Normally this course will be taken over one school year: Grade 1 in the US and Year 2 in the UK.

General Instructions

* Key curriculum – those books considered to be key parts of the curriculum are shown in bold type and marked with an asterisk.

Highly Recommended books are shown in bold. These should be included if possible, but are not essential.

Optional extras – optional books and suggestions are shown in italics

+ Indicates subjects we consider to be essential at this level. Other subjects should be included if at all possible to give a broad Charlotte Mason style education.

The curriculum is designed to fit into thirty-six weeks, with many subjects broken down into three blocks of twelve weeks (terms). The approximate number of lessons required each week for each subject is shown in italics. Often the lessons can be covered in ten or eleven weeks, allowing a little leeway in the schedule. At this level most lessons should last around 20 minutes. Each term one classic children’s book and the recommended additional history book should be read aloud outside formal lesson time.

Normally this course will be taken over one school year:  Grade 1 in the US and Year 2 in the UK.

Links in blue are availability of books and resources (book links are U.S.). 
All referral monies we receive (via Amazon and Ignatius Press) will be used to pay for the Mater Amabilis website
and the books we review for the curriculum.

Books listed in red are alternatives for home educators in the U.K.

(N) Denotes books intended for narration

Note: The workload for Term 1 is slightly lighter to allow time for extra Advent reading. If Advent does not fall during the first 12 weeks of your school year, you will need to adjust your schedule to allow time during Advent.

(1) New Testament  (Twice weekly)
(N)* New Catholic Picture Bible by Rev. Laurence G.Lovasik
    Term 1: Ch.1 to 24 (The Annunciation to The Penitent Woman)
    Term 2: Ch.25 to 51 (The Widow’s Son to Zacchaeus the Publican) – a little extra to fit in this term, but less catechism lessons required
    Term 3: Ch.52 to 74 (Entry into Jerusalem to Descent of the Holy Spirit)
Recommended Reference Materials
Any children’s Bible encyclopedia (or similar), for background information, maps, and pictures of houses, clothing, every day items and locations.

(2) Catechism (Weekly)
(N)* Faith and Life 1: Our Heavenly Father  Read, narrate and discuss one lesson each week.  
    Term 1: Lessons 1 to 10 (God is Our Father to The Savior is Born)
    Term 2: Lessons 11 to 18 (Three Wise Men Arrive to Jesus Dies for Us)
    Term 3: Lessons 19 to 28 (Jesus Goes Back to Heaven to Jesus     Will Come Again), and We Go to Mass
Optional Extra
   Faith and Life 1 Activity Book – for children who like workbooks.

(3) Saints (Weekly)
(N)* Once Upon a Time Saints and * More Once Upon a Time Saints by Edith Pochocki
      One story to be read aloud and narrated each week.
        Term 1: St. Alice to St. Comgall
        Term 2: St. David of Wales to St. Longinus
        Term 3: St. Martha to St. Adauctus

*MAPWORK – find the location of each story on a world or European map. Mark it with a numbered sticker. Prepare a key matching each saint to his or her number.

(4) Advent (Twice weekly)
Tomie de Paola has written and illustrated a number of lovely children’s picture books with themes suitable for Advent. Choose any three from:
    Country Angel Christmas
    Jingle, the Christmas Clown
   Mary, The Mother of Jesus
    Merry Christmas, Strega Nona
    The Clown of God
    The Legend of the Poinsettia
    The Lady of Guadalupe
Use one lesson to read the book, and the second for any follow up activity of your choice. For example: a piece of art work based on the style of the book; a narration typed for the child and illustrated; learning something about a subject related to the book. If you would like to spend more time on Advent related activities, try this literature unit based on the Tomie de Paola books.

Alternative / Additional Resource (Highly recommended)
Catholic Mosaic by Cay Gibson - gives suggestions for picture books to read during each month of the year, along with a selection of activities to go with each book. Catholic Mosaic could stand on its own as a religious education curriculum, or could be used alongside Bible readings and / or readings from Faith and Life.

(1) Work through any math(s) scheme of your choice at a pace appropriate for your child. Short daily lessons lasting 20 minutes (including drill) should be enough.    


(2) Five minutes of daily drill in math(s) facts.

Further Resources
Basic Facts Worksheet Factory - free downloadable software for creating worksheets to practice basic arithmetic facts.

(1) Reading  (Daily)

Children learn to read at different ages and at their own pace. Also, reading schemes that work wonders for one child may not be at all helpful for another.


British Option
Read With Phonics by Mona McNee
Story Chest reading scheme
COMING!   Instructions on how to combine the use of these two resources
Mona McNee has also made available a free online reading course
Alternative Resources
Ladybird Key Words Series (1a to 12b, Peter and Jane)
Ladybird Read With Me Series (1 to 16, Tom and Kate)

(2) Writing (10 minutes daily)

(a) Handwriting scheme of your choice. Schemes we can recommend personally are D’nelian & Getty-Dubay Italic

(b) Copywork and Dictation (Daily) and



Optional Extras
The Child on His Knees by Mary Dixon Thayer – short, interesting but simple poems and prayers

Suggested Activity
Copy a little from a prayer or poem daily. When the whole thing is done illustrate it, decorate it, cover it with contact paper and use it as a placemat.

(1) Tales (Weekly)
(N) Read aloud one tale each week from any book(s) of your choice from the following list:
English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs
American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne
The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
The Orchard Book of the Unicorn and Other Magical Animals by Margaret Mayo (and other books in the same series)

(2) Fables  (Weekly)
(N)* Aesop’s Fables with pictures by Milo Winter. Two fables weekly. Read aloud and narrate. These lend themselves particularly well to narration by drawing or by acting out the fable.

3) Classic Children’s Literature   (Ad.lib.)
Choose at least one book from the selection below for each term to read aloud. Not for narration, just read and enjoy!
    Charlotte’s Web by E.B.White
    Winnie-the-Poohand The House at Pooh Corner by A.A.Milne
    The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
    Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
    Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
    The Borrowers by Mary Norton
    James Herriot’s Treasury for Children by James Heriot
    Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

(4) Poetry  (Weekly)
* The Harp and the Laurel Wreath by Laura Berquist.
  When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six by A.A.Milne

+ History

This will be the first year of a three year long course in the history of your own nation.

Option 1 – Introduction to American History (Twice weekly)
(N) * This Country of Ours by H.E.Marshall,  ( Also available free online  )

► * The Catholic Faith Comes to the Americas by Illeen Reninger 

Recommended additional book each term, to be read aloud at your own pace.

See additional schedule  and suggestions for further reading.

Option 2 – Introduction to British History (Twice weekly)
* Our Island Story by H.E.Marshall
* Catholic history book by Kathryn Faulkner – in preparation. Chapters will be made available to Mater Amabilis users through the Teacher Training Forum as they are written.

Recommended additional book each term, to be read aloud at your own pace.
See additional schedule and suggestions for further reading.

+ Geography and Earth Studies

(1) Family Geography  (48 lessons)

(a) Draw a family tree, going back to your child’s great-grandparents (or further if you wish). Include on the family tree the place of birth and main places of residence of each member. Look at family photos showing these places. Locate and mark them on maps. (4 lessons)
Choose three of these places for further study. Some suggested activities: look at maps of each area; read about and look at pictures of the area or country; find out about nearby towns, cities and any important geographical or historical sites; discuss any special features of the area and any aspects of its history which have had an impact on family members; learn something about any local saints; sample local foods. Allow six to eight lessons for each place. Talk to older relatives about places they have been and historical events they have lived through. (20 lessons)

Optional Extra
My Family Tree Workbook: Genealogy for Beginners by Rosemary A.Chorzempa. This workbook includes space for information about immigrant ancestors, ancestral homelands and personal geography pages as well as for basic genealogical information. Useful for those who would find some written structure helpful or for older children joining this study. Aimed at an older age group, so if used with a Level 1B child expect to do the writing for the child.

(b) Choose six places you and your husband (or wife) have visited. For each place: locate and mark on a map; plot your journey on a map; look at photos and souvenirs; look at pictures in a guidebook or other book about the area; discuss geographical features of the area (hills, mountains, islands, rivers, lakes, sea, woodland, forest, marshes and so on). You could also try special foods from each area.  Allow four lessons for each place. (24 lessons)

(2) Earth Studies – Rivers and Seas  (24 lessons)

* The Earth: the Geography of Our World by Barbara Taylor (ISBN: 0753454254). Note: Do not confuse this with other similar-titled books by the same author.
or Rivers and Oceans: Geography Facts and Experiments by Barbara Taylor (one of four separate books included in The Earth)
See full list of lessons , most of which involve practical and outdoor activities.

Recommended Reference Material
Any suitable atlas.

(Recommended UK option: The Oxford Junior Atlas )  (or in the U.S. The Oxford Junior Atlas )

(3) Map Work

Mark locations for each of the saints read about this year on a map. Find places mentioned in history studies.

(1) Take at least one nature walk each week.

(2) Begin a nature journal.

Nature Reading  (Weekly, 2nd and 3rd terms only)
(N) * Pagoo by Holling C.Holling. Read and narrate in sections of approximately three pages.
Term 2: pp. 8-46 (10 lessons)
Term 3: pp. 48-87 (10 lessons)

Music Appreciation  (Weekly)

Use this year to introduce your child to classical music. Choose from the suggestions for suitable music below, or feel free to add any family favourites.
    Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten
    Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens
    Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev
    The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas

* Come Look With Me Series by Gladys Blizzard – choose any three books
    - Enjoying Art With Children
    - Exploring Landscape Art With Children
    - Animals in Art
    - World of Play
These books include some background information together with some points to look for in each picture. Study one picture each week.