How We Homeschool – 1st Grade

how we homeschool 1st grade

Homeschool 2.0 started today. Yes, we are the crazy quad parents that decided to go the homeschool route for another year. And it’s not for the sake of making our lives even more chaotic, or because we think any other schooling option is wrong – it’s simply what seems to work best for our family this year, for “multiple” reasons.

On Mondays, the boys will continue to go to their “school”/tutelage where they will learn science, Latin, history, geography, music, art, physical education, along with other age-appropriate skills. We are over the moon about this program.  It’s a wonderful community and an excellent fit for our boys.  It gives them the classroom experience along with a good social element with a Christian emphasis.

Tuesdays through Fridays they will be home doing reading/phonics, math, science, history, grammar, and handwriting, leaving time for plenty of hands-on-learning activities and play.

I still fight with feeling overwhelmed and unequipped sometimes with the task, but Brad reminds me often that I DO know what I’m doing.  I know this age group well, and I’m thankful for my background in Language Development. I’ve written goals to the academic standards for 1st grade, I’m planning lessons, I’m tracking our progress, and I’m hopefully making learning a positive and engaging experience.  AND, I’m not alone – Brad is a huge support in giving me time to plan, and teaching the boys as well.Our goal is that our boys would LOVE to be learners, which would result in self-motivated, self-led learners.

A lot of our schooling is DOING, because that’s what seems to stick for our boys.  We observe a lot, read a lot, follow their interests, and learn through experiences.  Sometimes our classroom is at the kitchen table, sometimes it’s spread out in the living room, sometimes is in the great outdoors.

For our more formal curriculum learning, we are trying out these for  1st grade, knowing they possibly could change mid-year or as we go. 

Math: Math-U-See – Alpha

Reading/Phonics: Phonics Pathways

Grammar/Language: First Language Lessons Level 1

Science: Exploring Creation with Astronomy and Unit Studies

History: The Story of the World:  The Middle Ages

Handwriting: Handwriting without Tears Grade 1

 

{ I found most of these resources through friend recommendations, school recommendations, and through an incredible resource called 101 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum, which matches your child’s learning styles, your philosophy/style of teaching, and other preferences for each subject. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!  Game-changer! }

Overall I’m just thankful and even excited for at least one more year to have my “little classroom” home so that we can experience life and learn together as a family. 

So what’s YOUR school year look like this year? 

(Judgment-free zone.  We support YOUR decisions for YOUR own children, as we would expect the same in return.}

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