I wasn’t exactly sure where to put this, I’m not totally new to Charlotte Mason’s methods – we did AO for a year – I am just not good at knowing what my children should be doing at their age/grade/level. I am currently reading CM’s last book in the series, Toward A Philosophy of Education.
Since I found this site I have finally been consistent in doing something with all 3 of my girls everyday. My 8 yo and 6 yo are still learning to read, my 6 yo is still learning to form her letters in writing. So with all three girls we are daily doing: math & copywork. That’s it. Which on the one hand makes me 😀 but on the other makes me feel 😳 My younger two are also having reading lessons from 100 EZ lessons which we just started.
My main thoughts now are toward my oldest daughter, who is 11 1/2. Just in the last one week of doing copywork consistently her handwriting has improved SO much! She is deciding which verses from the bible she wants to copy – right now each day she does one verse from Psalm 23 and when she has the whole chapter finished she plans to decorate her page.
I’ve just downloaded Spelling Wisdom, book 1 for her.
So she would be doing:
Math (math mammoth)
Copywork
Dictation/spelling (which is only 2x a week right?)
I plan as soon as I’m able to buy Module 1 for history, but that is for all the girls.
Should she be reading something every day and giving me a narration daily? Do I need to pick some literature and just have her read a small portion a day – making the book last a while?
I want to add in picture study, etc, but I’m trying to get the basics down right now and make sure I stay consistent each day with that.
Please feel free to ask any questions that would help give a better picture. I don’t want to shortchange her – I do feel that I’ve been too lax with her in the education department – I’ve JUST NOW started making her do 2 pages of math instead of one because she was finishing the one page in 5 – 7 minutes.
Have you look here http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/ to get an idea of what each child should be doing based on age? Obviously this is not set in stone but would give you a model to work from based on age and ability.
Hi and welcome. It’s great that you are getting into the routine of daily work and starting with the basics.
My advice is to NOT wait until you have the budget to purchase books but head to the library and check some out for free. What era in history are you planning to do with your eldest?
As for literature, you can read aloud to her (and her sisters) and/or she can read to herself as well. If you want suggestions, just say the word.
One rather easy way to get in the so-called “extras” like poetry, picture study, etc. is to do them at the breakfast or lunch table (or over afternoon tea, if you really want to go for the English style!).
Any more questions, just keep asking. This is a very resourceful and helpful group.
Hi and welcome. It’s great that you are getting into the routine of daily work and starting with the basics.
My advice is to NOT wait until you have the budget to purchase books but head to the library and check some out for free. What era in history are you planning to do with your eldest?
As for literature, you can read aloud to her (and her sisters) and/or she can read to herself as well. If you want suggestions, just say the word.
One rather easy way to get in the so-called “extras” like poetry, picture study, etc. is to do them at the breakfast or lunch table (or over afternoon tea, if you really want to go for the English style!).
Any more questions, just keep asking. This is a very resourceful and helpful group.
At age 11, here is what I would have a child doing based on CM’s methods:
Daily:
Bible
Penmanship/Copywork
Math
Foreign Language if you choose
Instrument Practice
Poem a day
Weekly:
Artist and Composer
Nature Study
Grammar Lessons
Book of Centuries and Mapwork
Handicraft
Shakespeare and Plutarch
Then 2 readings per day from these:
History/Biography
Geography
Natural History/Science
Literature
Say for example on Monday:
Daily Subjects
History and Literature
Artist Study
Tuesday:
Daily Subjects
Geography and Natural History
Composer Study
Wednesday:
Daily Subjects
Science and Literature
Shakespeare
Thursday:
Daily Subjects
Biography and Natural History
Grammar
Nature Study
Friday:
Daily Subjects
Plutarch
Book of Centuries/Mapwork
Handicraft
It looks like a lot, but it’s really not. Each thing should only be about 15-20 mins. She should be doing oral narration every. single. day. And at least 1 written narration per week, with a goal of getting up to 2 by age 12 or 13. On the days she does written narration, do 1 written and 1 oral. Other days do 2 oral. Then yes, add in her own free reading to which she does not narrate from. Also written narrations should no be corrected much until after she is more proficient at them. 😉
She also needs to be doing dictation 2-3 times per week…this is very important, just as much so, IMO, as narration. In fact, narration is so important that CM says that any reading not followed by a narration is wasted.
Your welcome to look at our curriculum and weekly checklists found on my blog (my kids are: 13, 12, 10, 7, and 4) http://livingundergrace.wordpress.com
Shanna, I actually have seen the guide – printed it even. LOL I don’t know what I was thinking. Okay, I’m going through each thing and making a list of what to do.
Esby, concerning history – I have no idea where to start. We’ve done probably half of An Island Story and enjoyed that pretty well. So I was thinking of going with the history Module 1 and just starting from the beginning – I may be able to purchase it next week. I went back and looked and somehow I missed the books recommended for grades 4-6 – I was thinking it was all family read-alouds and then high school suggestions.
And I would love some literature suggestions – I’ve printed the list from the main site, many of them she has already read – but I think when she just grabs a book and reads it she reads too fast and skips some of it. I’d like to have it part of her schooling to read an enjoyable book but slow down and make it last.
I will say that I have personally had children re-read books that they read for fun to do for school. When made to read it slowly they do find things that they missed. There is nothing wrong with doing that. If she has read many of the books from the list here you could go to the AO site and get some suggestions from there. You could also look at http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html to get ideas on books to give for literature. HTH.
We just started this CM style schedule, and I have to say that pretty much every book we needed is available at the library. Such a blessing as I have little extra money, since I purchased the curriculum they were using and decided to totally abandon it.
About reading too fast, I just have my boys narrate it back to me after they have read a couple of chapters. I have read the books they’re reading and can ask for specific information, and if they can’t answer, I send them back to find the info. I have to say it has slowed them down and made they’re reading more indepth, never knowing what weird thing mom might pull out of it.
The object of this book is to present accurately those facts and principles in the lives of some of the chief founders and builders of America that would be of interest and value to pupils pursuing the study of our nation’s history…
The authors have endeavored to bring out the influences of the Christian faith as it relates to the events and people of America’s past. Young people in America today must not be sheltered from the knowledge that our nation has a rich Christian heritage.
If I start using this book, and then can get the Module 1 history, can I use both? Or should I just stick with one until it’s finished?
I also have Mystery of History Vol 1 but do not like it.
One more question. My 11 yod has not done any grammar until very recently when I started her on Easy Grammar – basically she has just memorized some of the prepositions (using the Yankee Doodle song – now we ALL know these prepositions, LOL).
I’m planning to get EFTTC for my younger two – but I found Intermediate Language Lessons
By Emma Serl on Google Books and downloaded it – would this be fine to use with my oldest daughter who has had basically NO grammer/language lesson instructions?