OLD HOMESCHOOLERS NEVER DIE . . . THEY JUST WRITE CURRICULUM


"Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants."

Deuteronomy 32:2

Courses of Study

To view the Course of Study for each grade level, you can click on the "Course of Study" label
or "Search This Blog" for the specific grade level you wish to see.
To date, I have courses of study completed for kindergarten through fourth grades.

Newsletter Articles

In 2013 the Lord started me producing a newsletter for the homeschool group we are a part of. Every other month I write an article on a topic the Lord has put on my heart. I've decided to add these articles to this blog. I hope you will find encouragement through some of my ramblings. You can click on the label "Newsletter" to find the articles.

First Grade

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.
 
We start school in January, so you may have to rearrange things to make them fit your schedule better.

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:

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
  • Four Levels of Questioning and Comprehension read it here
SPELLING
Resource:
  • Spelling for Christian Schools 1 (First Grade) Bob Jones University Press 1990

GRAMMAR
Resources:
  • BJU Press 2008 - 2009 Scope & Sequence
  • The Internet
  • It Figures: Fun Figures of Speech by Marvin Terban find it here
MATH
Resources:
  • BJU Press 2008 - 2009 Scope & Sequence
  • 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