I feel like first grade is where things suddenly feel more real.

You’re not just “trying out homeschool” anymore, you’re thinking…
okay, I actually need to teach reading well, build math skills, stay consistent……but also not turn our home into a classroom or burn everyone out.

So when I planned our first grade year, I wasn’t just choosing curriculum. I was deciding what I actually want each part of our homeschool to do.

---

Watch My Full Curriculum Picks

If you want to see how all of this comes together, I walk through each pick here

---

The Way I’m Thinking About Curriculum This Year

Instead of asking: What’s the best curriculum?

I asked: What is each subject responsible for in our homeschool?

Because when everything tries to do everything… it usually doesn’t work well.

So here’s exactly what we’re using, and why each one has a role.

---

PHONICS + CORE LANGUAGE SKILLS

This is our foundation.

We’re continuing with Logic of English Foundations, and this is where the core skills happen:

• phonics
• handwriting
• early grammar
• reading practice

I wanted something systematic and complete, especially for learning to read, and this does that really well. But I don’t expect it to build a love of stories or deep comprehension.

That’s not its job.

---

📖 LITERATURE + COMPREHENSION

This is what fills that gap.

We’re using Blossom and Root Level 1: The Stories We Tell alongside phonics.

And this is where reading becomes more than just decoding.

This is where we:

• read fairy tales and folk tales
• retell stories
• build connections
• bring stories to life with hands-on elements

Things like storytelling baskets and story rocks make this feel very real for kids.

This is where comprehension actually grows, not just reading ability.

---

MATH

For math, we’re using Beast Academy.

And this was a very intentional choice.

I didn’t want:

• repetitive worksheets
• or just memorizing steps

I wanted my son to learn how to think.

Beast Academy focuses on:

• problem-solving
• critical thinking
• understanding why something works

It feels more like puzzles than traditional math, and that’s exactly the point.

---

SCIENCE

Science is a bigger focus for us this year, mostly because my son asked for it.

So I needed something that could:
✔ support his interest
✔ but still work within my bandwidth

We’re using Blossom and Root Level 1: Wonders of the Earth and Sky.

What I love about it is that it’s structured like a menu each week:

• literature
• videos
• experiments
• projects
• nature-based activities

Some weeks we’ll do a lot. Some weeks we’ll keep it simple. But we’re always moving forward.

---

CHARACTER

This is the piece I didn’t plan as intentionally at first. And now I see how much it impacts everything else.

Because if my child struggles to:

• focus
• listen
• follow through
• stay with something when it’s hard

…it doesn’t matter what curriculum I choose.

So this year, we’re focusing on:

Attentiveness first, then moving into perseverance

We’ll be starting with my Attentiveness unit, which is built to actually teach these skills, not just expect them.

It includes:

• literature
• daily practice
• simple reflection
• real-life application

And the biggest shift for us has been this:

Instead of reacting to behavior… we’re building habits ahead of time.

If this is something you feel like your homeschool is missing, you can take a closer look here:
Character Compass: Attentiveness

---

SOCIAL STUDIES / ELECTIVES

For social studies, we’re doing something a little different.

We’re using Blossom and Root: The History of Me as more of an elective block.

This will include:

• social studies
• art
• a little bit of music

But what I love most is where it starts: with the child’s own story

• family history
• where their name came from
• interviewing family members

Instead of jumping straight into big historical concepts, we’re starting with something meaningful and personal.

---

How This All Works Together

When you look at it as a whole, each piece has a role:

• Logic of English → teaches the mechanics of reading
• Blossom and Root Literature → builds understanding and connection
• Beast Academy → develops thinking
• Science → fuels curiosity
• Character → supports everything else
• History of Me → builds identity and connection

And that’s really the goal. Not doing more. But making sure what we are doing actually works together.

---

If You’re Planning First Grade…

You don’t need the perfect curriculum.

You need:

• something that teaches the skills
• something that builds thinking
• something that connects learning to real life
• and something that supports your child as a whole

Start there, and build from that.

---

Want to See Everything I Chose?

You can watch my full breakdown here:

And if you’re looking to intentionally build focus and follow-through in your homeschool:

[Attentiveness Unit]