2nd grade overhaul, love math, need help with everything else!

[Carrousel]

This is our 7th week, and I'm feeling frazzled and like we need to make curriculum changes.

 

Math-- good to go, using SM and occasional supplements, trucking along and seems to work well for us both.  It's everything else that's giving me grief!

 

Started the year using MBTP 7-9, did Tornado and Sarah Plain and Tall lit units.  Didn't do the corresponding SS/Science units, initially because we were easing into the school year, and then because the busy work and writing seemed like overkill. DS isn't interested in pretending to be Anna hosting a welcome party for Sarah, making a wildflower guide, or crafting a water bottle snowman.  He is generally a happy and compliant learner, so I let him build wildflowers and snowmen in minecraft and out of legos instead after looking up a few wildflower pictures and facts online, and called it good.

 

Now thinking about scrapping MBTP all together.  I'm dreading dragging it out everyday, even though in theory, I love the idea of it.  I like the topics and the books chosen, but not the implementation.  The unit study style seems scattered and many of the projects are writing heavy (DS's weakness is writing.)  My worksheet lover wants to get it done with minimal busy work.

 

If we drop MBTP, what do we need to do?  History, LA, and Science?  Arts?

 

I visited a Classical Conversations group, and feel like it might be the farthest thing from MBTP, but I really liked the structure and simplicity, especially for history.  I like bullet points to learn, I like knowing this is what the "take away" is from each lesson/unit.  Framework but freedom in how to get it done--- memorize the timeline and history sentences, read and explore to add context to those topics--- that approach appeals to me strongly, but open and go gets done around here, and DS actually LIKES worksheets.  We are already using SOTW as a read aloud (no projects or anything), so CC might work along with that.  Is it worthwhile to use CC just for the history and science frameworks at home?  

 

Can we cover Science using the CC science sentences and cards and just supplement as we have time/interest?  Is that enough for this stage?  

 

 

What to do for LA?  

 

Spelling-- Flash Kids Spelling Skills workbook for grade 1 and grade 2, and it is easy for him to do independently and he almost always has a 100% on his spelling quiz each week, spends 5 min per day on this.

 

Handwriting-- using HWOT, KWOT, and Draw Write Now in rotation.  It is working, occasionally feels like busy work, but is independent, and DS doesn't fuss about doing it. Might add copywork of history and science sentences if doing CC at home for those.

 

Grammar--  informal, using the CATegorical series, Super Grammar, and just pointing out parts of speech in our reading, etc.  I'm okay with delaying formal grammar until later years, and not committed to diagramming sentences vs just writing and speaking well.  I have Grammar Minutes and Daily Grammar if we need to do something here, but am not currently using those.

 

Writing-- considering Essentials in Writing Level 2.  Any experiences?  Writing is a weakness for DS.  I'm a strong technical writer, but lack creativity, and feel lost when it comes to teaching basic writing skills.  I need hand holding and explicit instruction.

 

Reading/Lit-- DS is a voracious reader, and reading, vocab, and comprehension are well above 2nd grade.  I do gently guide/strew choices to include variety of non-fiction and fiction.  Do we need a formal lit program or can we just read, read, read, and maybe throw in a scholastic or Evan Moor workbook on story elements (plot, setting, graphic organizers and book report type things occasionally)?  Suggestions?

 

Art and Music are informal, although we use Atelier as he's interested, co-op classes, the CKC cd's and field trips to have exposure to the arts as part of our lifestyle, even if not a focus of our curriculum.  I'm okay with this level of arts, DS would probably like more.

 

 

So, what to do?  Stick it out with MBTP or scrap it and "build your own" curriculum?  Sorry for the book, I think just typing it out helped me organize my thoughts.

[lexi]

I'm not much help but we have tried MBTP. I like it. I love the books and the discussions we have. However, it's not a fit here. My kids just want to get school done. They don't want to spend time on projects or spend lots of time making every possible connection with the material from 1 book.

So I've learned to choose things that don't take much time and that don't rely on projects.

We do FLL, AAR, and WWE for most of our LA. For science we do Nancy Larson and read Apologia books. For history we read SOTW with extra books. We use RS for math. It keeps us moving right on through various topics and it keeps our days fairly short (and my planning to a minimum). So that's what works for us. Don't be afraid to pull something together if you think the unit study type route doesn't work.

[ScoutTN]

I don't know what MBTP is, but here's what we used for 2nd LA with dd, who reads very well:

FLL 2

WWE 2

AAS 3

New American Cursive

Good literature - no curriculum. I used VP, Sonlight, Honey for a Child's Heart and recs from here to add to my picks. Plus she read lots of her own choices.

 

We did SOTW 2 which we loved!

We did interest led science.

We did light artist/composer studies and lots of fine and performing art field trips.

[sbgrace]

Hmmm...I'll throw out some thoughts, though they may not fit your direction!

 

Sounds like your handwriting plan is working ok? I just used HWOT fwiw. It sounds like your spelling is also working well? You sound happy with art and music. I agree with delaying grammar, and I don't think you need formal lit at these ages. Just read great books together and individually.

 

I'm not a fan of memorization as a primary history/science learning tool, but if you are CC stuff may work well.

 

I really like Magic School Bus videos for science. He's not project oriented...is SOTW not enough for history?

 

I'd just use WWE for his writing right now. It's gentle, and works on important skills. When he's old enough, look into CAP Writing and Rhetoric. I get what you wrote about being a technical, not creative writer. The Most Wonderful Writing Lessons Ever (Amazon) is a fantastic lesson book for creative/narrative writing. Third grade might be a good age for it, and it's great for a pre-CAP Writing and Rhetoric course.

 

He's a resistant writer. I would focus on making it as positive as possible, and be careful not to over-load in that area.

 

I'd scrap MBTP. It sounds like a bad fit for both of you.

[Black-eyed Suzan]

I tried MBTP when DS was 6, and scrapped it for much the same reasons. He is a reluctant writer, there was so much busy work, and the projects did not work for us. Both of us were much happier when we chose different resources for different subjects.

 

I have no experience with CC, so I can't help you there.

 

He's now in 2nd. We use:

 

Science:

He loves loves loves Ellen McHenry Elements. We supplemented with Chemistry 101 DVDs and he enjoyed those, too. I did not require any output for Chemistry 101.

 

History:

We are working our way through SOTW 2's recommended readings (both history and literature). Occasionally we do a project, usually involving food.

 

Writing:

We do SWB's style narration and dictation to practice the skills of deciding what to say and mechanics separately. Her audio lecture about elementary writing (A Plan for Teaching Writing: Focus on the Elementary Grades) is wonderful if you are interested in this style. WWE is definitely open and go with the workbook - no guesswork needed!

 

Grammar: We do FLL for grammar, but I love to diagram sentences. :)

 

Reading:

We don't do a formal lit program now. He reads silently for fun. He regularly reads aloud to us for a short period of time (10ish minutes?). My husband and I both read aloud. We listen to audio books in the car.

 

[CountryGirlShake]

We liked FLL 2 in 2nd grade. Grammar. 

[Carrousel]

Thanks ladies for the advice!    I haven't looked much at FLL and WWE, will look into those.  Thanks for the Ellen McHenry recommendation, he is interested in Chem, so might try that for Spring, we're doing Anatomy right now with a group class.  He does LOVE projects and hands on things, so I thought MBTP would be a good fit, but I'm finding it definitely has to be interest led for him when it comes to projects.  Once he's interested, he'll read and make and watch and do for hours on a topic, but it's more of a strew books and suggest videos and ideas thing.

[kiwik]

Essentials in writing will cover grammar and writing so you could try doing the samples first (if you are in the US you could return it but here the postage would cost half the refund). You could download the free unit from Layers of Learning and see if he likes that (history, science, art and ?geography). Or you could just go and get a bunch of books from the library.