Canadian SCM

Hi,  I am Canadian, residing in Ontario.   You may want to check out Mapletree Publications.  They carry some of the SCM products and this would help you to avoid over-the-border shipping nonsense.  (though most often I just buy the download versions of SCM or other homeschooling products and then print at home).  My main piece of advice would be NOT to get the British version of Spelling Wisdom, but rather, the American.  I have found most of our Canadian spellings are closer to American than to the British spelling.

http://mapletreepublications.ca/product-category/simply-charlotte-mason/

For Canadian specific content, get yourself a catalogue from Learning House (Ontario) http://www.learninghouse.ca, or Heritage Resources (out of Manitoba), or Canadian Home Education (CHER) out of Alberta (I think).  All of these suppliers have all books (whether texts or living books or novels) on the geography & history of Canada, as well as map workbooks and literature by Canadian authors, etc.  Not all of these are CM in nature (though there are some) but by having a Canadian homeschooling supplier’s catalogue you will get the full list of what’s available on Canada.

Just my two cents – but I would not be particularly concerned about a formal curriculum for history, geography, science, or Canadian studies in grade 1.   Instead:

1.  Make your goal to build up a love for reading –  simply by reading aloud to your child, enthusiastically and often.  Use the SCM Family Literature list and get the books at the library to save costs.  Add the Burgess Animal Book for Children, and presto, you’ve got Science – all simply done as a read aloud and talk about afterwards with your child, just informally.  I wouldn’t add read alouds specifically for History until your child is in grade 3 or thereabouts.  Just have fun, with whatever Family Literature pick you’re on, to make little mentions of the things happening in the book that make you know that it took place during a different period in history.   In grade one this is really enough.

2.  Help your child to build up his/her reading skills…lots of CHILD reading aloud.  I found it best for my children at grade 1-3 level if they read from a graded reader (like Pathway or McGuffy) otherwise we run into too many unknown words and my child would get frustrated.  McGuffy is available free on the internet (though your child would be reading on a screen).  If you prefer hard copy, Pathway readers are available here in Canada through Rod and Staff (might save on U.S. exchange rate and shipping).

3.  A good math program (if you don’t like Math U See, or if you find it too expensive, I highly recommend CLE Math for grade 1-3…and they have a Canadian version with Canadian money, metric, etc.)  CLE has a good shipping policy…they fill out their customs docs in a way that means you never have to pay extra duty.  Of course, you will still be stuck with conversion rate of the U.S. dollar, but still, CLE is so inexpensive, it’s really not too bad.

4.  Copywork from SCM (again, buying the download will save on cost).  Very simple – but make sure you actually sit and watch your child as he is doing the copywork.  You will catch errors in letter formation or pencil grip sooner (and be able to more easily solve) if you are right there, watching.

5.  Nature Study.  Have FUN outside!

(optional) Buy SCM’s Hours in the Out-of-Doors, if you really think you need some guidance on exploring the outdoors together.  During times of year when it’s not suitable weather for Nature Study, set aside a 1/2 hour 3x a week to do a craft, painting or sewing. Or take a 1/2 hour each day to listen to a composer (major works of all the big composers are available at the library…along with picture book version biographies of most of the major composers….there is definitely enough available at the library to get you started for grade 1 and 2 level)

IMO – you’ll do just fine for a 1st grader with the subjects/ideas listed above.

Blessings on your journey!