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Language Arts?
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New here. I’m doing a lot of research on CM, and muddling through her books at present for next year. I don’t see any tags on Language Arts. Can someone explain to me what and when they do for Language Arts? All of the “packaged” curriculum out there has a Kindergarten Language Arts. My dd is 5.5 and we are doing Kindergarten this year with a packaged curriculum (living books are included). I don’t notice anything about LAs here on these boards — of course, I could easily be overlooking something.
Thank you!
~ Cindie
CM Language Arts is more of a method using eclectic resources that a nice, concise curriculum. English for the Thoughtful Child, Queen’s Language Lessons, and Serl’s Language lessons come the closest to CM curricula. Around age 10 Charlotte started formal grammar study (with copywork and dictation before that) and there are many choices for grammar–Analytical Grammar is recommended here and I use Rod and Staff orally and about a year behind the grade level on the book (4th grade book in 5 th or 6 th).
I consistantly do copywork/dictation daily either from their books or Spelling Wisdom. We do grammar about 3 times a week with R&S orally for my kids above 10.
Caroline ~ So I don’t need to do any Language Arts until they are what age? Do you do phonics, reading, narration, dictation and that’s it?
Yes, that is pretty much what I do until age 9 or 10. So many parts of LA are covered by copywork and dictation that adding more can get redundant. If you would like more of a crutch (and I did in the beginning!) I would recommend to have a text book on the side for exercises in usage or alphabetizing–things like that. You can skip a lot of lessons and just focus on those things not covered naturally. We have Rod and Staff English 2 and 3 that I refer to and if I do lessons they are out loud or on a marker board.
I found I was overworking my 8 year old. He did copywork/dictation/narration and then I was having him copy sentences from R&S. It was way too much. Now he just does the lessons orally a few times a week for 5 or 10 minutes. We skip it many weeks too.
My 10 and 11 year olds are working in R&S English 3 and 5 this year–the first time they have done formal grammar and are liking it fine, I guess. They like DGP grammar too. I’m pretty eclectic in that I use what I found free or cheaply.
Caroline ~ Thank you so much for answering all my many questions. I am so new and I don’t know anyone that homeschools, so I’m trying to figure this out on my own. I have R&S Preschool Workbooks and I really like them. My daughter *loves* them! How did you decide how much copywork and how old? Should I just have her practice her alphabet or Bible verses? Does Sonya cover this in any of her DVDs or books?
Thank you for your patience and willingness to take time with me! I hope to be able to return this to another newbie someday!
~ Cindie
Yes, Sonya covers a lot of this in the WONDERFUL All Day Seminar.
My rule of thumb is to pick a time appropriate to the child and set the timer and ask for their best work in that time. Some kids write a lot, others not so much. My 5 year old does one or two letters–mabye a short word, and then she’s done. My 8 year old copies for about 8 minutes and my 10 and 11 year old do copywork for 10-12 minutes or so. If they start to look fatigued I cut it back or add on time if they breeze through it.
I also do the timer for math in the younger grades.
For some reason the timer gives them an inscentive to do their best because they know the end is pre-determined.
Thank you. I really feel like I can see the forest (whole picture) now! I think I’m going to go ahead and try to plan out this year with the Organizer and make what I have more CM friendly, and start planning for the whole picture during some down times. I ordered the All Day Seminar and Planning your CM Education, so now I feel like I actually have a direction myself instead of relying on a packaged curriculum.
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