Kindergarten and 1st Grade Homeschooling
I've decided to try to collect and record the things I've used while homeschooling my oldest 2 children...both for a personal record for when my younger two are old enough to start homeschooling and as a guide for any friends or fellow homeschoolers who want to use it.
I do have a college degree and some experience of teaching, but am and have been a stay at home mom for the past 8 years. I came up with most of the schedules myself...so feel free to pick/choose what you like out of them. I've used mostly a Classical Approach to Homeschooling...using The Well-Trained Mind (TWTM from here on out) by Susan Wise Bauer as a general starting point. Some of it I've liked, some I haven't and have changed/adapted myself.
Now, I'm starting with Kindergarten AND 1st Grade...and the reason I'm combining them is because a lot of it depends on just how/where your child is in their development.
I didn't actually use a program with my children for Kindergarten. I looked up "what your child should know"-type searches in Google and designed my own program based on the things I felt were most important for them to move on to 1st Grade (which, in my opinion, is mainly basic reading skills, letter formation for writing, and number recognition/basic math).
So...for Kindergarten, here's a list of the basic items I tried to teach by subject. I used online free printable worksheets, made my own for some of it, got some workbooks from the Dollar Store, etc.:
Reading
I did use lined paper ALWAYS with them when they first started writing.
Others
Those, to me, are most important for Kindergarten. If you want to add science or history things as well, feel free to. I basically didn't worry about teaching those subjects yet at this age. If they asked me a question regarding something they saw/heard, I'd answer it...but I didn't actively do subject study for them. I do think we caught a lady beetle and watched it undergo its metamorphosis, but that was about it other than answering questions.
Also, my children did lots of coloring/puzzles/games/etc. to develop their motor skills.
Examples of some of the online printouts I used...
already made worksheets... http://www.softschools.com/handwriting/alphabets/
make your own... http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/print-k/make-pk-all.htm
math worksheets... http://www.kidzone.ws/math/kindergarten.htm
As for a schedule with Kindergarten, I just did what I wanted when we all felt like it. Again, I felt reading was the most important...so we did lots of ABC practice and letter sound practice in the beginning. Then we added more math as we moved on in The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading to the other lessons. I didn't have a set schedule though. If the children weren't in the mood, I usually didn't push them to do it.
1ST GRADE
For 1st Grade, I did add a little more to our pile of things we did. In addition to continuing our reading practice, we added an actual math program, did more intense writing practice, and added both history and science. We also did some art and music practice, though I wasn't particularly strict with a program for that....it was mostly just coloring, some water colors, etc...and listening to classical music occasionally.
Reading
We continued with The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading by Susan Wise Bauer. We started wherever we'd finished in Kindergarten and just continued on. I also made sure the children stayed supplied with age-appropriate/reading-level-appropriate books from the library. We also had Bob books at home for them to practice on when they were ready for them.
In addition, we did do some of the reading schedule describe in TWTM (in my book, the schedule is on p. 75). We read lots of Greek Myths, some Aesop's Fables, etc...though we mainly did them as bedtime stories as opposed to during our school hours.
Grammar
In 1st grade, I'd started with First Language Lessons by Susan Wise Bauer...but soon realized that it would drive me bonkers if we did it diligently every single day (LOTS of repetition), so instead, I came up with my own grammar program...which basically just went through the descriptions of the different parts of speech and had them say the definition and write out examples of each.
Spelling
Mine weren't quite ready for the Spelling Workout books described in TWTM, so I found a list of 1st grade appropriate words on the internet and had them practice them every week (generally 6-8 words)...and then we'd have a test to see if they remembered how to spell them at the end of the week. I don't think this was exactly what I used...but it was something similar. http://www.k12reader.com/spelling/First-Grade-Master-Spelling-Lists.pdf
Writing
I did use Writing With Ease by Susan Wise Bauer as our base for their writing program...though instead of buying the workbooks, etc. they have available, I picked out my own narrations and copywork from items we were already reading.
Science
I did what TWTM suggested and we discussed animals, the human body, and plants...mostly via encyclopedias and/or library books. For the animals and human body, I used The Encyclopedia of Animals (http://www.amazon.com/The-Encyclopedia-Animals-Complete-Visual/dp/0520244060) and The Human Body (http://www.amazon.com/Human-Illustrated-Structure-Function-Disorders/dp/1564589927/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436668287&sr=1-7&keywords=the+human+body). For the plants section, I used Green Thumbs: A Kid's Activity Guide to Indoor and Outdoor Gardening by Laurie Carlson. I also found some coloring books with animal pictures at the local Dollar Tree, as well as coloring pages on the internet to supplement whatever topic we were covering.
History
We used Story of the World: Ancients by Susan Wise Bauer for our history...and I supplemented with maps (which I got both online and in a coloring book at the Dollar Store). The publishers do provide student study books with questions and maps and such, but I made my own questions and found my own maps instead.
Math
We used Saxon Math 1. We didn't always do everything it suggested (for example, we did the meeting book for the first month or so and then sporadically after that)...but I felt it was well-rounded and liked the cyclical learning. My children, generally, didn't have any problems with following/understanding it.
Schedule-wise, I tried not to pressure them too much with 1st grade either. We basically just did things when we felt like it and didn't trouble ourselves too much about a set schedule. It's difficult at the younger ages to get the children into a set schedule...and, sometimes, not worth the fight. Do what you can...and don't sweat it too much. Chances are that the topics covered will be covered again in future. Also, I read most everything to them (besides the reading lessons) at these ages (to save time more than anything)...and it's funny how much of it they actually did remember...even though they didn't seem like they were listening at the time.
I do have a college degree and some experience of teaching, but am and have been a stay at home mom for the past 8 years. I came up with most of the schedules myself...so feel free to pick/choose what you like out of them. I've used mostly a Classical Approach to Homeschooling...using The Well-Trained Mind (TWTM from here on out) by Susan Wise Bauer as a general starting point. Some of it I've liked, some I haven't and have changed/adapted myself.
Now, I'm starting with Kindergarten AND 1st Grade...and the reason I'm combining them is because a lot of it depends on just how/where your child is in their development.
I didn't actually use a program with my children for Kindergarten. I looked up "what your child should know"-type searches in Google and designed my own program based on the things I felt were most important for them to move on to 1st Grade (which, in my opinion, is mainly basic reading skills, letter formation for writing, and number recognition/basic math).
So...for Kindergarten, here's a list of the basic items I tried to teach by subject. I used online free printable worksheets, made my own for some of it, got some workbooks from the Dollar Store, etc.:
Reading
- recite the alphabet
- identify upper and lowercase letters
- identify letter sounds
I mainly used The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading by Susan Wise Bauer with my oldest two through K-1st grade...though I didn't continue on until they were pretty solid with recognizing letters and knowing the letter sounds.
Math
- know colors
- know simple shapes (circle, square, star, triangle, etc.)
- pattern recognition
- count to 20
- count objects up to 10 at least
- match numbers with objects they represent
- write numbers 0-10
- know simple math symbols (=, -, +)
- BINGO games, Candyland, Connect 4, Sequence, etc. can be helpful
- MAYBE: introduction to ideas of greater than/less than; count by 2s, 5s, 10s
Writing
- write alphabet (both upper case and lower case)
- If/when they're good with that, have them practice writing their name, address, or phone number and simple words (cat, hat, bat, dog, fog, log, etc.)
I did use lined paper ALWAYS with them when they first started writing.
Others
Those, to me, are most important for Kindergarten. If you want to add science or history things as well, feel free to. I basically didn't worry about teaching those subjects yet at this age. If they asked me a question regarding something they saw/heard, I'd answer it...but I didn't actively do subject study for them. I do think we caught a lady beetle and watched it undergo its metamorphosis, but that was about it other than answering questions.
Also, my children did lots of coloring/puzzles/games/etc. to develop their motor skills.
Examples of some of the online printouts I used...
already made worksheets... http://www.softschools.com/handwriting/alphabets/
make your own... http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/print-k/make-pk-all.htm
math worksheets... http://www.kidzone.ws/math/kindergarten.htm
As for a schedule with Kindergarten, I just did what I wanted when we all felt like it. Again, I felt reading was the most important...so we did lots of ABC practice and letter sound practice in the beginning. Then we added more math as we moved on in The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading to the other lessons. I didn't have a set schedule though. If the children weren't in the mood, I usually didn't push them to do it.
1ST GRADE
For 1st Grade, I did add a little more to our pile of things we did. In addition to continuing our reading practice, we added an actual math program, did more intense writing practice, and added both history and science. We also did some art and music practice, though I wasn't particularly strict with a program for that....it was mostly just coloring, some water colors, etc...and listening to classical music occasionally.
Reading
We continued with The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading by Susan Wise Bauer. We started wherever we'd finished in Kindergarten and just continued on. I also made sure the children stayed supplied with age-appropriate/reading-level-appropriate books from the library. We also had Bob books at home for them to practice on when they were ready for them.
In addition, we did do some of the reading schedule describe in TWTM (in my book, the schedule is on p. 75). We read lots of Greek Myths, some Aesop's Fables, etc...though we mainly did them as bedtime stories as opposed to during our school hours.
Grammar
In 1st grade, I'd started with First Language Lessons by Susan Wise Bauer...but soon realized that it would drive me bonkers if we did it diligently every single day (LOTS of repetition), so instead, I came up with my own grammar program...which basically just went through the descriptions of the different parts of speech and had them say the definition and write out examples of each.
Spelling
Mine weren't quite ready for the Spelling Workout books described in TWTM, so I found a list of 1st grade appropriate words on the internet and had them practice them every week (generally 6-8 words)...and then we'd have a test to see if they remembered how to spell them at the end of the week. I don't think this was exactly what I used...but it was something similar. http://www.k12reader.com/spelling/First-Grade-Master-Spelling-Lists.pdf
Writing
I did use Writing With Ease by Susan Wise Bauer as our base for their writing program...though instead of buying the workbooks, etc. they have available, I picked out my own narrations and copywork from items we were already reading.
Science
I did what TWTM suggested and we discussed animals, the human body, and plants...mostly via encyclopedias and/or library books. For the animals and human body, I used The Encyclopedia of Animals (http://www.amazon.com/The-Encyclopedia-Animals-Complete-Visual/dp/0520244060) and The Human Body (http://www.amazon.com/Human-Illustrated-Structure-Function-Disorders/dp/1564589927/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436668287&sr=1-7&keywords=the+human+body). For the plants section, I used Green Thumbs: A Kid's Activity Guide to Indoor and Outdoor Gardening by Laurie Carlson. I also found some coloring books with animal pictures at the local Dollar Tree, as well as coloring pages on the internet to supplement whatever topic we were covering.
History
We used Story of the World: Ancients by Susan Wise Bauer for our history...and I supplemented with maps (which I got both online and in a coloring book at the Dollar Store). The publishers do provide student study books with questions and maps and such, but I made my own questions and found my own maps instead.
Math
We used Saxon Math 1. We didn't always do everything it suggested (for example, we did the meeting book for the first month or so and then sporadically after that)...but I felt it was well-rounded and liked the cyclical learning. My children, generally, didn't have any problems with following/understanding it.
Schedule-wise, I tried not to pressure them too much with 1st grade either. We basically just did things when we felt like it and didn't trouble ourselves too much about a set schedule. It's difficult at the younger ages to get the children into a set schedule...and, sometimes, not worth the fight. Do what you can...and don't sweat it too much. Chances are that the topics covered will be covered again in future. Also, I read most everything to them (besides the reading lessons) at these ages (to save time more than anything)...and it's funny how much of it they actually did remember...even though they didn't seem like they were listening at the time.
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