Sunday, September 7, 2014

First Grade Curriculum Choices 2014


We set up this room to do part of our homeschool work and the rest we do it in our school house.


This is where I keep the curriculum not being used at the moment and other supplies.

This is the set up for AAS on the magnetic board that my husband made long time ago.

All About Spelling (AAS) Level 1: The first part of this level teaches the phonograms. So since he knows that we will skip it. And also we are going to go fast through the middle part because he knows most of the words taught there but it will serve as a good review and it teaches some grammar rules that he doesn't know yet.











Exploration Education activity book above and projects below. We haven't started it yet. I liked the fact that it shows a video, then there is 2 activities to do on the activity book. It seems easy and it comes with pretty much all you need for the projects (you need things you already may have around the house).


This is fun!!! He really likes doing this workbook. You need to read the first word
then it will give you a clue for the word above it and if you still don't get it there is another clue.. you got to work all the way up that ladder...he really enjoys this word ladders workbook.


Umi likes this book. Maybe because it is kind of easy for him so far but like in the picture below
it helped him also to learn how to draw a flag and other things...so not only he learns math but also practice handwriting.


This is fun. I use it as a group activity so my 3 year old takes part of this too. 
I ask the question, they answer and I write it. Everything goes...it helps them to think out of the box.


After we are done with the review of the continents and we are finish with our North America Continent Box we are going to dive right into learning about our country into more detail. This book was fun and it helps children remembering the name of the states.


This book is a good read. It includes, history, geography and science.


This is our history book we are going to start reading. It is written as a story book what makes it fun and easy to follow. We will also make a timeline from the beginning of the world..

This is Handwriting without Tears for 2nd grade but in Spanish. They have the English version. It is going to help my son to perfect his handwriting.

This is his notebook I prepared for him, it has math and language in Spanish, and other things I thought I'd like him to learn this year. The picture above shows the first activity he did for the first day of classes. It is an all about me sheet I printed from the internet.


I have ordered other things from the charter school so I will add it to this post when I get it.
Using our workboxes helps us to keep all the curriculum organized. So when I fill each workbox hanging file I put one of these curriculums in each number...easy peasy! 

We do art, Montessori and hands on materials in our school house

What is the curriculum your child enjoyed the most?






Saturday, September 6, 2014

Our Homeschool Workboxes 2014

This is our new version of the our Montessori style workbox system we used in 2013. I saw this post by Shoestring Homeschool and that inspired me to make one for us. I had the crates and almost all the materials I needed, all I bought was more hanging file folders.

I got to say that this system is really helping me to get organize with our homeschool. My children seem to get very excited about doing their, work what makes everything easier because they don't feel like is me telling them "here do this work sheet," they know they have to go from one to six and they want to do it.




I used this Making Learning fun calendar pages to make the number grid. I printed 3 copies. I used one as a base and cut it and laminated it. I cut the numbers from he other one and I also laminated it.  The third copy was used to make the number strips to staple them on the file folders. I used velcro dots for the numbers. I wrote their name with dry erase markers on each workbox.

We use the workbox every other day and we go to our school house every other day. This is at least what I proposed myself this year, let see if it happens like that every week...I bet it won't. I set up the workbox on Sunday to be used on Monday. If we got to number 6 that day what is our goal then that day or next day I set it up for Wednesday...If we don't make it to 6 we finish it next day.

How it works? Once they are finished with number 1 they take it from the hanging file and place it on the number grid. When all the numbers are on the number grid they are done. That is it!

By using this system of workboxes you save a lot of space since you can stack each workbox on top of each other. I have one for each of my children. I ended using what we call the computer room as a school room. Here is where we use the curriculum I got for Umi's charter school. It is a small room so I wouldn't have space for the standard work boxes seen in another blogs.

I can't believe that a system so simple can be such a great organization tool for our homeshcool. It helps me to visualize what have to do by giving me a road map of steps to take. No matter what homeschooling philosophy you like or what ever style of homeschooling you do this system can really help you.

Do you have a system that works for you? Please share!

Here are other workbox systems:

Here is Sue Patrick's workbox system, the inventor of the workbox system.

Confessions of a Homeschooler workbox system tutorial video

Workbox Systems on Pinterest!!