A quick lineup of our secular curriculum choices for fall for a 2nd grader and 4th grader.
If you're tuned in to my Instagram page, you know I'm sharing our full curriculum lineup throughout this whole week. And if you missed any of it, go catch it! It was a lot of fun!
But, while I can give details via video that don't translate as well to blog posts...the ability to do links via video just doesn't exist yet. And I didn't want to leave you hanging, if you weren't sure where to grab any of the curricula or resources I discussed. So here they are, all in one convenient place for you!
This particular post is not intended to be all-encompassing. I'll make a note with each if I already have an in-depth review posted, or if you should expect one coming soon! (if you're waiting rather impatiently for something specific, just be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and sign up for the mailing list, so that you don't miss out on it as soon as it's posted!)
This is mainly a landing page, so you have an easy source of links to access. I hope it helps!
Individual Grade 2 Subjects
Math Mammoth- We are currently moving through level 1B, and then we will move on to 2A/B, before transitioning to Beast Academy in 3rd grade. You can purchase just the workbooks here on Amazon, which we find to be plenty for us in these early grades. You can also get printable versions, instructional videos, placement tests and samples right on their site! (full review coming soon)
Evan-Moor Spell & Write, grade 2- We are using this to supplement our other language arts program, Brave Writer. It has been working wonderfully for us over the summer, and we will continue it into the school year until we finish the book, at which point, I'll check out something like Skill Sharpeners Reading, or Skill Sharpeners Grammar & Punctuation. You can find these on Amazon, or if they happen to be out of stock, you can always grab them directly from Evan-Moor. (I have a flip through of these on my IGTV page here!)
Reading practice - As a new independent reader, I picked up some graphic novels that I knew would appeal to him. They're a wonderful bridge from early readers to shorter novel type books. We love options like Geronimo Stilton or a new series I found, called Mad Scientist Academy. You can find them on Amazon, but Bookshop has the paperbacks for the same price and is a much better company to support. It's also always a great idea to check Better World Books to see if they're available used!
Individual Grade 4 Subjects
Beast Academy- We love Beast Academy for math for this kiddo. Beast recommends starting level 2 in 3rd grade (so it's essentially considered a level ahead of actual 'grade' level). We've been working our way through it slowly and have recently picked up to about 4/5 lessons a week. We love the challenge and the puzzle nature of many of the problems. Currently we primarily utilize the online platform (he LOVES it!) and you can find that here on their site. You'll also want to buy the books directly from them, or a source like Rainbow Resource. (full review coming soon)
Evan-Moor Spell & Write Grade 4- We started working through this one towards the end of 3rd grade, as the word lists were a better fit to be a challenge for him. They have extensive previews on their website, so you can easily gauge the best level for your kiddo. You can use the same links for these as above in Grade 2.
Handwriting Without Tears Cursive Workbook- This is a great intro to cursive. It teaches the letter formation and connections in a simple way. We didn't bother with the teacher guide. We just use the workbook and he does a page or two, a few times a week. You can find it here.
Enrichment Subjects/Activities
Letters from Afar- We love this gorgeous monthly letter that introduces the kiddos to a new country each month.
Nature Connection workbook- a great way to introduce nature journaling in a kid-friendly format.
Nature Anatomy Notebook- We love Nature Anatomy, and it's a great supplement to any science or nature study. But I claimed this when it came in, and I'll use this one for myself, while the kiddos use the Nature Connection book.
The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling is a hefty but amazing resource for you as the parent to learn some nature drawing skills, that translate well into how to teach them to your kiddos. If you wanted to turn it into an actual nature-based science unit, you could also pair this with How to Teach Nature Journaling (this is like a step by step teacher guide on how to teach these concepts to your students) **Added: This is still available as a FREE PDF download directly from their site here!**
I also mentioned a portable watercolor kit in the video that can be handy to tote along for nature studies!
Family Science Adventure Kits- these kits come specific to different geographic areas, and we have 4 that we are excited to use this year, for different types of areas to explore. We have the SoCal Tidepool, Western Creeks and Ponds, Oak Woodlands and California Elfin Forests! These kits seem to be based mostly for the West Coast, but check out the rest of the Acorn Naturalist site for other ideas. It's a gem, just chock full of resources!
Family Learning Subjects
Oak Meadow 4th Grade- This is what we will be using for the bulk of our family style learning this year... including science, social studies and art. You can get it here on their site, where you can buy the pieces individually or as part of a big bundle. Since we are piecing it together with other items, we just got the parts we needed seperately. (full review coming soon!)
Blossom & Root 'A River of Voices' US History - Because the focus of the OM social studies is US History, this will pair perfectly with it, so that we present a very accurate, non-colonist, viewpoint. I have an in-depth review of this already up here! To purchase, you can go straight to the download here. (Blossom & Root is ON SALE through 9/15!)
Brave Writer Language Arts- Brave Writer has been our main go-to for language arts for a few years now, for many reasons. We use the Arrows, which use read-alouds, and then copywork, to reinforce grammar concepts. We will also be introducing some writing projects from Partnership Writing or Faltering Ownership throughout the year as well. You can purchase older Arrows individually, or follow along the newly released ones this year with the bundle. A single Arrow is a great way to test out the Brave Writer style of teaching to see if it fits. (full review coming soon!)
