2020-2021 3rd Grade Curriculum
The realm of homeschool curriculum is vast. There are so many different options out there you are bound to get lost. You are also bound to pick the wrong curriculum that just won’t work for either you or your kiddos, no matter how much research you did prior. After trial and error, I have found the curriculum that has been working for us and our homeschool and we are obsessed! I am loving the information being presented and my daughter is staying engaged. It is just the right amount of workload but allows room for extra practice, supplementation (which I do), and the freedom to explore rabbit holes.
Here’s what we’ve been using this homeschool year for third grade:
Language Arts
We have been using Masterbooks Language Lessons for a Living Education 3. It is a Christian based curriculum but I don’t mind that at all. I’ve been enjoying it and so has my daughter. We’ve had some really great conversations centered around this curriculum. Initially, I was a little skeptical because the work just seemed too “easy” or that it wasn’t enough. I would look at it and say “is that it!?” But over time I’ve learned to double up on lessons, supplement on others, and skip some altogether. The lessons are enough to keep my daughter engaged and it allows me to add additional support for the lessons she is struggling in. I’ve always made the spelling portion of the curriculum into my own so that she is practicing throughout the week and has a spelling quiz on Fridays. Also, there is no prep work because there is a schedule at the beginning of the book you can follow, or like me, you can adapt it to you and your child’s homeschool day.
Math
We are using Masterbooks Lessons for a Living Education Level 2. We are actually doing a level down because my daughter is not yet ready for level 3. I had originally purchased level 3 and realized we were not there yet so I just have it saved for next year. Again it is Christian-based and has a gentle approach to learning math. There are mini-stories at the beginning of each lesson to relate the new lesson to real-life scenarios which I appreciate. It allows us to relate it back to our daily lives and emphasize how we can use the different math concepts. Again, I am supplementing where necessary and we are breezing through other lessons. It is just the right amount for my little one. I did purchase the supplementation source from their website that provides additional practice sheets and practice tests.
Science
We are using Blossom & Root’s Year 3 Science: Wonders of the Animal Kingdom. This is a secular homeschool curriculum. I am in love with this company and the quality of the material. My daughter asks me every day if we’re doing science because she can’t wait to dive into the lessons. This curriculum has something for everyone. From nature/outdoor lovers, the book lovers, the arts and craft lovers, the minimalists, and the homeschoolers of multiple ages. The book list is astounding and there are so many choices to choose from. You are not obligated to get any but can pick and choose. You can pick and choose from the different pathways you want to learn and explore from and that can be adjusted per week depending on the topic. There are tons of video options and crafts. I mean we just can’t get enough of this curriculum. We purchased the entire science unit which also came with its nature study and the extension unit for Wonders of the Prehistoric World. We are actually going to dive into those during our breaks and throughout summer.
History
Again we are using Blossom & Root’s A River of Voices: Vol 1. The History of the United States: the First European Colonies to 1791. This history curriculum is so diverse and explains history in an appropriate and real way. Nothing is sugar-coated and it allows you to share what is age-appropriate for your child. I am actually relearning history with my daughter as we are going through this curriculum. Again this curriculum has something for everyone. From book lovers, the minimalists, and the homeschoolers of multiple ages. There are some required texts and some that are optional. There is even a book list for parents. Because of the diversity and the honest history lessons, I appreciate the warnings to screen certain material before presenting it to your child because every family and every child is different. This is the right way to teach history. Vol. 2 is supposed to be released in the Spring of next year.
Those are the main subjects that we cover. I use Teachers Pay Teachers a lot for supplementation and for additional resources or unit studies. I follow a lot of homeschool accounts for seasonal mini unit studies. I am in the process of building our Solar System Unit Study and I can’t wait to share more on that later. Geography, Phonics, Writing, etc is utilized from our main curriculum choices, or again, I supplement with workbooks and games I found on Amazon. The Home and Haven Community has excellent seasonal unit studies that we’ve really been enjoying and you can really make them your own.
Also, there are SO MANY FREE resources out there! Our daily warm-ups and the guide to creating my unit studies came from Learning Resources. Teachers Pay Teachers also has a lot of amazing free content. When everyone had to switch to virtual learning, a lot of free resources became available and I have taken full advantage of those resources and so should you!
This is my first year homeschooling and I am trying to keep things as simple as possible. Early next year we’ll be incorporating a typing program but other than that I am enjoying where we are in our homeschool journey.
Feel free to share your favorite curriculum choices down below or your favorite resources. I’d love to hear!
Love & Light,
Jalesa