Grade 1 Our Way

September 2003 - present

September 2003: I am now open-minded again, flexible, willing to think outside the box. I prepared the school year with another rigourous schedule. After one day of homeschooling, I changed it to a to-do list rather than a schedule. Justice's to-do list consists of the following:

Reading Lesson (read 1 page of Phonics Pathways)
Read an Early Reader book to Mom
Math Lesson(1-2 lessons of Singapore Math = 2-4 workpages)
Writing Lesson (copy 3 lines from the Kitab-i-Aqdas)
Spelling Lesson (1 lesson from Spelling Workout A = 4 workpages)
Science Lesson (Sonlight Kindergarten Science: read 2 pages from a science book and answer 1 or 2 comprehension questions)

We have switched to Singapore Math from Saxon Math. I feel that Saxon Math is excellent for students who have trouble with math and may need a lot of drill. I feel that Singapore Math is excellent for students who understand math easily and do not need a lot of repetition. Justice lost his love for math when he had to go over the same equations again and again. The Singapore Math moves much quicker with less drill and focuses on thinking mathematically, not on memorizing math tables.

In the morning, after breakfast and prayers, Justice must complete everything on his to-do list and then he is free to do whatever he wants. He usually finishes between 2-3pm. We use this schedule from Monday - Thursday. Friday is our free fun day we use to go on trips to the zoo, toy store, etc. or just play around the house. Saturday is a family/socializing/fun day. Sunday is Baha'i School, ballet (on DVD), science experiment (with Dad), and Arabic (CD-ROM).

Justice's spiritual development consists of prayers every morning and evening. We also read a story about a virtue every morning. Justice is memorizing the Kitab-i-Aqdas (the Most Holy Book) in the evenings. He memorizes a paragraph every 4-8 days. Justice also goes to Baha'i School every other Sunday.

I am also using the Sonlight Curriculum for History, Geography and Literature. I havn't started the history and geography yet. But we read a bit of a novel every evening together.