We are behind, need advice

Welcome to Simply Charlotte Mason Discussion Forum CM Specifics History We are behind, need advice

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  • Christine Kaiser
    Participant

    This was my first year homeschooling DD7 and while I set focus on the “core” academics and did pretty good with that I was dreading the history module 1. We have about 6 weeks of school left and we made it only up to lesson 75 so far Embarassed . I am not sure what to do in the new school year. Should I just continue (this time keeping the schedule!) or start with Module 2 so we stay on schedule with the 6 year rotation? My DS 5 will join us after the summer break so if I continue with Module 1 he will just get half of that Module and start somewhere in the middle of it. I guess the answer is probably simple and I am just not seeing clearly right now? I really need to join the planning anonymous! Cry 

    Blessings , Christine

    my3boys
    Participant

    Well, I don’t know what others would say, but I would just keep going. Your kids are so young and “school” years are meaningless to them. With most of our subjects we just keep going, finishing up “whatever” when the next year starts back up again (this year we are schooling year-round so I don’t feel the same about the school years as I have before). We are going to finish up our year of Module 6 history in June (or earlier) then start Mod. 1 in Aug., but that is really the only subject that will not be a continuation (well, maybe math for 2 of my dc). I do plan to plan new poets/composers/artists/hymns, but those change like the wind (I may find a deal on something or an artists seems more interesting than who we had planned).

    I would not worry and just keep going. My youngest has just jumped into Mod. 6 halfway (could’ve been the whole time, but he wouldn’t sit still) and I have no worries about his future understanding of history. His brothers have started in Mod. 5, with some history background, and they are doing just fine.

    HTH

    blue j
    Participant

    Behind is a relative term.  Remember that.  Your student is learning at the pace that you can both keep up with.  That is not behind.

    As far as what to do, just continue on.  It will all be fine, even though your rotation may not be spot on. It is okay… you’re teaching the child not the curriculum, and that is a good thing.

    Sue
    Participant

    I agree with the others that, especially since he’s very young, don’t worry about “finishing” the module before summer break (if you’re taking one). That’s really school-building mentality. I remember when I was in middle school wondering what was wrong with us, we didn’t finish every single chapter in the book! Then, when I was using public school textbooks to teach my kids while they were enrolled in an online public charter school, one of the supervising teachers told me, “Take a look at the last two chapters of the math book. They are just introducing what you’ll be starting with in the fall–and you’ll probably have to reteach it anyway and review everything else, too.” She was right.

    You might be able to designate a couple of days a week during the summer to do some light history work and finish up (or get a lot closer) before school starts up again in the fall. If not, just pick up where you left off. After all, you’ll be revisiting module 1’s time period after you have completed all 6 modules, and your childreb will be older then. The books they’ll be reading the second time around will be middle school level, and they both will absorb more. These early years sort of whet their appetites for more history later on, but you’ll be surprised at what they remember.

    We are in module 6, and we’ve not travelled very far. We just spent a lot of time on Queen Victoria and all that surrounded her era, plus the Civil War. My kids, especially my son, were rather intrigued by President Lincoln and his assassination as well. I’ve decided we’ll just go as far as we can until the end of the year and pick up with it in the fall. It won’t be a problem for my younger two, although I’ll have to work something out for my older daughter. It’s actually a good problem to have since she would not have had a module with American history during high school, and she has to have some on her transcript. So….I’ll just have to figure out how to get her through modules 1-4 along with this year’s “leftovers.”

    It can be done. But in your case, Christine, not to worry. You have plenty of time to fit in what your kids need.

    lgeurink
    Member

    Are you looking more forward to module 2?  If so, stop at the end of your school year and start fresh with module 2 in the fall.  I wouldn’t consider it “staying on schedule” as much as doing what is best for your family.  If you are psyched about module 4 do that instead while you figure out what homeschooling in your family looks like, after all, you have just started.  You have certainly not screwed anything up.  If you consider that younger kids jump into the rotation at different ages then it shouldn’t really be any different for your first child either if they don’t start with number one.  

    On the other hand, if you will be bothered by not finishing, then take some time off, do some fun projects, and start fresh in the fall.  Or do two lessons a week over the summer to get closer to finishing.

    I think either way you go, if you are all happy to be together, are learning new things, appreciating the cultures, Bible lessons, and history you are learning about, then you are doing it “right”.  Your kids are young and will both be doing the rotation again when they are older so give yourself some grace.  Maybe the last six weeks could be library books on ancient Egyptian history, art, playing senate, trying a recipe, making sugar cube pyramids.  Google ancient egypt for kids, there are tons of ideas that will keep them learning about the history in a way that may work better for you at this time without you feeling like you are quiting or sacrificing their education.

    4myboys
    Participant

    All the Advice above is good stuff.  I haven’t started Mod 1 yet (plan to in Sept, possibly start some of the Bible reading earlier…), so take this as you will. 

    What is the reason you’ve only gotten to lesson 75?  Is it that you are spenind more time on the material or that the material is dull for you?  Remember that the only thing you are behind on is the schedule that you have set for yourself.  PS kids do not learn history in kindergarten.  Most of what they learn in the first couple of years will be forgotten.  Only a few key things are really going to stand out to them.  So — maybe decide what you really what them to get out of Mod 1 and drop the rest for now.  If you aren’t so worried about the geography, drop it.  There goes about 20 lessons off the bat.  Is the Bible History the most important thing?  Then focus on that.  Spread the reading out through the summer to land yourself at the end of Exodus if you plan to pick up in Mod 2 for next year.  Don’t stress about the ancient Eygpt stuff, but feel free to grab a couple of picture books to share with your kids from time to time.  Give them a taste of histroy without necessarily expecting narrations.  Just talk about the stories or pictures and how people did things differently way back when.  Most importantly, enjoy the time being together.

    Christine Kaiser
    Participant

    I know you are all so right, thank you for taking the time to show me the obvious!:) I guess I just had a big mind block last night and just couldn’t see clearlyEmbarassed

    @ 4myboys

    we started with the history module later, since it was our first year. I focused in the begnning on reading, LA and math. My DD was completely blank in math after one year in K private school and we had to work hard on getting just over anxiety issues she had about math and school all together. I was worth it though, she really enjoys math now and is doing really good, we will even finish MUS alpha in a few weeks Smile But she was completly overwhelmed with the concept of narration, she couldn’t narrate anything at all the first few month. So I thought it would be a waste browsing through the bible and history if she just can’t get anything out of it at all. And like I said she had bad anxiety issues about schooling anyways ( as a result of things that happened at the private school) and as soon as she felt overwhelmed with a task it triggered the anxiety. She grew mostly out of it now and starts picking up slowly on narration and we were able to pick up the pace. Unfortunatly just as I sit here and write we have one of those few days today were the anxiety issues completly take over againFrown. But like I said, those days or hours are few now and I know this shall pass, too. 

    Blessings, Christine

    4myboys
    Participant

    Ah, yep.  That’s the de-schooling thing coupled with learning how to narrate.  We’ve had a pretty good year this year, but have taken it really easy because we are deschooling. I accepted from the beginning that we were not going to do every subject every term (we didn’t do Science at all 2nd term).  I guess I planned a pretty light year, so we should finish everything as planned on schedule in about 9 weeks time. (I would like to wrap up our year on June 15th, a week before PS wraps up.  It’s so hard to concentrate on school work by then!  We will be doing our Science lessons on plants for the last week in May, and the first 2 weeks in June, so it’ll llend nicely to the out-doors and nature Study.)

    Just relax and go with the flow.  As I said, you could always just do the Bible reading/history between now and September and jump in to Mod 2 if that’s what you want to do, or keep right on trucking with the whole shibang!  You’re the teacher — you get to pick!

    Tracey

    artcmomto3
    Participant

    We are in the same boat.  We are almost done with the 2nd Term of Module 1.  We have about 6 weeks left of school as well, and we will just get done with what we can and continue when we pick back up in July.  (We are starting year round this year as well.)  We also have a friend who is just doing two terms in each module per year.  That is what they are able to do and are just not worrying about it.  (They don’t do a lesson every day of the week.)  I used to be like you and was concerned about getting it all done in a year, but it’s just not possible for us with field trips, co-ops, and other things that keep us from doing a lesson a particular day.

    We are not going to finish 106 days before the end of the year either.  We are taking our time reading through the Burgess books, and there were days I was just not prepared for the upcoming lesson, so we held off until I had what we needed.  Main thing is that our children are learning, and also that they are enjoying learning. 

    Christine Kaiser
    Participant

    @artcmomto3

    glad to hear other other families are in the same boat. We don’t finish up the creation study either but I wasn’t too worried about it since they really don’t need to do formal science in the first few years. 

    I was thinking too about cutting back on scheduling the modules. Maybe just doing it 3 weeks on and 1 weeks off. I really want to do some US and local geography and history and we could do that in the week we are off the module. With 5 days BHG per week and all the other stuff there is just not enough time. 

    Thank you so much for all your help and ideas, I am feeling already so much better bout itSmile

    artcmomto3
    Participant

    Oh, Christine, that is another thing!  I believe Charlotte Mason encouraged learning your nation’s history alongside world history, and part of me would like to start doing that this next year.  I’m not sure what curriculum I would use.  What are you thinking of using?

    Alicia

    Christine Kaiser
    Participant

    I was not planning on using a curriculum. Just getting to know the States and Capitals through games, puzzles etc. My kids can locate most of the States just through playing games now we need to work on Capitals. Although I just want to teach them more about our home State and I would love to start with ” Paddle to the Sea”, using the google earth plugg-in along with it. I already own the D’Aulaire books about George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. So you see my plans are many but who knows what will get done!;)

    Oakblossoms
    Participant

    The last few years we tried having a school year and it was messy.

    We are going back to the keep on learning method. When your done with that module take a break and decide the next thing whether it be the next module or something else.

    We are back to school for 3 weeks and then 1 off for big chores, deep cleaning, mindless play etc.

    Christine Kaiser
    Participant

    I decided now on what to do for American History and local Geography. We plan on reading four D’Aulaire books. Three we own already because I planned on reading them this year but our schedule just didnt allow the extra time for it. For the coming year I planned now 3 week module 1 and 2 and one week American History or Geography. For local Geography I found so far 3 books about Arizona and the desert and like I said earlier I planned for Paddle to the Sea. We also will do games and puzzles supporting US Geography. Hope this schedule will work! 🙂

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