We have one more week of 2nd grade!  Wow!  I'm planning 3rd grade already! 

This will be our first year we haven't just taken the month of June off from school and then started our next grade level in July.  Instead, we're going to do "summer school."  How is that different, you ask?

Well, first of all, we're not really taking any time "off" and yet we're not really doing a full schedule of "school."  We will continue with 3R's kinds of things, mostly using Time 4 Learning and Ben will have a summer reading list.  We've already begun compiling his reading lists (yes, 2 lists...his and mine!).  Actually he's already begun reading from "his" list.  As I type this he's reading a book entitled, True Life Treaure Hunts. 

A great resource we are using for summer reading is Book Adventures.  If you are not familiar with Book Adventures, you may enjoy checking it out, especially if you have relunctant readers.  Within the website are book lists, by grade level.  Your child (or his mom) can choose a book to read from the list, complete the comprehension questions online, and earn points.  The points can be accumulated and traded in for prizes.  Using incentives such as this works well for Ben.  He LOVES being rewarded!!

Our backyard bird study will continue for the next few weeks.  It's pretty low key.  We're bird watching and learning bit and pieces about some of the birds we commonly see, adding minit books to our animal notebook.  I can see this going on most of the summer!

We'll begin 3rd grade in August.  I'll be posting those plans soon!  But we are going to have an exciting year!!