer-ish. 10yo has used it some; we kept going until he missed 10 words and studied those. It took 12 lists for him to miss that many words, so... we don't bother with it often.
When we did SOTW the first time around (with my teens when they were younger) I got the CDs and listened to them and the children loved them. But we did not just do a chapter a week, we just listened all we wanted. I just picked whatever activities out of the activity guides and the children were just so excited about history over listening to the CDs that they made up some of their own activities and picked additional books on those topics.
we are using first grade cle science and social studies and my daughter seems to like it - it is in sunrise edition - silly as it seems but she likes the work books and we will continue to use them next year - that being said my 5th grader is not using the cle history and science we ordered him - it was not in sunrise and he seemed to be doing so well in his current textbooks for those subjects we decided to leave alone what was working - oh and my daughter also loves the magic school bus and tree house series so we are reading those here and there also, good luck
