Years ago, we used Singapore Math. It was the same curriculum that was used in their school system.
The only thing you need to get used to is the British spelling of words. They like to use the letter “u” a lot.
Try Abeka (sp?)
A comment: even if they feel overwhelmed and factually not up to the task the simple fact that they are showing a keen interest in the child’s education will on average yield benefits. A child that has it demonstrated to them that education matters may not always take it to heart, nothing is perfect and hard cases will still happen, but many will.
Schools fail because parents often use them as babysitters and expect the “professionals” to achieve results without their involvement.
I’d look into Abeka. Many of our missionary families use it for their kids when on the foreign fields.
When they’re home on furlough and visit churches, you can tell which ones used Abeka. Smartest. Most mature and poised.
Just a though. Also Liberty University, Bob Jones, and Hillsdale all have homeschool programs, I believe.
Have them peruse this website. It is Classical and Lutheran, which is about as different from public school as you can possibly get. :) https://wittenbergacademy.org/grammar-school-curriculum.html
Metmom has the homeschool ping list.
One of the best things about homeschooling is that you get to travel during non-peak times. It tends to be much cheaper and less crowded.
Every trip is an opportunity to teach history, art, science, and culture.
There lots of choices. We home-schooled for 13 years. Every year my wife and some of her friends would to a Home School Convention for 3 days. They would purchase curriculum and make lesson plans for the whole year.
One suggestion is to join HSLDA. They will defend you legally if the government comes after you.
In America, govenrment bureacrats are only out for their own interests. Cops can’t/won’t be cops, politicians don’t let cops do their jobs, cities are out-of-control, and educators don’t care about education. It should be obvious now its time to get your child out of the clutches of political government schools. Its inexpensive, you get more learning in a much shorter time each day, and the child is free to do so many other things.
There are scores of online programs. Your friend can easily find a local group of like-minded parents who share activities. There so are many options.
I have heard good things about this program below - although my kids have not used it. There are dozens like it.
https://www.acellusacademy.com
Tell them its easier than ever - take the plunge and control your child’s future!
We used Calvert curriculum.
Lots of reading! Read aloud at least one chapter a day and if possible have them read a chapter alone each day. Go to Sonlight.com to order great books for your child’s reading level. I like A Beka math for 2nd grade. Explode the Code are great Language Arts books that all my kids have loved and been successful in (I think they have a little assessment you can do to see which book to get). Typing without Tears for typing if you want that. Apologia has great science books - the astronomy one is good for 2nd grade. Real Science For Kids also has good science at that level. Story of the World Vol. 1 is an excellent book to start world history. Super digestible. You can also get Story of the World on audio. My kids have all loved the audio. Join Awana for part of your Bible studies. (Many of these are Christian resources)
I also really like Christian Light Education for math and reading and language arts. They are Mennonite. Excellent, thorough curriculum at a very good price. My kids always score really well on testing when they do CLE, but I don’t do it all every year because it is A LOT and gets very burdensome. I might pick one CLE subject. Or you could just pick and choose which sections to do so you don’t overdo it.
It’s only 2nd grade. I would encourage your friend to focus on the basics at the beginning, don’t stress about getting everything in at all at the beginning. Focus on getting a new rhythm with your child. Be patient. Have fun! Take breaks. Join a co-op. It’s so much work and also so fun, and you gotta shake the public school thing in your head. Don’t do everything that every curriculum suggests. You will burn out fast!!
Nothing in education is more important than instilling a love of reading!
When you love reading, you naturally become educated in history, arts, civics, science, geography, etc.
Not a curriculum, but I bought my kids lots of educational games.
Cluefinders adventures are awesome! I know they have 3rd through 6th grade not sure about 2nd.
I don’t remember which ones were good and which ones weren’t. But it’s what holds our kid’s interest.
My daughter was tested when she entered kindergarden and was reading at the third grade third trimester level.
My daughter scored 35 on the ACT and my son 34. Both had full tuition scholarships.
To be honest with you, up to about 5th or 6th grade you do not really need a formal curriculum. And certainly not for 2nd grade. What you do need is some sort of structure so they get used to routine. But for the younger folks you can turn almost anything into homeschooling. A walk around the neighborhood can become a math lesson as they count or categorize cars in driveways, or the average number of cracks in the sidewalk.
One thing that is important, though, is a structure that makes sure you are covering the important things. We found the book series “What your xxx grader needs to know.” It presents an outline of topics in a logical way to build up a well rounded education. They went up to sixth grade when we were at that age. But anything like this would give you the confidence that you are not missing the critical stuff.
The other thing I would suggest is to focus on the basics - reading, writing, ciphering. Ok, second grade not so much ciphering, but they should be on their way to learning the times tables (or the concept behind them). But if they learn reading above their grade level, and start writing, that will give them the tools to move along later.
Find books just above their age and read them together out loud. Fun books, because reading should be fun, not a chore.
Meanwhile, dive in, remember that well over 50% of the public school day is administrative and not education, and have fun covering in 2 hours what they used to cover in 6.
My wife's rules:
1. Set a schedule and stick to it. If you start the day at 8:00 then always start at 8, unless it is decided and announced beforehand.
2. Teach your children that you always learn, all through the day and for the rest of your life. Never stop learning.
3. Start with the basics - reading, writing and arithmetic. If their kids are good at those then everything become possible.
4. It is OK to make them memorize - times tables, rivers, parts of government, state capitals, the Books of the Bible. Memorizing creates certain innate disciplines that can only be learned through repetition.
5. We use to take trips to the mall (OK, so it was long ago...) Before each student decided on something they wanted to see and we did it - makes your kids know that we listen to them, and that we will keep our commitments. Make them each order their own food. Then they would each write an essay on what they saw - what stores they saw, what things they did and what they really liked or didn't like. Grade those essays on English and grammar and accuracy of recollection.
6. Learn a foreign language - with them! Find folks that speak other languages and use what you learn. Interact with people from all ages.
7. Learn a skill or a craft - and keep at it until excellent. One home schooler made their own telescope - all except blowing their own glass. Maybe Dad or another relative can pitch in - girls learning auto mechanics, boys learning to cook, all becoming well rounded grown ups.
8. Love your kids more than anyone else - you will be encouraged to help them excel, and they will know that they are secure in your hands.
Please keep in mind that except for certain specialties, most public school teachers are generalists and learn more about HOW to teach than any subject they will be teaching.
Check out Homeschool in the Woods. Decent history programs. Stuff you can download and print. Good product for the price.