Mine is up

My ds is oh-so-close to four, as he would happily tell you (birthday's later this month). For next year, we're planning on doing some Kumon workbooks (cutting, tracing, all that jazz), phonics (OPGTR), handwriting of some kind - probably the Handwriting without Tears preK stuff, and then math of some kind. I haven't decided if I'll do math formally or informally. Aside from that, we'll just read lots of books. I attempted to do a big formal 'curriculum' for prek and k with my oldest and this is what I've learned as a result. ;) Any 'content' subjects I want to touch on will just be part of what we read aloud. Oh, yes, and lots of time outside. :)

Our official school year end - i.e., the end of our required 180 days - will be May 15. The following week we're going to do some additional writing and grammar, just to finish our curriculum up evenly, and dd will take the ITBS, because she's in third grade and our state requires testing at this point. Over the summer we're going to do some science experiment kits with a public-schooled friend, and she has four or five books I'm going to require her to read over the summer. Other than that, she'll be busy with various camps and VBS. Now, if I start any work with ds prior to the summer (phonics or handwriting, he's chomping at the bit for both of them), I'll keep going, simply because I wouldn't expect him to retain something for months at his age.

I'm a planner, too. I had shied away from planning an entire year previously but this year I bit the bullet and did it and WOW things have gone so very much better! To allow for flexibility, I didn't plan out dates but rather days 1 to 180... so when things changed, all I had to do was re-work the pages that correlated days to actual dates... all the lesson plans stayed exactly the same.

We just started with Writing Tales a few weeks ago. Dd struggles somewhat with handwriting and spelling, so I had deliberately waited until halfway through 3rd grade to start her. Honestly, though, it's very gentle, so I probably could have started her sooner than I did. She's enjoying it - last week, she said it was her new favorite thing about school. :)

Chemistry... we've done our fair share of science reading, but I wanted to do some experiments and go through something more formal. Art & music are covered only because I outsource them!

I have a third grader this year. What she's done: GWG 3/4 (finished 3, started 4), three days a week, plus Editor in Chief & Punctuation Puzzlers, one day a week All About Spelling Levels 2 & 3 Writing Tales 1 SOTW 3 + mapwork & coloring from the activity guide + supplemental books for US History we keep meaning to add science but we haven't made it there yet Literature picked from various lists, mostly concentrating on classics and historical fiction. Developmental Math through Level 12, Miquon Purple, the Keys to... series, and Life of Fred

I finally got mine up yesterday - Weekly Summary, Week 26

:lurk5: I had to re-read your post because your third grader sounds exactly like mine - advanced in math and reading, delayed in spelling and handwriting! I have been trying to decide if I should add some science for the last part of the year.

This is the first year we've really done long stretches without a significant break. We took about a week and a half over Thanksgiving, since dd2 arrived one week before Thanksgiving, and we took three weeks at Christmas. The difference is, dh now has a job where he works from home one day a week (makes a big difference for schooling 'around' ds) and my mom is currently unemployed and generally comes over at least one day a week, which again makes a big difference with ds. Dd and I both want to get this school year wrapped up by May 15, which we are on track to do with just one week of break for 'spring break' between now and then... but next year my mom will be working again, so we'll probably take a February break again.

science and math. The science isn't surprising - I did five classes of science in four years of high school, went to college and majored in bio - but the math is a bit.

Yep, I think All About Spelling is what you're looking for. Incidentally, I have learned so much about spelling as I've taught my daughter. :)

Oops, sorry! I was nak'ing and wasn't clear. :) I just meant that if I knew I was pursuing a biology major, and I wanted to take an AP Calculus class in high school, I wouldn't (knowing what I know now) put the effort into AP Calculus BC unless I was really good at math AND really enjoyed it. I'd just do AP Calculus AB or even a non-AP Calculus, so that when I took it at college, it would be familiar material.

Dd is starting to learn to type now (2nd half of 3rd grade). She actually is enchanted by typewriters though (asked for one for Christmas!) so she's learning on typewriter with an old book of mine. We'll probably let her transfer to the computer sometime in 4th or 5th grade and follow up w/ Mavis Beacon.

I was a biology major at Georgia Tech. I had to take a year of calculus (this was back on quarters, so technically Calc I-III, but it covered Calc I & II on a semester system), plus a biostats course taught out of the biology department. (As an aside, I adored my biostats prof - she was adjunct and worked at the CDC. I think she was a big reason a good friend of mine did a biostats masters.) High school prep-wise, I took 'Honors' Bio I, 'Honors' Chem I, Physics I, AP Biology, and AP Chemistry. Senior year I took AP Calc BC. I would recommend AB Calc for a bio major if I had to do it all again.

Ours is up.

We do four or five read-alouds per year. We buy those. For this year, I bought 36 literature books (some purchased over the years at the used bookstore, et cetera) and probably about 50 history books. We have a library system. You have to get things sent to the closest branch, though, and we're bad about returning things on time. I have (at least) two more that will use the books. Plus, dd will re-read them on her own. For us, it's worth the expense.

All About Spelling Liberty's Kids DVDs and right now a baby carrier is essential. :)

Here's our plan as of today. It's a hodge-podge Math: LoF Decimals & Percents, several of the Key to... books, Hands-On Equations, and then likely LoF Beg. Alg. at the end of the year. Grammar: JAG + several Critical Thinking Co. books Writing: Writing Tales Spelling: All About Spelling - it looks like part of Level 4, Level 5, and maybe Level 6, depending on how she's doing. Latin: Lively Latin History: SOTW 4 + biographies & supplemental books focusing on American history Science: Physics experiments from the WTM-recommended book plus various kits. Art, Music, & Drama: she goes to Master's Academy once a week.

I've been working on pre-k/K plans as sort of a continuum. So, for K, I anticipate Phonics - continuing in OPGTR Grammar - starting FLL1&2 at the appropriate time Handwriting - we're using HWT, and I think we'll finish the preK book before the end of "preK," so for K, it'll probably be half the K book, a quarter independent practice, and maybe starting the 1st grade book at the very end Math - RightStart, wherever we're at Reading - lots of books to practice with, and lots of picture books and read-alouds. Anything 'content-y' that I want to cover will have to fit under Reading. I tried doing much more grandiose plans with my dd1 but I so wish we had kept it sweet and simple!

Dd has really enjoyed Growing With Grammar. We've done Grades 1-2, Grade 3, and she's currently working in Grade 4. The author is really good about releasing each new level 'on time,' too.

My ds is doing the same type of thing - recognizing whole words, telling us what sound different letters make, asking us what different combinations of letters spell. He'll be four next month, and I sort of have it in my head to do some formal phonics with him starting around then. So, yeah. Sounds like yours is just as ready and raring to go - go for it. :)

Yes. Most steps have a list of 10 words, for which there are also word cards (more on that in a minute), as well as extra words for reinforcement. The word cards are kept behind the 'review' divider until you feel dc has mastered the word - then that card is moved to the 'mastered' divider. Periodically, the book instructs you to review the cards behind the mastered divider as well as the usual review of the words behind the review divider. So, no, there are not tests as such, but your child has to master the words.

We are absolutely loving All About Spelling. Now, dd1 has some issues with spelling, and that's how we found it, but I (who am a natural speller) wish that I had been taught spelling this way! I am definitely going to use it with ds & dd2 - even though so far ds seems to be a natural speller. Yes, it's teacher-intensive. It's scripted. But from this perspective of finishing up third grade, I wish I had done MORE teacher-intensive basics, kwim?

I'm trying to work this out myself. Right now, I'm thinking about getting a few 'comprehension guides' to spread out over the year next year - so, four to eight titles that we'll really spend more time with. Other books will be required reading, but I'll simply ask her if she liked the book or not, what she liked best, that type of thing. Then there are books that are in a tub that she's to pull from if she finishes the week's required reading, as well as read-aloud that she does with her daddy. Clear as mud? I'm thinking about having her write a 'book report' twice next year - not that I think they are particularly valuable, per se, but more so she knows what the other kids are talking about. :lol: