Loving HOD and Need Advice for Beyond LA

[JoyinIndo]

Hi everyone!
Just wanted to let you know that we just finished our 6th week of the school year with HOD. My older two, 4th and 5th, are using CTC and are LOVING it! OH MY! I have NEVER been so happy with a curriculum or felt SO at peace with our school year. No stressing, no rushing, just enjoying!!! Then, my 2nd grader is using Beyond, and he LOVES it as well!! We are having SO much fun with it!

Now, I have a question. The LA is really too easy for him and I'm wondering how I can beef it up? We are using the 2nd grade spelling lists which are perfect level for him, and DITHOR Level 2/3 which is also perfect. But, what about the rest? Is there something I could/should add in to expand the LA just a bit? He always wants more, more learning about grammar, more writing, etc, etc.

Thoughts on this? The other thing is that since I live overseas, ideally, it would be great if I could add something that wouldn't require ordering more books! But, well, if ordering more books is what I need to do, so be it!
Thanks for the help!!
Blessings,
JoyinIndo

[lmercon]

Honestly, I wouldn't push the grammar at his age. If he is an enthusiastic writer, why not just suggest some extra creative writing assignments. He could keep a journal, nature notebook, or story book where he adds his own creative stories. You could encourage him to model the poetry and try his hand at writing his own. He could start a monthly family newspaper. I think I would just expand his options at the level he is at rather than going into harder material.
Just my 2 cents,
Laura

[Carrie]

Joy,

Laura gave great advice. While you could always bump up to beginning Rod and Staff 2 if this your heart's desire, I would probably lean more toward including more writing through copywork. Copywork from a correctly written model is so important at this age. He could copy his Bible verse each week and could also possibly select a sentence of his own choosing to copy from his history and/or science book and/or storytime book each week. I would be careful not to add to much writing but only enough to satisfy his enthusiasm.

Another idea would be to have him write a note to someone each week and leave it for that person on his/her pillow for the person to find. You could have your son dictate the note to you while you write it on the markerboard, and then he could copy it on a notecard and deliver it. A nature journal is another wonderful outlet for writing. He could dictate a sentence to you about what he sees in nature, and copy it from your correctly written model. He could then illustrate his entry if desired. Just make sure that none of these activities makes him too weary to accomplish what is within the Beyond guide or within DITHR.

You may also find that his desire for more writing will come out in his free-time, which is great too!

Blessings,
Carrie