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I taught second grade for six years, so I’m excited that my son has reached the grade level I’m most familiar with. As an eclectic homeschooler I don’t adhere to one philosophy. I choose a variety of curriculum. This year it’s a combination of classical, Charlotte Mason, and traditional methods used in public schools. Some of this second grade homeschool curriculum is familiar, and some is brand new to me.
Reading
Read Aloud
I have to say, you get the best ROI with read aloud. If you aren’t reading aloud every day, you and your kids are missing out! I know it doesn’t feel like “schoolwork,” but that’s the beauty of it. It’s an easy and enjoyable way to teach language skills, reading skills, and listening skills. But most importantly, read aloud is a bonding experience you’ll never forget.
Here are a few books that will convince you to spend more time reading aloud.
- The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
- Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox
- Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt
- The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
For second grade read aloud I’ve been gathering titles from the books listed above, from book lists on the internet, and from my past teaching experience. Titles that my daughter and I loved, like Brighty of the Grand Canyon and Rabbit Hill are at the top of the list.
Guided Reading
Another piece of our second grade homeschool curriculum is guided reading. Guided reading is a time for me to sit alongside my son while he reads aloud. During this time we work on decoding unfamiliar words, reading fluency, and comprehension. I try to pick out “just right” books, ones that are not too easy and not too hard. I want him to have just enough challenge to learn something new, but not so much to get frustrated.
Independent Reading
I’m thrilled that my son has started reading at bedtime and on mornings when he’s the first one up waiting for us. I’ve found him reading during other times of the day too, so I don’t feel the need to schedule an independent reading time. We’ll regularly visit the library so he can pick out his own books and get suggestions from our wonderful librarian. I want him to take ownership of his reading, and this is a great step.
Writing
I purchased Write Shop Primary Book B to try this year. I’ve never used this series, but I know it’s a popular choice among homeschoolers looking for a curriculum that teaches the writing process for young children.
I’m a fan of a writing workshop approach to teaching writing and this curriculum has components that align with methods I’m used to using. There’s a lot of guided writing, or interactive writing which is a teaching strategy you see in many classrooms today. I like how the lessons take kids through brainstorming, drafting, editing, revising, and publishing.
The lessons should not take us the entire year, so I’m hoping to still use writing workshop in addition to the Write Shop book.
Grammar
Grammar gets a bad rap, and I can see why. Identifying parts of speech is pretty boring. I used Easy Grammar when my daughter was in third grade, but I know my son will not respond well to the excessive examples and written work involved in that series. I searched for something to introduce grammar in a fun, novel way, and I stumbled upon Michael Clay Thompson’s recent book, Poodle Knows What? from Royal Fireworks Press.
It reminds me of The Life of Fred math series where kids learn math through a fun narrative. In Poodle Knows What?, kids learn about the eight parts of grammar through the interactions of a dog and a chicken. It’s written in poetry form which is fun to read aloud. There are nine chapters with a one-page exercise at the end of each chapter, just enough to give some practice without overwhelming young ones.
Spelling
Last year I used All About Spelling, but I have to go back to Words Their Way. Although All About Spelling is very thorough, it’s too teacher directed. I talked way too much! I prefer Words Their Way because it requires kids to look for patterns in words and discover the rules themselves, which I think cements the concepts better.
Each week I introduce a set of pictures/words for my son to sort. I ask him what he notices about the words. After we sort we talk about how this can help us as readers and writers. Then we do a different activity with the words each day and test on Friday. I purchased these word sorts to make preparation a breeze.
Math
Math was the first piece of our second grade homeschool curriculum that I purchased because there’s never a doubt where to turn for a high quality math program. I’ve been using Singapore math for ten years! I used Primary Mathematics with my daughter and switched to the new Dimensions Math for my son. It’s pricey, but well worth the investment. The essential kit has the teacher guides, textbooks, and workbooks.
The company just released Home Instructor guides for grade one, but they don’t look as colorful as the regular teacher guides and only save you $5 per book. A video option for second grade will be available January 2022 that will help parents feel confident teaching the program. Lesson components are taught by an instructor in short segments. Math at Home is a digital subscription.
Science
R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey Chemistry worked well for us when my daughter was younger, so I decided to use it again with my son. He loves chemistry. (If you have a science-minded child too, I recommend, Best-Loved Science Gifts for Boys That Will Get Them Reading Too)
This second grade homeschool curriculum is great for parents like me who don’t have a strong science background nor the desire to do lots of preparation. Lessons are scripted so you know exactly what to say. The book is a teacher guide and student book all-in-one. All I do to prepare is print out the few pages needed each week and put them in my son’s science binder.
The experiments are simple yet fun, and most materials can be found in your kitchen cupboards. I like how the labs follow the scientific method by asking children to make a hypothesis, experiment, observe, and draw conclusions.
History
Since I love to read aloud I chose Early American History: A Literature Approach for Primary Grades. Appropriate for grades K-3, this guide is full of ideas for using picture books to teach history. It covers seven time periods, beginning with the Vikings and ending with The Civil War.
To make this curriculum more affordable, I reserve the books we need for a unit from the library. However, if you want to grow your home library, Beautiful Feet Books sells complete history book packs. My son also has a composition book to glue in corresponding coloring pages and maps. At the end of each unit there are recipes and ideas for creating an “historical table” for a celebration. There are also rabbit trail recommendations in case you want to go more in-depth.
Geography
Let’s Go Geography is a subscription-based online curriculum that my son loves. We’ve been using it since he was in kindergarten. We do one lesson a week. I print out the map and flag and gather up materials for the craft project if my son is interested in doing it. There are child-friendly videos to watch to learn about the culture. Read a detailed review of Let’s Go Geography here to learn more.
Art
My mother-in-law has graciously taken on the role of art teacher this year. It’s such a special time for her and my son. She’s a watercolor artist, so I was thrilled she was up to the challenge. She’s teaching him basic drawing skills using the book, Drawing With Children, as a guide. But they also get out the paints and other materials from time to time.
Final Thoughts
Our second grade homeschool curriculum is a mixture of old and new. It’s great to hold onto curriculum you know and love, but it’s fun to try new curriculum too. I hope you found something new in this list to add to your curriculum.
