This review delves into the specifics of Abeka Academy’s second-grade curriculum. We’ll start with an overview of its components and then get into the details of each subject’s benefits and drawbacks. The curriculum review will help you decide whether this curriculum is right for your second grader.
Pro Tip: Order and Unbox Your Curriculum Early
Ordering your curriculum in advance is always a good idea. Still, it’s imperative in this case because Abeka gives you 60 days to correct your order if it is missing something. If you order early, you can ensure that the curriculum you receive matches what was advertised on the website and that there are no problems with delivering it to your house.
Ordering early is also a great way to unbox everything and go through the material, so you know what needs to be turned in at the end of each grading period.
It’s a good idea to see if there are any issues with items being missing or damaged as soon as possible. Waiting until after classes have started (or worse yet, after homework assignments have been given) can cause trouble.
You get a lot of subjects with Abeka, so there is a lot to unpack and go through. At first, it looks overwhelming. But let’s break down what you will find in your second-grade boxes.
Bible
Bible is the first core subject your child will learn about at Abeka Academy. The Bible is taught from a Christian worldview, meaning that all teaching materials are written from a Christian perspective. It’s important to note here that no specific denominations are being taught in Abeka Academy; instead, the curriculum uses biblical principles and values to teach students about God’s word.
Abeka is a baptist school; however, Catholic and similar denominations do not usually find this curriculum helpful because they approach religion a little differently.
Bible classes are crucial for second graders because they help build their faith foundation and understanding of morality. With this knowledge and experience comes confidence, ultimately leading them toward becoming successful adults with strong character traits such as honesty and integrity! The Bible lessons are also great if you do not live close to a church or cannot attend one for some other reason.
How Bible class is implemented each year varies slightly depending on your grade level. Still, we found it easiest to break down our experience into three categories: the chronological approach, the narrative approach, and the topical approach (devotional).
The Abeka lessons are, for the most part, chronological. However, they skip over parts of the Bible, only hitting the highlights for the kids. How the world began, the genesis story, Moses and the people in The desert, and Jesus and his disciples are covered heavily. New moral stories are mixed in each year.
The Bible lesson is 30 minutes daily and includes songs, the pledge of allegiance to the USA flag, a story time about the Bible, and some Bible verse memorization.
Seatwork
Seatwork is a video in which the teacher explains the work that will be done on a particular day. This video lasts five minutes, and the work is listed in your second-grade manual as well if you need to reference it instead of the video. The seatwork section of your manual includes worksheets to practice writing numbers, letter-writing, and other handwriting practice. Sometimes it includes drawing as well.
Sometimes seatwork includes story writing or memorization of poetry or Bible verses!
Phonics
Phonics is the study of the sounds that make up words. It’s a foundational skill for reading, writing, and spelling. Phonics lessons are taught through videos and worksheets. Each day, two phonics worksheets are presented to students with teacher-led instruction included in each lesson plan.
Each lesson begins with a video that teaches how to sound out words using phonics rules and strategies (i.e., how to break down consonant blends). After viewing each video, students complete related exercises on their own time or during seatwork.
Reading
Reading is an essential lifelong skill that can be developed and improved over one’s childhood and lifetime. Reading helps you learn more about the world around you, including people, places, and things. Reading also teaches you about yourself by helping to develop your imagination and further develop your moral foundations.
If a student is struggling with reading, there are two options for them:
- Read aloud to someone else or listen to someone read aloud to them! This creates a connection between parent/child, which leads to a better understanding of one another’s feelings because both parties were able to participate in this activity together!
- Write down any questions they may have while reading their books so they can discuss them later on before bedtime with their parents (or guardians).
There are two daily reading videos for second grade. They start at five minutes long and then lengthen over the year to 10 minutes. In the videos, the on-screen students read a portion of the book. There is time for your child to pause the video and read along. Sometimes hearing others read helps children to understand the text better.
Writing
Students learn penmanship, cursive writing, and spelling in the writing program. They will practice cursive every day with a set of handwriting cards that are placed in their binders or desks for reference. The daily lesson is 15 minutes long. The teacher will review what they learned in the previous week by reviewing the handwriting cards. She writes each letter on the board while explaining how to write each letter. After she explains each step, she demonstrates how it looks when written correctly and any parts that need extra attention or practice.
After completing this review, everyone practices their letters using pencils and tracing paper provided by Abeka Academy. The students also have some seatwork handwriting pages where they copy words over several lines.
Arithmetic
Math is a foundational subject that builds on itself, so you’ll want to keep up with the curriculum. The curriculum focuses on math skills and concepts across a wide range of topics, including:
- Mental Math
- Solving word problems
- Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
- Number sense (place value)
- Money sense
- Telling time
- Measurements
- Geometry – geometric shape identification.
Special Topics
There are a variety of special topics that take place 20 minutes a day and rotate throughout the year. These unit-based topics include history, geography, science, social studies, and art.
History and Geography
The second-grade curriculum at Abeka Academy covers the history of the United States, world history, and geography.
The History and Geography lessons are presented in two separate two to three-month units, 3/5 days per week. Each unit contains various resources that students can use to learn about each topic. This course covers the following topics:
- The History of the United States to the Civil War
- The Geography of the United States
- The Geography of World and a countries study.
Health and Safety
One of the most important parts of my child’s education is safety. The health and safety curriculum that is used in second grade is not just for kids. It’s for parents too! It teaches you how important it is to have a healthy body and to keep your child safe at home, in the classroom, in the community, and even worldwide.
The lessons occur during the second semester and are a video that lasts 20 minutes 3 times per week.
Science/Nature Study
Science is taught from a creation worldview. Students learn about the importance of animals and plants and gravity, electricity, and friction. The teacher presents science lessons in the middle of the year, three times per week for 20 minutes. The science lessons fill the history spot when it is finished.
Abeka Academy Accredited Curriculum
Abeka Academy is a popular homeschool choice, and if you’re considering it, this will give you a good overview of what’s included in the second-grade curriculum.
In general, Abeka offers accredited and non-accredited versions of its curricula. Accreditation means a state board recognizes Abeka Academy. It also allows them to keep records of grades, attendance (or time spent watching the videos) and issue diplomas and transcripts. ABEKA Academy is the only accredited pathway they offer. It is accredited through the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and the Schools and Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools.
It also means that your child’s work is graded by an outside organization besides just you, adding an extra layer of legitimacy to your child’s schooling. The non-accredited version costs less but doesn’t have grades given by someone besides yourself or your family.
Overall, we think the Abeka Academy curriculum is a good choice for parents of second graders. The books are easy to follow and well-organized, and they have enough flexibility to adapt to your needs as a parent. For example, you may purchase all the recommended materials or just a select few. This curriculum is used in homeschooling and private schools (sometimes called umbrella schools) that support families who want to homeschool but need some help with recordkeeping and compliance issues required by their state laws on homeschooling. If you are interested in a Christian curriculum but want to explore other options, then check out our guide to the top five Christian curriculums.
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