We already have this and plan to use it for first grade this year, so I am already sold on it, BUT hearing you talk about it makes me so excited to start it! You have a great way of explaining things, your passion shines through! In previous years I thought I leaned more Charlotte Mason style, but this year we are doing mostly Well Trained Mind resources(math with confidence, biology for the grammar stage, first language lessons) and I absolutely LOVE it and so does my student! They balance gentle yet challenging very well. It is teaching me that my child is far more capable than I previously thought (which is crazy because I have always thought children are super capable!).
It's amazing how children can continually astonish us with what they are capable of. Well-Trained Mind has published quite a few quality resources, and yes, I love how First Language Lessons manages to be gentle while also being challenging. It's a gem!
I'm so glad you did this flip through. I used this with my oldest daughter many years ago. I hadn't thought of this in many years but it just went on my list for future curriculum possibilities for my boys. I don't start grammar until 3rd/4th grade with my kids, and I have used Masterbooks LA levels 2-4 with the girls as a grammar introduction before they start Fix It Grammar from IEW. The point you made about the repetition of the concepts in First Language Lessons stood out to me because Masterbooks LA could have more review (in my opinion). So this is definitely going to be an option for grammar introduction for the boys in the future. Thanks for the reminder of this wonderful resource!
Yes, there is a lot of repetition, which is fantastic for gentle, early grammar introduction. As well as very short lessons that don't take long--definitely a solid option!
I love this. Thank you for sharing, I’m trying to figure out a plan for this upcoming school year and would like to know how you utilize this with whatever you’re using for LA?
This is our LA for my 1st grader, this, along with reading (he's reading through the Sonlight 2nd grader reader list, I don't have the guide but I had all the books from my mom's collection). With his reading, I do a DIY "reading journal" notebook where after reading every day, we do some quick exercise: I'll write down words he struggled with so that we can talk about what's going on with the phonics in those words, or I'll write down a sentence for him to copy, or he will narrate a short summary of what he read and I will write it for him. (I talked about how we do a reading journal in my July homeschool update/recap video). Then he does a spelling workbook and takes spelling tests at the end of each unit/week, and he also has Explode the Code in his independent work pile. Simple LA plan for my 1st grader: First Language Lessons, reading books w/ reading journal, Spelling, and Explode the Code (the last two are mostly independent unless I'm giving a spelling test)
Just started this a few days ago with my first grade daughter. It might be a little more formal than I am! Haha. But I think it will be a nice jumping off point. I think I may change some of the memory work to scripture or Christian poems or quotes - which seems like a better use of that memory bank, in my opinion. 😊
Kids typically have a fantastic capacity for memory--I don't worry at all that memorizing poetry will limit their ability to memorize Scripture or catechisms. They are more capable than many give them credit for.
For the last five years, I have used the good and the beautiful. I really have been doing more research this year into Charlotte Mason now that I’m sort of seeing the results of using and relying on one curriculum. My children have really lacked some basic concepts and have a lot of gaps in learning. I’m gonna be getting started with first language lessons, and supplementing with fix-it grammar, writing with ease and night zookeeper for downtime and creative writing practice! I’m desperately struggling with math.. I just got started on beauty and truth! It’s much much slower than I’m used to and for that I am so nervous but it’s not enough. I am supplementing with IXL.. I don’t know if you have any recommendations for math or maybe with some supplemental workbooks
I don't have any experience with Beauty and Truth math--sorry! I have used Math with Confidence. I would identify which specific areas your students need to focus on (i.e. basic addition facts? basic multiplication facts?) and find resources specifically targeted toward those areas.
I'm so excited to do this program! Do you have this mingled into the first grade book, or a separate book for these lessons? Trying to gety brain around how I'm going to keep my 1st graders notes organized in the first year feels overwhelming (and I'm an organized person, so likely I'm just overthinking it)
We have used just a separate small notebook for any writing from these lessons. I could have just incorporated it into his reading notebook for all the books he's reading to have one LA notebook...but this works fine for us, I just keep the notebook and the teacher guide next to each other. I really like using this!
So, do you use this along side Gentle & Classical Sequence 1? I feel like the review of grammar from Seq 1 (especially if you include the LA video/songs) would be enough? Or do you feel this is a worth while add on? This looks fantastic, but I feel like we have a hard enough time getting through all of the basic lessons already.
@@kimberlywiegert2159 I'm not sure what the LA video/songs are...I must have missed those, because I haven't used them or bumped into them. Erin designed the Seq 1 grammar statements to roughly align with the same topics covered in FLL, so the grammar memory statements for us are like a quick, 1 minute review of the lessons introduced in FLL. I keep memory statement review time short and sweet these days.
We started after finishing AAR 2. I don't think that's a "must" as far as progression. This is largely done orally, so there is not much reading or writing for the level intended for 1st grade.
We are halfway through level 1, and we love it. I am using it for my first grader and 3rd grader. It only takes a few minutes to do.
Yes, it really just takes a few minutes, but is covering such a solid foundation for grammatical concepts. I've also been loving using this!
We already have this and plan to use it for first grade this year, so I am already sold on it, BUT hearing you talk about it makes me so excited to start it! You have a great way of explaining things, your passion shines through!
In previous years I thought I leaned more Charlotte Mason style, but this year we are doing mostly Well Trained Mind resources(math with confidence, biology for the grammar stage, first language lessons) and I absolutely LOVE it and so does my student! They balance gentle yet challenging very well. It is teaching me that my child is far more capable than I previously thought (which is crazy because I have always thought children are super capable!).
It's amazing how children can continually astonish us with what they are capable of. Well-Trained Mind has published quite a few quality resources, and yes, I love how First Language Lessons manages to be gentle while also being challenging. It's a gem!
I'm so glad you did this flip through. I used this with my oldest daughter many years ago. I hadn't thought of this in many years but it just went on my list for future curriculum possibilities for my boys.
I don't start grammar until 3rd/4th grade with my kids, and I have used Masterbooks LA levels 2-4 with the girls as a grammar introduction before they start Fix It Grammar from IEW. The point you made about the repetition of the concepts in First Language Lessons stood out to me because Masterbooks LA could have more review (in my opinion). So this is definitely going to be an option for grammar introduction for the boys in the future. Thanks for the reminder of this wonderful resource!
Yes, there is a lot of repetition, which is fantastic for gentle, early grammar introduction. As well as very short lessons that don't take long--definitely a solid option!
We started this year and it’s been perfect for us. ❤
Awesome to hear! We have really liked this.
We do under estimate kids ability!!! I don’t get excited about grammar but we do discuss it as a family especially when we hear bad grammar!!!
haha, I know that not everyone finds grammar to be terribly exciting.
I love this. Thank you for sharing, I’m trying to figure out a plan for this upcoming school year and would like to know how you utilize this with whatever you’re using for LA?
This is our LA for my 1st grader, this, along with reading (he's reading through the Sonlight 2nd grader reader list, I don't have the guide but I had all the books from my mom's collection). With his reading, I do a DIY "reading journal" notebook where after reading every day, we do some quick exercise: I'll write down words he struggled with so that we can talk about what's going on with the phonics in those words, or I'll write down a sentence for him to copy, or he will narrate a short summary of what he read and I will write it for him. (I talked about how we do a reading journal in my July homeschool update/recap video).
Then he does a spelling workbook and takes spelling tests at the end of each unit/week, and he also has Explode the Code in his independent work pile.
Simple LA plan for my 1st grader: First Language Lessons, reading books w/ reading journal, Spelling, and Explode the Code (the last two are mostly independent unless I'm giving a spelling test)
Just started this a few days ago with my first grade daughter. It might be a little more formal than I am! Haha. But I think it will be a nice jumping off point. I think I may change some of the memory work to scripture or Christian poems or quotes - which seems like a better use of that memory bank, in my opinion. 😊
I also just bought the level 2 of Language Lessons for Today, possibly to start with my son. Curious how similar they are.
Kids typically have a fantastic capacity for memory--I don't worry at all that memorizing poetry will limit their ability to memorize Scripture or catechisms. They are more capable than many give them credit for.
For the last five years, I have used the good and the beautiful. I really have been doing more research this year into Charlotte Mason now that I’m sort of seeing the results of using and relying on one curriculum. My children have really lacked some basic concepts and have a lot of gaps in learning. I’m gonna be getting started with first language lessons, and supplementing with fix-it grammar, writing with ease and night zookeeper for downtime and creative writing practice!
I’m desperately struggling with math.. I just got started on beauty and truth! It’s much much slower than I’m used to and for that I am so nervous but it’s not enough. I am supplementing with IXL.. I don’t know if you have any recommendations for math or maybe with some supplemental workbooks
I don't have any experience with Beauty and Truth math--sorry! I have used Math with Confidence. I would identify which specific areas your students need to focus on (i.e. basic addition facts? basic multiplication facts?) and find resources specifically targeted toward those areas.
I'm so excited to do this program! Do you have this mingled into the first grade book, or a separate book for these lessons? Trying to gety brain around how I'm going to keep my 1st graders notes organized in the first year feels overwhelming (and I'm an organized person, so likely I'm just overthinking it)
We have used just a separate small notebook for any writing from these lessons. I could have just incorporated it into his reading notebook for all the books he's reading to have one LA notebook...but this works fine for us, I just keep the notebook and the teacher guide next to each other. I really like using this!
So, do you use this along side Gentle & Classical Sequence 1? I feel like the review of grammar from Seq 1 (especially if you include the LA video/songs) would be enough? Or do you feel this is a worth while add on? This looks fantastic, but I feel like we have a hard enough time getting through all of the basic lessons already.
@@kimberlywiegert2159 I'm not sure what the LA video/songs are...I must have missed those, because I haven't used them or bumped into them. Erin designed the Seq 1 grammar statements to roughly align with the same topics covered in FLL, so the grammar memory statements for us are like a quick, 1 minute review of the lessons introduced in FLL. I keep memory statement review time short and sweet these days.
When would you recommend adding in FLL while using AAR?
We started after finishing AAR 2. I don't think that's a "must" as far as progression. This is largely done orally, so there is not much reading or writing for the level intended for 1st grade.
I rotate this daily with Explode the Code, or something else, for a few minutes before we do our All About Reading.