The grammar stage in homeschooling spans from about kindergarten or first grade through fourth or fifth grade, depending on the child. I include my young ones in our grammar schooling, as they usually want to keep up with their siblings and they enjoy the readings and such. Some things are specific to the actual place the child is in a subject, some things are more universal. If you’ve never seen planning by stage, this may seem confusing that first and fifth graders can go by the same curriculum plans. But trust me, I’ve been combining ages for a long time and can tell you, even with the same sources, kids work and understand at the level they are.
Bible
The Ark, The Reed, and The Fire Cloud (4 days/week; weeks 1-17)
The Dreamer, The Schemer, and The Robe (4 days/week; weeks 18-32)
History
Story of the World, Volume 1 (1-2 days/week; weeks 1-34) (This is the history spine. There are additional readings for history, but this is the main portion of history. I cover 1-2 chapter each week to get through the entire volume in our three 12-week terms.)
Story of the World, Volume 1, Activity Guide (weeks 1-34) (This book is used for weekly activities and contains coloring pages and suggestions to “beef up” Story of the World.)
It’s Disgusting and We Ate It! (week 1)
You Wouldn’t Want to be a Pyramid Builder (weeks 2-3)
You Wouldn’t Want to be a Sumerian Slave (weeks 4-5)
Gilgamesh the King (week 6)
The Revenge of Ishtar (week 6)
The Last Quest of Gilgamesh (week 6)
One Grain of Rice (week 7)
The Story About Ping (week 7)
Anasi the Spider (week 8)
Temple Cat (week 8)
Baby Moses (week 9)
In Search of a Homeland (weeks 9-14)
Tales of Troy and Greece (weeks 13-20)
D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths (weeks 21-36)
Classical Kids (activity guide for making history activities)
Old Testament Days (activity guide for making history activities)
Science
Nature Study: Christian Liberty Press Nature Reader on Student’s Level (1-3 days/week; weeks 1-36)(individual readers availble for sale on Christian Book)
Core Science: General Science 2: Survey of Geology and Archaeology (just using the books for the grammar stage. The logic and rhetoric stages are using the full curriculum. This is our main science curriculum. We’re adding some more books to further study the topics found in these books.) (weeks 1-32) (Individual books: Archaeology, Geology, Fossil, Cave)
Geology Lab for Kids (weeks 33-36)
Rocks, Rivers, and the Changing Earth (weeks 1-28)
Archaeologists Dig for Clues (weeks 1-2)
The Street Beneath My Feet (weeks 3-4)
What is an Archaeologist? (weeks 5-6)
Ancient Civilizations (weeks 7-10)
Planet Earth Inside Out (Week 11)
Rocks, Fossils, and Arrowheads (week 17)
A Rock is Lively (week 19)
Rock Collecting for Kids (weeks 20-21; 28-32)
Caves and Caverns (weeks 22-25)
Jurassic Poop (week 26)
Let’s Go Rock Collecting (week 27)
Language Arts
Once kids can read, they start grammar. I do read the Literature books out loud for the younger kids. Free Reads are for kids old enough to read chapter books alone. If you’ve got a great reader, check out the books for the logic stage. If you’ve got ones learning to read, reading Bob books during the free reading time is a great option.
Grammar
Beowulf Grammar (4-5 days/week; weeks 1-36)
Literature Reads
The First Dog (week 1)
A Cry from Egypt (weeks 1-8)
Mummies Made in Egypt (week 3)
Mummies in the Morning (weeks 4-8)
Hour of the Olympics (weeks 9-12)
The Children’s Homer (weeks 13-20)
The Trojan Horse (weeks 15-18)
Romulus and Remus (weeks 21-22)
Aesop’s Fables (weeks 22-36)
Free Reads
Handwriting
Draw, Write, Now (1-2 days/week; weeks 1-36)
Logic
Creative Problem Solving (1 day/week; weeks 1-36)
Languages
My kids have been learning French. I usually don’t start Latin until the Logic stage.
My First French Lesson (1 day/week; weeks 1-36)
Math
Use whatever math works for your child. This is just what we use for this stage.
Math Mammoth on child’s level (4-5 days/week; weeks 1-36)
Character
The Mess Detectives and the Case of the Lost Temper (week 10)
Junior Comes Clean (week 11)
Bob and Larry and the Case of the Missing Patience (week 12)
Larry Makes a Choice (week 23)
All is Fair When We Share (week 24)
I keep everything planned out as seen above for each week. For the grammar stage, I try to plan the majority of the work Monday-Thursday and add extra subjects in on Fridays.
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I encourage you, don’t feel like you have to buy all your school books new! Check out ThriftBooks.com for some great deals on used books. (That link is my referral link!) Also, check out Scribd, which is like Netflix for ebooks and audiobooks. (That link is my referral link!) There are so many great books available through both that will save you money. Also, remember to check your library. Libby is a great app that many library systems use where you can get ebooks and audiobooks through your local library. Of course, you can also max out your library card checking out great books, as well.
[…] For simplicity’s sake, I’ve broken down the curriculum into four posts: Morning Basket, Grammar Stage, Logic Stage, and Rhetoric […]