First Grade Lesson Planning
Tuesday 
in mid-morning 
Mystie
A couple weeks ago I finally came up with a plan of attack for lesson planning. Yes, a plan for planning. I’m hopeless. I came up with what I wanted plotted out and what I could leave with “do the next thing” and how to know what books to have from the library when. I wanted to do all planning (book and lesson plotting, copying, printing, library haul, etc.) a term at a time. Several other ladies — ones I have never met — helped me come up with a lesson plan plan:
Brandy: Lesson Plans and Record Keeping
Kendra: School Planning
Ann: Planning Days
Lindafay: Year 1 - How We Fit It All In & For the Imperfect Folks
Angelina: Scheduling Our Weeks & Days
So — a la Brandy, I have paperwork that doubles as planning and record-keeping. A la Kendra, I do a slug all at once (but only for a 6 week term, not a whole year). Like Ann, I left room to make notes and adjustments and changes right on the print-out. Like Lindayfay’s, I have checkboxes for the subjects written out. And, as Angelina does, we don’t do everything everyday. I am doing it five days a week, but Wednesday is a light day so we can make it to play group easily, and all told the longest day should take 2 hours maximum to complete (I plan on utilizing timers), so we’re not spending all day with school anyway. Of course we have Morning Time a la Cindy, and 2/3 of the scheduled school could count as MT (art, reading, memory, all done as a group, i.e. with Jaeger, too). And, like myself, the plan is a detailed and aesthetically formatted document.
So, here is the page for week one:
My printed version has page numbers and book titles written in, but in pencil. So I can erase or redo so that the completed sheet is an accurate description of what actually happened, and not just what I hoped would happen. The spaces for each of the boys I can also use to take notes on attitude or problems or funny things, and I still have room in the boxes for the subject (or the back of the sheet) to take notes on something that did or didn’t work well or jot down ideas or follow-ups or other notes. I have a sheet for each week of the term, and they have their own clipboard.
I’m pretty pleased with how it came together. Of course, that’s probably because it’s sitting pretty on the clipboard not yet used.
Perfect timing! I am trying to sort out my first grade year as well and this is going to help out so much! Thank you thank you thank you! :)
Hi Mystie,
I first “met” you at Dominion Family and have always enjoyed your comments and, recently, your blog. I love your lesson plans post and was wondering what Bible curriculum, or book, you are using? Also, what is LoP?
As for geography, how do you decide what library books to use for the week?
You really have a lot of wisdom for your young family and they are very blessed to have you for a wife and mommy!
In Christ,
MrsD
MrsD: I posted about the books (owned, not library, including the Bible curriculum) I’m using here and here. LoP stands for Line of Promise, and is a time-line-like chart in the back of the Bible curriculum that shows the people through the Old Testament that God used to bring about and bless His People (Noah, Shem, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, etc.) and a line below it of people used by Satan to attempt to break the line or used by God to judge His People (Cain, Ham, Ishmael, Egypt, Achan, etc.).
Some of the library books I use are ones I saw in the Veritas or Sonlight catalogs, but most are just whatever the library has. :) I browse the library catalog online, place a hold on books that sound applicable, pick them up (the librarians pull them and place them on a self-serve “hold” shelf), make sure they are applicable and useful, then check them out or return them. I try to check out one DK or Usborne book for each week’s topic to put in their quiet time “browsing box,” too. They are cool books, but there’s too much tiny, disconnected text to really use them for reading aloud. But the boys love looking at the pictures.
Cindy’s blog is a good place to make connections. :) I “recognize” you from the comments section, as well. :) Thanks for stopping by.