3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks and Choices for 2024-25

[@thesewildflowersblooming3974]

A grammar exercise that my kids love to do is to write out a passage from what they've read, and then go back and highlight all the nouns or verbs or adjectives, etc. They love using highlighters, lol! And it's a simple little exercise that I can set them up to do if I have to tend to something else for a second.

[@MominTX]

Love this idea! Thank you!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Oh my goodness! This is SUCH a wonderful idea! 😱👏❤️

[@MadlovesJ]

Thank you!! I would have never thought of that!

[@thriftyminia]

5:48 THIS! I feel pressure to dedicate 3+ hrs everyday to homeschooling. Self-inflicted pressure by watching other KZbinrs lol. You’re the first to OWN being able to accomplish schooling in 1.5hrs.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

To be honest, I always feel like I am not doing enough. I am still learning that there is so much freedom in homeschooling with just the essentials and spending the rest of the day simply living life together. It required me to change my thinking about it, and our family (especially our children) our thriving because of it! ❤️❤️❤️

[@ashleymurphy4813]

I relate SO MUCH to what you said about feeling like you needed all the little things to cover LA. I felt the same way- and it was complicating things so much! I couldn’t believe how simple LA could be with the McGuffeys. We are loving them ❤️

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes! We have so much peace now. ❤️

[@katielopes8280]

Simplicity is such a blessing! It’s so easy to get swept up in wanting to try all the curriculum! Thank you for this reminder ❤

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes it is! ❤️

[@benandcandicejilk9395]

I have been doing CLE with my now 3rd grader for 3 years. I found your channel shortly after I began CLE a couple years ago and was so happy to see another Mama doing CLE. Fast forward to this spring and I ordered all the CLE for his 3rd grade. Then after much prayer, I felt pulled towards Charlotte Mason for several reasons (even though I have loved CLE). I then happened to watch your video of your changes also! We seem to be on the same page somewhat with our curriculums! Just had to share! Enjoy simplifying this year :)

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Oh my goodness, this is me. ❤️❤️❤️

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

I hope you have a wonderful school year! ❤️

[@amberleggio335]

Dana, You are such a precious mama. Whatever you do with your children will be right for your children. You know them best 🥰 I just didn't want you to feel stressed about grammar. You are doing well and so sweet to share and encourage mamas on here. I have young adult children to elementary. I hope my boys find a sweet Godly woman like you.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

You have always been such an encouragement to me, thank you!! 😭❤️

[@StephanieMT]

we love your preschool resource you made, my 5 year old cant wait to start it.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Aw I am so glad to hear that! Thank you! ❤️

[@mellisa5016]

That pop fidget set is 😍😍…..definitely adding that for the upcoming school year! Thank you for sharing 😁.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

It’s so much fun!! ❤️

[@sonjajohn-14]

I love your channel. I am a second year homeschooling mama. My child was speech delayed, and we did an introduction to kindergarten. Our curriculum was an all in one. I did not have experience and wanted a structured curriculum. I feel more confident this year and would love to pick and choose his curriculum this year. I may have to dabble in certain things and see what works for him. Thanks for all your content and wisdom.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Aw thank you so much! Yes! One of the best things about homeschooling is being able to pick and choose different things that work for our family!❤️

[@babybellalovesbeagle]

I totally agree with you my son is in 4th grade and we really focused in Math, language Arts and REading. Science and history we just use the 180 days.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

I’ve heard about that too! ❤️

[@worldofweeze]

Thanks for sharing! We love simple too💙

[@kellylilley8546]

Simplicity means everything when homeschooling multiple children! Wonderful picks, I hope you have a fantastic upcoming school season. We use McGuffey readers as well. Alongside Queen Homeschool Supplies Language Lessons, they are very simple, beautiful, to the point, and take minutes to complete. We use their Discovery Nature and Science series as well - they are fantastic! I've also just thrifted Ray's Arithmetic, very exciting!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

I just recently looked at Queen Homeschool Supplies! Have you used them before? How do you like it?

[@kellylilley8546]

@oursweetiebirdshome Yes, we have used their Language Lessons, Learning to Spell through Copywork, Pictures in Cursive, and many of the Discovering Nature and Science series books (which are our favourites). We will be trying their history for the first time next year, too. We homestead and live simply, I enjoy that the lessons are short and precise, no busy work, not overwhelming for the student nor the teacher!

[@miluskahakkel886]

I am also planning on using Simply Charlotte Mason Arithmetic book 1, starting August. ❤ So excited! Short lessons, simple but rich. ❤

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes! Short and simple!❤️🙌

[@reclaimingwonder]

So fun to see your curriculum picks! I’m hoping to post my 3rd grade curriculum choices soon as well 😊

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Can’t wait to see! ❤️❤️❤️

[@Dreblueskies]

Glad to hear that another mom who is embracing simplicity. I do the same with my younger elementary student and I just feel like cramming more and more does not add any beauty to our day. I always love your videos, and I definitely now have to go back to your second grade reveal and read the comments. I am going to order Strayer Upton math as an add on because my little guys hates writing so much! God bless you and yours 🙏💛

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Agreed! The extra formal things don’t add to what our home and atmosphere needs to be. ❤️❤️❤️

[@rachaelpierson3470]

Love all these resources!!!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Thank you! ❤️

[@Grace_Filled_Homeschool]

Great choices for your family! My 3rd grader will be using Sonlight B for history, Bible and Literature She will be using Sonlight K science with her sister in 1st grade. It’s for 5-7 year olds and they will be 6 and 8. From CLE she will be using math, reading and language arts.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Sounds like a wonderful year! ❤️

[@ashleymurphy4813]

Do you have a link for that 3rd grade CLE language arts reference sheet?

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes! I just added it. ❤️

[@amberleggio335]

I also love love the SCM math. I am using it with my two younger kids. I wish I had it for my older kids. I love it.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Oh wonderful! How much do you do each day? I am still figuring it all out. ❤️

[@amberleggio335]

About two of the steps a day. Example I would introduce lesson step 1 and do step 2. Then I would review the table and do step 3 and four.

[@amberleggio335]

Also I have only deleted me books one and two, three will be new to us this year. So I am not quite sure.

[@amberleggio335]

*done

[@OurMessyHouse]

❤ great picks!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Thank you for watching! ❤️

[@MominTX]

Can you link the bookmarks please. Love your idea on how we can use them

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Just added it! ❤️

[@MadlovesJ]

If you keep your kid's younger year notebooks or any papers that they wrote on as a keepsake or to compare their handwriting to later years, how do you decide what to keep, where do you keep it, how do you decide when not to keep some of it, etc.? I have my son's kindergarten notebook that he started doing copy work in and after taking a break from it and then starting to write in it again a year later, his handwriting was so improved so I can't decide if that notebook should be the only thing that I will keep once he has filled it or if I should keep the Lesson Books too, since they write and draw in them and then what am I going to do with the Gentle Grammar, since they write in it?😂 One option that I am considering is to keep everything from his kindergarten and 1st grade that I decided, but not to keep 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade, just a few papers here and there but then keep more stuff 5th and 6th and so on? Lol any advice?

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Each of my little ones have a special box for their keepsakes. At the end of each school year when I go through and declutter I let them choose what to keep in their box. They will pick different art projects, papers they are proud of, etc. I also keep a few standout pieces that we did together or pictures I want to keep as memories. I don’t have a lot of storage space, so having those special boxes help us be intentional about keeping our favorite memories!❤️

[@lesliebellomy3373]

I am intrigued by the math choices. I am planning to go with Life of Fred for my 3rd grader this year but I want to look into these too now. 😂

[@MadlovesJ]

We LOVE Ray's Arithmetics. For boys who don't like to sit long, it has been amazing. Seeing my son treat numbers in paper differently than doing mental math with Ray's has been crazy awesome. I highly recommend 😊 if not as core, then like a every once in a while thing. To keep things fresh.

[@Dreblueskies]

LOF is so fun!

[@OurMessyHouse]

We’ve used rays this year. We have decided to future use it as extra/summer work though. It has around 15 lessons-ish if I remember right in addition and I believe 12 in subtraction. We did every lesson two ways and were done mastering in a month. Beautifully done, just simple and few lessons. It only costs around $6 on Amazon so it is worth using either way! Hope this helps.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

I have heard so many wonderful things about Life of Fred! ❤️

[@samanthagraveswalters8443]

Good job mama 🎉

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Thank you so so much! ❤️❤️❤️

[@rewise73]

I’m sorry about the loss of your grandmother. It’s hard even if it’s not unexpected

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Thank you so much. 🥹

[@andrianatampei3013]

Hi Dana. You’re doing such an amazing job! Quick question, what do you think of Abeka curriculum?

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Hi! Thank you so much for the encouragement! ❤️ I used it some when I was little, but haven’t used it for homeschooling our own littles ones. I will link some channels below that have experience using it to help you! ❤️❤️❤️

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

youtube.com/@thepracticalhomeschooler?si=olHlDLQSwH_vKWVo

[@andrianatampei3013]

@@oursweetiebirdshome thank you so so much DanaN 🙏

[@captain7471]

Do you no longer do handwriting for this child?

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

We use our lesson books for handwriting as well. ❤️