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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.
On our Yahoo! International Support Group, I was asked why 1st Step is needed if Connect The Thoughts covers the educational ground. The questioner posed a hypothetical -- that we should not be teaching children much before age ten. Here's my answer:... More...
In 1st Step and Connect The Thoughts , there's ONLY one level of curricula per age group. 1st Step Starter is for ages 4-6. 1st Step Elementary is for ages 7-8. Connect The Thoughts Lower School is for ages 9-10. Connect The Thoughts Upper School is for ages 11-adult... 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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