I have TWO 3rd graders!
My daughter is the youngest, and I already shared her curriculum in this post. Today I’m going to share what my youngest son will be using this year.
Language Arts
My son successfully used The Good and the Beautiful last year, so we’re continuing with it! He’ll be using the Level 2 coursebook, the C booster cards, and the corresponding books. I’m hopeful this will be a good fit. Last year, some lessons felt a bit long, but we modified them when needed and I expect we’ll do the same this year. I’m a little concerned he won’t love the book pack that comes with the course. My other two kids enjoyed them, but his brain works a bit differently, and the older, more detailed style of writing might not click for him. We’ll try it out, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll adjust.
Math
We had a pretty good experience with The Good and the Beautiful Math 2, but we had to do a lot of extra review because of his working memory challenges. Having had two kids go through Level 2, I’ve noticed it tends to be the point where they enjoy it less. So, considering all that, we’re going to try Saxon Math 2 this year. I’m a little worried he won’t be drawn to the black-and-white pages, but I think he’ll enjoy the hands-on lessons at the beginning and the short one-page reviews. The Saxon teacher’s guide can look overwhelming at first because it walks you through every single step. I already know we won’t do everything in it, and I plan to modify it quite a bit.
Handwriting
He’ll finish the handwriting book we started last year, then move into The Good and the Beautiful Level 2. We weren’t very consistent with handwriting last year, so I’m planning to be more intentional about scheduling it this time.
Spelling
The Good and the Beautiful includes spelling, but he’s starting to need a little more. I’m adding Evan-Moor Daily Spelling, it’s short and simple, and I’m hoping it won’t feel like too much. We tried a more parent-intensive program last year, but I couldn’t keep up with it while juggling the needs of several other kids.
Science
I’m doing something new this year…I’m splitting up the kids for science! For the first time ever. My older three will each have their own science (I’ll share that in another post), and my two youngest will do science together. We decided to use The Good and the Beautiful Little Hearts and Hands! I’m especially excited about the new release Nests and Burrows, so we’ll start there. After that, I’ll let them choose which unit to do next. We plan to do science 2x a week. Even though Little Hearts and Hands is labeled for K–2nd grade, I actually think it’s better suited for 2nd–4th. The stories are longer and more detailed than I think most kindergarteners would sit through. If I were using this with younger kids, I’d simplify the stories or swap in other books. The parent guide is perfect! With short discussion prompts, optional hands-on activities that use things you already have, some videos, and some audio narrations. The audio stories are great and come with a visual “follow along” page that uses a bell sound to cue kids to turn the page. I really wish this series had been around when my older kids were little!
History
My two youngest and my 6th grader will be using Little School of Smiths! We’re doing Adventures to the New World and Adventures through America. Each guide includes four units, and each unit takes about four weeks. We’ve used all of Little School of Smiths science units and a couple of the American Girl studies, and I know we’ll love these. The layout is just right for us—there are notebooking prompts, hands-on activity ideas, and great book lists for extra reading. There are a couple of spine books we’ll need to purchase. We’ll start with the Vikings and go through to Lewis and Clark and westward expansion. I’d also love to pull in some Playful Pioneers books and activities since we enjoyed them so much a few years ago, but we’ll see if it’s too much to juggle.
That’s everything my 3rd graders will be using this year!
We’re excited about the changes, and I think this is going to be a great year together.