2014-2015 First Grade Curriculum

This is what we are using in school this year.  

We start our math time with Mad Minute everyday.  I think this is her favorite time each day.  Oliver also loves to do it with us.   

 She has 1 minute (sometimes 2) to do as many of the 30 problems as she can.  

Then she gets to graph it.  

Then we continue math with Singapore Math.

For writing this year, Madeline is writing each day in her journal with a few different fun projects thrown in.  

Right now, she is finishing up a fun book called "Diary of a Pig" based on the Diary books by Doreen Cronin.  I will write more about it soon once she finishes it.  She is writing a diary for Wilbur from Charlotte's Web.  

We haven't started spelling yet.  But, I think we will incorporate it into our writing time about halfway through the year.  

But, we are loving All About Reading.  

She has learned about 3 different syllable types so far and where to break words into syllables in order to decode them.  We use this board almost everyday to break apart words, label syllable types and decode them.   

We are almost halfway done.  I will probably move on to the next level.

We are using Apologia science.  We are studying Astronomy.  It has a lot of great information with some fun experiments/projects thrown in.  There are several planetariums in our area we will try to go to this year.  

After reading a few pages in the book, I have Madeline dictate to me something that she remembers from the text.  Then she illustrates it.  

We have been working slowly through Handwriting Without Tears.  I'm not sure I'm in love with it for her.  I think it has great strategies for kids just learning to print their letters.  But, I might be looking for something else for her.  

We are using Sonlight for history.  We are studying ancient history this year.  So far we have just been laying the foundation with learning about different cultures, religions, time periods and archeology.  It has been pretty interesting.  But, we will be starting ancient Egypt very soon.   

Sonlight includes a great list of read alouds.  We just finished Charlotte's Web and are starting Little Pear, which I had never hear of, but it's really cute.

Sonlight also includes a Bible curriculum.  We are reading through Leading Little Ones to God and Missionary Stories.  We have really liked both.  The missionary stories are fun and exciting.  I also ordered some virtue cards from We Choose Virtues.  We are studying 1 virtue for about 2 weeks at a time.  I am trying to be very conscious of observing these behaviors and rewarding them for it.  

So far, I have been very happy with my choices.