1st Grade Homeschool Curriculum
Here are my TOP 1st Grade Home School Curriculum choices for homeschooling. Homeschooling a 1st-grade student is all about learning to read and building a math foundation, but always adding in some fun and extra activities!
Whether you have made the decision to homeschool or are still considering the final decision to actually homeschool or home educate your children, one of the most major decisions is which curriculum will be used. The choices can be a bit overwhelming and I have highlighted what I have used over the years. Here are my selections for Grade 1.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy.
Homeschooling is challenging but wonderful and very rewarding. My children are benefiting from me and me from them!
Your role as a home education parent to a Grade 1 child is that you are a Parent at Elbow (PEW) teacher. What this means is that you will be sitting next to your child helping them understand concepts and complete work to the best of their ability. Parents should be at the elbow working right alongside their child through every subject., every single day! If you want success, this is where you will need to be.
1st Grade Homeschool Curriculum
Math
If you are unsure of the level of Math to place your child, Saxon Math has placement tests you can download and give to your own child to test their levels.
Saxon Math 1: Placement Test (PDF) and Scope and Sequence (PDF)
Saxon Math 2: Placement Test (PDF) and Scope and Sequence (PDF)
Saxon Math 3: Placement Test (PDF) and Scope and Sequence (PDF)
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use it? Yes.
We are heavy on Math in this house! The kiddos tutored all summer long with an old teacher of theirs and we are ahead in Math right now (YEAH!!) I will continue to use Saxon Math forever I think!
Grammar
Shurley Grammar Level 1
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use it? YES
My daughter just started with Shurley Grammar 1 this year and she is doing well.
Spelling
All About Spelling Level 2
Does it work? yes
Will I continue to use it? Yes & We will because I can't locate a curriculum that WORKS well.
My little one loves All About Spelling and lets me just say, this curriculum is outstanding! She is a beginner reader and LOVES to sound every word and tell me how to spell anything she can think of.
Handwriting/Penmanship
Rod & Staff Grade 1
My daughter has wonderful fine motor skills, but her handwriting is not so great, I think because she is left-handed and struggles with where to place her paper and how to hold her pencil.
Literature/Composition
various literature books
Omnibus
The Story of the World & Mystery of History Volume III - The Renaissance, Reformation, and Growth of Nations and Student Reader Bible Course for Children
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use it? Yes
LOVE, love, love this curriculum. The SOTW reading book is wonderful and easy to understand (I read the stories to my kids). The activity book was equally as awesome. I was able to complete almost all the activities they would assign per chapter. We have made some amazing projects! In addition, we are creating a lapbook for SOTW utilizing some downloads found online. We are simply picking up where we left off the last school session.
In addition to The Story of the World material, my son and daughter (grade 3 & 5) use Mystery of History Volume III - The Renaissance, Reformation, and Growth of Nations, for Omnibus at their co-op. I work with them each week with Mystery of History and happen to really like this curriculum as well.
It might seem like it is a bit out of order as we began with Mystery of History III in Grade 1 — and then moved to Mystery of History II in Grade 2 and then in 3rd Grade I am suggesting Mystery of History I. You may begin in any order you like. BUT, since my children are classically educated — all their curriculum ties in with their subjects. So if you decide to begin with Mystery of History Volume I, remember that the time periods coincide with the assigned books for Literature. Just keep that in mind.
English/Vocabulary/Language
Will I continue to use it? yes and no
I actually really like the Rod & Staff curriculum. My daughter likes this curriculum from Rod & Staff and claims it to be her best subject!
We are also using Daily Language Review which I have used every year thus far. I enjoy this, these kids enjoy this. It is simply a daily page of review lessons that are easily completed.
Science
Exploring Creation Through Anatomy and Physiology (Grade 1 with the Notebooking Journals & R.E.A.L. Life Science
Does it work? YES to all
Will I continue to us? yes to all
All my kids are using Anatomy and Physiology from Apologia. I bought the junior notebooking journal for my little one as well so we could all have Science together at home. I also purchased the box of experiments that went along with this book directly from Apologia. We are a heavy Science family. My children all love and adore Science and experiments so I continue to feed their curiosity.
My girls love the Life Science curriculum. My son has decided he no longer wants to be excluded from this curriculum and he now participates in this part of our day(s). We will simply finish up where we left off from last school year and most likely be completed by the fall. Once the Biology book is complete (still printing), we will move onto this as well.
My son loves Science and has Anatomy and Physiology. I use both of the books listed above together or separate, it just depends on what we are studying that week.
Religion/Memory
Bible Stories to Read and Bible Stories to Color from Rod & Staff and Bible verse memorization
Does it work? yes
Will I continue to use? yes
My youngest daughter is pretty much always in our school room so she is privy to all the school from her brother and sister as well. She hears me reading all their curriculum, so it overflows to her.
Art & Music:
Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers & Rod & Staff (music & art) & Violin lessons
Does it work? Yes
Will I continue to use? Yes
I purchased Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Gershwin, Chopin, Handel, Stravinsky & Tchaikovsky.
We read the books, along with books from the local library. We have a lapbook that we are completing and a page and many activities are dedicated to each composer. We conclude the unit study of each composer with a project. The children really love Music this year.
We will also be studying Music through the Rod & Staff curriculum. Learning notes and rhythm and the like. My daughter has private violin lessons as well.
Field Trips:
We have many, many field trips since we live in a great city with numerous museums. Field Trip day will always be the favorite I think.
Here’s a post on our workboxes and how we use them in our homeschool classroom! I also have some printable workbox tags.
I also took advantage of FREE Worksheets and Printables for Kids from education.com.
Here’s a post on our workboxes and how we use them in our homeschool classroom! I also have some printable workbox tags.
I really hope this helps in planning your homeschool curriculum for 1st grade homeschooled students! Make sure to check out my other homeschool grade curriculum picks.
Here is my 2nd Grade homeschool Curriculum Recommendations.
Here are my 3rd Grade homeschool Curriculum Recommendations.
HOW TO MAKE A HOMEWORK SCHEDULE
I am attaching the spreadsheet and also the pdf of the homework schedule I use. I get assignments from my children’s teachers each week and I compile those assignments into a weekly spreadsheet that I then print ours for the,m. The assignments are listed by day fo the week so each day, they simply cross off the assignment once they are done and move on to the next subject. This spreadsheet is easy to navigate and easy to fill in with the assignments you receive from your child’s teacher.
PLEASE VISIT MY CURRICULUM STORE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE HOMEWORK SCHEDULE.
