Reviewing First/Third Grades

Welp, we blew through summer at some super-sonic pace that has left me unable to even understand how it is already over!  I only know it is over because we are soft starting our 2016-2017 schoolyear midweek next week.  Whaaaaaaat?

But before we go there, I figure I better do a quick catch up post (hoping I can even remember what to report on) in review of Anna's first grade year and Noah's third grade year we wrapped up back in May.  Link to last year's review here.

So, first things first - this school year was my first tackling two different students in two different grades at once.  Slightly stressing, but not too much.  This year also ended up being a jolt because of a last minute addition to our days - LASA!!  Big stressor, but so good and worth it.  I gave us much grace and took breaks when and where we needed them and often!  And somehow we never even got behind.  Not even a little.  Finished our school year with ease as early and on time as the previous two years.  Thank you, Lord, for carrying us through the year!  With huge peace and success, considering.  The only real day-to-day difference was that with all the extra interruptions, our school days went well into the afternoon each day instead of being done easily by 1 or 2 like last year.  Then again, we started much later in the day, too.  HA!

Next up, curriculum...

• Math - Both kiddos did their respective years in RightStart Math and that went swimmingly. We love RightStart.  Sticking with that for 2016/2017 for both.  Both kiddos drilled basic facts all year using the Xtra Math program online and showed SUCH improvement and fluency!  This summer Anna tested out of the Subtraction course and Noah right out of the Division course. 

• Science - Anna worked alongside Noah in his 4th grade level Sonlight curriculum.  It was another smooth year with that.  We really enjoy Sonlight's selected texts and topics.  I am sure we will miss Sonlight, as we are moving on to another publisher, GeoMatters, described in next section.

• Reading/Language Arts - Both kids worked through their respective Sonlight curriculums.  Noah, though a technical 3rd grader, worked his way through his 4/5 grade level work.  It was a challenge but Noah rose to that challenge and we cranked it out.  And Anna, a first grader, completely breeeeeeeezed through her 2nd grade work and then warp sped through the following 3rd grade year of it too that I still had on hand from Noah last year.  I knew I was about to sell it for the upcoming year anyway, so I let her pick and choose the titles she wanted to try.  I have really enjoyed Sonlight book selections and their assigned Language Arts and Writing lessons.  But they did not offer Sonlight beyond 4/5 without buying their entire Core program with it, which I don't want. So I went researching and had a new curriculum in mind for next year that I am SO excited about. GeoMatter's Trail Guide to Learning Paths of Exploration (for 3-5th graders).  Perfect!  Noah will work through their 4th grade path, Anna will work along the 3rd grade path, modifying along the way if needed since she is technically only second grade.  I am thrilled at the prospect of using the same curriculum for both.  Been looking forward to this specific developmental year since starting Noah homeschooling after first grade.  I knew Anna would catch him (reading-wise) in no time.  He is still a slight beat ahead of her, but she's capable enough to keep pace and thrive with the challenge.  This curriculum will accommodate both and differentiate their response work, saving me SO MUCH TIME.   This curriculum also rocks because it provides and aligns the texts and lessons for science, reading, and writing according to the history we are covering.  Perfect!  Again, such a time saver.  Both kiddos also be-bopped their way through the year earning points and moolah using the AR program through Josh's school system. We love having that resource and feedback!  By year end, Anna was independently reading 3-4th grade level books and Noah was in 4/5 grade level books.  Anna still chooses to read for enjoyment every day.  Noah, not so much. :} Boys.

• Vocabulary - Noah wrapped up his third grade work in his online program, Wordly Wise, and started up the 4th grade work right after.  That proved to be SIGNIFICANTLY different and much harder and time consuming than the previous years.  The emotional frustration was not worth it to me since we only signed up for this for exposure and practice anyway, so we finished his subscription in November and moved on to some Greek/Latin root words study lists I had on my radar since last year.  And bonus, Anna is so smart vocabulary wise, she was able to do those word studies with him to a degree.  I did not enroll her in Wordly Wise as it would have just been busy work for that little wordsmith.  This coming year we will launch into an official vocabulary curriculum by Dynamic Literacy that relies heavily on greek/latin roots and word parts.  It's called Word Build. This will be the first time I have used an outright vocabulary curriculum. 

• Social Studies - Taking a break from the mental overload that was World History the last two years, we saved SS work for the second half of the year and really enjoyed trying out a new curriculum from the same publisher as Trail Guide that I had been eyeing, GeoMatters.  We completed a year of mapping and states work using Trail Guide to US Geography.  And largely, this was student led.  Usually this was morning work and the kids really enjoyed the activities.  They learned SO much.  It was also a nice piggyback to their learning all the states and capitals by song last summer.  This coming year, we will return to some History using Paths of Exploration mentioned above.  It picks up neatly where our World History left off, around the discovery of the Americas.

• Spanish -  I picked up a simple Carson-Dellosa Spanish I workbook and an Usborne First 1000 Spanish Words book, and we just got familiar with basic spanish one or two days a week - alphabet and nouns mostly.  We didn't finish it, so we will wrap that up this year and maybe jump into verbs and conjugation.  :O

• Bible - I found a great little resource at the homeschool conference last year and it was a total win this year.  It was called Get Wisdom by Ruth Younts and I recommended over and over throughout the year.  I was so pleased with its lessons and presentation and content that I am using it again this year in our Community Group with the kids each week.  Noah and Anna really received the review and discussion of the selected 23 wisdom traits well and I find I refer to it when correcting their hearts every week and they immediately remember!  I definitely recommend.  The entire list of traits remains up next to our classroom still.  

Beyond these classroom subjects, Noah and Anna enjoyed extras like baseball and art (Noah) and tball and a couple sewing classes (Anna).  They also enjoyed their weekly co-op at Anchored Enrichment and our monthly field trips and gatherings with our homeschool group.  We will keep up with those things this coming year.  But instead of baseball, Noah is trying his hand at flag football.  And Anna is thinking about a regular sewing class or possibly piano lessons.

I have no idea what the upcoming year will actually take shape to be with a toddler in the house.  Wish us luck with 4th and 2nd grades!  Lasa is heading off to a once a week MDO program as well.  Wish us luck with that, too! ;)