SCM Discussion Forum

1. 

   shethrifty
   Member

   Morning families!  My name is LaDonna and I am the mom of two wonderful boys ages 11 and 8.  We have homeschooled from the beging, and like allot of other families starting with a boxed crlcm, only to find out it doesn't fit either right away or after a while:).  We have been using a literature based learning crclm for the past two ys, this being our third and we use Teach textbks for math which they both seem to be comfortable with.  This year was a real struggle for me as financially what we have been using was quite a big commitment for us, but I chose to go with it as it gave me the structure with layed out daily lessn plans that I think "I" need, and the boys seemed to do well with it.  That brings me to this year:).  Although I still was fond of the daily plans layed out for me, and also that fact that it was layed out as a 4 day school wrk wk with one day open for field trips or other educational pursuits (in our case a CBS Bible study class). However, one thing I am having a hard time with is both the cost of the crclm but also the pace it has us going at.  My oldes is techncly 6th grd, and the crclm has us going thru Land animals of the 6th day which is zoology and taxonomy.  I feel as though we are covering so much so fast that there isn't enough time to absorb or enjoy the ride.  I Am having trouble taking it all in at 42yo, I am wondering how I can read 4 or 5 pages of latin taxonomy names and animal facts and then ask him to narrate when I can't even remember all that was covered:)  It has also been a similar experience with there covergage of Egypt.  Lots and lots of info with al of the different kings/pharohs names as well as name changes at a pace that didn't allow us to absorb some of the more "kid appealing" egyptian facts like tombs and mummies and things that are mysterious and get a kid to go "wow" I wanna know more abt King Tut!  I know there are times when learning may not be as "Wow!" as others, but...  I am asking God for direction (if any of you would like to pray:)) and looking at SCM to see if we would transition over at some point.  I will say up front, I am not a person who has any background in teaching, in fact I am always very doubtful of my ability to do this as my grades in pub school were questionable, but I love my boys so much, and I want them to love the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength and I feel they have the best optty to be trained up in that regard at home where character and Christ are King.  Sorry for the long post, but it will help introduce our family. Has anyone used SCM in the higer grades of 6th, 7th, plus? Do they get what they need in order to graduate or if your state requires testing?  I looked at the planning guides, and was wondering how it works in reg to books you read.  Do you divide up books accrding to the number of school days required?   Thanks for your patience and putting up with my long post here!  I look forward to getting to know you all and reading thru prev posts for wisdom.

   Blessings to all!!

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
2. 

   ruth
   Member

   Welcome LaDonna!  I have young children (6 ds, 2dd, and one on the way), but I know there are many here who have schooled thier older children.  It's alright if you don't have a teaching background.  Most of us here don't.  Those that do sometimes even get rattled at the thought of teaching thier own children.  As long as you feel teaching your children is God's desire for you and continue to take your troubles and wishes for your dc to Him, He will give you strength and lead you.

   Regarding the books you were mentioning,  I would try to find more living books on  the subjects you are studying.  Living books are conversational or story form and draw you in.  They will give you that "Wow, I want to know more!" you were talking about.  Books that have long lists of name and dates will definately get dry and boring.  If you are new to the CM style, especially narration, I would cut back how much you are reading before the boys narrate.  Narration is a skill that takes time to cultivate and can be very difficult when first starting out. 

   Following the SCM guide will give your boys the education they require to graduate.  If your state requires something more you can just through that it when neede.  I am from Washington and they require 1 year of Washington State history to graduate.  If we ever move back home I will have to figure out what to teach my dc.  Remember also, that homechool children generally get a better education than PS children.  If you want to slow donw and spend more time with places, peaple, and times, go for it.  Your children will have a deeper knowledge of thier subjects than a PS child who has memerized for a test and then dumps that to move on th the next test.  I am fairly sure many of us have the aim to teach our children to learn for themselves, to be able to get the information and digest it so it is usefull.  These tools are some of the most important things to give our children. 

   The planning guides will help you determine how much of a book to read how often based on how quickly or not you want to read it and how many books you want to read.  If you want to read 3 books on a subject durring a 12 week period, Planning your childs education http://simplycharlottemason.com/2008/03/12/new-planning-series/ will help you determin how much to read based of the number of chapters in all 3 books.  It requires some time initially to sit down and figure it all out, but once you have done that your plan should be set for the rest of the year.  You can either have your own paper planner or use the SCM planner here, which after you have imputed everything will tell you what to do on what days. 

   I hope this was able to answer some of your questions and help you out a bit.

   Blessings, Ruth

    

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post

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