Secular Charlotte Mason

Originally posted by Krystal:

So far we've had a pretty good homeschooling fall.  I made up achart (and laminated it) of everything my 4th grader is suppose to bedoing for the week and the number of times she's suppose to do it andhave it posted on the wall so she can mark it off as she goes, and thenI mark it off once a week on the monthly chart for me.  I've starredthe things she can do on her own -- in theory she's suppose to get allthose done before lunch.  For example, she's suppose to do math andenglish 4 times a week and on her own.  She's suppose to do history 3xwith me.  This works well because I can say to her in the morning "haveyou gotten your school done?" and she can't come back with "but Ididn't know what I was suppose to do!?"   

Whileshe's doing that I take about 30 mins and do a 'reading lesson' with my5yo.  That incorporates a section of Phonics Pathways, 2 pages of a bobbook, 1 page of number writing practice (kumon) and a page of cutting(kumon).  Some mornings it's easier than others, but we usually getthis done 3 to 4 times a week.  Then he goes to school from 11:30 to2. 

During that time my 9yo and I try and go for a walk(though we've been sick off and on for a month, so this hasn't happenedas much as I was planning on) and then eat lunch.  Then we do someHistory Odyssey or poetry memorization or review her latin/greek cardsor work on girl scout badges or a happy combination.  We pick Tom upfrom school at 2 and do piano lesson/library on wed. or we just stayhome.  Sometimes Dale and I finsih up school after Tom gets home, butmostly I just have her read something off her reading list for HistoryOdyssey until 4pm when the tv comes on and they can watch pbs kids tillsupper. 

I am so DONE by 4! 

On fridayswe tend to skip the 'school' stuff and do art history and an artproject in the mornings and since my hubby gets friday afternoons offI've been having him do physics with her on friday afternoons (I don'tknow why I just CANNOT get into teaching science -- it drives meinsane!  So I make the hubby do it instead -- tha'ts what engineers arefor!) 

Resources I'm using for my 4th grader: 

**Bob Jones English -- don't love it, but don't hate it either, it's definately not secular.

**HistoryOdyssey, Modern, Level One -- I'm pretty pleased with it so far thisyear, it provides a lot of the reading lists I'm using and I'm notover-thinking history so much this year.  If we miss stuff, we missstuff, I don't care.   

**Noeo Science, Physics, level 2 -- so far so good, as I said, hubby's teaching it

** Art History:  Some of the reading in HO, also using Usborn's Introduction to Art, trying not to overthink it.

**English from the Roots Up, level 2 -- only bought the cards this year,couldn't stomach $40 for the text book we barely used last yearanyway.  I'm just having her memorize the 100 cards with a few majorwords that we use in modern english today. 

** Saxon Math, level 6/5 and Singapore Extra Practice workbook, level 4

**Poetry Memorization from Andrew Pudwea (sp?) -- we're technically onlevel 4, but we mix and match poems from other sources if she doesn'tlike something he picked.

** Write with the Best -- we're trying this program about once a week.  My opinion is still out on it. 

** She's in Girl Scouts, we work on badges at home.

**Piano lessons -- I finally broke down and got her a 'real' teachers(versus myself), it's the best money I've ever spent!  She now loves topractice and we don't have to fight about it, she's been making greatstrides and it's only been two months!  Yeah!!!!

Ithink that's about it.  We're definitely not doing everything we couldbe doing, but I think what we are doing is good enough.  I'm reallytrying to not sweat this year and the chart has helped a lot with thatand being able to look back over a month and see lots of little checkedboxes is reassuring!  I'm glad it's working while it's working and I'lltake it! 

What's working for you?

Krystal  

Krystal,

I want to hear more about howyou are using English from the Roots Up. I have it but can never seemto think of how to use it.Is there anyway of using it as a game, sortof like Rummy Roots (or os that Roots Rummy?)?

Gina

Originally posted by Krystal:

Hey Gina, 

I just have her memorize the cards insets of 5 or 10, then we review them (supposedly 2x a week) by doing akind of speed game.  I hold the pile and flip one over and we shout outthe definition and a few go along words and whoever does it first getsthe card for their pile.  (Dale always wins so she likes the game!) Example:  Pathos.  We yell "Feeling/Suffering -- Pathetic!"  or Philia"love, friendship -- Philodelphia, philosopher!!"   If there  are cardswe can't get or get wrong they go in a different pile for review.  It'sfunner with level one since she has 95% of them memorized, but we'regetting up to 20ish in level 2.  I just can't bear to mix the boxesyet!!!    Good luck!  I looked at rummy roots and just didn't have the money at the time, but this seems fine for now. 

Krystal

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Originally posted by Misti:

Hmmm.  Thank you Krystal and Gina.  I think you just solved themystery of how I am going to get my boy interested in Latin when thetime comes.  Jack will do anything if it involved a game...anf RummyRoots and this speed game seem like just the ticket! 

(It'snot time yet...so far he's still using "Kids Love Spanish" videos. (eeew.  He foudn them at the library and HE loves them.) but when thetime comes this will make it much easier.  And Dad can play, too!)

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Misti Anslin Delaney-Smith

misti (at) delaney - smith (dot) net

http://chezsmiffy.blogspot.com/

secularcm

Site Owner

Posts: 253

I wish there were more games for this topic. Perhaps I should pickmy friend's brain. She is a Latin teacher and has way cool creativeteaching ideas.