1st & 2nd Grade Curriculum Plans

 

Sharing our first and second grade plans in the same post because we do a few things together. At these young ages, we keep it simple. We don't start formal lessons until 6 to 7 years old depending on the child. Both of my youngest sons started at age 6. They will be 6.5 and newly 8 when we start the new school year in September.  

FIRST GRADE 

Language Arts 

• McGuffey's Primer Original Reader : I almost skipped this first book until I read the Parent-Teacher Guide and picked up the Phonics Made Plain flashcards. Step 1 is the flashcards with a few minutes per day practice and just following the instructions in the aforementioned guide. 
• Common-Word Speller Book One by Ervin Eugene Lewis which is for 1st through 4th grades. We use letter tiles, plain notebooks to spell the words out, draw them in sand [you can use a sand tray], and do this orally in about 10 minutes per day. Here's Common-Word Speller Book Two if you need 5th through 8th grades. Excellent spelling book!
• Continuing handwriting using D'nealian Print worksheets from Land of Kakiak and then will transition to the cursive ones. 

Mathematics  

• Number Stories Book One by John Studebaker with the matching workbook that I purchased the digital option and printed at home. Living Book Press has done a great job reprinting these and I know they're working on more. Book Three is very hard to come by and it's not online like Book One and Book Two, but we use something else for third grade so it's fine. We used the free editions and printed them out to make sure we liked this one. We love it! Let the math come slowly. You could do this in Kindergarten. We started it after he turned 6 in December, but it includes reading number words, so it's totally fine to wait - there is no reason to hurry. 
• Ray's Primary Arithmetics we use either 5 minutes per day, or on Fridays only. We have done it both ways, just depends on the week. A single lesson could take a week or two. Go at your child's pace. 

Science  

• Nature Explorers Level 1, Rotation A by Sabbath Mood Homeschool is the Nature Study we are doing together as a family with our second and tenth grader. Four days per week. Nature Lore for Term 1 is Seaside and Wayside Book One by Julia McNair Wright and for Term 2 Among the Meadow People by Clara Pierson. Probably will choose the next in the Among The Series for Term 3. 
• Science Stories Book One by Wilbur Beauchamp we read this one day per week for the whole year. 
• Science Through the Year part of Our World of Science series by Craig Daniel and is about the seasons. We are reading this once per week at the beginning of Autumn term for 5 weeks, beginning of Winter term for 3 weeks and beginning of Spring term for 5 weeks. 
• This might seem like a lot of science, but we just love these story-like books and they count towards reading. My littles boys are super into it and it keeps the kids active!

Faith & Religion   

• Children's Bible Reader  by Orthodox Press. We read and discuss a little bit about 4 days per week. Catholic Option : The Holy Bible Adapted for Young Readers [this Bible is GORGEOUS with it's vintage art - all the heart eyes],  Protestant Option : The Story Bible because it has questions, activities and prayers built right in and it's beautiful! 
• Pictures of God Volume 2 by John Skinas. We are finishing up Volume 1 right now. 
• Monthly subscription to My Synaxarion by Potamitis Press until we have the 12 monthly books. Short daily reads about saints, daily prayers and going to church. 

SECOND GRADE 

Language Arts 

• McGuffey's Pictorial Primer Original Reader : He also uses the Phonics Made Plain flashcards and we added Sherry's The Lesson Book : Level One.
• Gentle Grammar Level One by Sherry Hayes which is also available for free on her site MomDelights.com. 
• Common-Word Speller Book One by Ervin Eugene Lewis which is for 1st through 4th grades. He will use the grade two section. We use letter tiles, plain notebooks to spell the words out, draw them in sand [you can use a sand tray], and do this orally in about 10 minutes per day. We mix it up. Here's Common-Word Speller Book Two if you need 5th through 8th grades. My top favorite spelling book!
• Continuing handwriting using worksheets from Land of Kakiak D'nealian Cursive Alphabet and then will transition to these by Verily Schoolhouse. 
• Reading with Phonics by Lippincott is a vintage book that I can't find reprinted or online for free, but there are several vintage copies available with covers that have clowns on them lol. Another option we use for our youngest son that's similar in blending is Elemental Phonics by Jady Alvarez. 

Mathematics  

• Number Stories Book Two by John Studebaker. We started this in the second half of his first grade year, so we will pick up where we left off and then either just use Ray's until third grade, or since we have a couple other vintage math books, we could use one of those. I went ahead and put a bookmark in each of the two options where the Number Stories approximately leaves off.  Option One : First Year in Number by Hoyt and Peet [here's a reprint option, Leopold Classic Library and Classic Reprints I have used before and they're not terrible]. Option Two : Child-Life Arithmetics Grade 3 by Clifford Woody [it works for grade two as well. 
• Ray's Primary Arithmetics we use either 5 minutes per day, or on Fridays only. We have done it both ways, just depends on the week. A single lesson could take a week or two. Go at your child's pace.

Science  

• Same as above with our first grader. 
• Science Stories Book Two by Wilbur Beauchamp we read this twice per week for the whole year. Here's Science Stories Book Three if you need it!

Faith & Religion   

• Same as above with our first grader. 

Geography & Enrichment    

• Home Geography by CC Long. I like this reprint by New West Press. We will do one short lesson per week. 
• Speaking French or Italian with Miss Mason and François by Cherrydale Press via Simply Charlotte Mason. I want to learn Italian but I already speak French so that would be easiest for me. Haha! I'll get both and decide later. 

Disclaimer : You do not need to use my affiliate links, they are there so you can see what the book or resource looks like. We bought many books used off of amazon, eBay or vintage book shops online or locally.