First Grade Curriculum

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Never plan another lesson again! The First Grade Curriculum Manual has every day already planned; just open it up and teach from the correlating books in our Complete First Grade Curriculum Package! Your lessons will revolve around the following areas of study:

• Opening Recitation
• Spelling
• Reading
• Math
• Copybook/Memory
• Cursive
• Literature & Enrichment

Little Bear, by Else Holmelund Minarik introduces young readers to Little Bear and Mother Bear. Mother Bear loves Little Bear and knows exactly what he needs. She finds a perfectly warm outfit for Little Bear to wear when he plays outside in the cold snow. She makes him a hot lunch knowing he will be hungry after his imaginary trip to the moon. She also never forgets his birthday! Written in 1957, this classic children's book by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak  remains beloved by generations of readers.

In Caps for Sale Esphyr Slobodkina retells a traditional folk tale about a cap peddler and his mishap with some monkeys. This simple and humorous story is sure to delight children as they read about the peddler's problem and the creative way he resolves it. Caps for Sale is a wonderful book for young readers and features rhythmic repetition, color words, and easy-to-read sentences.

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey won the Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children in 1941 and has been beloved my millions of readers. In this timeless classic, a mother duck, Mrs. Mallard, is sure that the pond in the Boston Public Gardens is the very best place to live with her eight little ducklings while she waits for Mr. Mallard to return from an exploring trip. She just isn't sure how to get there through the crowded and dangerous streets of Boston. Thanks to some help from several faithful Boston police officers, Mrs. Mallard and her little ducklings Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack arrive safely at the pond in the Gardens where Mr. Mallard is waiting for them.

Billy and Blaze by C.W. Anderson is the first book in the classic series. It tells the story of Billy who loves horses. Billy is overjoyed when he receives a horse, Blaze, as a birthday gift. Billy and his pony understand each other at once and quickly develop a special bond. Billy loves riding Blaze through the green woods. He learns to jump with Blaze, and together they even rescue a dog named Rex who becomes a friend to them both. Billy enters into a horse show with Blaze, and together Billy and his best friend compete for first prize!

In Blaze and the Forest Fire, Billy and his pony Blaze are riding through the green woods one day when they notice a small flame in the brush quickly spreading to become a raging forest fire. Billy and Blaze race to warn the countryside. They jump high walls, leap over brooks, and plunge over barbed wire fences. Together, Billy and Blaze are able to warn the local farmers of the danger in time to put out the fire. Billy and Blaze are celebrated as heroes and rewarded for their bravery!

Ping the duck lives on a boat on the Yangtze River with his father, mother, two sisters, three brothers, eleven aunts, seven uncles, and forty-two cousins. Every day, Ping and his family march across the a little bridge to the shore, and every night, they come back home. The very last duck across the bridge gets a little spank on the back. One night, Ping gets to the boat late, and to avoid a spank for being the last duck, Ping decides to stay out. Ping explores the river and gets into trouble as he tries to find his way home to the boat and his very big family.

Set in 1856, Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie tells the story of Abbie Burgess who lives with her father, mother, and sisters on Matinicus Island in Maine where they tend a lighthouse. When Abbie's father must sail to the mainland to get food for the family, oil for the lighthouse lamps, and medicine for his wife, a terrible storm blows up. With her father away, Abbie must keep the lighthouse lamps burning and take care of her family all by herself. It is very hard to keep the lamps lit during the storm, and Abbie must be very brave. After two weeks the storm subsides, and Abbie's father is able to get back to the island. The children are thrilled that their father is home, and he is so proud of Abbie for keeping the lights burning all on her own.

Three hungry soldiers on their way home from war convince a crowd of stingy villagers that soup can be made from stones. The villagers fetch a giant pot, and the soldiers throw in three stones. The villagers are so excited to taste this miraculous soup made from stones that they continue to add more and more ingredients as the soldiers suggest them. At last, the soldiers and the villagers feast on stone soup and celebrate late into the night. The soldiers sleep in comfortable beds that night and continue on their way the next morning, leaving behind the villagers who are grateful to have learned the wonderful recipe for stone soup.

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton was the Caldecott Medal winner in 1942 and has continued to enchant generations of readers. On a hill in the country with apple trees all around, a tiny pink house watches the seasons change. She watches trees blossom in the spring, apples ripening in the summer, leaves changing color in the fall, and children skating in the winter. At night the little house notices the far-away lights of the city and wonders what it would be like to live there. Slowly, the lights grow closer. A road is built, then shiny new cars zip past the house. More homes begin to appear, then bigger buildings, stores, and sidewalks surround the the little house. The little house realizes she is living in the city! Now, she can't even see the sun or moon because of the bright city lights and she misses the daisies and apple trees. One day a woman recognizes the house as the one belonging to her great-great grandfather. The woman decides to move the little house out of the city and back to the country. The little house is lived in and cared for and so happy to be back where she belongs!

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney received the American Book Award in the year of publication and tells the story of Alice Rumphius, who wants to travel to far away places, settle down to live by the sea, and do something to make the world more beautiful — just like her grandfather taught her. Miss Rumphius travels the world seeing islands, mountains, and deserts then comes home to live in a house by the sea. She still wants to do something to make the world more beautiful but doesn't quite know what. Then one day, her garden full of beautiful blue and purple and rose-colored lupines give her a wonderful idea! Soon Miss Rumphius is planting fields of lupines all along the coast. When the flowers bloom in the spring, Miss Rumphius knows she knows she has fulfilled her wish and made the world just a little bit more beautiful.

Christmas in the Big Woods is an abbreviated adaptation of Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder that tells the story of the the Ingalls family Christmas in the little log cabin in the Wisconsin woods. Laura has a wonderful Christmas when her aunt, uncle, and cousins come to visit her and her family. The little cabin is full of people, and the children have lots of fun playing in the snow together. All the children wake up on Christmas morning with presents in their stockings, and Laura is thrilled to receive a new doll. Together, Pa, Ma, Mary, Laura, Carrie and the rest of the family have a splendid Christmas in the little log house! This book is an easy introduction for young readers to the classic Little House series.

An Adaptation of Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Winter on the Farm tells about Almonzo Wilder and his life on the family farm in New York during the cold winter. Almonzo, his brother Royal, and their father spend the day in the barn petting horses, milking cows, cleaning stalls, and taking care of the other animals. At the end of a long day of farm work, Almonzo and his family eat a delicious dinner together finished off with some pumpkin pie by the warm fire. Almonzo loves being a farmer boy! This book is an easy-to-read introduction to the memorable character, Almonzo, who would one day grow up to marry Laura Ingalls.

A Little House Christmas Treasury by Laura Ingalls Wilder features festive holiday stories from the beloved Little House series. Stories included in this treasury include "Christmas in the Big Woods," "Christmas on the Prairie," "Christmas on Plum Creek," "Christmas for Farmer Boy," "Christmas During the Long Winter," and "Christmas in the Golden Years."

The Rod & Staff Grade 1 Math Student Book (Part 1) uses a mastery approach when teaching mathematics. This means that the student will spend a significant amount of time on one particular skill, such as addition or subtraction, in order to master said skill before moving on.

The Rod & Staff Grade 1 Math Student Book (Part 2) continues with Lessons 86-170. Like the Rod & Staff Grade 1 Math Student Book (Part 1), this book continues the mastery approach method when teaching mathematics.

From the publisher: "A small tablet of 72 speed drills provides timed practice of addition and subtraction facts ...."

New American Cursive 1 Sample

New American Cursive is an easy-to-follow resource for teaching beginning cursive. It presents simplified letter forms, using multi-sensory methods to aid in the learning of motor skills necessary to write well. Developed by Iris Hatfield, with over 35 years of experience in the handwriting field, the book improves the process of teaching handwriting and allows students to start at a younger age.

New American Cursive 1:

• Designed with the first grader in mind
• Unnecessary strokes are eliminated; NAC alphabet has 26 fewer strokes than the top three most common cursive programs.
• Letter forms are simplified but retain the classic form for legibility.
• NAC natural right slant is easier for beginners and left-handers. If the slant is too far right, it can be difficult for lefties. Writing absolutely vertically is tiring and can slow down the writing.
• NAC program was created to be simple, clear, and effective. It focuses on accuracy and increasing legibility.
• A teaching guide is included. It takes students only twenty minutes of their day to practice in their NAC book.

Copybook II Sample

Our primary copybooks teach penmanship, basic grammar, spelling, literature, accuracy, attention to detail, and memory—all through the simple skill of copying. We have selected Scripture from the King James Bible (chosen for its poetic verse) and classic children’s poems, such as those by Robert Louis Stevenson, which describe the world in charming detail. The clean, facing pages provide plenty of space for your neophyte to draw and color the glorious passages provided. In years to come, you will cherish these journals of your child’s work.

Composition & Sketchbook II Sample

Our Composition & Sketchbooks allow each student to write and illustrate compositions. These books are a great resource for all subjects and become a journal of your child's work for each year.

Composition & Sketchbook II: 1/2" Ruled for 1st-2nd Grade Students - This font is also ruled with a middle dashed line, but 2-page spreads with an entire page for a drawing on the left-hand side and a page of ruled lines on the right give first and second grade students room for longer compositions.

We created this chart upon the request of our homeschool customers. This poster-sized chart (22" x 34") has the alphabet listed in manuscript and cursive. If you don't have the wall space for our Alphabet Wall Charts, this poster is the perfect resource for your students.

This tablet is ruled on both sides with a dotted center line. Each tablet contains 100 sheets. Perfect for practicing penmanship.

Cursive Practice Sheets Sample

One question we hear repeatedly is how to get more worksheets to practice New American Cursive writing. We try to put extra sheets in our books, but it never seems to be enough. Our new Cursive Practice Sheets book includes pages for practicing each cursive letter, Scripture copywork, and blank practice sheets. Since the most important objective of the New American Cursive program is mastery, the more your student is able to practice, the better!

First Grade Enrichment Sample

The First Grade Enrichment Guide is organized by week, matching our Classical Core Curriculum First Grade program. The week-by-week plan is organized for you the teacher to incorporate activities to bring books alive for your student!

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After completing our Kindergarten phonics program, first graders are prepared to plunge right into real books, such as the five little classics in the StoryTime Treasures set. Books to be read along with the StoryTime Treasures program include Little Bear, Frog and Toad are Friends, Caps for Sale, and Make Way for Ducklings. 

Real books, as opposed to controlled vocabulary readers, capture the imagination of children and motivate them in their reading lessons. Our study guide, StoryTime Treasures, written by Highlands Latin School teachers Mary Lynn Ross and Tessa Tiemann, teaches a variety of language skills in the engaging context of favorite books. Vocabulary, spelling, composition, capitalization, punctuation, and more are included. Your child’s classical education will be off to a superb start with these enduring and timeless classics.

You can make this a full-year program in first grade by also completing More StoryTime Treasures.

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The More StoryTime Treasures Teacher Guide gives you all the answers to the questions, vocabulary, and activities found in More StoryTime Treasures, as well as essential and recommended phonetic activities for every lesson, so you have the tools you need to guide your student through this first grade literature program!

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The StoryTime Treasures Teacher Guide, Second Edition gives you all the answers to the questions, vocabulary, and activities, found in StoryTime Treasures, as well as essential and recommended phonetic activities for every lesson, so you have the tools you need to guide your student through this first grade literature program!

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This follow-up to StoryTime Treasures will continue to increase your child’s vocabulary, reading comprehension, and grammar skills through the study of seven more classic readers. Books to be read along with More StoryTime Treasures include Billy and Blaze, Blaze and the Forest Fire, The Story About Ping, Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie, Stone Soup, The Little House, Miss Rumphius. 

The Caldecott Honor Medal winning Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel introduces young readers to the unforgettable Frog and Toad. Together the friends go swimming, find missing buttons, wake each other up, tell stories, and write letters. Children will love reading about the antics of Frog and Toad and the many adventures these best friends share.

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Reading is a subject that should continue through the summer to avoid regression. These new summer reading journals are the perfect way to encourage young children to continue working on reading fluency as well as exposing them to good literature. The font size gets smaller for each journal and each page is divided in half for drawing and writing small summaries. 100 Days of Summer Reading II for rising second graders encourages students to read high quality literature and think deeply about what they have read.

First Start Reading Book E Sample

In First Start Reading Book E, we complete the program by covering long vowel teams, soft c and g, and the three sounds of y. Once the student has mastered the basic phonics in the FSR series, he is ready to continue his reading progress with real literature.

First Start Reading Book E Teacher Guide Sample

The First Start Reading Book E Teacher Guide provides valuable assistance as it leads you through the program and provides helpful assessments and teaching tips.

Sample & Supply List

The creative arts are an essential part of the primary school education. By using the activities in these books, you can strengthen fine-motor skills and foster creativity and confidence.