1st Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks for This Year

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Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been sharing our homeschool curriculum picks for the upcoming year. I’ve already posted about what I’ll be using with my 7th grade twins and my 8th grade son, and today is all about my 1st grader—and what I’ve chosen to use with him in our homeschool this fall.

So if you’re curious about what we’ll be using, or if you’ll be homeschooling a 1st grader and want to see some ideas, I hope this post will be helpful to you!

Changing Plans for 1st Grade

If you would’ve asked me a few months ago what I was going to use for 1st grade, my answer would have been completely different than it is now.

And not because there was anything wrong with what I originally had planned—but as sometimes happens, I got to talking with some friends, went to a local curriculum fair, did some research online, and just…learned about other curriculum I started getting really excited about.

First grade is such a fun and foundational year. When I went through it with my oldest, we used My Father’s World: Learning God’s Story, along with All About Reading and Singapore Math.

So I figured I’d do the same thing with my youngest. But then I started looking at the big picture—long-term plans for all of my kids—and realized that over the years, I’ve discovered so many other great resources that might work better for us now, in this season.

Even though we’ve loved My Father’s World for many years, I’m not continuing with it at this time. Instead, I’m pulling from a variety of sources for math, social studies, science, and language arts.

And honestly?

I never thought I’d be one to piece things together—I’ve been an “all-in-one”, box-curriculum mom for years. But there are just too many great things out there that I want to use!

How Our Days Will Look

Pretty much all of this will be one-on-one work with my son. My older kids are closer in age and can overlap with some of their work, but for my youngest, this setup works best.

Thankfully, he’s great at entertaining himself when we’re done—he loves having time to play, be creative, or kick the soccer ball around while I work with the big kids.

I tried bringing him in for science and history last year, but it was too much. So this year, we’re keeping it age-appropriate and simple.

Math – Generations Math 1

I’ve tried out several 1st grade math curriculums with my son recently—Singapore Dimensions 1A, Master Books Math, and Generations Math 1.

What I learned is that my son is super easy-going and did just fine with all of them. Nothing stood out in a negative way—they all have strengths and do a good job teaching math.

So ultimately, I picked the one I liked best and wanted to stick with: Generations Math 1.

Generations wasn’t even on my radar until recently. I think I’d heard about them a year or so ago, but didn’t want to research one more thing—so I skipped it. I’m glad I finally went back and took a closer look, though! Once I explored their website and learned about their mission and values, I was really impressed.

What stood out to me is how mission-driven they are. They create curriculum with the goal of equipping families to raise the next generation with strong convictions and deep roots in the faith. The materials are built around Scripture, and there’s a clear desire to help kids grow in both knowledge and character, all to glorify God.

If you want to learn more about it, check out my flip-through video of Generations Math 1. It’s very different from what I’m used to, but I like it so far and we’ll see how it goes. If it continues to work well, we’ll move into their Math 2 book afterward.

History – The Story of Jesus’ People (Generations)

We’re also using The Story of Jesus’ People from Generations, which is their Level 1 history curriculum. It comes with a textbook and activity book, though you can purchase them separately.

I picked this because it’s so different from any other 1st grade history or social studies curriculum I looked at. It tells the story of the Church—from Acts through modern times—in a way that’s written just for young learners.

It introduces big names like Martin Luther and David Livingstone, but also lesser-known heroes of the faith.

As kids move through the levels, they’ll learn about how God’s kingdom spread through different continents and cultures. It’s a unique approach to history for younger kids and I love that perspective.

The workload is very manageable—we can get through it in a year by doing it just once a week. The recommended schedule is two days per week, but the activity pages aren’t very time-consuming, so I plan to do the reading and activity on the same day.

Social Studies – My Story 1 (Master Books)

To go along with that, I also picked out something more traditional: My Story 1 from Master Books.

This introduces basic geography, history, government, economics, and culture—starting with the child’s immediate world (family and community), then expanding outward.

It’s a five-day-a-week curriculum, but the lessons don’t seem to take too long, and the fifth day is usually a review.

It’s built around four “quests,” or units, that make learning feel like a fun, imaginary journey. There’s journaling, copywork, coloring, map work, word searches, and even a little bit of Spanish and French vocabulary sprinkled in.

One thing I love is that they intentionally include activities that appeal to different learning styles, so there’s something for every kind of learner. And as with all Master Books materials, it’s taught from a Biblical worldview.

I think it’s going to pair really well with The Story of Jesus’ People, giving us a well-rounded look at both God’s story and the world we live in.

Science – Adventures in Creation Level 1 (Master Books)

For science, I chose Adventures in Creation Level 1, also from Master Books. I went back and forth on this one, but ultimately I just wanted something simple and open-and-go—and this seems to fit.

Lessons are short, just three times per week, and the activities are easy to prep. Kids build a science notebook, do experiments, learn memory verses with motions, and answer discussion questions. I’ve heard lots of good things from other homeschool moms, and I’m looking forward to using it!

Reading & Language Arts – Logic of English Foundations A

I landed on Logic of English for reading and language arts after chatting with a friend and doing some research. I had great results with All About Reading, but there are things about Logic of English that appealed to me even more.

It’s a phonics-based program that also teaches spelling and handwriting, so it’s a great all-in-one option. We started it a couple of months ago to try it out, and it’s been going really well so far.

The lessons are short—probably 20 minutes or less—and I added on the online video lessons, which my son LOVES. They’re interactive and super easy for him to follow, and while I sit with him for the lessons, the videos make it really simple to implement.

We’re using Foundations A right now and plan to move into B next. The program teaches all the letter sounds, short vowel words, blends, spelling, and proper handwriting formation. You can choose between manuscript or cursive— we’re doing manuscript for now.

Read-Alouds – Generations 1st Grade Book Set

I also picked up the 1st Grade Read-Aloud Set from Generations. I’ll be reading these to my son as part of our daily rhythm.

The set includes stories about Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor, George Mueller, and John Knox, along with a book written by Valerie Elliot Shepard, the daughter of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot. I just thought they looked like beautiful, meaningful stories to share with him.

Art – Creating a Masterpiece

Finally, all of my kids will be using Creating a Masterpiece for art again this year.

We’ve used it in the past and really liked it, but I let it slip last year. This time around, I want to be more intentional—planning ahead, choosing one project each month, and making sure we have all the supplies ready. My kids truly enjoy art time, and this is one way I can bring it back in without a ton of prep on my part.

Final Thoughts

So that’s everything I’ve planned for my 1st grader this year! I hope seeing these choices gives you some ideas if you’re planning your own 1st grade homeschool year.

If you’re using any of these resources—or have questions about any of them—I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

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