what is expected of a 5th grader

I recently found this site helpful.  http://www.sabbath-mood-homeschool.com/2014/07/my-matrix.html

Basically, daily Bible, typical CM language arts with some grammar, science, geography, math, history, and basic CM fine arts.  She would also have 3 languages at this age, but they would not be added at once.  I’m hoping to add in some written narrations for him this year…probably once a week.

My plans for 5th include

• ELTL 4–This should cover all his LA subjects
• MUS
• Daily Bible readings and hymn–2 days NT, 2 days OT, and 5th day will be covered with SCM’s Bible lesson
• Memoria Press Latin and Rosetta Stone Spanish
• Science–SCM’s Burgess Study, Exploring Planet Earth, weekly readings from a few living books, nature studies on trees, birds, and stars
• History|Geography–SCM Module 4, Visits to Europe, and The Geography Book (physical geography)
• Extras–LDTR for Children, Drawspace art lessons, music study, piano, handicrafts, reading aloud practice, memory work, computer programming (DH is teaching him this as well as art)
• picture study and poetry is covered with ELTL so I won’t have to worry about that…I may use parts of it for their reading aloud practice as well

I don’t plan on adding any logic until high school.  I’m hoping to “ramp up” his studies this year by working on written narrations and adding more independent work to his day.  The Spanish, Exploring Planet Earth, and some of ELTL readings will be done independently.

From my experience, the best way we can teach our children to think critically is to read to them, and have them read, good literature-to push them to read the hard books when they are ready. Reading and discussing events in history, fictional happenings in literature, things we read in our science books will raise children who think critically.

I’m not so convinced that critical thinking workbooks will do the same.

A 5th grader in my home would be required to read challenging literature for history, science and reading. She would be giving me oral narrations in every subject and a nice written narration once a week. Dictation and copywork would each be done twice a week. Nature study, picture study and composer study would take place weekly. We would read from Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare to begin familiarizing her with the his works. We would memorize scripture, read poetry and study God’s word. She would be working on her math skills daily.

The Well Trained Mind is based on a completely different educational philosophy than CM methods are. They start from a very different place. Charlotte Mason started from the whole personhood of the child. The WTM starts from the belief in the 3 stages of the trivium. It all depends on which one you identify with and want to build the foundation of your homeschool on. It seems to me that the modern classical method loses the focus of the child as a person and bases the education on which “stage” of the trivium the child is supposed to be in. I believe this gives a fragmented view of a child. I also disagree with the supposed stages.

I love the quote that “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire” by  William Butler Yeats. The classical focus seems to be on “filling the pail” instead of “lighting the fire” in my opinion.