A to Z Flashcard Set

Combining elements of Charlotte Mason-based curriculum, classical curriculum and unit studies, My Father's World offers complete curriculum packages that include easy-to-use, Biblically-based daily lesson plans along with popular curriculum resources. Curriculum packages for ages 2-3, PK, K and 1st grade are all-inclusive, offering all materials you need to teach that grade level. Packages for upper grades are "entry-level" packages for the first program at that grade range. (If you complete one of these packages and wish to move to the next level, you will need to purchase the more customized follow-up materials directly from My Father's World.) Curriculum packages for Grades 2 and up do not include language arts, math or foreign language, so you can either add your current favorite program or follow recommendations from MFW.

Curriculum packages for ages 2-3, PK, K and Grades 2-3 encompass the "Discover" phase. This level emphasizes skills typically taught in the grammar stage and focuses on learning about God, His world, reading and writing, and an overview of world history. Lesson plans and materials for ages 2-3, PK, K, and 1 cover basic early childhood skills, beginning language and math and lots of hands-on activities. Grades 3-8, entitled "Investigate," encompass the logic stage, where students learn to think analytically. At this level the curriculum covers Bible, history (chronological), geography, science, literature, music and art. The "Investigate" level is designed as a cycle appropriate for family use with students of varying grade levels between 2nd and 8th grade. (If you have a 2nd grader with older siblings, you may opt to use Exploring Countries and Cultures with them instead of Adventures in U.S. History. If there are no older siblings, however, you may prefer to use the stand-alone curriculum). The first unit, Exploring Countries & Cultures, lays the foundation for the next four units which cover world history from Creation to modern times. At the high school level, or "Declare," students emphasize skills typically stressed at the rhetoric stage, by applying logic and defending their reasoning through writing and speaking. Worldview, Bible, history and English are incorporated. The four courses for grades 9-12 are organized sequentially, beginning with Ancient History and Literature.

The core of each package is the Teacher's Manual which holds the daily lesson plans. Lesson plans are written in a weekly format, with five days of daily plans per week. Each day's assignment in that subject has a check-box for completion. The books included in the package are scheduled in the Teacher's Manual while there is space for you to fill in your own lesson plans for the subject areas not included in the package. Please note that we no longer have Basic Packages or individual student materials for any level. Deluxe and Limited Edition packages include all basic resources for that level as well as art and music (package contents described below; please note that contents are subject to change).

Neither intensive nor too informal, this curriculum strikes an excellent balance in beginning instruction. Lessons focus on reading skills, but also touch on math, science, Bible, art, creative thinking and children's literature. In all, there are 166 daily lessons in the program. Both Reading Plan and Activity Guides are used for five days; only the Activity Guide is used for the sixth. Each lesson takes five days to complete, and 60-90 minutes daily.

Beginning reading lessons are systematic and thorough, using tactile, visual, and auditory methods to teach children letters and letter sounds. The corresponding letter flashcards are beautifully illustrated with animals and other items from God's creation. Letters are not introduced in alphabetical order, but in an order to facilitate early blending into words (for early reinforcement of phonetic skills) and to correspond with elements of creation ("S" is introduced first along with a science lesson about the Sun. Students also construct a sundial, make raisins, paint a sun and see how, like the sun, Jesus is the light of the world. Textured letters are integral to the lessons (see below), as are the flashcards. Handwriting is also incorporated into the Reading Plan, as are various games, songs, drawing, cut & paste, and other reinforcing activities. By lesson 6, children begin blending letter sounds into simple words. By the end, they'll be reading simple stories. The Reading Plan contains five daily lesson plans for each of the 26 lessons. Day 1 is an introduction to the letter via textured letter, flashcard, "A-a-Apple Song," worktext page, and other "hands-on" letter activity. On Day 2, children sing the Short Vowel Song (starting in lesson 4) verses containing letters they've studied, work their handwriting page, do a letter activity, and practice sound discrimination. More reinforcement activities including letter sound practice, singing the letter song, and blending (starting in lesson 6), follow on Day 3 along with working a cut & paste worksheet, playing letter sound Bingo, and a Number Review. Day 4 continues with singing the special A-B-C song, and several more blending activities (starting in lesson 6). Children also complete a Word List Page (starting in lesson 6), and construct a Cut and Paste or Story page from their worksheets (starting in lesson 9). Day 5 provides final review and reinforcement activities including songs, blending activities, drawing pages, and worksheet page.

The flashcards used throughout the Reading Plan have illustrations corresponding to the science topic for the day, as well. Lessons for these activities are contained separately in 26 activity guides focusing on science, Bible, math, art, creative thinking and children's literature. Like the Reading Plan, these are broken down into daily lessons. Day 1 is a introductory and fact-gathering day for the topic, along with presentation of the Biblical concept. Days 2-5 develop the topic using different activities. The unit on Rocks, for example, has children collect rocks and study Bible verses which use rocks as illustrations (Deut. 32:4, James 1:22, Matt 7:24-27). There's also a chorus of a hymn to sing. On Day 3, children count the rocks and classify them in several different ways, then put them in order from large to small, then practice ordinal positioning. After this, students construct a badge from paper (the badges are a recurring activity, giving students a visual remembrance and record of each letter/topic they study throughout the curriculum). Day 4 has them building a model volcano from clay and erupting it. On Day 5, students conduct an experiment with rocks, following the Scientific Method.

New for 2017 is the 2nd edition of the teacher's manual. Previous versions had six days of activities (with lower-key activities on the sixth day) which have now been reorganized into five days of activities. New edition also includes new Christmas and Fruit of the Spirit units, some new activities and an updated library booklist.