Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Tagged: What grade and what to use?

This topic has 4 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 11 months ago by mommamartha.

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

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May 23, 2017 at 9:23 am
jill smith
Participant
Hi, I am planning for next year and my dd9,( just turned 9 in March). Wondering what grade she would be in 2nd or 3rd? What does a schedule look like for this age? Struggling with Math. Would love to living Math from this forum. Would she do copy work and spelling? No formal grammar, right? She is a slower reader but making great strides this year. I would love to see what others are using and doing. Thanks for the support!!!!

May 23, 2017 at 9:39 am
sarah2106
Participant
I would say she is finishing 3rd grade and would start 4th in the fall. My kids were 8 at start of 3rd grade and 9 at the start of 4th grade.
We have used Math U See since the beginning, and really like it. I have not tried the living math suggested by SCM but I imagine it is really good. We have had success with MUS so no desire to swap at this time.
We use Spelling Wisdom with Using Language Well. It combines copy work and spelling with grammar. One book is meant to be used over the course of two years.
Continue with reading practice with a mix of easier books and keep the more challenging books as read alouds. That is what really helped my children gain confidence with reading.
For 3rd and 4th grade our schedule is pretty similar.
History (we use SCM history guide)
Science (we use Apologia but the SCM science guides look fantastic!)
Language Arts – ULW and SW along with reading aloud by student and parent. Oral narration are a big part of LA development as well. We move into 1 written narration/week in 4th grade (3rd grade sill oral narration). I start by helping the student by writing what they narrate and slowly move into them writing more of their own narration. By about Christmas they are writing one narration/week on their own.
Math – math of your choice
Enrichment studies, we do one of each/day rotating what we do each day – picture study, music study, hymn study, art (drawing/painting), nature study
May 23, 2017 at 11:23 am
2Corin57
Participant
Hi, I am planning for next year and my dd9,( just turned 9 in March). Wondering what grade she would be in 2nd or 3rd?

In most places your daughter would be entering grade 4 in the fall (traditionally K = 5, 1 =6, 2 = 7, 3 = 8 and 4 = 9). However, for those who do not start grade 1 until age 7 (Finland, those who chose to delay a year, those who follow a Waldorf approach etc), your daughter would then be entering grade 3.
What does a schedule look like for this age? Would she do copy work and spelling? No formal grammar, right?
Ask 100 people this question and you’ll get 100 different answers 🙂 Everyone, even here, will follow a different approach/schedule. For my son at age 9 we just did the 3Rs:
Math and LA were done daily using a formal program (Christian Light Education), we also did a daily “Morning Basket” with a literature choice, copywork, memory work (poetry and prayers), catechism and prayer. That was really about it. We’re pretty relaxed in elementary. So other than that we just read lots of books on subjects that interested my kids – be it Egypt, birds, dogs, castles etc… We participated in our homeschool group’s science fair, watched Magic School Bus, took nature walks etc… Our formal work for that grade took about 1 hour per day, plus another 30-40 minutes for the Morning Basket.
So technically no, no formal grammar or spelling at age 9. Charlotte Mason didn’t recommend starting either until around the age of 10 (grade 5). We’re trying to switch to a more CM approach to language arts, and plan on starting ULW & SW (second books) this fall (age 10).
Struggling with Math. Would love to living Math from this forum.
Math is our Achille’s heel here. It’s been a battle. We’ve used a lot of different stuff, switched around a lot. The problem with constantly switching programs is it leaves you with gaps because every program has a different scope/sequence. Find one that works and stick with it, ASAP. Also, know that you will never find a program that works 100%, so just find one that works well enough and doesn’t bring tears, and find ways to make it work. We finally settled with CLE and will remain with it.

May 24, 2017 at 11:42 am
WhitneyA
Participant
Hi,
Just throwing a math suggestion out to you. We started off with CLE and did well with that for a few years but my older two grew quite tired and frustrated with it (I loved it, for the record). We switched to Teaching Textbooks and have been doing that for about 3 levels. This kids like it because they can use the computer or the textbook (their choice), it has a lecture that explains everything on the disc (of which I am most thankful for at this time since ds13 is doing the pre-algebra and my math memory is cluttered with cobwebs and dust :D), and it doesn’t take much time (short lessons). My youngest is almost 8 and has been working slowly through the level 3. If your daughter hasn’t done much in the way of math facts, I would suggest bringing her up to speed on those before starting with TT level 3. My ds7 isn’t as strong in them as he should be so that’s why we’ve been going slower through the level, stopping where needed to concentrate on confusing concepts or to simply work on some facts (like multiplication) before moving on.
May 25, 2017 at 11:07 pm
mommamartha
Participant
Hello, One new idea we tried this year and it was a hit is my dd, 11 and ds, 8, worked together in math and reading. We use mcGuffey readers and they read to each other, most everyday.
For math they have 1 daily long addition and subtraction problem that I make up, they work independently and then they came together for correction. They have both mastered long addition and subtraction. One day for fun,( Smile), they asked if my problems could extend across the whole page. There were 19 digits in each number for 2 problems of adding and subtracting! I now give hundred, thousand problems for each, 4 days a week and neither struggle. I would label them as average students.
I can’t say enough about students working together if you have the ability. My niece and babysitting girl,4, also get pulled into the excitement of it all.
Also, apart of my ds, 15,daily lessons , he is reading either a picture book or/and from a novel we’re reading as a read aloud everyday. Like when I’m doing a chore.
Also, I wanted to mention, ds, 8 is just finishing 2nd grade with a birthday of Dec. 1. To each there own! He was more interested in playing than wanting to read and this year he has shown much fruit in not being “pushed”. If he hadn’t been my 4th child groomed by CM, I would have been a nervous wreck, because compared to his “herdmates” in public school, he would have been marked as delayed. He now delivers wonderful oral and drawing narrations, loves math above his level and would play legoes or tractors in sawdust for hours and listen to me read aloud while he “works”.
I hope these ideas inspire you wonderful parents! Martha