Placement question

[melm1022]

Hi everyone,
I have been following this forum for a while but will be new to homeschooling this fall. We will have dd 5 starting kindergarten and ds 7 who just finished first grade in ps. We also have ds 3 who will be along for the ride.

I am planning on purchasing the complete kindergarten curriculum for my daughter, so my placement question pertains specifically to ds 7. We had considered homeschooling for first grade because kindergarten was a rough year, but for logistical reasons he attended ps for first grade. He had no problems academically either year but was bored to tears (literally, in first grade) which resulted in frequent disruptive behavior. He reads very well (5th/6th grade level) and reads frequently for enjoyment. He is still content reading picture books as well. I am leaning toward purchasing the complete second grade curriculum for him and letting him continue to supplement with outside reading if he desires. I want him to be challenged but not overwhelmed. Does second grade sound like the right choice? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Melanie

[momgineer]

I just finished 2nd grade with my 8/9 yr old 3rd grader. She is not a strong reader so we decided to do the 2nd grade plans with her. She did 3rd grade math, religion, science and history with other curriculum, but we used the full MP plans for 2nd grade just skipped the supplemental read alouds/ history and science. I feel that MP is quite advanced with its language arts curriculum compared to public schools. One of the books read, Mr. Poppers Penguins, is a 5th grade level book according to an outside source. Using the 2nd grade plans would be a good introduction for your child to the MP method of schooling. He will learn to answer questions in complete sentences, to do copywork, begin Latin etc. It will give him a very solid year of homeschooling before getting into the much tougher 3rd grade plans. He should still read a lot on his own in addition to the lit plans if he loves reading so much. MP has a list of suggested books they can send you if you ask. It is very comprehensive from preschool through adulthood. And don't be afraid to let him read books he will study in the future- it never hurts to read good books more than once! That is just my opinion as a Mom who has used 2nd grade.

[tanya]

I totally agree with Momgineer!

Great advice!

Tanya

[melm1022]

Thank you very much for your responses! I will go ahead with the second grade curriculum.