Curating a home school curriculum plan has to be equal parts the best and most overwhelming part of homeschooling. There are many clever and beautiful resources to pick from. You can choose them to create a perfect plan for your family. Narrowing it all down can be difficult. I spend a good part of the spring and summer in thought over what the next school year could include. And so here is a peek into what I have planned for first grade this year.
Language Arts
TGATB Language Arts and Literature Level 1: This course work is designed to improve beginner reading skills. It also offers instruction on phonics, writing, spelling, literature, grammar & punctuation, geography, and art. Along with the workbook this course includes a reading book set and accompanying reading booster cards. I opted to purchased the My Second Nature Reader that follows this program for extra reading practice. We will aim to finish about 4 lessons from this work a week.
Handwriting
TGATB Level 1 Handwriting: We will finish 1-2 pages of this workbook with every Language arts lesson. For extra practice in handwriting, we are keeping a read aloud journal. We are doing this as we read our September book pick The Wild Robot. Making this journal was actually really fun. I’m excited to watch my first grader explore his note booking skills while also practicing writing and narration.
TGATB Math Level 1: This math curriculum is so easy to use. I really enjoy the open and go layout. It requires very little planning on my part. This is a lifesaver in this season of life right now. This work includes a manipulative box that goes along with the many games and activities provided in this program. We will also follow a similar timeline in completing about 4 lessons a week.
Spanish
Home school Languages Spanish: After exploring learning some Spanish this summer we decided to go all in on this curriculum. I researched a lot of the different offerings in home school languages courses. I chose to use Home school Languages. It had a similar feel to me to The Good and The Beautiful. The workbook will be open and go (which we know I love) and it also has many games and activities.
Emotion Resilience Program
Dash Into Happy Emotion Resilience Program: This is a sweet little program. It helps sharpen and develop skills like grit. It also improves perseverance, fortitude, compassion, empathy, and good conflict-resolution skills. It is composed of 5 classic stories. These include Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and others. These stories help drive home these social skills. We will take our time thru this course and use its important lessons as needed.
xo, Lauren