Guest Pluie Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Hello! First post here so I'll give a brief intro before I try to delve into your minds for curriculum advice :) I have 3 boys who are 11,7 and 4. We're just new to America (Houston,TX) though we're originally from Nova Scotia so it's not too much of a culture shock. For the past 6 years we've been living in Europe. 5 Years in Scotland and 1 in Romania. We've ended up moving at an odd time in the school year and my 7 year old has been dealing with a second attack of Henoch-Schönlein purpura in just over a year. Because of my 7yo's health we've decided to homeschool him for the remainder of the school year and see where that brings us come September '12 for Grade 3. I'm asking about boxed work for the all-in-one ease I'm assuming it will have. I am definitely open to single subject curriculums. When researching them online there seems to be so many choices and I admit to feeling a bit over-whelmed researching them all. I want to do the basics of Reading and Grammer, Math and Science, Units of Inquiry and Geography. Along with Art and Music. Any help/suggestions are most welcome and appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay3fer Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Calvert? I think it's mostly (entirely?) secular. What is "units of inquiry?" I'm in Ontario, and have never heard of it... :-) Welcome to the boards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Moving Beyond the Page has always looked very interesting to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 (edited) Since you say you are open to different curricula, I will suggest what I would use for a second grader who might go back to public school the next year. Math: Saxon or Math Mammoth Language Arts: Phonics: depending on where he is in phonics, Ordinary Parents Guide to Reading Writing: Winning with Writing Grammar: Growing with Grammar Spelling: Spelling Workout handwriting: handwriting without tears or zaner bloser History/Lit: Sonlight B&C (lots of people use this secularly) or story of the world Science: SL science or Elemental science Sonlight offers a boxed feel because you can order all the other subjects from them as well... hope all goes well with your ds... Edited November 14, 2011 by ByGrace3 oops missed the secular part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 (edited) Have you checked with your district. I'm also near Houston & most people I know who use boxed secular curriculum go through their local school and do some sort of online program. If you aren't against the idea of doing online school you might check it out. I know for sure HISD has that option. It might be the easiest and most affordable option if you plan to put him in ps next year. ETA: the online school would probably only cover basics. You would need to do art & music on your own for sure. Geography probably isn't covered either. Edited November 14, 2011 by acurtis75@yahoo.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Since you say you are open to different curricula, I will suggest what I would use for a second grader who might go back to public school the next year. Math: Saxon or Math Mammoth Language Arts: Phonics: depending on where he is in phonics, Ordinary Parents Guide to Reading Writing: Winning with Writing Grammar: Growing with Grammar Spelling: Spelling Workout handwriting: handwriting without tears or zaner bloser History/Lit: Sonlight B&C (lots of people use this secularly) or story of the world Science: SL science or Elemental science Sonlight offers a boxed feel because you can order all the other subjects from them as well... hope all goes well with your ds... :iagree: Those are all good solid programs. Consider also Singapore Primary Math for math Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 In your situation, K12, which is public school at home, would probably be a great fit. Here's the Texas list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pluie Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Thanks so much for all these suggestions! I'm going to check them all out and see what fits. Unit if Inquiry was something that they did at their old school, the American International school of Bucharest. They would take a global issue like waste and recycling and show the kids how it affected them locally and how local efforts made a difference locally. It was a cool way to pull lots of things together. Sorry for the short pot but I'm working off of DH phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessieC Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I've heard great things about Moving Beyond the Page--it's a complete secular curriculum except for math, I think. Wanted to add the curriculum is leveled by age rather than grade--for a second grader, you can choose the best fit, either 6-8, 7-8, or 8-10, depending on the learning level of the child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I want to do the basics of Reading and Grammer, Math and Science, Units of Inquiry and Geography. Along with Art and Music. Any help/suggestions are most welcome and appreciated. Here are some ideas: Spectrum Grade 2 Math Steck Vaughn Focus on Science B Spectrum Grade 2 Phonics Spelling Workout B Evan Moor Daily Language Review Grade 2 Flash Forward Reading Grade 2 Scholastic Daily Word Ladders Geography - a Map Skills workbook and the Sheppard Software website http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm Music - Classics for Kids http://www.classicsforkids.com/ BTW the CDs are wonderful; our kids love them and are learning to recognize these pieces by name and remember the composers ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 As far as I know, Texas has the most free homeschool laws in the country. But since you are considering putting him back in school next year, you will want to be sure you follow a fairly "normal" path this year. I think Calvert might fit, but be sure to take the placement tests. 2nd grade is my least favorite Calvert year but if you are bent on using something "all in one" then it's really a solid choice. The manual is easy to follow and their customer service is excellent. It's pretty expensive but you do get access to live teachers that can brainstorm any problem with you, any time. For an extra fee you can use the ATS testing service which means your ds will also have an accredited report card to show whatever school he might attend next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garddwr Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Calvert? I think it's mostly (entirely?) secular. I second the Calvert suggestion. It's not the cheapest thing out there, but you might be able to get it at half price--check here. They're conducting an efficacy study and need families who have not used the program before to enroll. I have friends who use this program and are very happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 (edited) As you are used to the Scottish curriculum, an easy way to get into home education might be to use Galore Park's books. They are text books and I find them to be pretty easy open-and-go materials. They go from age 7 to age 13. They are a bit advanced (used in private rather than in state schools) so it's worth looking at the samples to check that your children won't be overwhelmed. They have English, maths, science, history, French, Spanish, Latin... and probably some more. The website is here. You can get them in the US from horriblebooks.com or with free shipping from the UK at bookdepository.co.uk. They are secular - they offer an RE programme, but religion is not woven through their other texts. Laura Edited November 15, 2011 by Laura Corin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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