Homeschool 2020-2021
While things are looking quite a bit different for most people this year, our routine is almost the same as usual. Being able to homeschool my kids is a blessing that I do not take for granted, pandemic or no. One of the reasons we chose homeschool was so that we were able to decide what our kids need at any given time, whether it is to be pushed a bit, to take a day off, to have a 15 minute play break or to leave off a subject for a later year. No homeschool situation looks exactly the same. And in my opinion, it shouldn’t. As parents we are equipped with knowledge of our children, and the knowledge from textbooks is available to us through multiple resources. So if you’re embarking on your homeschool journey this year, let me encourage you. You have everything you need to teach your kids and teach them well. And yes, I believe that even if you’re launching into high school calculus! Here are a few ideas for you and our plan for the 2020-20201 school year!
2020-2021 Curriculum for First Grade:
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Language Arts: The Good and The Beautiful. I love the LA curriculum for many reasons. The lessons are short, but interactive, and there is minimal to no prep work. We also mix in lots of reading aloud, reading to oneself, monthly book reports (I just print a free worksheet online and have him fill it out then read to me.)
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Math: Math Mammoth and some The Good and The Beautiful. We primarily use the Math Mammoth worksheets as new material and TGATB Math Level 1 for review. We also do a lot of baking together, and we created some play money as a craft one day that he now plays with during free play!
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History: The Good and The Beautiful. This is our first year doing history, and the plan is to incorporate it into our routine twice a week.
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And because we are doing school with an almost two year old in tow, we have to be flexible! I will usually set out puzzles and magnet blocks that he only has access to during school, and if we need it I will turn on a Leap Frog DVD for him while his older brother and I sit and do school.
Overall, I firmly believe that we don’t need to be spending hours sitting at the dining room table doing book work. At this age (6), my son learns best by working with his hands, creatively playing, asking questions and engaging with us. We are together all day, so there are plenty of learning opportunities during that time!
Other Resources + Curriculum:
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The Good and The Beautiful: I love that this curriculum focuses on how God is in everything from math to science to history and language. It is a non-denominational curriculum that simply references God. I also love that there is little to no prep work involved in the lessons, which is key for this work from home mama!
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Math Mammoth: These books are mostly worksheets with ideas for tactile play mixed in! My son does really well with 1-2 pages a day followed by a card game or other type of math game.
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Teachers Pay Teachers: There are a lot of great games and ideas on this site! We’ve downloaded a couple free math games to mix things up a big, and so far my son has loved them!
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Rod + Staff: This is a Christian curriculum that I have never used but know a few people who use some of the components!
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Abeka: This is another curriculum I haven’t used but have a few friends who love it! If you want something more al-inclusive, then this may be for you!
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Instagram friends who I love to follow for homeschool ideas and tips! Liz: @thequickjourney and Aimee: @thehomegrownapple
What does your school year look like? No matter what you choose, remember that you know what is best for your kids and your family! Happy back to school!
