Pen Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 STEM Language Arts Social Studies Fine Arts ...and that would be with my kids doing swim team as a lifestyle activity... :D No way could I pick just four individual sub-subjects. No way. Assuming also that they were doing something for physical activity, I like this answer--especially if a foreign language gets to be included in Language Arts, and nature study and critical thinking get included in science or social studies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Nope, I can't do it. Oh, unless I get really tricky and lump a bunch of stuff in English: Math English (writing, literature, grammar, and spelling/vocabulary) Science History See, that was easy! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Since DD reads a lot on her own and there's not much need to teach science to her: Math Latin Writing Modern languages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama27 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Math Writing Reading Spanish I have actually been wanting to do this anyway and just have them read books about historical topics and science topics but then I look at the shiny textbooks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama27 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 dp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I think I can lump what we did for elementary into 4 core subjects: Reading and discussion (we did a lot of our grammar, lit, history, geography and science this way) Main math strand Foreign language A second Math strand (problem solving/ critical thinking oriented) If it's legal by OP's parameters to alternate, then I'd alternate the second Math with Writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I'd likely do: Math Latin Writing Literature (I am totally cheating BTW, since I am relegating music to an "extracurricular" so I can fit in literature. In reality, music is pretty central. I might even--gasp--drop Latin in the elementary years to keep it) So, why aren't you all doing just four subjects? This thread is making me seriously consider returning to my LCC roots and actually just doing the 4(5) subjects I've listed this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 So, why aren't you all doing just four subjects? Because that's the bare minimum I'd do if I were restricted to four subjects. There are other things that I find worthwhile and that my kids enjoy, so we do those, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Bible Math Science Literature ETA - for elementary I'd swap science for phonics/penmanship - the above is for my kids now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mycalling Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 STEM Language Arts Social Studies Fine Arts ...and that would be with my kids doing swim team as a lifestyle activity... :D No way could I pick just four individual sub-subjects. No way. I love this for the logic stage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 (I am totally cheating BTW, since I am relegating music to an "extracurricular" so I can fit in literature. In reality, music is pretty central. I might even--gasp--drop Latin in the elementary years to keep it) In my mind, streamlining to four subjects should make time for meaningful extracurriculars and independent study. So, important things would be less likely to be missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I did this for a year which turned out to be one of our best. Our subjects were Reading (we alternated what we read to include history, science, poetry and literature) Writing (we focused on grammar and spelling in the writing and alternated what we wrote about) Music (she took weekly individual and group cello lessons and practiced daily) Math She worked for at least an hour on each subject each day. For an older student, I would add Latin then a modern language but not change much else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 So, why aren't you all doing just four subjects? This thread is making me seriously consider returning to my LCC roots and actually just doing the 4(5) subjects I've listed this year. I'll be honest.....I'm scared to death we'd miss something or they wouldn't really learn or they'd have too much time on their hands and either 1) start fighting with each other or 2) harass me to watch TV/play computer/play on iPod during all the down time. I'm basically afraid to let go and trust that the kids can learn that organically without all the planning and structure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Math Writing Spelling Science Art happens with little people and is inspired by books they/we read. Formal Grammar can wait or can be folded into writing. Vocabulary comes from good books. We don't teach Latin young, if at all. History isn't really all that important for young kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 LOL - Ok, I thought my four were going to be very unusual. Nope. It turns out that my four are pretty ordinary. How nice! Music Foreign Language Math Natural History/Science Note that natural history includes quite a bit of reading, writing, geography, and drawing in our family. Reading other things, like classics, would happen anyway, so I don't need to include any sort of English. Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 When we can't get everything done, I always make sure to have time for: Math EnglishHistoryScience Depending on grade, "English" might focus on reading or spelling or grammar or writing or literature analysis... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchbark Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Math Language Arts (does this count as one?) Nature Studies Fine Arts or hands-on creating If LA doesn't count as one then I echo 8fill's post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 I'd likely do: Math Latin Writing Literature (I am totally cheating BTW, since I am relegating music to an "extracurricular" so I can fit in literature. In reality, music is pretty central. I might even--gasp--drop Latin in the elementary years to keep it) So, why aren't you all doing just four subjects? This thread is making me seriously consider returning to my LCC roots and actually just doing the 4(5) subjects I've listed this year. Our approach this year is a hodgepodge of LCC and interest-led, so my four subjects would be: Math Latin Language Arts (reading, writing, spelling, etc.) Literature Then the kids follow interests for sciences, art, and so forth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 We pretty much are just doing the 4 subjects I listed, if you are really liberal about what can be included. So, it's: 1) Math - includes problem solving and informal logic 2) English - includes writing, literature, grammar, vocabulary, spelling 3) Science - includes problem solving & math, statistics 4) History - includes study of art & music in historical context & geography as well as literature that informs study of the time period Theater and horseback riding are extracurriculars, so I don't include those in our school list The stuff we aren't doing that I'd like to? Spanish, because we just haven't managed to fit it in yet. Musical instruments, because I can't convince my kids to want take lessons and it not a must-do in our house (they do sing and dance as part of their theater). That's pretty much it. Dd10 did Latin for a year but we dropped it to make room for other things, and dd7 has no interest. That's also not a must-do here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Totally understand. My son plays mandolin and violin. He takes private lessons for both and plays violin in the county's junior orchestra. However, he would do this on his own time even if he attended a traditionally classroom, so I consider it extracurricular. Mandy ETA- and since the OP included it, so did I. Fine Arts is on my short list of four. Yup. I consider it more of a lifestyle/hobby. Our lives are fairly centered around music and sports, but I don't count them as "subjects". 1. Math 2. Foreign Language 3. Science 4. Literature (to me this encompasses history, nonfiction, and fiction) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 I love this topic :). Just this week I significantly pared down what we do in a day. It has been the best week yet. 1)Language Arts 2)Math 3)History/Geography 4)Music History/Geography switch out with Science. My 4 would be subject to change according to age/need/interest. For the first time this year, I'm not going to try to squeeze in History & Science at the same time. We're doing an 8 week block of history/geography alternating with an 8 week block of science. We started with history/geography & we're on week 6. It's going swimmingly. The kids actually have time to include additional historical reading in their studies & this has really made history come alive for them. They are learning more instead of racing through each topic b/c we have to move on. I'm hoping to see the same results in science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justme824 Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 Well, we only do three... 1) math 2) Bravewriter (I've set it up so we have one piece to do each day, then a monthly writing project) 3) interest led studies We do have a great routine setup. We spend an hour going over math & our Bravewriter for the day, then he does his work for these two subjects. After that he spends 2-3 hours on interest led studies. Right now that includes Visual Latin, Medieval history, and a lit study of Minn of the Mississippi. He also does some kind of art every single day because he loves it. And has a variety of projects in the works. I work hard with him on time management and follow through, but what he chooses to study in depth is up to him. Oh, and a read aloud a TON. I've got a great routine in place for this too. I guess that could be my #4 :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Here's one way of considering the academic disciplines: Humanities (Ancient Languages, Modern Languages [including English], Literature, History, Philosophy, Religion, Fine Arts) Natural Sciences (Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Physics) Formal Sciences (Math, Logic) Social Sciences (Psychology, Anthropology, Archeology, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Geography) There's the whole kit-n-caboodle, all in four neat packages. With only these four disciplines and a sport or backyard exercise, you're set. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted September 16, 2013 Author Share Posted September 16, 2013 Math Language Arts (does this count as one?) Nature Studies Fine Arts or hands-on creating If LA doesn't count as one then I echo 8fill's post. Yes, LA counts as one topic! :). For my list, I feel that any thing that could be perceived as "extra" would be dropped at the first inconvenience it caused but if I classify it as a school topic, then its more likely to be prioritized and done regularly, so, because I know myself pretty well, I *have* to list Martial Arts/Music as a subject, or it wouldn't be given the time and attention that I'd like for it to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 All throughout history schools have chosen just 4 subjects to teach and teach well. Many colonial schools taught: English reading Religion Latin Arithmetic Many later frontier schools taught: Reading Writing Arithmetic Geography Usually with the eclectic series now available on CD ROM from dollarhomeschool.com Some conservative Amish schools teach: Reading (McGuffey's) Writing/Grammar Math (Strayer-Upton) Art Robinson Curriculum teaches just 3 subjects: Math Writing/grammar/spelling Independant reading list and vocabulary I have often just explicitly taught 4 subjects a year, and then switched up which 4 subjects I taught the next year. I filled in with documentaries, bookbaskets and other independent and unschooling activities. You can definitely go a year at a time not teaching a subject explicitly. Four really is the maximum I can teach and expect students to master. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Math The rest -- I'm not sure. I feel like, in my house, it would be: History -- because history is fun, because it's something that DH and I love, and because I feel like you look unintelligent if you don't know some basic history. Writing -- putting together a decent sentence, having at least somewhat decent handwriting. Latin -- because we like it, and because I think there are some good benefits to it. But then what about art and science and modern languages and music? I don't know. I guess I feel like it's easier to hit science topics organically, as they happen to come up in life, than it is to hit history topics (for instance, we had a new baby, so questions of development and anatomy came up naturally, but ancient Roman history is less likely to come up naturally), so I guess that's why I would prioritize history over science. And then there's Bible. I feel that that's very important, but it's also not a state-required academic subject. ETA: As for WHY I don't do just those? Well, for one, my state requires more. But two, I feel like those aren't the only things that are important. When things are busy, we do default to those four subjects, but ideally, there's focused art, music, science, etc. in there too. Also, my DH might disagree with me. He might see science as more important than Latin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Math, writing, history and Latin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama25angels Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 My four would be: Bible Language arts Math Recitation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leav97 Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 If I really had to simplify: Math Library for books in different areas every week; science, history, biographys, ... Write short essays and book reports about reading Is that cheating? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ArtMom Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Can I count reading as one subject? It would include books history, science and fine arts. If I can: 1.) Math 2.) Writing/Grammar - I teach these together, Phonics for non-readers 3.) Reading for content subjects, Only read-alouds for non-readers 4.) Projects and Science Experiments (these kind of go together at the elementary level :tongue_smilie:) connected to content subjects I consider the above the backbone for our homeschool but do add languages, logic and any other electives my kids and I choose for that year. If not: 1.) Math 2.) Language Arts (literature, writing/grammar, phonics, spelling) 3.) History - I incorporate fine arts into history ;) 4.) Science Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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