I’m excited for this year for so many reasons, but I’m especially excited for Middlest’s third grade year. We’ve had some major discoveries and improvements with diet/behavior over the last year and were beginning to see the fruits of that at the tale-end of second grade. I’m also eager to see her dyslexia improve with some of the curriculum changes and adjustments we’ve made. In one sense, I can’t wait to see what she is capable of now that her body is healthy and functioning well and all the pieces are in place. Here’s what’s in store for Middlest for the third grade.
Core resources:
- Tapestry of Grace year 1, lower grammer and upper grammar (Bible, history, writing, art)
- Christian Light grade 3 arithmetic
- Dyslexia Games B (spelling and copywork)
- Writing with Ease 2
- First Language Lessons 3
- Latin for Children A (just the memory chants and DVD with big brother)
- science (physics and chemistry experiments with big brother, library DVDs)
Extras:
- ReflexMath.com (math facts review)
- KeyboardingwithoutTears.com (typing and spelling reinforcement)
- TakenCharge.com (coding and computer lessons)
- Teach Them Spanish 2 and Duolingo app
- karate
- piano lessons
Middlest was only a toddler the last time we studied Ancient History. Even so, she remembers many of her favorite book titles from that study and several of our projects. That’s one of my favorite aspects of Tapestry of Grace specifically and whole-family learning in general. She is excited about getting to read her favorites on her own this time, to her little brother. I’m excited about seeing her understanding deepen this time around with new books and projects.
Writing and spelling related activities are ones that I help her with quite a bit, partly because of her difficulties with these and partly because of the anxiety her dyslexia causes her. This topic could probably be a post of it’s own, but I’ll keep it short. At this stage, I frequently allow her to “write” orally while I act as her scribe. Sometimes, she will use these narrations as copywork, copying her own words that I wrote down (with all correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation). Other times, I will use a sentence or so as dictation, having her copy down her own words as I read them back to her. Later this year, we will be working toward the writing “process” of having her write her own thoughts with all their imperfections and then editing it together before she writes or types the final copy.
I’m loving this set-up for her third grade year. It feels like the perfect fit, and I can’t wait to watch her thrive.
