How does this sound for First Grade?

[SpicyPeanut]

I'm bringing DD5 home next year for first grade.  I ran this past my husband, however, all he really cares about is the price tag . He says he trusts me, which is great, but I'd love some actual input!

 

Just for background info: DD5 will be 6 in September.  She'll be a young first grader but is advanced.  She is currently at a private school doing Kindergarten there.  The school does first grade math and it's currently "easy" for her.  She's reading at a mid-second grade level but her writing is more in line with K.  Socially she's pretty much a Kindy.  She's got a good attention span for her age, decent fine motor skills.  I'd say she was a cross between a Perfect Paula and a Sociable Sue.  She loves workbooks and insists on doing EVERY page but never stops talking and wants me to sit there with her while she does it (so she can talk). 

 

Ok... with that information.  Here's my plan.  I have a lot of this stuff already because I'm a teacher and so I collect curriculum resources :-)

 

Bible: Just cover whatever is being covered in church (we get a print out) and maybe seasonal stuff.  I'm considering getting a devotional?

 

Math: Math Mammoth Gr 1.  (It may have been deleted, if we don't find it, I'm seriously considering CLE Gr. 1)

 

Reading: OPGTR and CLE Reading (Not LTR)

 

Language Arts: CLE LA Gr. 1

 

History: SOTW 1

 

Science: I can't decide between just doing it TWTM way or getting Elemental Science to keep me on track.  I can get side tracked easily

 

Then for fun we have a Draw Write Now book that she's excited about and she wants to do Home Art Studio.  She's also in gymnastics and will likely take up an instrument (if she can pick one). 

 

Anyway.... does this sound like a decent year?  I really don't like the idea of "skipping" ahead to 2nd grade so my desire is to use more advanced first grade materials.  We also have a lot of other supplemental things we could do if things got monotonous but I want an overall plan.

 

Thanks in advance.

[sunshineslp]

sounds really great!  what is OPTGR?

[mysticmomma]

Looks great!

[ScoutTN]

Looks good.

 

A couple of thoughts:

 

If your Dd is reading on a 2nd grade level, do you need a reading program? Once your child has the phonics base and can read, I would just move on to real books. She reads aloud to you, and also some silently and independently, and you read to her lots. 

 

What does CLE LA include? For a first grader reading well, I would want penmanship, phonics-based spelling, gentle grammar, and some copywork/narration. (composition)

 

Some people find MM too busy on the page for their youngers, but if your Dd like workbooks and has the fine motor control for the writing, it could be be great for her. I have an older student in MM now and really like it. 

 

I think anything is ok for science at that age, as long as it encourages wonder and exploration and enthusiasm for learning.

 

Edited March 29, 2016 by ScoutTN

[ByGrace3]

Looks great!

[SpicyPeanut]

sounds really great!  what is OPTGR?

Oops... I meant OPGTR (Ordinary Parent's Guide To Teaching Reading)

[SpicyPeanut]

Looks good.

 

A couple of thoughts:

 

If your Dd is reading on a 2nd grade level, do you need a reading program? Once your child has the phonics base and can read, I would just move on to real books. She reads aloud to you, and also some silently and independently, and you read to her lots. 

 

What does CLE LA include? For a first grader reading well, I would want penmanship, phonics-based spelling and some copywork/narration. (composition)

 

Some people find MM too busy on the page for their youngers, but if your Dd like workbooks and has the fine motor control for the writing, it could be be great for her. I have an older student in MM now and really like it. 

 

I think anything is ok for science at that age, as long as it encourages wonder and exploration and enthusiasm for learning.

 

I'm not sure if I "need" the reading program though I already own the phonics and she wouldn't be able to read from the last parts of the book.  I figure I'll use it and if we drop it, we drop it.  

 

My problem with the just reading good books is I've learned that I need a plan... even if that plan is a workbook.  If we have the pages we're supposed to read and do we'll do them. If we're supposed to read, read aloud, read independently it MIGHT get done but not consistently.  My hope is that the reading program will keep me in check.  She does love to read on her own though, but I don't want to make that part school.

 

CLE LA includes penmanship, spelling,  and grammar.  I forgot to add that I'd probably to WWE 1 because it seem so short and gentle at this age.  

 

I find MM busy... but she doesn't.    She's a very different child than I ever was. MM would have made me cry.

 

I think you're right about science.  I might just go ahead and "wing it" with some encyclopedias and let her take the lead there.  She loves doing experiments.

 

 

Thank you everyone!  I feel more at ease now.

[texasmama]

I make a schedule for reading literature, history, poetry aloud and for independent reading.  It keeps me (and her) on track.  I have to have the written schedule or I will fall off the map.

[hands-on-mama]

How much does your 5 year old like to write? That would be my biggest thing to evaluate on your plan. You have quite a few writing heavy curricula in there. They might not have as much writing as I think though. They are all solid choices though.

[Janeway]

You sound concerned with the label of the grade. Do not concern yourself with it. If she has done 1st grade math all year, she may need second grade math next year. But that really depends on the program you pick. They all level different from each other. She might need kinder for handwriting, 2nd for math, and so on. Just go with whatever you like and be flexible on which level to use.

[Roseto27]

You sound concerned with the label of the grade. Do not concern yourself with it. If she has done 1st grade math all year, she may need second grade math next year. But that really depends on the program you pick. They all level different from each other. She might need kinder for handwriting, 2nd for math, and so on. Just go with whatever you like and be flexible on which level to use.

Exactly! Meet her where she is and move her forward. I don't think there's any reason to do another first grade math program unless she took a placement test and it was suggested that she start in first. What program is she currently using? Have you compared scope and sequence to what you've chosen for next year? If it's too easy and she's bored, you can reasonably expect as many behavior problems as you would from a child who is in over their head.

 

That said, I didn't see any programs I would advise you to run from, so I think it will be a good year for you guys. :)

[...................]

Looks good but a little boring. I would consider doing something like Five in a Row instead of SOTW. Another thought is that CLE is all black and white. that doesn't bother some little ones. Others hate it.

 

For an instrument, see if you can find a Suzuki violin teacher. Just make it seem awesome and wonderful and she will probably love it.

[...................]

Five in a Row covers a little bit of art, a little bit of history, a little science, and a lot of literature. It's awesome and then next year you can do something more serious. Check it out. It may not be your thing but we have such fond memories of it!

[SpicyPeanut]

How much does your 5 year old like to write? That would be my biggest thing to evaluate on your plan. You have quite a few writing heavy curricula in there. They might not have as much writing as I think though. They are all solid choices though.

She likes to write.  CLE is a little writing intensive but from what I see, it's not more than she does at school right now.   But I can always re-evaluate if it's too much.  

[SpicyPeanut]

Looks good but a little boring. I would consider doing something like Five in a Row instead of SOTW. Another thought is that CLE is all black and white. that doesn't bother some little ones. Others hate it.

 

For an instrument, see if you can find a Suzuki violin teacher. Just make it seem awesome and wonderful and she will probably love it.

I don't want boring, but I can't do FIAR.  I've done SOTW in the classroom a couple of times and the students of vary ages seemed to enjoy it and loved the hands on activities.  You should have seen their faces when I said we'd mummify a chicken.  I already own SOTW and the Activity Guide so I think I'll just try it and see.  If it's a bust, I'll just do something else.  

 

Five in a Row covers a little bit of art, a little bit of history, a little science, and a lot of literature. It's awesome and then next year you can do something more serious. Check it out. It may not be your thing but we have such fond memories of it!

I don't want boring, but I can't do FIAR. I've looked into it, but I just can't see it clicking with me. She might like it, but I don't think I'd stick with it.   I've done SOTW in the classroom a couple of times and the students of vary ages seemed to enjoy it and loved the hands on activities.  You should have seen their faces when I said we'd mummify a chicken.  I already own SOTW and the Activity Guide so I think I'll just try it and see.  If it's a bust, I'll just do something else.  

 

It's hard for me to do buy something when I already have so much stuff.  I have SOTW 1-4 and Activity Guides, Mystery of History 1 , Math Mammoth 1 and OPGTR.  So really, all I "need" to buy is Art, Science and LA.  If I use what I have and only buy what I need, that frees up money for fun things like art supplies & field trips.  (Then the SL and MFW catalogs come in the mail and I second guess everything.) 

 

Thanks everyone! 

[...................]

That make sense

[TriciaT]

My daughter advanced at a similar pace as your dd in reading. When we got to that point, I stopped doing any phonics and just had her read to me daily from the Pathway Readers (Days Go By, etc.). I also made a list for read alouds, mostly to go with our history.

I did use set curriculum for handwriting and spelling though.

 

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Edited April 1, 2016 by TriciaT