3rd grade homeschool curriculum comparison - language arts | Catholic Homeschooling

Grade 3 Language Arts Comparison of Homeschool Programs

9 Jun, 2009  3rd Grade, By Subject, Catholic Homeschool, Compare Curriculum, English/Phonics

Key:
Seton Home Study – Seton
Kolbe Homeschool Academy – Kolbe
St. Thomas Aquinas – STA
Our Lady of the Rosary – OLR
Our Lady of Victory – OLV
Mother of Divine Grace – MDG
Catholic Heritage Curriculum – CHC
Mater Amabilis – MA (Catholic Version of Charlotte Mason Style)
Angelicum – Angl

3rd Grade Language Arts Homeschool Curriculum Comparison

Whether you want to design your own curriculum or just see what all the HS programs have to offer, over the next week I will be doing a curricula comparison overview of several Catholic Home Study programs. Keep in mind this is an overview to get more in depth you should visit their websites. Some come with perks, some are free, and some are not. It’s very important to keep in mind that if you are interested in a particular text book or curriculum you should further investigate if it comes with a Teachers Manual, not just an answer Key. Some of the courses come with a teacher’s manual/guide, some schools offer them for sale and some do not. If you are not sure if a teacher’s manual is available I suggest visiting the publisher’s website; then you can make an informed decision. Do not just stop at the teacher’s manuals and answer keys because some programs offer lesson plans at a price$ even if do not belong to their program.  I would recommend that you consider purchasing lesson plans. They will save hours in your week. Plus, you can always adjust them to your own school assignments.

English/Grammar

Kolbe: Voyages in English 2006 Grade 3 with Voyages in English 2006 Grade 3 Teacher Edition supplements are: McGuffey’s Third Eclectic Reader (you can also get McGuffey’s free online) English from the Roots Up Volume I , Writing Strands Level 3 (Writing Strands Ser)

OLV:     Voyages in English 2006 Grade 3or God gave me the gift of Language 3

OLR:     Voyages in English 2006 Grade 3

STA:     Voyages 2 and/or Simply Grammar

Seton:  English 3 for Young Catholics – Seton Grade 3, Basic Skills Better Sentence Structure Through Diagraming, Book 1

CHC:    Language of God Level C

MDG:    Primary Language Lessons by E. Serl  and Sound Beginnings

MA:      Primary Language Lessons E. Serl

Angl:    Sing, Spell, Read & Write 3rd grade kit; Shurley Grammar: Level 3

Phonics

Kolbe, Seton:    Phonics Workbook: Level C (MCP) Teacher’s manual with answer key for Phonics workbook, level C (MCP phonics program)

OLR, OLV:          Word Study Level D (MCP)

Reading

Kolbe, OLV: Catholic National Readers – Book 3

STA: Catholic National Readers – Book 2

Seton: Reading 3 for Young Catholics, Comprehension – Seton Grade 3

Seton, OLR: Faith and Freedom Readers – This is Our Town,  This is Our Valley

CHC: Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls;  More Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls , Little Apostle on Crutches

MDG: Primary Language Lessons by E. Serl

MA:  Program of your choice

Literature

MDG, MA:   Harp and Laurel and living books

CHC:    Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls;  Little Apostles on Crutches

STA:   A Landscape With Dragons: The Battle for Your Child’s Mind

OLV, Seton: Catholic Stories of Saints and other stories check their sites.

Handwriting: All unique programs

Kolbe:  Handwriting Book D – Cursive

STA:     Writing Without Tears 3- Cursive

Seton:  Handwriting 3 for Young Catholics – Seton Grade 3

OLR:     Basic Handwriting

CHC:    CHC Handwriting 3

MA:     D’Nelian Cursive

MDG:  Primary Language Lessons by E. Serl

OLV:   Exercise in English

Spelling

Kolbe, OLR: Own Syllabi

STA:       The W.I.S.E. Guide for Spelling

Seton:    Spelling 3 for Young Catholics – Seton Grade 3 , Vocabulary:Wordly Wise A, B, C

CHC:       CHC Catholic Speller 3

MDG:      Write Road to Reading

OLV:       Traditional Catholic Speller 3 After my own investigation into all the 3rd grade curriculum has led me to make the following decision in my daughters Language Arts program.

English, Phonics, Reading, Spelling and Vocabulary Words will come from these sources:

  • “English from the Roots up,” “Easy Grammar 3 And 4 – Student Edition: Grades 3 And 4
    ” (not listed), Sentence Diagramming.
  • “McGuffey Reader” or “Primary Language Lessons” (because I have these books.)
  • Also have “Saxon phonics” (also not listed) I will be supplementing with when necessary.
  • SpellingCity.com is where I will go to drill spelling words, play games with them and test.
  • “Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls,” Catholic Saint Stories, “Our Town,”
  • Living books from MA and other home study reading lists.

Handwriting:

  • I really should try Writing Without Tears because handwriting is her least favorite subject.
  • I have “Handwriting 3 for young Catholics.”
    • I read bible stories associated with the pictures in writing book while my daughter writes out her lesson. She loves that.

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