Every year I try to inform my readers what our curriculum choices are and this year is no different. However, since I have four kids completely homeschooling this year, I think it might be easier to divide and conquer. In other words…today I’m going to share with you our K-1 curriculum choices for our youngest daughter.
Last year our sweet little 5-year old turned 6 just after we started our year, so we kept her in kindergarten and really pushed harder with the phonics and math curriculum. If you’re wondering why we waited an extra year, you can read all about our decision here.
All in all, last year went fairly well for us and she was able to complete her math curriculum for the kindergarten level. However, her language skills (i.e. phonics and sight words) were not as quickly or easily mastered, so we took our time and are still pacing ourselves through the curriculum. Which brings me to what we’re using!
Math
We are continuing to use our favorite math curriculum, CTCMath, with our K-1 child. She has mastered the kindergarten level, so she has already started working through the first grade level and doing very well. I am impressed with her math skills and thankful to CTCMath for including voice prompts so even though her reading skills are fantastic, she can still work independently on her lessons! Of course, I’m right there when she needs me, but I love that it is helping her learn to be more independent in her learning.
Language Arts
Even though the program we used last year worked well for our older two middles, I’m not sure it was the right fit for our youngest homeschooler. She is very hands-on, artistic and loves to color and draw. She is creative and loves to use her imagination, so I wanted something a little less structured for her this year to see how she does with it.
So, we are using several printables and curriculum from Crafty Classroom and I couldn’t be more thrilled with how our first two weeks have gone! We are reviewing her letters with the Alphabet Weekly Review Pack, except we’re doing several letters daily as a way to help her remember the sounds and work on her writing a little more.
After we complete the Alphabet Weekly Review Pack, we will move on to the R.E.A.D. Curriculum for Kindergarten and the coordinating Kindergarten Interactive Notebook. I am so excited about this hands-on approach to help her really grasp and finally understand how letters come together to form words. She is so ready and I can’t wait to see her excel.
Art
It is no secret that I’m not the craftiest person in the world, which is why art time absolutely stresses me out. I mean, hives and cold sweats people. But this child, my youngest daughter, absolutely loves creating, drawing, coloring, designing and anything else considered “crafty.” So we are starting slow with some Draw & Write activity pages that help her work on pencil grip and control. She also received a beginners sewing craft kit for her birthday a couple weeks ago, which was the absolute perfect gift and she is gaining more confidence every time she works on the projects.
Geography
We are using a couple of different things for her geography this year. We are starting out with some Daily Geography from Evan-Moor, which all three of my middles do together. She is getting the hang of it, but some of the activities are a little more difficult since she can’t read yet. However, we press on slowly and do what we can. She is learning her directions and parts of a map, so not all is lost. Plus, it is great practice to help her see words being used over and over and she’s even picked out a few of her sight words, so we’re getting there! We will also be using the USA State Activity Pack and USA Maze Pack, once again from Crafty Classroom. I love that these packs are simple and easy for her to do what she can while we talk about each state. She can learn a little more each year, which I absolutely love!
Science
Typically we do not follow a strict Science curriculum in the elementary years. I think those years are for exploring and seeing the world God created. They are encouraged to ask questions and from there it might spur on a short unit study, some video watching or even just a quick trip to the library to find some answers or books on our most recent quest. That being said, I thought this Super Sequence Activity Pack, again from Crafty Classroom, was a great way to introduce some basic life cycles as a start to her science journey. So far, she is loving the activity of cutting out the squares and placing them in the correct order and then of course, she takes her time coloring them beautifully before we place them in our daily notebook.
Our Daily Notebooks
Speaking of notebooks…this year I finally had a brilliant idea – or least one I think is brilliant any way. I bought all three of my middles 1.5″ 3-ring binders, a set of 5 tab dividers and a pencil. For our youngest, her tabs include TODAY, ART, SCIENCE, LANGUAGE ARTS & GEOGRAPHY. Every night I put the papers behind the “Today” tab so they are ready for the next day. She is free to start her notebook work at any time after she wakes up.
She can complete the pages on her own or ask for help, which she typically does. We sit down together and she can ask questions, ask me to read her the directions, or just talk about what she’s doing and how she’s going to color the pictures. She loves to talk and be listened to – as the 4th child, this doesn’t happen very often, so these times are precious to her.
Once her papers are completed, she can put them behind the appropriate tab and put away her notebook. This way all the papers are kept in one area and we don’t have to go searching for her daily assignments anymore. Once she completes her notebook work, we typically move on to math on the computer and then she’s done with her “formal” schoolwork for the day.
So far this system has worked remarkably well and I am thrilled with the independence it is giving my children. Often times I’ll turn around and all three of my middles are at the table working away in their notebooks…no prompting! Now I call that a definite homeschool win!
I hope you have enjoyed a look at our curriculum choices for Kindergarten. I will tell you more about our choices for our 3rd/4th graders and 8th graders soon! But first…a giveaway!
Because we love Crafty Classroom so much, they are offering In All You Do Readers a chance to win a $40 Gift Card to their store! Enter the giveaway below!
Ready to shop now? Take 10% off your purchase with code: SUMMER10 at checkout!**
**This offer is not valid with any other offers.
This giveaway is only open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway period ends Tuesday, September 4th, 2018 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be chosen at random and notified via email on Wednesday, September 5th, 2018.
Annette lived many years as an exhausted wife of 1 and mother of 6. Grab your fuzzy blanket, pour your favorite drink, and browse through our encouraging tips, printables, and curriculum options. Read more about me and the ministry here at In All You Do
This Post Has 55 Comments
We live in Wisconsin.
texas
Ohio
Hello from Oklahoma!
Thank you for the giveaway! Thanks for your blog.
Opps! Fortot to post my state. Utah
California is where we live.
Oklahoma
I would either purchase the Kindergarten or First grade READ curriculum
I live in Texas.
I live in Texas. I would purchase the R>E>A>D for the first grade.
Springdale, Arkansas
Missouri!
Awesome thank you!
We are a homeschoolong family in NH.
Thanks for a chance to win and God Bless you! I would buy the math and reading!
Pennsylvania!
Thank you for all of the wonderful reading tips and games!
Missouri is the state I home-school in
I live in Texas.
If I won the giveaway, I would use it for either Art or Bible resources to supplement our home-school year.
I live in Colorado.
I would love the R.E.A.D. Curriculum Notebook.
Pennsylvania
Thank you for sharing your curriculum choices.
I live in Pennsylvania and I would buy the R.E.A.D curriculum from the Crafty Classroom ! 🙂
Thank you! We live in Mississippi
We currently in MA.
I am in NYS!
We’re in Georgia.
These look great!
I live in Idaho
Hey! I live and love in Wisconsin! Yeehaw! Thanks for the giveaway!!1
I live in Indiana
Us too!! 🙂
Thank you for this post! We are homeschooling our 5 yr old this yr for kindergarten…and never having done this before, your post helps! We are in TN 🙂
Oh I’m so glad!! Good luck on your first year!
Greetings from Texas! =)
Texas
I would get the first grade READ program as we use the kindergarten one now and love it.
I live in VT. I would buy the ABC bible curriculum
Hi from Missouri!
I live in CO.
Tennessee here 🙂
I would love to get the USA Activity Bundle!
We live in Florida
Hi from Illinois. Would love USA and language arts packs.
FL and I would purchase the bible printables 🙂
I live in tn
I live in Florida!
I would purchase the R.E.A.D curriculum!
Texas
NC
We live in Indiana.
West Virginia….I would purchase the READ curriculum for 1st grade. 🙂