CMers, what does 5th and 6th grade look like?

[Juniper]

If you follow more of a Charlotte Mason approach, can you share what you are doing with your 5th and 6th graders. What does a day look like? I am struggling with getting a vision for this with the upper grammar/logic age group.

 

I cannot put my finger on it, but I need something to be different this year. I little more homey, artsy, domestic and centered.

 

Hope that makes some sense to someone ;).

[fairy4tmama]

:bigear:

[mom@shiloh]

My 5th grader is my current "middle" child, so what he does is based on tagging along with the olders and with the youngers, but here goes:

 

Bible: we're doing the Epistles study from SCM

 

History: beginning Middle Ages using TQ, adding in maps and timeline from Knowledge Quest

 

Science: he's doing Considering God's Creation with his younger sisters (taking a break from Apologia)

 

Math: Math Mammoth

 

LA: some ILL, some Writer's Jungle and will probably start some Easy Grammar

 

Harmony Fine Arts Medieval and Renaissance for artists and composers

 

Latin for Children and a twice a month Spanish class

 

I'm easing off written narrations for this year, in favor of working on Writer's Jungle more. We did lapbooks for history last year and really liked that. This year we're adding some in for science, but none for history.

 

Does that help at all?

[Kfamily]

Since I think that CM tends to be expressed differently, I think I should start by writing a this-is-how-I-do-it statement here at the beginning.:001_smile:

 

I would like to see a 5th/6th grader doing what I will list below, but I should point out that many aspects of CM methods are skills which are build over the years. What I list below would presume some years with CM already. This is just what I would hope to see:

 

Studied Dictation-should be able to study a selction from a book (noting the punctuation and spelling) of at least a paragraph in length and then take the dictation which would consist of only 1-3 sentences (depending on their length and complexity) from the studied selection.

 

Keep a copybook and make at least two entries per week.

 

Study grammar.

 

Study Latin and should have been learning a modern language from an early age already.

 

Give several oral narrations daily and have several written narrations and/or composition assignments per week.

 

Has an assignment sheet with an appropriate number of assignments that can be done independently. (I make all assignments due on Friday except assignments where the completed work is needed to continue with our schedule... For example, they would need to study for a French quiz by Wednesday if the quiz in on Thursday.)

 

Daily work in math.

 

Working in living books (as much as possible) which are written in an interesting manner but yet challenges their thinking for history, science and geography. Many written narrations will come from these books. Primary sources are being introduced and documentaries/movies can be nice supplements.

 

Literature should include books which are of varying levels.

 

Independent reading might include books that are easier to handle and/or books that supplement but are not essential (historical fiction) along with one or two more challenging books (classics), but will still come from a flexible list with lots of choice built into it.

 

Several books per term are read together and will be of various types (fiction, poetry, mythology, etc.) and will be mostly at their level with maybe one per term that is more challenging. These are read together and discussed. Written narrations will come from these books. Discussions and narrations should begin to include literary terms, big ideas, etc.

 

Nature Study will include a sketchbook and at least one/two days per week devoted to it. Science will include experiments (one per week would be a good start).

 

Will keep a Book of Centuries and add to it weekly.

 

Weekly work in painting and drawing.

 

Play an instument would be ideal, but, if not, then some music instruction would be helpful.

 

Studying composers and listening to their music as well as studying artists and their works too. (Level 2 Picture Study Narrations for this age group.)

 

Weekly work on memorization of poems, speeches, excerpts from plays,etc. (allowing for presentations of these works when ready).

 

Ideally, they should be beginning to pay attention to more details in all of their work (writing, sketching, etc.) And here is where cooking, sewing, knitting, wood-working etc. would be beneficial too.

 

I might be forgetting some things, but this would be a lot of it.

[MyLittleWonders]

Here is what I'm thinking for my 6th grader (though this is all subject to change as I'm still trying to figure it out):

 

Math - he'll be working through Singapore 5B, then Life of Fred Decimals/Percents, and then Singapore 6A.

 

Literature - I tend to read to all kids at the same time (my 6th grader isn't the strongest nor willingest reader so he tends to read on his own at a lower level than what I want him to hear). Some days we use the literature cube from Penny Gardner; some days I have them narrate orally; and some days I'll have ds#1 write a narration based on what we've read.

 

I'm thinking of doing a morning basket like we've been discussing on the Yahoo group. So, we'll do religion (Bible, saints stories, and Faith & Life, plus Marigold Hunt's The First Christians - not all on the same day), literature geared towards my ds#3 (A. A. Milne), fairy and folk tales, and our current novel (right now Swallows and Amazons).

 

History - we are doing US history this year, but I'm trying to find a happy medium between using K12's American Odyssey and CSTP's From Sea to Shining Sea as a springboard accompanied by some living books. We will also be keeping a Book of Centuries (not sure if I'll have ds#1 and ds#2 do their own, or how that will look yet).

 

Geography - we are going to use H. C. Holling books and Beautiful Feet's lesson plans I think.

 

Science/Nature - Not sure yet, except it will be mostly all living books, nature walks, and maybe BFSU (the K-2 book as we've never used the book before).

 

Latin - we are about half way through Getting Started with Latin and then will move to Latin for Children A (and maybe Lingua Angelica on Fridays).

 

Grammar - it will be taught this year mostly through our Latin with diagramming from Mary Daly's book.

 

Spelling - the older two boys have completed AAS through level 6 (waiting for level 7 to come out), so I'm going to use the dictation sentences in level 6 as studied dictation to work on internalizing spelling rules.

 

Fine Arts - we will do a composer and artist study each term (approximately every 6 weeks). I plan on picture study with either "narration" or having them draw it from memory (a drawing narration). For each artist and composer, I'm hoping to find one or two good living books at the library.

[sagira]

Since I think that CM tends to be expressed differently, I think I should start by writing a this-is-how-I-do-it statement here at the beginning.:001_smile:

 

I would like to see a 5th/6th grader doing what I will list below, but I should point out that many aspects of CM methods are skills which are build over the years. What I list below would presume some years with CM already. This is just what I would hope to see:

 

Studied Dictation-should be able to study a selction from a book (noting the punctuation and spelling) of at least a paragraph in length and then take the dictation which would consist of only 1-3 sentences (depending on their length and complexity) from the studied selection.

 

Keep a copybook and make at least two entries per week.

 

Study grammar.

 

Study Latin and should have been learning a modern language from an early age already.

 

Give several oral narrations daily and have several written narrations and/or composition assignments per week.

 

Has an assignment sheet with an appropriate number of assignments that can be done independently. (I make all assignments due on Friday except assignments where the completed work is needed to continue with our schedule... For example, they would need to study for a French quiz by Wednesday if the quiz in on Thursday.)

 

Daily work in math.

 

Working in living books (as much as possible) which are written in an interesting manner but yet challenges their thinking for history, science and geography. Many written narrations will come from these books. Primary sources are being introduced and documentaries/movies can be nice supplements.

 

Literature should include books which are of varying levels.

 

Independent reading might include books that are easier to handle and/or books that supplement but are not essential (historical fiction) along with one or two more challenging books (classics), but will still come from a flexible list with lots of choice built into it.

 

Several books per term are read together and will be of various types (fiction, poetry, mythology, etc.) and will be mostly at their level with maybe one per term that is more challenging. These are read together and discussed. Written narrations will come from these books. Discussions and narrations should begin to include literary terms, big ideas, etc.

 

Nature Study will include a sketchbook and at least one/two days per week devoted to it. Science will include experiments (one per week would be a good start).

 

Will keep a Book of Centuries and add to it weekly.

 

Weekly work in painting and drawing.

 

Play an instument would be ideal, but, if not, then some music instruction would be helpful.

 

Studying composers and listening to their music as well as studying artists and their works too. (Level 2 Picture Study Narrations for this age group.)

 

Weekly work on memorization of poems, speeches, excerpts from plays,etc. (allowing for presentations of these works when ready).

 

Ideally, they should be beginning to pay attention to more details in all of their work (writing, sketching, etc.) And here is where cooking, sewing, knitting, wood-working etc. would be beneficial too.

 

I might be forgetting some things, but this would be a lot of it.

 

This sounds excellent! Thank you for sharing. It's helpful to me as we're starting 4th grade in the fall. I see I am on the right track too :)

[Juniper]

I'm thinking of doing a morning basket like we've been discussing on the Yahoo group. So, we'll do religion (Bible, saints stories, and Faith & Life, plus Marigold Hunt's The First Christians - not all on the same day), literature geared towards my ds#3 (A. A. Milne), fairy and folk tales, and our current novel (right now Swallows and Amazons).

 

I missed that whole discussion while I was down with Staph. :crying:For whatever reason, the yahoo format really triggers the nausea from these meds. Can you explain more?

This sounds excellent! Thank you for sharing. It's helpful to me as we're starting 4th grade in the fall. I see I am on the right track too :)

 

:iagree:Thank you!

[Nicholas_mom]

Has an assignment sheet with an appropriate number of assignments that can be done independently. (I make all assignments due on Friday except assignments where the completed work is needed to continue with our schedule... For example, they would need to study for a French quiz by Wednesday if the quiz in on Thursday.)

 

 

 

 

Could you elaborate more of WHAT kind of independent assignments you give? Does it include only memorization of different poems and such?

[Amy Jo]

Morning Basket posts:

* http://wildflowersandmarbles.blogspot.com/2009/08/morning-basket.html

* http://wildflowersandmarbles.blogspot.com/2012/03/refreshing-morning-basket.html

 

I'm considering a BoC for my rising 5th grader, but I'm thinking of waiting a year. (Or else we will both do one side-by-side.) I want to add in more CM elements, but I'm going to be more careful (I hope) this year not to over complicate things.

[MyLittleWonders]

I missed that whole discussion while I was down with Staph. :crying:For whatever reason, the yahoo format really triggers the nausea from these meds. Can you explain more?

 

 

:iagree:Thank you!

 

Morning Basket posts:

* http://wildflowersandmarbles.blogspot.com/2009/08/morning-basket.html

* http://wildflowersandmarbles.blogspot.com/2012/03/refreshing-morning-basket.html

 

I'm considering a BoC for my rising 5th grader, but I'm thinking of waiting a year. (Or else we will both do one side-by-side.) I want to add in more CM elements, but I'm going to be more careful (I hope) this year not to over complicate things.

I was going to post the same links from Wildflowers and Marbles. Basically on the yahoo group, we were discussing starting our mornings with a morning basket and what we would be putting in it. Knowing my personality, I would try to put everything in it, but that would not work. ;) The general consensus seemed to hit on literature (varied for those of us with varied age levels), poetry, Shakespeare, religion, and possibly history/nature/science living books. For me, I think I need to keep our morning basket literature/poetry/religion based for time reasons, and have an afternoon basket too that is history/science/nature study based. My boys, overall, love listening to stories and I think breaking it up into two different time periods would help with attention.

 

PS: I hope you are all well again soon (at least it sounds like you are still on meds for the staph).

[Juniper]

 

PS: I hope you are all well again soon (at least it sounds like you are still on meds for the staph).

One more day!!!! And then I am crossing my fingers that it does not come back!!!

 

Thank you for the links. That will be a little easier for me to wrap my brain around. :)

[Kfamily]

My younger dd's assignment sheet might have this:

 

Complete two geography entries from A To Z Geography (Due Fri.)

Read from each of your books for independent reading. She has 3 right now. (Due Fri.)

Complete Lesson # ___ from Intermediate Language Lessons (Due Fri.)

Complete one entry for your copybook. You may use any book from school for this entry. (Due Fri.)

Study for your Latin quiz. (Due Wed. because the quiz is on Thurs.)

 

Review poems for memory work:

Excerpt from The Wreck of the Hesperus

 

Study new poems for memory work:

Annabel Lee

The Robin

(All memory work due Fri.)

 

My older dd's assignment sheet has her regular weekly independent work along with other assignments on which she is working.

She also has memory work that she reviews and studies each week.