Many hours were spent reading, writing, thinking, and praying this summer about what our homeschool would look like this year. Below are my decisions, which are always subject to change - as my husband knows all too well. We are following a combination of recommendations from Ambleside Online and Mater Amabilis, and a combination of what they each suggest for kindergarten and 1st grade (Year 0 and Year 1, Prep Level and Level 1B). Don't worry; in total I am doing less than what any one of those four years recommend. I simply selected books from each list.
Because of the ages of my children (6, 4, and 15 months), certain parts of our day will be spent together and won't be conducive to great focus. But, for about 90 minutes, three times a week, I will be able to work with my 6yo alone. This will happen during the toddler's naptime on the three afternoons that my 4yo is at preschool, and I have chosen to do the subjects that require more focus and effort during that time (reading, math, the catechism portion of religion, and more difficult selections in literature). The remaining subjects will happen around the kitchen table, while playing outside, or on the couch while little brothers entertain themselves nearby.
For All the Children Together
Morning Basket:
New Catholic Picture Bible, one story a day during Ordinary Time
(Tomie dePaola Advent and Christmas unit, plus Jesse Tree, and Lent/Easter unit including A Life of Our Lord for Children by Marigold Hunt)
Around the Year Once Upon a Time Saints, one a week
Morning Basket:
New Catholic Picture Bible, one story a day during Ordinary Time
(Tomie dePaola Advent and Christmas unit, plus Jesse Tree, and Lent/Easter unit including A Life of Our Lord for Children by Marigold Hunt)
Around the Year Once Upon a Time Saints, one a week
Prayers, hymn, and memory verse (upcoming Sunday's Responsorial Psalm)
Copywork: review letter formation, our names, and eventually moving on to memory verse
A brief review of today's day and date, and our address and phone numbers until those are mastered
End with folk song
A brief review of today's day and date, and our address and phone numbers until those are mastered
End with folk song
Stories on the Swing:
(This happens daily after breakfast, morning chores, and morning basket are complete. The 15mo stays quiet, and I can read from my Kindle instead of a book. These are downloaded from Yesterday's Classics.)
For the Children's Hour by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
Kindergarten Gems by Agnes Taylor Ketchum
Clara Dillingham Pierson's Among the Farmyard People, Among the Forest People, Among the Meadow People, Among the Night People, Among the Pond People, and Dooryard Stories
Following the stories, a brief time of running, stretching, and calisthenics, and then outdoor play until lunchtime
Poetry:
Nature Study:
(This happens daily after breakfast, morning chores, and morning basket are complete. The 15mo stays quiet, and I can read from my Kindle instead of a book. These are downloaded from Yesterday's Classics.)
For the Children's Hour by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
Kindergarten Gems by Agnes Taylor Ketchum
Clara Dillingham Pierson's Among the Farmyard People, Among the Forest People, Among the Meadow People, Among the Night People, Among the Pond People, and Dooryard Stories
Following the stories, a brief time of running, stretching, and calisthenics, and then outdoor play until lunchtime
Poetry:
Gyo Fukikawa's Mother Goose and A Child's Book of Poems
A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Tasha Tudor
A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Tasha Tudor
A.A. Milne's Now We Are Six and When We Were Very Young
Burgess Bird Book for Children and others by Thornton Burgess (We are just beginning Old Mother West Wind as a bedtime read aloud, and I also came upon an old copy of the Flower Book which I hope to read from occasionally in the spring in addition to the Bird Book.)
One Small Square series and Jim Arnosky books on nature shelf for free reads
One Small Square series and Jim Arnosky books on nature shelf for free reads
Handbook of Nature Study
A nature journal for each of us
Various field guides
Composer Study:
Fall Term: Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf
Music:
Singing Lesson for Little Singers - these exercises are just as much for me as for the children because I have a goal of improving my singing voice.
Not sure if he is ready for piano lessons; maybe after Christmas
Picture Study:
I Spy An Alphabet In Art by Lucy Micklethwait (Preschooler follows a letter of the week curriculum, which we will follow for picture study this year.)
Art:
Draw Write Now Books 1-3 (big hit so far; my kids love drawing)
Watercolor painting
Foreign Language:
Song School Latin, once we are inside a few more hours a day over the winter
Usborne First 1000 Words in Latin, Spanish, and English (same illustrations on each page of all three books, making for easy translation of common words between the three languages)
A variety of familiar picture books in Spanish
Handicrafts/Practical Work:
Chores: washing dishes, folding laundry, dusting, cleaning floors and windows
Personal Care: brushing teeth, washing face, combing hair, cleaning and cutting fingernails
Dressing: buttoning shirts, tying shoes
Gift Giving: well done handmade birthday and thank you cards
Gardening: caring for a houseplant in winter, starting seeds in spring
Baking: weekly baking afternoon with mom
Play-Doh, Legos, Montessori work, and various building materials and art supplies available during free time
For the 1st GraderA nature journal for each of us
Various field guides
Composer Study:
Fall Term: Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf
Music:
Singing Lesson for Little Singers - these exercises are just as much for me as for the children because I have a goal of improving my singing voice.
Not sure if he is ready for piano lessons; maybe after Christmas
Picture Study:
I Spy An Alphabet In Art by Lucy Micklethwait (Preschooler follows a letter of the week curriculum, which we will follow for picture study this year.)
Art:
Draw Write Now Books 1-3 (big hit so far; my kids love drawing)
Watercolor painting
Foreign Language:
Song School Latin, once we are inside a few more hours a day over the winter
Usborne First 1000 Words in Latin, Spanish, and English (same illustrations on each page of all three books, making for easy translation of common words between the three languages)
A variety of familiar picture books in Spanish
Handicrafts/Practical Work:
Chores: washing dishes, folding laundry, dusting, cleaning floors and windows
Personal Care: brushing teeth, washing face, combing hair, cleaning and cutting fingernails
Dressing: buttoning shirts, tying shoes
Gift Giving: well done handmade birthday and thank you cards
Gardening: caring for a houseplant in winter, starting seeds in spring
Baking: weekly baking afternoon with mom
Play-Doh, Legos, Montessori work, and various building materials and art supplies available during free time
Reading: a combination of The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and Delightful Reading (I'm reading both for my own reference and going from there. Right now we are alternating days between basic short vowel phonics and sight words using CM methods.)
Math: Right Start B, 2-3 lessons a week plus math games and books
Catechism: Faith & Life 1 Our Heavenly Father to be read and discussed once a week
Literature:
Aesop for Children illustrated by Milo Winter
American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne
Classic Fairy Tales by Scott Gustafson (I happened to purchase a signed copy of this way back in college during a class on fairy tales. I think they are just fine. We can graduate to Lang another year.)
American History:
Here is where I stray from the recommendation of both AO and MA. I do not feel we are ready for formal study of history. Looking ahead, I think I will prefer to do history together, and I'd rather wait one more year to begin, when my middle child can at least listen to it. Instead we'll be reading through some of these:
Susan Buckley & Elspeth Leacock's Journeys in Time, Places in Time, Kids Make History, and Journeys for Freedom
William Bennett's Children's Book of Virtues, CBO Heroes, CBO Faith, and CBO America (There are history readings in each of these, along with folk tales, fairy tales, fables, poetry, etc. They are popular at bedtime.)
Several books by Jean Fritz and "If You..." books by Ann McGovern
D'Aulaire: We may try George Washington because the boys are enamored with him right now. The rest will wait.
Geography:
Holling C Holling's Paddle to the Sea, narration and mapwork
Barbara Taylor's The Earth, loosely following the Mater Amabilis 1B Geography plans, but mostly just for perusing (it's also on the nature shelf)
Chapter Book Read Alouds:
Little House on the Prairie (We just finished Big Woods, and he wants to read the whole series before any other chapter books. I told him once he can read, he is free to do that, but I have other chapter books I want to read to him first. I will read one more - Little House - and then we are taking a break.)
Mr. Popper's Penguins
My Father's Dragon
Out of the Home:
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, three times a month
Blue Knights, once a month
Homeschool gymnastics, once a month
CM group nature walk, once a month
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, three times a month
Blue Knights, once a month
Homeschool gymnastics, once a month
CM group nature walk, once a month
First Friday Mass and social, once a month
CCD, weekly
I was not planning on CCD this year. I want to say that I firmly believe that Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is more than sufficient for religious formation and sacramental preparation, plus we are reading the Bible, lives of saints, and Faith & Life at home. However, we just joined a new parish, and my husband felt enrolling them in CCD would help us all embrace it as our new home. At the same time, there are unique benefits to this particular CCD program: my younger son is taught by a Missionary of Charity, my older son is taught by a Brother from the Community of St. John, and because there is a large Hispanic population at this parish, my children are exposed to the Spanish language and their rich Catholic culture. So all in all, it is an hour a week I wasn't planning on, but I think it will be good.
CCD, weekly
I was not planning on CCD this year. I want to say that I firmly believe that Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is more than sufficient for religious formation and sacramental preparation, plus we are reading the Bible, lives of saints, and Faith & Life at home. However, we just joined a new parish, and my husband felt enrolling them in CCD would help us all embrace it as our new home. At the same time, there are unique benefits to this particular CCD program: my younger son is taught by a Missionary of Charity, my older son is taught by a Brother from the Community of St. John, and because there is a large Hispanic population at this parish, my children are exposed to the Spanish language and their rich Catholic culture. So all in all, it is an hour a week I wasn't planning on, but I think it will be good.
Mother Culture:
Charlotte Mason's Volumes 1, 3, and 6 when I finish 1
Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola - I am so enjoying this! My lightest read.
Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt
Book group with friends - we alternate fiction and nonfiction/religious books
Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola - I am so enjoying this! My lightest read.
Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt
Book group with friends - we alternate fiction and nonfiction/religious books
Well-Read Mom book group - I plan on reading these:
The Rule of St. Benedict
Giants in the Earth by Ole Edvart Rolvaag
Frankenstein
The Brothers Karamazov
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