Simply Classical Curriculum: Level 2

Sample Lesson Plan: Level 2

This program has been carefully adapted from the curriculum developed over many years at the acclaimed Highlands Latin School. Level 2 is designed for students who already possess beginning phonics, arithmetic, and writing skills. Level 2 strengthens those skills through incremental practice and instruction.

This Curriculum Manual is made to be used in conjunction with Simply Classical Curriculum: Level 2.

Simply Classical Copybook: Book Two, Manuscript

Ages 5-8 (chronological age or skill level)

Copybook is a time-honored activity in which students copy Scripture, maxims, poetry, and other literature selections. Through the Simply Classical Copybook series, students strengthen penmanship, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, and memory. Students learn habits of accuracy, neatness, and patience. Even more, they receive truth and comfort from Holy Scripture. Shorter selections help accommodate for writing difficulties while providing the full benefits of copybook exercises for all beginning writers.

From the publisher: The Moose Moments: Short Vowels book includes 5 stories, each targeting a specific short vowel sound. Students will enjoy the high interest level and whimsical illustrations of these stories, as they practice applying their short vowel sounds. These stories are not highly controlled.

From the publisher: The Moose Moments: Silent E book includes 5 stories, each targeting a different silent "e" sound (a-e, e-e, i-e, o-e, u-e). Students will enjoy the high interest level and whimsical illustrations of these stories, as they practice applying their silent "e" sounds. These stories are not highly controlled.

From the publisher: The Moose Moments: Consonant Digraphs book includes 4 short vowel stories, each targeting a specific digraph sound (sh, ch, wh, th). An additional less controlled story focusing on digraph ch is included. Students will enjoy the high interest level and whimsical illustrations of these stories, as they practice applying their digraph sounds. These stories are not highly controlled. 

Phonics Flashcards Sample

Phonograms are letters or letter teams that represent (spell) one of the 44 sounds of the English language. English spelling is the most complex and irregular of any of the modern Western languages. There are nearly 200 phonograms used to spell our 44 English sounds. These easy-to-use flashcards help your student master the complexities of English phonograms.

These flashcards also come with a downloadable version for your use.

Simply Classical Spelling: Step-by-Step Words, Book 1 Sample

Ages 6-8 (chronological age or skill level)

This series gives your struggling writer an incremental, multi-sensory approach with an oral/aural emphasis. Each week includes targeted Word Study exercises to promote linguistic awareness, cognitive flexibility, and improved spelling skills.

From the publisher: Spelling program features word lists built around similar sounds and patterns with varied and relevant exercises.

The Rod & Staff Grade 1 Math Student Book (Part 2) continues with Lessons 86-170. Like the Rod & Staff Grade 1 Math Student Book (Part 1), this book continues the mastery approach method when teaching mathematics.

From the publisher: "A small tablet of 72 speed drills provides timed practice of addition and subtraction facts ...."

Storytelling recordings from Aesop's Fables, the Brothers Grimm, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and others from award-winning  storyteller Jim Weiss.

Step-by-Step Sentences, Book One (Read-Aloud Edition) Sample

The "progressive" approach leaves beginning writers ill-prepared. This series combines classical copybook, grammar rules, and composition into on carefully sequenced series of explicit instruction, so students can practice early writing skills with confidence.

To complete this workbook you will need the books included in the Simply Classical Writing Book One: Read-Aloud Companion Set.

This book is also available as a Bible Story Edition (requires only the Child's Garden of Bible Verses, which is included in Simply Classical Level 2).

Blossoming readers need more than practice; they need to discover the riches of a good story. With simplified exercises in word study, composition, and oration, these delightful guides provide a joyful introduction to children’s literature. Teach essential language arts skills, as your students encounter stories of tenderness, bravery, and kindness. Created especially for struggling learners or students with special needs, these adaptations of the Memoria Press originals are each subtitled “A Guide to Reading Deeply and Writing Skillfully through a Collection of Four Stories.”

Simply Classical StoryTime Treasures Teacher Guide Sample

Blossoming readers need more than practice; they need to discover the riches of a good story. With simplified exercises in word study, composition, and oration, these delightful guides provide a joyful introduction to children’s literature. Teach essential language arts skills, as your students encounter stories of tenderness, bravery, and kindness. Created especially for struggling learners or students with special needs, these adaptations of the Memoria Press originals are each subtitled “A Guide to Reading Deeply and Writing Skillfully through a Collection of Four Stories.”

Little Bear, by Else Holmelund Minarik introduces young readers to Little Bear and Mother Bear. Mother Bear loves Little Bear and knows exactly what he needs. She finds a perfectly warm outfit for Little Bear to wear when he plays outside in the cold snow. She makes him a hot lunch knowing he will be hungry after his imaginary trip to the moon. She also never forgets his birthday! Written in 1957, this classic children's book by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak  remains beloved by generations of readers.

From the publisher:

"Like all children, Little Bear loves to visit his grandparents. There is always so much to do, so much to see, and so much to eat. His grandfather is never too tired to play (that is, almost never) and his grandmother tells him stories about Mother Bear when she was a little cub. Also, like all grandparents, the elder bears indulge their grandson more than his parents do. And Little Bear enjoys that!"

Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk! Sal and her mother are picking blueberries to can for the winter. But when Sal wanders to the other side of Blueberry Hill, she discovers a mama bear preparing for her own long winter. Meanwhile, Sal's mother is being followed by a small bear with a big appetite for berries! Will each mother go home with the right little one?

In Caps for Sale Esphyr Slobodkina retells a traditional folk tale about a cap peddler and his mishap with some monkeys. This simple and humorous story is sure to delight children as they read about the peddler's problem and the creative way he resolves it. Caps for Sale is a wonderful book for young readers and features rhythmic repetition, color words, and easy-to-read sentences.

From the publisher: "At the Farm allows beginning readers to practice reading controlled-vowel words."

New American Cursive 1 Sample

New American Cursive is an easy-to-follow resource for teaching beginning cursive. It presents simplified letter forms, using multi-sensory methods to aid in the learning of motor skills necessary to write well. Developed by Iris Hatfield, with over 35 years of experience in the handwriting field, the book improves the process of teaching handwriting and allows students to start at a younger age.

New American Cursive 1:

• Designed with the first grader in mind
• Unnecessary strokes are eliminated; NAC alphabet has 26 fewer strokes than the top three most common cursive programs.
• Letter forms are simplified but retain the classic form for legibility.
• NAC natural right slant is easier for beginners and left-handers. If the slant is too far right, it can be difficult for lefties. Writing absolutely vertically is tiring and can slow down the writing.
• NAC program was created to be simple, clear, and effective. It focuses on accuracy and increasing legibility.
• A teaching guide is included. It takes students only twenty minutes of their day to practice in their NAC book.

Cursive Practice Sheets Sample

One question we hear repeatedly is how to get more worksheets to practice New American Cursive writing. We try to put extra sheets in our books, but it never seems to be enough. Our new Cursive Practice Sheets book includes pages for practicing each cursive letter, Scripture copywork, and blank practice sheets. Since the most important objective of the New American Cursive program is mastery, the more your student is able to practice, the better!