Preparing for Second Grade

[Mamafin08]

Good evening! We are returning Memoria homeschoolers and I have a few questions. My just about 8 year old is technically in 3rd but I’m going to place her in second because she is struggling to get a hang of reading. She can read now but is still a little behind. She did the MPK 2017-2018 school year and we took a break this last year because of new baby and wanting to try and do more subjects together as a family and we did AAR/AAS. I was wondering what I should focus on to get her ready for next year? Her 6 yr old sister is picking up reading much faster and I believe she will be ready for MP1 next year so I could have her work on some of those materials this summer.

If I’m honest I’m worried I won’t get it all in during the day. I will have 3 kids in all about cores(5A,2,1) and a preschool/JrK. I really struggle with her being in second core even though I know it’s a harder curriculum and I don’t want her to hate 3M if it’s too hard.

Finally, I have the opportunity to do a co-op that uses Memoria Press but my husband is worried it won’t save me time. It’s a 30 minute drive and if I have to teach a class during the co-op meeting then am I really saving time. Has anyone done this? Any advice?

[howiecram]

Can you tell us what level of AAR/ AAS she has completed? Also a little more about the co-op? Is it all day, is it the while core, a few subjects, etc?

[Mamafin08]

She has completed level 1 and 2 of AAR and I’ve been working with her each day doing 10 minutes below level reading, 10 at level and 10 above level along with asking some comprehension questions.

She has done level 1 AAS. I own two and can start her on that. I don’t own AAR 3.

[howiecram]

Would you be open to Simply Classical Level 3? At minimum, she would need to complete FSRE (it is scheduled in SC3). AAR is awesome, but because of the way it is organized, if you leave after 2, it is awkward with how it lines up with MP phonics. I just finished AAR2 with my son. (We also started Storytime Treasures about midway through AAR2). I had planned to work through level 3 this summer, but his reading has really taken off (unlike my older daughter where at the completion of AAR2, she was not flying). He is learning a new phonogram and remembering it rather quickly. Anyway, we stopped AAR, and are now doing More Storytime Treasures. (He did finish Storytime, but we did not do the phonics since I thought that would confuse him). Now that I stopped AAR, we are doing the phonics. It is a great program, but it introduces multiple new phonograms each lesson. He is doing very well with it, but my older daughter would not have. In all honesty, I think the best placement after AAR2 is Storytime Treasures for phonics. This does not mean she could not do other work at a different level in other subjects. Simply Classical 3 will feel more like 3rd grade though. It uses FSRE, simply Classical More Storytime Treasures + Prairie School. The difficult part comes with the American History readers. I bought two sets and we team read them (for my older daughter). This made her feel like a 3rd grader, but kept the phonics at the necessary level.

[Mamafin08]

Maybe I will order her own FSRE to do this summer and More story time treasures to do this summer before starting 2nd.

[Colomama]

There is an old PDF guide to do FSR E over the summer. It was called summer phonics. I would call MP and see if it's still offered.

[Michelle T]

There is a pdf of those plans. Just call on Monday and the customer service reps can help you.