1st/2nd Grade plans for Language Arts

[Becca]

My dd7 is at about 1st/2nd grade level for language arts. We are about to finish the phonics portion of MFW 1st Grade and are ready to move on. Could you share what you have been using for either your 1st or 2nd Grade language arts? Thanks.

[SnowWhite]

WinterPromise LA1. My ds was half way through Pathway Readers first grade reading/LA program and LA1 has been a great fit. I think it is a little advanced for first grade.

[linders]

Hi!

 

My DS is 7-1/2 and finishing up 1st in the next couple of months. He finished Phonics Pathways last year, to where he now reads books like Little House on the Prairie easily. He has been working through Explode the Code...books 1 through 5 were done by the end of K (last year). For 1st he is working through books 6-8 (we're almost done with 7). I really like ETC because it reinforces phonics, spelling, and writing, plus adds reading comprehension in the later books. Also inexpensive and can be done pretty independently.

 

He is also doing Spelling Workout (finished A, halfway through B) - a bit of a hokey spelling program but for some reason he loves it - and First Language Lessons. I have really tried to like FLL but find it t-e-d-i-o-u-s and repetitive, and am thinking about switching to Primary Language Lessons which looks more interesting. I'm not really sure formal grammar is necessary at this stage, but knowing nouns, verbs, etc., has been a help with his Spanish lessons anyway.

 

Best wishes!

 

Linders

[Jan in SC]

I sat down with my 7.5yo ds the other day and looked at FLL, R&S and GWG with him. We have been doing GWG this year, but I think he flies through it as quickly as he can and may not be learning what he should. He looked over the books for a little while and proclaimed his love for R&S. I am now waiting on the R&S grade 3 to arrive for this excited child. (I give hime 2 weeks before the tears and then I will be posting this same question!)

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

We are doing first grade right now and using:

Abeka Phonics 1

Abeka Language 1

He also reads for 15-20 mins everyday and narrates

 

Our 2nd grade plan:

Abeka Phonics 2 (covers spelling)

Abeka Language 2 (covers handwriting)

20 mins of reading daily

[pixelroper]

our first grade looked like this & was very successful-

 

SpWo

FLL

McGuffey readers

Getty-Dubai hand writing

 

we moved to R&S after FLL- I don't think I forgot anything but...

[chiguirre]

We've used Learning Language Arts Through Literature Blue and Pathway Readers for 1st grade. We also are finishing Explode The Code 2 and starting 3. I tried other things as well, but these are our keepers and we'll finish them by the end of May. For handwriting we use Handwriting Without Tears. For a Charlotte Mason poetry and picture study we use Language Lessons for Little Ones.

 

For 2nd grade reading, we'll continue with LLATL Red and Pathway readers as well as continuing ETC. For grammar, copywork, narration, etc. I'm going to use First Language Lessons and Writing With Ease. Since I have a dd who will be starting 1st grade and my 2nd grader has fine motor delays that affect copywork, we'll start with the 1st grade work and continue at our own pace. I won't start spelling until we finish ETC 8

[Closeacademy]

For 1st:

 

We used Spell to Write and Read, Copywork and First Language Lessons.

 

For 2nd:

 

We reviewed the phonograms from Spell to Write and Read.

We have been reading Aesop's Fables--1 per week.

She has been composing her own version, which I write down and then she copies as copy work. We talk about the parts of speech.

Minimus Latin--1 chapter per month spread out over 12 months.

McCall-Harby Test Lessons in Reading--1 per week.

 

 

For 3rd (Just so you can see where we are going):

 

Spell to Write and Read spelling Lists with worksheets I made up from the ideas on extra things to do with the lists and other activities to help learn the words. We will do 1 list per week.

 

Ruth Heller Grammar Picture Books--There are 8 of them and I made up charts/worksheets to go with them to make a grammar dictionary that includes examples of the different parts of speech.

 

KISS Grammar--we will do up to 6 worksheets a month to reinforce grammar concepts learned from the Ruth Heller books.

 

Literature--Old Testament Stories and a few weeks of Native American FolkLore.

 

Composition--Narrative pieces that rewrite the Old Testament stories. We are using Composition in the Classical Tradition as our framework or at least my notes from the book.

 

Penmanship--Cursive will be slowly snuck in with worksheets in her review book and we will transition more next year into using this for our written work.

 

Latin--We will finish up Minimus by the end of Decemeber and I am looking at several programs including Latin Prep and Lively Latin.

 

 

Hope this helps.:001_smile:

[Trivium Academy]

With dd7 we did the WTM first grade LA but we won't do that again, here's what we have for 1st grade LA:

 

Phonics: Sing, Spell, Read & Write K/1

then ETC if needed.

Handwriting: Unsure if we'll need anything other than...

LA: First Language Lessons for the Very Young by Sandi Queen

Poetry Memorization

 

2nd grade LA:

Primary Language Lessons by Emma Serl, updated by Margot Davidson

Reading and possibly continue ETC through book 8

Poetry Memorization

 

3rd grade LA: I know you didn't ask but...

Primary Language Lessons (same as above in 2nd)

Poetry Memorization

Simply Spelling by Laurie Hicks, Level A

[Chris in VA]

2nd grade LA

 

Rod and Staff Grammar when we get to it--mostly done orally, maybe twice a week--we do multiple lessons at a time

 

Adventures in Phonics C from Winter Promise--GREAT review and new learning of phonics rules, mostly for spelling.

 

SWO B and C. Love it.

 

Narrations in history--she narrates, I write on white board, she copies.

 

Free reading--she reads 2-3 hours a day. We used PP til she was off and running. Now reading anything she wants, easily.

 

Occasionally, we do a little work on main idea, making inferences, etc.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

We used Learning Language Arts Through Literature Blue and Red. If your dc is reading well, skip Blue and go straight to Red for 1st grade. The literature you use is really fun.

[Jenny in Atl]

For 2nd were are doing

 

We finished ETC Series

GWG 3

First half of CW Aesops

Cursive Success

Selected SL and library reading

[rafiki]

.

[Karen in CO]

I think for that age it is best to concentrate on reading and writing. Simply have her read. Read aloud to you, to the dog, to any one who will listen. And write. Work on handwriting and copywork. Copy a short sentence everyday - a line of poetry, a sentence from science, a sentence from history, one that she made up.

 

Read and Write.

 

Once she is reading independently and writing a sentence or two without trouble then assess what you need from a LA program. At that point you can determine what you want from a writing program or a grammar program or spelling or whatever.

[Becca]

Lots to research now. Thanks.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

What year we do things may change from student to student, but we keep the same LA progression.

 

For reading:

Phonics Pathways ---> Read aloud to Mom daily until at 3rd grade fluency ---> Assigned daily reading time

 

For spelling:

Start SWO A about 1/2 way through PP and continue at a rate of about 1 1/2 books a year

 

For writing:

Tracing manuscript ---> Manuscript copywork ---> Cursive letters and copywork ---> Cursive dictation

 

For grammar

parts of FLL for 2nd ---> R&S English 3 for 3rd

[KIN]

SWR

FLL for 1st, R&S for 2nd

Cursive First for handwriting

Copywork

 

R&S will be new to me, but I hear such positive things here, and I like how it looks! I think it will be a long term one for us!

[Testimony]

I think for that age it is best to concentrate on reading and writing. Simply have her read. Read aloud to you, to the dog, to any one who will listen. And write. Work on handwriting and copywork. Copy a short sentence everyday - a line of poetry, a sentence from science, a sentence from history, one that she made up.

 

Read and Write.

 

Once she is reading independently and writing a sentence or two without trouble then assess what you need from a LA program. At that point you can determine what you want from a writing program or a grammar program or spelling or whatever.

 

These are words of wisdom. :lurk5:

[Hazelt"nut"]

dd5/6 Kinder: Sin gSpell Read Write 1st (includes readers), reading to me from library books, trying Spelling Workout A to see if we like it, copywork related to history or poetry

 

1st Grade LA plans: (dd reading on a second grade level)

Language Lessons for the Very Young (includes copywork, picture study, grammar etc)

Independent Reading and read to Mom 15-20 minutes a day(books I choose)

Read in bed at night for 20 minutes books her choice.

She will also make narration pages related to books she reads, history lessons, science lessons and some writing with nature study. I also want her to start writing letters sometime next year.

 

Visit us at www.hazelnutacademy.blogspot.com

[LisaKinVA]

My 1st grader will be doing:

 

Abeka 2nd Grade Phonics Letters/Sounds, Readers & Spelling

FLL (probably the whole book)

Penmanship (Continuing with cursive)

 

2nd grade, we'll be switching to K12 Gr. 3 -- I am considering switching out the grammar program for either the new FLL book or Abeka. Haven't decided yet.