Can you tell me about your first grade schedule?

[melissel]

We've been very lax during this K year, but I need to be more structured next year, or I don't think we'll get much done! Can you tell me about your schedule? What are you using? How much time do you spend each day? Do you do the same subjects every day, or split them up?

TIA!

[LisaK in VA]

Next year will be my dd 1st grade year -- and we're doing some things differently than we did them with her older brother.

Reading (daily) 30 min. w/Phonics review
FLL (daily)
Spelling (daily)
Math (daily)
Penmanship (daily)
History MWF
Science T/Th
Art -- MWF with history & T/Th (my dd is addicted to art).
Music -- Piano lessons daily practice, music appreciation T/Th

I'm figuring on about 2-2.5 hours a day, broken up with breaks, play time, etc.

[mdhomeschool]

We have adopted two programs (Sonlight and Noeo Science) that encourage us to do history and science every day, so that's what we're doing. In the past when my ds was younger, we used to do two days of history/two days of science. Both are very workable!

You don't need this many structured books, but it takes pressure off of me in my over-loaded life, so this is what we use:

(Note: This structure usually takes dd about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Again, probably more than you need, but she likes having stuff to do!).

Math - Right Start B
History - Sonlight
Reading - Sonlight read-alouds & readers
Spelling - Spelling Workout A
Language Arts - First Language Lessons
Science - Noeo Science, Physics level 1
Bible - Sonlight
Art - I Can Do All Things
Music - choir out of house
P.E. - Irish dance and swimming out of house
Health - Steck Vaughan Health, level 1

[5sweeties]

For my K ds and 1st dd, we are doing:

Started with 100 EZ lessons, finished right after Christmas, and replaced the time with K12's 1st grade phonics program after that (Awesome! They are both reading really well, and when we started last summer, neither could read at all.)

After that they do copywork from pages that I print out for them from the Zaner-Bloser web site.

Then they do MUS Alpha.

Then they have a nice break while the bigger kids finish up their Language Arts and Math.

Then they do SOTW with the AG with bigger kids and then we do Apologia's Astronomy course.

Once a week we do music (on Fridays), and art (on Thursdays). Plus, various other outside activities.

Time wise:

100EZ took about 30 minutes for both of them to complete together
K12's Phonics usually takes about 45 minutes
copywork takes 10 minutes or so
MUS depends on the day, but averages about 20 minutes
Then break for an hour or so
History takes 30 minutes roughly
Science is another 20 minutes
Art on Thursdays varies greatly with time
Music usually is about 30 minutes on Fridays

[momtolgd]

My up coming first grader will have this schedule next year:

ETC/OPGTR: daily
Horizons Math: daily
Getty-dubay handwriting: 2-3 days per week
GWG 1: MWF
R.E.A.L. Science Life: 2 days per week (along with older brother)
SOTW: 2 days per week (along with older brother)
Music: Recorder practice, and Themes to Remember...not sure how much per week (along with older brother)
Nature Study: 1 day a week (along with older brother)
Song School Latin: daily I think but I haven't seen it yet so I'm not sure about scheduling yet... (along with older brother)

Homeschool Co-op on Tuesdays.

I'm expecting her school time to be about 2-2.5 hours a day total.

[Kate in Arabia]

The schedule for my first grader:

finished 100 EZ Lessons; started daily reading and keeping a book journal
Spelling WO A
ZB Handwriting 1; completed, now doing various copywork
Singapore 1A-1B (including their supplements)
Arabic, kg level book
Evan-Moor Beginning Geography series

done with older brother:
RS4K Physics
SOTW 2

We do math, English and Arabic every day. I would guess that takes about 1.5-2 hrs tops. Then a lunch break, after which we do a group subject (science or history) and geography.

[TengoFive]

My 5 year old (turned 6 today!) has been doing first grade work this year. Here's what we've done:
MUS Alpha
OPGTTR
FLL (actually just started this 2 weeks ago)
Portland Italics B
ETC 2-5
Zoology 1 (W/ older siblings)
SOTW 2 (w/ olders)
Her individual work takes her less than an hour. She usually spends a few hours a day reading, so I don't worry about doing that during her school time. She also listens when we do Intro. to Classical Studies. On science and history I don't require anything of her, just listening.

[Beth in Central TX]

We've been very lax during this K year, but I need to be more structured next year, or I don't think we'll get much done! Can you tell me about your schedule? What are you using? How much time do you spend each day? Do you do the same subjects every day, or split them up?

TIA!

8:30-9:00 R&S Math 2 & Flashcards (M-Th); Music (R&S 1-F)
9:00-9:30 Handwriting (M-Th); Science-(R&S Patterns of Nature-F)
9:30-10:00 Break
10:00-10:30 FLL (M-Th); History (SOTW Vol II-F)
10:30-11:00 R&S Reading 1 (M-Th); Art (R&S Artpac 1-F)

I have 2 hours scheduled each day for him, but I doubt each activity takes 1/2 an hour as indicated. It's just easier to schedule 1/2 blocks for me since I'm also teaching his older brothers too.

[tess in the burbs]

My son is finishing up 1st grade this year. He did 100EL in K...

OPGTTR(only reading rules and words to cover any phonics holes)
ETC(3,4, maybe 5)
HWT grade 2 book and Memoria Press Copybook 1
FLL 1
MUS Alpha, but we just switched to Horizons 1 and will finish in summer
Leading Little Ones to God
Animals/plants/human body for science
Moving Beyond the Page World Cultures/Geography age 6-8 level

We have had lots of fun this year. My son also reads daily and I do read alouds as much as possible.

My daughter will do first grade next year with the same plan(except science will be 2nd grade earth science/astronomy)

[fishnoises]

My dd (1st grade) schedule this year is:
Latin 1 hr daily (LCII)
Copywork 15 mins daily
memory verse daily
math daily (Saxon math 2)
reading (daily)
grammar (15 mins 3x a week)
Phonics (Lexia CD-ROM 2x week)
Roman History (45 mins weekly)
SOTW 4 (1 hr weekly)
Bible story (1/2 hr weekly) + children's ministry at church is excellent
art (informal every day!) formally sadly not very much....
music (never......guilty guilty guilty) but she sings a lot!!!!!!
gymnastics (1 hr weekly)

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

My first grader is doing:

Abeka Math 1, Phonics 1, Language 1 every day.
We read from Abeka Science or Health 1 together and discuss about 3-4 times per week.
He is doing recorder.
Free art anytime he wants.

I meet with him each morning and spend about 30-40 minutes one on one. We go over any corrections, introduce new concepts, do any drills, do a few of the new problems together and then he does his work on his own. Takes him about 1hour?

In the afternoon I read aloud for a good 45 mins to 1 hour for literature/history.

He then reads for 15-20 mins independently (orally one per week so I can evaluate)

[Trivium Academy]

almost to the T, so her first grade year can be found in the pages of WTM. For my youngest, his first grade year will be MUCH different.

Bible: Explorer's Bible Study, Beginnings I Old Testament. 15-20 minutes daily
Math: Horizons 1 Math. 20 minutes/4x a week
Phonics: continue Sing, Spell, Read and Write K/1 then start Language Arts (next).
Language Arts: Language Lessons for the Very Young, 15 min/4x a week. Only AFTER PHONICS and done orally for the most part.
Handwriting: Unsure what we'll use but no more than 10 minutes.
Poetry Memorization: Early Years section of The Harp and Laurel Wreath at his pace. 10 min daily
History: TOG Year 1, Lower Grammar (lightly). 20 min/2x a week
Art: Artistic Pursuits Book 1, K-3 (mixed in with history when it can be)
Music: Start private piano lessons, Themes to Remember informally
Science: Nature study and discovery

I want our day to last no more than 2 - 2.5 hours, a lot of subjects my first grade will be mixed in with my 5th grader but kept at his level.

[SnowWhite]

My first grader is doing the following (he's an advanced first grader):

Bible: 15 minutes daily
WinterPromise LA (includes spelling, phonics, grammar, handwriting, reading, narration)- 30 minutes daily (a bit less on Fridays)
Math- 30 minutes daily
WinterPromise Animals and Their Worlds (includes science, literature, arts/crafts, notebooking)- 1.5 hours daily (a bit less on Fridays)
Music- 30 minutes every Friday
I Can Do All Things Art- 30 minutes a couple times a month
Weekly Enrichment Class- 4 hours one day per week (we skip Animals and Their Worlds that day, it hasn't been every week this year)

[ArwenA]

Next year DD and DS 6 will be in 1st grade:

SOTW 1
Biology and Nature Study
Explorers Bible Study Precious in His Sight
ETC 3&4
French??
Art and music appreciation
Violin
DD A Reason for Handwriting 1st DS HWT 1st
Copywork, memorywork and poetry
DD Miquon Blue and Green DS finish Saxon 1st and begin Saxon 2
Basic grammar rules

[TwinMominTX]

...and the order (and approximate time) we do them...

Calendar (10 mintes - we fill in a calendar, sing a goofy song that teaches how to spell the month and when applicable do something out of the book Kids Celebrate! (http://www.amazon.com/Kids-Celebrate-Activities-Special-Throughout/dp/1556522924/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205451546&sr=8-1))

Right into Reading (10 minutes)

Math (30-45 minutes - we were using RightStart, but we are going to be switching to Singapore with RS as a supplement)

Explode the Code (10 minutes)

Child Read-Aloud (20 minutes - 10 minutes x 2 kids)

Silent Reading (10 minutes)

Rececss (15 minutes)

Read-Aloud (15-20 minutes)

Spelling (10 minutes - we use WinterPromise)

Language Arts/Handwriting (15 minutes - we use WinterPromise for LA)

Math Drill (10-15 minutes)

Break/Lunch (1 hour)

History (1 hour - we use WinterPromise American Story 1)
or
Science (1 hour - we use Living Learning Books)
or
Spanish (20 minutes - we use Power Glide)

*Forgot to mention that we school 4 days per week. My girls go to a homeschool enrichment academy one day per week.*

My girls are 6 1/2 and we've been doing this schedule since January. Before that we sort of did whatever - whenever and this has MUCH improved our efficiency and enjoyment of school. My girls know what to expect and when to expect it, they also know how many more things we need to do for the day. For handwriting practice they spend 5 minutes each morning writing out the daily schedule and then crossing items off when we are done.

TK

[Plaid Dad]

We've just finished up for the year, but here's what we used for an accelerated first grader:

Daily Subjects

Latin: Lively Latin (http://www.livelylatin.com)
Math: MCP A (http://www.kolbe.org/MCP_Math_A_%3A_Workbook_%281994%29-p22056.html)
Penmanship: a basic manuscript book, followed by HWT Cursive (http://shopping.hwtears.com/category/cursive)

Weekly Subjects

Literature: D'Aulaires' Greek Myths (http://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-DAulaire/dp/0440406943/)
Geography: The Geography Book (http://www.amazon.com/Geography-Book-Activities-Exploring-Enjoying/dp/0471412368/)
Religion: Child's Bible History (http://www.amazon.com/Childs-Bible-History/dp/B000FBLUIA/)
Science: Harcourt Science 4 (http://www.kolbe.org/Harcourt_Science_Grade_3_4-p22239.html)
History: Child's History of the World

[Closeacademy]

We split the year:

1st 1/2 was a LCC

Story of the World & Usborne Greek Myths for Young Children alternated weekly with Christian Liberty Nature Reader

Memory work

First Language Lessons alternated weekly with Spell to Write and Read

Right Start Math B

The Greek Alphabet



2nd 1/2 of the year was different:

Story of the World or Story of the Pilgrims
Christian Liberty Nature Reader
Memory work
Copywork--1 sentence per day
Talking about grammar
Singapore Math text and workbook
Some Greek
My Pals are here Science
30 minutes in a corner reading books.

It went well. We had more fun the first semester but we got some important things accomplished the second semester.:)

[Susie in MS]

Here are my plans. I will most likely use Heart of Dakota's Little Hearts for Hiis Glory for ages 5-7. Personally I fell this is a cross between K and 1st. My dd will probably be 4 or early 5 when we use it. I hear it takes about 1 1/2 hours per day. One gem is that it is all scheduled for me!

Books used:
History-History for Little Pilgrims, History Stories for Children
Motor Skills-Rod and Staff workbooks
Storytime-Thorton Burgess and Beatrix Potter books
Bible-Devotions for Children"s Hour, Family Bible Time
Science-World God Made
Math-Singapore
Music-Hide 'Em In Your Heart
Writing-Reason For Writing (or Italic
Phonics (They have 2 suggestions, but I am still looking over all my options)

It includes:
Bible Memory Work
Devotional Topics
Science Discovery
Art Projects
Dramatic Play
Thinking Games
Rhymes
Gross Motor Skills
Music
Handwriting Choice
Fine Motor Skills
Phonics Choice
Story time
Language Activities
Math Exploration

[Another Lynn]

for my 6 yo ds (turned 6 in Dec). We'll use yr 1. I loved many of these read aloud choices with my first ds and feel like that's what we've been missing this school year. I'm planning to do a "trial" term the last 10 -12 weeks of this school year. (I also have a 9yo ds, 4yo dd, and 2 yo ds and one on the way... so I'm not sure if I can handle all the read alouds for everyone.... so we're going to have a "trial period" first).

Other curriculum:

MUS - finish alpha and go to Beta
SWR
FLL
HWOT
WWE - (haven't ordered this yet, but I'm thinking about workbook 1 for him)

nature study/history/literature/art/music - will all be through AO (hopefully)

He also plays chess competitively....

Now, don't tell Laura in China, but I still have to figure out P.E. :)

[ThelmaLou]

I wish I had a predictable schedule. My first grader is my fourth child, plus I have a baby. Anyhow, he does reading, math, italics, and copywork (very basic) throughout the course of the morning, and whenever I can squeeze in the time to work with him. He takes science, art, and a math facts class at our co-op. At home, we also do bible stories, Maps, Charts, and Graphs by Modern Curriculum Press, and Sheppard Software. I haven't started spelling with him, yet. And I haven't done FLL like I did with the other boys. I think I'm going to squeeze the whole thing into his second grade year. He listens to *lots* of books on tape, and also enjoys listening to SOTW on audio. Then the rest of the day he traces pictures of Star Wars, Incredibles, Spiderman, Batman, and Pirates of the Caribbean (which he's never seen!) He also likes to do shrinky dinks and play with the Leap Pad. Does any of that count for art? Anyhow, his schedule is very unpredictable. If we miss a math lesson one day, we double up the next.

[Susie in MS]

Now for the next level of HOD. My dd will most likely be the age of a 1st grader when we begin BEYOND Little Heart for His Glory.

Books used:
History: American Pioneers and Patriots, Stories of the Pilgrims, Boys & Girls of the Colonial Days
Science-God's Wonderful Works
Math-Singapore
Bible-Morning Bells, the Bible
Music-Hide 'Em in Your Heart 2
Customized book pack for reading

Topics covered:

Bible Memory Work
Devotional Topics
Science Discovery
Art Projects
Geography Exploration
Timeline and History Activities
Poetry and Rhymes
Gross Motor Skills
Music
Copywork
Spelling Practice
Basic Grammar Skills
Introduction to Capitalization and Punctuation
Reading Choices
Narration
Storytime Genre Studies
Guided Literature Discussions
Story Element Lessons
Godly Character Lessons
Math Exploration

[chiguirre]

This year ds did:

Reading: LLATL Blue, ETC 1,2,3 and Pathways Readers 1 (we also used some Calvert 1, but it didn't click, we might do more over the summer) We do about 30 to 45 minutes a day usually broken up into 2 sessions.

Math: R&S 1 with blackline masters, about 40 minutes a day.

FIAR: with his ds, about 30-45 minutes a day, but often in the afternoon or evening

When we have time, we've been reading through SL Cores A, B and C.


Next year for dd (starting in Nov or Dec probably) we'll use Calvert 1 reading (and Pathways readers because the stories are fun). For Math, I'm deciding between continuing with Calvert or switching to Singapore or RightStart. I love R&S but I don't think it's a good idea for dd to work ahead of ds in the same math. I'm seriously thinking about getting the new Winterpromise history overview History Hideaways, if not we'll do the old Cores 1 and 2 in my own homebrew CMy way.

I think we'll still do school in about 2 hours a day plus outside activities and ds's therapies which add another 1 or 2 to our daily schedule.

[Cadam]

I had great intentions of being really structured for first grade.... hmmmm, about 3 times a week I bribe dd to do a OPG lesson and a FLL lesson with the promise of getting to learn a new math concept :001_huh:

She reads fluently but I want to finish OPG and it is increasing her confidence, she just doesn't love doing it. She does handwriting as part of her Occupational Therapy stuff. Sometimes she listens in to the unit study I am doing with ds. We have some weeks where we do nothing and some where we work everyday. If we are working everyday it is because she is "whooshing" up levels in something and I am just trying to keep up.

This kind of thing wouldn't work for another kid but it is working for her because of how she learns. When she wants to learn something she immerses herself and just does it all at once.

Maybe when we get back from vacation in a few weeks I will be more consistent.....

The books we are using are
FLL (second grade section)
MUS Beta
Singapore 2A
OPG
HWT first grade printing book
MFW- ECC when she wants to participate

I am adding in Song School Latin and Writing With Ease when they are avalible.

[Karen in CO]

First grade has changed a lot from the beginning of the year. We are in a good groove finally.

Math - 1 lesson from BJU it takes about 15 minutes
Handwriting or copywork - 1 sentence about 8 words long
Break
independent reading - we rotate what is read (non-fiction reading comprehension workbook, nature studies book, fiction book, history book)
break for lunch and free play. If we don't get back to the afternoon subjects, everyday it is okay with me.
History - SOTW 1 w AG - we listen to the audio in the car and do at least two projects a month.
Mythology - we covered Greek myths last year and are doing Roman myths this year
Art - We do a different artist each month. We look at their art and check out some books from the library. I try to do one "formal" project on each artist and then just let the kids explore with the materials. We did Van Gogh in the fall when our sunflower garden was blooming. It was wonderful.
Poetry - We are working the whole family through the IEW poetry. Even the youngest has started reciting the poems just because she hears them so often. We also do monthly poetry teas where we set the table nicely, serve tea and pass around a big poetry book for everyone to read from.
Reading time - My dd has to read something of her choosing for 20-30 minutes everyday. Sometimes she chooses books way below her level, but as long as she is reading it is fine.

That is all. We also read to the girls for about an hour every night before bed but we don't count that as school.

[karensk]

We did something like the following for 1st grade:

Skill subjects:
Most of the time, we could finish the 3 R's (excluding literature) in about an hour or so.
Math
• SM's Primary Math 1A & 1B: Including hands-on activities, about 20-30 min./day; workbook time consisted of only ~5-10 min. of the entire amount
• Miquon Math (as a supplement)
Phonics
• Phonics Pathways: This was done orally and took ~5 min./day
• phonogram flashcards: A few minutes per day
Spelling
• MCP's Spelling Workout A: 1 page per day, which took ~5-10 min./day
Handwriting
• Handwriting Without Tears My Printing Book: ~5-10 min./day
Reading
• Pathway Readers: First Steps, Days Go By, More Days Go By
• various early readers
Other language arts
• First Language Lessons: 2 or 3 days per week; lesson vary from ~5-20 min., but most were ~10 min.; subject areas covered...
-----Copy work
-----Narration
-----Poetry
-----Memory work
-----Grammar
Oral Reading
• A Beka Science 1: Once dc learned to decode, they'd read aloud short passages to me; this took just a few minutes and we may have done it 3-5x/wk.
Thinking Skills
• Beginning Building Thinking Skills: I think we did this 1x/wk., several activities in a day

Content subjects:
These subjects were mostly taught by reading aloud good books. I tried to spend ~1 hr/day or more with any combination of read-alouds.
Literature Units (read-alouds)
• Five in a Row
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (with study guide for discussion q's)
• other books from various literature lists
Bible History (read-aloud time)
• Bible
• Greenleaf Guide to Old Testament History
History (read-aloud time)
• various history books, including biographies
Science: This was fairly unstructured most of the time. Much of it consisted of reading aloud science/nature books from the library.
• books regarding dc's topic of interest (e.g., birds, dinosaurs, trains, weather)
• nature studies
• Developing Critical Thinking Through Science – 1: for some physical science experiments

Other things we did that were fun: We'd spend about 1 to 1-1/2 hrs per day doing any combination of these hand-on learning activities; we did it just before or just after lunch.
• Nature journal: Draw a picture of a nature event or object and make a title for it (if necessary, I'd write their title for them).
• Crafts & art projects: Some were just random, others were tied in with what we were learning in literature, history or science. I'm glad we did a bunch of this stuff when they were younger, because it's harder for me to squeeze it in now.
• Field trips & other short outings, incl. regular library trips