ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, K-4:
CREATING NOTEBOOKS IN GRADES 1-4
by Jessie Wise

    Use six notebooks, one each for Spelling, Grammar, Reading, Writing, Science, and History.  Each notebook will last for the entire 4 years.

SPELLING: Record spelling rules in order, as they are encountered.

GRAMMAR: Record grammar rules as they are studied.

READING: Divide notebook into two sections,  My Reading and  Memory Work.

My Reading : Record names of books that the child has enjoyed reading or has had read to him.  As the child matures, ask him to narrate back to you the content of some of these books.  At first, you can write down this narration while the child adds illustrations.  Later, the child can write down his summary in short sentences himself.

Memory Work : Record title of memory work along with the date that the piece was recited from memory.

WRITING: Divide into three sections: Copying, Dictation, and Compositions.

Copying: In first grade, the child copies shorts sentences from something you have read to him.

Dictation: Using English for the Thoughtful Child, progress on to dictation in second grade.

Compositions: Using Writing Strands, progress on to compositions in third and fourth grade.

  HISTORY: Make four divisions:

    Grade 1     Ancients, BC 5000-400 AD
    Grade 2     Medieval/Early Renaissance, 400-1600
    Grade 3     Late Renaissance/Early Modern, 1600-1850
    Grade 4     Modern Times, 1850-Present

Use The Usborne Book of World History.  For each one or two page segment in the Book of World History, take four steps:
    1. Make a narration page (see  My Reading  above).
    2. Ask child to illustrate what he’s just read, and caption the
        illustration.
    3. Find the geographical area on a map, globe, and atlas.
    4. Go to the library and find more to read about the information on
        that one or two-page segment.

SCIENCE: Divide into 4 sections: Biology, Earth Science/Astronomy, Chemistry, and Physics.  Follow the same procedures as for History; write narrations and compositions about material, draw and caption illustrations.

K-4 RESOURCE LIST

PHONICS
MCP  Plaid  Phonics, new edition.  Order from Modern Curriculum Press (1-800-321-3106).  Starts at  K  for alphabet recognition.  You may be able to start level  K  with a 3 or 4-year-old, depending on ability to cut, color, follow  dot-to-dot,  etc.

SPELLING
MCP Spelling Workout series, $6.65 each, teacher’s editions $6 each.  Starts with  A  (first grade level) and goes through  H  (eighth grade level).  Order from Modern Curriculum Press, 1-800-321-3106.

HANDWRITING
Order all from Zaner-Bloser, 1-800-421-3018.
For parent: Self Instruction in Handwriting, $9.99 (Item CI700080).  This is all you need, if you just want to teach using pencil and paper.  If you prefer, you can also order student practice books: Grade 1 is block printing, Grade 2C transitions into cursive, Grades 3-6 have a separate book for each level.

GRAMMAR AND BEGINNING COMPOSITION
Begin English for the Thoughtful Child (order from Greenleaf Press, 1-800-311-1508 for $18.95) after you have completed Spelling Workout A, or when the child can write simple sentences (if you’re using another program).  Use around grade level 2, and take a full year (or as much as two years) to go through it.  When you have finished, go on to A Beka Book Language 3.

A Beka Book Grammar Workbooks begin with Language 3 and continue on with God’s Gift of Language A, B, and C (grades 4, 5, and 6.  Grades 7-12 use the Grammar & Composition series).   Start buying the teacher’s editions when you need the answers.  Don’t buy the language curriculum.  It was written for classroom use and contains material that integrates the entire A Beka Book language arts program, unnecessary for home schoolers.

MATH
Saxon Math starts with K, which you can begin with a 4 year old or wait until age 5.  Order a catalog at 1-800-284-7019.

Math-U-See is another good elementary math program.  For prices and brochures, call Math+Plus at (757)721-7129.

LATIN
Latin Primer, Book 1 and Latin Primer, Book 2 can be ordered with teacher’s guides from Canon Press (1-800-488-2034) for $15 each.   Teacher’s guides are $15 each as well.  Audio cassette pronunciation aid is $4.  Can be used with third and fourth-grade level students.

HISTORY
The Usborne Book of World History can be purchased from bookstores, Usborne booksellers, or from Rainbow Resource Center (1-888- 841-3456)  Over the period of grades 1-4, cover the following years (if you’re teaching several children, adjust this so that you’re covering the same period of history with each child   demanding more reading and writing from the older ones.
  Grade 1    Ancients, BC 5000-400 AD
  Grade 2    Medieval/Early Renaissance, 400-1600
  Grade 3    Late Renaissance/Early Modern, 1600-1850
  Grade 4    Modern Times, 1850-Present
For fourth grade, you’ll need the Usborne History of the Twentieth Century, a separate volume.

SCIENCE
Most of these texts are easily available from major bookstores or online booksellers.  You can also try Rainbow Resource Center (1-888- 841-3456) or (for Usborne texts) an Usborne representative
    Grade 1 Biology: The Usborne Illustrated Encyclopedia of the
        Natural World ($16.95)
    Grade 2 Earth Science/Astronomy: Visual Factfinder: Planet Earth
        (Kingfisher) and Visual Factfinder: Stars & Planets.  $10.95
        each.
    Grade 3 Chemistry: The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia ($39.95,
        but you will use this book for years as a science reference)
    Grade 4 Physics: The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia