Homeschooling First Grade

Generally in Kindergarten you have laid the foundation for your child’s learning.  Your child is most likely reading now, able to count to and identify numbers up to and maybe over 100, read the basic 100 sight words.  Now it’s time to build on those basics, and take them to the next level.  You can choose to put together lessons on your own pulling from various resources like books, and the internet. Or you may choose at this time to go with a more formal package curriculum.  It is possible to do it on budget.  Check out EBay or homeschool classifieds for deals on curriculum. There are also many Facebook Groups dedicated to selling used homeschool curriculum.

Continue with a lot of literacy building activities such as word games with letter tiles.  Encourage reading through “Environmental Print”- which is the print on road signs, restaurants, and food boxes- anything in our environment.  Practice writing sentences. Your child at this point should identify lower case and upper case letters and the sounds they make –  Now you should begin to work on blending letter sounds.  Read lots of level  1 beginning books or even 2, if your child is ready.

For math – Cook with your child, teach about 1 cup, ½ cup, ¼ cup, etc.   Practice skip counting; by 2’s and 5’s. Teach your child how to use a number line.  You can utilize free printable worksheets or some of the most popular math curriculums are: Saxon Math, Math U See, Life of Fred, and Singapore Math. There are some fantastic Math websites as well :  ABC.Mouse.com and  IXL.

You can now add on some additional subjects that you may not have delved into in Kindergarten, such as; science, and history.

To introduce 1^st grade science to your child is beginning with earth science, some basic astronomy, and even some physical science. Teach your child about animal habitats, weather, begin basic classification of living and non-living things. Plants, animals, and environment are the basics of early science. For astronomy you can begin lessons on the sun, planets, moon, and stars.

History in a first graders world might start with Creation, for Christian homeschoolers, and work right through the Bible.  You might do a light pioneers unit, using Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little house books. I love a unit study! So simple and fun to do, immersing yourself in a topic really helps you learn it.

Social Studies in first grade begins to move your child beyond themselves.  Start to explore the world around your child. Little passports has an amazing monthly subscription that either focuses on various U.S States, or different countries of the world. Little Passports is one of my favorite ways to teach about other people and cultures. We currently subscribe to the countries, when our new country packet comes each month  I like to include a dinner from that country for the week.

Practical life skills can also continue on from Kindergarten, whereas before you may have taught shoe tying, folding a towel, or basic hygiene. You can begin to add on more complicated tasks such as; managing small amounts of money,  perhaps some character training such as We Chose Virtues – a great curriculum for memorizing Bible verses, and lots of activities for discussing positive character traits.

Whether you choose to use a box curriculum, or piece it together like a quilt, your child will grow and blossom under the love and attention that only you can give.