First Grade : Books

I needed to create a list of all the books we use for our homeschool review last month. I know "numerous library books" is not very informative, but I thought the rest might me helpful for someone...

Hannah, first grade, 2008-2009

BOOK LIST

Math
Saxon Math 2
Primary Mathematics Workbook 1A-1B, Singapore Math

Language Arts
First Language Lessons
Explode the Code, Books 2-5
Spelling Workout A
The Harp and the Laurel Wreath (poetry)
Copywork for Young Ones, Pleasant Verses and Rhymes
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting 2

History / Geography
Story of the World, Volume I - Ancient Times
Story of the World Activity Guide
The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia
Usborne Book of World History
Numerous library books
Map Work
Online Geography games
Online Election Maps and tutorials

Life Science
The Kingfisher First Animal Encyclopedia
Christian Liberty Nature Reader, Book 1
Ranger Rick Magazine
My Body, Carratello
Head to Toe Science, Weise
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
How it Works: The Human Body, Barnes and Weston
Handbook of Nature Study, Comstock
What Your First Grader Needs to Know, Hirsch
Numerous library books

Art
Discovering Great Artists, Kohl and Solga
The Story of Painting, Beckett
Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists (series)
Drawing with Children, Brookes

Music
The Story of the Orchestra, Levine
Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers (series)
Classical Kids CD’s (series)
Classical Music CD's – various composers

Read-Alouds
Winnie-the-Pooh, Milne
Chocolate Fever, Smith
Homer Price, McCloskey
Ramona, Age 8, Cleary
The Adventures of Reddy Fox, Burgess
All-of-a-Kind-Family, Taylor
Emily’s Runaway Imagination, Cleary
Aesop’s Fables
The Child’s Story Bible, Vos

Independent Reading - in date completed order
(these are usually picked by Hannah at the library)
Ruby the Red Fairy, Meadows
Amber the Orange Fairy, Meadows
Sunny the Yellow Fairy, Meadows
Fern the Green Fairy, Meadows
Sky the Blue Fairy, Meadows
Inky, the Indigo Fairy, Meadows
Heather, the Violet Fairy
In Aunt Lucy’s Kitchen, Rylant
A Little Shopping, Rylant
Crystal the Snow Fairy, Meadows
Soccer Sam, Marzollo
Dinosaurs Before Dark, Osborne
Abigail the Breeze Fairy, Meadows
Special Gifts, Rylant
Mummies in the Morning, Osborne
Stella the Star Fairy, Meadows
Busybody Nora, Hurwitz
Some Good News, Rylant
Elisa Michaels, Bigger and Better, Hurwitz
The Knight at Dawn, Osborne
Pirates Past Noon, Osborne
Hannah of Fairfield, VanLeeuwen
B is for Betsy, Haywood
Betsy and Billy, Haywood
Afternoon in the Amazon, Osborne
Betsy and the Boys, Haywood
Betsy-Tacy, Lovelace
Pony Pals: Too Many Ponies, Betancourt
Blizzard of the Blue Moon, Osborne
Betsy, Tacy and Tib, Lovelace
The Littles, Peterson
Summer Party, Rylant
Ramona the Brave, Cleary
Little House on the Prairie, Wilder
Farmer Boy, Wilder

A Winter Wednesday...

... disguised as Spring.

We breezed through our lessons...

(Do you love my children's "laptops" made from file folders? They are so funny.)

packed a lunch... and got outside as fast as we could. Our favorite park.

See those cute little heads up there? Will and Peter are pretty well matched. Hannah and me... not so much.Beautiful Day!

Loving One Another

This week we will be taking extra care to love one another with our words.

Each child has a "mailbox" (microwave popcorn boxes). All this week, the kids will be secretly writing each other sweet notes on the heart cards and dropping them in the right box. (I'll write out Peter and Will's messages for them.)

Today...

Dear Hannah,
Thanks for playing with me so much.
Love, Will

Dear Will,
Thanks for playing trucks with me.
Love, Peter

Dear Peter,
Thanks for playing trucks with me.
Love, Will

(let's hope the boys have more to say to each other tomorrow. Grin.)

Dear Hannah,
You are pretty.
Love, Peter

I peeked at Hannah's messages...

Dear Will,
You sang really well this morning.
Love, Hannah

Dear Peter,
I love to play with you.
Love, Hannah

I'll be adding a few goodies, too. They will open their "mail" on Valentine's Day.

Schedule Changes

Just when I think I have figured out an order to our day, I decide to turn it upside down. Our homeschool has basically followed this schedule since August, but I decided to switch things around after our vacation.

My hope in doing this was for us to be together more (I know, sounds crazy) instead of me moving from kid to kid and working/playing with them separately (and being constantly interrupted by the others). I wanted to have more reading time all together. Also, I sensed Hannah (and I) needed quieter surroundings for Math.

This week has looked very different. We all love it... and it is surprisingly more productive! I love that Peter is more involved and content sitting at the table with us doing his own "school."

Hannah has said each day, "I love doing school like this."

We have a firm starting time of 8:15, but other than that I'm not really watching the clock. That's a big change for me. We're all better for it. Grin.

Three days in, here are the changes...

After Family Huddle, we all stay at the table for Morning Meeting (my kids love calling meetings). I have all of our materials organized and ready to go, so we can get right to it.

at the table

All of us: calendar, weather

Hannah: First part of Math (Saxon Math "Meeting") which is done all on her own, math drills, copywork, spelling, Mind Benders, and First Language Lessons at the end of our table time (when the boys have left).

Will: Handwriting, Math - Singapore (Earlybird Kindergarten) worksheets and manipulatives.

Peter: sorting, counting, shapes, coloring, letters, cut and paste... he gets most of my attention.

Will's Handwriting Practice - "Rainbow Letters"
He traces my letters with layers of colors.

move to the couch

Read-aloud, Story of the World, Phonics (with Will)

more active lessons

Science (The Body), Music, or Art

outside play for all three

lunch

We chat and really work on table manners.

after lunch

I read to Peter and Will. Hannah practices piano (in another room).

during Peter's nap and Will's quiet time

Math with Hannah. This has been a great change! Before, I was married to the idea that Math needed to be finished first for some reason.

Hannah heads up to her room for independent reading. And I have a bit of time by myself!

After nap/quiet times we do crafts, bake, go outside, etc...

Dinner, chores, get ready for bed

Nightly Family Read-alouds

Hannah reads independently in her room before bed.

Bedtime! Glorious Bedtime!

Sewing Kit

A couple people have asked me if this adorable dog that Hannah made Peter for his birthday is from a kit. Yes, it's My First Sewing Kit from Alex Toys. Hannah received it as a gift (great gift idea!). It's full of projects - a few stuffed animals, a pouch, a bookcover. The directions are simple to follow with bright, clear drawings. Hannah needed little assistance. And that's a good thing... she may have surpassed me in sewing ability already.

Totally Tots

Carisa (from 1+1+1=1) has started a new blog dedicated to parenting little ones, ages 1-3. Totally Tots is ALL about tots, written by Christian moms of tots (or who have kids who were recently tots). It's sure to be a fabulous resource to all of us with a tot at home.

Categories include:

Get Real with God... inspirations for moms of tots

Bible Bites...teaching tots the Bible one bite at a time

Did You Know?... health/nutrition for tots

Simply Made... tools to make for your tot

Crafty Corner... simple crafts for tots

TOTally Working for Me... tips from real moms for real moms

Giggle Time...funny stories to give us a smile

Cute Tots... weekly featured tots

The Youngest

Now that my baby is three, it's as if I can actually see time passing. Too quickly. I want more.

I want more hours in my day to read picture books to him. Spend hours at the playground. Make homemade playdough. Sit and color. I want Peter to have the same early years that Hannah had. More of me.

If Hannah and Will were in school, he would have that.

I was cleaning up the kitchen after lunch today when I noticed the quiet... too much of it. Where are they? Upstairs... no sign of them. Then I see the power cord tucked under the closet door,


and I find this sweet moment...

I needed that. To be reminded... Peter has Hannah and Will and me. All the time.