First Language Lessons

One piece of curriculum we have decided to add into our school year is First Language Lessons: For The Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise. I have heard really good things about this approach and a couple of years back attended a small class on teaching with this book. When originally beginning our planning I was leaning towards including this in next years plan or later in our First Grade year. However, I keep finding Holly gravitates towards parts of speech and we play a game that has started a basic introduction to it... so here we are - adding this into this years plan now. Which is probably best as the book is designed for both 1st and 2nd grade.

The lessons are super easy!!! It is based on a dialogue she and I have with a lot of review, a very slow approach. Taking time to really review and expose her.  But the lessons take minutes, a very short period of time.There is some basic writing work eventually - but very little. Personally I appreciate that portion of it and I know she is too.

Right now she is learning about Nouns and working over to Common Nouns. As well, this book has an approach to basic memorization to poetry. Her first poem she is beginning to memorize is called The Caterpillar by Christina G. Rossetti. She loves this poem! Today was day four of learning it and I decided to tie in a small craft of making a mini caterpillar out of an egg carton... while this has been done by Holly numerous times throughout the years - this time was a tad different as it went with her poem she is learning. I think it has a bit more meaning to her now.

Anyhow, so far we are really enjoying this book!

Q-Bitz Game

I try to incorporate a lot of games into our learning, to spice things up and honestly -- you can learn a lot from games! We own a ton of games, they are used well in this house and I am always on the look out for something a little bit different.

This year for Holly's birthday she got a couple of new games. Q-Bitz is one of her new games that we have already spend a good period of time enjoying. This is a great puzzle game that works on some logic skills, pattern recognition, memory skills and general math.

The game has four little wooden boards with 16 different patterned dice. You flip a card with a pattern on it and race to see who can complete the pattern first (or enjoy alone). Then you can spice it up a bit with rolling your dice to complete the pattern or using your memory to complete the pattern. It is challenging and fun - a hit for us for sure!

If you are enjoy games or are a fellow home schooling family or instructor this would make a great addition to your learning!!!