Just starting out

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. 🙂

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

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. =)

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