Our Simplified Curriculum for a family with 6 Children 9 and Under

[alexandramarie]

I am writing this post just as an example of a simplified curriculum; because I always like seeing other people's ideas.  I finally feel like I don't need to tweak anymore (well at least until we reach 7th grade, then I will re-evaluate) .  

We use First Start Reading and Core Skills Phonics along with Memoria Press' recommended readers.  You need no handwriting program; this teaches printing.

We use Memoria Press Traditional Spelling and then onto Rod and Staff Spelling.

Once printing is mastered I have my children copy all their memory work into a Composition Sketchbook; about 1  line a day.  At this point we add New American Cursive.

Memory work:  3 psalms a year, 3 O.T. passages a year, 3 N.T. passages a year, 3 poems of choice, 3 Hymns ( I also keep Memoria Press recitations on hand, but we do not do it all and I do not use this for copywork.) 

Once Cursive is mastered they start copying two lines of cursive a day of their memory work into a Composition Sketchbook.

In Grade 3 we start with Rod and Staff English along with one written narration a week.

In Grade 4 I up it to 1 written narration a day; they get to choose which reading they write about.

Grade 4 we start Memoria Press Latin with Latina Christiana.

Each child is placed in their own year of A.O. The only thing we add is the Visits to Series from Simply Charlotte Mason.

We have 1 hour a day of family learning ( the children read their own poem of choice aloud and this is where I correct my readers in pronunciation or help them with difficult words.  This time includes picture study, composer study, nature jounraling, painting, crafting, singing, calendar, we also do 10 minutes of Spanish a day as a family).

We also use Hoffman Academy.

Our day looks like this.
7:30-8:00 BIble reading and Hymn singing and Scripture recitation over Breakfast

8:15-11 English, Math, Spelling, Handwriting, and 2 A.O. Readings
11-12:00 Lunch and Recess outside
12:00-12:30 Latin with 4th grade (my other kids continue to play)
12:30-1:30 Family Learning (start naps for littles)
1:30-2:30 Quit Hour (my oldest two finish up A.O. readings- I may sit and close my eyes and nurse my baby and use an audiobook if there is a challenging read)
* the only thing we have left is piano, which my oldest do for 20-30 minutes.. We have a family read aloud right before bed

[Momto6inIN]

It feels so good to have a groove that works well, doesn't it? Good for you!