Horizons 1st Grade Complete Set

Not just a happy mom, but happy kids as well! We are new to homeschooling, and this curriculum has been a lifesaver. It is organized, easily laid out, and it always circles back to previous lessons so that the knowledge is maintained throughout the whole semester in school year.

I have the kindergarten set from last year and let me say the quality has been updated compared to this 1st grade set. The printed colors are high in contrast. The paper feel is thick and doesn’t feel cheap. I really appreciate the detail in this set.I love how the math doesn’t just jump into subject. For ex. Before getting to counting by 3’s. The pages will start with tracing 3 and and getting the student prepared to dealing with the patterns of 3 in repetition so then 3-4 pages forward when the counting by 3 is introduced the student recognizes it immediately. Different activities dealing with the same set of rules engaging the student is all throughout this curriculum.If you are not religious you can still incorporate your own religion/beliefs within the penmanship book. It is very Bible oriented but in a subtle and teachable way. I think it’s great to teach children about different cultures and different belief systems, it gives them the space and open mind allowing them to form their own beliefs as they grow.I enjoy this set and the teacher guide books. They really are useful and helpful and I always have them out as guidance.

I'm always surprised this curriculum set isn't more popular. We love it. It's pretty much open-and-go. You're not going to be spending a bunch of time planning how to execute these lessons. All the work is done for you. So far we haven't had to buy any extra supplies in order to complete the lessons, although there are suggestions for manipulatives for some lessons. We've just made-do with what we already have.What I probably like the most is that the lessons aren't too lengthy or rigorous. Especially in these lower grades, I wasn't interested in hours of worksheets and busy work. The work is challenging, but manageable. And since you aren't going to be spending all day on it, it frees up so much time to add in electives and other supplemental learning.My one small quibble would be the health curriculum. It's not the same format as the other subjects, and does require more work and supplies on your part to get the lessons up and running. But since it's not a daily subject for us, I'm not super bothered by it.Overall, if you're looking for a quality open-and-go curriculum set that won't have you spending hours nagging your kids to get their worksheets done, this is a good choice.

The teacher workbooks are very well laid out. Lesson plans are very easy because things are already planned. There are some manipulatives you will need but they will last you k-12.You can pace your child and go as fast or slow as they and you need.The workbooks are full of color and grab the child's attention. You have the option to remove the pages or leave them in the workbooks, whatever your preference.The Phonics and Reading book lessons are a little lengthy but your child will have understanding each day. Math will review and give your child the opportunity to understand each new skill before moving forward. Penmanship is a very quick lesson that is my daughters favorite part of the day! Health teaches life skills, and caring for others in an engaging, entertaining way. Spelling is more than just memorizing the words but learning them and relating the words back to what they have learned in Phonics.I would absolutely recommend this set and will be purchasing the second grade set come the end of the year!

I like the pacing of this series. my 1st grader enjoys that she feels like she is accomplishing something everyday. My only complaints are 1) the "health book" is geared towards a whole class and includes little in the way of lessons, instead sending the user out to gather OTHER RESOURCES- 2) at many points the books- all of them, recommend adding other materials. I would have liked to have known this before hand, or even at the beginning of the process so I could be prepared for the little bits here and there. All that said, if we continue to HS, we plan to buy the next set in the series.

This is a great program that is easy to use and teach your child.Homeschooled back in early 90s. This is really great and I did buy the math manipulatives which last until 3rd grade but if you're strapped for cash, you can improvise.The pages are colorful and inviting and it reinforces the lessons through the other lessons, reviews, and test.Lessons tell you what goals and items to cover. Nice and simple.Answer keys and extra materials are in the backs of the teachers editions.Planning on staying with this curriculum throughout.Right now we're concentrating on mastering core subjects in this package and it's a success without stress.

This is our first year homeschooling and I started out trying to put my own curriculum together, but felt that I was missing so much and with a new job that's all overnights, I knew I just wouldn't have time to continue in the same way. After debating between this and a couple other curricula (which actually went on for about 6 months since we first decided to homeschool), I decided on Horizons and couldn't be happier! We are able to sit down for about an hour each day and get all of our lessons done and I'm not wondering if she's learning what she should be for her age! If we continue to homeschool past this year, I will be ordering the 2nd grade for sure, along with replacement booklets for my other daughter who should be close to 1st grade material by then - I'm hoping to be able to afford the Horizons Kindergarten for her soon!