Grammar for 2nd grade?

[my4sugars]

I am currently spreading BLHFHG over a 2 year period for my twin daughters for 1st and 2nd grade. They are doing well and are enjoying the curriculum. We are currently doing the right side of the plans everyday and the left side every other. I am looking at the fact that we will be done with the grammar in Beyond by the end of this year. I wanted to wait until Bigger to jump into R & S 2 with my girls. I am looking for alternatives for next year (2nd grade), so I visited the R & S website and saw they have Climbing to Good English that is used in conjunction with another curriculum. I checked some homeschool reviews and saw that some had used this as a stand alone grammar. Has anyone used this curriculum and would it be a good bridge for my girls before they start R & S 2 in 3rd grade. Or should I go ahead and start R & S 2, maybe at half-speed? I kind of feel like my girls need a bit more time to grow in this area before starting a textbook style. One of my girls is not very strong in reading and may very well struggle with this format. Any advice or suggestions would be great. Thanks so much! What a blessing to be able to come and glean wisdom for others experiences. I treasure this board, HOD, and my fellow HODies!

[DHT1999]

Hi, Kimi! I also wanted something to do in between the Language Arts in Beyond and Bigger Hearts. I love R&S English. My youngest son has been using R&S 2 since the first of this year. It's going o.k. and he actually really likes it. But, I decided to drop it for now. I just ordered Language Lessons for the Very Young from Queen Homeschool Supplies. I will pick the R&S back up sometime next year, when he will be in 3rd grade. I used a couple of the Queen Homeschool Supplies books with my oldest son during his 3rd grade year and we really enjoyed them. They provide a good foundation for the more formal grammar that is taught in the R&S texts. Every child is different. I love HOD's suggestions but I started R&S English with my older son when he was too young and he got burned out. We took a break and picked R&S back up later on and now he is thriving with it.

[my4sugars]

Donna- What level did you feel was a good fit, considering what lies in store in R & S 2?

[DHT1999]

He's going to start with Language Lessons for the Very Young, Book 1 and Learning to Spell Through Copywork, Book A. He's a 2nd grader using Little Hearts. That's why I am adjusting his LA. He is done with all phonics, has mastered letter formation, and has had some very basic grammar already. We're just going to try this to get him into next year, 3rd grade. At that time, we may continue with the next books or I may go back to R&S with him. I believe Heart Of Dakota used to sell the Language Lessons book as an option.

[my3sons]

We're doing R & S 2 half-speed with our 7 yo now, and finding it pretty easy to do. We do a sizable portion on the marker board, and I have him write just a handful of answers each time. He likes it and is doing well with it, now that he understands how it will go. I am really enjoying doing all of BHFHG half-speed right now. You'll know what's best for your little one for grammar though, as that is certainly something HOD is fully aware moms may want to customize with different speeds of R & S or different grammar altogether.

In Christ,
Julie

[moedertje]

We are doing most Bigger at half pace with my ds of 7 who is in first grade (1 unit in 2 weeks). We love the R&S 2 and do it as Julie suggests in her post above. We do part on the marker board and he does a couple in his book. Most lessons are easily spread in 2 so we sometimes do 1/2 a lesson on 1 day and the rest on the next day. What I love mostly with the R&S book is the Godly content. My son is retaining the information very well and or whole family is walking around saying: "sentences need to be true and kind" now.
Hope you find what works best for you family and success. I was actually searching for a previous post in which Julie describes how she has done the R&S for it not to be so overwhelming, but could not find it (maybe someone else knows where it is).

[NicoleJ]

Hi! I have a dd7 who was using R&S 2 for LA (using Bigger). We have just dropped it and switched to Queen Homeschool Language Lessons as well. We are both enjoying it a LOT more!!! HTH! Nicole

[my4sugars]

Thank you for all the advice and good ideas. It feels good to have a few options to choose from. We have been using R & S 3 with my older son, so I am familiar with the books. I just wasn't sure if my girls would be ready. I'm going to give this some more prayerful consideration. I know He knows my girls intimately and will let me know the best route to take when the time comes. Thanks again! What a privilege to be a part of this community. Such a vital resource for all of us! Iron sharpens iron!