I’m back with my last homeschool curriculum post for the 2019-2020 school year – my 3rd grader!
My sweet 3rd grader is such a delight to teach. Despite a tremendous amount of hard work, my 3rd grader was later to read. You will find that my curriculum choices reflect that.
My goal with all of my children is to meet them where they are. Whether they are above grade level or below grade level, my job is to figure out where they are and provide consistent, daily practice to keep moving on.
So let’s get going with 3rd grade homeschool curriculum choices!
Browse through all of the homeschool curriculum posts here at Mama’s Learning Corner.
You can read about my 3rd grade homeschool goals if you’d like to read more about my vision and thought process for this child’s school year.
As I mentioned in my other curriculum posts from this year, we use a majority of Memoria Press curriculum because it was such a great fit for us last year. I expect to see great results again this year!
This post uses affiliate links. You can see my disclosure policy at any time. I am not affiliated with Memoria Press at this time, except as an affiliate. I’m just a very happy customer.
→ Read about our 7th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices
→ Read about our 5th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices
3rd Grade Literature and Phonics
My 3rd grader will finish the last 1/3 of Memoria Press’ 2nd grade literature program. We will cover Little House in the Big Woods, and then the four Beatrix Potter books.
The 2nd grade level includes quite a bit of phonics instruction and reinforcement, which my daughter still needs. I anticipate we will be able to start the 3rd grade literature around Thanksgiving.
The phonics reinforcement provided in the Teacher’s Guides is just right for my daughter’s stage. I have seen amazing improvement with her reading using the Memoria Press approach.
We will read through several read alouds together, and she will be assigned her own independent reading each day.
So lots of books are in her future!
3rd Grade Spelling and Grammar
Because Traditional Spelling I was so successful last year, we are pressing on with Traditional Spelling II this school year.
The same concepts are used, including excellent phonics instruction, and just the right amount of handwriting.
This year, we are also using the Supplemental Workbook that reinforces many of the activities that we do on the white board.
➡ Read more: Our Experience with Traditional Spelling I from Memoria Press
We use Rod and Staff English in our homeschool, so my 3rd grader started that lovely green book this year!
It is a little hard for her, so we often do 1 lesson over two days. No, we won’t finish the book this way and I’m totally fine with that.
Rod and Staff English builds on itself beautifully every year, so whatever concepts we don’t cover in 3rd grade will be covered in detail in 4th and 5th grades.
➡ Read more: How I Use Rod and Staff English Grammar in Our Homeschool
3rd Grade Handwriting and Copybook
My 3rd grade will continue with her cursive handwriting practice using New American Cursive 2. I also have the Startwrite program, so I make her worksheets as needed.
She also works in Copybook Cursive I twice each week. Most of this Scripture was memorized last year, since it correlates with Christian Studies I. However, my daughter has enjoyed already knowing the verses. This is great reinforcement!
3rd Grade Latin
3rd Grade begins Latin in our homeschool, starting with Prima Latina. My 3rd grader is loving her Latin course. It makes her feel like such a big kid.
Prima Latina is a beautiful introductory course for younger learners. My daughter masters 5 vocabulary words each week, and is in the process of memorizing several prayers in Latin.
This is a great fit for her and her favorite subject of the week.
In addition to the assigned work in the Prima Latina Student Workbook, she also completes the Prima Latina Copybook once per week in place of her regular handwriting practice.
In addition to Latin recitation, my daughter is working her way through 3rd Grade Recitation. We usually get to this recitation 1-3 times per week.
➡ Read more: How I Teach Prima Latina in Our Homeschool
➡ Read more: Why I Teach Latin in Our Homeschool
3rd Grade Math
My daughter is working through Rod and Staff Math 3. The repeated drill practice and reviewing of concepts is what solidifies math facts and concepts for my child.
If you choose Rod and Staff as a math program, don’t skip the Teacher’s Guide. It’s where the gold of the program is located!
3rd Grade Bible, History, Science
Since we do Bible time together each morning to start our school day, we are working through the last unit of Christian Studies I and moving right on to Christian Studies II.
While my older girls are required to take the tests, my 3rd grader is not.
She is required to do all of the memorization (the plagues in order, The Ten Commandments, Bible verses), however. This is our favorite time of the day, so this is an “easy” subject for all of us!
When we have any extra time in our school day, my 3rd grader and I work on Mammals from Memoria Press. She and I read the content together, and complete the workbook together. She loves animals, so this is a great study for her!
Also, she and I will work through American Pioneers and Patriots this year. These are short, fictional accounts of typical pioneer families. We will read these stories together, and then answer a few of the comprehension questions together on paper.
My daughter loves this era, so this will be a hit with her!
If we have time, I’ll have her work through a few of the projects in History Pockets: Life in Plymouth Colony. She is a crafty girl and loves all kinds of coloring/pasting/gluing projects.
Her text is not primarily about the Plymouth Colony, but the time period matches well. Despite it not being the perfect resource to accompany the reading, it will be fine. 🙂
My homeschooling self of 10 years ago would not have been this content with a not-so-perfect choice. Age and lots of babies has a way of helping us see the bigger picture, doesn’t it?
What is your 3rd grader studying this year?
Need more homeschool curriculum ideas? You can browse through all of my homeschool curriculum posts and get a few new-to-you ideas!
5th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices
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