I mentioned recently that we are switching gears in our homeschool. As our kids have gotten older, homeschooling multiple grades has become less… enjoyable. I spent HOURS praying about the decision to switch curriculum. Here's a look at what we're using for our 2nd grade curriculum this year.
2nd Grade Curriculum
As we prayed about switching curricula, I knew I wanted to engage my rising second grader (i.e. my 7yo) while also challenging my rising high schooler (i.e. my 12yo). Finding a homeschool curriculum that fits all the pupils from all the levels can be challenging.
Family Core Curriculum
The first change we're making is that we're going to be working together on core curriculum more. All three kiddos. We are going to be using Year 1 of the Gather Round Homeschool curriculum along with the Year 1 Lifer package.
As I mentioned in my Gather Round Homeschool article, this curriculum uses themes and topics to draw the whole family together with one teaching time and each kiddo has a leveled student notebook to work in that corresponds to their ability. We're using the Year 1 Lifer package, too, because it includes recipe books for each of the Connecting Continents units as well as three mini units (Christmas, US Government, and Canadian Indigenous Peoples). The Lifer package does also include cursive notebooks.
2nd Grade Math
We'll be using CTCMath for 2nd grade math for Little Miss. I love the flexible math lessons from CTCMath, because I can assign lessons according to ability — not grade. You can get a free trial of CTCMath and try it out for yourself.
2nd Grade Science
Our second grade science is covered by our family core curriculum. We'll do fun experiments and activities, like dissect owl pellets, build a volcano and feed our backyard birds so we can watch them.
Premium Barn Owl Pellets, Small: 1.25
She also picked two science classes at our local co-op. She'll be taking an Animal Safari class and a Primarily Plants class at the local co-op we're joining once a week.
The Animal Safari class will be themed as a wild adventure on an African Safari where she'll learn about lots of animals and help build habitats.
The Primarily Plants class will include hands on experiments and activities to learn all about plants! The class will cover how a plant grows, how seeds travel, what plants need to survive, the different parts of a plant and more!
2nd Grade Language Arts
Little Miss will alternate between the Hysterical Handwriting Ultimate Bundle and Year Long Handwriting Practice Bundle the from The Sprinkle Topped Teacher for her manuscript handwriting. Getting her to write to just write is torturous for both of us, so we're going to try silly sentences and jokes to make it more fun!
Hysterical Handwriting Ultimate BundleYear Long Handwriting Practice
We will continue working our way through Explode the Code books while homeschooling 2nd grade. She made great progress last year, and I just like how simple and fun these books are.
Explode the Code 4 Books SET: Book 1, 2, 3 and 4Explode the Code 4 Books SET: Book 5, 6, 7 and 8
She will also continue to have access to the Reading Eggs site. We have the Reading Eggs 2 Workbook that she can use along with the site, if she wants.
Because the Gather Round student journal for the early reader level 5 pages per lesson, which is a combination of writing, coloring, etc, we'll just add a page or two a day from one of our other options.
We'll also be using games quite a bit this coming year in our homeschool. We'll include games Big Boggle, Tile Lock Scrabble, Uncle Wiggily, Scrabble Slam, Zingo Word Builder, and Classwords. Plus any others I might find that will help make learning fun!
Winning Moves Games Big BoggleWinning Moves Tile Lock ScrabbleUncle Wiggly GameScrabble Slam Deluxe Card GameZingo Word BuilderClasswords Game, Grade 2
2nd Grade Reading Books
We're going to be reading A LOT together this year. Many of the books in options for second grade will coincide with the various units from the GRH curriculum we're using. Since I *may* do individual posts on those units, I'll cover those books there. Here are some books in her stack, that aren't related to GRH or 2nd grade curriculum per se, that are in her stacks
Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Friends is the sequel to Miss Olive Find Her Furever Home, which we mentioned in our 1st grade curriculum guide. They are cute, quick reads that she enjoys.
Miss Olive Finds Her Furever HomeMiss Olive Finds Her Furever Friends
Nat Geo Chapters Terrier Trouble is one she earned from the library reading club. She really likes this one.
Nat Geo Chapters: Terrier Trouble!
Grandfather Twilight is one that she picked up at the library, and has had me renew multiple times. I may have to get our own copy, because sooner or later we have to give it back to the library.
Okay, so I added The Case For Christ Young Reader's Edition to her stack myself. I do think we'll enjoy reading through it together, although I'm fairly certain I will read and she will listen. LOL
The Case for Christ Young Reader's Edition
Chicken Lips is a book she had me get for her. She giggles every time she sees the title, so it stays. It's a great conversation starter about acceptance, too, so I appreciate it.
2nd Grade Social Studies
Several games made it into our second grade curriculum stack for social studies, too. We will use the Game of States and the Scrambled States of America games to go along with our studies of North America and the US Government when we do those units.
Game of the StatesThe Scrambled States of America Game
2nd Grade Electives
She chose to take an Intro to Classical Dance class at co-op. The class will be a beginning level introduction to all types and styles of dance, including ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, stomp, and modern dance. This girl loves all things active, so I've no doubt she will thoroughly enjoy the class.
