First Grade Curriculum Overview
Now that we have officially completed our first month of school, and have 20 whole days under our belt, I thought I would give an overview of what first grade looks like at our house!
The state of Pennsylvania does not require a child to be registered for school until age 8, so right now I have it easy from the aspect that since Elasa is not registered, we can do a lighter load and skip the affidavits, portfolios and required 180 days until she is in 3rd grade- two years from now.
Because of this, I am focusing on 3 main subjects- math, reading & hand-writing- and waiting to do some of the "extra-curricular" subjects until they are needed. Of course we do a lot of reading and also participate in our church's Co-op School, so that helps round out the education!
I like to start out our school day by reading aloud to Elasa and I chose the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, which we are both really enjoying! Some of the books are pretty familiar, as we've listened to them on CD, but others feel new to us. Either way, it's nice to read through these timeless treasures in order. We are currently on Little House on the Prairie.
MATH
I chose to use Christian Light Education for my math curriculum this year and so far I have not regretted it! CLE subjects come with what they call LightUnits, which is another word for workbooks, and each subject has 10 of them. They are a lot less bulky than one big textbook and I like that. At the end of each LightUnit, there is a test. Yesterday was Elasa's 20th lesson and it also included a test, so on our next day of school, she will get a brand-new LightUnit to continue her math on lesson 21! First grade math comes with 2 teachers keys and they have been very helpful to this "newbie" in knowing how and what to teach!!! They give very clear direction and don't leave very much to the imagination, which is what I need at this stage of the game! Alongside her workbook, we've been using the counting chart and flashcards, both designed to correlate with the curriculum, and that is going very well. Some things that were introduced so far: learning & writing basic addition facts, place value, what a penny & a dime look like and are worth, counting by 10's up to 100 and then back again, and how to do a story problem. Elasa especially enjoys the "just for fun" section in her math, although there is not one every day. There is a section every day called "I can do it" which is basically all review and designed for the student to work at themselves.
I bought a little workbook called My Calendar Book which is also produced by CLE and is an optional for some extra-curricular activities that have to do with tracking the weather in different ways each month. The book begins with January, so I am waiting until the new year to start it. It is designed for either first or second grade, so my plan is to spread it out over both grades.
I never did any CLE in my schooling years, so it's new for me, but so far I am very pleased. I like how it is written with homeschoolers in mind and is also developed with the goal of helping students work more independently.
READING
I chose the same reading curriculum my Mom used to teach me to read over 20 years ago! Now there's a good recommendation!!! Eastern Mennonite Publications produces the Beginning Steps to Reading (BSR) curriculum which has been a standby for many of the homeschooling moms at our church in teaching their children to read! The books are designed to be used the first half of first grade, but we got a head start by beginning them this past winter. There are 3 books in the series and I had intended to get through them and to have Elasa reading before first grade even started. That didn't happen, so we actually started the third book on the first day of first grade, which I decided was still a little ahead of the game! Each of the 3 workbooks comes with a teachers key- which you definately need for teaching even if they are designed for a classroom of children- and we also use alphabet wall cards, flash cards, a word-practice book and a reader, out of which Elasa reads a little story every day. The books are designed very simply, and have only black and white drawings, which could be seen as boring and mundane, but at least there are no extra figures vying for the pupils attention on the pages, which I hear is a good thing!To make up for the lack of color, I colored the wall cards that are hanging by the school table and Elasa & I have both colored some of the pictures in her reader. The curriculum has a strong Biblical emphasis and a Bible story to read every day as a part of the lesson, which Elasa looks forward to. Reading is definitely the subject that takes the longest for us. Each lesson has a lot of material (both new & review) for the teacher to go over with the student, plus there are 4 worksheets on top of the word-practice exercises and flash cards.
There are times that I worry about her progress, such as when she gets stuck on words & sounds that I thought she should know by now, but Elasa is definitely learning to read and it makes my heart sing to watch her work through a Dick & Jane book or have her see words around the house and know what they say! I have to remember how huge of a process learning to read really is and recognize how far she has come from that first day when we learned "A is for apple!" You know, it feels kind of miraculous to have your hand in teaching someone to read!!!
Elasa is on target for finishing up her third book by the end of the month, and from there I am planning to go on to the next series, which is called Bible Blessings and is designed for the second half of first grade,
HAND-WRITING
I am using A Reason For Handwriting, Book A, for Elasa's handwriting needs this year. The book was recommended by Timberdoodle for 1st grade, so I was on the lookout for it and bought it at a Rainbow Resources booth at the MACHE homeschool curriculum fair in the spring. The book is very simple and attractive and is easy for Elasa to go ahead with on her own. The first 6 weeks in the book focus on writing letters and words/names and after that comes the section where they get a new Bible verse every week, which they practice writing in parts. At the end of the week they copy the whole verse on a sheet of paper (provided in the back of the book) and the object is to then give that verse to someone. I do not have a teacher's key, but there are adequate instructions in the workbook and the book is pretty self-explanatory.
As I said earlier, Elasa is not registered, but I have chosen to keep a little log of what she does every day- more for my benefit than anything else! I guess I like to see our progress recorded and count the days even though I don't have to show it at the end of the year. If nothing else, it will help me remember what I did when it comes to the other children.
I am using a simple rewards system with the hope of encouraging Elasa to keep a good attitude and to do careful work! I found some sticker charts (one for each month) at a bookstore, and for every day she does well, she gets one sticker to add to the chart. I have a box of prizes and she can "trade" her stickers for goodies once she has the required amount! Some of the prizes are worth 5 stickers and some are worth 10 or more, depending on the size of the prize. This method has worked well for us and Elasa often has her eye on a particular prize and will stockpile her stickers accordingly.
Gavin has been doing some very basic preschool work out of Richard Scarry's Getting Ready For School Workbook and he really enjoys that! My rule of thumb is that he can do as many pages as his age, so he does 4 pages a day (or I should say he does 4 pages when we do his school- it doesn't happen every day!) Anyone who likes Richard Scarry will love this book! It is as cute as they come and the activities are fun, but simple. Gavin has a great affection for all things Richard Scarry and can look at his books over & over again, so this workbook is perfect for him as the activities are built around Huckle and Lowly Worm and other beloved characters!
I often feel that one of the biggest challenges to homeschooling is the preschoolers!!! Gavin really misses his playmate during school hours and does a lot of moping and waiting and saying how bored he is! Sometimes he busies himself with a game played by his rules, play-doh, a stack of books, or his cars and trucks, but he still often tires of solitude long before the scholar is finished for the day! Parker has made it easy for me by being the biggest sleepyhead ever and even though it feels a bit ridiculous for him to sleep as late as he does, I am not complaining! It is soooo nice to have the bulk of Elasa's work out of the way before the little whirlwind is on the loose!
For my own personal inspiration & instruction, I've been reading Homeschooling With Joy, published by CLP, in bits and pieces. One message I have picked up (without it being said in so many words!) is that homeschooling will have it's difficult and challenging moments, but that it's doable and desirable if we approach it with the right perspective, which has a lot to do with leaning on God first & foremost and following His directives. None of the writers in this book give an easy formula for working out the practical aspects of simultaneously teaching, running a household & caring for preschoolers, but they do give some sage advice! And I need to be reminded that this calling is worth approaching with joy.
We are only at the beginning of this journey, but the saying goes that a good start is half the job done, so in that case...
I am raising my teacup in a toast that the other half of the job goes equally well!
The state of Pennsylvania does not require a child to be registered for school until age 8, so right now I have it easy from the aspect that since Elasa is not registered, we can do a lighter load and skip the affidavits, portfolios and required 180 days until she is in 3rd grade- two years from now.
Because of this, I am focusing on 3 main subjects- math, reading & hand-writing- and waiting to do some of the "extra-curricular" subjects until they are needed. Of course we do a lot of reading and also participate in our church's Co-op School, so that helps round out the education!
I like to start out our school day by reading aloud to Elasa and I chose the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, which we are both really enjoying! Some of the books are pretty familiar, as we've listened to them on CD, but others feel new to us. Either way, it's nice to read through these timeless treasures in order. We are currently on Little House on the Prairie.
MATH
I chose to use Christian Light Education for my math curriculum this year and so far I have not regretted it! CLE subjects come with what they call LightUnits, which is another word for workbooks, and each subject has 10 of them. They are a lot less bulky than one big textbook and I like that. At the end of each LightUnit, there is a test. Yesterday was Elasa's 20th lesson and it also included a test, so on our next day of school, she will get a brand-new LightUnit to continue her math on lesson 21! First grade math comes with 2 teachers keys and they have been very helpful to this "newbie" in knowing how and what to teach!!! They give very clear direction and don't leave very much to the imagination, which is what I need at this stage of the game! Alongside her workbook, we've been using the counting chart and flashcards, both designed to correlate with the curriculum, and that is going very well. Some things that were introduced so far: learning & writing basic addition facts, place value, what a penny & a dime look like and are worth, counting by 10's up to 100 and then back again, and how to do a story problem. Elasa especially enjoys the "just for fun" section in her math, although there is not one every day. There is a section every day called "I can do it" which is basically all review and designed for the student to work at themselves.
I bought a little workbook called My Calendar Book which is also produced by CLE and is an optional for some extra-curricular activities that have to do with tracking the weather in different ways each month. The book begins with January, so I am waiting until the new year to start it. It is designed for either first or second grade, so my plan is to spread it out over both grades.
I never did any CLE in my schooling years, so it's new for me, but so far I am very pleased. I like how it is written with homeschoolers in mind and is also developed with the goal of helping students work more independently.
READING
I chose the same reading curriculum my Mom used to teach me to read over 20 years ago! Now there's a good recommendation!!! Eastern Mennonite Publications produces the Beginning Steps to Reading (BSR) curriculum which has been a standby for many of the homeschooling moms at our church in teaching their children to read! The books are designed to be used the first half of first grade, but we got a head start by beginning them this past winter. There are 3 books in the series and I had intended to get through them and to have Elasa reading before first grade even started. That didn't happen, so we actually started the third book on the first day of first grade, which I decided was still a little ahead of the game! Each of the 3 workbooks comes with a teachers key- which you definately need for teaching even if they are designed for a classroom of children- and we also use alphabet wall cards, flash cards, a word-practice book and a reader, out of which Elasa reads a little story every day. The books are designed very simply, and have only black and white drawings, which could be seen as boring and mundane, but at least there are no extra figures vying for the pupils attention on the pages, which I hear is a good thing!To make up for the lack of color, I colored the wall cards that are hanging by the school table and Elasa & I have both colored some of the pictures in her reader. The curriculum has a strong Biblical emphasis and a Bible story to read every day as a part of the lesson, which Elasa looks forward to. Reading is definitely the subject that takes the longest for us. Each lesson has a lot of material (both new & review) for the teacher to go over with the student, plus there are 4 worksheets on top of the word-practice exercises and flash cards.
There are times that I worry about her progress, such as when she gets stuck on words & sounds that I thought she should know by now, but Elasa is definitely learning to read and it makes my heart sing to watch her work through a Dick & Jane book or have her see words around the house and know what they say! I have to remember how huge of a process learning to read really is and recognize how far she has come from that first day when we learned "A is for apple!" You know, it feels kind of miraculous to have your hand in teaching someone to read!!!
Elasa is on target for finishing up her third book by the end of the month, and from there I am planning to go on to the next series, which is called Bible Blessings and is designed for the second half of first grade,
HAND-WRITING
I am using A Reason For Handwriting, Book A, for Elasa's handwriting needs this year. The book was recommended by Timberdoodle for 1st grade, so I was on the lookout for it and bought it at a Rainbow Resources booth at the MACHE homeschool curriculum fair in the spring. The book is very simple and attractive and is easy for Elasa to go ahead with on her own. The first 6 weeks in the book focus on writing letters and words/names and after that comes the section where they get a new Bible verse every week, which they practice writing in parts. At the end of the week they copy the whole verse on a sheet of paper (provided in the back of the book) and the object is to then give that verse to someone. I do not have a teacher's key, but there are adequate instructions in the workbook and the book is pretty self-explanatory.
As I said earlier, Elasa is not registered, but I have chosen to keep a little log of what she does every day- more for my benefit than anything else! I guess I like to see our progress recorded and count the days even though I don't have to show it at the end of the year. If nothing else, it will help me remember what I did when it comes to the other children.
I am using a simple rewards system with the hope of encouraging Elasa to keep a good attitude and to do careful work! I found some sticker charts (one for each month) at a bookstore, and for every day she does well, she gets one sticker to add to the chart. I have a box of prizes and she can "trade" her stickers for goodies once she has the required amount! Some of the prizes are worth 5 stickers and some are worth 10 or more, depending on the size of the prize. This method has worked well for us and Elasa often has her eye on a particular prize and will stockpile her stickers accordingly.
Gavin has been doing some very basic preschool work out of Richard Scarry's Getting Ready For School Workbook and he really enjoys that! My rule of thumb is that he can do as many pages as his age, so he does 4 pages a day (or I should say he does 4 pages when we do his school- it doesn't happen every day!) Anyone who likes Richard Scarry will love this book! It is as cute as they come and the activities are fun, but simple. Gavin has a great affection for all things Richard Scarry and can look at his books over & over again, so this workbook is perfect for him as the activities are built around Huckle and Lowly Worm and other beloved characters!
I often feel that one of the biggest challenges to homeschooling is the preschoolers!!! Gavin really misses his playmate during school hours and does a lot of moping and waiting and saying how bored he is! Sometimes he busies himself with a game played by his rules, play-doh, a stack of books, or his cars and trucks, but he still often tires of solitude long before the scholar is finished for the day! Parker has made it easy for me by being the biggest sleepyhead ever and even though it feels a bit ridiculous for him to sleep as late as he does, I am not complaining! It is soooo nice to have the bulk of Elasa's work out of the way before the little whirlwind is on the loose!
For my own personal inspiration & instruction, I've been reading Homeschooling With Joy, published by CLP, in bits and pieces. One message I have picked up (without it being said in so many words!) is that homeschooling will have it's difficult and challenging moments, but that it's doable and desirable if we approach it with the right perspective, which has a lot to do with leaning on God first & foremost and following His directives. None of the writers in this book give an easy formula for working out the practical aspects of simultaneously teaching, running a household & caring for preschoolers, but they do give some sage advice! And I need to be reminded that this calling is worth approaching with joy.
We are only at the beginning of this journey, but the saying goes that a good start is half the job done, so in that case...
I am raising my teacup in a toast that the other half of the job goes equally well!
Jo, It's fun to see what you and Elasa are doing! And the pictures of the boys, too. Gavin looks taller than the last time I saw him, and Parker looks like a full fledge toddler now!
ReplyDeleteI love your ambition for homeschooling !!!! The excitement is contagious !!! Your children have great potential with a teacher like you !!!
ReplyDelete