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

Get Simply Year One for free!  See how >> 

​
​Directions: 

1. Gather materials using the Booklist (below) for what to teach.
2. Print the free 40-Week Schedule PDF for when to teach it.
3. Order Simply Year One Course with lesson plans, journal, tests, and answer key for how to teach it or plan your own lessons using the Free Planner.

Key:  *Free online   ❶  Our Pick!   ❷ Purchase

Simply Year One

Grade 1+ (up to 6)
General American History + Ancient

• Bible Study
• Math/Science
• Language Arts
• Literature
• History & Social Studies
• Enrichments

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King James Bible

• King James Version of the Bible* | All Levels​

Bible Study

• Mother Stories from the Old Testament* and Mother Stories from the New Testament*​ | Level 0
• ​A Child's Garden of Bible Stories* | Level 1 ❶ [Note 1]
• Hurlbut's Bible Atlas* | Level 1-2
• Child's Book of Prayers* ❶ or Prayers for Children or Little Folded Hands* | Level 0-1
• Learn 9 prayers. Learn The Lord's Prayer.

​​Optional Sunday Reading: 

• Parables from Nature* | Level 1-2

Devotions

• Keys for Kids* or Kids 4 Truth Devotionals* or  More Than Words or your choice | Level 1-2​

Hymns

• Hymn Study Year 1 *

Arithmetic

Choose 1.

• ​CIMT, MEP, Primary Year 2* | Level 1
• Everyday Arithmetic Primer (First Half)* with Answers* | Level 1
• Ray's New Primary Arithmetic* and Ray's free video lessons* | Level 1
• Math program of your choice ❷

Science

Eyes and No Eyes Series by Arabella B. Buckley ($) | Level 1

• Wild Life in the Woods and Field*
• By Pond and River*
• Plant Life in Field and Garden*
• Birds of the Air*
• Trees and Shrubs*
• Insect Life*

Language Arts

• Phonics: Word Mastery: A Course in Phonics for the First Three Grades*, pp. 26-64 [Note 2]
• Reading: McGuffey's First Eclectic Reader* and A Primary Reader* or your grade level
• Writing: Enjoying Penmanship Book One or handwriting book of choice ^ ❷
• Spelling: McGuffey's Eclectic Spelling Book* up to lesson 4 (included in Enjoying Penmanship)
• Grammar: Enjoying Language Arts 1 ^ ❷ + Lessons in the Use of English: Book 1*, Part 1 [Note 3]

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.

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 * | Level 0-2
• A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson * | Level 1

Arthur Scott Bailey's Animal Stories * | Level 0

• 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
• More Arthur Scott Bailey's Animal Stories *​

​​Extra Reading:

• Andersen's Fairy Tales *or Andrew Lang's * or Grimm's Fairy Tales | Level 1
• The Aesop for Children * or Here | Level 1
• Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit* | Level 2

History

• A Child's History of the World by Hillyer * | Level 1
• ​American History Stories Volume I * | Level 1 or 

Biography

• ​Stories of American Life and Adventure * | Level 0-1
  
• Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans * | Level 0-1

Geography & Social Studies

• First Lessons in Geography by James Monteith* | Level 1 [Note 4]
• A Child's Geography of the World by Hillyer* | Level 1
• The Seven Little Sisters who Live on the Round Ball that Floats in the Air by Jane Andrews* | Level 0-1

Enrichments

• Scripture Memory: Scripture Verse Pack 1 *
• Art: Knights of Art: Stories of the Italian Painters * + ​Giotto Art Cards PDF* + What to Draw and How to Draw *
• Music: ​Classics for Kids* and Piano Lessons at Hoffman Academy*
• Latin: Latin for Beginners and Key* or Getting Started with Latin or Prima Latina Set with CD ❶
• French: Hachette's Illustrated French Primer * or Getting Started with French or ​French for Children CDs ❶
• Habit Study: Everyday Graces: A Child's Book of Good Manners * + Book of Mottoes (notebook)
• Handicraft: Hand Sewing Project of choice ❷ 
• Poetry: A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson* or Graded Poetry: First and Second Year*
• Nature Study: Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature + Watercolor Set ❷
• Nature Study Guide: Here* or Here*
• Activity: Going on Eagerly by Martha Rohrer ^ ❷, Review of Prep Level skills & knowledge + fine motor activities.

Read Alouds

(FREE at library or build your library - 1 picture book per two weeks)

Need additional picture books?  Little Jewel Books (Christian)

• Schedule
• Syllabus
• FAQ

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*Morning Time uses a gentle loop schedule: Prayers, Hymns, Scripture Memory, Recitation, Devotions, Stories.
**Enrichment uses a gentle loop schedule. For a more robust enrichment use Enrichment Study 1.

​Course of Study:

• Morning Time.  Warm-up with a gentle loop schedule of prayer memory, scripture memory, hymns, devotions, picture books, calendar time, recitation, chore cards, etc. (optional).
• Christian Study (30 minutes daily). Study one per day: Bible, Ancient History, American History, Geography combined with Journaling.  (Morning Time can fit into this time slot.)
• Individual Study (30 minutes daily). Study two per day: math (daily), science or language arts (reading, writing, penmanship, spelling, grammar, phonics), and electives (terms 2-3).
• Enrichment Study (30 minutes daily). Study one per day with a gentle loop schedule: art, music, literature, poetry, habits, handicrafts, foreign languages, nature walks. 
• Activity. Outdoor play daily. We provide gentle reminders for developing fine & gross motor skills.

Additional Suggestions:

• Go to the library once per week to pick-out picture books and learn how it all works.
• Begin or continue to learn an instrument.
• Begin or continue to learn dance or other physical sport.
• Plan at least 3 field trips (such as symphony, museum, national park (Jr. Ranger Program), zoo, farm, etc.)

Q. How do I get started?
A. Gather the course book, supply list, and a few books (that aren't free online) and you are ready to start.
    No pre-reading is needed, as lessons are open-and-go.

Q. What grade-level can use Simply Year One?
A. Grade 1+ (up to grade 6) can use Simply Year One. Our living book selections are level 1 (grades 1-3) and level 2 
   (grades 4-6) and enjoyed by adults too. Parents will need to choose a grade-level McGuffey Reader and Math.
   Best for grades 1 to 3 and easily adapted for grades 4 to 6.

Q. Can I use this just as a first grade curriculum?
A. Yes, this works perfect as a first grade curriculum* (but it also works as a family together).
*If your child didn't complete prep-level, don't worry, we will review the foundations in this
 course (included recitation & activity), but you will need to add-in phonics: learn to read.

Q. How long are lessons?
A. Daily lessons take about 90 minutes (30 minutes per program) plus time for outdoor play or activity. Math will depend on grade level. Start with 15 minutes in first and add 5 minutes per grade or as child holds attention.

Q. Is this a mastery program?
A. We use Charlotte Mason methods in this course, but we also encourage a gentle recitation at morning time. The recitation is in the appendix and it builds mastery (or long-term memory) of knowledge.

Q. Do you include Christian teaching?
A. Our program's foundation is the Bible! Children read the Bible and Bible Stories for themselves. Devotionals are parent's choice. Scripture Memory is the King James Version, selected for its literary beauty.

Have Simply Year One questions or comments?  Go Here

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Notes
[1] During Bible Study, we ask our child to try to read the Bible story aloud. This has really helped improve reading skills! A Child's Garden of Bible Stories was written for this purpose and that is why we added it to the booklist {see forward), however, the free online selections may be suitable for this as well.
[2] Classical Phonics by Memoria Press is based on the original Word Mastery (which is free online).
[3] 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. For those with more than one elementary child, you could choose level 1 and teach all your children together, moving to the next level the following year.
[4] 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%