2nd grade language arts?

[momto2Cs]

I am trying to plan for next fall. My son has been doing ETC, Scholastic Success with Grammar, and reading Level 1 (some level 2) readers. I am looking for more of a literature based LA program that covers more than one aspect (grammar, spelling, phonics, etc.), but most of the ones I have been able to find are religious, which we are not.

Any suggestions?

[Closeacademy]

Have you looked at Language Arts Through Literature?

We used for 2nd grade:

Spell to Write and Read--mostly just going over the phonograms and spelling rules using trigger words that incorporate the sounds to help us remember them. And then we would do notebook pages where we would write down as many words as we could think of with that sound.

Aesop's Fables--I would read 1 per week that we would summarize.

Copywork--the trigger sentences and our summaries. Sometimes math or history sentences.

Grammar--we started out with Easy Grammar/KISS Grammar combo but it was too much. We just talk about grammar in copywork and other places right now. For third we will use Ruth Heller's books as a jumping off point to make a grammar dictionary.

Hope you find some great ideas and have a good year.:)

[Laura Corin]

I recommend Junior English 1 from Galore Park. It is based around literature passages, with suggestions for further reading. The course includes comprehension, spelling, grammar, writing prompts, ideas for further oral activities and occasional related crafts (Hobbes is designing a pirate costume this week). There are samples on the Galore Park site - UK year 3 is equivalent to US grade 2, so JE 1 is a good level for you.

Junior English 1 (http://www.galorepark.co.uk/product/home_schoolers/111/junior-english-book-1.html)

If you want to order, horriblebooks.com imports Galore Park books at a discount. Otherwise bookdepository.co.uk ships to the US with zero shipping charges. I didn't get the answer book at this level and haven't missed it. Oh, all the GP books are secular - religion may be mentioned, but only in a broader context.

I'm happy to give you any other details you might need.

Laura

[Trivium Academy]

If you're classically minded (narration, copywork, dictation, etc.) you might want to check our Language Lessons for the _________ at www.queenhomeschool.com and from what I understand there isn't any religion or if there is it's minimal

You'll have to determine which book would fit your child's skills the best but it would cover a multitude of areas and you might actually enjoy language arts in 2nd grade! :rolleyes:

It's worth looking at the sample pages, really. We're decided to hold off for spelling until 3rd grade, after researching it.

I would finish ETC though book 8, read a lot (independently and aloud), consider Language Lessons and focus on handwriting and reading fluency.

[Susie in CA]

I second Laura's recommendation. We love Junior English because it has all of those components.

Susie

[chiguirre]

Thanks for the tip about Galore Park. I didn't know they had books for younger students. LLATL combines everything and the 2nd grade isn't too religious, but the 3rd grade has a lot of bible verses, so if you avoid religious content, LLATL is not your best choice going forward. Queen homeschool books don't have much religion, but it is there every once in a while. They're also not exactly a complete curriculum, they're more like Charlotte Mason in a box. The picture studies, poetry and narration are great, but I don't think the grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and writing are enough for stand alone use, but YMMV. I'm really excited about the new Writing with Ease workbooks. They'll coordinate with FLL and cover a lot of LA, although you'll still need spelling and/or phonics, but you could cover those with ETC. I think my plan for next year is to use these and continue with Pathways readers. If you use the workbooks, you can cover a lot of spelling, phonics, and grammar without much hassle. Although Pathways is Amish there's no religious content.

Good luck finding something both you and your dc like. It can be such a struggle, especially in LA!

[Karen in CO]

Laura,
Do you need the teacher's guide for the Junior English?

[momto2Cs]

Thank you all for the replies! After browsing, I think Junior English 1 seems to be exactly what I was looking for. :D

[Laura Corin]

Laura,
Do you need the teacher's guide for the Junior English?

And no, I don't think it's necessary. I do have them for English Prep, as the questions become more in depth.

Laura

[Laura Corin]

Thank you all for the replies! After browsing, I think Junior English 1 seems to be exactly what I was looking for. :D

Do remember that you'll have to alter some of the spelling and there are one or two punctuation conventions that differ between the UK and the US (I can tell you more if you like).

Laura