Third Grade

This was the post I wrote when we started third grade.

If you’re curious about what we’re using, this is the line up of our programs. The main bulwark of learning in our homeschool is piles and piles of good books, primarily from the DC Public Library system. We read aloud every night and most school days. The boys read independently every day. We are also expeditionary learners. We take field trips constantly – often several times a week – and take full advantage of the art museums, concerts, plays, living history, and vast array of parks all around us. Both these things – books and field trips – supplement our more traditional curricula choices and cover subjects like art and physical fitness, for which we don’t use any set curriculum.

We are also fans of using fun supplements. For example, we play Mad Libs and Bananagrams for language arts. We are using The Book of Perfectly Perilous Math, Sideways Arithmetic from Wayside School a handful of iPad math games, and a bunch of other games for math. We also keep piles of art project books on hand. I try to add to that library every year and our newest this year is Art Lab for Kids.

Below are our more traditional core choices for curricula this year.

Math:
Math Mammoth Grade 3 (BalletBoy’s main program)
Miquon Yellow and Purple (Mushroom’s main program)
Beast Academy (supplement for both boys)
Singapore Math’s Challenging Word Problems Grade 2 (supplement for both boys)
Right Start Card Games (supplement for both boys)

Language Arts:
Bravewriter
All About Spelling
*Our required reading list can be found on this post.

History:
self-designed world history from the Enlightenment to the eve of World War I using various books, including:
The Complete Book of World History
A Little History of the World
Story of the World, Volume 3

Science:
self-designed life science using various books and experiments
The Usborne Science Encyclopedia as a basic spine

Logic:
Logic Countdown
Logic Safari Book 2
Wakeruppers