New to CM, have a middle schooler…

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  • May 13, 2013 at 10:45 am
    cpht
    Member

    Hello,

      My DH and I have been homeschooling from the beginning.  Our DD is now 11, finishing up 6th grade.  I have always bought the boxed curriculum.  I just wasn’t confident enough in myself to branch out into other homeschooling options.  My DD, while a bright student, has just lost the love of learning.  We are both stressed out over keeping to a rigid schedule and constantly feeling inadaquate when we don’t meet the daily scheduled requirement.  I have even said no to her when she has expressed interest learning about something that is not scheduled, becasue we just don’t have time to fit it in.  This is just crazy!  

      So, I have been reading, reading, and reading….I really love the whole CM approach.  I think this is a perfect fit for us.  However, I am overwhelmed with how to begin.  Since we are at the end of our 6th grade year, I just don’t know how to start CM with a middle schooler.  History, for example, is throwing me for a loop.  I don’t feel she has a very good grasp in this subject at all.  She has read, tested, then forgotten.  I don’t know how or where to begin.

      Any help/advice on starting the CM approach with a 6th, soon to be 7th grader would be appreciated!  

    Lost but excited,

    Jennifer

    May 13, 2013 at 11:06 am
    Tristan
    Participant

    For history – if you want to follow SCM’s 6 year rotation you can in 7th-12th, you would begin with Module 1, ancient history. I know SCM has been working to redo their History handbooks that lay out what books to get and a schedule of when to read each one in a very user-friendly format. Have you looked at the free curriculum guide on Simply Charlotte Mason? You would use the books for history Module 1 listed under family (and read those aloud to her) as well as the bookslisted for the 7th-9th grade range which she could read on her own.

    May 13, 2013 at 11:53 am
    HollyS
    Participant

    Have you looked at the free curriculum guide?  It has been a real blessing for us this year!  I’d used literature-based programs all throughout their HSing (my oldest is finishing 5th).  They had gotten very history-heavy so we didn’t have time for much else…including the 3Rs!  At first the SCM history guides seemed a bit light to me, but now that we’ve gotten going with them, I see the brilliance in shorter lessons.  Not only are they remembering the material, but we’ve had plenty of time for extras.  I feel like we finally have a nicely balanced curriculum.  

    We started with the free curriculum guide last fall.  I did make some substitutions to work with materials we already own and love.  We started with the basics: 3Rs, Bible, history, etc.  Slowly throughout the year we’ve added more CM subjects, one at a time.  We are now at the end of our first year and I’ve added everything except Shakespeare!  This has been a great way to get started because it helped give me time to research the methods and also kept from overloading my DC with new subjects.  

     

     

    May 13, 2013 at 11:58 am
    momto2blessings
    Participant

    I agree with Tristan. You’re at a perfect spot to start the history cycle with her in Module One. That’s what we did with my 7th (and 4th) grader this year. All kids are different, but my dd didn’t care for The Cat of Bubastes but likes Mara, Daughter of the Nime much better (guide gives you the choice). The SCM handbooks have brought peace into our homeschool. I love the day-by-day plan and its thorough but not overwhelming. The other things we did for 7th:

    Math-U-See

    Apologia General

    Spelling Wisdom (sold here)

    Jump In Writing

    Fallacy Detective/SCM Picture Portfolios/Composer/Poetry/Timeline(one ea per day…doesn’t take long)

    SCM Scripture Memory System

    Literature (I try to pick books that interest her)

    Math, Science, lit and history readings take about 30 min ea, and rest of subjects are relatively short. HTH some:) Gina

    May 13, 2013 at 12:05 pm
    momto2blessings
    Participant

    I also agree with Holly:) I thought SCM seemed light at first but it has been just right. When I’ve tried to cram more in with other curriculums it just gets forgotten. The SCM handbooks have reminders ea lesson to recap the previous lesson….very helpful technique I’d never done. And yes, the sheer number of CM subjects can seem like a lot, but slowly adding one at a time makes is much more doable!

    May 13, 2013 at 1:27 pm
    cpht
    Member

    Thank you all for your responses!  I’m feeling more and more confident and releaved the more I read.  I have requested CM books to be held at our local library to learn more.  I have briefly, this morning looked at the free curriculum guide.  I will look more into that today.  The handbooks mentioned…..is that something I need to look into purchasing?  

    Thank you all again so very much!

    Jennifer

    May 13, 2013 at 1:55 pm
    Amber
    Participant

    Here is a link to the Module 1 history guide: http://simplycharlottemason.com/store/genesis-deuteronomy-ancient-egypt/ Download the free sample to check it out. Also note the first three modules are currently being updated and I believe they will be out this summer.

    Here is the book list for the new updated Module 1 guide: http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/history-modules-overview/history-module-1/curriculum-plangenesis-through-deuteronomy-ancient-egypt/

    May 13, 2013 at 2:12 pm
    cpht
    Member

    Thank you!

    May 13, 2013 at 2:36 pm
    apsews
    Member

    Also the blog is amazingly helpful. I also am new to this and someone suggested the blog and I have found a wealth of information there.

    May 13, 2013 at 2:42 pm
    cpht
    Member

    I will look into the blog today. Thanks!

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