1st Grade Homeschool Curriculum for 2018-2019

1st Grade Homeschool

1st grade homeschool curriculum was pretty easy after I had made my choices in Kindergarten.  I knew we were doing Classical Conversations.  I knew we were doing Five in a Row.  I knew that we were using Alpha-Phonics to teach reading.  However, each year brings different challenges and different life events happen.  We had just moved from Naples, Italy to Auburn, Alabama.

What an adjustment!

While I had begun our reading program in Kindergarten with a few pages, we did not get very far.  My son loved to listen to books, but he was not very interested in reading.  In 1st grade, we made it through the entire curriculum and he still was not reading easily.  Sometimes it takes a little while for things to sink in successfully when you are giving children time to learn naturally.  All of the sudden at the end of that year, he began to want to read.  That changed everything.

1st grade homeschooling will look different for every family and every child.  We are doing it again this year with our littlest who is already reading.  This 1st grade year will be completely different than my previous experience.  Allow your children to be unique.  Enjoy the journey.

Our 1st Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices

Main Curriculum

  • Classical Conversations in a CC Community – Cycle 1 (Find out more about classical conversations by reading –> The Core by Leigh Bortins)
    • Ancient History
    • Biology, Earth Science
    • The Geography of Europe, Africa, Canada, and South America
    • English, Math, Latin, and the History Timeline as well as Fine Arts and Hands-On Science

Pros and Cons of Classical Conversations:

PROS – getting together with other children (apprentice), experiencing […]

Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

I honestly can’t believe that it has been over four years since we began our journey in homeschooling.  In Pre-K, I wrote down a list of all of the “subjects” or topics that I thought were important for children to learn and spent my son’s Pre-K year simply picking interesting topics and going over them together.  We learned about Japanese spider crabs, ABCs, and our emotions.  Through this relaxed early learning, I realized that I could teach my son, but starting kindergarten homeschool was still a scary proposition.

It got real.

The world has expectations for kindergarten!  These days, schools are pushing five year old children through their ABCs and 123s into sight words and reading.  Ready or not, here it all comes.  Due to this, I felt worried that I would somehow fail these standards and not be “enough.”  What I learned instead was grace, peace, and patience.

Your kindergartner does not need to reach some magical standard.  Your kindergartner needs God’s grace, peace, and patience just as much as you do.

So as you read my suggestions for kindergarten curriculum, take a deep breath.  Realize that what you do or do not get done this year is just a part of your journey.  You are learning to be your child’s teacher and your child is learning to be a lifelong learner.  Bumps are to be expected!  There is grace for every bump along the way.

Curriculum Options for Kindergarteners

Our Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Choices

Main Curriculum

  • Classical Conversations in a CC Community – Cycle 3 (Find out more about classical conversations by reading –> The Core by Leigh Bortins)
    • American History
    • The Human Body, The Periodic Elements (1-12), and Worldviews […]

3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum for 2017

Throughout our time homeschooling, I have met many kinds of homeschooling families.  Some mothers in those families hate choosing curriculum avoiding the process as if it were their most fearful nightmare and some mothers swim in curriculum as if they were surfing the waves in Hawaii.  I am neither of those mothers.

While I do enjoy looking for my curriculum, I do not like looking through ALL of the millions of choices out there.  It can be overwhelming and counterproductive.  You see other options and second guess what you’ve chosen to do with your children.  How can we assimilate information without becoming lost in the nightmare of too much curricula?

We would all love to be the mother who has researched every single curriculum option and hand selected the best one for her family.  She’s amazing.  How she has the time to read and research all the options is beyond me!  How can we find the best option without spending an enormous amount of time researching each curriculum trying desperately to understand all of the differences?

Two Options for Finding 3rd Grade Homeschool Curricula

Interview other homeschool mothers who are like you in personality and family style

  • Get together for a coffee/tea date
  • Ask each mother about their curriculum choices and why they work for their family  (P.S. Be specific in telling them that you want to know what is working for them, not why it will work for you.  Mothers are so helpful, but they can sometimes push their choices on you.  Be strong and take in the information rather than copying their exact choices.)
  • Ask them to give you the pros and the cons

Utilize a condensed homeschool curriculum resource list and take a quiz to understand what types of […]

2nd Grade Homeschool Curriculum for 2016

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Homeschool Choices - Boholistic Mom

Choosing a homeschool curriculum can be a daunting decision.  There are so many choices and tons of options.  Many homeschool mamas are so passionate about their family’s choices that they will swear to you that their way is the only possible option for homeschooling well.  Take a deep breath.  And find a few homeschool friends that are a little less passionate about their own decisions and more passionate about helping you find the correct decision for YOUR family.

I will gladly tell a new homeschool mama about the choices I have made, but if I give you the impression that any other decision is the wrong decision, smack me.  I do not intend to give that impression and in this post I will share what I am doing.  If you find my path beneficial, join me.  If you find your path elsewhere, I hope my path helped you to clarify your path.  We are all in this journey together.

Our 2nd Grade Homeschool Curriculum for 2016-2017

I am a creature of habit.  I find something I like and I stick to it.  Especially when it comes to education.  I am leery of switching curricula regularly, because I want to provide a cohesive education.  That is one of my reasons for homeschooling is so that my son will not be uprooted from his schools every single time we move.  I want him to have stability and learn to see things through as much as possible.

Below is the list of my curriculum choices for our family.  I have been blessed with one son who is entering the 2nd grade.  We hope […]