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Is everyone supplementing the suggested curriculum here?
- This topic has 20 replies, 15 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 6 months ago by
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I have really enjoyed SCM the way it is. I was overwhelmed by reading all the other curriculum supplementing thrown in there too. In my opinion Modules 1-3 are pretty light in history for younger children, but we just added a few more living books or hands on activities because they enjoyed them. Sometimes the books were too heavy for my children so we got rid of them.
I came through public school and am very much a workbook/textbook girl! It concerned me at first just using copy work, but my children have learned so much through it, and it’s so gentle. Just explaining to them about punctuation, spelling, and grammar through their copy work, they have retained a lot and we didn’t have to do a separate worksheets on those topics. I have added short spelling lists once a week just to cover words I often see them spell incorrectly.
I personally think the history is enough, although I don’t have older children and will probably add in courses at that point if they aren’t covered by the suggested SCM books.
I’ve also seen good posts on “deschooling, or unschooling” for a bit to transition your children over to homeschooling, and especially CM methods. Since they aren’t used to reading so much, or being read to, or narrating, it would be good to start doing that before jumping into everything.
Have fun!
Thank you all so much! I tend to be a lister and planner so when comparing SCM guide with the A Beka scope & sequence, I went into a tizzy! Strangely enough, that is also why I am drawn to the CM approach, I know it will take me out of my comfort zone and *hopefully* make our experience more pleasurable by getting me away from my sometimes rigid ways (which I think a boxed curriculum would only contribute to). I also think I have heard one too many stories about the state stepping in, so I just want to make sure my bases are covered since it seems Ohio (where we will be moving this year once we retire from the USMC) seems to have a lot more to say about HS’ing than our current state. The no diploma thing and annual testing had me overwhelmed. I think I have a clearer sense of the big picture now though after reading through everyone’s comments, so thank you all!
I also ring in with those reccomendations of the DVD workshops available on here. The living and learning set helped me really get out of my Trying-to-do-school-at-home and transition to being a home schooler. Getting past your own experience growing up in the traditional school system can be tricky because it is what we know. I am SO glad we perservered in CM methods for language arts; my daughter is a talented writer and I can see fruit with her. My son, I did try a traditional English text with and caused some stress, eek. He asked to go back to copy work/dictation/narration. I can see him beginning to progress as a writer now and it is so exciting! It just was hard for me to get my mind out of the PS train of thought and expectations. I think it takes time for all mothers to find the atmosphere, teaching style, and learning philosophy that defines their family well. I encourage you to really dive in and get to know Charlotte and her methods. It’s a breath of fresh air for certain.
I also do a journal exercise each year. I make a list of 10 words that inspire me or that I want to be goal words for the following school year. For example: Simplicity, Whole, Atmosphere, Edifying… It takes a few days to keep mulling over thoughts for words. Then, once I have 10 words, I start to define them a bit. What do I mean by them? Atmosphere- a space that encourages learning, that is organized and inviting… You work on it. Then step 3 is to think of 1 or 2 practical things I can do to make that happen. (I.e make a reading corner, leave classical CDs beside the player for school times…. So, there’s my thoughts. Start with you before you plan for them. Please tell us how things roll for you!
My daughter just finished second grade and our first year of homeschooling. I had many of the same concerns, living in PA, and a public school mentality. We followed the SCM curriculum guide pretty much to a T. However, we often fell short of the the enrichment topics, which I was okay with knowing we didn’t “need” them. We also completed two levels of Math due to some researching of Math facts I feel she didn’t grasp in first grade. I found my goal was to relax, read a lot, and let my daughter breath. I did invest in the DVD set last year and the “Hearing and Reading, Telling and Writing” book from Sonya. They both eased all my concerns. Trust yourself and breath! Going into our second year of homeschool, I’m excited to follow the guide again and tweak where I feel my daughter needs it now that we learned more about ourselves. ?
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