.Mathematics
- Math in Focus: This program works wonderfully
for Chipette and since I already have all of the books, I’m planning on using this with Magpie as well. You can read my review of this public school turned homeschool program here.
- Miquon: I discovered this fun program a little too late to use with Chipette, but I fully plan on using it with Magpie. She’s already well into the Orange book in Kindergarten, and we’ll keep moving through the program at her pace.
- MEP: I really love this math program, and if I was a little braver, I might be willing to use it as our main math program, especially since it’s free! I plan on having a rotation between this and Miquon every day after we finish our Math in Focus lesson.
- Reading Made Easy: We started this in Kindergarten and will finish it this year.
- Logic of English Foundations: I signed up to beta test this program last year and we’ve been using it for most of our Kindergarten year. I plan to continue it this year on a rotation between it and Reading Made Easy, one program one day and the other program the next day.
- Explode the Code:
Magpie is my workbook lover and this is for her to work on as a review of things she’s already covered in her other phonics lessons. I’m hoping to cover books 3, 5, and 6 this year (thanks to advice I’m skipping 4 until after 6). I’m also hoping that she can do these on her own.
- Apples and Pears Spelling: This program was my
salvation when it came to teaching Chipette how to spell {read my review here}. I plan on starting this program with Magpie as well for first grade. Monday, Wednesday, Friday ~ 15 minutes
- Copywork: Magpie learned all of her Getty-Dubay Italics letters last year. For first grade I wanted to focus on having those letters become automatic and neater. Best way to do that is through copywork. I only have this scheduled two days a week, but there will be plenty of other opportunities to write. This is just the official one. Tuesday, Thursday ~ 5 minutes
- Language Lessons Through Literature Level One: This is a relatively new program on the market that I discovered this year. It fits in perfectly with what I wanted to accomplish this year in my writing scope and sequence for first grade. We’ve already been dabbling in it a little bit, and Magpie really enjoys it. Using classic literature, it teaches punctuation, copy work, narration, and picture study.
- A Mind in the Light: You know how when you
stumble across something pretty amazing it really sticks with you? I discovered
this free Charlotte Mason inspired program through a member at The Well-Trained
Mind Forums. She is putting together this entire curriculum and posting it online for anyone to use. This program is going to be the core of our homeschool this year for both girls. The literature selections for Magpie this year include reading through the A. A. Milne poetry books, Now We Are Six and When We Were Very Young, a picture book version of Robert Frost’s poem, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening, selected Hans Christian Anderson fairy tales, Little House in the Big Woods, Tales of Peter Rabbit and Friends, The Velveteen Rabbit, Charlotte’s Web, Aesop for Children, and various picture books that go along with our world history focus this year. The best part is that A Mind in the Light provides book notes and narration prompts for all of this great literature.
- Read Alouds: This is my favorite part of the day! This past year we started Lit for Lunch where I read while the kids eat. It makes reading aloud so much easier when I’m not trying to cram it in at the end of the day when we are all exhausted. I will use my personal First Grade Read Aloud list for these selections.
- Independent Reading: I’m hoping to start Magpie on the Emerging Readers from Heart of Dakota by the middle of the school year. I used this set with Chipette and it makes the transition from beginning readers to chapter books almost painless!
- World History: Magpie will be studying the same topics as her big sister who's using Heart of Dakota's Preparing Hearts for His Glory. While Magpie won't be listening into the readings or anything, she will be covering the same topics including making her own history notebook. I'll be adding in lots of great picture books and videos as we cover history this year and I'll be sharing all of my plans every month.
- Geography: Using another schedule from A Mind in the Light, we will be studying basic geography.
- A Mind in the Light: The first semester Magpie
will be studying farmanimals (zoology) and the second semester the focus will be botany. These schedules are finished and look amazing!
- Nature Study: I slacked off this past year with nature study, but I’m hoping to stick with it this year. We’ll be using The Nature Connection to guide our studies.
- Art Technique: To go along with Magpie’s focus
on farm animals,the first semester I plan on using Draw Write Now Book 1. She will also use Home Art Studio K {we used the first grade video this year}.
- Character: We love We Choose Virtues around here and focus on one virtue every month to work on. For Magpie, she will also use some of the activities from Kids of Integrity each week.
- Logic: This is fun, quick, and simple for Magpie. She will be using Lollipop Logic Book 2.
- Spanish: I’ve been using free Salsa Spanishvideos and the corresponding free lesson plans from the Wyoming Department of Education for a couple of years now to teach beginning Spanish to the girls. I add in my own homemade worksheets for a fun supplement.
- Memory Work: Selected facts, information, poems, passages, and Bible verses that I want Magpie to memorize using Simply Charlotte Mason’s memory system.
- Handicrafts: No idea what I’m going to do during this spot, but I know that cooking will make up a large portion of the lessons. The girls have been begging me to do cooking lessons with them again so we’ll work that in here.
- Art and Music Appreciation: Using the Year One lesson plans for this found at A Mind in the Light, I will combine Magpie and Chipette for this study. Introduce the artist or composer on Monday and review all week.
- Bible: This is always the most important thing that we study in our homeschool. We will continue using our favorite Bible curriculum, Bible Study Guide for All Ages {my review is found here}. This is what we do first thing in the morning to set the focus for the day. Magpie and Chipette do this together.
Planning for world history grand tour in the tree house,
Chelli
