tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post8435691076252036550..comments2024-03-23T08:55:43.666-07:00Comments on Joyous Lessons: Form I in Our HomeCelestehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05834674328751444179noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-4916296986479546742017-06-05T20:44:23.249-07:002017-06-05T20:44:23.249-07:00Hi Jami! Charlotte Mason's schools (and other...Hi Jami! Charlotte Mason's schools (and other schools in England at the time) grouped their grades into what they called Forms. So Form I includes grades 1-3, Form II includes grades 4-6, and so on. Those grades were often kept in one classroom, with students working in their own grade but many features shared. For example, Form I students are doing one foreign language, copywork but no formal grammar and dictation, etc. Form II students, on the other hand, add Latin to their original foreign language and begin grammar and dictation alongside copywork. Form III students might add yet another foreign language and have a commonplace book replace copywork. And so on. :) The reason I call this a Form I rotation is because it is only for my Year 1-3 students. I plan on letting each student spin off into his individual year once he hits Year 4 and can read mostly independently. I hope that makes sense!Celestehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05834674328751444179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-89493873478619898482017-06-05T08:05:27.087-07:002017-06-05T08:05:27.087-07:00Hi Celeste.
Love your posts, and the way you combi...Hi Celeste.<br />Love your posts, and the way you combine and split up your AO year 1 and 2 students. Question: What does Form 1 mean?<br />Thanks.jami hoffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11758669121054398469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-32658039771572239962017-05-15T07:32:07.731-07:002017-05-15T07:32:07.731-07:00I read King of the Golden City to my First Communi...I read King of the Golden City to my First Communion students, and I think it's perfect at that age. It is not as challenging as Pilgrim's Progress but it is a lovely story and an allegory, so I know many people choose that as a substitute. I like to include them both. :)<br /><br />For Catholic religion reading for each year: in my school plans for each year, I list out the religion reading I assign for that year in the various categories (Bible, saints, catechism, tales, etc.). So you can look year to year and see what I've chosen to include -- just click on the Our School Plans tab at the top and I have each AO year archived there. <br /><br />I also have my First Communion resources here:<br />http://joyouslessons.blogspot.com/2013/05/preparation-for-first-holy-communion.htmlCelestehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05834674328751444179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-18698266299546082702017-05-14T12:23:26.053-07:002017-05-14T12:23:26.053-07:00Thank you for your reply Celeste! I really appreci...Thank you for your reply Celeste! I really appreciate it since I am not able to get my hands on a copy without purchasing the book. Your feedback is incredibly helpful! Although I am a cradle Catholic, I've only recently started digging into the treasure chest that is our faith, and my formation was minimal. So, I feel like I'm learning and teaching at the same time. We'll give DJ a shot this year! At what age do you recommend reading King of the Golden City? And do you have a list of Catholic religion reading that you can recommend, to pair with an AO education? We are currently making our way through St. Patrick's Summer, and I've got a few other by M. Hunt. But I'd love to build our Catholic library as well. Thank you, God bless you, and Happy Mother's Day!Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02977467452764087983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-14825806930384108002017-05-14T11:54:14.042-07:002017-05-14T11:54:14.042-07:00Hi Rachel!
I did have hesitation using it as a Ca...Hi Rachel!<br /><br />I did have hesitation using it as a Catholic, until I read through it myself. In the original, there is really just a few lines that are blatantly anti-Catholic: the part you mention with the Pope in the cave. The rest of it is incomplete in its vision of the Christian life, yes, in that it doesn't talk about the Church, saints, etc., but I don't think that rules it out for use in a Catholic home. The nice thing is that Dangerous Journey is an illustrated abridgement, so it actually omits that bit about the Pope as well as the more theological discussions between Christian and some of the people he meets along the way, which are not a part of the draw for us as Catholics anyway. Dangerous Journey is really nicely done -- it leaves PP as an adventure tale with the literary language and all the cultural import of the original (which is one good reason to be familiar with the tale -- PP comes up very often in other literary works), and a moral elements to boot. Obviously we would pair this with Catholic religion reading (like King of the Golden City, which is a beautiful allegory in the same vein but does NOT have the cultural significance) and catechism reading over the long-term. My kids and I have enjoyed it a lot, and I'm pretty particular about what we read. That said, you really do need to choose what you and your husband are comfortable with! I would never recommend someone go against their conscience. I'm just giving you a look at my own considerations in deciding whether to assign it or not. I will be reading DJ with all of my children from here on out. I read it on Morning Basket, a few pages a week, and it took a couple terms. My kids asked every day for it! ;) Hope that helps!Celestehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05834674328751444179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-70655530324774655712017-05-13T15:06:48.662-07:002017-05-13T15:06:48.662-07:00Hi Celeste! I follow you on Joyous Lessons and lov...Hi Celeste! I follow you on Joyous Lessons and love your blog! I have a question about Dangerous Journey. I have not purchased it, and am trying to decide how to proceed. Did you have any hesitation using that being Catholic? A friend expressed hesitation because Christian made his own journey, without intercession and the Pope is described as decrepit and nearly dead. What are your thoughts? And for how many terms did you use the book? How did you split up the readings? I LOVED your last podcast on exams. THANK YOU for sharing your wisdom with other moms. May God bless you and your family Celeste!Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02977467452764087983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-10024009422356392102016-11-22T09:39:26.323-08:002016-11-22T09:39:26.323-08:00I think MA is wonderful and I usually suggest it a...I think MA is wonderful and I usually suggest it as the place to start for those Catholics new to CM. But AO is just a better fit for us. When deciding, I looked at the book selections and did some comparisons, and the books scheduled in AO matched our goals better -- their lists are very similar, but AO has more challenging books, more classics, assigned at younger ages. I felt like it hit some of the particular elements of CM's philosophy that I personally prioritize. <br /><br />I also found for that the subjects I *would* enjoy MA's selections better -- namely, religion! -- I just prefer to choose my own resources. I have lots of traditional Catholic books on my shelf that I like to pull from, so I don't use MA's religion recommendations as often as I might otherwise.<br /><br />But that's just me! MA is truly a great resource that keeps to CM's philosophy and is used by a group of thoughtful, faithful ladies. I so appreciate what they have offered to the CM community.Celestehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05834674328751444179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-76712043976940935292016-11-22T00:54:12.922-08:002016-11-22T00:54:12.922-08:00Hi Celeste - have you written on your decision to ...Hi Celeste - have you written on your decision to do AO versus MA? I have been pouring over them and decided to pursue MA with an eye on the AO book list for free reads, but every time I come to peace with that, I find myself back at the AO page. <br /><br />I finally am beginning to grasp the CM philosophy and am thrilled. My goal now is to get to a happy place where I can take all the time I'm spending thinking about curriculum choices and devote it to continuing to refine my understanding of CM and how to implement it at home. I'd also like to watch more Netflix.karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11830386616787112083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-63634490228228793722016-10-18T11:08:00.483-07:002016-10-18T11:08:00.483-07:00They choose from the term poet -- although if ther...They choose from the term poet -- although if there were several they really liked from the last term's poet, I'm fine with them continuing with those. (For example, this term, Gianna is doing a couple extra AA Milne poems that she fell in love with last year. :)) For reading, I read one from each poet each day during Morning Basket.<br /><br />I'm glad you're finding it helpful!Celestehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05834674328751444179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-7754191529543892212016-10-18T10:55:41.492-07:002016-10-18T10:55:41.492-07:00It does, thank you! Regarding poetry, I meant for ...It does, thank you! Regarding poetry, I meant for memorization. Do they choose from the term poet, or rather, any piece of poetry that they would like to memorize from any poet? As for reading, do you read daily from the term poets or weekly? <br />I love seeing how you do Forms in your home. My son is in 2nd, but I went back and forth last year before really wanting to commit to CM and AO this year. I appreciate seeing how you've combined two years. I feel like we missed a lot last year, but it's helpful to see what you feel like was important enough to keep vs. modify.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-62429190634756339252016-10-18T10:40:57.139-07:002016-10-18T10:40:57.139-07:00Do you mean how I choose which to read or which to...Do you mean how I choose which to read or which to memorize? For reading, I use the AO selections -- I usually just "send to kindle" or upload to Google Books and read from my tablet (unless I already own a collection from the poet in a lovely hardcover, and then I just pick and read!). The AO collections are always well chosen. For which they memorize, they usually choose their own. I have them tell me which they like best as we read through.<br /><br />I did read Pilgrim's Progress. There are a very few problematic bits (only one is straightfoward -- the dying Catholic in the cave about halfway through, but we cut those couple lines). Some people don't like the tone of the work. I don't much mind that -- the adventure story is wonderful and there it is such a cultural touchstone that for me, it's a must-read. <br /><br />We are enoying Dangerous Journey even more than the original, though -- it keeps the language but is slightly edited. (And for what it's worth, Dangerous Journey cuts out the Catholic part). I would highly recommend it! The illustrations are just great.<br />http://amzn.to/2dlf1MB<br /><br />Hope that helps!Celestehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05834674328751444179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-72926498414068183312016-10-18T06:25:01.114-07:002016-10-18T06:25:01.114-07:00Celeste, how do you choose poems for each term and...Celeste, how do you choose poems for each term and each poet? Is that what is used for their poetry memory work each week? Also, did you read Pilgrim's Progress to your older children? Anything to be aware of from a Catholic perspective?<br />Thank you and many blessings for sharing what AO looks like in your home!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-60302955930191776512016-10-11T15:26:05.712-07:002016-10-11T15:26:05.712-07:00You're welcome, Laura!You're welcome, Laura!Celestehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05834674328751444179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-82730416623924856172016-10-10T14:43:23.890-07:002016-10-10T14:43:23.890-07:00Thank you so much for this Celeste!Thank you so much for this Celeste!Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00089256920592794528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-83448531704670740072016-10-10T14:43:08.942-07:002016-10-10T14:43:08.942-07:00Thank you so much for this Celeste!Thank you so much for this Celeste!Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00089256920592794528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-56970447096804415712016-10-09T19:53:04.842-07:002016-10-09T19:53:04.842-07:00That was totally a typo on my part, Virginia Lee -...That was totally a typo on my part, Virginia Lee -- it's Xavier who is doing B and Cate who is doing C. I'm sorry! That said, I do think my boys happen to be more mathy than my girls, for whatever reason.<br /><br />I thought about keeping Robin Hood out of the rotation, but I also know that I don't want to read it two years in a row and I don't think Bridget will be ready for it in Year 1...so we're giving it a try! I'm pretty sure Xavier will love it, though, which makes me more inclined to try it with him young than I might otherwise.<br /><br />I will also add that Xavier is an old-ish Year 1 kid since he has an April birthday, so that helps with pulling some of those Year 2 readings also.<br /><br />I totally agree with you about those learning-to-readers. We actually aren't doing scheduled reading lessons (even CM-style) right now because I just don't have the stamina for it. Cuddling and buddy-reading books seems much more doable in the evenings and they seem to be progressing well enough that way.<br /><br />Those hats and aprons were a gift from grandma and they are great! Makes lunchtime so much more joyful when they can wear those to prepare. :)Celestehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05834674328751444179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-40770188044095106682016-10-09T17:57:55.951-07:002016-10-09T17:57:55.951-07:003 learning to read readers! That is a full day rig...3 learning to read readers! That is a full day right there. =) But how wonderful it will be when they all take off!! I feel like teaching my kids to read is one of my biggest accomplishments, and one of the best gifts we can give them. But some days, when I'm really tired, hearing cat, mat, and sat sounded out over and over again makes my head want to explode. Then other days it's like this huge swell of joy inside. <br /><br />I've never done Robin Hood in my Form 1 Rotation. I keep it in Y2 with history. I thought it would be hard for a Y1 kiddo. But Y3 could of course do it. So if I ever get a Y2 and Y3 at once I might combine. So far, with my kiddos' spacing, I tend to have Y1 and Y3 at the same time. And Y0 listening in with Y1, which I think aids in the whole Form 1 Rotation plan. Or I have kiddos that want to hear a book they've already done and end up listening in again. =) <br /><br />I like seeing your plan. I'd probably do the same thing if my kids were as close in age. Or if we ever get really close, I'd probably put them in the same year. But so far God seems to have us on a 2 or 3 year apart baby plan. =)<br /><br />Your son is in RightStart Level C and Cate is in level B. Your boys do seem to be math minded. =) That must be great! Charlotte actually enjoys math; the others just do it because they have to. <br /><br />My favorite part of this post: your girls in their cooking gear! Hats and aprons, love it!! Virginia Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07639646299075064468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-23356488711194353432016-10-08T14:18:07.091-07:002016-10-08T14:18:07.091-07:00Haha -- well, I still get plenty of free time, hon...Haha -- well, I still get plenty of free time, honestly. But I could certainly have more if I combined students into fewer years. That said, I don't necessarily think it would be less overall work, and I think it would lead to more frustration and struggle. So it's definitely a win for me! LOL<br /><br />I do use CM's ideas for teaching reading, but not in a very formal way. I gave an example of the type of lesson I do in a blog post a while back: http://joyouslessons.blogspot.com/2015/04/a-very-simple-reading-lesson.html But honestly I do this very seldom. I mostly just work on letter sounds and blending using simple readers, pointing our word families and sight words as we go, and then build from there as the student is ready. It might be a faster process were I to commit to something more specific and thorough, BUT I don't know, it's worked well enough so far. :) I have three learning-to-readers right now: 7yo Cate is almost fluent, 6yo Xavier is about midway to fluency but very sporadic in interest, 5yo Bridget decided to start on her own and is working through the early sets of Bob Books. I may do some more formal CM-style lessons with X and B during our summer break if they're interested.<br /><br />I'll looking forward to your Keeping Company posts! And I'm going to check out that blog -- thanks! :)Celestehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05834674328751444179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2682457774245843924.post-67205610766355087662016-10-08T13:30:49.721-07:002016-10-08T13:30:49.721-07:00Celeste, I absolutely loved reading what you do he...Celeste, I absolutely loved reading what you do here! :) I loved your disclaimer at the beginning. ;) I do think that big families have a very unique job when home educating and also a challenge when using a CM philosophy. It was convicting when you said you give up free time for yourself. NOOOOOO. Clearly, I'm not there yet. LOL! ;) <br /><br />I'm VERY curious about how you use NO formal reading program at all...not even CM's ideas? Just wanted to clarify. I've switched my 7yo over to CM's ideas (well, my interpretation of them anyway LOL) and we are loving it! <br /><br />Also, just FYI...I found this version of Pilgrim's Progress because frankly, I got a little sick of reading it, so my fourth is listening LOVES it. :) Just another option. It's FREE too!!! :D http://www.bernechristianfellowship.org/pilgrims-progress-order-form.php<br /><br />Love your map work!!!! I finally found a CF card for my camera that wasn't broken so I hope to join back in to Keeping Company more on my blog. Instagram is so easy and quick, but its nice to record more on my blog. :) <br /><br />Bless you! Amy<br /><br />PS - she doesn't blog much, but kinda fun to peek there occasionally. A CM mom of soon to be 12? children. :) She is a sweetheart and I enjoy talking with her occasionally online. :) http://eightbawl.blogspot.com/Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11291951073853426272noreply@blogger.com