Planning. Planning ,Whose Been Planning?

I have, I have!
I have really enjoyed planning this coming year. I went back to my old paper and pencil method after using a computer program last year. The program will be amazing when I have to make transcripts but I never went back to it each week to check our progress. I do use it now to keep track of all of the books we have read... it prints beautiful reports. I thought about buying a plan book this year but opted to create my own in Excel. I am so proud of it. Creating my own spreadsheet allows me to breakdown each subject the way I need it.

First I glanced through all of the texts and planned the year broken up into 9 weeks. I still have some segments to research such as independent reading, art and memory work. I think we will start out with an original Fun with Dick and Jane basel reader I found on the shelf. For art I want to do some sort of Artist Study but I cannot decide who to start with, and I want to add in Drawing with Children occasionally.

After I have an overview of the year then I will go back and write more detailed weekly plan a few weeks at a time.

Here is the curriculum we will be using for first grade:
Phonics: continue Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
Read aloud: Dr. Dolittle, James Herriot's Treasury for Children, Farmer Boy, Charlie & Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland.....?
Math: Math U See Alpha (finish) and Beta
Copywork: Creating own sheets with a handwriting font. Topics include personal information and nursery rhymes the first semester.
Language Arts: Following a Beechick style by focusing on capitol letters and punctuation in copywork and reading. Once we are finished with the phonics text we will use Language Lessons for the Very Young.
Science: Following the Well Trained Mind outline of Life science, Animals, Human Body, Plants. I am creating m own lessons.
Social Studies: Story of the World: Ancients
Art: I want to just do an informal artists/ picture study
Music: I dropped the formal study through the book Story of the Orchestra because part of the year we will be gone 3 days a week to some sort of music lessons.
Nature Study: If we get outside daily I will be happy!
Memory Work: I don't know what I am doing here....
Outside Activities: Piano Lessons, Keepers of the Faith, Library Club, Homeschool Choir, local University Homeschool Music & Gym classes

Whew! I am tired just thinking about it. But also very excited about a year of exciting topics.