Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

This topic has 8 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 4 months ago by greenebalts.

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February 3, 2015 at 11:57 am
queenofthemanor
Participant
Hi all,
First post on these boards! We just started homeschooling in September after public school, DS is 9 and in 4th grade. I was recently introduced to the CM method (we have been using a classical approach so far but not this one) and I am really intrigued by it.
Would someone be kind enough to share with me what your 4th grade and 5th grade curriculum/day/year looks like? I would like to compare to what we’re doing now and also plan for next year.
Here’s what we’ve been doing/using so far:
Math: Math-U-See Epsilom and SM extra word problems, Grammar: First Language Lessons Book 4 , Writing: Writing with Ease book 3/4 (includes copywork, narration, dictation), Latin : Getting started with Latin, History: Story of the World Ancients, Science: Interest-led with reading, brain pops, documentaries, magic school bus (feel like I’m dropping the ball here), Reading – Classic lit read alouds (we buddy-read), Sonlight D readers for him, and lots of free reading, Spelling: Modern Press Workout E
He listens to classical music while he works and we loosely discuss the different composers but nothing formal. We also do some basic US geography (memorizing states, starting to learn the capitals)
In a given week, he probably writes 1 narration from his history, and 1 from Writing with Ease. They are very simple paragraphs, although the history ones tend to include a touch more detail. I also ask him to narrate his readers to me occasionally.
We do each of these subjects daily, with “science” 1x per week and history 2x/week (one day for reading chapter, 2nd day for narration/coloring/further research). He loves to draw so he often feathers art in in some capacity.
His only output besides the 2 workbooks is the 2 written narrations. I often feel like we’re not doing enough. Even though it looks like a lot on paper, we are moving very slowly through it. I am chalking that up to still being in the learning process, but I’m not sure :-/
Sorry for the long post, thanks so much in advance for your feedback.
February 3, 2015 at 12:56 pm
JenniferM
Participant
I currently have a fourth grader so I’ll share what she does.
With the family:
Sing hymn -daily
Recite a passage from Memory book (scripture passage, poem, or some other longer piece) – daily
Bible read aloud with narration/discussion – daily
History or geography read aloud with narration/discussion- daily
Enrichment (music study OR picture study OR art OR nature walk/nature journal). We do one of these each day M-TH
Fourth Grade Work:
English Lessons Through Literature (includes literature, Grammar/Language Arts lesson, poetry, fable, oral and written narration, copywork, dictation, and picture study – though not all of that every day)
MathU See – finishing Gamma
American History- read from assigned book related to time period
Science- read and narrate twice per week from Nature Reader, science activity from Home Science adventures kit once per week
Geography- in addition to locating places when we encounter them in our reading, she reviews US states and capitals once per week since she learned these in third grade
She also reads voraciously on her own books of her own choosing. We share a bedtime book for enjoyment each evening. She also does a good bit of arts and crafts aside from school time as this is an interest of hers.
In looking back over what you are doing, I think the only part we don’t do is a formal spelling program. CM advocated studied dictation for working on spelling, however some moms here do add in a spelling program for some students.
Also, a CM education would include music, art, poetry, and nature study if you are not currently including these in your week. They can be just a natural part of family life. If you’re not sure how to implement, just ask, we’ll point you in the right direction.
Oh- foreign language…. We were working on Spanish all together, but it has sort of taken a back seat…. I hope to begin Latin around 6th grade. 🙂
February 3, 2015 at 2:40 pm
queenofthemanor
Participant
Thank you so much! I would love any suggestions for how to implement music, poetry and nature study. I am hoping to join a co-op soon for art and in the meantime we have the Atelier program in a closet somewhere :-).
Also, could you elaborate on the narration piece–are they all written? If so, what is the length at this age and are they all straightforward summaries of main idea or more elaborate/directed?
Sorry for so many questions!
February 3, 2015 at 5:02 pm
greenebalts
Participant
I currently have a 4th and 5th grader. Here are our 2014-2015 curriculum choices…
http://reflectionsfromdrywoodcreek.blogspot.com/2014/09/2014-2015-curriculum.html
Here is our Term 1 Year 4 Sample Schedule…
http://reflectionsfromdrywoodcreek.blogspot.com/2014/09/year-4-term-1-sample-schedule.html
Here is our Term 1 Year 5 Sample Schedule…
http://reflectionsfromdrywoodcreek.blogspot.com/2014/09/year-5-term-1-sample-schedule.html
We are currently nearly finished with our second term and have switched some things out.
Our 4th grader is dyslexic and does most subjects orally at this point, aside from copywork.
Music – I’ve chosen a hymn and folk song for each term and we practice singing them weekly in addition to practicing songs kiddos are learning at church.
Art – We have read books on Benjamin West and John James Audubon this year, in addition to looking at their work. Both kids are enrolled in local organized art classes this spring semester.
You can see our 5th graders poetry study on the schedules linked above. She studies a different poet each term using the Poetry for Young People series. She’s also reading Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare.
I’m using Aesop’s Fables with our 4th grader, which we’ve nearly completed. I will read poetry aloud to him three days per week after that.
I actually just posted a sample 5th grade narration yesterday here..
http://reflectionsfromdrywoodcreek.blogspot.com/2015/02/rileys-reviewsand-sample-narration.html
Hope this helps…
Melissa
February 3, 2015 at 7:39 pm
queenofthemanor
Participant
Thank you so much–this is helpful.
Wow, that narration is really really good. I would say we are nowhere near that level.
Any tips you have on improving narrations are most welcome 🙂
February 3, 2015 at 9:02 pm
sheraz
Participant
Music Study, Poetry, Nature Study and Picture Study are all a huge part of spreading the feast in a CM education. Each is so simple that many people think that they can ignore it, but it is an important part. Charlotte talked a lot about sharing the best ideas with children and letting them spend time with those ideas – and she wasn’t just talking about literature. Each area reaches all in different ways and tends to elevate our thoughts to better places. =) So…off my soap box and on to the nitty-gritty:
Picture Study is the study of one artist at a time – by reading an appropriate biography and simply studying one work by that person for about 6-8 weeks. You have the student look at the picture for a few minutes and then turn it over and ask them to tell you everything that they remember about it. This is not art history/criticism per se, although you can discuss what they have noticed. Then just display the picture somewhere visible. This takes about 5-10 minutes once a week.
Composer/Music study is similar. Read an appropriate biography of a composer and listen to some of their works through out the week. This takes about 5-10 minutes once a week.
Poetry is also so simple. Read an appropriate biography of an author and listen to some of their poetry through out the week. This takes about 5-10 minutes once a week.
Nature Study is a once a week subject, going hand in hand with science. You take your children outside and go for a walk with the intention to really observe something in nature – trees, flowers, insects, birds, animals, rocks, water environments, etc. After you locate something you are interested in, you look it up in a guide to learn about it. Then you draw it in your nature journal (blank sketch pad) as best you can, sign it and date it. You can add colors with colored pencils, etc. This takes my family about 1 to 1 1/2 hours a week. We go to the same areas often to note the changes in each season. This is such a foundation for science. My girls love this opportunity and my littles beg for it every morning. =)
February 3, 2015 at 9:09 pm
sheraz
Participant
There are a lot of great suggestions for resources for each area you asked about in this recent thread:
https://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/help-me-plan-the-rest-of-our-year/
February 3, 2015 at 10:02 pm
greenebalts
Participant
queenofthemanor…don’t compare narrations. This from a child who is gifted in this area and has been doing it for several years. Our 4th grade son is not at this level. He does well orally, but could never write a narration at this point. I have really just begun to require more oral narration from him this year. Hence the reason we’re reading Aesop. This is a great beginning narration book.
When you’re starting narration, start small. Maybe first with a paragraph or a page, building up to a chapter and finally with a summary of the book, which may take years. Also narration can come in many forms including illustrating a scene, acting out a scene, building a scene or a model with LEGOS, a comic strip, a character sketch, compare and contrast, drawing a map, writing a character a letter, or interviewing a character, etc. Make sure you’re an active listener, but don’t interrupt a narration. Hold comments and questions until the end.
Blessings,
Melissa
February 5, 2015 at 7:12 am
greenebalts
Participant
I just posted a sample narration from our year 4 student. He’s a less experienced narrator. He gave the narration orally while I typed…
http://reflectionsfromdrywoodcreek.blogspot.com/2015/02/amistad-mutiny.html