Help!!!! 3rd grade Math, Reading and LA

[WAHMto4girls]

Thanks in advance for your advice and I know I'll get conflicting advice, but that is ok.

 

Background...My daughter is in 2nd grade.  She left the public school barely reading CVC words and average in math.  She's in a christian school with a smaller class size this year.  The curriculum is more advanced than the public school, but she is holding her own.  With much tutoring etc. she is doing better in reading, but still is below grade level.  She has done "ok" with math this year using the Abeka curriculum.  Her confidence is extremely low.  We've decided that I'm going to work at home next year and she will be home schooled.  I thought I had curriculum choices nailed down, but now I'm second guessing.  It's important to note that both husband and I will be working from home most days, but will have flexible schedules  Here is what I had planned for her....

 

TT3 (not sure about this one now, thinking maybe Horizons or CLE)

LLT 3 (suggested by MFW curriculum)

MFW ECC with 6th grade sister

A Reason for Handwriting D

Spelling Workout 3

Writing Strand Level 2

Explode the Code 4 (we are working on this now and will continue through the series)

Apologia Young Explorers Chemistry (with 6th grade sister) the requested to do this for fun

Memoria Press Literature Guides for reading

 

I'm considering starting math this summer to get a head start and she will be doing some type of reading in addition to continuing Explode the Code.

 

Is this too much?  Not enough?  Will a struggling student be able to handle this workload?  Am I forgetting something?  I appreciate all feedback. 

 

 

[Kiara.I]

Are you loving those particular curricula?

Spelling Workout tends to have poor retention for any but natural spellers--and natural spellers don't really need a spelling curriculum.  Also, if she's not reading fluently I might skip spelling for now...and focus on phonics for reading.

 

Since she's requested the science, that sounds like a good choice to keep for now.

Math: Teaching Textbooks requires *strong* parent involvement.  There are several threads floating around about Teaching Textbooks, one very current (like, today.)  I would avoid it, personally, though it does work well for some families.  If children are left alone to work through it, however, it tends to go poorly.

 

I'm not familiar with LLT or Writing Strands.  Is one grammar and the other writing?  I would actually skip "writing" until she's reading fluently, except for doing good copywork, and writing down her narrations.  I don't know if that's what Writing Strands does...

 

I would skip literature guides.  Just read to her, lots and lots of great literature.  And get great audiobooks for her to listen to while you're working.  But literature guides?  UGH. Studying books in elementary school was a sure-fire way to ruin them for me... 

[HomeAgain]

I've used Writing Strands.  It was not a good fit for my kid because there isn't enough handholding.  The directions are slightly vague and open ended for the assignments.  You really have to like teaching writing to use it effectively, and it isn't something I recommend to most parents who are just starting out teaching. 

 

It looks like you picked from MFW's selections for language arts, but you're doing a full program (LLT 3) AND adding in quite a bit more work just in case that isn't enough.  If you have LLT, you don't need Writing Strands, A Reason For Handwriting, or spelling unless you're finding a gap there.  And if you are finding a gap, then maybe LLT isn't the right program for you and you should find one that's either at a lower level or goes more thoroughly into language arts rather than supplementing every part of the program.

[WAHMto4girls]

Are you loving those particular curricula?

Spelling Workout tends to have poor retention for any but natural spellers--and natural spellers don't really need a spelling curriculum.  Also, if she's not reading fluently I might skip spelling for now...and focus on phonics for reading.

 

Since she's requested the science, that sounds like a good choice to keep for now.

Math: Teaching Textbooks requires *strong* parent involvement.  There are several threads floating around about Teaching Textbooks, one very current (like, today.)  I would avoid it, personally, though it does work well for some families.  If children are left alone to work through it, however, it tends to go poorly.

 

I'm not familiar with LLT or Writing Strands.  Is one grammar and the other writing?  I would actually skip "writing" until she's reading fluently, except for doing good copywork, and writing down her narrations.  I don't know if that's what Writing Strands does...

 

I would skip literature guides.  Just read to her, lots and lots of great literature.  And get great audiobooks for her to listen to while you're working.  But literature guides?  UGH. Studying books in elementary school was a sure-fire way to ruin them for me... 

 

I appreciate your reply.

 

These are some of the exact same concerns I was having.  I'll definitely be ditching writing and the literature guids.  LLT is grammar, but it is very light and Charlotte Masony.  Regarding spelling....I'm thinking the phonics continuation will be more beneficial than formal spelling.

 

What math would you recommend?  I read some of those threads and that is what made me question TT.

 

Thanks again

 

[MistyMountain]

I think I would get something besides your two spelling options to get her reading better.

[Kiara.I]

 

What math would you recommend?  I read some of those threads and that is what made me question TT.

 

 

Good question.  We use Rightstart.  But jumping into it partway through might be rather expensive.  On the other hand it does tend to provide excellent number sense and it's good for struggling students, so if money isn't a big issue, it's worth investigating.  If she were doing great at math then I'd say definitely pick something else when you're starting partway through.  Anyway, take a look at it and see what you think.  It is teacher-intensive, but if you've got a struggling math student whatever you choose *needs* to be teacher-intensive.

[TheAttachedMama]

Priorities for next year:

You are going to be working from home, so it is important that you really consider where you BEST use your time.   Time is precious and you have to really make wise decisions about how you use it.   So before you make any curriculum choices, I would come up with a list of your priorities for next year.   

 

If she was my daughter, this would be my list:

1)   Teaching her to read, and then teaching her to fall in LOVE with reading.   (it doesn't matter if you have a child who reads well if they never pick up a book.)

2)   Teaching her to form her letters properly (not draw them), hold a pencil properly, and slowly build up her hand endurance through copywork.

3)   Teaching her a good conceptual understanding of mathmatics.  

4)   Teaching her to form her thoughts into words through narration.   (pre-writing foundation)

 

Knowing that this is how I would focus your time:

Reading:   This is where I would devote most of your time and effort this year.   Make this your number one priority.   

 

1)  Read Aloud and Audiobooks:

Read aloud to her daily for at least 30 minutes from books she would like.  (In addition to the MFW grade 6 stuff...which may be a bit over her head.)   This way she learns to associate positive feelings with books.   This will also give her background information and build her vocabulary which will help her comprehension as she reads more and more herself.     In addition, or if you don't have the time to read aloud, assign a daily audiobook listening.  This can be done completely independently.   Ask her to give you an oral narration of the audiobook to see she understands.   If you have a tablet, you can even assign immersion reading on a kindle with her.   (Homework for you:  Read the "Read Aloud Handbook" this summer.)    (And this article.)  

 

2)  Reading Lesson:   I would divide your "how to read" time into two different sessions:   One session focusing on phonics, the other session on oral reading practice where you can help her sound out unfamiliar words. 

I also would skip the memoria press lit guides this year.   Trust me...this isn't where you want to focus your efforts.   And there is nothing that is going to kill her love of reading faster than filling in workbook pages answering comprehension questions.  Your time would be better spent having her read to you each day out loud then having her tell back in her own words what happened.  This way she gets speaking practice, practice forming her thoughts into words (pre-writing practice), and you can also see exactly what she understood from the story.  

You can have her read the memoria press books.  (Use them as a book list if you want.)   Or you can have her read from any good book list at her level.  (Sonlight readers, Heart of Dakota, etc)  Or you can even have her read from a set of readers (McGruffy or I see Sam are my two favorites...and they will take her up through about a 4th+ reading level.)    And then, have her read as much throughout the day as you possibly can.  Put books everywhere and give her the time and freedom to pick them up.    It is all about practice at this stage.  

--------

3)   Math:   I personally wouldn't use Teaching Textbooks for math.    I bet she will end the year feeling even more confused if she ever goes back to school.  Math is not going to be a good area for her to work independently in yet.  SO---after reading instruction, the next area that I would spend your time on would be giving her a good conceptual understanding of mathematics....and teaching textbooks will not do this IMHO.  (No offense to anyone who likes that products....it just isn't my favorite.)    Meet your daughter wherever she is in math, and then make sure she understands what she is doing.    Of the choices you listed, I like CLE the best.   But really I would suggest you go with Math Mammoth, Right Start, Singapore, or Math in Focus.    (We personally have always used and liked Singapore, but *any* of these will be good programs.)

ETA:  Once she understands (conceptually) how addition and subtraction work, have her start to review math facts daily too.   this can be done independently through websites like xtra math.  (Just be sure to change the default time to 6 seconds since she is so young.)  

 

4)  Spelling and Writing:   Both of these subjects are less of a priority this year.   If you think about it, you can't really write until you can read.   That comes first.   I would also not recommend Spelling Workout 3.  I think that is going to be busy work.    I *personally* feel like unless your child is a natural speller, that workbook does nothing.   (And if they are a natural speller, you probably don't need a workbook anyway!)    The BEST thing for her to use for spelling, in my very humble opinion, would be All About Spelling because it is a VERY strong, complete phonics program too.   But...that program takes 20 minutes a day of your one-on-one time.  So that may not be possible.    (It will give her a really strong foundation in spelling, though.)   The other option would be Spelling Plus.   With a little training, she could probably do much of that independently.    It would require one lesson on Monday to teach her the phonics/spelling rule for the word list, and one lesson on Friday to test her.  (She could do the daily practice independently.)   

 

Writing Strands...I say skip it too.  Again your time would be much better focused on the reading, math, and (perhaps) phonics based spelling lessons if you could fit it in.  

I would instead replace that with alternating days of copywork with oral narration.   Have her copy a sentence on her reading level in her best handwriting, then have her give an oral narration from her reader.   If you need a curriculum, you could use WWE 1.   Or English Lessons Through Literature 2 (which also includes grammar and classic literature suggestions that she could listen to on audiobook, poetry memorization, picture study, etc....it packs a lot into short lessons!)    Another option might be the Cottage Press primers.  

 

Grammar....something light if anything at all.   Keep in mind that her 3rd-grade grammar book will review EVERYTHING that she learns this year.  Everything.  hahaha.   Some people don't even start grammar until much later.   

 

Reason for handwriting....Once my children learned how to form their letters, we replaced handwriting practice with copywork in their writing.  This helped shorten their school day.   But you may be teaching her cursive or something this year...so include it if you are.   Otherwise, I would include handwriting practice in your writing.  Ask her to always do her neatest work even if she doesn't have time to complete the copy work passage.  (Quality of quantity.)   That is a good habit to establish.   :)

 

 

Edited March 31, 2017 by TheAttachedMama

[OneStepAtATime]

1.  If she is struggling with reading could she be a stealth dyslexic?

 

2.  You might consider something like All About Reading to give her a really solid phonics program that tends to work well for struggling readers.  It is pricey but really helps with phonics and decoding and fluency and guides the teacher well.  (If you suspect she is truly dyslexic you might look at Barton Reading and Spelling instead but AAR works well for even some dyslexics.)

 

https://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/all-about-reading/

 

3.  For math, CLE might work really well but I would start with basic subitization skills to make certain those are solid if she seems to have any issues in that area.  Maybe run her through the Ronit Bird e-books first to solidify any gaps in that area.  They were originally designed for a child with dyscalculia but can work well for any child having a bit of trouble in this area.

 

http://www.ronitbird.com/ebooks/#ebook2

 

 

4. If you were to go with CLE, either right away or after some review through something else, I would HIGHLY recommend getting their specific flash cards for addition and subtraction.  They have a great system for math fact review.  Also their math fact reference sheet.  Really well done.  Also, give the placement test.  CLE sometimes runs a bit ahead in some topics compared to other resources and sometimes approaches things a little differently.  All beginning light units (say 301 for the 300's) are a review of previous concepts so if she placed in the 200s but only by a few points you might be able to simply run her through 301 very slowly to shore up gaps and start her at the 300s.  Mainly, you want her placed correctly.  CLE can be accelerated later (just ask if you aren't sure how) if she starts picking things up really well.

 

https://www.clp.org/store/by_subject/4

 

https://www.clp.org/store/by_grade/21

 

5.  I would not worry about any other sort of formal language arts right now.  Focus on reading skills but give her lots of exposure to great reading material.  Read to her, let her listen to audio books, and give her readers that are a bit below level for now so she can work on decoding and fluency separately from exposure to more advanced vocabulary/grammar/etc.

 

6. Further down the line you might look at a gentle introduction to grammar and writing through IEW and Fix-It Grammar.  IEW offers a 100% money back guarantee if the material does not fit well with your student's needs (or yours).  If you purchase the Fix-It teachers manual you have access to the student pages for free.

 

http://iew.com/shop/products/student-writing-intensive-level

http://iew.com/shop/products/fix-it-grammar-nose-tree-teacher%E2%80%99s-manual-book-1

[ExcitedMama]

Another vote to focus on reading. Once she's confident with reading everything else will take off. Spend some time on it. We love AAR here. You could take their placement test to see what level would be best. The spelling program AAS is also great.

 

Copywork would also be something to consider. With English Lessons Through Literature you can buy a separate workbook with all the copywork layer out.

[Ellie]

Thanks in advance for your advice and I know I'll get conflicting advice, but that is ok.

 

Background...My daughter is in 2nd grade.  She left the public school barely reading CVC words and average in math.  She's in a christian school with a smaller class size this year.  The curriculum is more advanced than the public school, but she is holding her own.  With much tutoring etc. she is doing better in reading, but still is below grade level.  She has done "ok" with math this year using the Abeka curriculum.  Her confidence is extremely low.  We've decided that I'm going to work at home next year and she will be home schooled.  I thought I had curriculum choices nailed down, but now I'm second guessing.  It's important to note that both husband and I will be working from home most days, but will have flexible schedules  Here is what I had planned for her....

 

TT3 (not sure about this one now, thinking maybe Horizons or CLE)

LLT 3 (suggested by MFW curriculum)

MFW ECC with 6th grade sister

A Reason for Handwriting D

Spelling Workout 3

Writing Strand Level 2

Explode the Code 4 (we are working on this now and will continue through the series)

Apologia Young Explorers Chemistry (with 6th grade sister) the requested to do this for fun

Memoria Press Literature Guides for reading

 

I'm considering starting math this summer to get a head start and she will be doing some type of reading in addition to continuing Explode the Code.

 

Is this too much?  Not enough?  Will a struggling student be able to handle this workload?  Am I forgetting something?  I appreciate all feedback. 

 

Every publisher has its fans. :-) And there are a number of people here whose children have used TT and done exceedingly well on standaridized tests, so if it looks good *to you,* then do it.

 

I love Writing Strands, but really, I would wait until she can do Level 3. They are experience levels, not grade levels (except for Level 2, which really is a second-grade level, but it's perfectly fine to skip it).

 

You can condense all your reading/literature/spelling/penmanship products into one thing: Spalding. With the purchase of the manual (Writing Road to Reading) and a set of phonogram cards, you will have everything you need to teach spelling, penmanship, capitalization and punctuation, and simple writing, forever. So, all you'd need is TT3, MFW, Spalding. Bam.

 

[Guest]

I would use BJU math with the online lessons. They are fun and hands off for me. My dd loves Mrs. Walker. In my opinion, BJU is a better math than TT. Having used both, TT was woefully behind other maths we have used.

 

For reading, since she still struggles with it, skip the lit guides. Focus instead on phonics. ETC is good but not enough alone. Consider running through OPGTR or Phonics Pathways. AAS/AAR are also good.

I would drop spelling for now as well. SWO is not an effective spelling program for struggling kids. It's fine for natural spellers. I would use AAS because you can hot 2 subjects at one time- phonics and spelling. Keep ETC and practice with books on her level.

Use audio books for exposure if you don't have time to read aloud.

 

History/Science/Art- we like k12 as independents. It gets done.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited April 1, 2017 by Paradox5

[ElizabethB]

If she learned to read in the public school with sight words, she may need nonsense words to overcome problems. I would give her the MWIA, if she has a slowdown more than 15% or misses more than 1 phonetic word on the MWIA I or more than 2 on the MWIA II, she should work through my free to print remedial material.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/readinggradeleve.html

 

Here it is, even without a slowdown you may want to try it, it is very efficently organized phonics and spelling for an older student.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/syllablesspellsu.html

Edited April 2, 2017 by ElizabethB

[jmjs4]

I wouldn't use TT either.  When we tried it my kids had zero retention.  I love Math Lessons for a Living Education, CLE, and Math U See.

Edited April 3, 2017 by jmjs4

[That70'sLisa]

Priorities for next year:

You are going to be working from home, so it is important that you really consider where you BEST use your time.   Time is precious and you have to really make wise decisions about how you use it.   So before you make any curriculum choices, I would come up with a list of your priorities for next year.   

 

If she was my daughter, this would be my list:

1)   Teaching her to read, and then teaching her to fall in LOVE with reading.   (it doesn't matter if you have a child who reads well if they never pick up a book.)

2)   Teaching her to form her letters properly (not draw them), hold a pencil properly, and slowly build up her hand endurance through copywork.

3)   Teaching her a good conceptual understanding of mathmatics.  

4)   Teaching her to form her thoughts into words through narration.   (pre-writing foundation)

 

Knowing that this is how I would focus your time:

Reading:   This is where I would devote most of your time and effort this year.   Make this your number one priority.   

 

1)  Read Aloud and Audiobooks:

Read aloud to her daily for at least 30 minutes from books she would like.  (In addition to the MFW grade 6 stuff...which may be a bit over her head.)   This way she learns to associate positive feelings with books.   This will also give her background information and build her vocabulary which will help her comprehension as she reads more and more herself.     In addition, or if you don't have the time to read aloud, assign a daily audiobook listening.  This can be done completely independently.   Ask her to give you an oral narration of the audiobook to see she understands.   If you have a tablet, you can even assign immersion reading on a kindle with her.   (Homework for you:  Read the "Read Aloud Handbook" this summer.)    (And this article.)  

 

2)  Reading Lesson:   I would divide your "how to read" time into two different sessions:   One session focusing on phonics, the other session on oral reading practice where you can help her sound out unfamiliar words. 

I also would skip the memoria press lit guides this year.   Trust me...this isn't where you want to focus your efforts.   And there is nothing that is going to kill her love of reading faster than filling in workbook pages answering comprehension questions.  Your time would be better spent having her read to you each day out loud then having her tell back in her own words what happened.  This way she gets speaking practice, practice forming her thoughts into words (pre-writing practice), and you can also see exactly what she understood from the story.  

You can have her read the memoria press books.  (Use them as a book list if you want.)   Or you can have her read from any good book list at her level.  (Sonlight readers, Heart of Dakota, etc)  Or you can even have her read from a set of readers (McGruffy or I see Sam are my two favorites...and they will take her up through about a 4th+ reading level.)    And then, have her read as much throughout the day as you possibly can.  Put books everywhere and give her the time and freedom to pick them up.    It is all about practice at this stage.  

--------

3)   Math:   I personally wouldn't use Teaching Textbooks for math.    I bet she will end the year feeling even more confused if she ever goes back to school.  Math is not going to be a good area for her to work independently in yet.  SO---after reading instruction, the next area that I would spend your time on would be giving her a good conceptual understanding of mathematics....and teaching textbooks will not do this IMHO.  (No offense to anyone who likes that products....it just isn't my favorite.)    Meet your daughter wherever she is in math, and then make sure she understands what she is doing.    Of the choices you listed, I like CLE the best.   But really I would suggest you go with Math Mammoth, Right Start, Singapore, or Math in Focus.    (We personally have always used and liked Singapore, but *any* of these will be good programs.)

ETA:  Once she understands (conceptually) how addition and subtraction work, have her start to review math facts daily too.   this can be done independently through websites like xtra math.  (Just be sure to change the default time to 6 seconds since she is so young.)  

 

4)  Spelling and Writing:   Both of these subjects are less of a priority this year.   If you think about it, you can't really write until you can read.   That comes first.   I would also not recommend Spelling Workout 3.  I think that is going to be busy work.    I *personally* feel like unless your child is a natural speller, that workbook does nothing.   (And if they are a natural speller, you probably don't need a workbook anyway!)    The BEST thing for her to use for spelling, in my very humble opinion, would be All About Spelling because it is a VERY strong, complete phonics program too.   But...that program takes 20 minutes a day of your one-on-one time.  So that may not be possible.    (It will give her a really strong foundation in spelling, though.)   The other option would be Spelling Plus.   With a little training, she could probably do much of that independently.    It would require one lesson on Monday to teach her the phonics/spelling rule for the word list, and one lesson on Friday to test her.  (She could do the daily practice independently.)   

 

Writing Strands...I say skip it too.  Again your time would be much better focused on the reading, math, and (perhaps) phonics based spelling lessons if you could fit it in.  

I would instead replace that with alternating days of copywork with oral narration.   Have her copy a sentence on her reading level in her best handwriting, then have her give an oral narration from her reader.   If you need a curriculum, you could use WWE 1.   Or English Lessons Through Literature 2 (which also includes grammar and classic literature suggestions that she could listen to on audiobook, poetry memorization, picture study, etc....it packs a lot into short lessons!)    Another option might be the Cottage Press primers.  

 

Grammar....something light if anything at all.   Keep in mind that her 3rd-grade grammar book will review EVERYTHING that she learns this year.  Everything.  hahaha.   Some people don't even start grammar until much later.   

 

Reason for handwriting....Once my children learned how to form their letters, we replaced handwriting practice with copywork in their writing.  This helped shorten their school day.   But you may be teaching her cursive or something this year...so include it if you are.   Otherwise, I would include handwriting practice in your writing.  Ask her to always do her neatest work even if she doesn't have time to complete the copy work passage.  (Quality of quantity.)   That is a good habit to establish.   :)

 

:iagree: and I love your detailed answers here, Attached Mama - I have gotten lots of good ideas from you!

 

As a fairly new homeschooler myself (about a year and a half), I just want encourage you! You will get lots of great advice, and often what works great for one child may not work for yours. So realize you *may* juggle and switch around a bit as you realize what works for you, your child and your family. I feel as though I really just got a good handle on things that work best for us - but that first year switching around a lot was invaluable as I could really see what type of teaching works for me and what type of learning works for my kiddos.

 

I second the focus on reading and love of reading, especially reading aloud and/or audiobooks.

Also, if you are both working from home, it may be easier to start with "scripted lessons" for some things - meaning a product that lays out exactly what to say and do as the teacher/ coach. Or not - what you're comfortable with counts a lot! (So that was clear as mud, heh?)

 

I'm haven't used many of your listed resources, but if your dd is struggling with reading and/or spelling, Apples and Pears is excellent for both. It was designed for dyslexics, though I've had great success with my 2 non-dyslexic boys. It is a scripted resource.

 

I also second checking out the book lists from a few sites, just for ideas - I am in love with Sonlight -even my non-reader has learned to love books through them - but I understand MFW is great, too. Zero worksheets for my guys with reading - we snuggle up and discuss to see how well they're understanding, which really put my behind-grade-level, hated-school, test phobic boy at ease.

 

For math - whatever resource you decide, I would definitely take a placement test to see where dd should start with that resource - don't even worry about grade level. Meet her where she's at, and she'll thrive. As a former math teacher, I'd be leery of TT (though I do understand some have used it successfully.) We use Singapore, and they have terrific home instructor's manuals, but it is more time consuming on your part.

 

Anyhow - best of luck!

Lisa

 

 

[coastalfam]

We started homeschooling last year. Here are the things I found helpful for my previously public schooled son to "catch up" and get a firm base:

 

Math U See: We tried many things last year that didn't help. I needed some hand holding as well. And this year we did Math U See, which is an incredibly simple program for parents to teach and kids to really understand math. You can start any any level appropriate, and go as fast or slow as needed. Also, because of it's simplicity, it is really easy to supplement that program with different math games and activities in areas that your child need to go deeper. I would highly recommend it for a student just starting out in homeschool who needs to "catch up" and who needs some confidence.

 

All About Spelling: This program helped my son immensely, not only to catch up in spelling, but to understand phonics. He is a natural reader, but was never given this base. Very easy for an inexperienced homeschool parent to pick up and teach. We started on level 1 last year when DS was 2nd grade, and will finish up 3 this summer, we went at a quicker pace until he caught up and things began to challenge him enough to spend more than one session on it. I like this approach better than Explode the Code for learning phonics, so it can replace that need as well as fill a spelling program (as long as she doesn't need reading remediation as well--maybe All About Reading would be good for that). Also, my son is not a natural speller, but he is really retaining this information.

 

For English lessons including grammar and writing, a wonderful program that helped my son catch up and get a good solid base he lacked from public school was English Lessons Through Literature. It is a wonderful method that includes grammar lessons. It does not have any essay or paragraph writing in the first three levels, but narration, copywork, and dictation. My son is now able to confidently write an effective paragraph because of this program, and we will be moving on from it for his fourth grade year to a more expository writing type of program. If your daughter is not a natural writer, a program like this might be really helpful. If she already loves writing her ideas, then she might be ready for Writing Strands or a similar program. This program has literature selections to read along side it. If the book is intriguing to my son, I let him read it, if not I get audiobook for him, but in truth, the selections from this program are not required for the program to be effective.  

 

For History and Science, just do what is enjoyable and fun! There is so much time to get really serious about these subjects, but at third grade, students are kind of in their last couple years of just being ready to explore anything with excitement. For our first year homeschooling we used Sonlight History/Bible/Liturature, and Sonlight Science, and it was perfect! So full of beautiful books and exploration. I would do a high quality boxed curriculum for a first year again in a heartbeat. I would still be doing that if I did not also have two other very different level students this year. You mentioned MFW--that is similar, and their book lists will be wonderful for putting together a literature program. 

Edited April 4, 2017 by coastalfam

[letsplaymath]

For math, I would start by playing games that build mental math skills over the summer. I give the rules for several of these on my blog.

 

Whatever math program you use, be sure to work together, buddy-style. Don't just send her off to do a lesson, and then you'll tell her what she did wrong. Work side by side, doing as much as you can orally, with a whiteboard and colorful markers for "scratch paper".

 

Most new homeschoolers plan too much at first. Take it easy while you get used to a new lifestyle, then gradually add in more resources as you find you have the time.