Our Homeschool Curriculum Choices for 2nd and 4th Grade (2019-20)

Choosing the right curriculum can be one of the hardest decisions to make when it comes to homeschool.  There are so many great options out there!  I have spent many hours since we began this journey researching curriculum, reading reviews, asking questions, and listening to advice from others.  Homeschool is not easy.  It requires a lot of time, energy, patience, and organization on my part to make it work.  Having the right curriculum can make or break you.  I am thankful that many of my original choices we have stuck with every year.  I have added and changed a few along the way but overall I have been very pleased with what I use.  Here is a look at what we are using this year for 4th and 2nd grade.

This is our third year using Sonlight.  I absolutely love it! This year we are doing Core C which is year 2 of our Intro to World History.  I combine both boys together and it covers Bible, History, and Literature.  There is a lot of reading (both by me and the boys) but we enjoy it so much.  These are the books we will be reading this year in the above mentioned subjects as well as Cruz's 4th grade readers. 

Cruz's 4th grade Sonlight readers.  Sonlight provides such great literature that really makes him enjoy reading. (most days)

Ben's 2nd grade Sonlight readers.

I have the boys do two reading programs for extra practice.  This year for Cruz I added the BJU Press 4th grade reading curriculum.

Ben is working his way through the Sing Spell Read and Write curriculum.  He began it in Kindergarten and now is starting Level 2.  Level 2 is a complete language arts curriculum for 2nd grade. 

I am excited that he is starting the Sing Spell Read and Write Level 2 reading program.  Cruz enjoyed it so much.  In Level 2 he begins a grand tour around the United States learning about a different State each week.  In 2nd grade he will cover the Southern and Eastern border States.  Next year, in 3rd grade, he will cover all of the rest.  It is a fun program and we all learned a lot.

This year Cruz will begin a writing curriculum by IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing).  I have heard so many great things about this program and am excited to get it started.

IEW also has a grammar program that we are doing.  We began this first book after Christmas last year and will continue working through it this first semester. 

For spelling we use All About Spelling.  

At our recent homeschool conference I won as a door prize this Grade 4 grammar review book by Easy Grammar.  It is called Daily Grams and it has short daily lessons that review grammar concepts.  I have him do a lesson a day for extra practice.

I started using these 180 Days of.... books last year and love them.  I started with the language but this year added in the reading one also.  I have these for both boys and they do a short lesson each day for extra practice and review.  They sell these for other subjects too and I would recommend them.

We have been using Math U See from the start.  This year Ben will be doing the Beta level.

Cruz is in the Delta level of Math U See.

Because both of my boys love art, this year we will be starting a new curriculum called Take Time for Art. The writer was at our homeschool conference and did a workshop on it.  I chose the Middle Ages theme and it will teach them about art and history of The Middle Ages as well as provide great hands-on art projects.  We are all excited to begin it!

We use A Reason for Handwriting and have every year.  It is short daily practice lessons.  Cruz will be in level D this year continuing cursive.

Ben is starting Level T.  He will transition into cursive the second semester.

This year we will be joining a homeschool co-op that meets in a neighboring town. I am excited and nervous about it all at the same time.  We will meet every Thursday starting in September.  Both boys will do Science through the co-op.  They will be doing Apologia Exploring Creation Through Chemistry and Physics.  Me and another mom will be teaching the lower and upper elementary Science classes.  In addition to Science Ben will be doing art, music, and P.E with the other K-2nd graders.  Cruz's other classes for 3rd - 6th will be art, literature, and P.E. 

Ben will also continue daily lessons on ABC Mouse.  Both of my boys have learned so much from using this program over the years.

We are starting our second year of keyboarding.  I love this program called Keyboarding Without Tears.  Both boys are doing their grade level.

 

We also use the online version of Explode the Code for phonics review.

So that is a glimpse of what we are doing.  Our days are full but I want to make sure I am covering everything well.  So far our year is off to a great start.  I am praying it continues.