First and Second Grade Homeschool Curriculum Hits and Misses from 2023-24

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Hi mamas! Sorry I started out speaking 100 miles an hour…I had just put the baby down for a nap and didn’t know if I had 2.5 minutes to film or an hour. 😂❤️ Have a great weekend!

[@OurMessyHouse]

Me every time I film a video 😂 totally get it mama!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

@@OurMessyHouse Glad I’m not the only one! ❤️❤️❤️

[@melissadoner933]

Totally understand! Loved this video and your ideas!!!

[@pearlsandmanna]

For parents who want CLE Math to be more hands-on, I recommend having some base ten blocks, a learning clock, play money, and some fun little counters on hand (we use little bears). It goes a long way!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes! 100% agree! ❤️

[@bethart1985]

We just switched from RightStart Math to Math With Confidence and it has been an absolute game changer. We love it! It's too bad it didn't work out for you guys. It's so wild how people just have different learning styles. Not just different families but different children within a family also. We are also doing the Tuttle Twins and will start Five in a Row next year!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes! I am always amazed at how incredibly unique everyone is! I hope you enjoy FITR!

[@diamondignite]

Hi! We are in RS now but I am eyeing MWC. Would you mind telling me what was better for you? Trying to decide if i should switch. Thank you!

[@nikkithorsgard6524]

We love cle but got frustrated with learn to read! Ended up with logic of english plus the online supplement and we love it so much!

[@Lilymay345]

I love when people share their thought process and how they decide on a curriculum!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Wonderful! ❤️❤️❤️

[@NestandNurture777]

I'm so thankful for your channel...I'm a homeschooling mama to 2 kiddos (Going into 2nd grade and kinder)...and I have learned so much from watching your videos. I am going to be doing CLE for some things this year as well as incorporating the McGuffey's and mom delights workbooks with the readers! We did Abeka last year and it was ok for us and it did its job but excited for something new and to try out the McGuffey's especially. I as well didn't know about the McGuffey's and happy i found out about them while our kiddos are still young and will hopefully be a pretty simple transition. Anywhooo thank you again for posting your videos they are so helpful for mamas like myself :) Good luck with your next homeschool year and God Bless you and your family!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Aww I am so happy to hear this! I hope you enjoy them as much as we have! Blessings on the upcoming year! ❤️❤️❤️

[@sweetbirdies8670]

Yes! Please share. I think it will be helpful as we’re planning out choices for next year.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Wonderful!

[@Sevenarrowsacademy]

I have both sets of the McGuffey's readers. I much prefer the revised readers. I love that they contain phonics and cursive. The CLE and Rod & Staff are great curriculum when you are homeschooling one or two children. However they are both workbook heavy and require a lot from parents. Both curriculums are truly designed for a classroom setting and can be very difficult to complete within a homeschool setting.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes, I love the revised! :) They can be difficult, yes!

[@rojo1124]

Yes, share your options please. Also, generations "God's biggest story 1" is great for the children to read and comprehend too so they can start reading bible stories at their reading level.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

I recently saw Generations at a homeschooling convention, and fell in love with it...so much so that I almost bought their science! It's amazing!

[@Grace_Filled_Homeschool]

My 2nd grader is finishing up CLE Reading and Language Arts. She is half way through 210 in both. We switched to CLE math a little ways into the year. She is almost done with 206. My kindergartener did K1 and K2 and is now on unit 106 of LTR so she’s stared LA too. She’s doing well, but because she started early we only do it 3 days a week. I loved their reading program so much that my 5th and 6th graders used their Reading for the last semester. They both liked it and I saw huge growth in their comprehension and vocabulary. They’ve also used CLE math and LA too. This was their first year using CLE and they both say it’s their favorite for core subjects and don’t want to switch. I love that CLE Reading is only one semester for 4th-8th so they can still fit in novels.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Wonderful!

[@jordangholson3210]

I'd love to hear your thought process and curriculum options!

[@crazychicken4063]

We also had great success using the Christian Light learning to read program with all 4 of our children. I had to slow it down a bit with my youngest. And for all the children, once they got to the last 2 or 3 books, they often didn't even need to necessarily finish the the last books.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes! Glad to hear that you didn’t finish all the units. I didn’t find it super necessary either! ❤️

[@maggiebrewer5618]

So glad to hear another mom say the MWC didn’t work for their kiddo! I hear so many positive reviews and while I love the program it’s just not working for my daughter. We are switching to TGTB math. But I think I will order that addition facts book as well.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes! I wanted to love it and I can really see the value of it, but it just wasn’t a fit. ❤️❤️❤️

[@angelaschaefer5883]

I can see why it would not work for some and kids. There is a lot of hands on stuff. Which requires time and planning. Kids with short attention spans. Would lose interest quickly. Also if you were teaching more then one grade level. It would be impossible. My granddaughter is in the preschool math book. I have worked in child care for 30 years. It is a lot of prep for me to do lesson. But she enjoys it.

[@rachelembree6175]

We used MWCK this year and liked it. I have MWC1 and it looks a little overwhelming. So, we’re going to do Easy Peasy 1 offline math then use MWC partially as hands on learning when we need it. EP is only 1 page a day and has a lot of math facts review, which is what we really want.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

That sounds wonderful! I’ve heard wonderful things about EP!

[@SouthernCouture4]

I would love to see the options because you may end up using both. Thanks for sharing so much and being real about what works and doesn't. God bless!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

❤️❤️❤️

[@rojo1124]

Beautiful video. Love the curriculum choices and switches. Your explanations will help me so much too. Two curriculums that I think is great as a supplement or as a spine for math is critical thinking co math and also Generations math. Generations is short and has some fun things around the house added in to give you real world ideas without being overwhelming. It also gives God so much glory in math. The critical thinking company is lots of fun with my daughter, she learns a lot and helps with critical thinking. It takes a spiral approach and is colorful. Both are cost effective too. You might like those as well. Thanks so much for your videos.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

LOVE Generations! I hope they come out with grades 3 and 4 soon! My son would adore it!

[@crazychicken4063]

We had the same experience with our daughter using the CLE Math in those first few grades. I would have to move away from it for awhile and use another source to solidify the concepts and math facts.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Glad to hear that you found what works! ❤️

[@TheMoreYouSew]

Sherry from MomDelights has a whole thing about Wentworth Math which is a free curriculum from the 1900s! She has a video on that. You should check it out!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

I was recently looking at that one, it looks amazing!! ❤️

[@Mary.E.H]

It's nice to hear someone else say they don't push artist/composer study. My oldest is pretty much your average wildling lol. He is not the least bit interested in the whimsical side of Charlotte Mason. We have a homeschool playlist on Spotify that I've made sure to include classical music on. That's about it for now though. As for next video, I'd love to see what you're tentatively planning for your next school year and your thought process behind each choice:)

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes! We LOVE classical music in our home! ❤️

[@NatalieH-vj9sc]

We did CLE Math 1 and LA 1 and McGuffy 1st reader (no lesson book) this year. I’m blown away by CLE! We do everything in the teachers guide and it’s such an amazing program! I’m thinking about Reading 2 for next year, but we might have to do some of the exercises orally (he dictates and mommy writes it down) because I’m worried that it will be too much workbook

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

That sounds like a great mixture! We love it! ❤️

[@YasminB-u9d]

Yes, I'd love to hear your options for next year since I have a child going into the same grade. We're also doing CLE math 1 this year and I was despairing that the math facts would never click, but all of that repetition has really helped. We're on light unit 5 and she just flies through the problems now and even asks to do the speed drills, which is not something I have ever assigned.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Wonderful! :)

[@amberleggio335]

I am looking at CLE for Language arts this year. We are very CM im philosophy but I have some kids that love spelling lists and I love that this is all included and I don't have to pull separate sources for each.

[@gingerdillard1664]

I would love more videos on Tuttle Twins!! Also, did you see Foundations Worldview had a new video curriculum coming out July 2024!? Wondering if you had a coupon for it or know of one as I used a coupon for the first curriculum you shared via another page!

[@rojo1124]

Yes, I hope she shares which she is using to complement her curriculum.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

I didn't, thank you for mentioning that! I will reach our to see if they have an available one. :)

[@reasonsforroots6958]

I felt the same about Sequence 1! I love it, but it was too much for us too. I am using the memory statement cards. I love the virtues for my older kids!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes, the memory board was amazing! ❤️

[@rebekahian]

I love hearing the thought process behind choosing curriculum! I'd love to see your options for next school year😊

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

❤️❤️❤️

[@mandigibson30]

I just purchased Before Five in a row for my littles and we can’t wait to start it! We are planning to finish our Playing Preschool curriculum first since it is literature based also. ❤️

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

I've heard wonderful things about that program!

[@thekangaline2914]

I'd love to hear your options for next year! It's a video like that which led us to Master Books this year and it's been so great. We have the McGuffey readers too but we use those mostly for reading practice.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Wonderful!

[@vanessan2270]

Can you share a quick flip through of teach me to talk? Thank you!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Here is a video! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGmrdJaLitOcrassi=XP2dIThhHbOzJCgT

[@rewise73]

I’d love to hear the options you’re thinking! Hearing others thought processes helps a lot

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Perfect!

[@jerilyn-ourhomeschooltable]

I just got The Lesson Book Level 4 for my upcoming 5th grader. We are going to use her Sonlight readers as the basis for our LA lessons. I’m really excited about trying it! ❤

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Wonderful!

[@courtneysimon444]

We’re using the McGuffey and Lesson Book too! Alongside Masterbooks LA. It really is awesome. 😀

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

That sounds wonderful!!

[@Seeking_Zóé]

@rootedinrest has a video on her channel where she shows the difference in the first edition (1997) Five in a Row and the second addition (2020) Both editions have the same books and lessons! ☺️

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes! I love Abby! She is the one that inspired me to start using it! ❤️

[@growinggracehomeschool]

My oldest doesn't like all the activities in MWC either, but I also don't think she'd like workbook pages. Not sure what the right fit is, but she would say the right fit would be not making her do math at all. 😂 I guess we will just stick with MWC until we come across something else! I feel like some kids just don't love math and my girl is one of them.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Yes! Sometimes we have to do things anyways, and that is another valuable life lesson. ❤️

[@khull12404]

If your oldest is around grade 3 math. I'd suggest trying out Teaching Textbooks, for grades 3-12. They have the best kind of trial, 15 lessons, no card information, no canceling, no time limit. We use MWC thru 2nd grade.

[@tahirasbs]

You can also skip parts of a curriculum. You don't have to always do things exactly as written. If you need to make an activity shorter or Skip One game altogether that's fine. Make it work for your child. Make the curriculum work for you but don't work for the curriculum.

[@Dreblueskies]

You are such a sweet person, I love watching your videos. Did you ever consider Rod and Staff math when you chose CLE? We absolutely love FIAR and will use it until my child ages out. It is a delight! Would love to see how you plan it.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

You are so kind, thank you so much! I have looked at it and LOVE it as well. :) Isn't it wonderful!? I'm excited for level 2!

[@Svargasc3]

Yes share your thoughts on what you might do for next year, and then share an update once you figure it out. Pretty please! Also wanted to share that kindergarten math with confidence is the level that teaches how to visually and mentally add quickly. And in first grade math with confidence, the lessons get very deep half way through. Love it, but I also understand not liking teacher intensive curriculums. That was my initial complaint. Since it works and I’m used to it now I love it lol.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

I am so happy that you found something you love! :)

[@HeatherMusser-r3t]

I appreciate watching your review. I am going into my second year of homeschooling with my children. I have a six almost 7-year-old, a 3-year-old and a nearly one and a half year old. I find that doing book work with my almost 7-year-old is like doing a root canal. How do you go about finding good Christian based curriculum?

[@shaunajoyce5889]

Hi 🥰 thanks so much for sharing! I would love to see your options as well!

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Wonderful! ❤️

[@JMU2512]

Please share your options 😊

[@jodeederosia2273]

Can you do a flip through on Teach me to Talk and share a link where to get please?

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Here is a video I did a while back! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGmrdJaLitOcrassi=XP2dIThhHbOzJCgT The writer of the book also has a YT channel, and it's amazing! www.youtube.com/@teachmetotalk

[@Jennajones4]

Yes share options !

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

❤️❤️❤️

[@sarahmarinkovich-durfee4509]

Hello. I think just showing everything you’re considering is nice. You could talk through while you’re considering them and it might help people because they might be thinking the same thing.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

❤️❤️❤️

[@Jennajones4]

Love this !

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

❤️

[@lisafogal7454]

I would love to hear your options and thought process!

[@GardenMinistry.]

Hi lovely! You said you love Nature Study style science and I think you'd absolutely love Beautiful Feet Books Science Seasons Afield, its for K-4th 😊 beautiful literature, very Charlotte Mason.

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Oh thank you so much for the suggestions! ❤️🥰

[@JacobWatterud]

Can you do a video on screen time

[@amberleggio335]

Are you using CLE next year or Mcguffeys?

[@amberleggio335]

I would like you to share 🥰

[@samanthagraveswalters8443]

Options

[@tinakenny.777]

Did you use the Bible supplementary book for five in a row? 🙂

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

Oh my goodness, I just got it and LOVE IT!!😍

[@lillahigdon771]

😊

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

❤️

[@kita3256]

Is McGuffey Christian content?

[@oursweetiebirdshome]

It talks about God and teaches high morals. ❤️