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1st grade Daily Schedule feedback please
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Would anyone be willing to look at my weekly plan for this year and offer any feedback? This is for my first grader, I also have a 4 year old and 2 year old in the mix. Abbreviations are: WWE (Writing with Ease), FLL (First Language Lessons), memory work is things like 12 disciples, books of OT, books of NT, 10 commandments, skip counting by 2s, 3s, poems, etc.
How much time are you planning to spend on each subject? This looks like a little much to me for a first grader, personally. (I also have 6, 4, and 2 year olds). Like you we do our Scripture memory and hymns at breakfast, and Bible and literature at bedtime, but all of our other work together only takes us about 1-1/2 to 2 hours- inlcluding some preschool work with my 4yo. Sometimes we do it in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon, but usually not both. (Unless of course your thinking here is to do a short session in the morning and another in the afternoon. Personally I like to get the bulk of our work done in one chunk and then have the rest of the day free for other things, but that’s just a personal preference.)
HTH some,
Jen
It seems like a lot to me too. What about doing some subjects on only 1 or 2 days a week like the Hymn/Composer/Picture study?
I have two 1st graders this year and I am planning for their work to take a total of about 2 hours. T/Th will be longer when I include the time DS spends at taekwondo and DD at ballet, but their sit-down work will still be only about 2 hours.
I don’t have them doing anything in the afternoon school-wise, but they spend it mostly outdoors and then having Quiet Hour on their beds looking at books or drawing or listening to an audiobook. I don’t count that in their time though.
I will sometimes spend 15 minutes in the afternoon with each of them on speech and/or reading one-on-one.
Yeah, seems like quite a bit for 1st grade to me, too. I haven’t used FLL or WWE, but really for 1st I think copywork, oral narrations, and handwriting are enough for language arts. But I understand wanting programs. I’d just make sure that lessons are short and school isn’t taking too long. Just my .02:) Gina
I have done FLL and WWE (10yodd is on FLL3 and WWE2). If I were in your position, I would take WWE out of the mix. FLL has plenty of copywork for this age. We went through FLL 1 and 2, and when we started FLL3, we went straight into WWE2 with no problems, skipping WWE1 completely. I think we could have gone straight to WWE3 with a little prepping. IF we stick with FLL and WWE, which is a big “if” at this point, my DD7 will review FLL 1&2 (He has pretty much been through it with his older sister) and go straight to FLL3 and WWE2. Both FLL and WWE are just more than is necessary for a first grader, IMHO.
Also, at this age I would make every effort to be done with seatwork by lunchtime. I have a 4yo and 1yo in the mix here, and it is nice for the little ones AND mom when the afternoons are left open for rest, play, fun reading or other activities.
Hope that helps! Have a fun year!
I like how you have everything spread out through the day, including some of your subjects at bedtime. Especially with young siblings, that should work well.
I noticed you don’t have a time scheduled for nature study. I think that should be a major chunk of science learning at this age. My DD is just finishing year one. We try to get out for a scheduled nature walk at least weekly, if not more. That is separate from ‘outdoor time’ which is just free play and exploration. The nature walk doesn’t have to be anything too structured, just a time to observe and think about nature.
I’m not familiary with FLL and WWE, so hopefully other people’s comments have helped with those. All we have done for language for DD’s first year is copywork and narrating everything except free reading. One narration a week I write down as she dictates. Then I read it back so she can hear how her own words sound, and she will sometimes make changes so that it sounds better.
Joanne
Thanks for your feedback everyone. I was planning to do each subject for 15 minutes even if we didn’t finish a lesson b/c I do want to work on having good attention, except RS math takes more time than that. Poetry just takes a few minutes to read. The things we do at mealtimes already and are enjoyed by all. The hymn at night is just their bedtime song that we sing to them. I do have Nature Study scheduled for Thursday.
My state requires four hours of instruction per school day. Hmmm. not sure what to do?
I am assuming that the composer is just listening to music, so I thought it was fine.
If you are looking for ways to feel covered in your time requirements, without adding more “school” subjects, include a nature walk another day and that will count for more time as science. What about art as a fun way to add some time?
Another way to count time is to include chores as personal development, some exercises (or running in the yard) – can count as PE. Count the stuff at mealtimes and bedtimes. It really adds up time wise when you look at what you do all day with “what can this fall under?” eyes. =)
Sorry I missed your nature study.
We don’t have to count hours here,but if we did I’m sure we could come up with four quite easily. Just think about what would be included at school. Library period, physical education, music (singing, learning an instrument), art class (handicrafts would fit), and as sheraz mentioned, chores (think home economics), finances (preparing shopping list, saving allowance for something special). Once you get started you could become quite creative.
Joanne
Yes and if your child takes any type of classes or does sports, you can include those as well (art, PE, music). We have to do 4 hours here as well, but we are umbrellaed and our umbrella school consider many things as learning (including helping Dad change a flat tire). Think LIFE school as well when you are figuring your hours. Volunteer work, field trips, library as someone else mentioned, etc.
We don’t always get all of our work done in the morning either. With 6 children, I sometimes have to space it out, but I know we can easily find 4 hours even for our 1st graders if I were to write it all down, and I do keep a master list of field trips and extra activities we do while on vacation or camping trips where we will often take a nature class or nature walks.
Sounds like you have a great plan for your year!
Andream…. I guess I’m the dissenting opinion here. This does not look like too much to me at all. FLL and WWE lessons are so gentle and so short, as you know, and they are best done every day. I did listen to a little Q and A session from Susan Wise Bauer and she said that if you are doing both, you should not do the copywork part of FLL. She said that when they first wrote it, of course WWE hadn’t come out yet. The kids are not meant to do the copywork in both. This was pertaining to the original version of FLL (the hardback blue book)… not sure if the latest versions still contain all the copywork that was there before.
I don’t think that this is too much time at all for a first grader either. We tend to do about 2 – 2 1/2 hours of family work a day (things like Scripture, Poetry, Foreign Language, Literature, Science and “gym” which I do as free time outside, art lessons – which could be drawing, arts and crafts, painting, etc., History, Picture Study, Handicrafts – we’re learning to crochet right now, Geography, and Nature Study) Obviously, we don’t do everything in a day. Things like Scripture are done daily, other subjects like history and science might be 2 – 4 times a week, and things like geography and art lessons are done once a week.
Then for “independent work” (which isn’t so independant for a 1st grader), my first grader usually spends about 30 minutes – but half of that time is working on speech, which she needs. So things like Copywork, English – we use Emma Serl’s Primary Language Lessons, Math, Beginning Reading (she reads to me), assigned reading (I read to her), and Piano lessons/practice are things that she alone work on. For independant work, we spend 5 minutes per subject. It’s really perfect timing. Just long enough for her to accomplish some work without being overwhelmed. And I’ve noticed that over the year her attention span has grown. At the beginning of the year, 5 minutes was a little bit of a strugle for her. Not overwhelming, but not easy. Now, it’s easy and she is ready to be bumped up to 10 minutes per subject for independent work.
Also, with the time requirements, remember that there are so many things that may not be “formal” school work that count. Helping you cook dinner can so easily turn into a math lessons in fractions, adding, counting etc. Driving in the car, pop in a composer you are learning about or a book on tape to count for music or literature, an educational science show counts as science. Taking a family walk and talking about the things you see count as science/nature study. Take field trips to educational placees like museums and zoos during vacation, so that your vacation time doubles as school time! Start counting those things and you’ll be WAY over your requirements in no time.
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