Supplemental Workbooks for Geography, Spanish, Spelling

[MomN]

I am looking for some basic supplemental workbooks for my 1st and 2nd graders.  I am particularly looking for Geography (US states, countries, oceans, mountains, etc), Spanish (very basic) and Spelling.  I need something for them to do independently, where they will get some handwriting practice in and also learn a bit about the topic.  I plan on rotating these workbooks to keep them interested.

Thanks!

[Lori D.]

Just an FYI:
If you are needing your young students to do independent work to give *you* a block of time for doing something else, I will just mention that from my own experience, 1st & 2nd graders have VERY LIMITED endurance for handwriting. And workbook pages are short. So at best you're only going to get 5-10 minutes from doing a few pages in a supplemental workbook.

Also, unless you have strong 1st and 2nd grade readers, you will still need to spend time reading directions to the student and setting up the student to be able to *do* the workbook page(s). Or having to step back in to help them with fill in the blank questions.

If needing a longer block of time of solo-working time for your students, then I suggest rotating through a variety of independent supplements:

Language Arts
- various LA topics - 30 minute turn, educational computer games = Reader Rabbit, Cluefinders, Grammar Gorilas, etc.
- Read - solo reading books
- Read Aloud - listen to audiobook
- Spelling - use magnetic letters to practice spelling words
- Grammar - listen to/sing along with Schoolhouse Rock: Grammar Rock
- Grammar Ad-Libs -- for gr. 2-4
- Grammar/Writing - together DC play Sentence Building game

Geography
- play educational computer games or apps = Shepherd Software; Stack the States
- put together a jigsaw puzzle, with pieces in the shape of the U.S. states or countries of the world
- listen to/sing along with Geography songs (also free songs on YouTube)

Spanish
- Spanish sticker activity book
- watch kids shows that are in Spanish (many available on PBS Kids) -- Dora the Explorer, Nina's World, Oh Noah, Handy Mandy, etc.
- together DC play Spanish Bingo

If all you need is 5-10 minutes of independent handwriting practice, AND they LIKE workbooks, then here are a few ideas -- although, they still may need a lot of your help for the "fill in the blank" types of pages:

For built-in variety = "all subjects" workbook:
- Highlights Big Fun Book -- first grade, second grade
- Complete Book of -- grade 1, grade 2
- School Zone Big Fun -- grade 1, grade 2
- Brainquest -- grade 1, grade 2

Geography
- Maps Charts & Graphs - 1st grader could do level A & B; 2nd grader could do level B & C
- Evan Moor Skill Sharpeners: Geography - by grade level
- Evan Moor Daily Geography -- by grade level

Spanish
- The Complete Book of Starter Spanish; then, The Complete Book of Spanish

Puzzles/Critical Thinking
- Highlights Joke Puzzles Big Fun Activity Pad -- ages 6-9
- Highlights Jumbo Book of Hidden Picture Puzzles -- ages 6-9
- Totally Awesome Mazes & Puzzles -- ages 6-9
 

Edited November 25, 2020 by Lori D.

[alisha]

I never found a workbook that was good on labeling the geography things (state, oceans, etc), but we do love sheppard software or seterra, both online programs where it says a place and you click on it. My 1st & 2nd graders handwriting never would hold up to that much writing, so we saved their writing power for the actual subject of writing. Also, unless the words they needed for fill in the blank were actually in a word box, they would be calling every couple seconds for help spelling stuff: "Mom, how do you spell mountains?". 🙂 

We did enjoy Evan Moor Daily Geography, though, but did it mostly orally, so I can recommend that one. 

Since this suggestion won't work for the handwriting practice you want, something we sometimes enjoy is a scattergories type worksheet. Where I have certain topics (color, something you eat, something in the garbage, etc), roll or choose a letter, and they write something they think of to fill the topic that starts with the letter. (They still call out for spelling help on this, though).

Other handwriting practice ideas would be making lists: Make a list of all the colors of cars you have or doll dresses or whatever. You might also add tallying into this. Or fantasy grocery list, or whatever you can come up with.

(We don't do spanish, and I've never found anything that works for spelling, so Geography is the only thing on your list I have ideas about.)