First Grade How much time?

[Ohio12]

I have panic attacks at each new stage of hsing. I am sure I will adjust to this too, but I am looking over my curriculum with a mix of excitement and panic.

 

DD learned to read early in her K year, so all we did for K last year was math and handwriting and Bible story in the AM (one hour after breakfast). Then reading her first, then me aloud for an hour after lunch. This reading included SOTW I and some of the supplemental books and narrations that go with that.

 

I am thinking that next year (any day now!) is going to be at least twice as much. Does that seem right? 4-5 hours including reading.

 

Also it seems like a lot of reading. I think that is my main worry. If we read Bible, history, science and the reading she likes everyday, won't that be too much for one little six yo to take in? Help me think this through please.

[homeschool68]

I think 4-5 hours is too much for sit-down work but that's JMHO. I do about 90 min-2 hours max per day of actual sit-down/book work with my 2nd grader this year. Even my teenager is done with school within 3-4 hours usually. I count other things we do throughout each day as learning such as cooking, drawing/coloring, writing practice happens in many different forms, outdoor activities, errands, museums, co-op/homeschool group, etc. The reading usually happens in the evenings while snuggling on the couch or right before bed. But actual "sit-down" school work definitely isn't very long for my youngest. That would wear us both down very quickly. I wouldn't make it all year.

[Julie in Austin]

I think 4-5 hours is too much for sit-down work but that's JMHO. I do about 90 min-2 hours max per day of actual sit-down/book work with my 2nd grader this year. Even my teenager is done with school within 3-4 hours usually. I count other things we do throughout each day as learning such as cooking, drawing/coloring, writing practice happens in many different forms, outdoor activities, errands, museums, co-op/homeschool group, etc. The reading usually happens in the evenings while snuggling on the couch or right before bed. But actual "sit-down" school work definitely isn't very long for my youngest. That would wear us both down very quickly. I wouldn't make it all year.

 

:iagree:

 

I have a 3rd grader and 6th grader, both above grade level, and neither did more than 2 hours of first grade.

[Mama Anna]

My 1st/2nd grader (I'm trying to measure grade with SOTW and we'll be finishing up Vol. 1 and going into Vol. 2 this year) spent about 1 1/2 - 2 hours on school last year and is spending (hopefully) 2 1/2 hours on sit down/mama-is-reading work this year. The only things we do every day are math, discipleship, and spelling. (She reads to herself on her own.) We switch everything else out in a (rather complicated) schedule in order to make sure she doesn't have too much writing on any one day because she's only six years old.

 

Does that help?

 

Mama Anna

[athena1277]

We started 1st a few weeks ago. We have been averaging 2 hours per day on work. If she's being pokey or we have a project, it may take longer.

[dangermom]

For 1st grade we should be done by lunch, with plenty of breaks for running around. 2 hours of solid work sounds about right (that comes out to 3 hours, once you include the breaks).

[4kids4me]

A general rule of thumb I've found with my kids is an hour/grade (up until grade six anyway, which is where I am now). They probably did a little more than an hour, but not much.

[chaik76]

Last year in first, my son did about an hour of "schoolwork"...but also did a lot of outside interest stuff that he planned on his own, like science shows, movies, creating claymation movies, doing science experiments on his own (simple ones) that were beyond what we required for seatwork.

 

This year, in second grade, school takes about two hours, with a half-hour of me reading to him in the evening, so about two and a half hours. He does other stuff (as listed above) on his own.

 

I don't think there's anything wrong with a four or five hour school day if it works for you and your daughter. I actually thought ours would be that long last year, but it just didn't take as much time as I thought.

[Ohio12]

Maybe it won't take as long as I think. I know I have a couple more things than last year and it just looked like a lot.

[Dirtroad]

1 -1.5 hours is all we needed. Then I did some read-alouds in the afternoon or at bedtime.

[Mandy in TN]

Time spent on first grade varies a lot from family to family. We are spending about 4 hours including a nature walk and violin practice. Also, in TN I am legally supposed to spend 4 hours per day/ 180 days per year schooling my first grader.

Mandy

[Orthodox6]

Kindergarten took about 45 minutes per day.

First grade took us about 1-1/2 hours. Maybe 2 on an "elaborate" day.

[Desert Rat]

My 1st grader will have about 1.5-2 hours of school work at the very most and this is includes our read aloud time.

My 4th grader has about 3-4 hours of work a day, 4-5 if I include his independent reading hour.

[Impish]

Thanks for starting this discussion! We pulled Diva out Feb 14, in her gr 3 year. She was already reading, writing, and a math whiz. So, with the Littles coming up, I've begun to worry a bit, and the responses here are very reassuring :001_smile:

[KrissiK]

We just started our curriculum last week (I have 2 boys ages 5 & 6 doing first grade), and it's still a little "light" with the work yet, but today we "did school" from 9:00-9:50, took an hour break and then finished in 45 minutes, not counting reading aloud. I'm thinking that once we really get into the swing of things it should take us about 2-2 1/2 hours a day, depending on the amount of dawdling and silliness that I have to deal with.

[elise1mds]

My schedule is quickly becoming 1.0-2.5 hours of 'schoolwork' each day, though of course we do plenty of reading and practice on songs, memorization, etc. throughout the day. After a week of school, he was able to recite "Kingdom, Phylum... Species" to Daddy yesterday. DH was impressed, because he really didn't have a lot of confidence that I'd be able to effectively teach without a lot of stress on my part and DS's part, but he's a very happy kid now. There doesn't seem to be a need for more time in the desk if this little amount of time is still achieving such results!

[Dawn in OH]

It sounds like a bit much for the age/grade. We did first grade last year. Very rarely could I keep everyone's attention for that long unless it was art or music day.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Our school (see link) is 6 hours but that includes morning meeting, lunch, recess, P.E., music lessons/practice, a full classical curriculum, additional programs like Earobics, Headsprout/ETCOnline, games, reading to them, etc. Our curriculum has lots of hands on and activity time.

 

Anyway, as long as you're not doing all workbooks, you can fill 6 hours with lots of learning, but it won't seem so schoolish....and shouldn't imo. 6yos shouldn't be tied to a desk doing schoolishness all that much. There are developmentally appropriate ways for them to learn and they do it better that way. Obviously, some table-time is necessary, but don't overdo that and neglect how they learn best :)

[Laura Corin]

Two to three hours of sit down work is all I would do at that age. You could add in daily exercise and lots of play/arts/craft to make a fuller day if you wanted. We didn't start working past lunch time until the boys were at least eight.

 

Laura

[NancyNellen]

Including reading, we do 2 hours.

[mama2cntrykids]

When my older ds was in 1st grade it took about 1-1.5 hrs./day. My youngest ds has been doing school for a week and it takes about that with him too.