Time to update my first-grade homeschooling curriculum. I used to be the rebel mom when I began back in 1999. Now, it appears many will be homeschooling.
Six years ago, my granddaughter gave homeschool a try after a not so great kindergarten.
In kindergarten, I sat with my granddaughter to help her get her homework done. I watched her hurry through the very boring photo-copied worksheets. Her handwriting got larger and sloppier as she filled in the correct answers. She quickly scribbled over the boring little pictures she was supposed to color.
At school, in front of the class, her teacher told her that if she didn’t learn to raise her hand, she would have to repeat kindergarten. There were some good things too. It’s a charter school. They wear uniforms and have a good mission statement. But a statement does not always translate into success for a child.
My granddaughter brought her report card home, and when she found out she got a “B’ in handwriting, she was dismayed. Her mom found the crumpled report card in the trash.
These were some of the things that sparked the homeschooling option.
I have gone over my curriculum for first grade because I have already been down this road. Here are some of my favorites and some new options:
Homeschool First Grade Curriculum
History:
Story of the World, activity book, vol. 1
Additional Reading to do with your child:
(links to my affiliate account with Amazon:)
The Odyssey for kids
Greek Myths for kids
Classic Myths to read aloud to kids
Black Ships before Troy for kids
The Kings Drum and Other Stories
Reading:
Phonics Pathways: Clear Steps to Easy Reading and Perfect Spelling [Paperback] (for beginner readers — starts with phonics) (links to my affiliate account with Amazon)
Reading Pathways: Simple Exercises to Improve Reading Fluency [Paperback] (if your first grader is already reading) (links to my affiliate account with Amazon)
Writing, Grammar, Spelling:
The Complete Writer: Level 1 Workbook for Writing with Ease (The Complete Writer) (links to my affiliate account with Amazon)
First Language Lessons Level 1-Paperback (links to my affiliate account with Amazon)
Sequential Spelling — start at Level 1
Math:
I recommend any of these, because each child responds differently to lessons in Math.
Math In Focus (Singapore Approach)
Supplementary and Fun: Life of Fred Mathematics books — Start with Apples also available through Amazon: Life of Fred
Science:
The Magic School Bus videos [you can stream these on Amazon Prime] (links to my affiliate account with Amazon)
[Try Netflix as well]
Other Activities:
Choose whatever your child would enjoy.
Music lessons — Piano, violin
Horseback riding lessons
4-H Club — raising livestock, rabbits, goats, etc.
Art lessons
Weekly Plan
Monday – Friday: Math, Reading, Writing/Grammar
Tues and Thursday: History
Wed and Friday: Science
Field Trips: As often as you can
**Remember when you homeschool, you will complete your studies in a much shorter time period than public school. Don’t feel like you are not covering as much, more likely you will be covering more.
Originally posted 2014, updated 2020.
I still remember all the names of the horses that I rode. I could look at pictures and tell you who is who and which one was best the one in the picture is heebee a flea bitten grey mare who was the absolute sweetest. As for the stinkin’ gym teacher I couldn’t tell you his name or pic him out of a line up. But horsebackriding for P.E really stuck. I HIGHLY recommend it!
What a great story. I’m an older mom of 2 (HF blessed us after many years)
My DD 6yrs old is pretty much having the same kindergarten experience. She’s an advance reader, but we found out she has hyper mobility, which is causing her pain on her joints including the wrist to write. I’m the room mom n I also explained this to the teacher…. To my surprise she still have her a C on handwriting…. Well I’m the one that threw the report card in trash lol. I didn’t care, and my smart daughter said: I got A+ on everything else. Besides has anyone seen doctors handwriting??? In these date and age we all write electronically… I’m not saying it’s not important or we won’t work on it, but, well u get my point.
Now what really did it for me was the principal denied 3 days off school for a 2nd family need. The reason why she’s in private is COMMON CORE, but that action from the principle didn’t show very Christian like…. So homeschool has everything to offer: freedom, creativity, character growth, u name it.
Thank you all for sharing, specially grandmas story, although I’m excited I’m overwhelmed with all curriculum choices. 😉
I homeschooled my children, also, for a while in grade school. I loved doing it. We went on a lot of field trips. I like your curriculum. I would do multiple subjects every weekday. I would teach for nine weeks and we would have four weeks off when we would do field trips. My daughter was in 4th grade at the time, so we went to the missions, Olvera Street in Los Angeles, San Diego to tide pools and Sea World, etc. Lots of really fun things to do and “study” at the same time.