I thank you all for your ideas! It is so amazing to me how helpful people are here. I don’t know why, but this is one of those areas that makes me frustrated. 🙂 I think it is because so many of CM methods are so fluid, moving back and forth between subjects and tasks. Today my son read to me and narrated what he read instead of me reading something to him and he narrating… I told him he was done for the day, and he said, “No we didn’t narrate.” Then I told him he narrated what he read to me, and he said, “Oh, I like that. We did two things at once.” (He knows he has to read out loud to me and he has to narrate. Normally we do 2 separate things to accomplish that.) Yes, CM is very good, but so different from public school where everything is divided into subjects and class periods. I can make folders for that– but in CM it is more about the method (reading and narrating) than about specific subjects, because everything you read is living books that are good food for your mind. The same book could fit into the category of history, science and geography all at the same time. It’s easy to put textbooks into specific subject compartments, but not so living books. And then since LA is taught through all the books and reading…. it’s hard to put your finger on it.
I’m sure I’m making this all way too hard. I don’t mean to. I’m just one of those people who takes a while to get organized and into the groove of something. I ordered some of SCM books and I think it will help me so much to follow Sonya’s guides. I have the Early Modern & Epistles family study handbook, and 106 Days of Creation studies. I think if I follow the lesson 1, lesson 2, step 1, step 2, routine for awhile it will help me get my bearings.
Actually, I think I just answered my own question, because if I follow these guides, it tells me to “add to the notebook” so I think each child will have a notebook for each of those studies. Then we will each have a Nature journal (sketchbook) for nature walks and whatever else interests them in nature, and then also the family Book of Centuries. Then my daughter has her book of mottos and my son will have his copywork/ penmanship notebook. And my daughter will have a composition book for her Spelling wisdom dictation assignments.
I’m going to ponder all this info for awhile, and do what morgrace said– think about what would be most useful for me…
Thanks again.