-

[alisoncooks]

.

Edited July 27, 2022 by alisoncooks

[kiana]

Really, if she's reading ok and doing math on-level catching up is not going to be an issue. There are plenty of language arts curricula that start in 3rd grade or even later. It looks like she's doing reading, writing, spelling, and math now? That's fine. Didn't that writing book include grammar and usage exercises? I don't think grammar is necessary as a separate subject until she's reading better.

 

For the other subjects, since you are a bit overwhelmed with everything you have going on, why not just get something like the core knowledge books and use them as read-alouds? You could get the what your second grader needs to know and it would probably be perfectly reasonable for both of yours -- or you could get third and first so each would have her own. They were, after all, designed to supplement a basal curriculum.

 

I don't think I'd try to add in any sort of science and history that require a lot of DOING things at this point ... it is more important to keep up the basic skills. I don't think they're REALLY necessary to be formally taught until middle school/high school ... but they're fun and if the child enjoys them they make school more fun.

[Miss Tick]

Definitely cross spelling off your list of things to worry about. Once she is reading comfortably and writing spelling will be a lot easier.

[alisoncooks]

.

Edited July 27, 2022 by alisoncooks

[MomatHWTK]

So basically all you are doing daily is reading and math?  How much time are you spending total and on each? 

[alisoncooks]

.I

Edited July 27, 2022 by alisoncooks

[lionfamily1999]

Sounds pretty decent, imo.  If you're worried about grammar, I would recommend First Language Lessons, start in Level 1.  It's VERY gentle, not reading intensive, very parent led and it will be an easy start :)

 

If you do read alouds, then fit history and science in there.  Or, pick something she's interested in (like castles) and study that period for a little while.  When we go by period (iow, out of order, just studying a particular time) I like to have some poetry, some fiction written during that time (if possible), myths that are relevant, and something autobiographical.  From there, the sky's the limit.  Movies, youtube, whatever!

 

Science can be almost anything.  Learn the scientific method and then use it ;)

 

When my older ds was in ps I was told that in 3rd grade everything evened out.  So, it appears to be the 'leveling' grade.  No worries, you'll be fine :)

[desertflower]

I agree with lionfamily1999. FLL 1. Can be done orally for about 5 to 10 mins.

 

How about handwriting? There was no mention of that.

[MistyMountain]

I don't know if it is helpful but my kids go to a school that scores highly and is ahead of what typical school do in my area but they are very light on science. My dd didn't even think of she did in 1st and 2nd as science as science because it was so simple. There is no history besides things pertaining to local history or learning about Pilgrims around Thanksgiving or Presidents around Presidents day etc.

[Sahamamama]

What would you do to get this child on track? 

 

Last year, I had a 3rd grader and twin 1st graders. For the 3rd grader especially, it was a transition (for both of us!) from the easy-breezy days of K-2nd, into the more consistent work of an older student (and her teacher). We definitely worked in order to build solid skills in 3rd grade. Looking back, I can see that I had to make that transition, emotionally and practically, along with my daughter. I had to commit myself to the work that 3rd grade required of me! :laugh:

 

At our house, there are a few days every now and then when we don't really want to get going on school work (today was one of them -- ugh, the rain!). Whenever we hit that wall, we just keep going. We "do school," in spite of how we feel. Honestly, I think this is the reason we're having such a great year! Because we've made a commitment to make ourselves do what is needed to accomplish our goals, we are actually accomplishing them.

 

I think there is always a balance, a necessary tension, between relying on God to equip and empower us for this ministry on the one hand, and being leaders who "take the bull by the horns" on the other hand. Only God can help me, but I am in charge of my school. I have to get up and make it happen.

 

(It just occurred to me how this comes across, ack!). NOTE: I'm not saying that you don't already work consistently, or that your daughter is behind because you don't. Not at all! But for myself, whenever I have felt in some way "behind" in school, it is so very demotivating and discouraging. It becomes hard to turn that around. The best solution for this has been to work more diligently and more consistently. Unless there are health issues involved, we simply spend more time-on-task, regardless of how anyone feels about it. For us, that transition to "more" came in 3rd grade. Someone here posted about working "up" to more in 3rd, instead of paring "down" to less, and that resonated with me.)

 

HTH. :grouphug:

[Murrayshire]

I use EIW3 and FLL3 with my 3rd grade ds together. FLL: 3 days and EIW: 2 days. My ds actually asks to flip that schedule and do EIW more than FLL. For now, EIW is going well for him and he is starting to write more without whining about it. EIW seems schoolish to me but it's giving ds a base for writing so he can build his confidence and carry on. I have seen a difference in everyday writing in science, history, and journal writing. He likes to make lists, too, so sometimes I'll have him jot down my grocery list. This time last year, he would have had a melt down! So, to sum it up..... I've seen much improvement with ds getting thoughts down on paper since using EIW!

[alisoncooks]

.

Edited July 27, 2022 by alisoncooks

[Jess4879]

Thanks for all the feedback. Definitely some good info to think on!

I'll be honest: we've not done much school work lately. DH has not been well (chemo has taken its toll, these past two days he's barely been able to walk -- lots of reliance on me!). But I do need to find a way to make this work...

 

I guess I really want to know what skills a third grader is expected to know? What would be the BIG things you want your 3rd grader to come out knowing? Reading independently? Able to write what -- a paragraph, a letter?

 

For a general "outline" you could get ahold of your state standards and use it as a checklist.  Honestly though, it sounds like it's been a very busy season in your lives right now.  I'd wipe the word "behind" from your vocabulary.  It will just add stress and pressure that you don't need.  Sign out some science and history readers from the library and read them together and check it off your list.  For writing, I'd try Bravewriter.  Sign up for her daily tips and start there.  There is a wealth of writing ideas in those and they are quick and easy to complete.  You could also have your DD pick out a sentence or two from a book she's reading and use it as a copy work. 

 

Best of luck!!

[Sahamamama]

Chemo changes everything. I am a cancer survivor, and it was worth the fight.

 

Big three:

 

1. Math, because it is so incremental.

 

2. Reading--audiobooks for the rough days, read alouds, you read, she reads.

 

3. Writing--I would simply work through WWE at whatever pace you can. Copywork, dictation, narration (oral), and finally she writes her own narrations. Add in a friendly letter, thank you note, or list now and then. Learn to use a children's dictionary.

 

4. Spelling--Time permitting, do spelling.

 

All else can wait. Hugs. I am on this Kindle, grrrr.

[Tsuga]

When is her birthday?

 

She's eight now, but so is my daughter in 2nd grade. I know you asked about catching up versus grade leveling, but I was shocked to learn that in our high-performing district, one thing people do to get their kids to do really well is hold them back for K.

 

So apparently, the average age in K is 5 years, 9 months at the beginning. A lot of kids start at six.

 

Now, not reading in second is still going to need a lot of work.

 

But what if you say, "We started early, and we're going to go slow and deep this year and take second grade over 24 months, and if she starts third grade at nine, she will hardly be behind."?

 

Would that be okay?

 

I graduated at 17. Almost everyone else was 18. I've always been the youngest. I cannot recall a single time anyone ever said, "Wow, you did well and a summer birthday, too!" Nobody cares.

[MomatHWTK]

I would look specifically at your state's recommendations if your goal is to be on par with the ps.  Also, many libraries keep copy of each school's textbooks on reserve so you could go and actually see the materials being used in the local schools.

 

For me personally, I don't follow the ps scope and sequence.  I maintain work in reading and math at the level my child is capable of and we work toward steady progression.  But the rest of our time is spend really learning.  I expose the kids to as much science, history, art, music, etc. as they can handle. 

 

I have two who can understand science well beyond their reading level, one who excels at math and spacial concepts and one whose artwork is amazing.  I foster those attributes in my children.  I expose them to world history and sociology. We watch classes on business and economics.  Kids can take in a lot and I think early exposure allows them to better recognize their future interests. 

 

I keep an eye on the scope and sequence just to make sure I'm not totally missing anything, but I don't let it rule my school. ;)

[Aurelia]

I'd keep on with the math and reading, and add in writing, either WWE or Treasured Conversations, and keep plugging away. It might help if you do school through the summer, so she doesn't lose any of the progress she's made thus far and you won't feel quite so "behind" when the new school year starts, even if she's not quite ready to do work on the next grade level. Grammar can wait, it's more critical that she reads well, learns to express herself in writing and do basic math.

[73349]

I don't think there is One Short List of Essentials for Third Grade. In your shoes, I'd

• keep up with math;
• do five minutes a day of spelling (which can just be made up) and maybe five minutes of cursive;
• get her a journal with prompts, such as this one, to try each day (even if she only writes one sentence and needs to dictate it to you and recopy it); and
• give her a new pile of library books every week--some that will be easy for her for fluency practice, at least one an audiobook, a biography and a science book.

I don't see why you'd need to teach grammar right this minute; that can be done just as well in fourth grade, and that's enough time to get ready for a foreign language in middle school (says a former middle school language arts teacher).

 

That said, try to have as many school days as possible, even if the "day" is an hour. I think lots of short days will be more effective than occasional long days.

 

Best wishes! You have a lot going on.

[desertflower]

Thanks for all the feedback. Definitely some good info to think on!

I'll be honest: we've not done much school work lately. DH has not been well (chemo has taken its toll, these past two days he's barely been able to walk -- lots of reliance on me!). But I do need to find a way to make this work...

 

I guess I really want to know what skills a third grader is expected to know? What would be the BIG things you want your 3rd grader to come out knowing? Reading independently? Able to write what -- a paragraph, a letter?

This does change my perspective. I agree with others that grammar can wait. I do think handwriting should be included though.

 

Good luck. I hope he beats the cancer.

[Soror]

I don't I'd be making any grand plans, considering your husband's health (big hugs!). I know emotionally it would be hard for me to focus in that situation, although keeping some routine/schedule will probably be a bit comforting I would think. In that situation I think I would:

 

-hit reading and math every day

- find a simple- open and go writing program- give her an assessment and just go with it- WWE is pretty simple to use- it seems EiW is as well but I've not used it

 

-if you don't have Netflix or Amazon prime- sign up for one and load up on science and history shows to hit some content

-whenever you can get to the library check out stacks of books- paper and audio, read and read whatever you both find interesting as much as you can each day

-get outside when you can and enjoy nature

-spend as much time enjoying your sweet family, lots of snuggles, making cookies, playing games, family traditions etc

[Farrar]

Allison, why do you need her caught up? What's the purpose of getting her caught up?

 

I guess... it's nice to hope a 3rd grader will be able to write a letter, but honestly, if that child isn't ready or doesn't have the skills to do so, then nothing is going to make it happen without pain and tears or just building a shoddy foundation. And if you go into it with that expectation and she can't fulfill it, then there's a lot of disappointment.

 

It seems like you should keep doing what you're doing for math. Good job on that. Keep working on the reading. Add in something simple and doable for writing. I would just do copywork. Have her pick a passage from what she's reading or you pick one from whatever you're reading aloud every day. Keep it very doable. Spend just a couple of minutes talking about the mechanics of the sentence - even if it seems like it should be obvious, point out things like how a period ends the sentence. I wouldn't worry about spelling (unless you use an O-G program where you write to learn to read). I wouldn't worry about grammar. I really wouldn't worry too much about history and science and art. That stuff is so subjective anyway. I mean, do it if you can - it's the enriching educational stuff of life - read books, strew art supplies, watch documentaries, etc. But don't worry if you haven't hit certain events or concepts. It's all good.

[KSinNS]

Honestly, it sounds like she is doing just fine, and you're doing great in a very difficult situation. She's reading now and doing math on level! No problem. Some history and science is getting done, and you don't need much at that age. She will see it all again as she gets older. Maybe after Christmas she'll be ready to add in some writing (I second BraveWriter) and if she needs to work on penmanship-HWOT is quick and easy. She is young, and has a long time to learn all these things. FWIW Charlotte Mason really suggested holding off grammar and writing (other than oral narration) until age 10 and her schools did have a very high standard. There's no rush. 

[FO4UR]

Don't add anything right now!!!  Let her maintain momentum in reading.  The *only* seatwork I'd add at all is copywork, only copywork...not dictation or spelling or composition just yet.  (ftr - she can narrate a letter to you, you scribe, and then copy in her own handwriting...if writing a letter is very important.)

 

Keep reading aloud to her. Consider some audiobooks, Kratt's Creatures for some animal science, Liberty's Kids for some history...or other videos.

 

 

Make your plans for 4th grade instead of worrying about the end of 3rd.  She's doing GREAT!!!  She'll be able to start 4th grade as a reader!!  Woo Hoooo!!!!!!   Treasured Conversations is excellent and will be all she needs for 4th grade writing and grammar.  Apples & Pears is an excellent spelling, but I wouldn't start it before reading has REALLY taken hold b/c it is intensive.  I've been re-formatting Pearson spelling (linked by Hunter in her public domain curric plan) for my dc, and that is super gentle but gets to those sentence dictations just the same. Do NOT change math for next year. Do NOT add a ton of seatwork in history or science; look for audiobooks/videos  Adding spelling & Treasured Conversations is enough for a kid who just learned to read.

 

 

 

 

Most importantly, her Daddy is sick and she needs to spend time with him and she needs someone to help her process. Those things are the most important!

 

[Sahamamama]

When is her birthday?

 

She's eight now, but so is my daughter in 2nd grade. I know you asked about catching up versus grade leveling, but I was shocked to learn that in our high-performing district, one thing people do to get their kids to do really well is hold them back for K.

 

So apparently, the average age in K is 5 years, 9 months at the beginning. A lot of kids start at six.

 

Now, not reading in second is still going to need a lot of work.

 

But what if you say, "We started early, and we're going to go slow and deep this year and take second grade over 24 months, and if she starts third grade at nine, she will hardly be behind."?

 

Would that be okay?

 

I graduated at 17. Almost everyone else was 18. I've always been the youngest. I cannot recall a single time anyone ever said, "Wow, you did well and a summer birthday, too!" Nobody cares.

 

:iagree: You know, right here is the best advice of all. I don't know how this works in states where you have to declare a grade level, but if you don't have to do that, then you can take the time your daughter needs to do the work.

 

For example, with my oldest we started K just before she turned five. We went at an easy pace all year, and that "school year" was 12 months (January-December).

 

But I didn't want to start 1st Grade in January (too close to Christmas & birthdays, no money or space for all of it at once). So we took a break and started back up in March. Again, we worked all year, but that school year stretched out to the following May. So, 15 months for 1st Grade. I remember feeling worried about this at the time, but that sure was wasted worry! What difference does it really make, if you take 15 months to "complete 1st Grade?" What does that actually mean, anyway?

 

We took some time off, then started up 2nd Grade in August (I think?), went year-round, moved to a new county, and finished 2nd Grade the following August (I think?). So around 12 months, but with some time off for life and getting resettled.

 

For 3rd Grade, we went year-round and took about 13 months (I think?). Well, I know it was a good year, even if I don't remember the dates, LOL. The records are all in the basement, if I need to know.

 

Unless the laws of your state mandate a "beginning" and an "ending" and a "grade level," I don't see any reason why you have to organize your thinking in that way, at least for such a young child. It's your homeschool. You can adjust things for your real life, abilities, birthdays, and goals. How far into your "school year" are you, time-wise? How far along in the work do you feel you are? Would it work to extend this year a bit, and perhaps next year a bit, to kind of drag out 3rd and 4th, to gain an extra year of work time?

 

If, for example, you started this school year in September, perhaps you could work year-round at a more relaxed pace, and extend 3rd Grade to the following November (then break for holidays). You could then start back up in January with 4th Grade, and extend that to May of the following year. Then you could break for that summer (if needed), and she could begin 5th Grade a year later than she would have on the "old system." Like this:

 

3rd Grade -- September 2014 through November 2015 (15 months)

4th Grade -- January 2016 through May 2017 (17 months)

5th Grade -- August/September 2017 through ???

 

If you are currently aiming for one grade level per year, she'll start 5th Grade in 2016. But if you adjust now and give yourselves more time, she could begin 5th Grade in 2017 instead. I wonder if that might be more productive in the long-term than trying to "catch up" 3rd Grade now? HTH. :grouphug:

 

[alisoncooks]

Thanks for all the replies. Replying on my iPad (sitting in ICU with DH, who has had some complications) and it's a pain to quote/type long replies on this thing...

 

I *think* our state requires the school year to run within a certain frame (though I mainly look at that for attendance purposes -- I don't have a problem finishing curriculum next year, for example, or using a 2nd grade reading program now). We started this school year in August, so we're about mid-year.

 

When is her birthday?

 

She's eight now, but so is my daughter in 2nd grade. I know you asked about catching up versus grade leveling, but I was shocked to learn that in our high-performing district, one thing people do to get their kids to do really well is hold them back for K.

 

DD was 8 in June.

 

 

Allison, why do you need her caught up? What's the purpose of getting her caught up? 

I suppose my main worry is that I'll need to place the girls in public school if DH's illness becomes too demanding for me. And if that happens, I don't want DD to be in a situation where she is glaringly behind her same-aged peers. She's bright and sensitive and would be upset by that.

 

I know, all this is based on "what ifs"....so perhaps I do need to just step back, calm down, and just keep plugging away. :o. Thanks again for all the wise advice and calming words!

[Farrar]

Be gentle to yourself!

 

Your dd is an age that is often redshirted. If she has to go to school, she could easily go down a grade and still be with peers. And you don't know what the future will bring. Really, you can only do what you can do. I would keep going and not borrow trouble. Be gentle to your dd as well, I guess.

[alisoncooks]

I don't think there is One Short List of Essentials for Third Grade. In your shoes, I'd

• keep up with math;
• do five minutes a day of spelling (which can just be made up) and maybe five minutes of cursive;
• get her a journal with prompts, such as this one, to try each day (even if she only writes one sentence and needs to dictate it to you and recopy it); and
• give her a new pile of library books every week--some that will be easy for her for fluency practice, at least one an audiobook, a biography and a science book.

I don't see why you'd need to teach grammar right this minute; that can be done just as well in fourth grade, and that's enough time to get ready for a foreign language in middle school (says a former middle school language arts teacher).

 

That said, try to have as many school days as possible, even if the "day" is an hour. I think lots of short days will be more effective than occasional long days.

 

Best wishes! You have a lot going on.

This was helpful, thank you! I like the writing journal you linked, and it made me think....

I do think a lot of my concern is that DD hasn't had any writing exposure. She has never been one to write stories or make lists. She is acutely aware of her shortcomings in spelling and doesn't like to be wrong...

 

Maybe my goal for Writing, this year, should be to get DD comfortable putting the pencil to the page -- in a fun, no-stress sort of way...

[Lang Syne Boardie]

In my house, this child would henceforth be known as a second grader. No question. When I look at all the factors -- early birthday, a parent with a serious illness, and slightly behind grade level -- I'd move the grade level. Stress over hurdling milestones is not beneficial or necessary right now.

 

There are many summer birthday babies who are in the grade below instead of the grade above. It's normal, and arbitrary from state to state, anyway, and up to you as a homeschooler to make that call. Two of my children are redshirted according to my state's cutoff for this year but at the right grade level for my state's cutoff in the past. LOL (IOW, how much does it matter?) It made sense because of who they were, not because of the calendar, to place them below instead of above when their birthday was at cutoff time. One of these boys is scheduled to graduate high school in three years instead of four, because he more than made up for his slightly later start. So he's still graduating right at his 18th birthday.

 

Take a look at expected skills for second graders and see how your child fits that list. I think you'll find that she's doing very well and belongs there.

[Black-eyed Suzan]

This was helpful, thank you! I like the writing journal you linked, and it made me think....

I do think a lot of my concern is that DD hasn't had any writing exposure. She has never been one to write stories or make lists. She is acutely aware of her shortcomings in spelling and doesn't like to be wrong...

 

Maybe my goal for Writing, this year, should be to get DD comfortable putting the pencil to the page -- in a fun, no-stress sort of way...

 

If spelling is one of the things bothering her and you, maybe you could add spelling that could be done independently? I don't have a good idea of what would work (we use SWR which is not independent), but I've considered and heard good things about Phonetic Zoo.

 

ETA threads about independent spelling programs:

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/527168-spelling-for-3rd-grade-level/

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/456742-rod-and-staff-spelling/

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/444942-spelling-curriculum-advice/

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/397302-my-ongoing-review-on-phonetic-zooolder-child-independent-spelling-program/

 

Hugs!!!

[Sahamamama]

If spelling is one of the things bothering her and you, maybe you could add spelling that could be done independently? I don't have a good idea of what would work (we use SWR which is not independent), but I've considered and heard good things about Phonetic Zoo.

 

We're using PZ this year for my 4th Grader, and we both really like it. One good thing about PZ is that it is more portable than AAS (which we also use and like). All you need for PZ is a personal CD player, small headphones, the CD you're working on, a spiral notebook, and a pen. It can all fit into one of those plastic shoe boxes with a lid. You don't really need to have the lesson cards and zoo cards with you at all times, but you could just pull out the card(s) you're working on.

 

If you need to make school more portable for a season -- say you need to leave the girls at a friend's house for a day, but you still would like them to get some work done -- you could pack PZ a lot more easily than you could AAS. You're using CLE Math, and that's portable, too.

 

My heart goes out to you, honestly. Do you have anyone local who could help you with a school day or half-day when you need to be at appointments? Anyone at church who would come in and read to the girls, help them learn math facts (flash cards), and engage in conversation? If you lived around the corner, I'd say, "Drop them off here and we'll add them in." LOL, that would be a lot of girls!

 

[Sahamamama]

It's me again. :001_rolleyes: I hope I'm not a complete pest.

 

We've had a few times when we've taken school on the road or to my parents' house. There are ways to box it up, but I've never had to school in waiting rooms. You might want to post a new thread, asking for ideas on how to take school on the road (e.g., treatments, medical appointments, another person's house). I'm sure others here have had to do this for a season. 

 

If you are traveling back and forth to the hospital/treatment center, you could listen to audiobooks (if your husband can stand them). After about the third time I went hypothyroid, I decided to save my energy for the direct teaching I had to do (math, penmanship, composition, reading, spelling). Of course, audiobooks are not the same as Mommy doing read alouds, but they are better than nothing and give me a break. When I am well, I do read more, though. Lately, we've enjoyed the full-length audiobook versions of The Cricket in Times Square, Betsy-Tacy, Farmer Boy, Charlotte's Web, and Alice in Wonderland. In addition to chapter books on audiobook, you could listen to SOTW, Your Story Hour, and Greathall. That would be plenty for History. Some of the American Girl books are on CD, and they're worth listening to. Some of these resources may be at your library.

 

Could a friend or someone from church take over your library runs for the year? If someone asks, "What can I do to help?" you could say, "Drop off our returns and pick up our holds once a week." I'm going to pray that someone asks you that question.

 

If your girls enjoy crafts, they may like doing some History Pockets or Science Pockets. Beware the Pockets! Bwahahaha. They will throw you off-track forever, but the ones we did were so worth it. My nice little plan for American History, Part 1 went down the drain when we started Native American History Pockets. We all learned so much, enjoyed it all, and retained a ton. Good memories. There's some prep for Mom, though. I did that when they were asleep, and we did the pockets when we had time in the school day.

 

All About Spelling has a free app for the Basic Phonograms, so if you had it on a Kindle or iPad, that would be a portable way to do at least a portion/aspect of spelling.

 

Kumon math workbooks are portable, if you need to reinforce or supplement math. HTH.

 

 

 

 

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

Until my kids are reading well our focus is math, reading, and copywork. I don't do any additional Language Arts (spelling, writing, grammar etc.) until the reading is down. For my oldest that was the end of 3rd grade (although I probably could have started sooner), my second DD started at the beginning of 3rd, and I'm hoping my 7yo will be reading by 4th; she's a bit slower with reading so far. We do history and science when we have time - and it doesn't sound like you have time right now. Have her watch some Magic School Bus and Liberty's Kids and call it good. :-)

[HS Mom in NC]

My middle wasn't ready to start reading until almost 8.  She could read like an adult by 11.  She started college at 15. We read aloud history and science and literature for a couple of hours a day (not all in one sitting, of course) from the time all my kids elementary aged.   She was a math whiz.  We did Latina and Greek Roots orally. We started grammar in late elementary school (she was probably 10 or 11) because I had no intention of torturing myself trying to yet young children to learn about verbal abstractions. We did Simply Grammar because much of it could be done orally and then Winston Grammar and some diagramming after that. We let her read voraciously when she could read fluently on her own.  How many kids do you know that read Shakespeare and Dante's Inferno for fun? She did. 

 

 

[FO4UR]

Thanks for all the replies. Replying on my iPad (sitting in ICU with DH, who has had some complications) and it's a pain to quote/type long replies on this thing...

 

I *think* our state requires the school year to run within a certain frame (though I mainly look at that for attendance purposes -- I don't have a problem finishing curriculum next year, for example, or using a 2nd grade reading program now). We started this school year in August, so we're about mid-year.

 

 

DD was 8 in June.

 

  I suppose my main worry is that I'll need to place the girls in public school if DH's illness becomes too demanding for me. And if that happens, I don't want DD to be in a situation where she is glaringly behind her same-aged peers. She's bright and sensitive and would be upset by that.

 

I know, all this is based on "what ifs"....so perhaps I do need to just step back, calm down, and just keep plugging away. :o. Thanks again for all the wise advice and calming words!

 

 

For comparison (which is not *standard*...just comparison fwiw), my ds8 is a June birthday too.  He's doing 2nd grade across the board. If I were to put him into PS, it would be into 2nd and not 3rd though his B-day officially meets the cut-off for 3rd. About 1/2 the kids in this town are red-shirted it seems, so he'd actually be with his age-mates in 2nd, not 3rd. 

 

 

You are wise to consider the what-ifs. Just don't heap burdens on your shoulders that you don't need to bear. You've got enough. That's a highly stressful situation. :grouphug: 

[lionfamily1999]

Thanks for all the feedback. Definitely some good info to think on!

I'll be honest: we've not done much school work lately. DH has not been well (chemo has taken its toll, these past two days he's barely been able to walk -- lots of reliance on me!). But I do need to find a way to make this work...

 

I guess I really want to know what skills a third grader is expected to know? What would be the BIG things you want your 3rd grader to come out knowing? Reading independently? Able to write what -- a paragraph, a letter?

I've been through this with Mom and it's why I switched to a more independent curriculum for my children.  There's plenty to learn watching radiation being done and talking to doctors and nurses, but when it's time to sit down and teach...  I just didn't have enough of me left to do that.

 

The curriculum I use is Christian, it's set up so that the children do their work, for the most part, independently.  They schedule themselves, check their own work, and at the end of each 'PACE' there is a short test.  You might want to look into it.  It was a huge blessing for me, allowed us to continue homeschooling, even while I was running all over the place.

[boscopup]

My second grader is just a little younger than your dd, as he turned 8 in November. He's very similar in that reading has taken longer, but math is trucking along just fine. We're still working through grade 1 phonics and reading. I'm not even thinking about grammar or spelling yet. Next year in 3rd grade, I'll probably add R&S Spelling 2 (when he's doing their phonics and reading 2). He'll be turning 9 early in the school year, but that's ok. Rushing him through LA won't help him. Going slow and steady has proven to work for him. Sure, he's 8 and still working in grade 1 materials, but the last couple weeks he started to read his reader normally, not sounding choppy or having to sound out words. I am beyond thrilled!

 

If my son were to go into school, I'd probably want to redshirt him, though he's already old for his grade and he's tall for his age, so that would be my main issue for him. Your dd has a birthday that is so commonly redshirted, that I would have no issue whatsoever with putting her in a 2nd grade class right now if school was necessary. When my oldest was at school, at least half the boys in class were redshirted.

 

Take care of yourself. Your dd sounds like she's doing well. Keep doing what you're doing, adding in a little copywork from stories she enjoys. History and science can wait. Even grammar can wait. Spending time with Daddy is way more important.

[alisoncooks]

It's me again. :001_rolleyes: I hope I'm not a complete pest.

 

:D

Absolutely *not* a pest, and I thank you (and everyone else!) for taking the time to come up with all these ideas, and for helping me think through this!  A little outside perspective can sometimes be a very helpful thing.  :blush:

 

I'll definitely be rereading all of the suggestions and thinking about what our priorities will be for the rest of the school year (and next year).

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

I just want to add that my baby sister was about 9 when my dad was going through chemo, radiation, and a stem cell transplant. Then a couple of years later he had a kidney transplant - donated by my mom. During the cancer years my mom was homeschooling 3 kids somewhere around 4th, 7th, and 10th grades. She just did what she could. My adult siblings who lived at home helped with school stuff as well as house stuff. When the little kids went to married siblings' houses we helped with school work where we could. But mostly mom just did the best she could and didn't worry about the rest. During the dialysis/kidney transplant year the little kids were older and managing more of their own stuff but some things did get dropped. Everything turned out fine and baby sister is set to graduate in 2016. My brothers graduated, got jobs, are going to college - one of them with a great scholarship. Dad is finally healthy again. :-) Hang in there, do what you can, accept any help that's offered, and don't worry about the rest.

[FairProspects]

Thanks for all the replies. Replying on my iPad (sitting in ICU with DH, who has had some complications) and it's a pain to quote/type long replies on this thing...

 

I *think* our state requires the school year to run within a certain frame (though I mainly look at that for attendance purposes -- I don't have a problem finishing curriculum next year, for example, or using a 2nd grade reading program now). We started this school year in August, so we're about mid-year.

 

 

DD was 8 in June.

 

  I suppose my main worry is that I'll need to place the girls in public school if DH's illness becomes too demanding for me. And if that happens, I don't want DD to be in a situation where she is glaringly behind her same-aged peers. She's bright and sensitive and would be upset by that.

 

I know, all this is based on "what ifs"....so perhaps I do need to just step back, calm down, and just keep plugging away. :o. Thanks again for all the wise advice and calming words!

 

Easily a 2nd grader by normal standards here. I'd call this year 2nd grade, just keep swimming, and give your family the grace of extra time.

 

[Korrale]

How about getting the What Your Grader Needs to know books. Maybe start with First grade. Then read through them together daily. Or let her read them alone and discuss.

[MeganW]

This was helpful, thank you! I like the writing journal you linked, and it made me think....

I do think a lot of my concern is that DD hasn't had any writing exposure. She has never been one to write stories or make lists. She is acutely aware of her shortcomings in spelling and doesn't like to be wrong...

 

Maybe my goal for Writing, this year, should be to get DD comfortable putting the pencil to the page -- in a fun, no-stress sort of way...

I put my kids in public school this year for the first time (3rd & 2nd grade).  We are in an excellent school district.  (It's been interesting - I'm glad we did it, and they have learned a few things they could never have gotten otherwise, but we've learned those things now and I'm ready to bring them back home!)

 

Writing consists of "you have 30 minutes - heads down pencils moving".  No topic, no guidance, no grading - just fill the pages of your comp book.  My kids now HATE writing.  One of them wrote in hieroglyphics for several weeks before telling me about it and I told her to stop.  The teacher didn't know b/c she wasn't looking.

 

The most / only important thing in public school writing is quantity.  For my kids, who were used to doing a few really good sentences, the stamina required to write for 30 minutes straight was a really tough transition.

 

If there is a possibility of going to public school, I would focus on:

- reading - a HUGE focus where we are.  The school is much more interested in nonfiction reading than fiction.

- math - place value, and being able to solve problems lots of different ways are the focus - mid-3rd, they are expected to know addition & subtraction well, and are working on multiplication & division

- hand stamina 

 

That's it.  There's nothing else that they can't jump into cold.  

 

[Tsuga]

If you were in our school district, your daughter would just as likely be in 2nd grade as 3rd. I'd say summer birthdays are a split, with the more well-off families paying the extra year of pre-K at five, poorer children entering earlier (because it costs less, of course).

 

 

The most / only important thing in public school writing is quantity.

 

Please speak for your own public schools. Our schools work extremely hard to give kids an interest in lifelong learning. There is no point detailing their fantastic curriculum here, but between read-alouds (teacher's choice), creative writing, interactive story writing, etc. all of our children, who've been in public school their whole life, love writing fiction. They do it for fun outside of school.

 

I don't know where OP is. Their schools might be more like yours, more like ours.

 

But the point is, we don't know and being antagonistic towards the schools or making anyone feel like it's this horrible option every time is not helpful.

[Tanikit]

I think you made the right decision to concentrate on reading - if she is reading better now, I would start asking her to read books that are non-fiction and I would have her read-aloud every day as this builds fluency and can be used to teach her many other things while not adding a huge amount of time to your load - you just need to pick good books at or even slightly beyond her level. That way even if she is not up to standard in Science and History she will still be doing some. There are also some easy grammar books that could be used for reading aloud (Safari Grammar is an older book that has a lot of concepts in, but with the pictures involved would make a suitable read aloud) without the heavy practice worksheets so that you just introduce a topic and spark an interest before following up later.

 

Writing should also be done daily now - where is she with writing? Letter formation, copywork, dictation, writing narrations is also a progression and if you just decided on a certain amount of time per day you would find she moves forward and you can pick up on anything that needs more work. While I use WWE2 now, I found starting my first grader on Reasoning and Writing extensions B helped her in multiple ways as it was so step-by-step and so basic initially - it started as copywork while still having them make up their own sentences and because I was only doing the extensions and not the full programme it moved quickly and she moved into WWE2 with ease.

 

For spelling it would depend on your child. I still like AAS if you plan on buying a curriculum but it is parent intensive. Otherwise you could do learnt dictation starting with basic sentences from something like Dr Seuss (which starts with basic phonics and keeps certain word groups together while still having sight words incorporated early on - the most commonly used words). Of course you would have to know what you were doing with spelling rules and the phonics involved yourself if you teach this way but it is fairly adaptable if life circumstances are difficult at any point.

[idnib]

I think you've already gotten good suggestions. I personally would choose FLL and WWE because they are gentle, scripted, and "open and go" which is probably what you need right now.

 

I had a friend who had to put her kids back in school due to family circumstances at about your daughter's age. They had basically done no school work for the year before they entered (but they could read at level, add double digits, and form letters) and a paid tutor was able to catch them up in about a month.

 

I truly don't think you are behind but I agree it's wise of you to consider what might happen if you have to put your daughter in school. I don't think you can keep going the way you have been, but I also think you're fine right now. IOW, it's fine to be where you are but you have to take a new turn now. Add in the writing, and do a spelling placement test because often kids who are good readers and farther along in spelling than you realize. Ask me how I know.  :blushing:

 

It will be fine.

 

:grouphug:

[Meg4]

How about getting the What Your Grader Needs to know books. Maybe start with First grade. Then read through them together daily. Or let her read them alone and discuss.

Im sorry I don't mean to hijack but I was wondering what these are? 

[alisoncooks]

How about getting the What Your Grader Needs to know books. Maybe start with First grade. Then read through them together daily. Or let her read them alone and discuss.

I did end up taking this advice! Because I have a 1st and 3rd grader, I ordered the K and 1st books. I'm very impressed! I can't wait to start reading these.

 

Meg4 - I bought these.

http://www.amazon.com/First-Grader-Needs-Revised-Updated/dp/0553392387/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1419351385&sr=8-6&keywords=core+knowledge+preschool

[Meg4]

First hugs! I'm so sorry . I know it must be so much on you trying to handle everything! 

 

My 8 (9 in april)  year old daughter is technically a 3rd grader but I consider her a 2nd grader because she's had such a difficult time learning to read, so I basically slowed everything down to focus on that. We also have had some major family things this year and I might have to put her  in school if things don't improve .  We have mostly done math and reading and not a lot of history or science. Honestly with having 4 littles and all the family stuff there just hasn't been time.  I think we won't worry about history or science this year and just try to get caught up in reading and math. I'm going to try EIW2 and I was looking at voyages in English grade 2. When I look at the homeschool curriculum a lot of it seems more advanced than what our public schools are doing. So, I would just start her at the second grade level and work from there.  I am switching from MUS to CLE math . We love MUS but the scope and sequence is so vastly different from our schools I just feel better using CLE incase we need to go into the schools and I will do 2 lessons a day until we get caught up...or hit a wall! I would just try to work consistently as much as possible and cut out any of the extras. But, if it gets too hard and you need to set it aside for awhile that just happen sometimes. There are ways to get caught up! 

 

Blessings to your family!

[Meg4]

I did end up taking this advice! Because I have a 1st and 3rd grader, I ordered the K and 1st books. I'm very impressed! I can't wait to start reading these.

 

Meg4 - I bought these.

http://www.amazon.com/First-Grader-Needs-Revised-Updated/dp/0553392387/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1419351385&sr=8-6&keywords=core+knowledge+preschool

Thank you! We are kind of in a similar situation here ..I will definitely check them out! 

[idnib]

Im sorry I don't mean to hijack but I was wondering what these are? 

 

They are books for each grade, based on the Core Knowledge program by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.

 

He and his foundation have developed a list of items that should be common knowledge to people in a specific grade. There are schools based on this as well. I checked out one of the books a few years ago from the library and I really liked it. It had math knowledge, idioms to discuss, grammar, etc.

 

E.D. Hirsch has also written some books such as "The Knowledge Deficit" and "The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy." I read the latter in high school on my own time and learned so much.

 

These "What Your ____ Grader Needs to Know" are a fantastic suggestion for this situation.