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.