Home School

Required Curriculum For First Grade Home Schooling

Home schooling a child (or children) is a commitment that most parents are unwilling to take. Those that do find that the educational experience can bet better for their child. And, once the decision to home school has been made, the parent must then choose a curriculum to follow for their child's education. State requirements differ from state-to-state for home school curriculum and can range from non-existent to extremely vague to highly regulated. Although not everyone home schools from the beginning (first grade, in most cases, since kindergarten is usually optional), curriculum for first grade home schooling is a good place to start and sets a foundation point for later grades.

First Grade Language, Reading, and Writing Studies

Basic reading and writing skills are established in first grade home schooling. Although many children are writing their names and reading single one- or two-syllable words, English skills really pick up in first grade. Chapter reading is introduced and punctuation is touched on. Spelling tests usually begin around this age, as do simple lessons in grammar. Children should be taught to identify the parts of a simple sentence as well as capitalization. All these lessons need to be brought into the first grade home schooling curriculum. Another skill area that really begins to take shape in first grade is mathematics.

First Grade Math for Home Schoolers

By six years of age, the average child is counting to ten and can group objects together. In the first grade of home schooling, objects can be used to teach addition and subtraction skills. More advanced shapes are taught as basic geometry is touch upon. Children at this age are very open to new ideas so it's a good plan to not limit lessons based on certain types of math. Denominations of money and telling time are important lessons in first grade home schooling. As long as the fundamental lessons such as single digit addition and subtraction and counting up to 100 by ones, fives and tens, feel free to experiment with different ways of interacting with numbers and shapes. Speaking of experimenting, we should discuss science curriculum for first grade home schooling.

First Grade Science at Home

Science offers a chance for homeschoolers to have a good time and really get their hands dirty. With the entire world inside and out as your laboratory, home school science lessons can give children a chance to experience things they could never do in public school. Weather is often an important and easily observable subject for young children in first grade home schooling. Lessons on the three stages of matter and the properties of light can also offer endless interactive possibilities to a six-year-old.

Use Your Imagination When Teaching Home Schoolers

While it is important to adhere to the requirements of the state you live in, don't feel you are restricted in the way you can teach the lessons dictated by regulation. And don't hesitate to add lessons that you feel important or educating to the initial curriculum. Remember that home schooling your first grade student allows you to have a hands-on position of control over what is learned. If you've already made the commitment to home schooling, choosing a good home school curriculum is important. Choosing an accredited home school curriculum, even for a first grade, sets the tone for a quality education.

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