1st Grade- am I missing anything?

[jnaj]

This will be our second year homeschooling. Kindergarten has been a fun year of exploring, trying out different curriculums, finding balance, etc. I also have a 5th grader and a 2 year old. We homeschooled my 5th grader this year, but are hoping to get him in a local charter school next year. This year he has come a long way, but getting him back in school is definitely something we all feel is necessary. 

 

We will be starting 1st grade next month with my 6 year old daughter (she doesn't want to take a typical summer break, and honestly, I plan on homeschooling year round. It gives us lots of opportunities throughout the year for spontaneous field trips, etc.)

 

Here are the plans so far. I am trying to get everything together, and wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. She loves school, structure, and the more the better for her- I just have to balance out what will work time wise. 

 

Math- we have been using McRuffy K math, which she has enjoyed. I am considering switching to Singapore Primary Mathematics, Standards Edition for the long haul though. Is there anything I should know specifically about Singapore Math that might be a make it or break it? She loves math, and I have a feeling this will end up being one of her strong subjects.

 

Language Arts/etc-  FLL1, WWE1, AAR Level 1, AAS Level 1, ETC - does this seem to cover what we will need in the language arts department? 

 

Logic- Lollipop Logic

 

History- SOTW 1, with activity guide 

 

Science- Sassafras Science Zoology 1st semester, and 2nd semester the Sassafras Anatomy

 

Music/Art- Continue Piano lessons, theater class, and either co-op art class or art at home

 

PE- Martial arts classes, running, and maybe another sport or gymnastics. She is a very athletic child, so we are covered there.

 

EXTRAS: ASL, Lego classes at co-op

 

Am I missing anything? I am getting more comfortable now that we have been at it for this past year, but still want to make sure I am covering our bases. She loves the computer, so I would really like to do something with that. Not sure what would be good for her age though. 

 

Thanks for any input. I would really appreciate it. This board has been a huge lifesaver for me and I have learned so much this past year just on here!

 

 

 

 

[kiwik]

I couldn't handle FLL1, WWE1 is good though.

[WahM]

I would take out aas since you're going to do aar 1. Both wont be needed.

[jnaj]

Ok, so it's not necessary to use both AAR and AAS? On the website they seemed different, but again, I haven't used either before. I just know she needs some more confidence in the reading department, and I think she would really enjoy AAR. 

[Meghann]

Just FYI - The company suggests not starting on AAS 1 until you hit AAR 2.

[jnaj]

Meghann- Thanks so much for pointing that out! I guess that does make sense!

 

 

Amber

[Meghann]

Meghann- Thanks so much for pointing that out! I guess that does make sense!

 

 

Amber

No problem! We have about 5 lessons left in AAR 1, so I just placed an order for AAS 1 and AAR 2. It's a great program!

[jnaj]

It looks like a great program! I was wondering if I should start my daughter at AAR2, BUT I feel she needs to solidify some skills, etc and begin at level 1. I figured we could move through what she already is comfortable with pretty quickly. She really liked the website and I think it looks fun. 

 

 

Amber

[classicmommy]

It looks like you covered everything. Looks great!

[EndOfOrdinary]

I would make a read aloud list. I didn't read aloud as much with my son as I had hoped to becau I always assumed we would get to it. Once I wrote out a classic read aloud list, it really helped. We read stacks of library books, but not enough classics. It is our favorite part of school now.

 

Anne of Green Gables, Winnie the Pooh, Little House, Narnia, that sort of thing. You will probably read them all over again so do not worry if one is a total bust. Just put it down and move on. Robinson Crusoe was a complete failure until this year. We have read it twice since September. Don't know what changed, but now it is apparently awesome.

[HappyClassical]

We did Singapore math 1a and 1b along with math u see and won't be continuing either for first grade. The Singapore workbooks are colorful and fun and I like the pages where we talk about concepts, however; for us - my daughter could blow through the worksheets and get the answers right and still not have a real understanding of the concept. She finished the Singapore worksheets way ahead of time, and now we have Math U See left to finish by end of June but I'm not happy with that choice either. We are switching to RighStart for 1st grade. It has heavy parent involvement, but there is a lot less opportunity to skirt thought lessons without truly understanding concepts.

 

I'm starting FLL and WWE for first grade too. We are also using AAS1 next year, but my daughter is completing AAR1 now and that's another we won't be continuing with. She isn't enjoying the cut and paste anymore. And those activities are what originally took us down the AAR path for the money. For WWE, we are mixing in some Writeshop JR here and there to mix it up. That program is a lot of fun!

 

Someone mentioned a reading list... From Writing with ease, I chose several of the novels mentioned and am creating worksheets to correlate to WWE's instructions (we are using teacher guide, not workbook), to these works of literature, such as Little House in the Big Woods. I'll probably have them posted on Teachers Pay Teachers by End of June.

 

We are also using Story of the World. Some great resources that go well with Vol 1 (which we breezed over for kinder but are doing for real in first) are Ancient Science by Jim Weiss, Evan Moore Ancient Civilizations History Pockets, Eat Around the World, and the Usborne Ancient Civilization related texts.

 

Feel free to PM me - since we are in the same boat with the first grader.

 

:-)

[boscopup]

I think it looks great! I think ETC might be overkill with AAR and AAS though. If she's not reading well enough for spelling yet, just do AAR for a while. If she's reading decently and is ready for spelling, AAS would be fine by itself (some people used to use it to teach reading before AAR came along). ETC shouldn't be necessary with either of the other two.

 

I used Singapore Standards 1 with my middle son. It went great with him. Singapore is not just worksheets, so the previous poster sounds like they weren't using the program fully.

 

FLL and WWE are excellent. I found FLL1 very easy, but my kids liked it.

 

SOTW is also excellent. My oldest loved it. He still reads the series on his own for fun.

[k8c]

We attempted to use AAR1 this year because I also thought it would help to solidify some of the problem areas.  However, I found the ETC was much better at "reviewing" those few trouble spots, and we ended up abandoning AAR1 about 10 lessons in.  Part of that was the style of teaching (which also caused us to abandon AAS1), and while my daughter loved playing with the letter tiles, the act of physically writing out the words (as ETC uses) did a much better job getting the information to stick in her brain.  We are going to switch to SpellWell for this fall, which is created by the same woman who created ETC.

 

We also are using Singapore 1A & 1B (Standards) and I have not allowed my daughter to fly through the workbook because I thought what happened to TabMartinez would happen to us.  We do one lesson at a time and practice until I am sure she has the concept down, adding in the EP and CWP.  We also use Critical Thinking Co's Mathematical Reasoning Level B as a supplement and "fun" math worksheets, and because it is a bit more of a spiral text, it does a good job reviewing the information, and as it really doesn't have much teaching in it, I can apply the Singapore style to the problems.  I am not a math person, so having the "how" of teaching the Singapore style spelled out to me has been huge. 

 

As to the computer, PBS kids has tons of free educational games, and Salsa Spanish (do a google search) has some free games and videos.  We also started typing lessons with Typing Club, which is also free.  

[pmaria80]

Just wanted to chime in that I love the math books from The Critical Thinking Company and we plan to use those as supplements as well for my son's K year coming up, along with Math in Focus, which is another type of singapore math.  We will also be doing AAR 1 as we have just finished AAR Pre-1 and LOVED it!  I think adding in read alouds is the only thing you are missing.  Otherwise, your schedule sounds great!!

[SkatingMom]

I agree that you only need AAS or AAR. Not both. My kids do better with Explode the Code than AAR. It's simple but super effective. Singapore is definitely not all worksheets. We use two apps to supplement 1A/1B....Spash Math Grade 1 and Number Bonds. FLL was not a hit with my oldest....I am not sure why, to be honest. He used Rod and Staff 2 for 1st, gently, and it was a better fit.

[SilverMoon]

FLL1, WWE1, AAR Level 1, AAS Level 1, and ETC is too much IMO. You only need one source of phonics, not three. :)

 

Logic I wouldn't worry about at this age. Too many little things like that can end up crowding the really important ones like reading and math. There is plenty of time for it later.

 

Math, science, history, and electives look good. Make sure there's plenty of good literature around for her to read and you to read to her, and make sure plenty of time to do nothing gets in the schedule too. :) (Said as a mom of 6 who has scouts, swim team, and dance performances on her schedule.)

[jnaj]

Great idea on making the read aloud list ahead of time. I have some books in mind, but writing it all down will help make sure we actually get to it. We didn't do as much as I wanted to with read alouds this past year, but my daughter really enjoyed what we did. And yes, we do tons of library books also. I figured a lot of our library books this year will go with our history and our science, along with free books of her choice. She LOVES learning, so she always chooses some good ones :)

 

Ok, so it sounds like my phonics area might be a bit overkill- maybe I will go ahead and try out AAR1 for now (along with FLL1, and WWE1) and see how that goes. Depending on how AAR1 goes, then we might try out AAS after we finish that and take it from there. Maybe I will just keep ETC around (since I already have it) and if we feel we need it or if she wants to do it we can always use that also. 

 

I am really really torn on the Singapore math. I keep reading both positive and negative experiences with it, and I am not sure which way I am leaning. I want to go ahead and give it a shot, because it seems that it is a good program to use long term, but I do want to make sure if we use it, we use it in whatever way would be the most beneficial and I definitely don't want her in a program where she can just get by doing the worksheets and not really understanding things. If we decide to go the Singapore route (the Standards edition)- would I be getting the HIG, Textbook and Workbook? Is there anything else I need to get the most use out of the program? I love the idea of using The Critical Thinking Company books as a supplement- I have the 5th grade one for my son and the Level A one for my 2 year old now and we love those.

 

The Lollipop Logic I am not too concerned about getting through. I figured it would be something fun for her to do if she needed anything extra to do. She requests more work when we are waiting for her brother to get out of his martial arts class and things like that, so workbook type things seem to be good to bring to places like that. Honestly, even the history and science- I am mainly adding it all in because she is totally ready for more than we are doing now, and she is just a little sponge soaking in everything. She will ask me specific questions about things and always makes me research things on my phone or computer to figure out where something is, what type of plant we are looking at, etc. I'm hoping these subjects are fun for her, and I know we will be coming back around to them in a few years anyways. 

 

You guys are great- I am enjoying hearing everyone's experiences and ideas. It's nice to discuss this with others that either have done this or are doing this now. A lot of my homeschool friends are very relaxed, and while we have been pretty relaxed this year, we still use curriculum because my daughter BEGS for it and craves it. She is seriously an awesome kid to homeschool and I am looking forward to beginning first grade with her. She totally lights up when she learns something new or when something clicks for her. Ah, 1st graders. :)

 

And yes, I don't want to overload her and I want to leave her plenty of time to explore on her own and do "nothing." I will have a loose schedule and see what works best for each day when I get everything together. I think sometimes lists can look long, but when things are separated into different days it isn't as long as it looks. 

[SkatingMom]

Singapore is hit and miss. My oldest, almost 7, is wrapping up 1B and he loves it and is excelling with it. We use the the HIG, textbook, workbook, and Intensive Practice....plus supplement with Splash Math Grade 1. My youngest, almost 6, literally seems to not only dislike, but hits a block wall with, the Singapore style. She uses Splash Math K and Essentials B and it's like pulling teeth. I am thinking of switching styles for her this coming school year....but am not sure to exactly what yet.

[WahM]

Singapore is a great program, but not for everyone just like any curriculum. I agree with the other poster of McRuffy math is working and everyone is enjoying it, why not stay with it? Fourth grade is still a long way off and by then they might have the fifth and sixth grades ready. Actually, I think they already released fifth grade, right?

 

I was set on Singapore and/or math mammoth because I was taught with the traditional methods in public school, but in my head I do math the "Singapore way" I was never taught to do it that way that's just how my brain does math automatically, so I thought it was wonderful when I found there were programs that taught math that way! Well, my very, very mathy child hated it! It was confusing for her in a sense and much she got over stimulated with the hands on introduction, then the colorful workbook, finally the textbook. For her, it was over stimulating and too distracting. We ended up with BJU it is hands on, and a perfect fit for us. Now, that's the program I use with all my kids. So long story short find what works for your family and stick to it. It's easy to get caught up in the big hype of this program or that program, but in reality the best one is the one that works for you and your kids.

[jnaj]

I do not have the Singapore math in hand yet. I did order the standards edition, so we will see when it gets here if I think it will work. We have enjoyed McRuffy for K, and we could stick with it through 5th..I am just to sure if it's the right math for her. She is doing great in it, but I think that I would like a math that shows more ways to do the problems, and maybe something that doesn't seem to just be all over the place? I'm not sure how to explain it. It works, but I don't think it's the fit we are looking for. She gets things right when we do it with McRuffy, but if it is shown to her a different way, she doesn't "get it" if that makes sense. Singapore might not be the fit we are looking for either. I looked at Saxon and it looks like something that would make us both just go crazy but maybe it wouldn't? I'm not sure! I'm not sure WHICH would be a better fit to be honest! 

 

I do think my daughter needs the hands on and colorful stuff though. I have seen the Singapore Practice books in the stores, but I haven't actually seen the Singapore Primary Mathematics books. Are the practice books the ones everyone is referring to when they say intensive practice?

 

Thanks everyone!

Amber

[HappyClassical]

I should clarify that my main issue with Singapore is the worksheets. We weren't only using them, I just don't think they added value in that she could do them even if she wasn't really getting the concept. Several ppl here mention they use Singapore with other programs. I haven't heard a lot about it being wholly successful by itself. I'm hoping rightstart works for us (it's a big investment)...

[jnaj]

Yes, I see a lot that Singapore is supplemented with other programs as well. I was under the impression from reading about it elsewhere that it was a pretty solid math program, and one of the more "advanced" ones in the long run. But, when reading about people who actually USE it here, it seems that they use it along with something else. So I'm not exactly sure what we are going to do. I already ordered it, so I will look at it and try it out and see how it goes. I remember checking out Rightstart before and really liking it, I believe it was the investment that made me hesitant. I guess we will see if it works since we are starting in the next month or so, and if not then we will move on to something else. I guess I can't COMPLETELY mess up 1st grade, right? ;)

 

Amber

[Freedom]

Mistiblue02, your description of your DD sounds very much like my DS in that he always asks to do lessons or why not more...plus he requests that I teach him about whatever. This week it is anatomy....bones, joints, the names of all of them, etc. he'll be 5 in June. I used the pre-k Singapore math with him but he, like another poster, was overstimulated and distracted, so I switched to Saxon and we flew through Saxon K and are 18 lessons into Saxon 1. He asks to do more math everyday now. Since he is so inquisitive and loves learning, I picked up "Adventures in America" which is geared toward his age and includes learning all the states and capitals. I use PAL from institute for excellence in writing for him which is reading and writing in 2 separate books/programs. He is reading now....decoding and learning sight words. It also comes with AAS which we won't start until he starts to write. He hasn't been ready to write...but I think it will be soon. PAL is awesome once you jump in and see how it works. He loves it. As far as science, I'll wait until he is closer to 6. We also have Bible lessons. I am trying to decide when to start Song School Latin....anyone use that? From the outside, it seems like so much for a 4 year old but he loves it and I am very relaxed about it so he enjoys it.

[Freedom]

Mistiblue02, your description of your DD sounds very much like my DS in that he always asks to do lessons or why not more...plus he requests that I teach him about whatever. This week it is anatomy....bones, joints, the names of all of them, etc. he'll be 5 in June. I used the pre-k Singapore math with him but he, like another poster, was overstimulated and distracted, so I switched to Saxon and we flew through Saxon K and are 18 lessons into Saxon 1. He asks to do more math everyday now. Since he is so inquisitive and loves learning, I picked up "Adventures in America" which is geared toward his age and includes learning all the states and capitals. I use PAL from institute for excellence in writing for him which is reading and writing in 2 separate books/programs. He is reading now....decoding and learning sight words. It also comes with AAS which we won't start until he starts to write. He hasn't been ready to write...but I think it will be soon. PAL is awesome once you jump in and see how it works. He loves it. As far as science, I'll wait until he is closer to 6. We also have Bible lessons. I am trying to decide when to start Song School Latin....anyone use that? From the outside, it seems like so much for a 4 year old but he loves it and I am very relaxed about it so he enjoys it.

[arcara]

I have a dd finishing 1st grade right now. It was very helpful to use AAS behind AAR. She's not a whole level behind, but close. Learning the phonograms and touching on the rules with AAR first has made AAS easier.

 

I don't do grammar with my kids until about 3rd grade. When doing dictation in AAS, they learn about starting sentences and names with capital letters and ending with a period. That's all I care that my 1st grader learns in terms of grammar.

 

I definitely agree with the idea of putting together a read-aloud list.

 

Have a great school year!

[Coco_Clark]

Singapore is a solid stand-alone math program.  I think many people use it along with other programs on this board because Singapore is a rigorous program that suits well for children that can handle multiple maths.  The only times I've heard of Singapore not being "enough" is with parents not familiar with Asian math and without the HIG (where 90% of the teaching is located).  I think if you use the HIG there will be little worry of her not understanding the concepts, and if she blows through them I'd recomend the Intensive Practice.

 

We used Singapore for first grade and really enjoyed it.  We are most likely switching to Math in Focus next year, but that is because I want a self teaching textbook.  I really have no regrets with our Sing. year.

 

I cant speak towards your L.A. selections because we went different routes.  But we also did SOTW1 and Zoology in first grade and they were lots of fun.  Looks like you have a great year ahead!

 

 

[Tanikit]

I used Singapore 1a/1b in my DDs K year - however we are not using the standard edition (or the American edition) and I just teach it (I have a good Math background so picking up their methods with a little research has not been hard) - it is a good programme but I have had to supplement as my DD gets bored doing the same thing over and over - I added in some MEP at some stage and we also use LOF now since she enjoys the story. You can definitely use it as a full programme though. One thing I have found is that adapting a curriculum (any curriculum) to deal with my own child always works well. If something isn't working it is not always necessary to buy a whole lot of new things - sometimes you just need to adapt.

 

This also applies to AAS - many people complain about the tiles or how long it takes, but having looked at it it is very easily adaptable without upsetting the child's learning. It will depend how well your child is reading whether it would be a good idea to do AAR2 and AAS1 or just AAR1 - look at their site and see what concepts your child needs practice with that are presented in AAR1.

 

Everything else looks good. Have a good year.

 

As for the read alouds - I use a large number of lists as the availability of the books I want is not always guaranteed so I make sure I always have a choice and also if we have covered a more heavy book with more difficult vocabulary then I prefer to move on to something lighter and easier next. We use Sonlight's lists (and of K- grade 3), HOD lists, goodread book lists, Mensa book lists and I keep a list of good children's literature that is available free online (both classic and modern). My children demand read aloud time so it is not easy to forget.

[Joyful Journeys]

Newbie here, also planning first grade. Just thinking out loud. 

 

Isn't it possible, in any curriculum for kids to skirt by doing worksheets without full understanding?  I mean, it's up to you as the teacher/parent to see your child's performance and manage that. We've used 1a & my child loves the Singapore books.  I cannot imagine not having the HIG even though I can clearly add and subtract, I want to be sure I'm presenting it in such a way that it can be built upon for future lessons, the "singapore way" if you will. If you try it you've not lost anything being so young, and can just try something else later. I'm sticking with it until I'm 100% sure it's not working as it is an affordable, time tested program. We do "supplement" with xtramath.org, just because it's more fun than flashcards but it's certainly not an indication Singapore isn't enough. With any program there are days when it gets monotonous, so put the workbook away and do a game instead. 

 

Since my daughter knows the phonograms, we're just doing AAS 1 (without tiles, she doesnt need them) as a combo phonics supplement/spelling program.

[Walking-Iris]

I would say that if you feel your dd needs more work in reading, to delay WWE1 until maybe 2nd grade. Plenty of people start it in 2nd or even later with good results. WWE2 gets complicated fast, and if they are still working on basic reading and spelling, I find the copywork in WWE1 a bit much. I think it works better for 2nd. If you wanted to add some writing activities beyond the AAS/AAR or ETC workbooks, then take a look at the Bravewriter's Jot It Down. I find it much more satisfying in these early years than WWE1. I tried WWE1 this year and dropped it halfway. My 1st grader needed to be reading and spelling, not writing copywork he couldn't read or spell. And i know from using the program with my oldest how difficult it gets. WWE seems to me a program better late than early.

 

FLL1 will give you plenty of opportunities for copywork, narration, grammar etc. I found it's gentleness annoying at first, but it's effective. I had to be careful to prevent boredom by combining and even skipping a lot of the lessons. Too much repetition at times. But a FLL lesson really only takes 5 minutes of your time at best. We usually start the day with it.

 

I was using Math Mammoth this year, but looking ahead I'm not liking the program as well. I'm thinking of going with SM as well. I will continue to use Miquon with it however, because I love Miquon so very much!!!

 

ETC is  a great little program. Maybe just work a lesson a couple times a week? 

 

I don't use any of the All About programs so I can't help you there. But depending on how they are scheduled you could fit in an ETC lesson a few times a week. 

 

 

[jnaj]

Thanks everyone! I think we are pretty set now, and it's been great hearing everyone's thoughts/experiences. I think for the summer we are going to focus on AAR, handwriting, ETC, and Singapore math, along with FIAR (we only did a few books for kindy, but I think we should get some more in this summer before we start adding in more stuff in the fall)- that way when we begin our more formal history, science, FLL, WWE, she will probably be ready for AAS or a combo of AAR2/AAS1. 

 

I have been looking into some great read alouds for the year, and I think we will pick some fun ones for the summer also.

[HappyClassical]

Newbie here, also planning first grade. Just thinking out loud.

 

Isn't it possible, in any curriculum for kids to skirt by doing worksheets without full understanding? I mean, it's up to you as the teacher/parent to see your child's performance and manage that. We've used 1a & my child loves the Singapore books. I cannot imagine not having the HIG even though I can clearly add and subtract, I want to be sure I'm presenting it in such a way that it can be built upon for future lessons, the "singapore way" if you will. If you try it you've not lost anything being so young, and can just try something

I agree, that kids can skirt through worksheets. I have the HIG and also consulted with someone to make sure I had a strong grasp of what I was doing. I just felt like the program wasn't enough for me to see confirmed results in the activity sheets, as opposed to something like RIghtstart where there is a lot of activity from different angles. It wasy first year homeschooling and so I let my daughter go ahead in the worksheets - but quickly realized they weren't showing whether she had really mastered the concepts. My closest homeschooling friend has a son who is excelling in a combo of Singapore and math u see. In theory, Singapore was what I was most excited about for kindergarten, but it just wasn't successful for us.

[jnaj]

I just ordered Saxon 5/4 for my 11 year old son. He has been using Teaching Textbooks, but I feel like he was "getting by" with it. When he took the Saxon Placement test, I feel that he knew most of the 5/4 stuff but wasn't ready for 6/5 yet.. He did Teaching Textbooks 5 this year for 5th grade, so I guess that does show that TT is a bit "behind" some other math programs. He did know a lot on the placement test though, so it wasn't TOO bad!

 

My friend has a copy of Saxon 1 that she is going to lend me, so I am going to compare Singapore and Saxon, maybe use a combo of both and see what works, etc. I have a feeling that my son is totally a Saxon style math kid and my daughter is more Singapore. We will see if I am right or if I come back later complaining about one of these math programs making me want to rip my hair out ;)

Do you have the singapore maths yet? In hand? They sell it around here at smaller toy stores, and there's a homeschool store that has it too. They even sell it at walmart.com! 

 

Are you sure that's the real Singapore Math?  I've seen "Singapore Math Practice Books" sold at my local Barnes and Noble that are not published by the Singapore math people, and contained two or three blatant errors in the example I looked at just browsing through.  I don't think there's any trademark on the Singapore Math name, so anyone can make a "Singapore Math" book, and just confuse the waters.

 

And where are these Singapore Math worksheets coming from?  I use the textbook, workbook, sometimes IP, sometimes CWP, but no worksheets.

[jnaj]

Just a little update- I just received our Singapore Primary Math, Standards Ed. 1A in the mail (I got the workbook, textbook, and HIG)- and I must say I am excited to get started. There is stuff in the beginning that will totally be easy for her (we went through McRuffy K this year), but I think this way of math will work well for us. I didn't order 1B because I figured we needed to try this before I order any more. Anyways, I hope Singapore works out for us, and it looks like a great program. I like how in the HIG it is separated into weeks and kind of into days but not SPECIFICALLY days. I like seeing the "whole picture" right there and we can easily adjust the "days" to what we need. I guess when things are set up specifically into days it stresses me out more if we miss something because I feel we are "behind." Totally MY issue, but I am a little obsessive like that. ;)