Monday, September 7, 2015

The New School Year- 3rd and 2nd grade


We started school in late August and Max has already finished the first Math Analogies Book
from The Critical Thinking Co. which means I'll be ordering the second one this week. He's also on page 110 of Mathematical Reasoning Level B
which means we should be ready for Level C by November. Last year I had my doubts that this would be a full math curriculum, but now I realize how wrong I was. After talking to a Critical Thinking Company representative, I decided to start Max on the Grade 1 level and let him work at his own pace. I'm really pleased with the amount he's learning and by how much he loves the curriculum. After breakfast, it's always the first subject he wants to do.

As for Bess, she has already read more than half of the Bookshark books. I could have made her stay on schedule, but that seemed pointless. We're taking science and math at a little slower pace. I've had to rewrite the schedule a little since she sped ahead, but it's pretty easy to tweak Bookshark.  For right now, we've added Editor in Chief from Critical Thinking Company
and Sequential Spelling 1,
and we may order Language Smarts.

So far we've had a really relaxed year. BookShark  is working well for us, and Max and I are having a lot of fun with math. I'm listening more to both Bess and Max about what is working and what isn't.. I feel giving the kids more input has made everything run more smoothly.

Until Next Time!