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letting go of the reigns/scheduling
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I lurk more than anything on this website due to this being only my second year of homeschooling. I have much to learn and appreciate all of you ladies’ insight. My question might be a bit lengthy, but I hope understandable. I have 10 year old b/g twins whom I would like to be a bit more independent with their schooling. Currently I read everything to them except for their literature and free reads (they are doing the same history, science, etc). I enjoy the time with them reading, but I feel like its a bit overkill sometime. With history, we are doing TCOO which is still very difficult for them to narrate. We are working on this skill but it is taking a long time. So I don’t know that I can just let them read this on their own. With science, we are doing the year 5 science. I don’t think that they could handle MHLW on their own either. I know that as they get older, they should be doing more on their own, I’m just not sure how to handle this very well. Any thoughts would be so appreciated?
Check out the free download from Homeschool Enrichment Magazine – they only have three free downloads you should find it quickly. It’s written by Joanne Calderwood (sp) who wrote the Self Propelled Advantage – EXCELLENT!!! book. Read the article first and if it resonates get the book.
In my opinion this country of ours is too difficult to begin narrations with. we begin at six years old with something simple like ESOPs fables. By age 10, I do expect that my children, whom are all neuro-typical, be able to complete the great majority of their work on their end. Barring some learning difficulties, I don’t see the need to continue reading aloud to children him are capable of doing so for themselves. In fact, Charlotte herself warns us of this in her writings. Continuing to do the work for the children can often times lead to them becoming lazy or unwilling to do that hard work for themselves.
The articles referenced above are also good help.
I’m Dictating this response in the car so please excuse any tons may sound harsher than it normally would.
Thank you both for the responses. I completely agree and understand the dangers of doing it all for them. I just don’t know how to back off. I have practiced with Aesop’s Fables with narration. I don’t know then if they should just not be expected to narrate from TCOO at all at this point. I’m just not sure what to expect then. This is their second year of Charlotte Mason and narration is still quite an issue…although we don’t seem to do as much of it as we should be. Anyway, I’m just rambling at this point. I really do want to back off so please don’t see the above statements as excuses.
Missceegee…I really appreciate your scheduling posts. I was looking at your nine year’s olds schedule and that is really what prompted me to write my own question. Thank you.
You might consider switching to reading the literature and having them read the other subjects on their own. That’s what I’m in the middle of with my 10 and 11 yr olds. I wouldn’t want to miss out on reading aloud to them more for enjoyment as they start reading more of their “school subjects” to themselves.
Although, last week, my 10 yo said he got more out of science when I read it than when he reads it to himself. In his defense, I did give them a chapter out of an old science textbook to start them off. It was probably boring him as textbooks can sometimes do.
Oral narration is crucial to a CM education. Without it you simply have some good books. Also, don’t forget the very important CM principle that the children must like the books. Personally our family disliked TCOO and used Mara Pratt’s much simpler series of books. TCOO was fine to read to myself but a chore to read aloud. Perhaps a different book is in order. My dd12 and ds9 narrate everything either orally or in writing. For us this means history, science, literature and occ. their personal Bible study. We don’t narrate free reading or family read Alouds.
Don’t rush through oral narration. Stick there until you’ve got it.
Be encouraged.
Thanks…therein lies the rub for me. How do I back off from reading to them but still stay on top of doing narrations consistently. It seems that if we are still learning how to narrate that we would need to read together. Does this make sense? And yes, I have debated the TCOO thing about every week. I keep reading about those who love it and so I have stuck with it.
If YOU GUYS love it, keep at it. If not, find another book. They can still orally narrate what they read to themselves. You simply preread the material. I would still practice with one book you read aloud. Read short sections, a paragraph. Ask for a narration from one kid or both. Continue in short segments. Do not expect while chapters. That will come. My dd1/ regularly narrates 1-2 chapters, but she’s been doing this for 6 years! Look for both detailed and summary type narrations. They may have a strength in one and a weakness in the other which clues you in how to frame the question.
Onward,
Christie
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