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Please help, school subjects for my 2nd grader...


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This is my first thread! Thank you in advance for your help! I am just now entering into what I consider "full time" teaching with my almost 2nd grade boy. My question is this, what subjects do you teach? I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with next year. I want to incorperate SWR, MUS, and that is what I know for sure.

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He is doing MUS Beta & Calculadders, First Language Lessons, Explode the Code (finishing up 3, we use this as spelling), Abeka Handbook for Reading, Handwriting Without Tears, various logic-type workbooks(mazes, crossword puzzles, etc), Sonlight 2 readers, Abeka 2 science twice a week, SOTW 3 three times a week, Trail Guides to US Geography (he only does this because his older bro and sis do-wouldn't do it if it was just him), piano, soccer, devotions with the family in a.m. and p.m. If I can sit down and work with him while the baby is sleeping, he can be finished with everything in about 2.5 to 3 hours. I chose not to continue with Abeka phonics workbook because he is reading very well and I felt the combo of Handbook for Reading and Explode the Code and reading the readers aloud to me was enough. Plus the dictation and copywork in FLL.

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Well first the basics anything else is just gravy of course :

 

Math , Grammar , Writing , Handwriting , History , Science , and Phonics .

Art and French for one child and Spanish for another :>) Phys Ed ( swimming , soccer etc. )

 

We are using Calvert so its an all in one curriculum . I've pieced together curriculum too in the past .

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Subject that I taught for 2nd grade with my ds and will again next year for my dd are

 

Language Arts: includes finishing up phonics, spelling, reading books, and penmanship

Math

Science

History

Geography: basic learning to read a map etc. Evan Moor daily geography is a good one for this. It takes about 10 minutes.

 

HTH

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I agree, get your basics covered first:

spelling

reading

grammar

writing

math

 

Then add:

history

science

 

Then consider:

art

latin

music

health

PE

 

I know some folks here will disagree with my list. Many feel art, music, and latin are critical for a complete education. In theory, I would agree. In practice, maybe not at first. I found by getting the "must haves" nailed down, I could then add in the other subjects I felt were necesarry.

 

You already have a great math and spelling program picked out. You are half way home!

 

Now chose grammar. We love GWG. It is straightforward and easy to teach. Many feel the same way about R/S and BJU is very good too.

 

What do you want to do about writing? Many programs have writing included. BJU is one of them. I personally love CW, but it is not easy to pick up and teach. I think it is much like SWR in that regard. You need to grasp the "big picture" to put the program into practice.

 

Reading? Do you want a structured program like BJU. It is very good - we used it for our oldest for several years. I have used DITHOR for my youngest and really, really enjoy it.

 

Science and History are next.

 

How do you want to teach history? Do you want to do something chronological starting with the Ancients? Or do you want to do a more "modern approach" and break up history like the schools do? Both approaches are valid. You need to chose what will work for you and your ds. If you want chronological SOTW or maybe MFW are good choices. If you want a more modern approach, BJU has a good program too.

 

Science. Oh my goodness, but there are great choices out there! Decide how or what you want to do. If you want to spend a year on a single subject - like biology - you might want to look at NOEO. If you want a variety of topics in a single year - we enjoyed BJU. There are many great programs out there. Or, you could chose what your ds wants to study and raid the library.

 

Art - I'm not the one to talk about art - there are many, many more folks better at this than I am

 

Health - Abeka has a great early elementary program.

 

Latin - sorry, just like art for me. I know what we have tried (same with art) but I am not comfortable recommending any of it.

 

Now, finally, I can tell you what we did last year for 2nd:

 

Math - MUS

Spelling- SWR

Grammar - GWG

Reading - DITHOR

science - BJU

history - MOH 1

Latin - Matin Latin

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My 2nd grader this year studies English, maths, history, science, recorder, Mandarin, Greek and art, plus PE. The specifics are in my siggy.

 

I would recommend starting with English, maths and PE, then adding in any other subjects when you are feeling secure with the basics.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

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Everyday: Bible, Math, Reading, Poetry Memorization, French, Piano

4x a week (Mon-Thurs only): Phonics, Language Arts, Latin

2x a week: (Mon-Thurs only): Formal Science, History

 

Informal science everyday: nature walks/journal. Art is within history and science, music appreciation is done informally as well.

 

On days that we have to limit ourselves Math, Reading aloud, phonics and Language Arts gets accomplished.

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Finishing up 2nd--Only 2 more months to go. Yeah!

 

We use SWR as well.

 

What we did:

 

Phonics--SWR phonograms, I made up silly sentences and pictures to go with the phonograms. But the lists are fine for this age too. My dd is a bit pencil phobic.

 

Copywork--We did sentences from history, SWR silly phonogram sentences and she also copied her narrations of Aesop's Fables.

 

Composition/literature--On Monday, I would read a fable and on Tuesday she would orally compose her own version.

 

Math--We did Singapore Math.

 

McCall-Harby Test Lessons in Reading--we did this once a week to check reading comprehension. It is a recommended resource for SWR.

 

History--Story of the World 2. I would read a chapter per week and she would color the coloring pages or maps. 1 chapter a week works the best for us. We tried Tapestry of Grace and cramming in more and we just got burned out and had to to take a history break for a almost 4 months.

 

Science--Singapore My Pals are Here Science 4a/b. She loves Singapore curriculum because it appeals to her visual style of learning.

 

Pretty much that is it. At bedtime we read books for about 30 min. We've been reading the American Girl books, D'Auliare Biographies, silly stuff, and I pick an animal each week and we read a bunch of fiction and non-fiction books on it.

 

Works well for us.:001_smile:

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Second grade subjects for my oldest last year:

 

Math - Singapore Primary and Miquon (daily)

Grammar - FLL (2 days)

Spelling - SWO (3 days)

Writing - copywork (daily)

Reading - read alouds (4 days), personal reading time (daily)

History - FMMA and FMRR (3 days)

Science - done sporatically

Critical Thinking - 2 days

 

My upcoming 2nd grader will have a similar schedule next year with science done 2 days a week. Art and music (in addition to piano lessons) will be done once a week or once every two weeks.

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Latin - Song School Latin and Prima Latina

Handwriting - Handwriting without Tears

Writing - Writing With Ease

Grammar - First Language lessons

Spelling - All about spelling (or I might just pull words from her Latin, I don't know yet)

 

Math - MUS Gamma and Singapore 3 A and B

 

My Father's World - Rome to the Reformation will cover history, science, Bible, art and Music

 

That's us!

:auto:

 

Wow! Cadam,

I chose most of the things you are using for your 2nd grader. :)

 

Latin: Latina Christiana I and Ludere Latin I: Latin Word Games

Handwriting - Handwriting without Tears, Cursive

Writing - Writing With Ease and WWE Workbook 2

Grammar - First Language lessons3 and Workbook

Spelling - All about spelling 3 /but also will be using Simply Spelling (have not bought it yet, don't have paypal)

Math - MUS Gamma/Delta and Singapore WP

Spanish: Still trying to decide this....so far Puertas Abiertas looks good

Science: Chemistry - Real Science 4-kids (pre-level 1) and Nature Study

ART: Artistic Pursuits

History : TOG Y2 unit3&4

Bible: still researching...

Poetry: Memorizing poetry from The Harp & Laurel Wreath

**also wanted to add Dictionary Skills, ETC8, WW3 (here and there :tongue_smilie:)

 

Just check on me in the Fall. :D

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We're transitioning into our 2nd grade curriculum right now, doing a light daily schedule:

 

Latin

Math

Penmanship

 

In a few weeks we'll be dropping penmanship and beginning Classical Writing.

 

In the fall, we'll add our weekly subjects:

 

Literature

Religion

Geography

History

Science

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Hi, Welcome!

 

My dd will be in 2nd grade next year. Our subjects will be:

 

Bible study

Copywork - this (in my mind, and hopefully in reality) will cover handwriting, spelling and grammar

Math

Science (probably earth, space and general nature study, plus whatever dd a/k/a Science Nut wants)

History

Literature (incorporated in our history curriculum, plus whatever good read-alouds we want)

Latin

Art

Music

 

Whew, I think that covers it. Latin, art and music will be low-key, slowly paced, gentle. Hopefully it will all be fun. We've been having more fun the last few weeks since I've relaxed about some things, and streamlined here and there by rolling a few different subjects into just one or two.

 

HTH, and please ask if you want more specifics!

Melissa

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