Our Daily School Routine (when we are home and life is normal) and Curriculum

Thanks for checking out our Daily School Routine (when we are home and life is normal) and our Curriculum for this school year! Here's a look at what we do:

Daily Routine:  We try to start our school mornings (afternoons some days :) ) with the pledges!  We learned these in our Classical Conversations Community, and we love taking turns holding the Bible and Flags (sometimes we like to take each other turn as well, but we are working on that character trait ;) )

Buddy Loves holding Mommy's Bible up for the Pledges 

Ladybug's turn to hold the American and Christian Flags

Next, we read a Psalm together and discuss ways to apply to our lives that day.  We pray for each other and others (our families, friends, church family and missionaries, the sick, stuffed animals, worms, etc)

Then, we do our calendar/weather chart/days of the week time.  I got all charts from Confessions of a Homeschooler a few years ago.  I printed them off and put the days of the week in page protectors (since we use those over and over again) and everything else in binders that fit in their workboxes (I heart workboxes).  I love the charts because Ladybug (first grader) and Buddy (almost kindergartner) can do it together with little help from Mommy (who,about this time, is usually holding a wiggly, very adorable, squishy 8 month old).  

Buddy working on his monthly weather chart.

Ladybug's Days of the week binder

After, we do calendar time, Ladybug starts MFW 1st Grade. 

Here's our curriculum/materials/add-ons that we use for first grade:

MFW 1st Grade (first edition) Curriculum

MFW 1ST Grade Curriculum: We use MFW for the bulk of our learning (reading,handwriting, math, science, Bible). We purchased this curriculum used (saved lots of $$ and most books were brand new).  We did add in a couple of things:

1) Phonics Workbook

Short Vowel Workbook Add-on

This is a phonics workbook (Grade 1st and 2nd) that I got used on a Facebook Homeschool Resale Page. It has lots of word puzzles and word finds in it. FUN Stuff (I'm not the only one who thinks they're fun, right?)!!   We don't do the phonics workbook every day, but add it in about once a week.  

2) Draw Write Now 

Draw Write Now Box Set 

 We purchased the Draw Write Now box set when it was on sale at zulily for $50.00 plus shipping!!  Look for these used at your local Homeschool supply store.  This is something we will use year after year!  Ladybug loves these books! Ladybug struggled a little with her handwriting, so we incorporated these fun books into our curriculum. We usually do 1-2 pages a week.  Ladybug chooses what she wants to draw, prints the sentence in her writing tablet (that way we can re-use this set with Buddy and Pumpkin...Score!!) and then draws her picture on a piece of computer paper.  Below is a page from the Farm-Themed Draw Write Now Book and Ladybug's drawing.

Ladybug chose to draw a cow 

3) Books!  Books! Books!:  Ladybug loves to read (she gets that from her mama) and we read LOTS of books. We enjoy the My First Little House Books (we purchased these used on Ebay but also check local libraries).  We read together, but she also has books that she reads on her own.  

We found Ladybug's Readers used at a local homeschool store 

4) Classical Conversations:  There has been no greater blessing to our homeschool journey than discovering and being apart of Classical Conversations (CC). If you have never heard of CC, please check the website (www.classicalconversations.com) out.  Locate a local CC group, and visit with your husband and children.  Prepared to be overwhelmed, but in a good way.  Our CC family is so special and we look forward to our meetings every Tuesday.  We have laughed and learned together, prayed and cried together, and worshiped and praised our Savior together.  CC's motto is to know Christ and make Him known, which fits 100% with what we are striving to do and be.  I am planning to write a post about CC soon (and how we fit that in) and share more!

Buddy learning European Rivers During Week 4 

Classical Conversations

Those are the 4 "add-ons" to our First Grade Curriculum and a quick glance at some of the things we do every school day.  We try to keep it simple and fun.  I hope this has been a help to you and encouraged you in your homeschool journey.

Blessings!

Jessica