May I ask what curriculum you are using to homeschool a first grader? (m)

[Michelle in MI]

I am homeschooling my first grade dd this year. In the past I have homeschooled all my kids together but sorta taught to the oldest while the youngers just picked up what they could. Well now we have decided to send my older two to school and I have my youngest home alone. It feels so different! I am just curious what others are using with a 6yo. Thanks in advance!

[Trivium Academy]

Hi Michelle,
I don't mind sharing but with the caveat that what we use is solely dependent on my children and my own preferences as well as our goals and philosophy.

CORE
Bible- Explorer's Bible Study, Beginnings I, Old Testament
Math- Horizons 1
Phonics- We're going to try Sing, Spell, Read & Write but have used Ordinary Parents' Guide to Teaching Reading with my oldest
DNealian handwriting

SECONDARY
Language Lessons for the Very Young by Sandi Queen
The Harp & Laurel Wreath by Berquist for poetry memorization
Science- Earth Science (my own plans), Nature Study
History- Tapestry of Grace, Year 1 Redesigned (which may cancel out Explorer's Bible Study)
Artistic Pursuits K-3, Book 1 (aligned to history)

EXTRAS
French- informally with songs and games
Music Appreciation- Themes to Remember, composer biography read alouds
Piano lessons
Character studies
Handicrafts
Exercise
Afternoon tea with fairy tales

[gandpsmommy]

I just finished first grade with my dd. Here's what we used:

First Language Lessons
All About Spelling
Singapore and Miquon Math
Story of the World, Vol. 1
NOEO Biology I Kit
Themes to Remember (music history/appreciation)
Artistic Pursuits (K-3 Book One)
Abeka K5 cursive Writing With Phonics
Various library books for reading/literature
Audiomemory Geography Songs Kit

[StephanieZ]

Some of my favorite resources for 1st grade

Explode The Code
Singapore Math & Miquon Math
Pathway Readers
Zaner Bloser Handwriting
More Mudpies & Magnets (Science)
Let's Read & Find Out books (Science)
My Body by Teacher Created Materials
Artistic Pursuits K-3
Elementary Spanish (through United Streaming)
Story of the World & AG OR SonLight Core 1 (haven't used it yet, but will in 2009-2010. Discovered SL 3 years ago and love love love it!)

[Karen in CO]

We are starting second soon, but here is what we did for first - basically. I tried to keep the focus for first grade on building a strong foundation in reading and enjoying being together.

Basics
BJU math
Lots of reading both to her and her reading to me, her little sister and everyone that would listen.

Extras
copywork a couple of times a week
SOTW1 (Just the Romans since we spent K on Egypt and Greece). We also read lots of books on ancient Rome and did tons of crafts.

We studied animals using library resources, lots of trips to the zoo and aquarium and lots of hand on projects.
We did a short unit on the human body.
We also planted a garden and added in a bit of botany.

We did 10 weeks of FIAR in a co-op with friends.

[LoveBaby]

I used My Father's World 1st grade for my daughter and really enjoyed it. It was exactly what our family needed to get started homeschooling. My husband and I have recently changed our homeschooling efforts and have decided to go with Rod and Staff 1st grade materials for my son. So far they are working very well. I'm enjoying teaching them and my son is doing very well. We especially love Rod and Staff math! It has been a blessing to us after many other programs that just weren't a good fit for our family!

[Sarah CB]

I don't mind sharing but with the caveat that what we use is solely dependent on my children and my own preferences as well as our goals and philosophy.



:D I think the majority of us factor our own children, preferences, goals and philosophy into our choices. It's kind of the unwritten caveat.

I have a first grader coming up and am doing things a little differently than I've done with my two older kids.

TOG year 2 unit 2, then we'll spend the rest of the year on Early Modern Times with a Canadian focus (self-designed). For my 1st grader I'm picturing lots of hands-on projects, oral narrations, and some notebook pages.

First Language Lessons 3 (he tags along with his older brother - I'm watching for signs of him being over his head and I'll pull him out if he is)
All About Spelling 2
Lots of WTM recommendations for writing
Reading aloud from good children's lit
Listening as I read aloud from higher level children's lit
Lots of discussion, oral narrations, and notebook pages for lit
Poetry reading during our Friday tea times
Poetry memorization using Pudewa's program
Right Start Math (finish B, perhaps start C) plus daily time in the math lab
Easy French Jr
Exploring Creation Through Zoology
Handwriting for a Reason A

We have a daily Bible/poetry/science/geography time together in the morning where we all:
Practice our Bible memory work (currently memorizing the book of James)
Read from the Bible
Pray
Read from A Child's Geography
Read from 100 Wonders (an amazing science resource from a Biblical perspective)
Truth and Grace Memory Books (these are new for us)

For PE he does Taekwon-do and is active in our yard and on his bike.

For music he does Suzuki violin and will also be participating in a Jr. Strings Orchestra this year.

He also takes Italian on Saturdays from end of Sept to May.

[Lovedtodeath]

Well, most of it is in my signature!

How to Teach Spelling is a great phonics based program that is inexpensive. One teacher's manual and 4 workbooks gets you through 12th grade.

For LA if I had to start over, and money was not an issue I would just stick to WinterPromise all the way through (with the exception of spelling). We will switch to that if the auditory learning style of FLL is a problem.

MUS and Beautiful Feet's Guide are my love's right now. I am so so so happy with these purchases!!

I have started exploring my Shoot and Sprout Buzz and Bite Guide. As a whole, it looks like a lot of fun, but I could probably do without at least 2 of the more expensive books. They are overkill for a 1st grader. If only I had known that before I bought the whole program.

The same really applies to the Geography I designed. I am using Around the World Art and Activities along with Disney Learning's Our World both of which I highly recommend. Most of the other geography resources I could have skipped. She is 6 years old! I am cutting out about half of my plans because it is just way too much. For us anyway.

We just started sign language. It was Emily's choice of language, and it will benefit Jake. We are loving it. I have a video called Talking Hands which is really great at teaching, and Signing Time which is fun.

HTH the OP and hopefully somebody else!

[hsmamainva]

Here's what my 1st grader is using:

Abeka Math 1
Pathway Readers and Workbooks 1
Handwriting Without Tears My Printing Book
BJU Science 1
BJU History 1
Abeka Art Projects 1

[dawn of ns]

We informally dip into MUS Foundation and ETC and that's it. I plan to delay formal schooling for a couple more years for my son.

[LisaTheresa]

My first grader is using:

SWR for spelling
Rightstart Math
Reasoning and Writing alternated with Draw Write Now
Sonlight - History, Bible, Science, Read-Alouds and Readers

She also takes ballet and piano lessons.

[Closeacademy]

For first I really concentrate on the 3 r's:

Phonics--Spell to Write and Read Phonograms and worksheets alternated with Rod and Staff Phonics 1 workbook.

Math--Singapore Math backed up by Rod and Staff Math 1 when needed

Penmanship--Copywork. We are using nursery rhymes.

Extras:

Lapbooks from homeschoolshare. She picks a topic and we spread the lapbook over two weeks. Sometimes we do one based on a book (literature), an animal (science) or something else. A lot of the lapbooks cover a range of subjects. :001_smile:

[Carrie1234]

This is what we're doing this year:

Calvert math (may switch to Saxon when she finishes this book)
Sonlight reading/la
SOTW history

We're going to experiment with different science programs (and no science program.) I figure it's automatically going to be more in depth than the ps curriculum, so I'm more interested in catching the kids' interest than anything else.

We're tying art into the history program, and we're going to work on the basics of reading music, since my girls are dying to play instruments.

They're also doing gymnastics, Roots and Shoots, and working with our favorite archaeologist on a light curriculum that will give them some background for our spring dig "in" ancient Greece. Talk about great timing!

[Frelle]

phonics museum
FLL for the WTM: First Grade
spelling plus
draw through the book of psalms
Math U See Primer

the rest through Classical Conversations

[Pata]

I agree with others that my choices are based on what works best for my child. That said you can see my choices below in my signature. We also do ballet and gymnastics.

[JudoMom]

My ds6 is using:

Saxon 2
Singapore Challenging Word Problems 1
Song School Latin
Explode the Code (books 4-8) & Various Readers (maybe some Phonics Pathways thrown in) until he's reading confidently, and then we'll switch either to Spelling Workout or Spelling Power (I have both, but it'll depend on what I'm doing with his brothers)
Memory work from The Harp & Laurel Wreath
Memory work: Presidents (this semester) & States/Capitals (next semester)
Handwriting Without Tears & Startwrite
Story of the World 3
Piano Lessons & Judo are his extracurriculars

[linders]

Hi Michelle,

I'll second Jessica - it depends on the child, in particular, where they are in terms of reading and writing skills going into first. For example, my DS had just finished Phonics Pathways and was reading Magic Treehouse books going into first, but hated writing. Our first grade curriculum consisted of...

ETC 6, 7, 8
Spelling Workout A/B (skipped many of the more trivial exercises but he loved it)
FLL (part 1) - skipped writing exercises
D'Naelian practice book (just a little each day)
Righstart Math B, first half of C (loved it)
SM Challenging Word problems (1st half)
REAL Science Earth Science
SOTW 1 - oral narrations, lots of projects (and we spent so long on Egypt that we didn't finish and are just now on Ancient Rome)
Random art projects - we do a lot
"Composer of the quarter" using Classical Kids cds and various books
Piano lessons
Swim team (PE)
Lots of independent reading and readaloudsWhen I list it out, it seems like we did a lot! But somehow there was still plenty of time for one day of co-op, park days, field trips, and Legos.

Very best wishes!

[Mama Anna]

This 1st Grader is my first "official" hs year, so I don't know if my expectations are actually practicable or not, but here's our stuff:

FLL (1st half)
Zaner-Bloser 1
Spelling Power (we're beginning at the beginning and just getting in the habit of using the techniques)
MUS Alpha
SOTW1, first 28 lessons or so (we'll see how far we get)
Read-alouds from the library
WTM-style science with Kingfisher spines
Drawing with Children, working on the second level very slowly
Picture Study, presently with Come, Look with Me
Kodaly for the Classroom (vocal sightreading at a basic level)
Self-styled Music App. with coloring pages and classical CDs
and, someday, Piano.

All this is taking (so far) between 1 1/2 and 2 hours each day.

HTH!
Mama Anna

[angela in ohio]

I'm teaching first grade for the third time this coming year. Much of his curriculum is determined by what older dc are doing...

Horizons Reading and Phonics 1
Horizons Spelling 1
Horizons Penmanship 1

Exploring Mathematics 2

Trail Guide to World Geography and associated resources

Literature list for read-alouds

Classical Conversations Foudations program

Latin for Children 1 (not sure how much he'll pick up, but I'm teaching it from home, so he'll be here anyway)
Elementary Greek (finish 1, start 2)

Tae Kwon Do
Swimming lessons
Art lessons at co-op
Piano lessons, co-op music lessons

[TaraTheLiberator]

My dd is in first grade. Here is what we are using:

Mosaic Intro to World History Part 1 (utilizes SOTW 1 and Usborne INternet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History)
Explode the Code
Saxon and K12 readers
RightStart Math
Science according to WTM (although we use the DK First Animal Encyclopedia instead of WTM's Kingfisher suggestion)

We utilize narration quite extensively but have not started copywork yet.

Tara

[one l michele]

I think what Jessica tried to caution is some simply follow xyz curriculum, without thinking about their own teaching style, subject priorities, their child's learning style, educating themselves about how people learn, being realistic about workload, considering how many kids they are juggling (and if they are close in age or independent), having a sense of the whole picture, focusing on mateirals that reach short term goals according to where thier dc is now, and work towards long term goals. Knowing all that allows you to be the driver of you homeschool and make better choices. It's quite difficult to see all these details from lists or signatures of what others are using.

[Daisy]

Homeschooling a wiggly 6 year old boy for first grade. He is reading very well but not writing too well yet.

Bible notebooking
First Reader
Queens Language Lessons
CLE Math
Copywork
Memory Work - Awanas & poem each month

Tons of Read-Alouds.

[Melora in NC]

Here is what my first grader is doing:

Singapore Primary Math & Horizons Math (math, obviously)
Explode the Code (spelling, phonics)
Hooked on Phonics (we'll be through this soon & just read)
Bob books, Dick and Jane, etc. (reading)
Writing With Ease: Strong Fundamentals (writing skills)
First Language Lessons (grammar)
Tapestry of Grace, Yr. 1 (history, geography, literature)
Bible Study Guide for All Ages (Bible)
IEW's Poetry Memorization program (poetry, memory work)
various animal stories, One Small Square books, Scott Foresman Science etc. -- sort of a hodge podge for science

plus, we will be starting Artistic Pursuits soon, and also piano lessons

It looks like a lot for first grade to me, but it actually doesn't take her very long at all.

[Mesa]

My 1st grade program depends on each particular childs learning style and academic level.
My oldest was advanced in Reading & Language in 1st grade. He did Sonlight Core 1, Horizons Math 1, Abeka Spelling, Abeka Language/Phonics, as well as any science books we could get our hands on.
My second son.. is in kindy. I can see a few differences already. He wont be going into Sonlight right off... probably SOTW and the activity book. Horizons will be too overwhelming so we're switching to Saxon. His handwriting is really amazing so he will probably join my oldest son in D Nealian second or third grade. I will also stick with Abeka Language through 2nd grade.
So it changes from kids to kid... and with what fits with our busy family.
good luck!

[BabyBre]

In the past I have homeschooled all my kids together but sorta taught to the oldest while the youngers just picked up what they could.


We inadvertantly started out like this, too, but ds6 is now requiring his own customized homeschool plan. He picked up SO much sitting in on older dd7's lessons that he's quite advanced compared to where she was at the same age. Here's what he's using in 1st grade this year:

Math: Saxon Math 2
Grammar: First Language Lessons 1
Writing: Writing With Ease 1
Spelling: Public school 1st grade list
Reading: Independent and read-alouds daily
History: Story of the World 3 (hopped on the rotation with big sis last year)
Science: Science in a Nutshell
Latin: Song School Latin

He's also attending public school so this is all we're squeezing in this year.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

For 1st grade last year, my DD2 did...

Math - Singapore Primary and Miquon
Spelling - SWO
Memory Work - memorized poems and scripture
Copywork - pulled from memory work and books read
Reading - She had finished phonics so just read library books aloud every day
History - TruthQuest AHYS 1 with older sister
Science - Apologia Zoology 1 with older sister
Other - piano lessons, Classical Kids tapes and Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers about once a month, lots of spontaneous coloring and drawing

[jkwynn]

This is also our first year of homeschooling:

Math - Abeka 1, every day
Grammar - FLL 1/2, every day
Spelling - SWO A, 3x a week
Memory Work - memorized poems, grammar rules, every day
Copywork - taken from other subjects...history, poems, grammar, etc., every day
Reading - read alouds and independent reading, every day
History - SOTW 1, 3x week plus extra reading
Science - self-made mish-mash, hehe. Right now we're going through a workbook where we learn about each organ of the body, color/cut/paste it on the kid-sized human we traced and cut out. :) We will also do animals and plants this year - mostly put together by me from various sources online and off. We do science 1 or 2x a week.
Other -
art will be artist studies/picture studies and some arts and crafts -
music will be composer studies and listening to classical music.
pe - we swim, play, meet for sports/park days, and in the winter will sign up for basketball...considering a karate class soon, that meets 2x/week
We have a poetry notebook, Bible Stories and coloring book, a Map Skills workbook, and a character development course. I am doing the map skills once a week, but the others are just when we can get to them. We also try to do a cooking project once a week, if possible.

[Mommy22alyns]

Mine is in my siggy for Becca - she's doing first grade work. As others have pointed out, my caveat is that this is what suits my child at this age, not necessarily all 5 year olds.

We're also doing Harmony Fine Arts option 2 for 1st grade - just simple art observation and one project each week with exposure to some basic classical composers.

She's also in gymnastics twice a week and a children's training choir once a week. :001_smile:

[arcara]

Most of what my 1st grader is doing is in my sig.

[sagira]

What I have planned for First Year in 2009-2010

The Basics
Math- Modern Curriculum Press (MCP) Mathematics A and Miquon Orange Book
Reading (books at his level, three challenging books, the rest fun books)
Phonics- Tanglewood’s Really Reading review and Spectrum Phonics Grade 2
Penmanship- Getty Dubay’s Italic Handwriting Book C
Literature read-alouds

The Sides
History- Story of the World Volume I: The Ancients and Activity Book I
Natural Science- Handbook of Nature Study and Dr. Nebel’s Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding K-2
Poetry- Poetry for Young People Series: Emily Dickinson and Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child's Book of Verses
Copywork- from poems, literature selections
Geography- Maps and Mapping and experience through SOTW map work
Theology- Faith and Life Series: Our Heavenly Father; Bible reading
Art- Artistic Pursuits K-3, Book 1 (aligned with history)

The Dessert Wheel
Spanish- KidSpeak Spanish, conversation, books, videos
Music Appreciation- Composer biography read alouds and
Music: Piano lessons
Habit Training, Laying Down the Rails and Children’s Book of Virtues
Handicrafts through Nature Crafts
Soccer in Fall, Swimming in Spring and Summer, Tae Kwon Do in Summer

[alabasterflask]

Language Arts
I used Sing Spell Read and Write with my older ds who is now in 2nd grade. But for my 5 yo I will only use some of the tools from SSRW to compliment The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading.

First Language Lessons
Topical and Bible Copywork for Penmanship

Math
Basic math concepts using manipulatives following Purposeful Design 1 as a guide

History/Geography/Literature
Tapestry of Grace Year One - LG. We chose to skip much of the mythology for this age which makes teaching the ancients a little difficult.

Science
I did only Nature Study with my older ds last year but my 5 yo will be doing The Scientist's Apprentice along side his 2nd grade brother this year. Along with Nature Study using Nature Friend Magazine and Anna Comstocks Handbook of Nature Study.

Bible, etc.
Big Book of Questions and Answers, Drawing with Children and Mind Benders, Plants Grown Up (character studies)

[Tabrett]

I used My Father's World 1st grade for my daughter and really enjoyed it. It was exactly what our family needed to get started homeschooling. My husband and I have recently changed our homeschooling efforts and have decided to go with Rod and Staff 1st grade materials for my son. So far they are working very well. I'm enjoying teaching them and my son is doing very well. We especially love Rod and Staff math! It has been a blessing to us after many other programs that just weren't a good fit for our family!

May I ask why your changed. I am looking at MFW and R&S (the LA parts not math, I do RightStart Math). I have a used set of R&S 1st LA and Phonics teachers manuals and the readers, but the TM's look so complicated!! Are you having difficulty following the lesson plans compared to MFW? Do you miss the copywork and notebooking out of MFW vs the workbook style of R&S? I really like that they both use Bible stories for thier readers.

[Penelope]

LA:
cementing phonics with portions of ETC 5-8
copywork: WWE level 1 (4 days/week) and Draw Write Now book 1 (once/wk)
All About Spelling plus some sight words
notebooking some of his independent reading
narrating with WWE, literature, history and science
FLL 1 (2-3 times/week)
various literature for read alouds

Math:
Singapore 1A/1B

History:
SOTW 1 with activity guide--mapping and notebooking, library books

Science:
This is the favorite subject so we are mostly child-led here. Mostly life science this year, with some other experiment kits from the Young Scientist's Club added in. Lots of library books, discussion, and independent experimentation. :)

Art:
Artistic Pursuits book 1 every 1-2 weeks
Ambleside Online scheduled picture study

Music:
AO scheduled composer study-- still need to add this in
children's choir

PE: soccer and swimming

Language: plan to add in The Easy Spanish when I get our schedule a little more streamlined

[Donna T.]

My six year old son is completing My Father's World First Grade. He also uses MathUSee Alpha, selected books from Ambleside Online along with their methods (oral narration, picture studies, etc.) and I Can Do All Things Video Art Course. And, he has taken to Rosetta Stone Spanish and is doing great with it. Not a requirement but he enjoys it.

[wyomom]

I am trying to focus on learning to read and write this year and get his math facts down so most of our day revolves around that. If he has more patience we go on to the "extras". I am finding teaching a little boy is waaaaaaaaaaaaay different than teaching my older two dd's. Oh my is it ever different. LOL! They Loved to do workbooks and color and we did history and science projects and first language lessons and we had a blast. My ds on the other hand mentally checks out if a lesson lasts more than 15 minutes and then he has to go run around and clear his head or he explodes. LOL! Such a little boy. Cracks me up.

This is the majority of the day.

R&S math 2 (we did saxon 1 last year and the lessons were to long for him to handle so we had to switch to something else)

Ordinary Parents Guide to Reading
Phonics Pathways

So far this is all we are getting done before he melts down. LOL! I alternate lessons in OPGTR and PP to avoid burnout otherwise he freaks when he sees the same book everyday and then we choose a sentence for him to copy out of one of these books for copywork in his raised line paper notebook because he thinks that is cool. Geeze the work I have to go through to teach this kid. LOL! It really makes me wonder what on earth he would do in public school.

Of course we just got started with school. Only two weeks into it and the weather is really nice outside still. Once cold weather sets in, it will be easier to keep his attention and stay on schedule. Then, we plan to hit

First Language Lessons (the short lessons in this book are perfect for him)
Writing without Fear ( his copy work from his reading lessons have been going really well and his handwriting is improving alot so I'm not stressing too much about introducing this yet)
Handwriting without tears ( I am really not liking the look of this font so I am seriously contemplating downloading the startwrite software and make up some fun handwriting worksheets for him to use. Plus I can use it for dd's cursive)

Winter Promise Hideaways for history which includes science but we aren't starting this until I figure out how on earth to get my hands on all the big boxes they require to build the hideaways. He is really really excited about this one.

He also sits in on my older dd's Mystery of History vol 3 lessons so he hears about those stories.

Artistic Pursuits K-3 book 2 which is lined up with the MOH time period and I do with all the dc on Fridays. He is very excited about this too. Phew! something he likes. :)

Hope this helps, Julie

[angela in ohio]

I think what Jessica tried to caution is some simply follow xyz curriculum, without thinking about their own teaching style, subject priorities, their child's learning style, educating themselves about how people learn, being realistic about workload, considering how many kids they are juggling (and if they are close in age or independent), having a sense of the whole picture, focusing on mateirals that reach short term goals according to where thier dc is now, and work towards long term goals. Knowing all that allows you to be the driver of you homeschool and make better choices. It's quite difficult to see all these details from lists or signatures of what others are using.

Hmmm, I have to say that I never assume when someone asks this question that they are going to copy someone else's plan without regard to the needs of their own child. Maybe I am missing something...

[Trivium Academy]

Over the last few years, whenever the question of defining short & long term goals, philosophy and identifying teaching/learning styles have come up, there has been the "I never thought to do that" post or "How do I do that?"

There are a lot of newbies on the board, instead of taking for granted what they know- I thought it would be more helpful to say it just in case. No disrespect intended at all.

[laughing lioness]

I'll be doing the following with my K/1rst grader:

AlphaPhonics/ ETC - this is my 5th child I've used this with -it's hard but I love it!
Poetry Memorization -IEW
Classical Conversations- history sentences, geography, english grammar, science questions
Prima Latina,
ALAbacus A
My Body
Draw Write Now- art
Italic-handwriting
Christian Studies A

books on tape
lots of stories, pollypockets, playmobile etc.

[laughing lioness]

I'll be doing the following with my K/1rst grader:

AlphaPhonics/ ETC - this is the 5th child I've used this with -it's a challenging combo but I love it.
Poetry Memorization -IEW
Classical Conversations- history sentences, geography, english grammar, science questions
Prima Latina,
ALAbacus A
My Body
Draw Write Now- art
Italic-handwriting
Christian Studies A

books on tape
lots of stories, pollypockets, playmobile etc.

[laughing lioness]

Sorry for the double post. Not sure what happened there!

[SnowWhite]

For first grade, we used:

WinterPromise Animals and Their Worlds (science, literature, art, crafts, Bible, notebooking)
WinterPromise Language Arts Level 1
God Made Music 1
We also used MCP Math A but I would recommend BJU Math 1 instead.
We delayed history instruction until 2nd grade.

[Lovedtodeath]

I think what Jessica tried to caution is some simply follow xyz curriculum, without thinking about their own teaching style, subject priorities, their child's learning style, educating themselves about how people learn, being realistic about workload, considering how many kids they are juggling (and if they are close in age or independent), having a sense of the whole picture, focusing on mateirals that reach short term goals according to where thier dc is now, and work towards long term goals. Knowing all that allows you to be the driver of you homeschool and make better choices. It's quite difficult to see all these details from lists or signatures of what others are using.

Very good reminders, and I wish someone told me all that. I have been learning and changing things as we go.:auto:

[4boys]

For this year (Grade 1) we are using Explode the Code, First Language Lessons, Handwriting without Tears, Let's Read and Find Out Science books, Horizons math, Bible Explorer, plus lots of books, music time, arts and crafts. I also have the Truth and Grace Memory book but not sure how I'm going to incorporate it yet.

[tess in the burbs]

I am doing first grade for the second time this fall and this is what we have used:

Explode the Code books
OPGTTR (after doing 100EL in K)
Grammar(I did FLL last year but doing a workbook style this year)
Easy Classical Science 1st grade schedule
History(we did geography/world culture last year and this year will be using SL 1)
Leading Little Ones to God for bible/Awana's for memory work
HWT/Memoria Press Copybook 1


every child is different...so take the time to know the learning style and your own style and find things you can do that both will enjoy :)

[angela in ohio]

I am remembering now that the last time we hashed out the question of whether posting everyone's grade level choices was a good idea or not was many years back on the old board. Time flies, LOL, and I suppose most here wouldn't remember that. The general concensus at the time was that they did serve a purpose and that posters could figure out from the diversity of posts that there were many ways to do each grade.

I was just hoping that Michelle, apparently new here by the number of posts she has but not a new homeschooler by the content of her post, wouldn't feel talked down to, not by your post necessarily, but by the unusual number of similar cautions in one thread. I don't usually "nanny" threads, but the temptation was too much this one time. :)

[EKS]

It's mostly in my signature also but here it is:

Saxon/Singapore combo
Growing With Grammar
Spelling Workout
homegrown literature and writing (he reads fluently)
SOTW 1 with lots of supplemental reading
K12 Science
Rosetta Stone Spanish
Some Evan-Moor workbooks (Read and Understand Poetry, Folktales and Fables, and Science and Daily Geography Practice)
Violin

[one l michele]

Hmmm, I have to say that I never assume when someone asks this question that they are going to copy someone else's plan without regard to the needs of their own child. Maybe I am missing something...

I know when I first began homeschooling, it took awhile to realize I had to do more than simply follow xyz curriculum. It's experience that taught me there is more to selecting a curriculum then going by grade level and what is frequently mentioned here. I'm simply sharing what I wish I would have read and started pondering when I was new to homeschooling as it took me 4 years to get to this place.

My reply wasn't directed specifically to Michelle.

[Homemama2]

AAS
Abeka 1st grade readers (maybe continue with Phonic Pathways, not sure)
ETC
Rightstart math b, math games and some of my own stuff per R. Beechick
Copywork
History for Little Pilgrims and Beautiful Feet Early American
Life Science (my own plan)
Readalouds from ambleside online year one and my own choices
Bible reading, Leading little ones to God, Awana for bible memory, and memorizing 3 hymns per term.
t-ball, soccer, swimming (all during different seasons) and maybe piano later on.
(I bought for art: "I can do all things" by Barry Stebbing---then realized my ds can NOT "do all things", namely this art program, LOL! so we'll try this again in maybe 3rd.)

[Lovedtodeath]

I have to add that as part of Shoot and Sprout Buzz and Bite... I just got God's Design for Plants. It is the first real science book I have gotten. I have used Sonlight Science 1 and a mix of other things. I LOVE this book. From the looks of things, I plan to use as many God's Design books as fit in our curriculum. No more shopping around or piecing together science. Short lessons integrate well with the DK e-guide and include activities and review.

[kalanamak]

Its in my sig.

[Another Lynn]

I welcome the caveats because as I think about my plans for my current first grader - I think they will look at little crazy to an outsider.

LA: ETC (2-4), SWR phonograms, American Language Series Readers - dictating new words SWR-style, WWE level 1 (may add FLL 1/2 after Christmas or wait until next year), HWOT

Math: MUS finish Alpha, start Beta (also Math Shark and Quarter Mile Math)

History - two threads: 1)Ancients using Story of the Ancient World (Guerber/Miller) and referring to Classical Christian Homeschooling's 1st grade Ancient History plan. 2)American History using This Country of Ours w/ map CD from Knowledge Quest

Lit: AmblesideOnline Yr. 1 (Will add more AO when we get to Middle Ages).

Science: 1) Creation Science unit, 2) Usborne First Science Encyclopedia 3) AO Nature Literature 4) Let's Read and Find Out books 5) Various Children's books (not all at the same time! LOL!)

Music Apprec., hymns and folksongs, and Artist Study - AO

Linguistic Development through Poetry Memory

Children's Bible Story Book and Bible memory

Competitive Chess

Tae Kwon Do

I would like to add in Artistic Pursuits from time to time and more nature study. Even more than that I'd like to start piano lessons.... we'll see....