My goal has always been to school the older ones together and the younger two together. So whilst the older ones learn about the crusades the little ones will be going over BFIAR again, but a little more academically this time. I have specific goals in mind for each of my younger two. These include:
For A4
- To be reading fairly fluently at the end of this academic year (we will be using level one All About Reading). She already sight reads fairly well, but finds it hard to sound out even the most simple of words, although using the McGuffey’s Primer has gone a long way to helping her and I can definitely see an improvement.
- To learn to write all her letters. To do a sentence of copy work every day (we will use this free program)
- To really understand and know off by heart number bonds up to 10 (I will simply be playing with her. She is a strong maths student from what I can see. However, this year is for her to develop a true sense of numbers)
- To be able to write her numbers (We will use this free program)
- To encourage early story writing skills I will be asking her to narrate each BFIAR book
- To begin learning scripture and poetry off by heart – this will done during our morning meeting with the older children. In addition I have bought her some bible Explorer books:
- To be read to three or four times a day with a chapter book at night time (I intend to start with the Milly, Molly, Mandy series) as well as a bible story
- To learn all the continents and seas and be able to point to them on the map
- To learn the combinations of colours
For B2
- To learn her A, B, C’s
- To just have lots of opportunities to hold a pen/crayon etc.
- To learn her numbers up to 10 and the corresponding amounts
- To work (at her own level) to learn scripture and poems
- To be read to three or four times a day with a chapter book at night time
- To become familiar with the idea of a globe and map
- To learn her colours
Young Scientists at Play
Science for both of them will still be all about investigation and fun hands on activities.
- Nature
- Colour science
- Ice experiments
Young Artists at Play
Their art/craft time will probably be used to meet some of their learning goals and will include lots and lots of colour play. I will also try to link their art to the BFIAR book I am using.
I will use BFIAR to achieve all of my above learning goals for the two girls. At this age I like to use this curriculum because it reigns me in a little! I have written a post all about how I double row each book.
The Little One’s Schedule
They will have an hour with me each morning for chore training and their BFIAR work, after which they will have 1-2-1 with me alone. A4 will be doing bible study, maths play and All About Reading Level One, whilst B2 will be doing counting activities and All About Reading Pre-Reading Level.
In the afternoon they will have a half an hour with me to do the subject linked to that day. For example, Monday will be our literature day so on this day we will all have a poetry tea together, Wednesday will be our science day so we will be doing our Young Scientist at Play fun.
I’m excited about this year with my littles. Last year was all about fun, this year is all about learning and A4 is so ready for it! It is going to be a good year!
Over on the children’s blog A4 is demonstrating how she dyed some cloth using coffee as a natural dye:
Wow, that’s a very full plan for the little ones. They (and you) are going to be BUSY while having lots of fun. 🙂
I hope so. I wanted to be a little more goal orientated this year.
This is really interesting as my youngest will also be reception age. Thank you for the handwriting link-that looks really useful.
I saw your post. I keep meaning to go back and leave a message to say we have lots of the Jolly Phonics reading books if you would like to borrow them? (I think we have ALL of them!)
Great plans. We LOVE All About Reading.
I think it is being delivered today so I’m really looking forward to looking through it and familiarising myself with it. I’ve heard good things.
Looks like it’s going to be fun 🙂 I will relive our BFIAR days through you! We are going to move on to the FIAR book this year.
I was definitely in two minds whether to skip our second row. I think A4 would love the FIAR books, but I decided B2 just needed one more year of BFIAR. I so want to teach them together and it is easier to make a younger age fit an older age than it is the other way round. I hope you have a wonderful year with FIAR! I do hope you post, I really enjoy reading about all your activities.