Third Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices

How is it already almost time for school to start??? It seems like it was just the end of school for last year. But here we are picking up third-grade homeschool curriculum choices. This summer has gone by really quick.

For third grade, we have decided to piece together our curriculum. Last year we mostly used Abeka, and while it is a great program, it wasn't really for us. Which is the great thing about homeschooling, if something isn't a perfect fit you can change it.

So with no further ado, here is what we will be using for our third grade homeschool year.

Math.

Math is my daughter's favorite subject. This year we are using Teaching Textbooks Math 3. This is a computer based program, but it does offer a real textbook and answer key. The computer program is self-grading. It has a lecture and then several problems for the student to work out with hints if needed and explanations of why something is right or wrong. My daughter has already started this even though we haven't officially started school. I think this will be a great fit this year!

Reading.

For reading, we are continuing with Explode The Code. My daughter isn't a huge reading, she is warming up to it, but it isn't her favorite. Explode The Code has been a big help, and we will be continuing it this year. Also, new this year is the 180 Days of Reading. These have a passage and questions to answer as well as some writing assignments. There is one activity per day. We will also be reading a couple of different series aloud and then allowing for time to self-read. I have been purchasing books from Thriftbooks and have been super impressed by the not only the price but the quality. You can use this link for 15% off your order.

English/Language Arts/Spelling.

For English, we are going to try Shurley English. I used this in public school roughly the same grade and loved it. My daughter loves singing, and the rhymes will hopefully help solidify the information. Also, we will be using Spelling Workout C for spelling. Each list has several activities that use those spelling words. The book also includes a dictionary in the appendix.

Science.

For Science, we are using LIFEPAC by Alpha Omega. The kit comes with ten magazine style workbooks and then a teacher's guide. We are also going to through in some Unit Studies using the Usborne Children's Encyclopedia and The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book as our guides. The Encylopedia has awesome information and a great colorful presentation of the information as well as QR codes to find out more online. The experiment has some awesome experiments that don't involve a whole lab of items, most of the stuff you probably already have on hand. We love experiments and science and are very excited about these books.

Social Studies.

For Social Studies this year we are going to do a Unit Study on Missouri. This Missouri Dailies workbook has 180 days of activities, they cover some reading comprehension, spelling, basic math, and vocab, as well as providing more information about our state. These are available for other states as well. We are also going to cover the Presidents. While going over each President, the kids can learn about their pets as well. If you would like to follow along with our President Unit Study leave me a comment below and I will add them to the blog as we do them.

Writing.

For writing, we had planned to kick off cursive last year. But we didn't so we will be starting this year. We are starting with Handwriting Without Tears and then I have some supplements from the Dollar Tree. I actually purchased duplicates of this and plan to do these along with my daughter. I think she will get a kick out of Mom “doing school” too and really with all the technology we have nowadays my handwriting has become atrocious.

Logic.

One of the surprises from last year is how much my daughter loves logic puzzles.

So we are continuing with the Logic Safari book and also added the 180 Days of Problem Solving.

Both of these through in some extra reading and the 180 Days will make her think and challenge her to solve problems which will help so much later in life.

Art/Music/Computer/PE.

For Art, we are using Home Art Studio Third Grade. The projects in the DVD look amazing! The DVD also comes with a list of materials needed for each lesson as well as an overview. We are also going to cover some famous painters in unit studies.

For PE, we are continuing gymnastics and also taking advantage of our local YMCA's homeschool PE offered once a week.

For Music, we are going to use the “Who Was” book series, (also for art) as a jumping off point for unit studies on famous composers. The “Who Was” publishers have an Educator's Resource section that includes lesson plans for artists, musicians, and inventors.

For Typing, we will be using typing.com.

And that is the round up of our third-grade homeschool curriculum. We are excited to start this year! If you are new to homeschooling, you might check out this post here about items needed for homeschooling. We would love to hear from you in the comments about what you are using this year.