We've been living with these plans for a month now and they feel like a great fit, so I'm ready to share them here. These are my fourth grade plans for my two oldest, Vincent and Gianna.
As always, we draw heavily from Ambleside Online's wonderful bookslists. These are based on their Year 4 programme. Their site has weekly breakdowns for the whole year, as well as exams and study guides for some of them, so be sure to take a look! (My booklist here is posted with permission from Ambleside Online.)
I have marked the portions of our schedule that are directly from AO in blue. The rest are my own selections. Portions marked in pink are are not narrated, either because they are added readings for just my older two or because they are part of our Morning Basket and done as a family. (More about that below.)
| Religion | Bible - Acts of the Apostles in Schuster's Bible History (Term 1), two epistles from the Douay-Rheims Bible (Terms 2 and 3) Saints and Catholic History - Lomask's Isaac and the Indians (Term 1), Demarest's The First Californian (Term 2), Garnett's The Red Bonnet (Term 3) Spiritual Reading - Hunt's The First Christians (Term 1), Mother Mary Loyola's Hail Full of Grace (Term 2), Mother Mary Loyola's Forgive Us Our Trespasses (Term 3) Mass - St. Augustine Press' Treasure and Tradition Catechism - St. Joseph's New Catechism No. 1 Liturgical Year - Flos Sanctorum |
| History | World - George Washington's World, A Child's History of the World, Our Island Story National - Marshall's This Country of Ours Biographies - Daugherty's Poor Richard (Term 1), Abigail Adams (Term 2 and 3) Catholic - saints by time period as listed in religion, The Catholic Faith Comes to the Americas Keeping of Timeline and Century Chart |
| Natural History and Science | Kingsley's Madam How and Lady Why Fabre's The Story-book of Science Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas |
| Geography | Holling's Minn of the Mississippi World - Hillyer's Child's Geography of the World State - O'Dell's The Cruise of the Arctic Star (one section weekly) Weekly mapwork - formal Keeping of maps of the Thirteen Colonies (This Country of Ours), California (The Cruise of the Arctic Star and The First Californian), and the Mississippi River (Minn); noting of places mentioned in other readings on printed maps of Europe and America Map drills - countries of Asia, countries of North America, cities of California |
| Literature | Shakespeare - Much Ado About Nothing (Term 1), Midsummer Night's Dream (Term 2), A Winter's Tale (Term 3) Plutarch / Citizenship - Marcus Cato (Term 1), Philopoemen (Term 2), TBD (Term 3) Robinson Crusoe (Term 1 and 2), Kidnapped (Term 2 and 3), The Incredible Journey and various short stories (Term 3) |
| Poetry | Tennyson (Term 1), Dickinson (Term 2), Wordsworth (Term 3) |
| Music Study | Brahms (Term 1), Shubert (Term 2), Palestrina (Term 3) Readings from Opal Wheeler book for each composer |
| Art Study | Velazquez (Term 1), Corot (Term 2), Waterhouse (Term 3) Readings from Hillyer's A Child's History of Art |
| Art | Weekly art lesson with instructor Daily drawing drill |
| Music | Weekly piano lesson and daily practice |
| Nature Study | Weekly nature study outing and journal entry Monthly object lesson and in-the-field sketching session focusing on Trees with our nature study group Keeping a Calendar of Firsts as a family |
| Italian | Daily work, one unit each month, including songs, games, rhymes, picture narration, conversation and review Written work including translation and copywork twice a week Amy Steedman's Legends of Italy |
| Latin | Written and oral work twice a week from Getting Started with Latin |
| Handicrafts | Cooking (Term 1), more sewing with felt (Term 2), wet felting (Term 3) |
| Language Arts | Copywork - daily cursive practice with Startwrite pages, weekly print entry in Prose and Poetry Copybook Dictation - one studied dictation passage weekly Grammar - discussion of parts of a sentence alongside dictation work and Latin |
| Math |
Daily math drill from one of the following - Wrap-ups, Singapore Challenging Word Problems, topical worksheet printed from math-aids.com
Daily lesson - Jacobs' Algebra/Singapore 6B
Weekly lesson - from RightStart Level G Occasional supplement in lieu of lesson - from Challenge Math or Math Olympiad |
| Free Reading | Pulling from Ambleside Online's Year 4 free reading list with lots of additions for my book-loving kids |
| Scheduled Free Reading |
Together - The Secret Garden (Term 1), Swallows and Amazons (Term 2), Gone Away Lake (Term 3)
Independent - Bambi (Term 1), Calico Captive (Term 2), Johnny Tremain (Term 3) |
| Other Assignments and Projects | Reading Log Physical Education - Calisthenics during memory work, weekly run with Mommy Typing - twice weekly using TypingClub.com |
| Memory Work | Bible - The Parable of the Salt and Light, the Ten Commandments, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the Christmas Story in Luke 2 (continued from last year) Poetry - from each term's poets Hymns - Veni Creator Spiritus, St. Michael Byzantine chant, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming, Veni Veni Emmanuel, Dear Guardian of Mary, Adoremus Te Christe Folk Songs - Scarborough Fair, The Ballad of Davy Crockett, Red River Valley, Lavender's Blue, Billy Boy, O Dear What Can The Matter Be, Goodnight Irene, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Come Along Little Dogeys Shakespeare - from plays read Prayers - Confiteor in Latin, O St. Joseph, Divine Mercy prayers, Apostles Creed in Latin, St. Alphonsus' Night Prayer, Words of Consecration in English and Latin |
Some notes about our Year 4 plans:
:: Not-Narrated Readings. As I mentioned, the selections in pink are not narrated, most of the time because they are part of our Morning Basket but occasionally because they are additional independent reading for my older two. I do like to add a bit of reading to the schedule since they are such eager bookworms, but I usually don't ask them to narrate it. So I suppose it is more a method of directing their plentiful free reading time rather than adding schoolwork, if that makes sense.
:: Italian. I will also write more about our Italian plans soon as they are more robust this year. Now that Gianna and Vincent are a bit older, I'm adding in some written work, which they are loving! We're also added in a few new resources that are livening up this year's studies, and I'm doing a weekly prep session that is keeping forward momentum going. I only hope it lasts. ;)
:: Language Arts. We have some additions to our Language Arts this year: dictation and grammar. I could mention Latin here too, because I'm finding that it all ties together quite nicely. I'm printing their dictation passage for the week as a cursive copywork page. I also print a couple extra easy-to-read copies for them to study from and for us to use for grammar chat, finding subjects and verbs and whatnot.
We're also continuing copywork, obviously, but we have moved to cursive only. (Last year we alternated between print and cursive.) They are still doing cursive on pre-made sheets using Startwrite, and then they have a weekly entry scheduled in their Prose and Poetry notebook, which is printed. And we added in typing twice a week, which has been a huge hit.
:: Math. Both of them are still accelerated in math, so I'm just trying to keep up! Gianna finished RightStart Level E last year and spent the last half working through Singapore 5A/B. This year she's finishing up Singpore 6A/B, and then she'll move into the same book Vincent is using, Jacobs Algebra (he started in Jacobs last year after I decided that he really didn't need a pre-algebra program). We'll see if it's as good a fit for her as it has been for him! If not, I have the Key to Algebra set on my shelf, so we can try that as well. They are also doing one worksheet from RightStart's hands-on geometry program (Level G) together once a week, using the drawing tools that they used in the other RS levels. This is something they are able to together and is a nice break from traditional math. And they have a five-minute review drill each day on math facts or calculations.
:: Religion. I am really excited about our Catholic supplements this year! I was wanting to add more Marigold Hunt and more Mother Mary Loyola to our schedule after really enjoying their books for the past couple years. We read Hunt's Book of Angels and St. Patrick's Summer and Mother Loyola's First Communion last year; this year we're doing Hunt's The First Christians and Mother Loyola's Hail Full of Grace and Forgive Us Our Trespasses. The first book ties nicely in with our study of the Acts and Epistles this year, so we're reading through the companion chapters in Schuster's Bible History alongside. And Mother Loyola's books will fit nicely into our liturgical year as I have the first planned for Christmastime and the second for Lent.
They are also reading a couple pages weekly from a book focused on the history and celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass: Treasure and Tradition by St. Augustine Press. My husband and I have found a few small misprints/errors in this book, but the spreads are lovely and the rest of the content is solid. I can't think of another book quite like it. It's not a living book in the traditional sense, so I'm not asking my children to narrate it. But they love poring over non-fiction books such as these and the artwork included is beautiful.
Cate is doing sacramental prep this year, so the big kids are following along with her in their own catechism, which I read during our Morning Basket time. And I chose saints books based on this year's history cycle, one on the Catholic presence in the East and one in the West. I'm particularly interested to read about Blessed (soon to be saint!) Junipero Serra since we are in California and will be studying California geography this year too.
:: Literature. As usual, I have pulled all our literature selections from Ambleside Online. We are choosing different Shakespeare plays based on what is playing locally. In fact, we are headed to a production of Much Ado About Nothing this weekend! My Shakespeare plan is to read the play in Lambs' version (which my Year 1 student can join us for), and then the older kids and I read along as we listen to the full version as an Arkangel Shakespeare recording. The recordings are fabulous. We're also doing Robinson Crusoe as an audio (the unabridged Blackstone version) while reading along with the text.
:: Geography. Speaking of, I took Brandy's wonderful advice and scheduled an extra geography book this year that is based on our state history: The Cruise of the Arctic Star. The wonderful thing is how this and The First Californian tie together so nicely--we're going up and down the coast and learning about the founding of cities and the topography of the state in both books. Alongside, the kids are working on a watercolor map, inspired by Heather. And in case you're in California and want to read the same geography selection, check out Brandy's breakdown by chapter and a printable bookmark I made.
:: Nature Study. We still love doing a weekly nature study outing with friends! This year we'll be getting out weekly as usual, but once a month, we're planning a more focused lesson. Our goal is to study six native trees throughout the year, with a different area of observation each month (branching, leaves, nesting, lichen and moss, etc.).
And the children (and I!) will be responsible for one nature journal entry per week, as always. I've started teaching the kids dry brush more formally too (those are some of Gianna's first mussel shells above).
~~~
I think that about covers it! I've tried to anticipate some of the questions I usually get about our schedule, so I apologize for the length. ;) If you have other questions, let me know.
Over the next couple weeks, I'll be posting...
:: our Form II binder
:: our updated weekly schedule template and how I've been doing my weekly planning
:: our Morning Basket plans for Term 1
:: my Year 1 and kindergarten plans for Cate and Xavier.
(And just as a last note: I'm sure this is obvious, but please remember that our plans are just that--our plans for our family. I share them because I know many of you are looking for examples of different ways to live out the Ambleside Online curriculum, or to deal with eager and early learners within that setting, or to make Catholic additions or substitutions to the curriculum. This is one way in one home and isn't meant to work for all families or all children. So take what you want and ignore the rest! Another place to look for the ways other families live out Year 4 is the Ambleside Online forums--lots of diverse examples there!)
Wow! This is a fantastic peek at what you are doing. So organized! I'm in awe! :)
ReplyDeleteOrganization is the only thing that keeps me sane! LOL Really, though, real life is never quite as well-oiled a machine as it looks on paper, right? :)
DeleteRight! :) Why doesn't it fall into place EXACTLY!? ;)
DeleteIt's called chasing dreams and catching life!
DeleteI love your blog! Thank you for all your pictures and examples! Have you used AO from the beginning of your HS journey? Also, may I ask how old your Y4 kiddos are? I'm looking at your layout thinking my kid is nowhere near ready! :D
ReplyDeleteThey are 9 and almost-9. And yes, we have been doing AO since they were in Year 0. :) If you're coming to AO later or just have a less school-inclined son, it's *perfectly* fine to have your children in a "younger" year. The readings scheduled are so rich and meaty that the "years" in AO definitely don't correspond to traditional grades. :)
DeleteHow did you choose AO as opposed to other curriculums?
DeleteI chose AO because I felt like they most closely held to CM's vision for education (which I just love!) and because their booklist appealed the most to me. I am an unabashed fan of the classics and of rich literary works, and their list is chock full of those things! I also love that the AO community has so many engaged and helpful moms working to help one another and share resources. That has been a big help so that I don't have to reinvent the wheel every year! It's definitely the best fit for our family and we have loved our experience so far.
DeleteAlways love your planning posts. You are just a term ahead of us, so it always gives me useful ideas as I look ahead. :) Looking forward to seeing your binders...hopefully sooner rather than later? I need to buckle down and finish our school planning once we are home again next week. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jen...I have been loving your relationship posts! I spent a lot of time this summer reading CM and just thinking through the principles (thanks to a local CM study group that's going through Brandy's guide together) rather than doing tons of "planning," and it has been such an effective use of my time, so I am totally on board with your approach to the new school year. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
DeleteDo you have any advice on finding geography read alouds or specific state history books? We are form Ohio but live in Virginia, and I'm trying to find some for each state. I'd love any input :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Hollie! I'm only familiar with California selections, but this would be a good question to ask on the AO forum in the Book Substitutions and Recommendations area.
DeleteI live in Wisconsin and we have (from our State Historical Society) magazines/textbooks that were used probably for the last 2 generations as state history texts titled "Badger History". I think they were written at the 4th grade level (that is the year that WI students learn state history). We also have LOTS of state parks/nature study "classrooms" & the like that have MANY resources at each of those places (mostly natural history or the sciences), maybe your state(s) have those as well. My Grandma once found a book titled "Santa comes to Wisconsin" and a WI ABC book. Those types of books have been HUGE treasures at our house as well! Also what about field trips to museums or nature spots? Another hit with kids as well. I know that I have been to my hometown's own museum (about the town) over 20 times! Or even visit your state capitol/historical state buildings.
DeleteJennifer's blog (Wildflowers and Marbles) has a Alabama State History unit I believe.
A couple of note on state history....
keep it light & "fun" (not too heavy & deep)
keep it as engaging & interactive as possiple
Good luck!
Great advice! We love our local nature centers and museums too. The docents there are always full of helpful information, and the gift shops are my favorite places to find field guides and history resources.
DeleteWe follow the same nature centers & parks idea when we vacation at other states. Those place seem to just have so many resources. The more hands on resources for the kids the better. :)
DeleteHow do your kids get through RS Math so quickly since it's built to be teacher intensive? I have two boys I began level E with last year (we love it) but I have such a hard time seeing how it could possibly be more independent or move faster - they are often waiting on me for the teaching time! I would love any tips. They both love and do well with math...
ReplyDeleteHi, Miranda! I have said it before here, but I just want to reiterate that my oldest two handle math very easily, particularly my oldest son, who is particularly gifted in math. So I don't suggest this for everyone--only those that might be dealing with children that are similar. But we have very often done 2-3 lessons in one sitting with RS. My son doesn't need much explanation at all--literally a few sentences from me pulled from the script, and then he's off with doing problems. I also didn't require him to do all the problems for the pages that were overly easy for him. Sometimes I would explain a new topic and he would look at me with a "yeah, of course, why are you teaching me things I already know?" look, and so I would move right along to the next lesson. ;) I did not plan to do RS that way, but he was just not deterred by anything I threw at him and would have been bored if I had done otherwise. If you're dealing with something similar, feel free to email me and I'd be happy to share more ideas with you for your gifted math learners. :)
DeleteHave you ever considered Saxon Math (more "intensive" math) or other math curriculums with your kids?
DeleteRightStart has worked great for us, so I have no desire to switch to another program. I think it lays a great foundation in the elementary years. I haven't used it, but I can't imagine Saxon would provide a greater challenge--RS is plenty challenging in my opinion. It's just that my mathy kids aren't necessarily going to be satisfied with any traditional program as written. That's why I'm thankful that homeschooling allows us to move at our own pace! :)
DeleteAlways fun to peek into your plans. My son read Gone Away Lake over the summer and really, really liked it. He kept begging me to stay up late to just read one more chapter. This is high praise form him because he tends towards non fiction. And we also added Geography of the World in this year! Minn goes so quickly and I wanted to add GOW in, so this year seemed like a good fit.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking to the audio of Robinson Crusoe. After reading aloud for a bit, I do believe I'm going to switch over to audio and following along. I had originally planned to do that, then just decided I was pulling in too many resources. But it is definitely one that an audio version would enhance. We also use audio for our Shakespeare as we follow along. It's the most audio books at once we will have ever done because I normally prefer reading aloud. But with those two, I need professionals. =)
We have not started Plutarch yet. I figured we'd ease into that next term and just do two lives this year. How is that going for y'all? The study guides look fabulous and I've read through Publicola myself. I'm really interested to see how my son will like it. Are your kiddos enjoying it?
Hope your tennis elbow is improving. Now that your kiddos are doing typing, maybe you can dictate your emails to them to type, ha! =)
That's great to know about Gone Away Lake! It's one of those books I had never heard of before the AO booklist, but I have read so many great reviews recently that I wanted to read it alongside them this year. :)
DeleteA Child's Geography is so good. We are all just loving it so far. I knew I wanted to include both Halliburton and Hillyer (the two Y5 geography options), so adding it to Year 4 was the natural choice. But what I didn't expect is how much my Y1 and kindergarten kids are enjoying it too! I'm glad I decided to add it to our Morning Basket reading rather than schedule it as an independent read for just the bigs.
The audio for Robinson Crusoe has been a big help. The chapters are very long, so it was not one I was going to read aloud...but I didn't want to hand it over to the kids alone either. That and Shakespeare are perfect uses of audio, I think. It's definitely a good fit for us.
Plutarch is going really well. The sections are short and I really appreciate Anne White's discussion guide because it's making it so easy for me. She mentioned over on the forums that she's planning to make them available for print and on Kindle, and that will make it even easier. I was considering starting with Poplicola/Publicola because I know that was suggested on the forums, but then I took a look at Marcus Cato (which is on the rotation for fall term) and decided to just go with that. So far, so good, so I may just continue with the rotation selection for winter term too.
That is a great idea about the typing! LOL I hadn't thought of it before, but it WILL be an excellent addition to my blogging routine to have a couple personal typists in the house. ;)
I missed this post somehow. I live for these posts, lol. I find that the way you organize suits my family with minimal tweaking so I eagerly await posts like these. We copied your binder timeline and it is working so well. I wish I could come into your home for a day or two and observe the flow from one thing to another. This is what I struggle most with.
ReplyDeleteI think that's what most of us struggle with--I know I do! :) Around here, the flow always takes a transition time to perfect, every time I make any adjustment...it took us three uncomfortable weeks before we settled in this term. I'm happy we're over that hump. Now we'll see how many adjustments we have to make when baby arrives! ;)
DeleteThank you, Celeste, for taking the time to share your plans! I am a year behind you with AO so I always find it helpful to see what you are doing with your kids. Do you mind me asking what you are doing for grammar? Are you using a particular program or are you putting the lessons together yourself? What about dictation - are you picking the passages yourself from your kids' readings?
ReplyDeleteI am not using a particular program right now since we are just going through the most basic information (nouns and verbs, identifying the subjects and verbs of a sentence). And yes, I am using our dictation exercises for this, which I'm selecting and printing from Bambi, one of the Y4 free read books. You can see a photo in my post about our Form II binder:
Deletehttp://joyouslessons.blogspot.com/2015/08/inside-our-form-ii-binder.html
I did just grab a copy of Winston grammar (I found one cheap used) for us to dip into later this year, and I have KISS grammar (mentioned on the AO site) on my tablet to use and download grammar worksheets from for when we need help on a topic. I imagine pulling some of those out later on this year too.
Hope that helps, Megan!
This is so interesting to look at, thank you for taking the time to share it! We're incorporating more and more of the AO recommendations all the time, and it's always very interesting to see what other families are doing with it all.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome--thanks for stopping by! :)
DeleteDon't you feel that you should be finding Literature (and really all other resources!) from Catholic places such as Seton MODG or Kolbe? Do you feel that it is "risky" to not be putting catholic homeschool materials in front of your kids? Do you ever think about putting more catholic materials in your curriculum?
ReplyDeleteHow do you teach/do Shakespeare with such young students in your home?
Hi there! I understand your concerns, but I have to say that this isn't something that I worry about, and I'll try to explain why. I think it depends quite a bit on your definition of "Catholic." :) Since you mentioned MODG and Kolbe: if you look at their booklists, I think you'll find a LOT of overlap between books recommended at AmblesideOnline and the books recommended by these Catholic classical programs. That is because true Catholic education acknowledges the beauty in literature, art, music, and so on even when those materials are not written by Catholics or even obviously religious in nature. A book or work of art is "Catholic" by virtue of having Truth, Goodness, and Beauty shine through them.
DeleteI'll include here a note from the Mother of Divine Grace website that I think you'll find helpful, as it highlights the view Catholic educators of many centuries (including saints) have taken:
"While not every text in the program is explicitly Catholic, we avoid all materials which are opposed, explicitly or implicitly, to the truths of the Faith. The Catholic Church is universal, and has always made her own what was best in human culture. St. Augustine explains why:
"...if those who are called philosophers, and especially the Platonists, have said aught that is true and in harmony with our faith, we are not only not to shrink from it, but to claim it for our own use from those who have unlawful possession of it. For, as the Egyptians had not only the idols and heavy burdens which the people of Israel hated and fled from, but also vessels and ornaments of gold and silver, and garments, which the same people when going out of Egypt appropriated to themselves, designing them for a better use, not doing this on their own authority, but by the command of God...in the same way all branches of the heathen learning have not only false and superstitious fancies and heavy burdens of unnecessary toil, which every one of us, when going out under the leadership of Christ from the fellowship of the heathen, ought to abhor and avoid; but they contain also liberal instruction which is better adapted to the use of the truth, and some most excellent precepts of morality; and some truths in regard even to the worship of the One God."
St. Augustine in On Christian Doctrine, Book II, Ch. 40
"Guided by this principle, we have included materials that do not come from Catholic sources in our curriculum."
I hope that helps shed some light on my Catholic homeschoolers--not just me, but also those that use Kolbe and MODG--might not feel bound to use all materials that are explicitly Catholic in nature.
That said, we actually do use quite a lot of explicitly Catholic materials in our curriculum as well. I beef up our religion readings and memory work quite a bit in lieu of any religious materials scheduled in AO, and I supplement in history and literature too, as I try to outline in our school plans. (For more direction in that vein, do check out Mater Amabilis, which uses many AO books but also substitutes Catholic readings, as I do.) We do Catholic memory work, poetry, and penmanship. I have shelves and shelves of Catholic books and schedule extra religion reading for our Morning Basket and family studies as well as on Sunday afternoons. We are positively brimming with Catholic culture here and I don't see the need to make our math, foreign language, science, and every other topic we study by explicitly Catholic in nature. My aim in all is Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. :)
In terms of Shakespeare--we love Shakespeare, and yes, even my young ones. :) Shakespeare has been a favorite of Catholics since he first wrote his plays. (You may be familiar with Joseph Pearce's assertion that Shakespeare may even have been a recusant Catholic, which I find convincing.) He does have tragic, gruesome, dark, bawdy, and romantic moments sprinkled throughout his works, all of which might not be appropriate for small children. For my littlest readers, we use the Lamb and Nesbit versions, which are lovely retellings but also edited for a younger audience. For my older children, we are reading through the original plays now, and I am starting with plays I think they will appreciate. You will find if you have read Shakespeare with children that the bawdy bits go right over their heads and they "take what they need" from the reading. (That is a Charlotte Mason point and it's very true.) Similarly, children who have been raised on fairy tales, folk songs, and stories of martyrs and the true sorrows of our Catholic faith are not generally disturbed by tragedy as one might think. (I'm not speaking here of the ultra-sensitive child, but rather of the average classically-educated kid! :)) So my kids love Macbeth, for example--it is not disturbing to them in the sense one might expect, but rather an opportunity for them to encounter the tragedy that exists in the world through the lens of an outsider, experiencing that tragedy through literature rather than through the visceral medium of movies or video games and rather than through real-life difficulties. And the language is the peak of English experience as well, so there's that. ;)
DeleteI hope that helps to answer your questions!
Thank you for taking the time to answer this all!
DeleteGood point about the good, the true & the beautiful! I completely forgot about that! Do you ever supplement AO books with Catholic study guides? Like Ignatius Critical Editions or something? Do you ever consider using more Catholic criticism/supplements at any point?
Joseph Pearce's thoughts on Shakespeare are essential to any Catholic studying Shakespeare.
God bless you in homeschooling your kids!
No, we don't use any study guides at this point, as our goal isn't analysis but rather connection with the stories at this age. In later years, I imagine that yes, we will be informing our reading with Catholic criticism. :)
DeleteI have never thought of Shakespeare in terms of connections instead of analysis. Great idea!
DeleteWOW Celeste! Thank you for those inspiring thoughts! I may just need to go re-write/plan my entire literature curriculum!!! I really like how you put such rich catholic perspective on how to study literature. I love it! Your words are SO true especially with younger students. Thanks for writing all this out--what great advice! Although I like to pretty much exclusively use catholic literature and study guides I see your argument. God bless!
DeleteJust to encourage you: there isn't anything wrong with using exclusively Catholic materials either, so if that's what you're comfortable with, go for it! It's just a matter of preference. :) Blessings!
DeleteWhen will you begin planning next years' curriculum?
ReplyDeleteI usually begin planning once we've finished the current year, which is usually in April for us. (We start our school year in July and finish early to take advantage of the nice weather in spring.)
DeleteHow much of your curriculum is self taught/independent work vs. mom/teacher taught?
ReplyDeleteIt depends on the grade and the child. My older two are very independent at this point: I do one reading a day with them, as well as family work with them (Morning Basket readings, poetry, Italian, picture and music study). They do all their other readings, Latin, math, penmanship, typing, and so on alone or with each other.
DeleteMy Y1 and kinder students are pretty much entirely mom-taught and probably will be so for at least the next year. My 6yo daughter is working on reading but isn't a fluent reader yet. When she is, I'll gradually start to have her read some of her own assignments and move toward independence...but I don't anticipate that happening until closer to Year 4.
How do you balance teaching those kids & time spent with your other little ones?
DeleteThat's why I do most of our schooling during naptime, when the three littlest are asleep. I like to keep the time that they are awake fairly free so that I can spend time with them and so that my littles and bigs can spend time with each other (which they wouldn't be able to do if they were spending the whole morning on lessons). So 12-2 is our big "naptime school" block during which I do most of the school I need to get done without littles around, including all read-alouds for my Y1 and Y4 students. I also do a bit with my big kids on the weekends or in the evenings when my husband is home and playing with the littles--though I like my bigs to be able to play with Daddy during that time as well, so I try to keep that at a minimum. ;)
DeleteGood tactics. :) Whatever works, right?
DeleteExactly! And every year a new baby comes and we have to adjust slightly, right? :)
Deleteabsolutely!
DeleteThank you so much for posting this! I just love seeing your schoolwork plans! I'll have to consider some of this for my own (sometimes CM) homeschool with my 2 11th graders (18m apart), 8th grader, 6th grader, 3 4th graders (triplets!) & 2 in kindergarten (17m apart) (not to mention I also have a 2 year old & a newborn!). I especially love to see what other CMers do. In a perfect world, I'd only use CM. But, this isn't a perfect world. I mostly use Seton & then a huge mix of other stuff that I make into my own curriculum to fill in Seton's gaps. We love using Seton! I have been using them from the beginning mainly because they are so Catholic. I am glad that AO is working out for you! How much do you need to change around what AO has to make your curriculum more Catholic?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have found something that works well for you too. I have several friends that use Seton and love it, so I understand the appeal--it's just not for me!
DeleteIn the early years, there isn't much about AO that needs changing. We use our own religion resources in lieu of theirs, and the Reformation section of Our Island Story has a couple sections that I skipped. Obviously, I also supplement with pertinent saints' lives and bits of history here and there to give a fuller view, but the "bones" that AO provides are quite good on the whole. (You can read more about specific substitutions in my Year 3 plans since that is Renaissance and Reformation year.) And I know several Catholic ladies using AO in the later years that are basically taking the same approach--substituting their own religion/devotional resources and making the history a bit more meaty. So far, so good. :)
Are history, literature and religion the only subjects that you need to adjust? Do you use AO's bible plans ever?
DeleteThere isn't anything wrong with AO's Bible plans in the sense that they really only schedule actual selections of the Bible to read, and you could do the very same sections in a Catholic translation (we like the Douay-Rheims) rather than the KJV and it would be a fine Bible curriculum. However, when I plan religion, I like to schedule readings in the following rough categories: Bible, saints' lives, devotional, catechism, and Mass study. So I do substitute my own Bible readings simply because I like to schedule that out as a family according to my own preferences.
DeleteCeleste---We are about the start Lomask's Isaac and the Indians. I was wondering do you use any other resources to fill out the story--such as maps, native american indian books, etc? We just finished August Derleth's Father Marquette and the Great Rivers---and we used some maps of the Marquette/Joliet route and it also dovetailed so nicely with the history and geography in Minn of the Mississippi. While the children were getting involved in the story line and adventures--it really helped them to have some concrete references to understand some specifics. Thanks
ReplyDeleteYou know, we didn't, but you certainly could use a map alongside! I think that would be a great supplement to cement some of the travels mentioned in the book. The kids seemed to have a handle on the area thanks to the reading we did in This Country of Ours at the end of last year, which talked about the French-Canadian settlements, the Indians and the Dutch, and the settling of that part of New England--so they didn't ask for one to help them along. But mapping Isaac and the Indians would be a worthwhile activity, I think. We *are*, however, doing that for our reading of The First Californian (about Fr. Serra) this term, since the geography of California hasn't been covered in our history readings yet.
DeleteMaps work so well!! Especially if you tie map work / making into the lesson plans.
DeleteCan you talk more on your Italian study?
ReplyDeleteI know this is an old post, but I was wondering the name of the author for The First Californian. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Rebekah! It's Donald Demarest: http://amzn.to/2awMduW
DeleteHi Celeste,
ReplyDeleteI'm having a hard time locating The Catholic Faith Comes to the Americas. Can you recommend another book that could be used to supplement history with?
Karen
Hi Karen,
DeleteI'm sorry, I don't! I have never been all that thrilled with The Catholic Faith Comes to the Americas, to be honest, because it's much less living than our other history reading. But it serves a purpose that I haven't been able to find another book to do -- just fill in some of that Catholic history happening at the same time. Your best bet, I think, might be to just schedule in some biographies or historical fiction instead. There are others besides the two I have listed here (Saint Isaac and the Indians and The First Californian) that would add nicely -- maybe Charles Carroll and the American Revolution? I just ordered that so I haven't read it, but I have heard good things!
Charles Carroll - http://amzn.to/2toJFfe
Saint Isaac and the Indians - http://amzn.to/2u3CG8M
The First Californian - http://amzn.to/2s6PfPc
Hope that helps a bit!
I'll check out the books you mentioned. Thanks! I saw that Mater Amabilis uses From Sea to Shining Sea for the spine for their second cycle of United States history. Do you know anything about that book? I think it might be from The Catholic Textbook Project? Also, do you have any historical fiction recommendations? Thanks so much for the help!
ReplyDeleteKaren
No, I don't have it. I shy away from textbooks whenever I can, so even if it's recommended by MA, I usually don't purchase unless I think it will be living or we really need to fill an immediate need. Or I find it super cheap used like I did with The Catholic Faith Comes to the Americas. ;)
DeleteHistorical fiction for the revolutionary period? Do you mean Catholic specifically, or just generally speaking?
You had mentioned that my best bet might be to just fit in some Catholic biographies and historical fiction. So that's what I was referring to. :)
ReplyDeleteKaren
I actually listed it that way simply because some of the biographies are non-fiction and some are fictionalized -- I can't think offhand of any Catholic suggestions that are for Year 4 and are historical fiction specifically and not bios. Something like Crossbows and Crucifixes for Year 3, but with the revoltionary period in mind... I will think about it and let you know what comes to mind! :)
DeleteCeleste - have you done Bullfinche's Mythology? If so, what do you think of it. I'm on the fence with including it as I head into year 4. Time is a premium and there are many other books that I feel we might benefit more from if you know what I mean!
ReplyDeleteYes, Lucy, we are using it. It's funny that you ask because a local friend who is planning Year 4 this year also just told me that I left it off this page -- and then you noticed it too! LOL I think it's a valuable book. The sections are short and I can't really think of another book that would suit the same purpose -- introducing the student to a wide range of mythology AND the ways those myths have been used by poets and authors throughout time. I personally wouldn't skip it. Hope that helps!
DeleteThat helps tremendously! I started pre reading it and I have to agree with you. Thanks so much.
DeleteI read a bad review of George Washington's World- have you been satisfied with it? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYes, very satisfied with it! It was one of our favorites from Year 4. We have since read Abraham Lincoln's World and are now reading Augustus Caesar's World -- no problems with them either. :)
DeleteCeleste,
ReplyDeleteYou might already have a post on this, but how do you handle maps that overlap between books. For example, my son was reading about Lief Erickson's travels and Benjamin Franklin and both of those stories deal with North America and Europe. Do you use 1 map for each book, or one map per continent per year? If it's the latter, how do you (the child) distinguish which labeling was done for which reading? As a spin off question, I'm especially interested in how you handle this is form 2 with history notebooks. Thanks for your feedback?
Whoops! That was supposed to be "!"
DeleteHi Rachel! I have done a couple different things. Sometimes we mark the two different journeys or chain of events or whatever on the same map in different colors. We actually just did this over the weekend with a map of the Mediterranean and different colors for the (fictional-ish) journeys of Odysseus and Aeneas. Other times, we have used different maps for different books. So, for example, we also have another Mediterranean map in that same notebook that we're using for various events coming up in Augustus Caesar's World, and then we have one zoomed in on Greece and Asia Minor for the Greco-Persian wars from Story of the Greeks. Technically, all of those could go on one big map, but at that point, it gets so jumbled and busy that we can't keep track of what's going on and who's where, and none of us enjoy that process. So I really just play it by ear. We start with a couple big ones that we know we'll be adding to, and then we add small sketched maps when we need them.
DeleteThat said: I also don't feel the need to map every single thing that comes up, nor do I *require* my kids to do that. So a large part of it depends on what they are interested in. I would say major world events focused on a particular region or two from our history readings, and then a map dedicated to our geography selection for that term/year are my minimums, and then other mapping is optional.
And I'm not sure if you ahve already seen this, but I shared the maps and other keeping we finished for Year 4 here: http://joyouslessons.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-school-year-in-review-years-4-and-1.html
And for Year 5 here: http://joyouslessons.blogspot.com/2017/05/a-school-year-kept.html
That might give you an idea of how those options have worked out for us in the past! :)
Hi Celeste,
ReplyDeleteI thought i already sent my comment, but it looks like i made a mistake, so here i go again!
I see that you have scheduled Robinson Crusoe into two terms. Now I know that AO and CM mothers alike stress to us that this choice of book is what really boosts a child's ability from Year 3 to beyond Year 4, and that hard though it may seem at the beginning, perseverance will bear its fruits, but i just cant seem to do it! I think its mainly due to the fact that i always need to *see* examples before i can understand how it works. Would you kindly please explain to me how a reading and narrating session with this book would like in the first sessions and then how progressive sessions would look? ie how much do you read in a sitting, in a week. What does a typical narration look like at the beginning and then when each new advancement is made. Are they required to narrate all that they read (Im assuming one reading would consist of pages of small writing) or just a page? Robinson Crusoe has always stumped me Id *really* appreciate any descriptive enlightenment
Thanks Celeste, HC...
I am actually reading this again right now with another Year 4 student, so the process is fresh! :) I do this one on audio. She listens for 15 minutes at a time, then comes to me to narrate. I do this book in longer chunks despite the difficulty because it is so detailed; I like the student to be able to hear a long enough passage with enough happening that they are able to tell back, and that is sometimes hard to do with shorter bits for this particular book (in my experience). We do this twice a week. Hope that helps!
DeleteThanks Celeste.
DeleteSo in a day, your child might come to you in, say, four 15 min chunks? (Id be tired)
What i still cant visualise is how a child's narration looks. Is it detailed, is it non-dafoe language (ie childish and basic) my children missed out so much when they'd narrate, and could only give me the gist of the event, with a few of his phrases thrown in.
Also how different are the narrations when you notice a marked improvement? I think i find all long chapter books difficult with pre year 5, i still just read understood Betsy rather than require narrations, because i don't know what a suitable narration for a child of 6 is from a long chapter!!
No, just once during that day. So my daughter is listening for 15 minutes, twice a week. It may take us three terms to get through -- I'm just going based on time. :)
DeleteI don't worry too much about my children's narrations. They are taking in far more than they are able to express at that age. I just let them take from the reading what they can! Their ability to explain, process, and express will gradually increase over time. If they are giving the gist of the event with a few phrases thrown in, that sounds just fine for now. You can try shortening or lengthening the amount you are asking them to listen to or read to see if that makes a difference, and you can try scaffolding beforehand by having them recall what was happening before beginning the day's reading. But assessing the narration for whether it is sufficient isn't as useful for the "stretching" books. :) It's better to just let them grow into them. I hope that makes sense!
Please excuse my persistence, but I so want to get my head round this, X.
DeleteI remember my children would be put off because they never even understood what was being said, in fact theyd get the *wrong* understanding of his words, that I couldnt help checking their understanding of each sentence......I know, big mistake, but I just listened to 15 minutes worth of the reading and it *is* a lot and I thought they would never have got more than a small percentage of what he tells, which is why i just gave up!! Because I knew it would gloomify the atmosphere at home.
"But assessing the narration for whether it is sufficient isn't as useful for the "stretching" books. :) It's better to just let them grow into them".....see i seriously dont have enough scope in me to comprehend this *realistically*, only imaginarily, unless I have a real example in front of me ;)
I have already given up with two pairs of students on this, but I have another pair of students this year and I dont want to go the same way with them.
DeleteHi Celeste,
ReplyDeleteWe are finishing up year 3 and planning for year 4 now. I’ve enjoyed your Saint book suggestions and am curious about one of your picks for this year. How have your children liked Garnett's The Red Bonnet (Term 3)? I’m nlt able to find any reviews on it and was curious how you came across it as supplental reading for this year. Are you continuing to use it with your rising 4th graders?
Also, can I ask why you chose Isaac and the Indians over Marquette and the Great Rivers, or another saint pick from the same time frame? There are so many in that series, I’m genuinely curious how you choose! Thank you!
My children liked the Garnett book a lot. I added it in because we enjoyed Crossbows and Crucifixes by the same author the year before and I was looking for Catholic fiction for that era. :)
DeleteI chose Isaac and the Indians because we read about Marquette in Minn of the Mississippi and in George Washington's World, but not about St. Isaac. But my kids eventually read ALL the Vision books, so you really can't go wrong there! :)