Need Advice For 2nd Grade Beyond!

[happy@home]

We will be finished in about a month with LHFHG and will start Beyond in July after about a month break. My dd has just turned 6 and we will be using Beyond as "1st grade" for her. My dd is just starting the 1st grade level of Sing, Spell, Read & Write so I will use "Spelling List 1" and the grammar written in Beyond for her without question. We will begin the Emerging Readers with her as soon as she finishes SSR&W.

My ds is 7.5 and Beyond will be "2nd grade" for him. I hope to finish SSR&W with him before July then he will be ready for the Emerging Readers. I plan to use "Spelling List 2" with him. SSR&W has some gentle grammar included in it. Is it o.k. to just do the grammar in Beyond with him and wait for Bigger to start R&S 2 with them both? Or should I start R&S 2 with my ds when we start Beyond?

The only thought that is nagging me about not starting R&S 2 is that my dh only gives his blessing to homeschool one year in advance. I know that I will be homeschooling my ds for "2nd grade" but the decision for "3rd grade" hasn't been made yet. He is a "take it one year at a time" guy.
I have learned NOT to press him for another year! I just don't want my ds to be "behind" in anything should my dh decide to send him to ps! Otherwise I would just do Beyond as is and not worry about this!!

What do you ladies think? I tried to look back through my oldest dd's papers from 2nd grade (she has always attended ps ) and I actually didn't find very much grammar, but she is in 9th grade now so that has been a few years!

I really think that my dh is coming around more and more every day to the benefits and blessings of homeschooling, but I just want to have all my bases covered!

Thanks!

Robbin

[crlacey]

Could you check with your local school or your state regulations to find out what the average course of study is? I know some school districts will have a standardized learning plan listed on their websites. And others (like ours) barely even mentions anything that isn't high school sports related. If your local district doesn't have anything laid out, maybe you could check the standards for your state.

And remember, kids are always moving in and out of districts, so it would not be unusual for a child to be missing a little bit of knowledge at the beginning of the year. Schools do so much review in the fall, that it's likely your son would pick up the info needed during this review. You could always do a basic overview the summer before he started school if you felt you needed to since it seems like you know far enough in advance to do that.

Sorry I'm not more of a help since my DD will be entering 2nd grade in the fall.

[amysconfections]

I would wait on the R&S2. It is a very advanced book. If you wanted then you could do half the book. I found that it moved quickly into things that would just need to be repeated later. We did half of it last year for 2nd and I wish I would have just taken my time and worked on the simple things. The grammer in beyond is great. We will be reviewing the first half of R&S2 for 3rd this year before finishing it.

[John'smom]

I think the Grammar in Beyond looks perfectly fine for 2nd grade. I'll be starting Beyond in the Fall with my dc. I personally wouldn't add the extra Grammar book until 3rd grade. With that said, you should pray about it as the Lord knows best for your family. I was thinking that this Scope and Sequence might be helpful for you. From what I remember of Beyond (and I just finished looking through the whole manual ) the grammar in Beyond would be plenty when looking at that Scope and Sequence. HTH!

[water2wine]

I'd agree about waiting on R&S. I pulled two of my kidss out of ps after second grade and they really had not had any grammar. I think you are really safe with what Beyond has for second grade. It does teach some grammar and I think you would be fine if you had to put your children back in ps for third. So one more vote for you will be fine.

[happy@home]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, LADIES!!

This is exactly what I wanted you to tell me!!

I sometimes just really need reassurance that my decision is a good one!!

I try not to spend so much time second-guessing myself, I'm still working on that!!

Thanks again!!

Robbin

[4froggies]

Hi! Just thought I would add that a friend of mine has been using Rod and Staff for several years, and she does not do the R&S English 2, but waits until 3rd grade and then moves straight to R&S English 3. Rod and Staff English is spiral, so I can see how this would be easy to do. Hope this helps!

[Carrie]

Robbin,

I just wanted to pop-in and agree with the ladies' advice. We typically recommend for students to begin Rod and Staff English 2 as third graders, so our recommendation for second graders would be to use the grammar lessons within Beyond.

Blessings,
Carrie

[happy@home]

Thanks, Carrie! I really thought I was fine to leave the grammar in Beyond alone, but that "doubting Thomas" was nagging at me! Sometimes I just need a little reassurance!!

Thanks, ladies!!

Robbin

[pamh]

Robin,

I'm so glad you asked this question. Our ps introduces grammar in the 1st grade and a lot of it in the 2nd grade, so I felt like my son is way behind. But after reading your question and the responses, made me feel so much more at ease!!!! Thanks for asking the question so the rest of us could read the replies...it was very much needed!!!! I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders!

Blessings,
Pam

[happy@home]

Pam,

I am so glad that something I asked helped to lift a burden from your shoulders!!

That's what we are here for is to encourage one another!


Robbin