1st grader - What to adapt in Adventures

[cbollin]

Copywork for a first grader in Adventures

We are doing Adventures (and LOVE it!) with our boys who are in grades 3 and 1. I have a narration/copywork question.

Copywork is new to us and my first grader (did I mention he is a boy!?) has not yet written sentences. He can write his name and can copy a sentence, but I have not ever had him compose a story or copy more than one sentence. Today for history (day 2) I had him just copy this on his map -- "I live in Vermont."

Ok, so my question is, on Thursday we are supposed to have the children do narration, and then copy their narration on to the Leif Erickson page. He has never done this and may feel overwhelmed. Should I only have him do one sentence, and I write the rest, or have him do all of it? (3-4 sentences)

He is not really good yet about spacing his words and it often looks messy with the words all jumbled together, even when he does copywork. We are working on this but he only just started first grade yesterday. I want him to enjoy Adventures and not be too overwhelmed. He reads really well, we just have not done too much with writing yet. He does have a penmanship book he is working thru.

So how much copywork should I expect him to do? Thanks!

For early on in the first grade year, I think one sentence is enough. And the length that you have chosen sounds good to me (I live in Vermont).

For the Adventures pages for him, consider letting him draw a picture and dictate a few sentences to you. When my now 2nd grader was in early first grade, she would copy just a few words. Then a whole sentence and then maybe by the end of the year 2 sentences. She can do a little more now in early 2nd grade. I found it helpful to let her copy the first words of the sentence, let me fill in the rest, and then make sure that she puts the period at the end of the sentence. That way she had practice for starting with a capital letter, using lower case and end with punctuation.

I think as you work through your penmanship book, he'll learn more about sentence length and get spacing practice. It will get there as the year progresses. Lots of little practice over the long time will be good. I still occasionally help my 2nd grader remember to put her finger on the paper to remind herself of spacing between words.

--crystal

[caod]

I too am doing Adventures with my first grader ( and 2nd grader) and she is just beginning to write. The first few weeks I would wrote: Christopher Columbus, and let her copy that underneath my writing and the same with Leif Erricson. Then I let her tell me about the story or subject and I wrote it letting her write a few words or short sentence and me doing the rest. We have been at it six weeks and I still won't make her do more than a sentence. She will shut down on me. She is also a very young first grader and I don't want to push too much. I always have her draw the picture just like my older daughter does and she seems to enjoy that.

I am getting a little more assertive about making her give me a narration about it, although I am learning to have her narrate just a paragraph or two and we are progressing to longer expectations. My second grader is a great little writer and loves English, so the writing is not a problem for her.

[girlzx3]

My young 2nd grader did Adventures last year and we started out with one sentence narrations, by the end of the year we were up to 4 and 5 sentences and she loves looking back at her progress in the notebook. If your first grader is doing one sentence I think that's great. Maybe expect a little more in a month or so and see how it goes. With very gradually increasing the amount of writing you expect I bet you will be amazed at the progress at the end of the school year. MFW is just so great at gently teaching our children without it ever seeming to feel painful. Enjoy Adventures. We loved it so much!!

[Lucy]

I think the suggestions that you are getting are right on track. If it helps any to know that the progression in the MFW 1 is very slow and by the end of the year they are writing anywhere from 3 to 5 sentences on their own. They suggest that they start off with just writing a title or a couple of words not even a sentence and that can be copied (like the gal that suggested just writing the name of the person). It is fine if you want to write more for them but it is not required or necessary. You can have them tell you what they remember and you can fill in any important info that they may have missed. Then have them tell you a sentence they want to write or give them a sentences to write. You can write that sentence on a piece a paper for them to copy or just let them write it themselves.

The goal here is not perfect spelling or mechanics but to get them writing on their own. You can work more on spelling and mechanics when they do copy work of the versed starting in week 3 of Adventures. You can expect them to spell, capitalize and place punctuation marks because they are just copying and not having to compose.

Blessings,

Lucy

[dhudson]

What do those of you have/had a 1st grader tagging along for Adventures, not doing any other program, expect of the 1st grader, as far as participation?

She went through 1st earlier this year, so she's doing Adventures with her brother. I don't have her doing PLL, since it's recommended for 2nd gr and up. What I've been doing for LA with her, is having her read to me everyday, silent reading time everyday, and simple copy work and memory work that I've selected. So maybe copywork for the Adv notebooking is a lot in addition?

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:47 pm
I guess if it were me, I would have her do the copy work in the ADV and maybe not LA copywork and dictation. That way she could have a history notebook like her brother and just have her do a sentence or two and draw a picture. I let mine use stickers and stencils for their notebooking and that makes it more fun.

I had my 6 yr old twins do ADV last year and that's what I did with them and it worked well. All three of mine really enjoy showing off their notebooks to Daddy, grandparents and anyone who's available at the time.

[niki]

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:36 pm

Hi. My ds jumped into ADV in 1st with his sister. He flew through K and 1st programs in one year (summer too).

I would often write for him (he would dictate to me) his history notebook. Other times I would let him write a one or two sentence summary, but that must have been near the end of the school year. I guess I didn't make him do a lot of the writing in that year, but he learned so much and we all had a blast in ADV. He even did the 2nd grade spelling by sound and structure and did fine with it.

HTH I think it's very easy to adjust for your child's needs (like all the programs - I love how we can tailor our lessons to fit our kids)

Thanks Hazells

[Mommyto2]

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:32 am

Just thinking out loud. I have a dd who only turned 6 in May. I know she could do more copywork physically but at six I don't want her to be a superstar. I just want her to be six. I pushed my now 9 y.o. ds and we hit a big wall in 2nd/3rd grade and are still recovering from it.

I think if I were in your situation I wouldn't require any more work than was required in the 1st program. Your dd could copy one sentence for her notebook from the dry erase board and draw a picture.

There are a lot of fun projects to work on in Adventures and great coloring. Good luck and good teaching.

Brenda
mom to ds 9 and dd 6

[HSmommi2mine]

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 11:06 am

Have they gotten the habit of "doing school"? I have had problems at times simply because they needed time to get use to the routine and expectations.

[mgardenh]

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 2:13 pm

If she is just six I would say that one maybe two sentences a day is plenty. In mfw 1st they do copywork at first and do not write on their own until later and it is almost half way through the year before they are writing two or three sentences. My dd just turned six when we started mfw 1st and struggled with the writing. Now that she is almost 7 we have seen great improvement with the writing and the ability to write more. So if she is just six I would definitely not give to much to write.

[attachedto4]

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 2:31 pm

Thanks for your feedback, I gleaned some very good info from each of your replies. She is just 6, so I really liked the comment about not wanting your child to be a superstar, but just let them be 6. And also, the school habit comment was right on. I have been relaxed with them, this is the first year of more structure, so you were right on with that comment- some of it is them getting used to school habits. I'm trying to build up slowly and work up to things, and will keep all of your comments in mind. Thanks!

[RachelT]

My daughter will be 6 in May and my son will be 8 in July, and she reads at a 2nd grade level and my son at a 5th grade. Do you think she would be okay in Adventure along with my 2nd grader?

What advantage would there be to keep her in a 1st grade curriculum over doing Adventures with her brother ? She has mastered phonics, is a great speller and reader. She is also advanced in math. She has been in a private school this year and in Kinder they did Saxon math 1 which she blew right threw.

Hello! I've always combined my younger one into whatever "core" program we are doing with my older one and it works well, especially since she is also an advanced reader/writer for her age. The year that we did Adventures, my older child was in 2nd gr. and my younger one was a Kindergartener, but she had already completed MFW K the year before (early). So she did all of the activities and did the notebook and enjoyed it. However, I've always separated them for phonics/reading/spelling/language arts.

If you decide to use Adventures with both of them, do you know what you are going to do for their reading/language arts? My dd is an advanced reader and speller for her age and her handwriting is beautiful (she is already working on cursive). However, I went ahead and used the MFW 1st phonics and Bible reader and Bible notebook for her this year. Most of the phonics was review, but one of the largest areas of growth has been in her writing the summaries in the Bible notebook, but you will be doing notebooking in Adventures. I also am glad that she has gotten the basic Bible timeline, learned the books of the Bible, etc. If you feel that your younger child has mastered phonics, would you just go onto the 2nd gr. recommendations for English and spelling with PLL and SbSS? Then she would really be doing 2nd grade work. My dd likes having her own Bible reader and she is an "artsy" kid, so she really enjoys drawing the pictures in the Bible notebook. I would just call the office and ask them what they would recommend.

Have you looked under the Choosing Curicculum heading under the archives? If you look there, you will find "How to Teach K and 1st gr. together - MFW's Reccomendations". The first part of it describes how to teach a K'er and 1st grader, but look below that and you will find this (which sounds like your kids):

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 My Father’s World Deluxe Package
First Grade Student Materials
Primary Language Lessons, Spelling by Sound and Structure for Grade 2, and 2nd grade math (Singapore)

So, if you call them and give them more specifics about what your children are ready for, they can help you sort out what to do about reading/spelling/language arts and math. They are very helpful!

Rachel

[tiffany]

When we started with MFW, my then 6 year old, 1st grade aged son, had already completed a comprehensive phonics program as well. We were starting with ECC, since I also had a 3rd & 5th grader. He did fine, loved it actually. We never did Adventures, because of when we started with MFW, but I'm sure that will work for you. You'll be able to figure out how to tailor it to him without much trouble I'm sure. Have fun!

[DS4home]

I have an 8 yr old DS who will begin ADV (for 3rd grade) in July. I also have a 6 yr old DD old who will be starting 1st grade late summer/early autumn.

Will a new 1st grader successfully be able to join along in Adventures? I doubt she'll be fluent in reading and writing as MFW's website suggests for a 1st grader to join in on Adventures. I would love for my DD to successfully join in on ECC with my DS when she is 7 going on 8 for school year 2014/2015. Sorry if this sounds convoluted!
~Helen

That is part of the fun of learning as a family! The younger kids are invited to participate in the fun activities and enjoy exposure to the topics in older sibling's curriculum, while still going through their own K or 1st grade program. Then once they are in 2nd grade they join older sibling full time. Every child will need to do LA and math at their own level throughout their school years. But it is very easy to combine them for Bible, History, and some Science.

So, yes, I think a 1st grader would have quite a bit of fun joining along in Adventures. You may be surprised at how much she absorbs from Adv, even though she has her own 1st grade stuff to do for skill subjects. The hands on activities are so effective at making the learning stick in their little memories!

Dawn

[Helent]

Thank you, Dawn. Your message comforts me. And I must remind myself that the education I am providing my children far exceeds the PS education I received. I fret about missing even a moment of possible learning for my children. I need a chill pill!

I appreciate your encouragement.

I cannot wait to begin using MFW. I just ordered MFW K tonight and am so excited to begin our MFW journey.

~ Helen

[Mom2theteam]

I'm planning for my K'ers and preschoolers to join in when we start Adv next summer/fall. I'll have a 2nd grader, 2 K'ers and 2 preschoolers (and one under a year still). Right now, my oldest does 1st and the youngers tag along. They tagged along when he did K too. It will all work out! Have fun!!

[DaniWestRN]

I am doing exactly this this year. My 1st grader (a young 6, boy) is doing just fine. At the beginning of the year he could (mostly) write his letters and read CVC words as one would expect for a child who has completed MFW K. But he was definitely not reading or writing on his own. We do MFW 1st phonics and math, but that is all. He joins his sister in Adventures for everything else. (He already sat through the 1st grade Bible, history, etc last year when he was in K.) Now I DO NOT require as much work from him. For example, during bible he sits, listens to the lesson, and takes part in the Jesus name poster and any activities, but his sister is the one who reads the Bible passages. Another example is the notebooking page. He completes them but I require only a few words instead of the 3-4 sentences his sister writes. I also write out what he needs to write for him. He does all the science and art/music activities. Sure he isn't remembering as much as his sister, but he IS still hearing it all.
Hope that helps!

[Helent]

Thanks, Danielle. I appreciate this encouragement so much. I wish we could all get together w/a cup of tea or coffee and chit-chat about our MFW experiences!

~ Helen

[4monkeyz]

I have a 1st grader riding along with us in Adven. and it has been very easy to keep the work at her level/pace. She has her own student sheets, a Jesus poster and I also keep her journal sheets brief, pre-writing if she asks, which she appreciates. I am working through MFW 1st grade with her just so I know she has a solid reading/math foundation. Even my 3 & 4 yo sit in. And they do pick up quite a bit...Scary sometimes. Heehee. But Adven. is so much fun!!

[Julie in MN]

I doubt she'll be fluent in reading and writing as MFW's website suggests for a 1st grader to join in on Adventures.

I think you're referring to this in the manual/website:

• * an advanced six-year-old child who has already completed a full phonics program and is reading
  and writing well.
  
  Younger siblings (five- and six-year-olds) will enjoy participating in many of the activities.

Just to clarify, it basically means that Adventures can be an advanced child's main program, but for a regular 1st grader the Adventures activities can be a fun extra. Another option for some families is to pick-n-choose, combining everyone in all subjects except reading and math (which always need to be at the child's own individual level), so maybe on one day, everyone will do Adventures science instead of using the 1st grade science, and on another day maybe a 1st grade craft looks more fun than the one scheduled in Adventures that day...

Julie

[BCat7305]

We did Adv when my boys were 1st (an older 1st grader, fall bday and advanced) and K. My 1st grader was way beyond MFW-1 but my K-er was too young to do the next core in SL, which we were using then. So I went for Adventures---

The K-er had a GREAT time--he narrated to me for the notebooking pages, sometimes he would copy a (short) sentence, just whatever he was up to. And I read everything to him--we often read the book basket books together aloud, although I had my older son read some on his own. Really, the reading and writing were all that I had to adapt--he loved listening to all the books and doing all the activities.

(And at the time we used it, I think the Story of the US, the history spine, had not been revised? or something--seems like I heard they made it easier to understand. When we used it, it was a very quaint, old style of writing--but my K-er LOVED it and really worked to understand it).

We had a great year-it was probably the best year of homeschooling we ever had. We went back to SL after that for the past 2 1/2 years, but now that we've done a run through of history with SL, we are coming back to MFW next year to do at least a full round through the 5 year cycle.

I will say, since we weren't doing MFW-K with my son that year, I did have a separate math and reading curriculum to work through--MFW would cover that in their K. We did Christian Light phonics and math to fill in those areas.

Betsy

[Julie in MN]

My son is running about a year ahead, he's 5.5, and we just started MFW 1. We'll finish in November, and take next December off. That would have us starting Adventures when DS is 6.5 - is that too young? Would the work be too much for him?

You know, I haven't heard much about age-level problems in Adventures. I think it will be okay for several reasons -- It's written specifically for 2nd-3rd graders, rather than the wide age-span of the older years. It's also set up to allow language arts and math to be tailored for the individual child. And there are not a lot of maturity issues with the subject matter, especially if a child has done fine with MFW-K and 1st.

I think age-level issues emerge more commonly in the history cycle (CTG through 1850MOD). One idea discussed on the boards this past year was to stretch out ECC when you get there, rather than delaying or stretching out Adventures.

Meanwhile, I'd take a wait-and-see approach for now. Kids sometimes need to slow down a bit once they're past the review at the beginning of 1st, and into the thick of MFW-1st phonics and writing. You're in a good position because you are not in a hurry. But if you get too far ahead, then ECC might be a good place to slow down?

Hopefully you'll hear from some others who have done ADV with a younger one.
Julie

[BCat7305]

I don't want to retype, lol--I answered another similar post yesterday and I"m pasting it here--
We did Adv when my boys were 1st (an older 1st grader, fall bday and advanced) and K. My 1st grader was way beyond MFW-1 but my K-er was too young to do the next core in SL, which we were using then. So I went for Adventures---

The K-er had a GREAT time--he narrated to me for the notebooking pages, sometimes he would copy a (short) sentence, just whatever he was up to. And I read everything to him--we often read the book basket books together aloud, although I had my older son read some on his own. Really, the reading and writing were all that I had to adapt--he loved listening to all the books and doing all the activities.

(And at the time we used it, I think the Story of the US, the history spine, had not been revised? or something--seems like I heard they made it easier to understand. When we used it, it was a very quaint, old style of writing--but my K-er LOVED it and really worked to understand it).

We had a great year-it was probably the best year of homeschooling we ever had. We went back to SL after that for the past 2 1/2 years, but now that we've done a run through of history with SL, we are coming back to MFW next year to do at least a full round through the 5 year cycle.

I will say, since we weren't doing MFW-K with my son that year, I did have a separate math and reading curriculum to work through--MFW would cover that in their K. We did Christian Light phonics and math to fill in those areas.

Betsy

[Mommy22alyns]

I did Adventures last year with both of my girls, 1st and 3rd grades. Sylvia did very well in it, and I don't think it was too much for her in the slightest. We all had a wonderful year.