Kindergarten Round Up and First Grade Plans

It is time for me to begin thinking and planning for Levi's first grade year beginning in January. He turns six on New Year's Day, and while we are working at his own level in each subject, it helps for me to have some idea of a beginning and end to each 'school year.' We will still be doing lessons through the holidays though on a lighter schedule and with more time for Christmas reading, listening, projects, and celebrations.

I thought I would write a few posts with our current and future resources and plans, beginning with our core subjects.

PHONICS:

I am thrilled with Levi's progress in reading skills. I love listening to him read aloud with feeling and voice fluctuation. I am happy that we are beyond the sometimes tedious beginning reader books. My favorite books are our Frog and Toad treasury, Mouse Soup, Mouse Tales, Grasshopper on the Road, and absolutely anything else by Arnold Lobel. The man is brilliant! Nods also to Little Bear treasury, Amelia Bedelia treasury, and The Fire Cat.

We will continue with readers and other books, some below his level to develop speed and fluency, some at his current reading level, and a few above to challenge and stretch him! I still appreciate The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading for its systematic and thorough approach to phonics. We will work through the lessons until completing the book.

I hope to implement phonogram cards and spelling lists from The Writing Road to Reading within the next year.



WRITING:

I credit Handwriting Without Tears for making handwriting one of my favorite subjects. Currently, I use the blank lined paper to write a sentence for Levi to copy daily. We write poetry, Bible verses, science facts, thank you notes, letters to pen pals, grammar rules, or whatever strikes my fancy. I usually have a file with copywork ready for him so that he can pull a paper out and get started on his own.

For Levi's 'first grade' year I will continue with the copywork, adding in history, literature narrations, and anything else needed from other subjects. When he is able, we will transition to dictation. I will say the sentence he is to write rather than giving him a written version to copy.


MATH:

I am pleased with RightStart Math. We will begin level B in January. It includes manipulatives and games and presents the material in a variety of ways, so I am confident using it as my only source at this point.


GRAMMAR:

We are a short way into First Language Lessons. Again, I enjoy the variety of the lessons with poetry memorization, picture studies, short story narrations, and grammar rules. The book includes lessons through a second grade level, so we will continue on until finished.


For History, Literature, Science, and Memory Work: click here.
For Music, Art, Bible, Geography, Spanish, and More: click here.