Language Arts - 2nd grade

[honeymommy4]

Does anyone have some good suggestions on this?

 

We'd love to stick with the Charlotte Mason approach here, but open to any suggestions. i need help with the reading comprehension.

I did not read many classics as a kid. I also do not always grasp the main ideas (of chapter books) when reading aloud to the kids. I don't know why, but I can read and read, and never even know what I am reading. I kind of zone out that way.

 

I'd love to do a mix of story books and chapter books for my DS - 2nd grade.

where do I start? what are some good language art curriculums? something enriching?

[Heidi]

I would use Writing With Ease to learn how to get the main idea out of a story. It is a wonderful tool to use to work on this skill. It will teach both of you at the same time. I'm a learning quite a bit!

 

And then I would just keep reading aloud your story books and chapter books and not worry about narrating them. Just enjoy them. I like the literature lists on Amblesideonline.

[3peasinapod]

I like the idea of Writing With Ease for you too. It is step-by-step and truly brings kids up in summarizing and getting the thoughts down on paper.

 

For chapter books and vocab and narration, take a look at Sonlight's list of readers or read alouds on their website. There are many good books that are "not to be missed."

 

I have not used it, but I know Primary Langauge Lessons is a Charlotte Mason way to introduce grammar. You may want to check on that. We use First Language Lessons.

[SnMomof7]

I would get the WWE handbook and use it to do WTM style LA (narration, copywork, dictation) from whatever living books you are reading - that would be very CM :), and is what we basically do. We used SL readers, AAS and R&S (started half-way through grade 2, but optional if you want to go more CM).

 

Can you find the main ideas etc. when you read silently to yourself? I am a bit that way too, I sort of zone out and miss things when I read aloud - it is more of an auditory processing difficulty (for me). I need to SEE things on the page instead of just listening.

[honeymommy4]

This is great, thank you!

 

3Peas, how do you decide what unit studies you do and when? How do you know when to add more "fun stuff" and when to back off? I want to get to the fun stuff with my kids but sometimes just the regular school alone is enough for them - they just want to play! I see all these cool unit studies on there, but never know when to add them w/o getting overwhelmed. adding 4 subjects this year alone has my head spinning! Realistically we are required to do 8!!

[mschickie]

I love Sonlight for both reading and LA at the early ages. The books are a great selection. The ig also has questions to ask about both the read alouds and the readers. Their LA program is imo deceptively simple. Day one is copywork. Kids get to see and write proper sentences. Day 2 is mechanics, Day 3 pre-write, Day 4 writing assignment. I have been amazed at how much dd has improved without overwhelming her. Dd had always been a reluctant writer and this program has give her both skills and confidence.

[SnMomof7]

I just wanted to add that the SL readers are REAL books :), and they are very engaging, modern living books that are high interest. They are great choices.

[3peasinapod]

This is great, thank you!

 

3Peas, how do you decide what unit studies you do and when? How do you know when to add more "fun stuff" and when to back off? I want to get to the fun stuff with my kids but sometimes just the regular school alone is enough for them - they just want to play! I see all these cool unit studies on there, but never know when to add them w/o getting overwhelmed. adding 4 subjects this year alone has my head spinning! Realistically we are required to do 8!!

 

I think it's a hit or miss with our family. We tried the Download N Go units from The Old Schoolhouse, and they required a lot of writing and spitting back information, so I stopped those. I do the fun stuff with history and science. I follow a "skeleton" with Sonlight or SOTW, and I do activities on the weekends when we have more time and sometimes the kids get bored of playing. My unit studies are just a fleshing out of a topic covered in my base curriculum.

 

With science, I am just not very structured . . . yet. It's hard to squeeze everything in during the week. I try to get all the history reading done during the week, which leaves activities, projects, and experiments for the weekend plus science reading. Sometimes I even leave science out for a while and do it on a break week. The girls always find it fun and not "work." I know people who don't do much science at all during the year, but do it during vacations or summer vacations. We tend to do some here and there, then finish up at the end of the year when history is already done.

 

I have a feeling of what the girls like with activities and what they don't. They don't want to do a lot of writing like in a lapbook or something like that. They love to make things like a prehistoric bone necklace out of clay. Also, I have DH help with activities, as I get burned out on them sometimes.

 

Sorry so long! :001_huh:

 

ETA: I tried doing separate unit studies aside from our regular studies, and we have never been able to finish them in the way the author intended. Like a Christmas study or fall or whatever. I would just pick something you think your kids would like and trying it instead of history one week. A missed week of history isn't going to hurt anything. ;)

Edited August 3, 2011 by 3peasinapod

[honeymommy4]

Thanks, that is great to know for planning purposes! So I don't stress out but cover most stuff! And get to do fun stuff! :)

[ClassicMom]

Agreeing with the posters above that WWE is excellent. For fun, I found some lapbooks at currclick that are on sale for $1 that go along with the Magic Tree House series

http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=26395&it=1&filters=0_0_0_0_0_24403

 

They looked like fun and would incorporate some comprehension along with some history/science.

 

Also think that the Sonlight reading list is wonderful as well. :)

[...................]

PLL worked quite well here. I used it with my son and I'm now starting PLL with my dd. It's a stretch at the beginning of 2nd grade, so I'm taking it VERY slowly with her. But soon she will move more quickly through it.

 

I add spelling, and cursive instruction. You may also need phonics if your ds is not reading proficiently yet.

 

For my son for spelling in 2nd grade we successfully used ACE, (and for my dd I'm going to try Spelling by Sound and Structure by Rod and Staff.) Neither of them needed additional manuscript other than the practice using PLL, but both began cursive in 2nd grade using Calvert Script. (40.00 from Calvert School)

 

Using PLL was a joy and we had excellent results.