I can not believe one month has passed already in our 2nd grade year. It has gone by so fast. Overall I am pleased with how it is going. We have kept on schedule, are moving at a pace I am happy with, and I have kept to my goal of making and following lesson plans. Yea me!
One new thing I am doing this year is letting him choose which subject he would like to do first. This is working great for us, he is more ready to start school time and less likely to gripe about it.
We are spending more time with actual sit down school work this year. I can tell a difference between last year and this years work, it is harder and is taking longer to complete. We are doing more projects and experiments for hands on learning which is his favorite.
For extra curricular activities we are still in Taekwondo with tumbling and bug club. I am looking for a music teacher for piano. We are thinking of starting a Junior Lego League in our area but I am just not sure if I want to take that on or not. If you have never heard of Lego League check them out, it is a great program.
I am happy with the curriculum we are using this year. Here is a short review of each subject after a month of using.
1. Math – Singapore 2A Textbook and Workbook – Fast, it is moving almost too fast for him, we are slowing down and working on subtraction a bit slower.
2. History – SOTW 2 – We are enjoying this volume as we did SOTW 1. I do think having the activity book makes a huge difference. We are also using the test book this year, more as a workbook to get him used answering questions in different formats.
3. Science – Apologia Zoology – A hard read and it is going slowly which is fine with me. I am in no hurry to finish this book on a time table so we will take our time read slowly and enjoy the activities.
Apologia Astronomy – This book is easier and we are moving right through it. I imagine we will be finished by the end of the year.
4. Language Arts – First Language Lessons- This is not my favorite, it is very repetitive and LittleBit does not like repetitive. I have not found anything I like better for such an early age yet.
5. Bible – Who is God. I like this book we are reading it slowly and having many discussions.
6. Vocabulary – Words are Wonderful - I was able to get this test book on clearance from CBD. I am using it as a workbook and it is a challenge for him.
7. Handwriting – Horizons Penmanship Manuscript 1 – This has been wonderful for us. To say handwriting is a struggle for us would be an understatement. He absolutely hates practicing his penmanship. Last year we were using Handwriting without tears and it only caused tears for both of us. He really likes the Horizons rocket ship theme and actually asks to do penmanship. That is a raving success in my book, and his writing is improving.
8. Reading – At the end of class time everyday, he is reading a chapter book by himself. He gets to chose the book. He has to read at least one chapter a day but he usually reads a few. One day this week he read an entire book. At the end of each chapter he writes a sentence about something he learned in the chapter. I use a form provided by Donna Young Reading Chapter Log. It is a good primer to beginning writing and extra penmanship. When he finishes a book, he gets to get something from the treasure chest.
So far so good, hopefully the rest of the year will continue as our first month has.
