How to Teach K and 1st Grade Together-MFW's Recommendations

[Marie]

How to teach K and 1st grade together—MFW’s recommendation

A kindergarten child needs “God's Creation from A to Z” (K); a 1st grade child needs “Learning God Story" (1st). You can combine some of your teaching, but each K and 1st grade child needs to be taught specific reading/math/etc. at his level.

The first year (K and 1st)

1. Teach all of MFW-K as it is written to your K child. Your 1st grader may also do the daily activity (the science/Bible/art/etc. portion) but will not do the K reading activities.
Note: If you taught MFW-K last year, you may omit some of the K daily activities this year—this assumes your now K child participated in some activities last year.

2. Teach all of MFW-1 to your 1st grader and invite your K child to join you in all subjects except math and reading. (Some K children may find this to be an overload—don’t push them to participate.)
Note: If you also have a 2nd-8th grader, you may omit the hands-on Bible activities (such as making a pottery jar) and science lessons in MFW-1. Instead, let your 1st grader join in some of the 2nd-8th grade hands-on activities and science lessons.

Purchase:
MFW-K Deluxe Package
MFW-1 Deluxe Package

The next year (1st and 2nd)

1. Teach MFW-1 to your 1st grader but only Bible, reading (and writing), and math.
2. Teach Adventures in My Father’s World to both children. Do not expect the 1st grader to do any of the writing (or copying) assignments in Bible or history.
Note: If you are also teaching a 3rd-8th grader, do not use Adventures. Instead, let your 2nd grader join his older siblings in the five-year cycle. (A younger sibling does not begin with Year 1, Exploring Countries and Cultures; he joins his siblings in whichever year they are currently doing.)
3. For your 2nd grader, add math (Singapore), spelling (Spelling by Sound and Structure for Grade 2), and language arts (Primary Language Lessons). Let your 2nd grader practice reading with lots of easy readers from the library.

Purchase:
Adventures in U.S. History Deluxe Package
First Grade Student Materials
Primary Language Lessons, Spelling by Sound and Structure for Grade 2, and 2nd grade math (Singapore)

The third year (2nd and 3rd)

1. Both children have finished phonics instruction, so they can go into the same multi-age program. They will begin the five-year cycle together, doing Exploring Countries and Cultures. This program is designed so that all your subjects can be completed in 4 hours or less.
Note: As noted before, if there are older siblings, the 2nd/3rd graders join the older siblings' program rather than begin with Year 1, Exploring Countries and Cultures. (This assures that Mom is only teaching one of the five-year cycle programs in any given year.)
2. Add math and language arts.

Purchase:
Exploring Countries and Cultures Deluxe Package
Math and language arts (Spelling Power, 2nd grade spelling workbook)

The following years
Both children continue the five-year cycle together (Creation to the Greeks, Rome to the Reformation, Exploration to 1850, and 1850 to Modern Times).

Math and language arts are always taught individually.

When you finish Year 5 (1850 to Modern Times) go back to Year 1 (Exploring Countries and Cultures) and cycle through Years 1-5 with all of your children who have not reached 9th grade. (An older child who has completed the five-year cycle will repeat, on a more advanced level, one or more of the years he was taught as a younger child.) When a child reaches 9th grade he is ready for independent work in our high school program.

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