Easing into 1st grade work?

[Gwenny]

I've been looking forward to next year (1st grade) and it seems like so much to be done in a day: spelling, grammer, writing, history, science, art, and something I am probably forgetting. I was thinking about gradually adding in some of these subjects toward the latter part of this year to sort of ease her into next year's workload. I plan on schooling year-round (3 months on-1 month off).

 

Has anyone else tried this and did it help? I'm just afraid she will balk at so much work when right now we finish any formal work in 30 minutes or so.

 

Gwenny

[Soph the vet]

Hi!

I have now eased 3 dc into 1st grade, actually we never did K really, they did a combo. Even 1st grade should not be longer than an hour or an hour and a half of "seatwork", IMO. Reading fluently is a good goal. Using a solid 1st grade math curriculum is a good idea. Handwriting is important. Beyond that in 1st grade everything else is icing. Get into a routine of getting those basics down and then add in your science, history, etc.

There was some weeping and gnashing of teeth when my third dc started 1st this year but as school became a routine for her it got easier. Take lots of breaks, time to go outside or run around, time to explore.

Foster a love for learning rather than insisting a 1st grader gets everything done on the list that day. That's my two cents.

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

IMO structure is very important from the beginning. 1st grade is a cakewalk compared to upper elementary. My daughter is in 4th (with some higher level courses thrown in) and does 5-6 hours of schoolwork a day. In K we did 3-4 hours a day. Had I allowed her to only work for 30 minutes in K, there would be no way she could keep up. She would never have gotten used to structure fast enough to keep up with the workload.

 

If all the work is in workbooks and things like that and it is taking only 30 minutes, I suggest stretching out your day with things like math manipulatives, science experiments, more reading time (both independent and mom reading aloud), coloring maps, making fun crafts. If you go down to your local public school (if it's good) and observe a day in a K class there, or find an experienced K teacher to talk to, you can get an idea of what is going on in a K classroom.

 

If the issue is that your child understands the work before it's presented and that's why it is only taking 30 minutes, I would have her evaluated so you can give her materials at the appropriate level.

 

1st grade is so much fun! Enjoy it because it goes quick!

[Gwenny]

I think I should clarify. When I said we only spend about 30 min a day, I meant in formal, sit down at the table work.

 

We don't use any workbooks except for handwriting. We do handwriting and phonics pathways at the table and the rest of the day we learn informally.

I read-aloud science books, we do science experiments, art projects, nature walks, cooking, sign language, fiction read-alouds, and so on.

 

I guess what I am really wondering is if I should just let her take it easy this year and enjoy learning informally, or should I start to ease in some other subjects. She reads on about the first grade level and seems ready in many ways.

Gwen

[kalanamak]

I

Has anyone else tried this and did it help? I'm just afraid she will balk at so much work when right now we finish any formal work in 30 minutes or so.

 

Gwenny

 

Help? It was essential. I started revving into a little more time the last 3 months of K, adding in more science, and doing some informal "prehistory", but I did announce to kiddo that things would change 1 Aug, and gave him a schuletute for fun (he was a bit worried about the change and had a bad dream where he called out "I'm surrounded by a clutch of books" in the night).

 

I make sure we get through math and reading. Handwriting I added after two months of getting everything else done (and gave him a little more time for his fine control to mature). History got added in after only 3 weeks, science we were already doing. I added more formal music info (Bernstein, see my sig) when he started requesting it ("I'm old enough for it now"....it took about 2 months), and I'm finally putting more formal art in, but that is a challenge for him, as he's a mathy guy.

 

I personally wouldn't do 3 month on one month off. Too long to let knowledge and habits slip. I do a bit 6 or 7 days a week. If I didn't work, I'd do 5, but I'd still year round with a week off here and there for sickness, vacation, events, etc. I keep a monthly page with circles for every hour of a subject I want to "have happen" and ink in the circles (which I quarter at the beginning) on a daily basis. This helps me keep rough track. The more important stuff I track with daily entries.

 

But, as I must say, I'm only the parent of an only, and my guy is only 6, so while this process is fresh in my mind, others have had *much* more experiance than I.

[3lilreds in NC]

I think easing into it is the way to go. Start with 3 things, maybe, and add one more thing each week until you're up to a full load. The curriculum you use makes a difference, too. First Language Lessons, for example, uses short lessons for grammar. We use All About Spelling, and those lessons are quick, too. If you use SOTW for history, the readings are nice and short. Not sure what you'd do for science, but I think WTM recommends making an animal notebook, which you could combine into art, I would think, if you wanted to.

 

You will be fine. You will be able to tell if you have started off with too much or if you could add more to your day. :)