Welcome to ​Old Fashioned Education's FREE online K-12 curriculum.
Before you begin, please read the introduction and license agreement. ​

Directions: 

1. Gather materials using the Booklist (below) for what to teach.
2. Print the 40-Week Schedule PDF for when to teach it.
3. Order the Grade 1 Teaching Guide (optional) with lesson plans, worksheets, tests, and answer key for how to teach it or plan your own lessons using the FREE Student Weekly Assignment Booklet PDF.

Key:  *Free online   ❶  Our Pick!   ❷ Christianbook

First Grade
Age 6+
General American History


King James Bible

• The King James Version of the Bible*

Bible Study

• Mother Stories from the Old Testament* and Mother Stories from the New Testament*​
• Children may use Bible Atlas * by Hurlbut, for reference.
• Continue Prayers for Children, ill. by Eloise Wilkin ❷ ($5) or Little Folded Hands*- used for prayer recitation in PreK-K. Learn 6 prayers.
• Memorize The Lord's Prayer.

​Optional Sunday Reading:

• Mrs. Gatty's Parables from Nature *

​Devotions

• Keys for Kids* or Kids 4 Truth Devotionals* or other devotions of your choice

Arithmetic. Choose 1.

• CIMT, MEP, Primary Year 2*
• Everyday Arithmetic Primer (First Half)* with Answers*
• Ray's New Primary Arithmetic* and Ray's free video lessons*
• Math program of your choice, purchase separately ❶ 

​
Science. Choose 1.

• Enjoying Science Together (family together) or

Read through the following: 

• Among the Forest People*  ❶
• Among the Night People* ❶
• Among the Pond People* ❶
• Among the Farm-Yard People* ❶
• Among the Meadow People* ❶
• The Stories Mother Nature Told Her Children*

​
​Library Skills

• Go to the library once a week, learn how it all works. If you go on Fridays then you can check out the books you'll need for the following week.

​
Language Arts

• Phonics: Word Mastery: A Course in Phonics for the First Three Grades*, pp. 26-64
• Reading: McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader* ❷ and A Primary Reader*
• Writing: Enjoying Penmanship - My First Copybook ^, purchase separately
• Spelling: McGuffey's Eclectic Spelling Book, up to lesson 6 (included in Enjoying Penmanship)
• Grammar: Lessons in the Use of English: Book 1*, part 1 [1]

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If you are using all 3 programs of study, the reading below is optional.

Literature

• Choose as many or as few of these books as you see fit.  You don't need to read all of them.  Just the ones you like.
• The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter*
• A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson*
• English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs*
• Arthur Scott Bailey ❶
  • Sleepy-Time Tales: the Tale of Fatty Coon* 
  • Tale of Brownie Beaver* 
  • The Tale of Buster Bumblebee* 
  • The Tale of Cuffy Bear* 
  • The Tale of Freddie Firefly*
  • The Tale of Frisky Squirrel*
  • The Tale of Henrietta Hen*
  • The Tale of Major Monkey*
  • The Tale of Old Mr. Crow*
  • The Tale of Pony Twinkleheels*
  • The Tale of Sandy Chipmunk* 
  • The Tale of Tommy Fox*
  • The Tale of Solomon Owl*
  • The Tale of Timothy Turtle*
• Andrew Lang's Fairy Books*, continue as desired

History

• Stories of American Life and Adventure *  

Biography

• Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans *

​
Geography & Social Studies

• The Seven Little Sisters who Live on the Round Ball that Floats in the Air by Jane Andrews
• First Lessons in Geography by James Monteith [2]
• ​Sampling Science & Social Studies*, figure on 1 or 2 books per month as desired​

Read Alouds (FREE at library or build your library - 1 picture book per week) 

Term 1 (Weeks 1-12)​

1. A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker
2. The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane by C. M. Millen *
3. A House Is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman
4. Miss Twiggley’s Tree by Dorothea Warren Fox *
5. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber *
6. A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus by David A. Adler
7. Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Pane
8. Wynken, Blynken, and Nod by Eugene Field, Illustrated by Johanna Westerman
9. The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet
10. The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear
11. The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown
12. The Very First Thanksgiving Day Rhonda Gowler Greene

Term 2 (Weeks 13-24)​

1. ​Choo Choo by Virginia Lee Burton
2. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg *
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss *
4. Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
5. The Moon Shines Down by Margaret Wise Brown *
6. Norman the Doorman by Don Freeman
7. Pickle-Chiffon Pie by Jolly Roger Bradfield *
8. The Star-Spangled Banner Illustrated by Peter Spier
9. Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books by Kay Winters
10. White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt
11. Patrick – Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie de Paola
12. Doctor DeSoto by William Steig

Term 3 (Weeks 25-36)

1. Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky
2. Rechenka’s Eggs by Patricia Polacco
3. The Glorious Flight by Alice and Martin Provensen
4. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema
5. Fly High, Fly Low by Don Freeman
6. Millions of Cats by Wanda Ga’g
7. The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow
8. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
9. A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor
10. Saint Francis and the Wolf by Jane Langton, Illustrated by Ilse Plume *
11. A Song for Wooster - Happy Day Farm Series by Lana Kuhns*
12. Bart the Bully Goat - Happy Day Farm Series by Lana Kuhns*

Need additional picture books?  Little Jewel Books (Christian)

First Grade Syllabus​

Spend about 60 minutes daily on Program 3: Individual Study for Grade 1 as follows:

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4
Math ​(20 minutes)	Math ​(20 minutes)	Math ​(20 minutes)	Math ​(20 minutes)
Science ​(30 minutes)	Grammar ​(30 minutes)	Science (30 minutes)	Grammar ​(30 minutes)
Reading ​(10 minutes)	Writing (10 minutes)	Reading ​(10 minutes)	Writing (10 minutes)

Add in 1 lesson from Program 1: Christian Study and 1 lesson from  Program 3: Enrichment Study daily for a complete curriculum.

Have First Grade questions or comments?  See FAQ's

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Notes
[1] Lessons in the Use of English by Mary Hyde is the FREE original work. English for the Thoughtful Child and First Language Lessons were both based on this work.
[2] A few details in the geography books are out of date. We recommend that you get a world map and use an ink pen to update the text as needed.
^Consumable books less than 10%