My daughter is a FIRST Grader!!!!
This year of school has begun and so far it is smoothly trucking along. After much thought, and reading... then some more thinking. I've picked out 5 core books/papers for us to do most days.
We begin the day with Bible reading. This happens around the breakfast table. I am reading Acts out loud to the kids before Conner gets taken to preschool. We read, and then discuss the passage.
Language Arts-
Miss Bella school starts with Evan-Moore Daily Handwriting.
You can find it here, if you are interested.
http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Handwriting-Practice-Modern-Manuscript/dp/1557997551/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0MRJHYMCY08A0Q6V9GHZ
It is short, sweet and to the point. As a bonus when she finishes her writing work she colors the picture.
For the main L.A. thrust, I am using a curriculum I had when I was a homeschooling lass. It is called Learning Language Arts Through Literature and it can be found here
https://www.commonsensepress.com/covers.htm
It is all encompassing so, after browsing it and using it I feel it really meets all our needs. It touches on reading comp. parts of speech, spelling and some handwriting. With this book we are using a spiral bound notebook to write our sentences in, and draw our pictures. At the end of the year we should have a great keepsake as well as finished product.
Math-
I am trying out Saxon Math this year. She was in First grade math last year so we are backing up a little and starting first grade over. Saxon is excellent for a talking script, if you like that. I can read exactly what to say each morning as we begin. Also, it includes a great little lesson to do with the kids before we begin the paper work.
History-
We are using Story Of The World. I am beyond thrilled with this set of books. It includes a family story book and CDs to read or listen to aloud. Then, there are TONS of enrichment activities. You can read one chapter a week and fill the rest of your time with the bonus materials. There are maps and coloring pages to work on and if you are a tester, yes you can test. This set of books is truly LIVING history!
Science-
We are part of a science Co-op so, it will be taken care of through this. We get play time and lots of learning all rolled into one day. We use Son-Light for our curriculum needs and it works perfectly.
For our planning, this year I am planning week by week. I took in all the books and decided how much we had to do to get it all done by May and I have that done but, as for the weekly plan I make that each Friday night. Our schedule is so unpredictable and full that I can't plan a month out for what we might be doing.
As far as enrichment goes, Bella is involved in Awana and BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) she will not be doing electives this year except for those. For me as a Mom, I view everything in the light of eternity. With this in mind my children's spiritual training is the most important. I feel that these two things are where our focus need to be as a family. Also, I want to have time with my children. Time to curl up for stories, time to explore creation and time to just be. We tend to be busy anyway and I need to be careful not to ADD to that any more than I have to!
One thing as a homeschooling Mom that I have had to come to terms with is being ok with being the right amount of busy for you. I enjoy hustle and bustle. I am not a long-term home body. I am learning to be ok with that. It is ok to follow the life direction that suits your personality. If you enjoy staying home as a quieter family, DO it! If you like to be out hiking, pursue that, LOVE social activities go be social! The beauty of this type of education is it is not one size fits all or even fits most. It is your own unique brand of education. Embrace it!
This year of school has begun and so far it is smoothly trucking along. After much thought, and reading... then some more thinking. I've picked out 5 core books/papers for us to do most days.
We begin the day with Bible reading. This happens around the breakfast table. I am reading Acts out loud to the kids before Conner gets taken to preschool. We read, and then discuss the passage.
Language Arts-
Miss Bella school starts with Evan-Moore Daily Handwriting.
You can find it here, if you are interested.
http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Handwriting-Practice-Modern-Manuscript/dp/1557997551/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0MRJHYMCY08A0Q6V9GHZ
It is short, sweet and to the point. As a bonus when she finishes her writing work she colors the picture.
For the main L.A. thrust, I am using a curriculum I had when I was a homeschooling lass. It is called Learning Language Arts Through Literature and it can be found here
https://www.commonsensepress.com/covers.htm
It is all encompassing so, after browsing it and using it I feel it really meets all our needs. It touches on reading comp. parts of speech, spelling and some handwriting. With this book we are using a spiral bound notebook to write our sentences in, and draw our pictures. At the end of the year we should have a great keepsake as well as finished product.
Math-
I am trying out Saxon Math this year. She was in First grade math last year so we are backing up a little and starting first grade over. Saxon is excellent for a talking script, if you like that. I can read exactly what to say each morning as we begin. Also, it includes a great little lesson to do with the kids before we begin the paper work.
History-
We are using Story Of The World. I am beyond thrilled with this set of books. It includes a family story book and CDs to read or listen to aloud. Then, there are TONS of enrichment activities. You can read one chapter a week and fill the rest of your time with the bonus materials. There are maps and coloring pages to work on and if you are a tester, yes you can test. This set of books is truly LIVING history!
Science-
We are part of a science Co-op so, it will be taken care of through this. We get play time and lots of learning all rolled into one day. We use Son-Light for our curriculum needs and it works perfectly.
For our planning, this year I am planning week by week. I took in all the books and decided how much we had to do to get it all done by May and I have that done but, as for the weekly plan I make that each Friday night. Our schedule is so unpredictable and full that I can't plan a month out for what we might be doing.
One thing as a homeschooling Mom that I have had to come to terms with is being ok with being the right amount of busy for you. I enjoy hustle and bustle. I am not a long-term home body. I am learning to be ok with that. It is ok to follow the life direction that suits your personality. If you enjoy staying home as a quieter family, DO it! If you like to be out hiking, pursue that, LOVE social activities go be social! The beauty of this type of education is it is not one size fits all or even fits most. It is your own unique brand of education. Embrace it!
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