First Grade or K-5 plans

Beginning in May: Grade K-5/First Grade (call it what you like )

Math: Saxon 1
---I want to use Singapore, but my son loves to use Saxon, I figure why bother with something good! Singapore also has a bit of a culture barrier for me, some of the sample problems on the placement test-- I could not figure out what they meant until I saw the answer.

Handwriting: Seton Handwriting 1 for Young Catholics, plus extra paper for practice

Reading: Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading, Bob Books (all sets), Now I'm Reading series (all levels), various easy readers. ---I want to order the hardbound National Catholic Readers and the McGuffey Readers, but they are a bit expensive so I will have to wait and see. I want to buy the whole sets at once, not just one book at at time! I also have considered ordering the Little Angel Readers. I am also looking into what level that the American Cardinal Readers begin.

English: First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind ---If I can get a sneak peek at the Catholic version of Voyages in English, I may order that later too, but I do want the whole set. First Language Lessons may not last us the whole year, but it is for use in first and second grade so we will use it for 2 years.

Spelling: Spelling Workout Level A ---I am going to probably begin this subject about half-way through the year. I have considering also just making my own spelling lists and doing activities based on them.

Memory work: I plan on keeping a notebook with all of the poems,sayings, etc. that we memorize.

Science: We'll be following the classical sequence described in the WTM, so this year we will be studying Animals, Plants and the Human Body. I plan on doing it by unit studies and doing lots of experiments, museum visits and hands-on stuff. We'll probably be borrowing most of our books from the library. This will probably include getting a pet fish and growing some kind of plant. We'll also probably keep a nature journal, if I can get Boo to do so. (He doesn't really like to draw or color)

History: We'll be also following the WTM sequence here so we will be studying Ancient History. I have the Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World for a reference. We will be using some of the Story of the World and its Activity Book. ---I won't be following the suggestion of studying gods and mythology, especially at this age. I am going to use some of the stories from this time period, but at an innocent level that will be suitable. We will be incorporating the history of our salvation and the creation of the world into everything. I'm going to be looking for a book to fill in my gaps of knowledge of Old Testament history--so I can teach this better. DH said Roman Catholic Books republishes something to that effect. ---I'd like to use a Catholic curricula but I do not think any of the ones currently being published fit my expectations, they tend to be too brief or not even on the same topic as us at the same level.

Geography: Maps charts and Graphs, Level A, memorizing the 50 states and their location using a simple US map and a sticker chart published by Dover, plus the seven continents and the four oceans using puzzles, maps, globe etc. I also plan on using Uncle Josh's Blackline maps for this and History, it's a CD rom so you print it out yourself. ---I believe I also bought a 50 states coloring book which I might copy and turn into part of a geography notebook. The Maps,Charts, Graphs book looks so easy that you could do it in one sitting, I may order the next level. I initially ordered it because graphs were our biggest stumbling block (really the only one) in mathematics.

P.E./Art/ Music: For P.E. we'll be taking nature walks and hikes, bowling--possibly in a league, maybe roller-skating. I've e-mailed a local roller rink to ask if they play classical music or at least oldies instead of Top 40 all the time. For music, I am considering getting a keyboard in order to teach my son piano, I don't know if that will work out. I may spend the next year trying to find a teacher for piano too. I also want the kids to learn violin, we'll see where that goes. We also listen to various music from around the world and different periods, except modern (hehe). For Art we will be doing picture study of great Catholic works as well as using Child-Sized Masterpieces and the book How to use Child-Sized Masterpieces (this book might be out of print). We are also using Art 1 for Young Catholics from Seton. Additionally, A Year with God: Celebrating the Liturgical Year we are using from Catholic Heritage, but omitting the Novus Ordo-y stuff. I also plan on borrowing some how-to-draw books form the library.

Religion: We'll be using and memorizing parts of the St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism (the First Communion one), as well as investing in some more good children's books on the Faith. We also read the New Testament out loud as a family. I have quite a few other resources, we'll use them as need. We also will be following and incorporating the Church year into our daily lives as usual, and reading the lives of the saints for children too! In addition to that, I take every opportunity to instruct the children in good morals, manners and behavior (which I consider to fall under religion because of the virtue of Charity).

Other etc.: I just plan on continuing to use the Kumon workbooks for fun and enrichment. Reading is really our biggest thing because I plan on adding Latin and a modern foreign language, probably Spanish, in the future (I'm thinking third grade).

Our schedule is probably going to look like this:
everyday:
Math 20-45 minutes
Language Arts 1-2 hours
Handwriting 15 minutes
Spelling 15 minutes
memory work 5-10 minutes
geography 10-15 minutes

I almost always do the most disliked subject right away after breakfast, it makes the rest of the day seem easy two days each week for: history ex: Mon, Tues 1 hour science ex: Wed, Thurs 30 minutes-hours art: Friday 30 minutes PE: 1-2 days a week 10-30 minutes