History Rotation 2

~500 - 1453

World History

A Child's History of the World (ch 42-60) - Hillyer Read 1 chapter a week (leaves extra weeks free)

OR

On the Shores of the Great Sea (? chapters) - Synge Read 1 or 2 chapters a week (avg ?)

Canadian History

The Story of Canada (ch 1-2)

OR

My First History of Canada (ch 1-2)

Biographies and Fictional History (WORLD)

Do not feel that you need to do ALL of these. You may also pick books from the younger years.

(This list will likely be added to)

This list is compiled from various sources, which I will be using to decide which books my children will read based on interest, abilities, availability, etc. The year placements are approximate.

Years 1-3

Lief the Lucky

Viking Adventure

Stories of the Vikings - Mary MacGregor

Our Little Saxon Cousin of Long Ago - Julia Cowles

Our Little Norman Cousin of Long Ago - Evaleen Stein

Our Little Viking Cousin of Long Ago - Charles Johnson

Our Little Crusader Cousin of Long Ago - Evaleen Stein

Famous Men of the Middle Ages - Haaren

The Door in the Wall

The Minstrel in the Tower

The Whipping Boy

St. George and the Dragon

Sword in the Tree

Brother Francis and the Friendly Beasts

The Apple and the Arrow

Medieval Feast

Castle Diary

Pippo the Fool

William Tell by Margaret Early

Joan of Arc - Stanley

Marguerite makes a Book

Years 4-6

The Vikings

Beorn the Proud

Galen and the Gateway to Medicine

The Shining Company

Adam of the Road

Castle

Cathedral

Robin Hood - Pyle

The Red Keep

Joan of Arc (Landmark)

The King's Shadow

King Arthur and His Knights

The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Adam of the Road

Otto of the Silver Hand - Pyle

Years 7-9

Beric the Briton

Rolf and the Viking Bow

For the Temple

The Bronze Bow

The Dragon and the Raven

In Freedom's Cause (Wallace and Bruce)

Scottish Chiefs (Wallace and Bruce)

The Once and Future King

Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

The Pushcart War - Jean Merrill

The Knight's Fee - Rosemary Sutcliff

The Gambage Cup - Carol Kendall

Sir Nigel and the White Company - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Beowulf - Burton Raffel

The Black Arrow - Robert Louis Stevenson

Hereward, the Last of the English - Charles Kingsley

The White Stage

Story of King Arthur and His Knights

The Book of Arthur

The Shining Company

The Magna Charta

In Freedom's Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce

The Prince and the Pauper

Years 10-12

Men of Iron

Voices of the Renaissance and Reformation

The Second Mrs. Giaconda

The King's Fifth

Haven't Decided on Year Level Yet

How We Learned the Earth is Round by Patricial Lauber

Biographies and Fictional History (CANADIAN)

Do not feel that you need to do ALL of these. You may also pick books from the younger years.

(This list will likely be added to)

This list is compiled from various sources, which I will be using to decide which books my children will read based on interest, abilities, availability, etc. The year placements are approximate.

Years 1-3

Very Last First Time - Andrews

Dragonfly Kites - Highway

Years 4-6

The Dream Carvers - Clark (Viking boy captured by natives)

Lost in the Barrens - Mowatt

Years 7-9

Years 10-12

Haven't Decided on Year Level Yet

Solo Day

It was Solo Day at our violin group class... the last group class of the year.

Echo played Allegro....

And Delta played Etude....

I hope you enjoy!

Moving into Summer Schedule

Summer is fast approaching, and we are starting to finish off some of our resources. I don't want us to drop school all together over the summer, but I don't want it to be a full amount of school either. Here is what I'm thinking...

Scouting - finish up the Otter badges for Delta (and work on some for Echo)

Art - I'm thinking of tackling the "Drawing with Children" book with them as a fun set of activities that will improve their drawing skills - hopefully done in a fun way.

Picture Study - I want to do a Canadian Artist... maybe Emily Carr?

Scriptures - continue with readings and memorizing... probably daily

Copywork - probably about 2x a week instead of daily

German - also just a couple of times a week... try for fun things like Sesame Street in German etc.

Literature & Reading Instruction - mostly just leisure reading - maybe pick one book for a family read

Math - a couple of times a week, to keep skills fresh.

Violin - regular practice - mainly review.

Nature Study - lots and lots of this!!!

Phys-ed - a couple of summer sessions of swimming

Nature Study

With the weather being so nice, we had our "Wild Day" early this week. We headed over to the provincial park and happened to see....

A wild turkey out for a walk with her chicks!

Working Together

An e-friend sent me an email asking about combining the family together to do subjects, as she had looked at the year groupings I had mentioned, and realized that generally she will only have 1 or 2 children together in a group at a time. This is my response to her, to help explain what I am planning.

As for combining subjects... next year Delta will be in Year 3, and Echo will be in Year 1 (and then Foxtrot and Golf follow at approx 2 year intervals.) I don't think I have made things totally clear on my blog yet... it is hard to get what is floating around in my head down in writing in a clear way... but let me try. Although my kids will be roughly put into the 3 year groupings (Forms, hm... I really have to find a good word for this...), subjects will be done together in various ways, depending on the subjects.

History, for example, I plan to have everyone in the same time period no matter what Year they are in. We will use the same spine... either for everyone or for years 1-6, and years 7-12 (haven't totally decided yet.) Then Years 1-3 will have some extra books for that time period... probably just a couple, and probably read together... Years 4-6, etc, will have extra books too - probably ones that they will read on their own then narrate.

Shakespeare would be done Years 1-3 together reading the children's story versions. Everyone Year 4+ will do a Shakespeare play together (reading parts). Years 4+ will do Dickens and Plutarch's Lives together too.

Science will also be together for Years 1-6 doing the rotation I put up. After that point, they would probably do science on their own, or possibly Years 7-12 together (depending on what resources I find or choose at that time.)

Literature (other than the bit mentioned above) I'm still mulling over. I think that I will combine the years 1-3 together because so much of their literature is still read out-loud. I suspect that after that, most of their literature will be read on their own, but I'd still like to have a book that we read outloud together.... like a family read out-loud.....

Subjects like Math, learning to read, handwriting, etc. will be done independently because everyone will likely be at different levels and positions of understanding.

Other subjects, like picture study and nature study have always been planned to be done as a family.

This is very similar to the model provided to me by Milestones Academy and Simply Charlotte Mason. It also is what makes sense to me at this point.

Years 1 to 3

This is a work in progress.

As we change to a family style of learning, I need to make changes to the curriculum plans. Although some subjects will be done with the whole family, some will also be done with year groups, or "forms". Years 1-3 will do some things together, also Years 4-6, Years 7-9, and Years 10-12. A few things, like Shakespeare, will be done with Years 4+ together.

So, here are the plans for Years 1-3. (work in progress)

Scriptures:
Penny Gardner Storied Scriptures
Scripture Memorizations (your choice)
Optional:
Reading from Church Magazines
Singing Primary Song (Select 1 per month. Can also sing in Foreign Language or ASL)

History:

History Rotation

Family History (Genealogy)

Natural History/Science:
NATURE STUDY - Can do the Nature Challenge from here. Note that this is the most important science to do at this age range!

("Wild Days" - Karen Radcliffe as a reference for parent)
("Pocket Full of Pinecones" - Karen Andreola as a reference/inspiration for parent)

Christian Nature Reader Book 1, 2, 3 - done individually by each child for reading practice - WHEN child is ready to read it.

Burgess Bird Book / Burgess Animal Book for Children / Secrets of the Woods (1 per year)

James Herriot's Treasury for Children / Pagoo / By Pond and River (1 per year)

Science Rotation

Geography:

Holling C.Holling books (Paddle to the Sea, Seabird, Tree in the Trail, Minn. of Mississippi) over the 3 years

(may add more)

Phonics: (Reading Instruction) - done individually!
See Maple Hill posts on teaching reading
Christian Nature Reader Books at appropriate level - for science as well as reading practice)

Math: - done individually!
We strongly recommend the Mathmatics Enhancement Programme
Another free choice is Khan Academy which is nice for a little change, but can also be a stand-alone online program.

Foreign Language:
We are doing German, but do what makes sense for you. There are free lessons here for Spanish, French, and German. Also recommend getting a few fairy-tales with Audio CD to read over and over.
My Very First Little German Book

There are Scripture Readers in various languages available here. (not all languages listed have the readers). German, at this time, has the New Testament reader. It is in PDF, with MP3's of each chapter. We listen as we look at the pages.

Pimsleur also seems to have good language training.

Our plan is to add another foreign language in each form... Probably French in Year 4, Latin in Year 7, and ? in Year 10. Probably the whole family will be working with the newest language at once, but details are not worked out.

Poetry:

TBD

Literature:
This list is going to be a lot more flexible, and is currently "under construction". We will be mostly choosing books from various lists. I might not have the entire plan for the year worked out ahead. Here are some things I definitely want to do...

"Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know" - edited by Hamilton Wright Mabie (8 per year)

"Follow My Leader" by James Garfield / "Just David" / "Little Lord Fauntleroy" (1 per year)

Aesop for Children by Milo Winter - 1-2 per week for all 3 years

[***] a lot more will go here!

Canadian Literature: (this will be updated soon)

see Canadian Literature Plan

Shakespeare

Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare (Nesbit) and Tales from Shakespeare (Lamb) - 9 per year

Writing/Copywork: - done independently
Peterson Directed Handwriting
Selected copywork from readings/scriptures/etc.

Sketching/Painting
Draw Write Now series
OR
1-2-3 Draw books by Freddie Levin - pick 3 or 4,
OR
Drawing with Children
OR
Basic Observation Drawing - some resources

Music(read how-to) [note this How-to is on Milestones Academy]

Recommended - Violin, Piano OR Recorder (inexpensive) OR other similar instruments
Do NOT start more than one instrument at once! We have been doing Suzuki Violin for three or four years before getting to year 1!

Violin
- Suzuki Violin [we do this with an instructor ] Recommended Resource "Step-by-Step" series by Kerstin Wartberg

Piano
- Suzuki Piano [we do this without an instructor] Recommended Resource "Studying Suzuki Piano: More than Music" by Bigler and Lloyd-Watts
another option is My First Piano Adventures - Information and Video Lesson Guide here!

Recorder
option for a very inexpensive music alternative, or for the parent that is too uncomfortable trying to teach something else on their own...
Nine-Note Recorder method [note, we haven't tried this yet]

Other
Similar instruction in another instrument. (ie, Suzuki Cello)

Scouting
Scouting Plan for their age