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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: Feb 09 2010 at 9:35pm | IP Logged
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Does anyone have the current 2nd grade lesson plans? I am wondering what the specific lay-out is for the Bigger Stories for Little Folks. I have the previous edition and it starts right out with once a week Devotional Stories, and I'm satisfied with everything else in that set of lesson plans, so I'm not likely to purchase the new plans just for this one book change! 
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SeaStar
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I have the set from 2008, and it doesn't mention Bigger Stories.
I was thinking that I will have my ds Read Bigger stories over the summer and then just take up with the lesson plans in the fall. I don't want to buy a new set, either.
I recently read of how one mom works school in the summer- for every day of math and reading her dc do in the summer, they can take off from math and reading on Friday during the school year. I thought that was a neat plan.
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Feb 10 2010 at 7:53am | IP Logged
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I've got the old LP with the new book too. The Bigger Stories book pretty much has plans in it for extra words to write, etc, if you want that. We are just working through it, taking about 2 days to finish each chapter since they tend to be kind of long for my 7 yr old.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: Feb 10 2010 at 9:32am | IP Logged
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Thank you ladies! It seems that perhaps they've not released new lesson plans with the book in them then? I just mis-interpreted their words "Recommended core text in CHC Lesson Plans for Second Grade" to mean that they were in there 
I have the 2006 plans with one story a week from Devotional Stories and three days of independent reading. Would those of you with Bigger Stories suggest reading two stories a week, starting the year with Bigger Stories, then moving to Devotional Stories? The way my son reads and discusses, this is likely what we'll do, but I still like to hear others' thoughts
As for scheduling, we start our school year at the start of Advent - it throws us off so completely that we don't even consider "normal" school scheduling. With that said, I like to use Lent to revamp and get things in order for the upcoming months.
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Bookswithtea
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I think it just depends on the child. I would start with reviewing the words that your child might have difficulty with, then start in on the story and see how far they make it before they start to show signs of strain. For us, that's about 1/2 a story a day, 4 days a week, but every child is different. I do generally like having lesson plans as a guide, but when it comes to phonics, I always let the child lead rather than the plans. Children learn to read at varying rates. I don't like to stress out a child and let them think that they are somehow behind because of some arbitrary schedule.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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CatholicMommy
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My son is so far ahead in 1st grade reading right now that I'm supplementing with all sorts of things. His problem is that he memorizes what he reads the first time through and then he's no longer "reading" and when he starts a new story, he's starting from scratch (so if he memorizes so well, why doesn't he "memorize" reading rules? because it's basic stuff that catches him up). So we're using Little Angel Readers, American Cardinal Readers, previously did the Bob books, Christian Light reading program (not Catholic, but very good), and lots and lots of Montessori work (until I'm maxed out!).
While he's 2 booklets short of finishing LSLF, I don't want him to start 2nd grade lesson plans yet... as much as I'm all about following the child (I'm a Montessorian), there is something to be said for being rather young with a high reading level - an emotional maturity I want to respect AND an innocence I want to maintain.
One of these days, "in my free time"  I'll get together a group of like-minded people and write sets of books for younger children with higher reading levels. In the meantime.....
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Bookswithtea
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From what we've read so far, the Bigger Stories are pretty gentle, maturity wise. Also, those silly readers like Amelia Bedelia can be fun. Sounds like you are doing a good job. We don't re-read the CHC stories, either. Seems counterproductive to me. OH! The Beginner's Bible is also at a second grade level. Other than the fact that its cartoon images of Bible heroes, its a great reader for 2nd grade level.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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kristacecilia
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I am so glad to see someone else wondering this- I have the 2008 lesson plans- I just purchased them in spring 2009, at the same time I purchased BSLF. There's no lesson plans in them for that text- they have them reading two DSLF stories every week- one MOnday, one Thursday- and doing independent reading the other two days.
Not that I can even get my guy to read BSLF. He thinks it looks boring. He does read DSLF independently, though, and he's not even six yet!
I am in the same boat as you- trying to find books that my "kindergarten" aged son can read when he's reading at second or third grade level. Books that aren't too mature. He loves to read things like the Usborne First Book of Knowledge, other Usborne natural history/science books, lots of Magic Tree House, books like Bunnicula, The Sword in the Tree, Little House in the Big Woods, Paddle-to-the-Sea, etc. Plus, he loves to get the wordier picture books designed to be read aloud to littles from the library and read several of those in a sitting.
What's your guy reading? I am always looking for new titles from like minded people.
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The Happy Little Family series by Rebecca Caudhill is wonderful. Your ds might like that. My ds is 7 and likes it very much.... especially the games the children play and when they go hunting for arrowheads.
The Children of Noisy Village is another good one that is kid friendly.
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kristacecilia
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Melinda,
I am so glad you mentioned the Happy Little Family series. I had already put them on my 'to be purchased' list for next year's materials. I will be sure to get them, now. Thank you!
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CatholicMommy
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Right now, I am most concerned about getting him more "practice" versus his method of memorizing the first time through and then not really reading it again. This week, I feel like we've finally hit a break-through - where he is *truly* reading the first time through (includes inflections, gets most of the sounds of a new word the first time, looks ahead for question or exclamation marks). We found reading level lists online for some of the books we have and he's been putting them in order and reading through them. All by his own prompting :)
So, we're really just getting started on the true reading.
So a lot of we have done:
Montessori language
CHC Booklets (he has one more booklet to finish - he keeps distracting himself to other reading material)
Bob books
Curious George phonics readers
Magic School Bus phonics readers
Science phonics readers (through Scholastic)
Animal Life: Survival in the Wild (an encyclopedia of sorts)
Random workbooks from Christian Light Education (we don't really use the curriculum, but I had access to free resources so we are supplementing here and there with appropriate pieces)
Things we are still doing:
Dr. Seuss books (at least the ones we have)
American Cardinal Readers 1
I Wonder (Christian Light Education reading program 1st grsade book - I would say it's more of an advanced 1st grade/average 2nd grade though - compared to the other books on reading level lists)
Various picture books that were read to him as a toddler/preschooler (I do question how much is memorized though) - when looking up reading levels for some of these, I was surprised to find them marked at 2nd or 3rd grade so that's a bonus that we already have these available!
Children's Planet Earth Encyclopedia (this one is really neat and definitely a step higher than his usual fare)
In fact, we try to do so little of the public library for a few reasons, including that I tend to be very slow getting books back, even when we are there weekly and it frankly becomes cheaper for me to just buy the really good books. Also, I have SO many books (half my bedroom is lined with tall bookshelves which are full, organized by general categories), that I'm sure I have enough here if I could just figure out reading levels (what I was doing yesterday!).
But I know he really wants to do chapter books soon and that's where the rub is. I want appropriate, not-too-twaddle, and interesting.
Thank you for the book suggestions, please keep them coming!
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kristacecilia
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The Magic Tree House books are a bit twaddley, I think, but DS loves them and is really interested in learning more about the historical events that occur in each book. I am actually surprised at the amount of learning he is getting out of each book. I totally consider them to be brain candy, but at least they are not completely twaddle. If your son is looking for a foray into chapter books, you might consider looking into them.
I try to balance it out by purchasing other, non-twaddle books or getting them from the library and encouraging him to read those, too.
My son isn't struggling with inflection or sounding out words, though. I listen carefully when he reads to his youngers siblings and he seems to do fine with that. Sometimes I have to correct him if he mispronounces a word, but usually he has tried to pronounce it phonetically and it doesn't follow the rules. I often have to explain to him what words or phrases mean, too. That's where our biggest struggle is- finding books that he can understand that are a bit of a challenge, but that aren't too mature for him.
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CatholicMommy
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Oh yes! We do have the first 12 of the Magic TreeHouse books. I'm not opposed to them, but I'm not keen on them either They will definitely be something he can read, but I will have to be careful not to encourage the consumerism tendency (which is my fear with series like this that just go on and on and on). 
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Here is a link with Good Authors for Boys
You would have to check for age appropriateness, but there are some good ones in here. I totally forgot about the Billy and Blaze books!
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Topic: CHC Bigger Stories - lesson plans
