Young 3rd/old 2nd.. again?

[Emily L]

Hi there, I was hoping to hear your thoughts and advice.

I have a 2nd grader -- sort of. She turned 7 on Sept 1, which is often the date given for choosing a grade level. But we start schooling in July, so technically she started her "2nd grade" year as a 6 year old. This whole grade-level mess started because she seemed ready for K a few years ago and had already been doing preschool with her older sister for a couple of years, so it felt normal to move her on. But her reading skills are just not solid yet, so I feel like I've painted her into a corner with this 2nd grade thing.

We currently are doing a mixture of CHC and MODG 2nd grade, and she is doing very well with Math Mammoth and is a little more than halfway through 2nd grade math. And she is doing well with NAC 2 (she did NAC 1 last year). She does various phonics programs (100 EZ about lesson 60+), Phonics Pathways, Explode the Code, etc and she is progressing nicely, but there are a few signs of mild dyslexia and I think it will be a while before she is reading any book independently. She also retains almost nothing from flashcards, or maybe she just wasn't ready for the states and capitals work she was supposed to be doing this year. She just couldn't do it.

So I feel like she should just be in 2nd grade again. And I don't want her to repeat the same content, so I want to go with a new program, which is what is making me consider going Memoria Press this year. I sometimes have thought in the past that they looked like too heavy of a work load, but since she will be an older 2nd grader, maybe it might be a good fit? But some of the second grade stuff looks a little too easy or light for where she is..? My head is all over the place. I don't want her to have too much or too little.

[VAmom]

Good morning!

It sounds like you have good reasons to be concerned about having your daughter continue onto 3rd grade. Anytime I have slowed the curriculum down to take the time shore up skills in my children, it has been worthwhile. They have had the confidence and skills needed to succeed as they continued. In third grade there is a shift from learning to read to reading to learn. If she isn’t ready for that shift, pausing to focus on reading skills is wise IMO.

It is true that MP does have high expectations for their students. The beauty of the program is how each level slowly but steadily prepares the students for the next level.
I think MP has several good options for you. Depending on where she is with phonics, First Start Reading or Traditional Spelling along with the phonics in StoryTime Treasures could help solidify her reading. If you believe there is dyslexia, Simply Classical could be an option. MP has wonderful customer service. You can call and someone will help you figure out where she best fits (or come back here ☺️.) Once you figure out where in reading she needs to be, you can decide how the other pieces of the curriculum fit in. I wouldn’t worry about some subjects too easy. They need a few “easy” subjects to balance out the more challenging subjects. For my kids, those are the subjects that we can work on other skills too, like writing well thought out sentences, summarizing, etc.

[Emily L]

I wouldn’t worry about some subjects too easy. They need a few “easy” subjects to balance out the more challenging subjects. For my kids, those are the subjects that we can work on other skills too, like writing well thought out sentences, summarizing, etc.

Yes this is a great point!

[tanya]

Hello.

We begin 3rd grade with Farmer Boy, so that would be a good gauge of whether your daughter is ready for that yet. If she could read and comprehend Farmer Boy pretty independently, she could be ready for our 3rd grade program. But since you are concerned, I would recommend not pushing it. Have you considered getting the 2nd grade program and accelerating it as you see her excel? This could be a great year to really solidify those basic skills of reading, writing, and math facts that are so necessary in completing our 3rd grade program. Third grade is a big step up for students, and I wouldn't want your daughter (or you) to become discouraged by attempting it before she is ready.

If you want to talk more about placement, feel free to give us a call to talk with a CSR. We can also customize a curriculum package for you where you would be doing some 2nd grade and some 3rd grade, but my inclination is that you take the time needed to really solidify 2nd grade before moving forward. You might be able to do it in a semester if she appears to be flying through it. But it's better to accelerate rather than skip because skipping can leave gaps that will need to be filled in later.

Tanya

[DiannaKennedy]

I would suggest that you consider the Simply Classical track. You can take a look at the assessment tools with each level and tailor it to her lowest 'r'. (reading, writing and arithmetic)

[Emily L]

Thank you for the suggestions! Yeah, she is definitely not ready for Farmer Boy. Upon looking at the individual samples more, I definitely think an MP 2 year would be a sufficient challenge. I don't think she will be flying through it.

Heidi I think mentioned that there is phonics also in Storytime Treasures? Is that in 2nd? Or maybe Simply Classical? I am kind of feeling my way here. It looks like her skills appear to place her firmly in MP 2 or SC 3. They both look good. Since it's only January, I might wait to call the MP curriculum folks until a little farther along in the year and, in the meantime, try to really diligently shore up her phonics and introduce some more written work, so she will be more ready for the writing pieces.

[Beorn]

Hi Emily L, a call to MP would be helpful. Here are two more thoughts, are you close to any of the big homeschool conferences (GHC, TTD, etc.) coming up this Spring? If MP has a presence there, it was very helpful for me to have the whole curriculum laid out and to chat with the MP representatives there and see the progressions and dig into the texts. Highly recommended and time well spent.

An even better suggestion, if you are already sold on MP going forward, consider coming out for the Sodalitas conference mid-July in Louisville, KY. It is a wonderful two days together with other homeschool parents (newbies and veterans) all of which use MP in their homeschools. The sessions are helpful and the encouragement is such a blessing. It is a great opportunity to be able to hear and speak with those who are developing and creating the materials and bumping shoulders with those who use the curriculum every day, some of whom have been doing so for 15 years or more! Great friendships are made and finding peers who are in the same situation as you are or who were in previous years is invaluable. Highly recommended.

[dahmdr]

You have lots of good advice already. Wanted to let you know I started my son with first grade materials for his second grade year based on his skill level. It started with FSR E and TS I which was perfect for
him. The literature STT/MSST was easy for him but a good opportunity for us to get used to the MP format. Since I have a younger kid I figured I’d at least use it with her if it didn’t work for him. We’ll, he did great with it and this spring we are beginning the second grade lit because his reading has really taken off. I guess my take home points are:
—Yes! chat w MP if you can give them an idea od
your child’s skill level they will help you choose correct program
—I ordered in August and my son really advanced quickly so we more moving up a level for spring. Totally doable to adjust as you go.