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What is First Step™ ?
First Step is a home school curriculum for students, ages 4-8. It has been developed for this age group by Steven David Horwich exclusively for First Step. Mr. Horwich is the creator and author of Connect The Thoughts a separate curriculum for students, ages 9 to adult.
First Step has been developed to service two age groups; "Starter", ages 4 to 6, and "Elementary", ages 7 and 8.
We offer studies in four areas. These are; Creative Writing, History, Science, and a unique line-up called "Living Your Life." We also provide you, free on this site, a simple spelling concept which can help a student to improve their spelling.
Each course has been constructed particularly with the needs of the age group in mind.
About Starter Curriculum
Starter Curriculum is designed for students ages 4 to 6. Generally, Starter is considered to be "pre-literate" curriculum, which means that the student is asked to do very little reading on these courses. These courses are largely based on a young student's ability to experience life and then develop their own understanding of those experiences. The courses help to create experiences which are focused on specifics. Every exercise the student does provides him or her with experience related to a detail from the subject being studied.
Courses are available as mentioned, in four areas of study. These are Creative Writing, History, Science, and Living Your Life.
Starter courses rely heavily on the involvement of a tutor (teacher/parent), one who is willing to work intensively for about two hours per day with the student(s), and who is able to walk and keep up with a young student. The tutor must read well enough to read each lesson plan and follow the instructions there.
To read more about Starter Curriculum, please click here.
Excuse me, Sir, you said what? In New York City, standardized testing is being initiated for kindergarten students next month? You want to test my little Johnny? No! That's very funny! I...huh? I heard you right? It's not a joke? In NYC, there will be mandatory testing to determine if my five year old is sufficiently...what? Schooled? But he hasn't started school yet! Educated? Literate? But he's not educated, yet ... More...
In California, on Friday, August 8th, the 2nd District Court of Appeal reversed a dreadful decision it had made in February.
The first decision the Court approved made it illegal to home school a child in California unless someone in the room had a teaching credential. The reversal of this decision allows over 166,000 California Home Schoolers to enjoy what should be sacred rights... More...
About Elementary Curriculum
Elementary Curriculum is designed for students, ages 7 and 8. Unlike Starter Curriculum, these courses require the student to read materials which gradually increase in difficulty. This does not mean that the subjects learned will necessarily be simple or simplistic. The same four line-ups of study are offered, but the information provided in Elementary Curriculum is more specific and detailed than in Starter Curriculum, and is designed to be useful to this particular age group. The same four subjects are provided as with Starter, however, the courses use different techniques and offer different information, especially selected for the age group.
Elementary courses are less tutor-intensive than Starter Courses, as we prepare the student to study with ever-greater levels of independence. (You'll still need a tutor available for about two hours per day, but the tutor will be needed during those hours in a less intensive manner.) It is our intent that by age 9, the student is able to study with sufficient independence and confidence that he or she can successfully start and succeed at a more student-based study such as the Connect The Thoughts Lower School Curriculum, which is almost entirely student-driven. When the student is ready to control to a large extent their own studies, and have the literacy skills required, they will have completed First Step.
To read more about Elementary Curriculum, please click here.
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