Here is my list for first grade:
- If you are not a do-it-yourselfer, you will need a curriculum! The one I most frequently recommend is Christopherus (Donna Simmons). If you buy Donna’s curriculum, you will need a form drawing resource, and the other resources she recommends for that grade.
- I suggest you familiarize yourself with the FILES section over at Waldorf Home Educators ( many FREE blocks are there!) created by Marsha Johnson for First Grade in the FILES section at firstname.lastname@example.org
- See the website www.movementforchildhood.com for movement blocks to bring into your homeschool
- THe Christopherus curriculum includes the stories for Main Lessons, but you may want some extra tales to have on hand to tell during knitting, gardening, cooking or what have you. I like the Pantheon Edition of The Grimm Fairy Tales, the book “Hear the Voice of The Griot!” for African tales, and you could also use Slovak tales, Norwegian tales, and any others that suit you! Use your local library for collections.
- “Learning About The World Through Modeling” by Arthur Auer would be important to have to understand the juxtaposition of wet-on-wet watercolor painting and modeling in the curriculum.
- A flute/recorder/pennywhistle and music to teach your child. I know Jodie Mesler is hard at work on a curriculum for this year that one could use with a flute or pennywhisstle or recorder – check it out www.homemusicmaking.blogspot.com
- Collections of poems and versese for the day, season, holiday – I recommend Eric Fairman’s Path of Discovery Grade One if you can get it used, and again, use your library. Some folks really like the seasonal Wynstones books, but I think to use those books fully, you really need to know how to read music. Also, check out Candey Verney’s “The Singing Day” and “The Singing Year”
- General craft supplies for festival crafting. I also still think many of the projects in “Earthways” could still be used.
- Bean bags/silks
- Chalkboard and lap slates
- Watercolor paper/ Watercolor paint / block and stick crayons/paper/Beeswax modeling material
- Yarn and knitting materials, a needle for yarn to sew up projects
- Puppets/story telling props
- Nature table and all of Mother Nature’s Goodies
- Math manipulatives (sand tray, stones, acorns, jewels,…) I also would recommend Jamie York’s “Making Math Meanoingful” for Grades One Through Five
- Main lesson books unless you are planning to make your own!
- A jump rope and jump rope rhymes; a basketball
I feel as if I am missing something! Please add your suggestions in the comment box below!