Year 2 Program and Books



Bible
The Children's Bible –Read aloud NT major stories in order
or read from the Bible (see reading list)

Your Story Hour Audio tapes of Bible Vol 1-4 (optional)

For private daily bible reading children may use:
Begin a Bible Journal- draw and write prayers, and keep sermon notes/pictures here
*Polite Moments 1by Gary Maldaner
**Missionary Stories and the Millers by Mildred Martin
***What Would Jesus Do? by Mack Thomas, Helen Haidle
***Girl Choice: These are My People Gladys Aylward by Mildred T. Howard

Awesome Book of Bible Facts by Sandy Silverthorne (optional)

Writing
"The earliest practice in writing proper for children of seven or eight should be, not letter writing or dictation, but transcription (copywork), slow and beautiful work… Transcription should be an introduction to spelling. Children should be encouraged to look at the word, see a picture of it with their eyes shut, and then write from memory.
A certain sense of possession and delight may be added to this exercise if children are allowed to choose for transcription their favorite verse in one poem and another. This is better than to write a favorite poem, an exercise which stales on the little people before it is finished. But a book of their own, made up of their own chosen verses, should give them pleasure." (Home education, p. 238).

Ten minutes of daily writing without interruption and no more 
 Continue "My America" copybook and use for three years (see notes on method)
 Transcribe (copy) from reading books and quote jar (lined paper)

***Writing In Narrative Book 1 by Peter Joel and Dr. Leslie Simonson (optional)

Grammar  
Continue informal grammar instruction with copywork exercises.-What is a sentence? Subjects, nouns, verbs and basic punctuation.
 
Optional helpful resources

Daily Grams 2  by Wanda Phillips ( 2pgs wkly) NOT Daily Grammar 2
A Cache of Jewels by Ruth Heller

Read Aloud Tales
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by Nesbit (rd 1/st half this yr)
Pilgrim's Progress-part one by John Bunyan (Orion’s Gate slightly abridged audio preferred)
Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
*Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
***The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Poetry
**Eugene Field
**James Whitcombe Riley
***Paul Revere's Ride by  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
***Sing Song by Christina Rossetti

American History
(Colonial Times1629-Revolutionary War1776)
This Country Of Ours by H.E. Marshall  (main text)
**If you lived at the time of the American Revolution by Moore
**Benjamin Franklin by D’Aulaire
**George Washington by D’Aulaire
**Mary Geddy's Day by Waters
**The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
**The Matchlock Gun by Walter D. Edmonds

World History
(Medieval/Early Renaissance 400AD -1600AD)
Child's History of the World - V.M. Hillyer (main text)
Usborne Ancient World by Fiona Chandler
(only use this if you were already using it in yr 1. The last few remaining pages will be read)
Usborne Medieval World by Jane Bingham
**Viking Tales by Hall (beginning in wk 16)
***Marco Polo by Graves
***Joan of Arc by Stanley
***A Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli

Other optional recommended reading:
Aladdin by Carrick
William Tell by Early
Geography
A laminated wall map of the World (mark places you are studying with dry erase pens)
A laminated wall map of the United States (mark places you are studying with dry erase pens)
Fill in Colonies map as they are studied and add to My America Book:
List and map of Revolutionary War Battles:

Natural History and Science
Keep a Nature Notebook
Handbook of Nature Study Guide for reference
Various field guides and picture books.
Thornton Burgess Animal Book for Children (we compile a small animal photo album as we read each chapter. The pictures can be found at http://burgessanimals.shutterfly.com/ )
 *Great Dinosaur Mystery and the Bible
**Pagoo by Holling C. Holling (We added a section in our nature journal of animals observed from this book when we visited the ocean. If you can't visit the ocean, you can buy a pet hermit crab at your local pet store.)

Watch, identify and describe their habits and location. Record 12 each term in journal:
6 birds each term
6 plants each term (wild fruits, twigs of trees, wildflowers)
6 animals/insects each term

Good Books for the Science/Nature shelf: (optional)
Magic School Bus inside the Human Body by Joanne Cole illus. by Bruce Degen bk (3 wks)
Why Don't Haircuts Hurt? by Berger (3 wks) 
Magic School Bus On the Ocean Floor Why Does an Ocean Wave? by Berger 
Magic School Bus Electric Field Trip
Starting Point Science Vol 1-Weather, Plants, Electricity, Underground by Susan Mayes
Science Activities Vol 3- Battteries, Body, Weather by Usborne

Picture Study
Study reproductions of six pictures by an artist per term and narrate from memory. Add to computer desktop background.  Give each child a 4x6 print. (available for free download at artrenewal.org)

Suggestions:
Fra Angelico
Giotto
Botticelli
Copley
Stuart
N.C.Wyeth

Mathematics
Subtraction flash cards
Gram Cubes for counting and place value
Teach double digit addition and subtraction- a workbook or math program is not necessary at this age.
Family Math by Stenmark- for reference (use many word problems)
Learn to tell time, make change from a dollar.
Rapid mental work with addition and subtraction flash cards and occasional online math games
Teach place value to ten. Some children will be ready for 100.
Count by twos, fives, tens, 100s

Foreign Language
Illustrated children's tales with audio cassettes or CDs
Transcribe sentences from tales.
Children translate small passages into English orally

Drawing
from nature and from history tales
Draw 50 Animals by Lee j Ames- draw one animal per week
123 Draw Knights, Castles and Dragons (another extra option)
Sketch (use a soft, thick drawing pencil like charcoal; not a regular pencil)
Pictures of people read about in your Tales (occasionally)
Learn to use the dry brush technique with watercolors. (CM referred to dry brush as the use of watercolor paints on dry paper-no wash. The key to this technique is to use very little water. Young children should avoid pencil outlines filled in with color, although PNEU samples of older children's journals showed some light sketching with pencil first, then the watercolors were applied. Paint the lighter hues first, allow to dry for a few minutes, then layer on the darker hues to achieve depth. Exact colors of specimens should be created by mixing colors in the lid of the paint box.)
6 plants and 6 animals/insects per term that the child has observed.

Recitations
Learn one or two suitable passage of 6 verses from chapters in Bible Lessons and/or Psalms per term
Focus on parables
 (total of 12 to 18 verses per term)
One Psalm per term
One poem of child's choice from poet studied per term.

Suggestions:
*Psalm 23, Luke 2: 8-15 (Birth of Jesus), Matthew 13:3-9 (The Sower)
** Psalm 1:1-6,Matthew 18:10-14 (The Lost sheep), Matthew 6:6-14 (the Lord’s prayer)
*** Psalm 8: 1-8, Matthew 28:1-6 (the Resurrection), I Corinthians 13:1-8a (Love

Music
Progressive Recorder Method for Young Beginners Book 2
Practice 15 minutes daily

Composer Study
If you are studying composers in historical order:
No lessons. Just listen and enjoy:

Medieval Music
* "A Feather on the Breath of God: Sequences and Hymns by Abbess Hildegard of Bingen" featuring Emma Kirkby and Gothic Voices
** "Salve Regina - Gregorian Chant" by Benedictine Monks of Saint-Maurice; Saint Maur of Clervaux
*** "A Dance In the Garden of Mirth: Medieval Instrumental Music" by the Dufay Collective

Singing
2 hymns per term
2 folksongs (see list) per term (we suggestThe Death of General Wolfe)
2 foreign language songs if you can

Elocution
McGuffey’s Eclectic 2nd Reader (1st half)
Child reads aloud during Tea Time.

Physical Education
running, skipping, galloping, throwing and catching a ball

Handiwork
Help in house and garden
Sewing, cross-stitch, rug hook, clay modeling, rock painting are some suggestions
See Handicraft list for more ideas

Additional Reading
Readers:
Mr. Popper's Penguins
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
Dick Wittington and His Cat
The Boxcar Children Series 1-19 only (RA 1st bk only)
English Fairy Tales illus by Rackham
A Wonder Book by Hawthorne
Child’s Book of Heroes edited by Bennett

Read Alouds
Peter Pan by James M. Barrie, watch the play too
Heidi by Spryi
Little House on the Prairie by Wilder
Farmer Boy by Wilder
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Sidney
The Light Princess by MacDonald
Various Thornton Burgess Stories
Stories of the Pilgrims by Pumphrey 
Pied Piper of Hamlin
North American Indians by Gorsline



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