2013-2014 Year Overview

The following is an overview of our upcoming year. For those not familiar with Charlotte Mason's philosophy of education this may seem a bit much for a six year old. Keep in mind, lessons are short and only certain subjects are covered everyday.

Subjects	Topics	Resources
Math	Single-digit add and sub; calendar	Math U See Alpha, blank monthly calendar
Reading/Literature	Word Building CM based reading Beginner Reading practice	Delightful Reading CLL: Trumpet of the Swan Pinocchio All of a Kind Family The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh Five Little Peppers and How They Grew Mr. Popper’s Penguins The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Science		106 Days of Creation
Nature Study	--------------------	Handbook of Nature Study Grid and ebook
History	History for Little Pilgrims	History for Little Pilgrims, supplement with CLL
Geography	US	Study US map as we read, puzzles
Printing	Continue to copy letters in print Introduction to cursive strokes	Start Write
Composition	Oral narration
Bible	Gospels Scripture Memory and Catechism	Gospels and continue morning memory box
Poetry	Selected poetry at lunch (Milne, Stevenson)	A Child’s Garden of Verses When We Were Six
Physical Ed		Time outside
Drawing	Sketch	Drawing with Children Mona Brooks
Picture Study		John Singleton Copley Eduard Manet The Hudson River School: Cole, Church, Cropsey, Durand (American)
Composer Study	Symphony, Ballet, Opera	Bernstein’s Favorites, etc.
Instrumental Lessons	Piano	Tuesdays w/ Dr. Bart
Foreign Language	Spanish	Spanishtown.ca
Handicrafts	Life skills	Little Keepers of the home
Hymn Study	Hymn/month	(See Liberal Arts schedule)

                                                                                                                                               

Liberal Arts Schedule 2013-2014

Term 1:

q       Picture Study: Edouard Manet (French Impressionism)

o       Week of August 5: Concert in the Tuileries

o       Week of August 19: The Old Musician

o       Week of September 2: The Races at Longchamp

o       Week of September 16: The Fifer

o       Week of September 30: The Railway

o       Week of October 14: Le Bar au Folies-Bergere

q       Art: Drawing with Children by Mona Brooks

q       Composer Study: Symphony, Bernsteins Favorite Children’s Classicss CD

q       Piano: Dr. Bart Tuesdays

q       Hymn Study

o       August: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

o       September: When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

o       October: Holy, Holy, Holy

 

Term 2:

q       Picture Study: The Hudson River School: Cole, Church, Cropsey, Durand (American)

o       Week of November 4: Niagara

o       Week of November 18: Heart of the Andes

o       Week of December 2: Kindred Spirits

o       Week of December 16: Autumn – on the Hudson river

o       Week of December 30: The Oxbow

o       Week of January 13: Childhood, Youth, Manhood, Old Age (Thomas Cole series)

q       Art: Drawing with Children by Mona Brooks

q       Composer Study: Ballet, The Nutcracker

q       Piano: Dr. Bart Tuesdays

q       Hymn Study

o       November: A Mighty Fortress is Our God

o       December: Joy to the World

o       January: Alleluia, Sing to Jesus

 Term 3:

q       Picture Study: John Singleton Copley

o       Week of February 3: The Red Cross Knight

o       Week of February 17: Saul Reproved by Samuel for Not Obeying the Commandments of the Lord

o       Week of March 3: The Nativity

o       Week of March 17: Paul Revere

o       Week of March 31: Watson and the Shark

o       Week of April 14: The Death of the Earl of Chatham

o       Week of April 28: The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782

q       Art: Drawing with Children by Mona Brooks

q       Composer Study: Opera Introduction, Pet of the Met, other picture books, Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute’

q       Piano: Dr. Bart Tuesdays

q       Hymn Study

o       February: And Can It Be

o       March: Crown Him with Many Crowns

o       April: It Is Well with My Soul

 

 

 

 

Our Overall Goals

A little over two more weeks and we are officially homeschoolers! It is exciting and scary all at the same time. I’m excited and feel beyond blessed that I have this opportunity to teach, disciple, and just be with my children every day.* I’m nervous because I have big ideas. I realize my big ideas are often altered. I mean, five other people, who have their own ideas, are along for this ride with me. Homeschooling our children will take much sacrifice, but my children are worth every sacrifice, every tear, and every struggle. For this journey, I’m keeping this in mind, “True joy is found somewhere between the ideal life and daily realities...I have come to realize, after much struggle, that I will spend the better part of my life adjusting my expectations to life’s limitations, rather than having my expectations fulfilled. Yet that is the first step on the road to true contentedness- learning to accept those limitations as a normal part of life.” Sally Clarkson, Season’s of a Mother’s Heart

As I began to plan this year, (because I’m a major planner), my first step was to determine what my goals are for my children. These are not goals for this year, but goals for the whole duration of our homeschooling life.

After some thought, Nate and I agreed on the following:

• To have faith and love for Jesus Christ, by God’s grace

• To have an understanding of God’s Word and a biblical worldview

• To know how to read and communicate with the written word

• To have an understanding of math to function easily in life – basic math concepts for recipes, budgeting, building, etc. and to understand the importance of living debt free

• To have an exposure to a variety of cultures and socioeconomic levels and to be able to communicate effectively with those of different worldviews and backgrounds

• To know the appropriate life skills to function independently as an adult

These are the basics and very general. The plans in between are to give our children a “feast of ideas” to feed upon.

Over the next week or so, I hope to journal our plans for the upcoming year. Over the next year or several years, I hope to record our journey. The purpose for this blog is simply for recording our homeschooling journey. This blog is not a how-to-homeschool or you-should-do-it-this-way blog. In my very short time of researching and considering homeschooling, I know first hand that each family is very different. We should all figure out what works best for our families and our children. We should not try to imitate others or fit their plans, schedules, and curriculums into our own lives.

For the sweet family member(s) who actually want to follow this journey, (Nana Beth), my updates may be sporadic. I mean, I know you’re dying to know what’s going on over here, but hey, somebody’s got to take care of these little people!

*In all honesty, I am very grateful to be able to spend every day with my children and would not choose to have it any other way. However, just know that I don’t always enjoy it. Actually, there are a lot of days I struggle to enjoy the constant demands of having four children five and under. I felt I should put that note in, because I didn’t want my excitement of spending every day with my children to sound phony to those who truly know my struggles.