Last week was Abby's first week of First Grade!
I had made a tentative schedule, but was unsure what we'd be able to get done on a daily basis. I'm happy to report that it went pretty well. There were the usual times, when I considered for a second or two sending her off on the big yellow bus, but we made it through. ;)
This past week, Abby worked on Book 1 from Progressive Phonics (We did the first few books last year, but I wanted to review). Sometimes she read the book, other times I would write one of the words and she would read it and we used the flash cards available at Progressive Phonics that go with the book. I also made a phonics flip chart that we've been using with Progressive Phonics. I got the idea from Homeschool Highway. The Scribd download is on the right sidebar of her blog.
I made mine a bit different, as I didn't feel like printing and laminating. I cut index card into thirds and then followed her instructions on what letter goes in each group. I hand wrote mine, obviously and used a manila folder for the base.
Abby also did the first 5 lessons in Horizons Math. She was introduced to the 1-100 number chart, number line, sets, place value and ordinal numbers.
The first Heritage Study lesson was about bodies of water, land, continents, etc. Abby also learned what a KEY is on a map and how to read it. I love this lake picture she drew after the first lesson. I think it's cool that she decided to draw a lake on her own time!
We also started Handwriting Without Tears. Abby is able to write all of her capital letters and numbers, but her formation needs serious help sometimes! LOL! If you have Handwriting Without Tears, let me give you a heads up: The first grade teacher's book didn't seem to be in any order. I was confused about where to start. While on their site, I found a link CLASSROOM DOWNLOADS. Not only did I print and laminate the letter and number formation charts, but the Teaching Guidelines for Grade 1 was exactly what I was looking for. It gives a day by day layout of how to use the program! Perfect! We only do HWT on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so I tweaked it to work for us.
Abby worked on the numbers 1 & 2 and the capital letters F, E, D and P last week. For the wet, dry, try method I found small chalkboards at a Deals dollar store. They are 4x6 and are perfect. I'm sure the ones for sale at HWT are better quality, but I just couldn't spend that much. Mine were $1 each and no shipping :)
For Science, we used the Early Start Up Science workbook. We talked about the difference between living and nonliving things and also body parts. She labeled the major body parts and organs.
I will say that I was really excited to get the Earlybird Start Up Science set of books, but I am not loving them. I'm thinking they are made in a different country, because they use a few words differently than I do. For example, this week's lesson is about animals and where they live. It says, "A pig lives in a s--." The child is supposed to fill in the blank. Well, for the life of me I could not figure it out. LOL! I had to look in the back for the answer, because pen doesn't start with "s". The answer is "STY". I've never called it that. I have said, "This house/room/car/etc. looks like a pig sty", but have never called the place where pigs live a sty. How about you?
Anyway, I was talking to my sister and she and Matthew are enjoying their Evan Moor 3rd Grade Daily Science book. I looked it over when I was at her house last week and I really liked the layout and topics. They have a first grade edition, so I'll have to think about that.
We also had a fun get together at my SIL's. Her and her husband went through the process of being foster parents and they welcomed their first little guy last Monday. He was straight from the hospital and only 10 days old. He is the most calm baby I have ever met.
It's just so heartbreaking to think about the situation he was born into and how often that happens...very sad.
It was pretty funny when I found out later that Abby thought the baby was Mary's. I think it's cute that she didn't think about skin color or the fact that Mary was never pregnant. I explained to her that Mary is babysitting until he finds his adoptive family. She obviously had no idea that some children don't have Moms and/or Dads.
On Friday, we met my sister and her boys at the mall. It's been so hot outside, with heat indexes over 100! We had a nice time hanging out and having lunch together.
So, that was week 1! I will continue to do a weekly homeschool review post. I know it's fun to see what other kids are doing. I think I'll post these on Mondays to review the previous week.
On Friday, we met my sister and her boys at the mall. It's been so hot outside, with heat indexes over 100! We had a nice time hanging out and having lunch together.
So, that was week 1! I will continue to do a weekly homeschool review post. I know it's fun to see what other kids are doing. I think I'll post these on Mondays to review the previous week.
12 comments:
My kids probably would have thought the same thing about the baby. I love the way kids think sometimes.
Our school uses HWT and I love it. I hope it works for you.
It sounds like you had a great week. I want to make one of those flip charts. That would be great for Collin.
adorable baby!
loos like your school week is going great! the flip chart is cool.
our school district and the catholic school that my oldest goes to does D'nealian right off the bat so my youngest is learning that this year before going to kindergarten
I'm weird i call where pigs live a sty, and so do the girls because of me but i was a air force brat who spent the first almost 5 years of my life in europe so that may have something to do with it. :)
The year is off to a great start!
The baby is precious..she's lucky he's so good-natured!
hmmmm, I always called it a pig sty, I don't know.
Thanks for the link on HWT, I got the pre-k one, but it was a bunch of ideas for using it in the classroom, not so helpful. Maybe this will be more helpful.
What a super-cute baby!!
I also really love the phonics flip book -- that is a great idea!!
That baby is gorgeous! I'm glad he's being well looked after, and that there is a family who will love and adore him as their own soon =)
I am so glad you are doing these homeschool updates! I enjoy reading them.
You'll have to let me know what you decide about the Science and how you continue to like HWT too.
I like the idea for the flip chart.
That is very gracious of your SIL and her husband to be foster parents. That is a very selfless act!
I love your homeschool updates, and can't wait to read more! Sounds like a great week! I'm looking forward to starting back to school. I think I have finally decided on all of our books. Isn't it funny how you can think that you're going to love a certain book, and you wind up hating it? Of course, the reverse is true too, thank goodness.
What a sweet little baby! I love the innocence of children. My girls would've thought the same thing ;)
I love those flip charts! I was fortunate enough to inherit some commercially made ones when I first started teaching. But the upside to making your own is how easy it is to tailor them to Abby's needs. I don't think you'd need to laminate them anyway, with just one child using them they shouldn't go through too much wear and tear.
I loved reading the bit about Abby's reaction to the new foster baby. My brother is adopted from East India and I'm from Korea. So it's pretty obvious to most that we don't exactly blend in with our Polish German parents and extended family.
Years ago my mom got off the phone laughing. My youngest cousin had, had a family tree project in school and somehow adoption had some up in the classroom. He asked his mom about it and my Aunt Barb explained and said, "You know like Katie and David." He was astonished. He had no idea, to him we were his cousins, the same as always. It really goes to show the innocence of childhood.
Hope first grade is going well. Will be looking to see you ideas, we always need more resources for lessons above preschool/K level for ABC and hope you'll have lots to feature☺
I love Evan-Moor products. We used Daily Science Grade One last year. It's a great intro to science, covers lots of topics in bite-sized chunks, and we could get through an entire week of lessons in one 20 minute session. I recommend it HIGHLY. Even if your bebe can't quite do all the reading and writing, you can do it all orally. We also do A Word A Day and Daily Geography. Their stuff is great.
I love those flip charts! I was fortunate enough to inherit some commercially made ones when I first started teaching. But the upside to making your own is how easy it is to tailor them to Abby's needs. I don't think you'd need to laminate them anyway, with just one child using them they shouldn't go through too much wear and tear.
I loved reading the bit about Abby's reaction to the new foster baby. My brother is adopted from East India and I'm from Korea. So it's pretty obvious to most that we don't exactly blend in with our Polish German parents and extended family.
Years ago my mom got off the phone laughing. My youngest cousin had, had a family tree project in school and somehow adoption had some up in the classroom. He asked his mom about it and my Aunt Barb explained and said, "You know like Katie and David." He was astonished. He had no idea, to him we were his cousins, the same as always. It really goes to show the innocence of childhood.
Hope first grade is going well. Will be looking to see you ideas, we always need more resources for lessons above preschool/K level for ABC and hope you'll have lots to feature☺
adorable baby!
loos like your school week is going great! the flip chart is cool.
our school district and the catholic school that my oldest goes to does D'nealian right off the bat so my youngest is learning that this year before going to kindergarten
I'm weird i call where pigs live a sty, and so do the girls because of me but i was a air force brat who spent the first almost 5 years of my life in europe so that may have something to do with it. :)
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