HOW TO START 1st STEP STARTER CURRICULUM

Here's a step-by-step guide to start using 1st Step™ Starter Curriculum.

Before Starting -- Decide whether or not you wish to home school. Everything you've read can be done in a school situation, but it's not likely it will be. If you're home schooling, here are steps you will need to do. The first is FIND OUT WHAT YOU'RE REQUIRED TO DO LEGALLY TO HOME SCHOOL IN YOUR AREA AND DO IT. This may include registering your child as a home schooler with a local school district, if they are of age. It may also require that you sign your child up with some sort of existing, and possibly accredited program. We are not a home school program, we offer curriculum only. You will need to establish ways of recording attendance and accomplishment daily, for legal purposes.

Determine a semester schedule. When will you start and end? Try to align this with what public schools and your student's friends have as a schedule, if possible, so that your student is free when they are free. Try to align breaks and holidays in a similar manner.

1. It is important that you understand the philosophy behind this curriculum. Please read: Reading for 4 to 6 Year Olds, The Key Ideas Behind Our Starter Curriculum, and The Four Areas of Study.
   
   
2. Decide if you will work with a single student or a group. This does not impact your use or purchase of our courses, as they are designed to be done either way. However, it will determine how much space you need and how that space is organized.
   
   
3. Purchase the needed courses and read them over, so you fully understand what each course requires.
   
   
4. Purchase our inexpensive, powerful Reading Program, which is built around the concept of word recognition rather than phonics. You may integrate this with an existing program you're using, particularly a phonics program, if you wish. Start working on reading every day.
   
   
5. (Optional) Locate and secure a math program you have faith in and can deliver to a good result.
   
   
6. Many lessons use objects and materials. You will certainly want storage for materials and courses. The student should have a table to work on that can be scarred and damaged a bit. Don't use wonderful furniture, use chairs and tables that can be used and abused comfortably. There should be room in the room to move about. The room should essentially be odor free, and comfortable as to temperature. The fewer visual distractions the better. Windows are nice, however. There should be a minimum of dangerous items the student could misuse. No phones in the room at this level. You may want to set up a computer on the Internet for certain supervised exercises, but have it on a password and keep it off most of the time. You will need a TV and DVD player, but keep it off entirely when not in use.
   
   
7. There are essential materials you'll need to start. You'll certainly need the following;
   
   

   • Each course three hole punched and placed in a hard notebook you can carry
   • A globe
   • Soft modeling clay, several colors
   • Pencils, paper
   • Crayons
   • Lincoln Logs, Legos, or other "buildable" toys
   • Access to a copy machine (at your place of study or elsewhere, so long as you look at least several lessons ahead)
   • Access to a play area, ideally with trees and flowers

8. Determine a schedule you will use. We suggest the following, based on a reading and math program being integrated;
   
   Morning -- A breakfast without sugar of any kind, and with a fair amount of protein, would be a good idea each day for the student.

   9 a.m.	--	Some sort of fun morning orientation to get you and the student going. Maybe a walk, a game, or something along these lines. Keep this to under 15 minutes. Make it a part of your routine and theirs. Vary what you do as an orientation from week to week, somewhat.
   9:15 a.m.	--	Either Living Your Life, or Creative Writing, which will account between them for 5 days of curriculum per week.
   10:05 a.m.	--	A break. Maybe a non-sugar snack. Fruit might be a good choice.
   10:20 a.m.	--	Math.
   11:00 a.m.	--	Play for 10 minutes.
   11:10 a.m.	--	Either History or Science, which will account between them for 5 days of curriculum per week.
   12:00 p.m.	--	Lunch.
   1:00 p.m.	--	Whatever reading program you're using. (You can put this back a half-hour if a nap seems in order after lunch. Your call.)
   1:45 p.m.	--	End of study. Some sort of extra-curricular activities would be a good idea, such as organized sports, swim classes, dance, art classes, you name it. If your student is home schooling, after hours they should probably do things with other children.

   
   This schedule provide just over 3 hours of actual study time per day. We ask that you work to find ways to seriously restrict your student's TV, Internet, and electronic games. We have found these things more than simply distractions, and believe that they can be quite destructive when done to excess, of the student's ability to create, and to concentrate. Reading is good, and interactive "live" games and activities with family and friends. Creative assignments that the student is actually interested in without prompting is also very good. Creative assignments the student initiates are superb.
   
   ALWAYS acknowledge your student when he or she completes a lesson plan! Let them know they did a great job. We all like to be told that.
   
   
9. Keep your on-going clear daily records of attendance and accomplishments. Keep your legal requirements in and up to date. Home schooling should actually be your RIGHT, but many governments have turned it into a privilege. Do what is needed to protect your ability to home school, if you are home schooling. By all means, keep everything your student creates as a part of their schooling. Have separate folders for each subject work. Make certain work is clearly dated.