When did you start 1st grade work?

[Valerie in Chicago]

When reading was solid? Writing? Did you have an "official" start date? Or just slowly add subjects bit by bit?

[frogpond1]

for it, and most were ready in kindergarten. I didn't change their grade designations, just the work they did. We really don't do kindergarten here, at that age they learn to read and then they learn to write.

[Beth in Central TX]

I've done some 1st grade work this year with my Kindergartener. He's started the R&S Reading 1 program and the R&S Math 1 program. Officially, he will start 1st grade on August 4th, the beginning of our school year. He'll move into R&S Math 2, but he'll finish up the R&S Reading 1 program.

[Cornerstone Classical]

For ds (6), I started out with penmanship and OPGTR and then WTM suggest 1/2 way thru it add in spelling. That was in the spring of last year. We did alot of read louds as well as spelling/penmanship. Then we went ahead and officially started our school year (with all other subjects) the Monday after July 4th. We've been going at it ever since!:)

[Jenny in Atl]

My oldest was already doing 1st grade type work in the small private school she was attending. When I pulled her out after K, we just kept going and reviewed concepts she need help with. With my second, she started "school" much earlier, surely because of her older sister. I did not push her but let her set the pace. Only this year I have begun to expect more, not a problem academically, but behavior wise. :tongue_smilie:

[kalanamak]

To quote WTM from memory, begin first grade work when you are mostly through something like Phonic Pathways, have covered most of the rules of phonics and is reading simple books without hesitations.

That is what I intend to to for language and history and formal pages for science. We are already reading some of the picture books of the ancients (e.g. Zeman's Gilgamesh trio). I will continue to do any science that presents itself (this weekend we will mix a packet of barium in water, taste it (it is packaged for people to eat), and look at plain abdominal xrays compared to ones with barium) until then, and math is marching along at its own pace. Ditto art and music. I will get more "formal" on the arts once we've introduced everything else.

I'm shooting for age 6, which is coming up on us very quickly, but may have to wait for 6.5 secondary to general wiggliness.

[K&Rs Mom]

It's been a process for us. The grade levels are so arbitrary!

K (5.5yo) started Miquon math last fall, is reading fluently so we don't do a reading program, we started biology along the WTM model around October, and started SOTW1 in January. We started Latin last month, too, and are going slowly through Prima Latina. I've told her that if anyone asks, though, she's "supposed" to be in Kindergarten, so she can say that or say she's homeschooled and we don't use grades. My 3yo is doing work that would be considered the first half of kindergarten in our local public system. :rolleyes:

I did talk the librarian into letting K get her own card, which is supposed to happen the 2nd semester of 1st grade. :)

HTH!

[Calming Tea]

I graduated ds from K in December. But we are in a K-1 Limbo. I am re-starting us on an official school schedule this coming year, at the same time he would be in first if he were in regular school.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

Our benchmark so far is phonics progress. We gradually add in some first grade work for K usually that is about half to 2/3 of the way through PP. Both of my girls did Singapore 1A with Miquon Orange for math and started learning to write letters at the beginning of the year. Mid-year we added SWO A. Of course, a Ker is welcome in history and science, but I don't generally ask for a narration unless the child requests to do one.

[Cadam]

We just sort of got into it a little at a time.

[nestof3]

My boys have been surrounded by a learning environment since birth, and we did a lot of what would have been considered kindergarten and first grade work before I technically named him a first grader. In VA, I am required to have my boys in first grade when they are 6 in September, so I chose to do this with each of them. I wanted them to enjoy self-exploration and lack of formal teaching as much as possible.

Phonics instruction always began prior to "first grade." My first grader, with the exception of reading, writing and math, is doing all the same work as my second grader.

[StephanieZ]

I add one topic at a time, so over several months or more, the child has all their "Gr 1" subjects.

The way I do it, is to first teach reading. And some handwriting. Reading is my only vital/non negotiable subject at first. We do our main phonics stuff aroudn age 4. By age 5, we're reading chapter books (Pathway Readers, etc.) and continue ETC along side. . . Meanwhile, we've brought in ZB Handwriting. . . Then I we add math. . . Etc. By 1st grade AGE, I think of math and reading and handwriting as all important daily subjects. They're DOING them long before that but I don't REQUIRE them. :) By first grade AGE, they're typically doing work at grade level 2-3 but I don't require big AMOUNTS of work at that tender age. . .