Fourth Grade, Bible, Set One

Hymns

• Praise My Soul the King of Heaven
• Cleanse Me
• Amazing Grace
• I Love to Tell the Story
• Whiter Than Snow

Bible Memory

• Psalm 19:1-5
• Reviewed one passage each week

The Bible Detective; Bible Reading

• On the First Day; Genesis 1, 2
• Lost Innocence; Genesis 2, 3
• Brotherly Love; Genesis 4
• Up in Smoke; Genesis 11, 18, 19
• Trade Rights; Genesis 25
• Remembering Joseph; Genesis 37-41
• Rollin' Down the River; Exodus 2, 3
• Fighting Like Brothers; Exodus 4, Numbers 17
• Parting the Red Sea; Exodus 14
• In the Presence of Jehovah; Exodus 34
• God Talks to a Boy; 1 Samuel 3

Catechism

• #50 - 54
• Reviewed a section each week

Our 24 Family Ways

• We choose to be joyful, even when we feel like complaining
• Days 1 - 5
• Learning the Way
• Make a poster

Window on the World

• Iceland
• India
• Indonesia
• Iraq
• Israel

Missionary Book

• Mik-Shrok

Fourth Grade, Math, Set One

Addition and Subtraction

• Games from Adding and Subtracting Book 1 and Book 2 by Ann Montague-Smith
• Practice with Triangles (fact families)
• Worksheets

Multiplication

• Reviewed using skip count sheets
• Marvelous Multiplication
• Cover Up
• Shout it Out
• Worksheet

Division

• Reviewed facts with division picture sheets
• Added "divide by" 7, 8, and 9 sheets
• Dazzling Division
• 3-in-a-Row for 7, 8, and 9
• Worksheet

Measurement

• Measurement Mania
• A Tall Order
• Area Mosaic

Geometry

• Groovy Geometry
• Measure Up
• Draw It
• Right Angle Scavenger Hunt

Fractions

• Fabulous Fractions
• Fraction Match
• Fraction War
• Domino ESP

Number Sense

• Recognizing numbers 1 - 100,000,000
• I put down one UNO card; K. read the number
• I added another card to the right of the first card; K. read the number
• We continued until we had a 9 digit number
• Then we took turns turning up a new card and exchanging it with a card that was the same color and reading the new number
• Even/Odd numbers
• I handed K. 3 UNO cards and asked her to make an odd number
• Then she gave me the next 3 cards and picked whether I should make an even or odd number.
• We continued back and forth for a few rounds.
• Roman Numerals
• I turned over 1 or 2 UNO cards and had K. write the Roman numeral that showed that number.
• Then she did the same for me.
• We continued back and forth a few times.

Estimation

• I put out 3 UNO cards and asked K. to round to the tens place.
• We practiced with a different number of cards, rounding to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000

Fourth Grade, Reading, Set One

Little House Series

• We read Little House in the Big Woods, doing some activities from Little House in the Classroom after most chapters. When we completed the book we went through the discussion questions and completed the Then and Now section in Little House in your Classroom.
• The Then and Now activity was to write down what the Ingalls family ate and where they got the food and then to write down what we eat and where we get the food.

Mystery-Fold

• I showed K. the Birthday Party story
• The following day she performed it for me
• The next day she did it for some friends

Tall Tales

• I read Five Fathoms Tall / Stormalong from American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenburg
• K. read the short story about Stormalong in Teaching Tall Tales
• Geography
• We figured a route for Stormalong to sail from Maine to Italy to India to Australia to China to Russia and back to Maine
• Introduced "water words" by giving clues and definitions for K. to find the place on a map
• Art
• K. scratched a picture in a bar of soap and then colored it in with paint

Fourth Grade, Grammar, Set One

g.u.m. drops pages 1 - 13

• Complete Sentences
• Sentence Types
• Nouns
• Capitalization
• Abbreviations
• Plural Nouns

Fourth Grade, Writing, Set One

The first week I started K. on her journal. First, I read some entries from her sister's fifth grade journal. (It really is fun to go back and read it.) The purpose of the journal is to practice cursive handwriting. She doesn't need to write much each day, just a couple sentences, but the difference in the penmanship from the beginning of the year to the end of the year is surprising.

We are enjoying Writer's Workbook. Each week I've been able to get a book from the library that is either the exact story referenced, or a similar story.

• Tuesday - I read the book/story to K.
• Wednesday - we complete two pages in the workbook. These pages give direction and usually some type of chart to fill in to guide in writing her rough draft paragraph.
• Thursday - we go over her paragraph using the questions on the Revising page in the lesson
• Friday - we edit and proofread her paragraph and K. re-writes (publishes) her paragraph

It has been amazing to see the difference between her rough draft and published paragraphs.

Week Two

• Gloria Who Might Be My Best Friend (from The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron)
• Writing an autobiography

Week Three

• The Boy Who Didn't Believe in Spring
• Writing a response to fiction (wrote a letter to King)

Week Four

• Woodchuck at Blackberry Road
• Writing a summary paragraph

Week Five

• Make Way for Ducklings
• Writing a fiction book review

Fourth Grade, Spelling & Vocabulary, Set One

We are completing one unit in the spelling book each week.

Monday

• I give K. the pretest -- see if she already knows how to spell the words

Tuesday

• We go over the Generalizations (spelling rules that are generally true) that apply to her spelling list

Wednesday

• We discuss the meanings of the words on her spelling list. Usually done by making up a sentence with the words in it.
• I keep a sticky-note in each book that we are reading to record new words.
• We add the new words to her vocabulary list,
• Look them up in the dictionary if I don't feel 100% comfortable with the definition I can give
• Review vocabulary words from previous weeks
• Use vocabulary words in sentences
• Here are some of the vocabulary words from this set of weeks: impeccable, tunic, assassinate, pelts, farce, squelch, perpetual, bayonets, veto, looting, stadium, undaunted, appalled, ambitious, hygiene, witty, tenement, swagger, flounces, cameo, galluses

Thursday

• Dictionary Skills

Friday

• Final Test, if needed

Fourth Grade, Science, Set One

Elementary Life Science
Along with reading each chapter and completing the worksheets, we also completed at least one activity for each chapter. I'm only listing one activity for each chapter here.

• Chapter One: Living and Non-Living Things
• Activity: Put items in a bag, K. would pick up an item, describe it and decide if it was biotic or abiotic
• Chapter Two: Material and Non-Material Resources
• Activity: Identifying true cycles of life
• Chapter Three: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
• Activity: Made paper by recycling a sheet of an old newspaper
• Chapter Four: Habitats and Niche
• Activity: Looked at a drop of pond water under a microscope
• Chapter Five: Grasslands and Forests
• Activity: Fill 2 flower pots with dirt. Put a thermometer the same depth in each. Put one in the sun and the other in the freezer. What is the difference in temperature on top of the dirt and under the dirt. Discuss why animals burrow.

Fourth Grade, History, Set One

Covering the years 1866 - 1873

Yellowstone

• Wonders of America: Yellowstone by Marion Dane Bauer -- a level 1 Ready-to-Read book
• Yellowstone, Our First National Park by Jane Pecorella
• The Wolves are Back by Jean Craighead George
• Yellowstone Moran: Painting the American West by Lita Judge

American West

• Sitting Bull: Great Sioux Chief  by Lavere Anderson
• The American Story by Jennifer Armstrong -- 1867 End of the Trail; about cattle drives from Texas
• Wyatt Earp: U.S. Marshal by Stewart H. Holbrook -- this is a Landmark Book

Railroad

• The Transcontinental Railroad by John Perritano -- this is in the A True Book series
• The American Story by Jennifer Armstrong -- 1869 The Golden Spike; completion of the transcontinental railroad
• The American Story by Jennifer Armstrong -- 1870 He Laid Down His Hammer and He Died; John Henry and his contest against the steam drill

Alaska

• The Story of Seward's Folly by Susan Clinton -- a Cornerstones of Freedom book

Chicago Fire

• The Great Chicago Fire by Janet McHugh
• There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight by Robert Quackenbush -- the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 told with song and pictures
• The American Story by Jennifer Armstrong -- 1871 The Great Chicago Fire

Reconstruction

• Mississippi Morning by Ruth Vander Zee -- although this story takes place in the 1920's, I used it as an introduction to the Ku Klux Klan.
• The Reconstruction Era by Katie Marsico -- this was a very good book -- well written for kids

Europe

• Mammolina: A Story about Maria Montessori by Barbara O'Connor -- gives insight to what life was like in Italy
• A Child's History of the World by Hillyer -- chapter 81; Franco-Prussina War, Germany unites, Italy unites

States and Presidents Notebook

• Nebraska
• U.S. Grant

California History

• Lessons 14 and 15
• Visited Orange Empire Railway Museum. Learned about and rode on trains and streetcars. Saw a house from the Pinacate Townsite.

Fourth Grade, Fine Arts, Set One

Recorder

• Learned fingering for notes G, A, and B
• Learned "Hot Cross Buns" with the harmony (pg 3)
• Started practicing "Good News" (pg 4)

Bracelet

• Practiced the right and left hand basic knot
• K. made a Double Chain Knot bracelet

Cake Decorating Badge

• K. made cupcakes and decorated them for her birthday party
• K. made a rainbow cake by coloring white frosting red, yellow, and blue, then she made orange, green, and purple frosting by mixing the primary colors.
• We talked about complementary colors on the color wheel.

Fourth Grade Course of Study

We will continue with our schedule of 7 sets of 6 weeks. It continues to work really well for us. Here's how it works:

• The first week of each set is called the "Planning Week". During it I plan the following five weeks of school work in detail (what we will do in each subject each day), we play a review game each day, we read a book together, and K works on a science project.
• Then we have our five weeks of regular learning. On days we have Fine Arts, our schooling takes about four hours. We do this in one hour or half-hour segments. Sometimes we have one-and-a-half hour segments, but never longer than that.

BIBLE

Resources

• Our 24 Family Ways by Clay Clarkson
• The Bible Detective by Carol Smith
• Window on the World by Dahne Spraggett
• Mik-Shrok by Gloria Repp
• Charlie by Gloria Repp
• 77 Zebra by Gloria Repp
• With Daring Faith by Rebecca Henry Davis
• Ira Sankey: Singing the Gospel by Kelley Deegan Bruss
• River of Danger by Densie J. Williamson
• Silent Road to Rescue by Denise J. Williamson

Goals

• One new hymn each week
• Bible Memory: Psalm 19 and Philippians 1
• Bible Reading: use Bible Detective to see how well we know the story, then read the Bible passage
• Character Development: one Family Way in each Set
• Catechism: # 50 - 77; four in each Set
• Review some verses and catechism each week
• Prayer: learning about and praying for people groups
• Read one missionary book each Set

MATH
Resources

• Magical Math Series by Lynette Long
• Marvelous Multiplication
• Dazzling Division
• Groovy Geometry
• Measurement Mania
• Delightful Decimals
• Fabulous Fractions
• Great Graphs
• Wacky Word Problems
• Math Mysteries by Jo Ellen Moore
• Betcha! by Stuart J. Murphy
• Multiply and Divide by Terry Kane
• Problem Solving with Time & Money by Thomas Camilli
• Course of Study for Grade 4 from Bob Jones University Press

Goals

• One day each week: Addition or Subtraction practice
• Two days each week: Multiplication or Division
• Two days weeks 1 - 4
• Measurement
• Decimals
• Fractions
• Graphs
• Geometry
• Word Problems
• Two days in week 5
• Number Sense
• Counting
• Algebra Readiness
• Estimation
• Calculator

READING
Resources

• We are going to be reading the Little House Series, which takes place during the era we are studying in history.
• Little House in the Classroom by Christine Olivieri Hackett
• Little House in your Classroom published by Harper Collins Children's Books
• Little House in the Big Woods
• Little House on the Prairie
• On the Banks of Plum Creek
• By the Shores of Silver Lake
• The Long Winter
• Little Town on the Prairie
• These Happy Golden Years
• Teaching Tall Tales by Tracey West
• Mystery Fold: Stories to Tell, Draw, and Fold by Valerie Marsh

Goals

• Read one Little House book in each Set
• At least one Mystery Fold story each Set
• Tall Tales as time allows

GRAMMAR
Resources

• g.u.m. drops by Melissa L. Schneider
• Course of Study for Grade 4 from Bob Jones University Press

Goals

• Work through book, we may also read GrammarLand by M.L. Nesbitt and or The Child's Own English Book by Alice E. Ball.

WRITING
Resources

• Writer's Workbook Open Court Reading
• From Heart to Page by Michelle Van Loon
• Creative Writing by Phyllis Rand
• Young Novelist Workbook
• Course of Study for Grade 4 from Bob Jones University Press

Goals

• Work through Writer's Workbook
• It looks like this will be fun, but since we only have the workbook, if it becomes frustrating, we will change to From Heart to Page and Creative Writing. On the other hand, if we are really enjoying it, we may not do the Novel this year.
• Writing a journal to practice cursive writing.

SPELLING & VOCABULARY
Resources

• Spelling for Christian Schools 4 Bob Jones University Press

Goals

• Complete one lesson in spelling each week
• Vocabulary words from all the reading we do

SCIENCE
Resources

• Classic Science: Elementary Life Science by Scott McQuerry
• The Magic School Bus Activity Guide from Scholastic

Goals

• One chapter in Life Science in each Set
• One Magic School Bus video/book with activities during each planning week

HISTORY
Resources

• A Child's History of the World by Virgil M. Hillyer
• California Weekly Explorer
• Unites States History Timeline from Wikipedia

Goals

• Cover years 1866 - 1919 in U.S. and world history
• Two lessons of California history in each Set

FINE ARTS
Resources

• Recorder Practice Book Bob Jones University Press
• Friendship Bracelets by Laura Torres
• Girl Handbook American Heritage Girls

Goals

• Complete the recorder book this year
• Make one friendship bracelet in each Set
• Earn one badge in each Set

Third Grade Course of Study

We will continue with our schedule of 7 sets of 6 weeks. It continues to work really well for us. Here's how it works:

• The first week of each set is called the "Planning Week". During it I plan the following five weeks of school work in detail (what we will do in each subject each day), we play a review game each day, we read a book together, and finish up any projects that did not get finished during the previous set.
• Then we have our five weeks of regular learning. On days we have Fine Arts, our schooling takes about four hours. We do this in one hour or half-hour segments. Sometimes we have one-and-a-half hour segments, but never longer than that.

BIBLE

We are using various things that I have downloaded (for free) over the past few years. Below are some resources that will will use throughout the year, but a lot will just be listed in the blog posts.

Resources:

• Window on the World
• The Princess and the Kiss

Bible Memorization:

• Romans 12:9-21
• Psalm 91
• The Romans Road
• Romans 3:23
• Romans 6:23
• Romans 5:8
• Romans 10:9-10
• Romans 5:1

MATH
Resources:

• Professor Pig
• Right in Your Own Backyard
• Family Math
• Magical Math series by Lynette Long
• Bedtime Math

Goals for Sets 1 - 7:

• Every day
• Number Theory
• Counting
• Two Weeks
• Addition
• Subtraction
• Calculators
• Fractions
• Decimals
• Two Weeks
• Multiplication
• Division
• Algebra Readiness
• Estimation
• Geometry
• Measurement
• One Week
• Problem Solving
• Statistics and Graphs

READING
Resources:

• Various books published by Harr Wagner Publishing Company in the 1950s
• Tell and Draw Stories
• Read for the Fun of It
• Games with Books
• Nature Friend Magazine

Goals for Sets 1 - 7:

• Two days a week K. reads to me from a book, working on comprehension.
• Three days a week we work on Story Telling
• Each week she reads two articles from Nature Friend aloud, and one silently.

GRAMMAR
Resources:

• Grammarland by M. L. Nesbitt
• Painless Junior Grammar by Marciann McClarnon

SPELLING

Resource:

• BJU's Spelling for Christian Schools 3

Goals for Sets 1 - 6:

• We will complete one spelling unit each week, omitting the review lessons (6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36).

Goal for Set 7:

• We will work only on Climbers (words K. has problems spelling, or wants to learn to spell).

FINE ARTS

Goals:

• Make and mail birthday and anniversary cards to family members (over 60 people)
• Complete one sewing/craft project during each Set
• Complete one art project from Nature Friend during each Set
• Attend two ballets
• One page from the set of piano books each week
• Read Fairy Tales -- ones from other countries that we have never read before

WRITING
Resources:

• Cursive Writing Made Easy and Fun
• Young Novelist Workbook

Goals for Sets 1 - 7:

• Learn to write in cursive
• Two writing projects each Set
• Novel during Sets 6 and 7

SCIENCE

Resource:

• Nature Friend magazine

Goals for Sets 1 - 7:

• We will work through one Nature Friend magazine each week, reading the articles and completing activities, such as crossword puzzles.
• Each week K. will pick one topic from the magazine to learn more about.
• We will pick up a book from the library about the topic. We may also use the Internet.
• During the planning week, following a set of weeks, K. will pick one of the topics she has read more about and do a project on the subject.
• During Set 7, we will only read a magazine the first three weeks, so K. can complete a project before the end of the set.

HISTORY
Resources:

• A Child's History of the World by Hillyer
• George Washington's World by Genevieve Foster
• Abraham Lincoln's World by Genevieve Foster
• California Weekly Explorer

Goals:

• Time Period: 1781 through 1865 (end of American Revolution through Lincoln's assassination)
• World History
• American History
• California History part 1, Weekly Explorers 1 - 17

Second Grade Course of Study

We will continue with our schedule of 7 sets of 6 weeks. It is working really well for us. Let me explain how it works. The first week I plan the following five weeks of school in detail, we play a review game each day, and read a lot. Then for 5 weeks we do our regular learning (about 3 hours a day, in 1 hour segments).

BIBLE

Resources:

• Holy Bible
• Searching for Treasure by Marty Elwell find it here
• The Princess and The Kiss by Jennie Bishop find it here
• Life Lessons From The Princess and the Kiss by Jennie Bishop and Susan Henson find it here
• Trailblazer Books Series by Dave and Neta Jackson find them here
• God and a Boy Names Joe by Ethel Barrett find it here
• Catechism find it here (we are learning about the 10 Commandments this year)
• Hymn Book (I want to teach K. more than just one hymn a set this year)
• Prayer Journal

Bible Memory

• Exodus 20:1 - 4, 7, 8, 12 - 17
• John 1:1 - 18; 3:1 - 21

MATH
Resources:

• BJU Press 2008 - 2009 Scope & Sequence
• find current version at BJU Press
• The Internet
• Games for Math by Peggy Kaye find it here
• Magical Math Series of books by Lynette Long
• Making Math Easy Series of book by Rebecca Wingard-Nelson
• Adding and Subtracting Book 1 and Book 2 by Ann Montague-Smith
• Statistics by Jane Jonas Srivastava

Sets One - Seven

• One week
• Numeration
• Number Theory
• Counting
• Two weeks
• Addition
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Division
• Two weeks
• Algebra Readiness
• Fractions
• Decimals
• Geometry
• Estimation
• Measurement
• Throughout the weeks you can work these three in with the other topics
• Problem Solving
• Statistics & Graphs
• Calculator

GRAMMAR
Resources:

• BJU Press 2008 - 2009 Scope & Sequence
• find current version at BJU Press
• The Internet
• The Child's Own English Book by Alice E. Ball

SPELLING
Resource:

• Spelling for Christian Schools 2

READING
Resources:

• Games for Reading by Peggy Kaye
• Step-Up Biographies and Nature Books series of books
• Reading Corner by Henry W. Forgan
• Story Train by Marjorie Pratt and Mary Meighen Second Edition
• Reading for Christian Schools 3-1 from BJU Press

WRITING
Resources:

• The Magic Pencil by Eve Shelnutt
• Games for Writing by Peggy Kaye
• Funny & Fabulous Story Prompts by Richie Chevat; Scholastic (grades 2 - 4)
• Writing Hangups by Murray Suid

Sets One - Seven:

• We will start at the beginning of Magic Pencil and work our way through, focusing more on enjoying writing than finishing the book.
• At least one activity each week from Games for Writing
• I will use Story Prompts for a change every so often

HISTORY

We will be covering American history from Christopher Columbus through the American Revolution in the context of world history.

Because much of the topic of this year is exploration, it is a good year for geography. We aren't doing anything formal on the subject, but I am having a large map of the world on our dining room table so we can find the places we read about.

Resources:

• A Child's History of the World by Virgil M. Hillyer
• The Light and the Glory for Children by Peter Marshall -- this book covers the same time period we will be covering this year: from Columbus through the American Revolution. Our library system doesn't have it, so I'm hoping to borrow it.
• Lots of library books -- these will be listed in each set's post

SCIENCE
I have a handful of activity/experiment based science books for young children. We are going through these this year. These are mostly old books and can be found on Amazon.

Resources:

• Adventures with a Straw by Harry Milgrom
• Magnify and Find Out Why by Julius Schwartz
• The Real Magnet Book by Mae Freeman
• What Happens If . . ? by Rose Wyler
• Fun with Science by Mae and Ira Freeman
• The True Book of Toys at Work by John Lewellen
• The True Book of Science Experiments by Illa Pondendorf
• Projects with Air by John Williams
• Science: Understanding Your Environment a Silver Burdett Elementary Science book

I will use these books if we want to do additional experiments on any subject:

• 365 More Simple Science Experiments by Churchill, Loeschnig, and Mandell
• Learn and Discover Fun Science by David L. Drotar
• Let's Experiment by Martin L. Keen

FINE ARTS

PIANO
We are continuing with piano this year, hoping to accomplish more as K. has become more interested in playing the piano over our winter break.

• Alfred's Basic Piano Library Level 1A
• Lesson Book
• Theory Book
• Technic Book

ART
We will be going through this book slowly and visiting a local art museum seven times.

• Let's go to the Art Museum by Virginia K. Levy

SEWING
K. has asked to learn to sew by hand this year. She has started trying to make clothes for her dolls, and the last chapter of Miss Patch tells how to do that.

• Miss Patch's Learn-to-Sew Book by Carolyn Meyer
• Sewing is Fun by Edith Paul

CROCHET
K. also asked to learn to crochet this year.

• Teach Me to Crochet from Leisure Arts
• Crocheting by Gwen Blakley Kinsler (Kids Can Do It series)
• Kids Learn to Crochet by Lucinda Guy

First Grade Course of Study

We will keep our 7 sets of 6 weeks schedule. It is working really well for us. Let me explain how it works. We do our regular subjects for 5 weeks (about 3 hours a day, in 1 hour segments), then the 6th week we only school 1 hour a day, leaving 2 hours for me to plan in detail the next 6 weeks of school. During the 6th week we do a book study and play games to review concepts from previous sets of weeks.

 

BIBLE

Resources:

• Holy Bible
• Being A Good Friend by Miiko Gibson find it here
• Our 24 Family Ways by Clay Clarkson find it here or here
• The Princess and The Kiss by Jennie Bishop find it here
• Life Lessons From The Princess and the Kiss by Jennie Bishop and Susan Henson find it here
• Heroes For Young Readers Series by Renee Taft Meloche find them here or here (Only 7 books are read this year. Any missionary books appropriate for your child(ren) are fine. I found these at a thrift shop.)
• Little Pilgrim's Progress by Helen L. Taylor find it here
• God and a Boy Names Joe by Ethel Barrett find it here
• Cedarmont Kids Hymns find it here
• Catechism find it here

Bible Memory

• Psalm 1
• Luke 2:1 - 20
• Psalm 91:1 - 16

WRITING

Resources:

• Draw Write Now Book 6 by Marie Hablitzel and Kim Stitzer find it here or here or here
• Games for Writing by Peggy Kaye find it here

In Each Set of Weeks (7 Sets)

• Do three Lessons plus 1 "Draw what you see" from Draw Write Now
• Play 10 Games/Activities from Games for Writing

READING

Resources:

• Games for Reading by Peggy Kaye find it here
• Reading Books
• Pulling Together by Dawn L. Watkins find it here or at BJU Press
• On Yonder Mountain by Milly Howard find it here or at BJU Press
• Reading for Christian Schools 2-1 BJU Press, copyright 1982
• Winter Comes and Goes The L.W. Singer Company, copyright 1938, 1947, 1949 find it here
• Four Levels of Questioning and Comprehension read it here

SPELLING

Resource:

• Spelling for Christian Schools 1 (First Grade) Bob Jones University Press 1990
• find current version at BJU Press

GRAMMAR

Resources:

• BJU Press 2008 - 2009 Scope & Sequence
• find current version at BJU Press
• The Internet
• It Figures: Fun Figures of Speech by Marvin Terban find it here

MATH

Resources:

• BJU Press 2008 - 2009 Scope & Sequence
• find current version at BJU Press
• The Internet
• Games for Math by Peggy Kaye find it here

Sets One - Three

• 2 weeks on Numeration, Number Theory, and Counting
• 2 weeks on Addition, Subtraction, Fractions, Decimals
• 1 week on Geography, Estimation, Measuring

Sets Four - Seven

• 1 week on Numeration, Number Theory, and Counting
• 2 weeks on Addition, Subtraction, Fractions, Decimals
• 1 week on Geography, Estimation, Measuring
• 1 week on Multiplication, Division, Algebra Readiness

Problem Solving, Statistics/Graphing, and Calculator can be worked into the other topics. Make a chart with all the topics to cover and cross them off as your child masters them. Be sure to review.

HISTORY

The Middle Ages: AD 500 - AD 1460

Resources:

• A Child's History of the World by Virgil M. Hillyer from Sonlight Curriculum
• Let the Authors Speak by Carolyn Hatcher find it here
• Guides to History Plus by Kathryn Stout find it here or find it here
• I will be using many books from the library to "flesh out" the topics covered in Child's History. These books will be listed in my weekly posts.

Set One

• Child's History Chapters 43 - 45
• Note: be sure to read chapter 45 before reading it to your child(ren) as there may be some things you want to read differently.
• Time Period: approximately 500 - 732
• Topics:
• Monasteries/abbeys
• Copy books by hand
• Axum
• Muhammad
• Islam spreading/conquering

Set Two

• Child's History Chapters 46, 47
• Time Period: approximately 632 - 800
• Read Arabian Nights
• Topics:
• Arabian contributions to society
• arabic numbers
• coffee
• buildings
• clocks with pendulums
• art - arabesques
• cotton cloth - calico
• libraries
• Charlemagne
• Alcuin
• Education/schools

Set Three

• Child's History Chapters 48 - 50
• Time Period: approximately 900 - 1000
• Topics:
• England - Alfred the Great
• Danes
• Navy
• Schools
• Inventions
• time candle
• lantern
• Vikings
• Leif Ericson
• Castles
• Feudal System
• Minstrels

Set Four

• Child's History Chapters 51, 52
• Time Period: approximately 1000 - 1066
• Topics:
• Knights
• Armor
• Coat of Arms
• Tournament
• Norsemen/Normandy
• Rollo
• William the Conqueror
• Harold, King of England
• Battle of Hastings
• Norman Conquest

Set Five

• Child's History Chapters 53 - 55
• Time Period: approximately 1090 - 1492
• Topics:
• Holy land pilgrimages
• Crusades
• Richard the Lion Hearted
• Robin Hood
• Children's Crusade
• Eighth Crusade
• West Africa
• Gold
• Kingdoms
• Ghana
• Mali (Mansa Musa)
• Songhay

Set Six

• Child's History Chapters 56 - 58
• Time Period: approximately 1215 - 1275
• Topics:
• Gothic Cathedrals
• Stained Glass Windows
• John - King of England
• Magna Carta
• Cathay
• Mongols
• Genghis Khan
• Kublai Khan
• Marco Polo

Set Seven

• Child's History Chapters 59 - 61
• Time Period: approximately 1291 - 1453
• Topics:
• Inventions
• Compass
• Gunpowder
• Edward III
• Hundred Years War
• Bubonic Plague - Black Death
• Joan of Arc
• Printing
• Movable Type
• Gutenberg
• Fall of Constantinople

SCIENCE

Biomes

Resources:

• What are Earth's Biomes? by Bobbie Kalman
• I will be using many books from the library. These will be listed in my weekly posts.

This is what will be studied for each biome:

• Where is this biome located? Color locations on a world map.
• Identify 10 plants that grow in this biome.
• Identify 10 animals that live in this biome.
• Do any of the plants or animals have an interesting life cycle?
• Do any have interesting survival techniques?
• Classify the animals as to:
• Carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore
• Nocturnal or diurnal
• Make at least one food chain or a food web
• What is the weather in this biome?
• How is this biome unique?
• Compare and contrast biomes
• Make a mural of the biome (if a biome has really captured your child's interest)

I would suggest organizing it this way: 1) What is a biome? 2) Tundra; 3) Marine; 4) Forests; 5) Fresh water; 6) Grasslands; 7) Desert

FINE ARTS

• Piano
• I picked up Alfred's Basic Piano Levels 1A and 1B of the Lesson Books, Theory Books, and Technic Books at the Thrift Store for $1.00 each find it here or at Alfred's Music
• We are working our way through at our own pace
• Child's Own Book of Great Musicians by Thomas Tapper
• You can listen to them at Librivox
• You can read them at Gutenberg
• I will also get CDs of their music and books about each composer at the library

Kindergarten Course of Study

In the chapter 'Freedom from Guilt' in Seasons of a Mother's Heart, the Lord really spoke to me about not "depending on formulas to know if we are 'doing it right,' but on Christ, and the Holy Spirit of God in our hearts." I started asking the Lord what He wanted me to do for kindergarten. He impressed starting at the beginning with creation.

You will find the specifics covered in the weekly posts for Kindergarten.

BIBLE

• Main Ideas
• I am God's creation
• Memorize Psalm 139
• God loves me and takes care of me
• Memorize Psalm 23
• I can trust God
• Memorize Psalm 62:5-8
• Learn about Christians who have trusted God through biographies, etc.
• George Mueller
• Books to use:
• My Picture Story Bible by Dena Korfker
• Because I Love You by Max Lucado
• You Are Special by Max Lucado
• Just In Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado
• The Princess and the Kiss by Jennie Bishop
• Mrs. Rosey-Posey and the Chocolate Cherry Treat by Robin Jones Gunn
• Mrs. Rosey-Posey and the Treasure Hunt by Robin Jones Gunn
• Mrs. Rosey-Posey and the Empty Nest by Robin Jones Gunn
• The Tale of Tuppence and Tiffany retold by Pat Wynnejones
• The Tale of Geronimo Grub retold by Pat Wynnejones
• Muffy and the Mystery of the Stolen Eggs by Ethel Barrett
• Sylvester the Three-spined Stickleback by Ethel Barrett
• Gregory the Grub by Ethel Barrett
• God and a Boy Named Joe by Ethel Barrett
• Stories from Other Lands for Boys and Girls edited by Al Bryant
• Missionary Adventures by Carol Allison
• Missionary Stories with the Millers by Mildred A. Martin
• Wisdom and the Millers by Mildred A. Martin
• Storytime with the Millers by Mildren A. Martin
• My Heart -- Christ's Home Retold for Children by Robert Boyd Munger
• Short & Sweet: Short Stories with a Message Volume 2 by Katherine Loop
• Does Money Grow on Trees? by Catherine Mackenzie
• The story of George Muller; theme is 'We can trust God'

• Memory Work:
• Psalm 23
• Psalm 62:5-8
• Psalm 139
• Bob Jones Catechism #1 - 8 and 20 - 28
• Days of Creation

SCIENCE - God's Creation; I'll use books we have and books from the library, videos, and experiments. Here are listed the main ideas I want K. to learn and discover.

Resource books:

1. Science Experiences for the Early Childhood Years 7th edition by J. Harlan and M. Rivkin
2. 365 More Simple Science Experiments by R. Churchill, L. Loeschnig, and M. Mandell
3. The Creation retold by Pamela Broughton

Topics:

• Planets (Gen 1:1)
• Rocks and Minerals (Gen 1:1)
• Light (Day 1)
• Air (Day 2)
• Water (Day 2)
• Plants/Trees (Day 3)
• Sun, Moon, Stars (Day 4)
• Oceans and Lakes and their Inhabitants (Day 5)
• Birds/Flying Animals (Day 5)
• Land Animals/Insects (Day 6)
• Humans (Day 6)
• Weather

HISTORY (dates are approximate)
A Child's History of the World by Hillyer
Usborne World History: Ancient World by Fiona Chandler

• Creation through Abraham (5000 BC - 2000 BC)
• Isaac through Red Sea (2000 BC 0 1400 BC)
• Wilderness Wanderings through Samuel (1400 BC - 1000 BC)
• King Saul to Babylonian Captivity (1000 BC - 500 BC)
• Captivity to Birth of Jesus (500 BC - AD 4)
• Birth of Jesus through John on Patmos (AD 4 - AD 100)
• AD 100 - AD 500

MATH

• NUMERATION
  • Identify 0 to 100 – sheet with numbers on it; say numbers and cover them with green disk
  • Write 0 to 100
  
  NUMBER THEORY
  • Ordinals: First through Sixth
  • First, Next, Last
  • Before, After, Between
  • Patterns
  • Place Value: tens/ones
  
  COUNTING
  • Count to 150 by 1's
  • Count to 100 by 10's – dimes
  • Count to 50 by 5's – nickels
  • Count on
  
  ADDITION
  • Sums to 10
  • Equations: horizontal and vertical form
  • Money
  • Oral word problems
  
  SUBTRACTION
  • Differences to 10
  • Equations: horizontal and vertical form
  • Money
  • Oral word problems
  • Take-away
  • Comparison
  
  FRACTIONS
  • Equal Parts, halves, thirds, fourths
  • Halves of a set
  
  GEOMETRY
  • Flat Shapes: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, symmetry, same shape – shape lotto
  • Solid Shapes: sphere, cylinder, rectangle solid, cube, cone – shape lotto?
  • Top, middle, bottom
  • Left, right
  • Over, under
  • Inside, outside
  • On, off
  • Front, back
  • Patterns
  
  ESTIMATION
  • Number of objects
  • Length (centimeters)
  • Weight (more/less)
  • Capacity (more/less)
  
  MEASUREMENT
  • Size: larger/smaller
  • Length/height
  • Longer/shorter
  • Measure length with non-standard units, inches, centimeters
  • Weight: more/less; pound
  • Capacity: hold more/holds less; cup, quart, gallon, liter
  • Temperature: Hot/Cold
  • Use: ruler, scale, thermometer, cup
  • Time: hour
  • Calendar: days, weeks, months, year
  • Money: penny, nickel, dime, quarter
  
  PROBLEM SOLVING
  • Oral word problems
  • Graphs
  • Probability
  
  STATISTICS AND GRAPHS
  • Pictographs
  • Bar graphs
  • Tallies
  
  CALCULATOR
  • Digital numbers
  • Make numbers
  • Count up, count back
  • Addition, subtraction

READING
K. wanted to learn to read and then took off reading while I was still teaching her phonics before she was five years old. If your child isn't reading yet, see the phonics and reading posts for 4 year olds.

• Books
• We will be using the first grade Bob Jones (published 1989) texts
• Blaze and the Forest Fire by C.W. Anderson
• Marty's Monster by Nancy Ellen Hird
• The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford
• Games for Reading by Peggy Kaye
• COMPREHENSION (read this post)
• Picture reading
• Literal, interpretive, critical, appreciative levels of questioning
• Predict text, make inferences, draw conclusions, predict outcomes
• Compare, sequence events
• VOCABULARY
• Meaning from content
• Looking up new words in the dictionary
• LITERATURE
• Read a variety of genres; family stories, informational articles, fanciful animal stories, poetry, Bible accounts, realistic fiction
• Distinguish reality from fantasy
• SILENT READING
• Read for specific information and author's message
• ORAL READING
• Communicate message of the author
• Communicate in a natural manner
• Portray a character
• Respond to punctuation: period, exclamation point, question mark

WRITING

• Games for Writing by Peggy Kaye
• Capital Letter Stories published by Mead
• I made my own practice pages for numbers and lower case letters

FINE ARTS
In my posts I didn't specify when we did these things. We did Swan Lake during the winter, Sousa during June/July, etc. We watch the ballet in short segments, and didn't watch the whole thing. This is more for exposure.

• Peter and the Wolf
• John Philip Sousa, Sousa Marches, and Patriotic Songs
• Lives and Times: John Philip Sousa by Jennifer Blizin Gillis
• If you don't have any, borrow CDs from the library of Sousa's marches. K. loves to march around the house waving a flag.
• Swan Lake
• Listen to the music (tape or cd)
• Watch the ballet (video)
• Read Swan Lake by Zwerger
• Grand Canyon Suite
• The Moldau
• Hansel and Gretel (Opera)
• The Orchestra
• Come Look With Me: Enjoying Art with Children by Gladys S. Blizzard
• I checked this book out of the library and set it on our coffee table. Every so often when K. and I were sitting there I'd pick it up and we'd look at and discuss a picture/painting.
• I renewed this book as many times as I could, so we ended up having it a long time.

SKILLS
I've picked skills I want K. to learn or get better at and will concentrate on a couple during each month of school.