cherylterese Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I'm all set to start next week with my 1st grader other than having our schedule set for the day. What does yours look like? I'm looking for an order of subjects. We are planning a 4 day week. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 My first grader does his subjects in this order: Song School Latin (he wanted to do Latin b/c his brother and sister do) Handwriting Reader Math Phonics Road (this is mostly spelling at this point) History or science (we alternate days) Read-aloud (I read to everyone--sometimes I do this first thing in the morning, sometimes I read during dd's naptime. It depends on how the day is going). I'm not particularly strict on the order he does his subjects. If he wants to do things out of order, and it won't affect anyone else, I let him. History and science are combined with his older brother, so I won't let him do that out of order. My main concern is to break up subjects that require a lot of handwriting. I try not to fatigue his hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five More Minutes Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Ours varies a little bit from day to day because some subjects we only do once or twice a week. We do 4 main days a week, with Fridays reserved for extra projects, nature walks, field trips, etc. We usually start at around 8:30, right after my husband leaves for work. (It's easier than letting my girls play first and stopping them in the middle of a game.) Chores (Right now this involves brushing teeth, getting dressed, and getting out the school work box. Memory Work: 5 min. Math: about 45 min. - depends on the day; we never go over 60 min. and rarely under 30 min. We start with some warm-ups (skip-counting, counting backwards, math fact review), then usually do a lesson with manipulatives, and then do some workbook pages. Break: 5 - 15 min. Handwriting: 5-10 min. Spelling: 10 - 15 min. Grammar: 5 - 15 min. (2-3 times/week) Writing: 10 - 15 min. Independent Reading: 15 - 30 min. Break: 5 - 15 min. Science or History (20 - 45 min.) Latin or Geography (10 min., and only if there's still energy left) Lunch Reading Together Quiet Time (1 hour listening to music and doing anything that is quiet and independent) Play for the rest of the day! So far it's working for us. One thing that has helped is for me to put our schedule up each day and have the girls take down the card for each lesson as we complete it. They love tracking along with what we're doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hsmomto4 Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 My first grader does: Math Phoincs Seatwork Bible Spelling Reading History/Science Latin Music/Art Finishes Seatwork Free Reading Russian (does as a family in the evening) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowimscrappin Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 CC Memory Work Math Handwriting Grammar Spelling History Reading I'm going to be adding in some Magic School Bus videos for science to go along with our CC science, but I haven't yet since we start CC next week. We don't do History and Grammar every day, some days have both and some days only have 1. I may add in Vocabulary later in the year. She'll be starting piano lessons in a couple of weeks - practicing will come after lessons, mainly because I typically plan the practicing at the same time of day as her lesson, which will be after lunch. No additional lessons on CC days. Just CC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 We started with math right after breakfast (did Bible during breakfast). Then we did oral grammar, then reading, and a break. After lunch, we did writing, history/science (alternating days), and spelling. I tried to alternate subjects that required writing with ones that didn't. He couldn't write very much at a time. Classic "My hand hurts." syndrome. By the end of first grade, he was able to write 3 sentences at a time. Woohoo! In January of this year when we started, we were happy to get one SHORT sentence in a single day. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherylterese Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share Posted September 1, 2011 Thanks, everyone! The hand fatigue is a big factor here as my 6 year old has fine motor delays and has always received OT. I will definitely need space out subjects that require writing. We will be interrupted 3 mornings a week with my 3 year old ds's speech services. I'm thinking my 1st grader can independently work on his handwriting book then. (Speech is a half hour.) We will also be traveling to the public school for my 1st grader's services. I'm feeling a bit stressed about getting everything done with all of these service slots! I'm really hoping to keep Friday's free for catch-up work (hopefully not too much), field trips, etc. We've already signed up for an art class on the first Friday morning of each month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SorrelZG Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 I alternate skill and content subjects so that we get breaks between periods of pen & paper seat work. Our content subjects usually have some kind of activity to go with them so it helps to work out some wiggles and stretch before getting back to the core subjects and we finish up with DS's favorite subject. Generally speaking, it's something like: Phonics review, spelling (this spot will go to Latin when we get there) History Grammar & writing art/science/drama (it changes) Math Thinking Skills workbook (quick, kind of fun work) and story time (DS's favorite). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Thanks, everyone! The hand fatigue is a big factor here as my 6 year old has fine motor delays and has always received OT. I will definitely need space out subjects that require writing. If you are following WTM type recommendations, you probably won't have much writing to do. We used FLL, which is oral. WWE is very limited writing. You can also use WWE as handwriting practice on the days that they write in WWE (one day is just an oral narration, so no writing - you could give copywork of your own that day). If your child isn't ready for WWE yet (which would be completely fine), just do handwriting with no composition yet. No big deal. We will be interrupted 3 mornings a week with my 3 year old ds's speech services. I'm thinking my 1st grader can independently work on his handwriting book then. (Speech is a half hour.) We will also be traveling to the public school for my 1st grader's services. I'm feeling a bit stressed about getting everything done with all of these service slots!One thing I'd caution about independent handwriting work... Bad habits develop easily when you aren't watching. In my house, handwriting is a subject that is not independent at all. I have to sit and watch his writing the whole time, or the practice becomes useless. The good news is... first grade work doesn't take much time, depending on what you use. For example, FLL usually took us about 5 minutes. Math took us 20-30 minutes. Writing took 5-10 minutes. We probably spent 15-30 minutes on history or science. I'm really hoping to keep Friday's free for catch-up work (hopefully not too much), field trips, etc. We've already signed up for an art class on the first Friday morning of each month.I forgot to mention that we did a few subjects 5 days a week, and the others were just M-Th, so Friday was our light day. If DH decided to take them out of town for an impromptu overnight trip on Friday, I had no trouble getting everything done by Thursday. Just remember... It's first grade, not high school. If you get your reading/phonics, writing, and math done, that's fine! Listen to SOTW on CD in the car to cover history, and get some library books or science kits for science. Include history and science readers as part of your "reading" time too, doing double duty! First grade can be done in 2 hours or less (some people may only take an hour!). You can do this. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherylterese Posted September 1, 2011 Author Share Posted September 1, 2011 If you are following WTM type recommendations, you probably won't have much writing to do. We used FLL, which is oral. WWE is very limited writing. You can also use WWE as handwriting practice on the days that they write in WWE (one day is just an oral narration, so no writing - you could give copywork of your own that day). If your child isn't ready for WWE yet (which would be completely fine), just do handwriting with no composition yet. No big deal. One thing I'd caution about independent handwriting work... Bad habits develop easily when you aren't watching. In my house, handwriting is a subject that is not independent at all. I have to sit and watch his writing the whole time, or the practice becomes useless. The good news is... first grade work doesn't take much time, depending on what you use. For example, FLL usually took us about 5 minutes. Math took us 20-30 minutes. Writing took 5-10 minutes. We probably spent 15-30 minutes on history or science. I forgot to mention that we did a few subjects 5 days a week, and the others were just M-Th, so Friday was our light day. If DH decided to take them out of town for an impromptu overnight trip on Friday, I had no trouble getting everything done by Thursday. Just remember... It's first grade, not high school. If you get your reading/phonics, writing, and math done, that's fine! Listen to SOTW on CD in the car to cover history, and get some library books or science kits for science. Include history and science readers as part of your "reading" time too, doing double duty! First grade can be done in 2 hours or less (some people may only take an hour!). You can do this. :) Thanks for the vote of confidence! :) As I sat down and planned out the first month last week I started feeling like we had to do every suggestion and fun activitiy listed in WTM, in the book, in the curriculum books I bought, etc. Whew! I could see History taking a full day alone with all of the activities and supplemental reading. I need to continually remind myself to focus on the most important subjects right now and it's very hard for me to let some things go. I want this to work for us though and not be a burden or drudgery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Here's my order for DD, which tends to break apart writing. It looks like a lot broken down, but not everything happens daily (for example, we wouldn't have a writing project AND copywork or a History project AND a science project), and a lot of it is a quick run through of memory work that's also listened to in the car or during the day repeatedly. We take breaks where needed. Math Memory work/practice New topics Games/puzzles/logic/"fun math" LA Reading Copywork Spelling (orally or with tiles) Grammar Writing History VP cards/memory work History Read-alouds Narration Timeline/Map work Projects Spanish Chants/vocabulary Reading games Suzuki recorder Music theory or composer study or artist study or art project Greek word practice, Hey Andrew practice page, listen to read-aloud in Greek. Science memory work Science read-aloud Science projects Latin chants Latin Reading Latin games We listen to memory work in the car, do about an hour "quiet time" during the day (with book-basket books), and usually play games as family and do literature read-alouds before bed as well. Piano practice is while I cook lunch. Dance/Gymnastics are in the evenings. Usually DD has most of the afternoon to play/investigate on her own, unless we've done a project that's spilled over into that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Thanks for the vote of confidence! :) As I sat down and planned out the first month last week I started feeling like we had to do every suggestion and fun activitiy listed in WTM, in the book, in the curriculum books I bought, etc. Whew! I could see History taking a full day alone with all of the activities and supplemental reading. I need to continually remind myself to focus on the most important subjects right now and it's very hard for me to let some things go. I want this to work for us though and not be a burden or drudgery. Yeah, you don't have to do it all. Even SWB doesn't do it all! Read this article she wrote. :) For history, I go through the AG and pick out which books my library has. It is usually 2-3 per week. Sometimes there are more, and I may or may not get all of them. They go into the book basket, and he reads them when he has free time. If he wasn't a reader, I'd probably just pick one book to read each history day, or something like that, depending on length. I will sometimes pick ONE project to do, though we don't do them every week. This week we played the Ransom Caesar game (which is like battleship, with a penny). That didn't take long at all, and it wasn't a messy project. :D If we don't do a project, I don't worry about it. We did do the chicken mummy early on, but haven't done many projects more recently. Just do what you have time for, and don't feel one shred of guilt about not doing more projects. ;) If all you do is listen to SOTW in the car on the way to afternoon therapy, that's more history than your child would have been getting in school at that age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 We get up, eat breakfast, do math, phonics, English grammar, science or history and then reading alone. It takes 1-1.5 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 general academic schedule; start 9am- Math- Grammar/Spelling(alternate days)- Reading 10-10:10am-10:30 break 10:30-11- Religion-WWE 11-12 Nature-1 day//Science-2 day//History 1 day 12-12:30 Music/Art Appreciation1day- alternating weeks//Painting//Crafts//Music-Singing 12:30-1pm Lunch 1p-2p REading- literature, chapter book, picture books, Bible etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbemom Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Our schedule is flexible but in general we follow this schedule: Morning, while DH is sleeping Bible (Review Proverb and weekly Character Quality verse daily plus Bible Story and workbook 2x a week) Math (Calendar Book as well as Singapore) First Language Lessons Writing With Ease Afternoon, after DH leaves for work Science (2x a week) FIAR book & lesson Phonics Art (2x a week) or Sign Language (3x a week) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted September 1, 2011 Share Posted September 1, 2011 Phonics Road Level 1 MUS Alpha and MM 1 A/B supplement TOG Lower Grammar - history - literature - geography Apologia Science (Botany) French Piano Art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 My first grader is doing: Daily: Bible Memory Math Phonics M W F: Grammar Penmanship Writing(wwe) History T TH: Science Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 I just posted mine on my blog- http://www.lextinacademy.blogspot.com I am still working to put up our curriculum list on my page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherylterese Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share Posted September 7, 2011 We have just finished our second day of homeschool and I am feeling totally overwhelmed! It took all day (well, until 3pm) to get everything done on both days, and I've barely touched history and haven't done science at all. I'm exhausted! Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda_Jo Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 My 1st grader does: Circle time (memory work, flash cards, Bible and calendar) Math Handwriting Phonics Listen to Song School Latin Final subject rotates- either science, history or art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 We have just finished our second day of homeschool and I am feeling totally overwhelmed! It took all day (well, until 3pm) to get everything done on both days, and I've barely touched history and haven't done science at all. I'm exhausted! Help! Our first days everything took forever. Then we got back in the swing of things and it sped up. You can post what you are doing to get advice on what to keep/ drop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five More Minutes Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 We have just finished our second day of homeschool and I am feeling totally overwhelmed! It took all day (well, until 3pm) to get everything done on both days, and I've barely touched history and haven't done science at all. I'm exhausted! Help! It really helped me to ease in slowly. Phonics, reading together, and math filled our days at first until we were all comfortable with what was expected. Then we added in spelling and grammar. Then writing and science. History came in very last. The other thing that helps me is to keep in mind is that the essentials are reading, writing, and math. If nothing but those lessons happen in a day, it's just fine. And finally, because we start at 8:30, my cut-off is noon: if we haven't done a lesson by then, it gets moved to the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherylterese Posted September 8, 2011 Author Share Posted September 8, 2011 It really helped me to ease in slowly. Phonics, reading together, and math filled our days at first until we were all comfortable with what was expected. Then we added in spelling and grammar. Then writing and science. History came in very last. The other thing that helps me is to keep in mind is that the essentials are reading, writing, and math. If nothing but those lessons happen in a day, it's just fine. And finally, because we start at 8:30, my cut-off is noon: if we haven't done a lesson by then, it gets moved to the next day. This is so helpful. Thank you. We started at 8:30 yesterday and 9:00 today and were still going at 3:00 both days when I called it quits. I was not thinking it would take so long! (I'm working with my 6 year old 1st grader and 4 year old pre-ker and have a 3 year old as well.) I am going to try your schedule tomorrow to see if I can rid myself of this anxiety I'm feeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIS0320 Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 This is our basic daily routine: 1. 1-2 sentences of copywork. 2. Phonics instruction 15-30 minutes (Phonics Road) 3. She reads aloud from McGuffey to me 4. Previous day spelling word review (random sampling) 5. Literature read aloud - poetry or fiction (2-3 times per week) 6. Math 30ish minutes 7. Science OR History - we alternate days 30ish minutes 8. Geography (if we still have energy for it!) 15ish minutes My 6 year old doesn't do a lot of independent writing yet aside from the copywork, spelling words, and various writing in math or geography sheets. I write her history, science and literature narrations for her and she illustrates them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIS0320 Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 (edited) Our first days everything took forever. Then we got back in the swing of things and it sped up. You can post what you are doing to get advice on what to keep/ drop. We've kept to a solid routine and do everything in the same order every day which I think has helped with transitions and getting things moving more smoothly. Our first few weeks were loooooong too. Edited September 8, 2011 by drexel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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