What are you using for first grade?

[calledtobehome]

I have two sons, K and pre-k. My K son turn 6 the end of January and I'm working on putting together his 1st grade curriculum. Here are some ideas, hopefully you can help me.

 

 

Thanks

[Tabrett]

Here is my plan-

 

MFW Deluxe 1st-minus their math

Right Start Math B (if it doesn't work then Singapore 1)

SOTW 1 with AG

 

I will probably remake the MFW worksheets with WriteStart to have italic font handwriting instead of ball and stick.

[LisaKinVA]

I have a 1st grader and a Kindy this year.

 

Here's what we've been using:

 

Phonics -- Abeka (because it's what I had... and they both seem to do well with it).

 

Grammar -- FLL 1/2 together. The Ker is doing just fine with this so far, and has enjoyed everything. But, I'm not worried if he doesn't "get" it all right now. Both the Ker and the 1st grader are reading really well too...

 

Penmanship/Copywork -- Abeka (the Ker is doing printing and the 1st grader is doing cursive -- developmental/readiness differences).

 

History, Science, Art & Music -- K12, they do these together.

[Tree House Academy]

Here is my list for 1st grade. We are already doing some of it, because he is working at a K level/1st grade level.

 

LLATL Red (We are doing LLATL Blue this year, and will finish by 1st grade. LLATL Blue is the 1st grade book though)

ETC Books 4 and 5

GWG 1/2 (we will use parts of this, as I see fit)

SOTW I

NOEO Biology I OR Singapore Earlybird Science books 1 and 2

Pentime Handwriting- Transition

Singapore 1B/2A Math

Spelling Workout A

Maps, Globes, and Graphs Geography

DWN 2

Edited December 15, 2008 by Tree House Academy

[Annie Laurie]

My 1st grade dd:

 

SL Core 1 with history pockets and other things added in

 

SL read-alouds

 

She reads so much on her own that I haven't required reading, but I think I will have her do SL readers soon for sustained silent reading time.

 

All About Spelling

 

Singapore Math

 

WWE

 

Science has been informal so far- lots of non-fiction children's books on whatever topics interest her, Bill Nye and Magic School Bus DVDs, we did one Magic School Bus science kit, nature study, and she gets Ranger Rick mag in the mail and reads it herself.

 

Art is informal- we like process art and use Maryann Kohl's books for ideas. Once a week I put out special art materials (tempera paint, clay, watercolor paint, the messy stuff), and they create. All week long they have access to quality brand crayons, markers, colored pencils, paper, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, paper bags, craft sticks, etc, etc. Dd helps her little brother and they make animals from Little Hands craft books.

 

Phonics- she gets a review with her spelling program, she is reading well above grade level so we're not doing an indepth phonics program; if she wasn't than I would leave spelling for later and use explode the code.

 

Memory work and copywork is built into FLL and WWE. She will be starting IEW's poetry program soon.

 

We do creative writing about once a week, I'd like to bump that up to two or three times a week since she loves it so much. Right now, this ties into drawing (more art!) and we use it as inspiration. She'll pick something to draw from Ed Emberley and then she writes a short story (how ever long she wants, usually about a paragraph), or poem about what's happening in the drawing. This has worked well with all my littles, as long as I model it. They love when I do it with them and I point out what I did to discuss elements of a story or poem.

 

That's it!

[rafiki]

.

[calledtobehome]

To give you more background. My boys are hands on they love to build, build, more building! They love science, and science experiments! My K son just started reading, we used Hooked on Phonics K so far along with bob books, Houghton Mifflin 1st grade learn to read series. He just finished the 1.1 book and we have 3 more books to complete first grade I think he is reading at a beg 1st grade level right now. I know we still have more phonics work to do! This is what I have in my mind so far but not sure yet:

 

Phonics-Continue with Hooked on phonics 1st-2nd grade(I have this already) and Explode the code

Math-? Math-u-see(maybe), we did a basic K math work book with manipulatives(abacus, tanagrams,cubes,clock, scale etc)

Handwritng/Copywork-Writng with Ease

Spelling-? Should I even start spelling at this time???

Science-Read and find out books, Bill Nye, Magic school bus books and dvd's, experiments, etc

History-Story of the world book w/ cd's maybe the activity book

Read good literature books from SL, BF, Ambleside,etc

 

or

 

MFW 1st

[Mommy22alyns]

Mine is in my siggy.

 

We started out the year with Spelling Workout A, but she went through that quickly and now we're nearly done with All About Spelling Level 1.

 

She also zipped through HWOT My Printing Book and Printing Power, so she's doing copywork and New American Cursive. The NAC, I just have on Startwrite, so I print out worksheets for her.

 

We just finished Singapore 1A and will be starting Unit 3 of 1B after our holiday break.

 

We just moved up to FLL2 around Thanksgiving. I'm slowing down to 4 lessons a week so we don't finish the book before I'm ready to move her up a grade! :001_huh:

 

We also do Harmony Fine Arts Grade 1, option 2. She listens to the classical music during school time and they have an art lesson on Saturdays with Daddy. It's just observation and a fun activity.

 

She reads a lot independently and is very fluent with excellent comprehension, so we aren't using a phonics program.

[Emmy]

My 2nd son is first grade this year. His curriculum:

 

Phonics / Reading instruction: Ordinary Parents guide with Happy Phonics, various Nora Gaydos readers, Frog and Toad books. Explode the Code workbooks (completed 1, 2, and half of 3 in K, for first he's finished 3 and is working on book 6 now)

 

Math: Math U See Alpha with various drill options and math games for fun

 

Handwriting: Reason for Handwriting A and Startwrite

 

Writing with Ease (narration and copywork)

 

History: Story of the World with activity guide (mainly coloring pages)

 

Science: our own loose curriculum focusing books, projects and occasional videos on a theme. Fall semester is human anatomy, Spring semester is Space

 

Music: composer study and exposure (1 per semester)

 

Art: artist picture study (1 - 2 per semester), lots of free art time

 

We also participate in a homeschool coop that has fun "extra" type classes. This fall he took Cooking around the World, P.E., and Great Stuff Bible crafts. Spring Semester he will take: Lego engineering, Science Experiments your mother won't let you do at home, and Magic School Bus science.

[Mommy22alyns]

Duh, yes... I should add the other stuff too! Becca takes gymnastics and participates in a children's choir.

 

She's also completely obsessed with Sid the Science Kid right now. :001_huh:

[FO4UR]

My ds will be 6 at the end of Jan too:001_smile:

 

Here is what we are doing for 1st:

 

SWR & Cursive First

WWE

AO yr1 literature (non-history)

 

Math....ummmm.....still trying to talk dh into MoTL:tongue_smilie::lol:. If that fails....???? I'm hoping for the MoTL LOL!

 

Apologia Astronomy

 

SOTW I for history, but before we start we'll do a unit on Creation/Noah/Tower of Babel.

 

GL guide to OT for Bible, and will overlap with history some.

 

We'll do art and music too, hopefully.:001_smile:

[LadyAberlin]

Well my son just turned 5 at the beginning of Dec so technically he is in Kinder next yr, but we really have already been doing kinder this yr. We just finished up a lot of our stuff recently so we are starting some new stuff this semester and then we will go through the summer and start new stuff in the fall. So I'll list what we are doing now, what we will do in the fall for our K yr and then what the plans for 1st are.

 

 

Last Half of K4:

 

Bible Various resources

 

Math: MUS Alpha and Horizons K

 

Handwriting: Handwriting Help For Kids K

and then we will move into HWT K

 

Phonics: Alphabet Island 2

 

Reading: Sonlight Readers 1

 

Read alouds: We are just finishing up Sonlight Core K and I will just pick various stories for the rest of the year.

 

Grammar: First Language Lessons1/2

 

Science: Apologia Astronomy with Creation Sensation kit and then this summer RS4K Prelevel 1 Chem

 

History: We are following Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory's Schedule for reading Stories of the Pilgrims, Boys and Girls of Colonial Days and Pioneers and Patriots.

 

Art: Watch me draw series

 

Music: The Zeezok composer series

 

Health: Prudence and the Millers

 

Character: we are finishing up Beautiful Feet character and then we will start reading everyday graces.

 

K5 Plans

 

 

Bible: A Child's Garden of Torah and I can Learn Torah

 

Math: MUS Beta and Abeka 1

 

Handwriting: Pentime 1A

 

Spelling: All About Spelling 1

 

Reading: Sonlight Readers 2

 

Read alouds: I will just pick various stories for the year. it will include the Little House books

 

Grammar: First Language Lessons1/2 - We will continue with this if we aren't finished with it. We are on track to finish it though and then we will do Growing with Grammar 1/2

 

Writing: Writeshop Primary A

 

Science: I'm debating Apologia Zoology 1 and botany with Creation Sensation kits or Noeo Bio 1 we shall see.

 

History: I want to continue with American History for the first Semester. I have All through the Ages guide for this and I am planning on reading Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans, The American Story, Pioneer Sampler and Homeschool Huskies Patriotic. The second Semester we are starting our State History using Easy Classical's 1st grade study.

 

Geography: The first Semester we are going to read various books on Mapping adn the reast of the yr we will do A Trip Around the World.

 

Art: Harmony Fine Arts 1 - option 2

 

Music: God Made Music K

 

Health: Abeka 1

 

Character: Lights Along the Path

 

Spanish: We may try Easy Spanish Jr again since I have it, but I plan to also use Lyric Languages and Hola Amigos.

 

Hebrew: Bilingual Baby and I'm still debating the hebrew program.

 

Jewish Studies: What's So Jewish About Butterflies? and Torah Talk

 

1st grade:

 

Health, Hebrew, Bible, Jewish Studies, and Character

 

Math: MUS Gamma and Abeka 2

 

Science: Zoology 2 and 3 and Creation Sensation kits or Noeo chem 1

 

Writing:If we like Writeshop Primary this yr then we will continue with B if not we will do Writing with Ease

 

Grammar: First Language Lessons 3 or GWG 3 maybe both:lol:

 

Spelling: AAS 2

 

Handwriting: Pentime 1B

 

Literature: Milikan, Novel units, Novel Thinking,

Veritas Press guides, maybe Sonlight readers?

 

Spanish: Escucha y Hablamos 1

 

History: History Odyssey 1

 

Geography????

 

Art: HFA2

 

Music: GMM 1

 

So that is my plan it is always subject to change. I love curriculum planning:hurray:

[dragons in the flower bed]

My son will turn seven in the middle of the 09-10 school year. I'm calling that first grade. Health, art and music are all required by my state.

 

 

• English
  - journaling and copywork
  - Learn to Read with Classic Stories, Grade 1, Grade 2, American Publishing Service
  - Latin, Rosetta Stone
  
• Maths
  - Time4Learning.com 2nd grade math (he's doing 1st this year)
  
• Science: Chemistry I, Noeo Science Curriculum
  
• History: Child's History of the World by V.M. Hillyer (cont. from this year)
  
• Geography: Evan Moor North & South America, related GeoTrekker DVDs from Netflix
  
• Religion: Spend the Day in Ancient Greece by Linda Honan
  
• Extras:
  Health Grade 1 by Steck Vaughn
  Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes
  Pianimals
  Themes to Remember by Marjorie Kiel Persons
  memory work of whatever's relevant in Plaid Dad's new book
   
  

 

Edited December 20, 2008 by dragons in the flower bed

[Laura W.]

When my oldest was in first grade, we did:

 

Bible: Egermeier's Bible Story Book

FIAR

Beautiful Feet Early American History

Miquon Math (but it wasn't working, so switched to RightStart during the year)

FLL

Happy Phonics

Italic Handwriting

Latin's Not So Tough

Finished SL Science K and started SL Science 1

 

 

With my 1st grader last year, we did:

Bible: Bible Study Guide for all Ages

FIAR

RightStart Math (but it got too time-consuming, so switched to Time4Learning)

Happy Phonics (also got too time-consuming, so switched to Time4Learning)

Italic Handwriting

 

With my 1st grader this year, we are doing:

Bible: Devotional studies related to our science studies

FIAR (we're choosing books that allow us to do a world cultures/geography study)

Science: Animals around the world/biology

Time4Learning for both math and language arts

Italic handwriting

 

Hope this gives you some ideas.

 

Blessings,

 

Laura

[Closeacademy]

We are finishing up our first semester of first grade with my 2nd dd but it is more like we are finishing up K and will be starting 1st with the New Year.

 

This is what we are doing:

 

Rod and Staff Reading 1 Units 2-4 (maybe we will get to 5 this summer but it may finish up next fall and she will start level 2 and English 2 next January)

 

Singapore Primary Math 1a (we will do 1b next fall)

 

Copywork that she dictates to me and then copies in her own handwriting.

 

Lapbooks from Homeschoolshare and/or thematic units from Schoolexpress. Currently, we have spent most of the school year reading American Girl books and doing the lapbooks. It takes us about 6 weeks to read a series of books and we spend the time inbetween doing other topics which range from animals, literature, geography and history.

 

:001_smile:

[Jumping In Puddles]

Here is my plan:

 

Phonics: ABeCeDarian

 

Drew Cambell's Memory Work

 

Journal for Copywork

 

BFSU for Science

 

RightStart B

 

WWE? Do you start writing in first grade? hmmm.. more research.

 

Geography??? something light I think.

 

SOTW and activity guide

[Lovedtodeath]

It's in my sig! For DS I plan to use either MFW 1 or Phonics Pathways for reading. OPG didn't work for us. I did it on my own for the most part and she took off.

 

Look at the Draw Write Now books. We love them for notebooking and Unit Studies.

 

Get Startwrite (drawyourworld.com) with this, I can combine handwriting, notebooking, grammar and spelling. It was a great investment.

 

We love FLL!!

 

Shoot and Sprout, Buzz and Bite is the best science ever!!

Edited December 17, 2008 by Lovedtodeath

[kbpaulie]

To give you more background. My boys are hands on they love to build, build, more building! They love science, and science experiments! My K son just started reading, we used Hooked on Phonics K so far along with bob books, Houghton Mifflin 1st grade learn to read series. He just finished the 1.1 book and we have 3 more books to complete first grade I think he is reading at a beg 1st grade level right now. I know we still have more phonics work to do! This is what I have in my mind so far but not sure yet:

 

Phonics-Continue with Hooked on phonics 1st-2nd grade(I have this already) and Explode the code

Math-? Math-u-see(maybe), we did a basic K math work book with manipulatives(abacus, tanagrams,cubes,clock, scale etc)

Handwritng/Copywork-Writng with Ease

Spelling-? Should I even start spelling at this time???

Science-Read and find out books, Bill Nye, Magic school bus books and dvd's, experiments, etc

History-Story of the world book w/ cd's maybe the activity book

Read good literature books from SL, BF, Ambleside,etc

 

or

 

MFW 1st

 

I have a 6 yo ds and 3 yo ds. We started the year in a K12 virtual academy. We found the workload to be too much and too labor intenstive. We were both stressed and no one was having fun. So, we're transitioning out of this and are doing the following:

 

Focus mainly on 3Rs. Other stuff is a perk.

* MATH - Singapore Math, Miquon if we finish early. Just focus on getting the basics down strong.

* PHONICS - Phonics Pathways. I was just using this, but through a thread here decided to continue with Explode the Code

* HANDWRITING - HWOT

* SPELLING - we were going to do this. I think we'll hold off and focus on other things for the year. Considering Sequential Spelling.

* GRAMMAR - purchased Growing w/ Grammar - decided to hold off

* HISTORY - SOTW 1 w/ CD (he loves the CDs) and lots of books from the library. Usborne Book of World History for our spine. So glad we have the activity book... good list of library books and activities.

* SCIENCE - WTM ideas, books from the library, and the same books you

have listed. We've also found some great websites if you want to e-mail.

* LANGUAGE ARTS - Science and History read-alouds, SL read-alouds, and independent readers along the way. Just lots of this.

 

I'm slowly learning that the goal now is to lay a strong foundation, not a wide foundation and that we should read, read, and read.

 

Also, my sons love books on CD.

 

We are in a co-op one day a week and school about 2-3 hours the other 4 days.

 

Hope this helps.

 

KB

[Lovedtodeath]

I vote for MFW 1st. I really wish I had gone ahead with it.

 

see this related thread: MFW 1st

[Quiver0f10]

My Dd will be in 1st next year and we are planing on:

 

BJU Math 1

SWR

HWT/Copywork/Dictation ( maybe WWE)

FLL

MFW RtR or TOG year 2 with her siblings

If we do TOG then we will do Apologia Zoology 2 & 3 for science

IEW memory work

Edited December 17, 2008 by Quiver0f10

[sagira]

My ds will be in first starting in September next year. Here's what we're going to use:

 

Math: MCP Math Level A and Miquon Math Orange Book

History: SOTW 1 and AB

Natural Science: Four topics: Birds, Trees, Weather & Climate (using Handbook of Nature Study) and The Human Body and BFSU K-2

Phonics: Spectrum Phonics Gr. 2

Poetry: Stevenson and Dickinson

Music: Bach and Beethoven for Appreciation, Piano Lessons one afternoon plus practice

Art: Maybe Artistic Pursuits K-3 or Daddy's Art Program

Geography: Tanglewood's Geography Program

Penmanship: Italic Handwriting Book B and C

 

Aside from that, we will be doing:

Virtue Training: Laying Down The Rails, Little Stories for Little Folks and

 

Lots and lots of living books, including quality readers and literature books.

 

Aargh! Gotta go to a ballet performance! It's getting late :auto:

Edited December 22, 2008 by sagira

[Aurelia]

Our plan for first grade:

 

Five in a Row volume 2&3

Moving Beyond the Page 6-8 (probably just 1 or 2 concepts)

ABeCeDarian Reading (finish level B and move on to level C)

Writing With Ease level 1

Five in a Row Nature Study

Right Start math level B

Apples & Pears Spelling level A (once we get through ABCD B)

[Jill- OK]

I'm working on putting together his 1st grade curriculum. Here are some ideas, hopefully you can help me.

 

 

Thanks

 

...that I subscribe to a 'start slowly, and ramp up' philosophy, and I have an incredibly motivated six-year-old, who is quite bright and reads well. (I might be a little less un-schoolish and more directive if she were struggling with certain skills)...

 

ETC (Book Six right now, she also uses a spelling book we got from the bookstore, at her request)

 

HWT Cursive (she just finished this; we'll now move to simple copywork from her reading/history/science)

 

Singapore 1b

 

My Parts of Speech Dictionary (this is a simple book that we fill in with examples of the parts of speech; she'll start Rod and Staff 3 with her older sister after it's done)

 

Library books and tapes for history and science (my younger kids choose their own library books on subjects that interest them--generally animal-themed--we also have a nature notebook, and she recently asked to do the CLP Nature Readers 'for school'. We tag along with the older kids for history, although it's incredibly laid back for the youngers; right now I have an Art in History book on Ancient Greece to read to the Littles, and D'Aulaire's Greek Myths. We might do narrations/projects...but it's not a big focus).

 

She occasionally listens/watches French/Spanish DVDs/CDs and practices piano. (I like the Madonna Woods books for younger kids).

 

That's about it.

[lulubelle]

My son is 6 and we are doing K right now. Our plans for grade 1:

 

Saxon 2

First language lessons

Spelling Workout A +

Explode the Code: ?

Zaner-Bloser penmanship 1 +

1/2 hour self-reading

History of the world 1

Flip for Science/Schlessinger media education videos from the library

Bible: to be decided

Outside art classes

Karate classes

Outside group piano class

Outside swim class

Currently taking a once a month class at the aquarium and plan on a once a month at the zoo next year

[ajjkt]

We are focusing on literacy and numeracy.

 

English

We use SWR, Shurley English and SSL as curriculums for English. We also do handwriting (10 minutes, timed) and dictation. The kids have to summarize a story book that I read, and they have to read to me.

 

Maths

MUS at their own pace. Going to add in RS because they have a tendancy to get bogged down and bored waiting for mastery. The kids love mathletics so we supplement with that (DS just finishing up grade 1 this week keeps trying to get mastery of each topic so he can move to the next grade level - he just went to grade 4 this week).

 

History and Science (these unfortunately often get skipped)SOTW.

RS4K and Noeo

 

Art

Grandma's every Friday morning for art lessons as she is artistic, and works from home as a machine quilter. The kids love art lessons!

 

Outside activities

DS and DD together: swimming, gymnastics, pottery, drama

DS: tennis

DD: dance

[Donna T.]

My first grader:

 

Egermeier's Bible Story Book

Explode the Code

Happy Phonics

Sonlight's Core 1 readers

Handwriting Without Tears

MathUSee Alpha

Singapore Math 1B

Sonlight Science K

Nature walks

I Can Do All Things - art video course

Combo. with SL Cores K and 2. My oldest son is using Core 2 and my first grader really enjoys those books more than the ones from K. So, he sits in on almost all of Core 2 (Bible, history and geography, and read-alouds) and we use Core K too but not formally (not everyday and I don't always follow the schedule with the books).

Story of the World, Vol. 2 - sitting in with his brother but he loves it. Does all the maps, a timeline, and narrations and activities from the Activity Guide.

Various books from Ambleside Online's Yrs. 0 and 1.

[EKS]

What we are doing:

 

Math--Singapore

Language Arts--Growing with Grammar, Spelling Workout, copywork/dictation, read aloud to Mom (he already reads well)

History--SOTW 1 with AG and *lots* of supplemental reading

Science--K12 science supplemented with living books as well as RS4K chemistry and some Nutshells

Spanish--Rosetta Stone

Geography--Daily Geography Practice

[LoveBaby]

For my DS7 we are using:

 

R&S for Reading, Phonics and Math

MFW Adventures for history, science, bible

Considering God's creation when we have time (the kids like the notebook pages)

A Reason for Handwriting

 

I'm seriously reconsidering the reading and phonics, though. For my oldest DD she would have benefited from R&S 1st grade, she needed the extra work. For DS though it is moving too slowly for him and I'm terrible about knowing what to cut out and what to save. I'm thinking of switching to MFW 1st (what we used w/ DD) and then if he gets stuck somewhere in the phonics go back and do the review with R&S.

 

I also want to try the NAC startwrite for him.

[Lovedtodeath]

I just want to reiterate: Most of our learning is from picture books!! FIAR looks perfect for us. I wish I knew about it the last two years. I am thinking of picking up their character program still.

[FriedClams]

Our current first grade - though not everything on every day!!

 

 

Daily-ish:

* First Language Lessons - 1

* Horizons Math 1

* La Clase Divertida - Spanish

* Writing With Ease 1

* Piano - practice daily and lesson once a week

* Handwriting - CLP 1 handwriting.

* Reading - assigned (SL reading lists, 1000 great books, etc.) and just for fun, plus family read alouds...

 

 

Couple of times a week -

* Story of the World 1with read alouds as needed, or as I have on hand, or as I feel like it! VERY light on the AG, we do do narration.

 

 

When I get to them -

* Rod and Staff Science 2 - listen in and answer some questions, no writing.

* Alteir Art - I sprint here. We'll do 3 or 4 session before we get back to our regular schedule in January, then it'll sit for a while.

 

Weekly Memory Work -

* AWANA