Options for 1st grade. Help!

[Linz1084]

Hello all!  I'm having a hard time deciding what to do for 1st grade for my son.  Here's the thing.  I really like the looks of MFW Adventures, but not so much MFW K-1st.  (I have issue with the integrated phonics.)  I feel like I could enjoy the MFW history cycle as well, but I am not sure what to do for 1st grade before I get to MFW Adventures.  I have Sunlight P4/5 and love the books, not so much the schedule.  I did think of doing Core A for 1st, but I think my son would like more hands on (as MFW does).  

 

Another thought I had, which I have not looked at these products to be able to tell if it would be a good fit, would be to do BFB Early Am History for 1st, and then move on to either MFW history or SOTW for the cycle.  

 

Any insight from been there done that moms?  Any curriculums I am overlooking?

 

For the record, I also have Memoria Press Enrichment (for K).  I'm not ruling it out, but it feels a little dry and maybe not enough direction (at least in K it is like "discuss the 13 colonies" or "learn about spain and culture" without tools to do that... I would like a resource list maybe.)

 

Thanks for any ideas or help!

[ExcitedMama]

We loved MP K Enrichment this year and will definitely use their first grade version next year when DS starts SOTW. it's more of a starting point really of discussion and interest. There's always a book to read with reading comprehension questions, an art piece and a classical music piece. There is often other questions, like learning about stars to go with the Columbus book, or the lifecycle of frogs after reading a book with frogs. It's been a great help for me to add in books on those extra subjects that I would probably have forgotten. When we are interested we add in more, DS loved the lefty inventor aspect of Da Vinci and now even DD knows the Mona Lisa when she sees it somewhere so it's been fun. It's definitely a supplemental type extra, with reading and arty studies with the occasional history or science study. I haven't looked at the first grade version yet so I'm not sure if it's different. It is really like its own resource list. It's also better to think about it from Sept-May as it does follow the holidays and seasons so it will do Columbus and Presidents Day when they fall on the calendar. I've never bothered with teaching DS about Groundhog's Day before but I did this year because it was listed and it was a fun extra.

 

I like that it's fun and separate. I can add to it, or double up as I did when we fell behind before some holidays, but it doesn't expect anything else with it so I can do reading and math separately at his level.

[Kiara.I]

I've never used a packaged all-subjects curriculum of any kind.  So I would lean toward finding a math, a handwriting, a history and, if you want curriculum for them, a science and an art, and calling it good.

 

And I'd do SOTW for 1st.

[Rachel]

I do the same as Kiara, using the guidelines in the back of WTM as my guideline. If you don't want to piece your curriculum together, you can purchase a 1st grade box through Well Trained Mind Press (it used to be Peace Hill Press).

 

1st grade is fun! I'm teaching it for the second time next year.

[mommy5]

I'm not sure ... I'm just lurking to see what everybody else says.  I'm trying to decide for my 5.5 year old, as well for next year.  This year we are just doing some MUS and not too much phonics (like Reading Eggs but nothing formal)...

[UnlikelyHomeschoolingMama]

I just did MFW Adventures with my 2nd and Kinder and we loved it! I've never done MFW K and 1st either.  We just do our own phonics and math those years.  With my oldest, we just did Phonics, Math and Handwriting in first.  "History" and "Science" were books, books and more books.  She tested in late 3rd grade level in those subjects, so she didn't miss anything.  Even now she knows a ton of "history" from the books she reads.  So I think you can stay "laid back" for 1st and plan to do Adventures when your little one is in second grade.  Then jump into the cycle if you like MFW.  

 

We are gearing up for ECC next year and are SO excited about it!