Feedback and suggestions for my middle ds?

[rafiki]

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[Julie in MN]

I can't help with all of the language arts & logic, because I wait on doing as much as you are until like 7th grade!

 

But as far as the reading, my son prefers true stories to fiction. Maybe you can "lean" him toward literature by selecting stories where you can tell him they are about true people? Things like Farmer Boy and Little Britches are true stories.

 

Also for the history, I'm surprised he doesn't like Usborne if he likes facts. Does he prefer reading over hands-on? A textbook might work, or my preference is more than one. The kind of child you describe might become too literal if he doesn't get it in his mind early on that history is subjective and not exact -- just like everything, IMHO, else except pure (not applied) math.

 

Julie

[Another Lynn]

My .02 about a couple subjects....

 

Spelling - why not let him do SWO for a year or 2? My guess from your description of him is that maybe he is a "natural speller," so why not let him have one subject that's a "little easier" and enjoyable for him. My 2nd grader loved ETC until we hit book 4. I got SWO B for him and it is super easy for him. My guess is that you should try C or maybe even D if you decide to use SWO with your ds. He can always go to megawords when he's older.

 

Logic/Forgeign Language - I wouldn't sweat these at all. But here are a few thoughts anyway. I got some of the mindbenders books for my ds. He likes doing them, but I don't assign them every week. I think it's fun to just pull them out from time to time and do a bunch in one spurt. Also, my dc play chess which gives them a chance to think logically too. I am using Getting Started with Latin with my 2nd grader only because I was using it with my oldest and my 2nd grader asked to do it. I mention it because there's usually 1 new vocabulary each lesson and then 10 or so sentences to translate. It's like a little exercise in logic itself. It does not emphasize memory work, although I have us sometimes chant verbs, etc. to remind them of the endings. So, again, I personally don't worry too much about these subjects for 2nd/3rd grade, but this works for us right now.

 

History - I wonder how he would like Amblesideonline, particularly year 2? The Little Duke is definitely a "boy book" but would probably still stretch him (vocabulary, etc). Many of the readings are in little bites, so I doubt he'd have time to fall asleep :) and maybe it would start to just whet his appetite for more? Even if he doesn't fall in love with it, it would still be small bites and tolerable, while stretching him in an area that's not his favorite.

 

Reading - see above thoughts about AO :) Also, I would hand jump on biographies if he likes those. They will beef up his history interest. I would not abandon all fiction, but as you said look for boy interest books that will still stretch him.

 

Writing - could you apply the principles of WWE, but just ramp it up a bit? If he's bored with WWE, is he ready to do a written narration on his own? I would try 50 Famous Stories or Aesops (since they are short and easy to narrate from), read him one and ask him to write 3 sentences summarizing it. My guess is that most 2nd graders wouldn't be ready to do this, but maybe yours is since he'd rather be more independent than work with you on this? I would continue dictation in some form whether it's WWE or some other source. I know you said he doesn't like fiction, but the 50 Famous STories are retellings of historical events - wonder if that would help? Also, for more "technical" writing, how about working on "how to" paragraphs with as little or as much help as he needs from you? That might be a way to appeal to his interest in all things factual :)

 

Art and science sound great, I don't know what else to tell you there.

 

Sounds like you have a very motivated, bright little guy :)

[swimmermom3]

Michele, is this your one that is like my youngest? If I remember right, it is. The literal guys.:D Have you considered MTC for him for LA? Swimmer Dude is finding this to be a much better fit than anything we've used. I would suggest you call Royal Fireworks Press (I sound like a broken record) and check on using the Island level. I know your ds is just finishing 2nd grade work, but I think this might work. Even though my guy is literal, he loves poetry and MTC poetry is imho amazing. MTC is clean, efficient, and elegant. I currently use Essay Voyage with IEW Ancients for writing. Dude takes the decorations to the extreme on IEW for fun. Then we apply it seriously to MTC. It's working well so far.

[TracyR]

Not sure what to recommend for the other subjects but instead of doing a foreign language how about that he study the Roots and Suffixes of words?

Something like this may appeal to him if he is a literal kind of kind.

 

You could use Memoria Press' Roots of English and Greek for Beginners, or English from the Roots up. That way he is sort of learning parts of a foreign language but NOT! LOL,.

If he is going to be college bound this will serve him well.

[rafiki]

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