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how much to do w/a 7th grader
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My oldest is only in 6th, but we spend about 5-6 hours of school a day (including preschool time, piano lessons, snack, and if we finish early some outdoor time). My DC also dawdle quite a bit, so I think 4 hours sounds good. I’d love to finish a bit quicker!
Are you doing any handicrafts? It’s my DC’s favorite part of the week! We also do a PE time mid-morning 3x/week, and they love the break from schoolwork.
As far as independent books, they read a daily chapter of a lit. book (in addition to our family book). This year I’ll be assigning some indpendent history readers as well…about 4-5 for the year. We are using MOH this year, and I’m hoping to make it a bit more like SCM with the books for each age group as well as family books. I love having some independent work for them…it gives me more time to work with my younger DC.
GWN runs 10 out of 12 months. SND will begin again next week, takes summer off.
I am not familiar with MOH at all, but yes, I would work on having your 4th grader begin to read more on his or her own, too. This gives you time to focus on the younger children who really do need more of you school-wise in this and coming years. This is your 3rd year homeschooling, but you mentioned not being familiar with charlotte’s work. Bear in mind I’m pretty much a CM only kind of gal and that’s where I’m coming from. It’s the approach and philosophy I’ve chosen, so that undergirds my thinking and recommendations.
By way of example only, my ds9 independently did both literature and some of the gr. 1-3 readers from history, and a natural history reader this past year in 3rd. He was ready. This year in 4th, he will be independent except for SCM family reads, doing his literature, SCM gr 4-6 reading, science and natural history, and most other reading on his own. Dd12 does all reading on her own except occ. books I want to go through with her (Plutarch’s Lives, Charlotte Mason’s Ourselves). She will listen to SCM family books on audio or choose to read on her own.
With CM, we basically, choose good, living books and get them into the hands of children (reading aloud to 1-3 grades), short lessons which incl. oral narration time. Discussion is good and important, narration is a tool for that. I don’t know your kids or your circumstances, of course. You need to make the right decisions for your family. These are simply my thoughts.
Blessings,
Christie
Gina I do have to get out of the comparing trap although I appreciate to have a general idea on how much time to spend!
Holly I do not feel like I need to schedule handicraft or PE since my kids do that on their own.
Gina I really appreciate all your advices and feedback!
Today I had my 7th and 5th grader (I said 4th but he is actually in 5th grade!!) read the book we were reading aloud on their own and they ended up reading more than I would have read. When I read we all felt one chapter was enough but on their own they read 3!!
I don’t know which to go between GWN and SND? I’ll see but like that idea.
I forgot to mention we are also doing Fallacy Detective w/Ds12.
I like Charlotte Mason’s philosophy from what I know of it, that’s why I am always on this site!!
But honestly I have learned more from this forum and articles on the site than any books. I have a hard time finding time to read and I was discouraged by a comment I read somewhere that said Charlotte Mason’ books could be hard to read.
Thank you all for your input!
Just wanted to chime in and say:
Sounds like your kids love to learn – and that is the CORE of Charlotte’s philosophy! If you got nothing else from her, that would be the one thing to instill in your homeschool. Good job :).
Also, if you can, I HIGHLY recommend the All Day Seminar DVD & Workbook. It is broken into short sessions so that it is completely ‘do-able’. And Sonya literally teaches you the ‘how-to’s’ of incorporating Charlotte’s ideas into everyday homeschooling. I am a visual learner, so seeing her actually doing picture study, or narration, etc…was invaluable to me.
It is one of the best investments I have ever made in our homeschool (or family!).
Blessings on your school year!
Comparison isn’t typically a good thing, but I find knowing what others are doing can help me gauge where I want to be, if that makes sense.
Also, I agree that the All Day CM seminar offered here is worth it’s weight in good and then some! It is required for anyone wishing to be a part of my CM co-op. It has been most helpful! Charlotte’s books are written in Victorian English, but are available on AO in a modern translation that’s very simple. There is also a summary book on AO that can be helpful. I always recommend starting with Sonya’s DVDs, though!
It sounds like the letting them read for themselves went well! I would caution that more at one time isn’t necessarily a good thing. Let the time frames be your guide. Make sure narration is happening. This is crucial.
Either current events is good, but SND is free if that matters.
My dd12 will also be reading fallacy detective.
You’re doing great. I hope you understand I’m just trying to encourage you in CM methods.
Blessings,
Christie
Thank you both!
I’ll look for the seminar.
I hope I like it more than the Planning your Charlotte Mason Education book because that was not helpful to me at all!
It is just not how my brain works, that is too much planning for me, overwhelming.
All I needed was a dry erase calendar to write all subjects to cover before and after lunch each day of the week.
Your right about the time frame, for written narration especially, I’ll have to see how much they can narrate at a time.
Oh yes. I agree that it’s helpful to see what others are doing and love to hear from others with similar philosophies. I just meant it can be harmful to compare with somebody doing a ton more under a different philosophy if it makes you doubt yourself. I’ve been there!
Actually what you both said made sense to me!
Comparing can be good or bad, I’ve done both kinds.
I have a friend who is homeschooling a totally different way from me and comparing myself w/her makes me doubt myself is not helpful at all!
(It is our 3rd year this year, we haven’t been homeschooling for 3 years, although it feels like that because I spent so much time planning before starting and went to the conference 3 years)
Holly which MOH are you doing? I really liked it a lot last year. I added a lot of living books (I use the ones from Winter promise, they are great and go perfectly w/MOH since they also use that program), did the memory card and timeline. Never really had time for all the activities even though I know it would have been fun to do.
I do the quizzes, I know they are not very CMish but I just like to see how much they retained.
We are starting with MOH 1. We did quite a bit of Mod 1 last year (we started it in January and got halfway through), so there will be some review at the beginning. I was very torn between sticking with the history guides or finding a 4-year program. My oldest is in 6th, so a 6-year plan would only give her one time through the cycle (we’d mostly done American history until last year).
We have quite a few living books on hand…I’m hoping I don’t add in too many! I was excited to find the Nest videos at our church library, so we’ll be able to watch those as well. My goal is to just do 1-2 activies per week. We’ll also be doing the index cards, timeline, and quizzes. I agree that the quizzes aren’t very CM, but I think they’ll be helpful to review with. I’m excited about the cards because my DD struggles with writing and I think they will be a good help for her. I’m also due in February and it seemed like a good fit for a busy year…I’m thinking we may just do the readings (no extras) for awhile at that time. We’re only 3 lessons in, but they are really enjoying her writing style so far.
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