Search Results for: blog what your first grader should know social studies

Fifth Grade Homeschool Basics

For the fifth grade, I like to move homeschoolers from passively learning to actively learning. This means I like to move from learning games to books and research. This of course can be done slowly over time. This following list details what a fifth grader needs to know. Fifth Grade Math Curriculum builds upon lessons learned in previous years, but with greater difficulty. In this post I listed websites that can help you teach important fifth grade concepts. In Fifth Grade Language Arts Curriculum Part 1, and Fifth Grade Language Arts Curriculum Part 2 , I discussed important grammar, reading … Continue reading →

Second Grade Homeschool Basics

Previous homeschool bloggers have given curriculum guides for the second grade according to subject. The purpose of this guide is to put all of the suggestions in one place allowing homeschoolers to build their own curriculum around the basics. You can use these suggestions which include website links and books your children should read to map out the second grade year for your homeschooler according to national standards. For a simple no frills guide for second grade mathematics, read What Your Second Grader Should Know: Math by Valorie Delp. This guide covers second grade math basics such as counting to … Continue reading →

But What am I Supposed to Teach?

This is one of the first questions new homeschoolers ask. How are we supposed to know what to teach? Some homeschoolers will turn to the public school system and some systems are very happy to lend texts and materials. Other districts are not so accommodating to homeschoolers, but I have to posit that if what the public school was doing, was working, then perhaps one wouldn’t be homeschooling. In any case, there are several places to look for information on standards and what you should be teaching. Remember that in the younger grades, it is better to look at the … Continue reading →

2006 in Review: Homeschooling Blog at a Glance

As a new homeschooling blogger at Families.com, I wanted to know everything that has been discussed to date. In response to my own curiosity, and in an effort to make perusing our articles easier for you, our readers, I have compiled all of the blogs for the year 2006. Deciding to Homeschool Why homeschool Am I qualified for this? Reasons that Homeschooling Works! My Most Important Advice for Homeschoolers. The Cost of Homeschooling Instead of standing up for their own kids, why not stand up for all kids? Disclaimer: I am hardly an expert in education. Did You Know? ‘Empirical … Continue reading →

The Sunday Evening Review: Dec. 8th and Some More

Wow–add another blogger to the home schooling section of Families.com and what do you get? A whole bunch of great blogs to read!! While our newest blogger, Andrea Hermitt officially started last week, a few of her blogs were post dated and not covered in last week’s Sunday Evening Review. I didn’t want you to miss anything, so here are the post dated blogs as well as blogs for this past week! First of all, if you haven’t read Andrea’s Introduction, make a point to check it out! As any of us who home school know, frequently the first question … Continue reading →

What Your Second Grader Needs to Know: Language Arts

* Reading silently for purpose I want to note here that while this is a second grade suggestion, your child should begin reading silently as soon as he is capable. * Dramatizations and interpretative or oral reading This is simple to practice while your child reads out loud to you. Start by asking your child to note punctuation such as question marks or exclamation points. Then encourage him to use inflection with his voice as is appropriate. At first, it may seemed forced but in time, your child will learn to read with feeling. A note on why this is … Continue reading →

What Your Second Grader Should Know in Social Studies

* Holidays and festivals Look for an upcoming blog in the Homeschoolers’ Advent Calendar regarding great ideas for celebrating a multi-ethnic Christmas season. * Patriotic celebrations While it’s a little young to teach all of the history surrounding Independence Day, I suggest reading several related books: –The Story of America’s Birthday by Patricia A. Pingry –Hooray for the 4th of July by Wendy Watson –Apple Pie for 4th of July by Janet S. Wong –Anything related that was written by Jean Fritz * Communities in other lands: past and present * Family and family history * Families around the world … Continue reading →

The Week in Review: November 11

I know this is a day late. I cannot explain why for if I list all of the things that broke in our household that would be my whole blog. In any case, this is the week in review. Have you ever heard someone talk about how their child knew such and such at a much earlier age than you’re child did? Then they start to imply that perhaps the home schooling thing isn’t working out so well. That’s exactly what we talked about earlier in the week in, The Fallacy of Comparing Children. Do you teach your children foreign … Continue reading →

What Your First Grader Should Know: Social Studies

Before I begin, I want to note that I have a little trouble with this one. Perhaps it is because this isn’t what I teach, so I’m narrow minded. Perhaps my reasoning is right–who knows? One of many reasons that I decided to homeschool, is because I felt like kids were “dummied down” in public schools. Rather than being fed meat, they were being fed fluff. Social studies is one area that I deem “fluffy” as it were. Don’t misunderstand, I of course want to teach history and geography which also would fit into the technical definition of social studies. … Continue reading →