Accomplishments of a 6 yo

I think a good bit of this you are probably overthinking. I have 9 kids and my 6th child is currently 6 years old. I decided to copy the list here and then share my thoughts after each one with a * noting where my thoughts begin. Here is the list:

1. To recite, beautifully, 6 easy poems and hymns * For a child of 6 this is easy if you’ve been reading/singing/saying nursery rhymes since birth. No formal lesson, just the usual chatter with little ones. And hymns – my children hear them from birth at home and at church, so they learn them just because it is in the environment.

2. to recite, perfectly and beautifully, a parable and a psalm *again, we read these and other scripture stories just as a part of day to day living with little ones, so they can pick them up. And there are short ones!

3. to add and subtract numbers up to 10, with dominoes or counters *This happens naturally with toys. “Mom, I had 6 cars but brother took three of them. I only have 3 now!” “I want more cookies. She got two and I got one. I want one more.” You get the idea.

4. to read–what and how much, will depend on what we are told of the child *This one I don’t think all kids will do. Not all of mine have. But in a world without screen based media (Charlotte’s time)  kids had more time to page through books and crack the code on their own I suspect.

5. to copy in print-hand from a book * Most kids start trying to copy the letters they see around them by age 6. A favorite sign, their name, the title of a loved book. So if they are doing that they can copy from a book. Not that they need to sit down and do so, but it’s doable if they chose to.

6. to know the points of the compass with relation to their own home, where the sun rises and sets, and the way the wind blows *Everyday conversation when we are outside, driving, nature walks.

7. to describe the boundaries of their own home *In my mind this is telling about the rooms in the house, etc.

8. to describe any lake, river, pond, island etc. within easy reach *If we’re spending time outdoors every day this happens.

9. to tell quite accurately (however shortly) 3 stories from Bible history, 3 from early English(I would choose American), and 3 from early Roman history * Again, what are we reading to the children during the day or at bedtime? Or what stories are we telling them? They can pick these up easily IF we are taking the time to read books or tell stories regularly as part of family life.

10. to be able to describe 3 walks and 3 views * If you are going outside with the kids regularly and on nature walks they become familiar and kids can describe these favorite places.

11. to mount in a scrap book a dozen common wildflowers, with leaves (one every week); to name these, describe them in their own words, and say where they found them. * depends on the child. Most of mine have loved picking flowers, asking what they are, and want to keep them, so I introduce pressing flowers. It’s not formal, it’s only when they start picking flowers and bringing them to me to keep.

12. to do the same with leaves and flowers of 6 forest trees * On those hours of time outside and on nature walks we talk about what we see and try to find differences and similarities, so this is easily picked up.

13. to know 6 birds by song, colour and shape *Birdfeeder. Time outside. Answer their questions when they ask – or hand them a field guide to look for the birds they see.

14. to send in certain Kindergarten or other handiwork, as directed *Handiwork – I could be wrong, but this reminds me of making things. Cut paper, gluing, scissors, knitting, crafting, etc. If we let kids have materials then it happens naturally.

15. to tell three stories about their own “pets”–rabbit, dog or cat. *Day to day life, easy.

16. to name 20 common objects in French, and say a dozen little sentences *This one depends on the family. We’re not multilingual or in an area with many languages spoken that we hear regularly. But we do sign language with our babies and toddlers so ASL becomes our language.

17. to sing one hymn, one French song, and one English song *Hymn and English song happen naturally if we have music and sing to our children. We would substitute signing a song in ASL at our house, and that is fun to do, so it happens.

18. to keep a caterpillar and tell the life-story of a butterfly from his own observations. *Kids love to do this.. Buy a kit or just find the caterpillars in nature and do it. Happens most years that we find caterpillars in our outside time and someone wants to raise them.

Is there a similar list of accomplishments for a 7 year old?