Language Arts

I really have a love for the English language as an art so I am very selective when it comes to my children's language arts curriculum. I have looked into many programs and even tried a few. Most English lessons out there are based on repetition which quite honestly is boring even for a person who LOVES English. English can not be learned by rote. 

Last year we tried Rod and Staff English. It was thorough. You can't finish that book without knowing the structure of the English language inside in out. You can't finish that book without falling asleep or wanting to beat your head against a wall. You can't finish that book without HATING English. Actually you just can't finish that book. 

The problem with teaching English by rote is that it is necessary to understand the reasoning behind language structure because quite honestly the rules don't always apply. There are just too many rules anyway. I don't even know all the rules. How can I expect children to? The best way to learn a language is through immersion. We know that is true with the spoken language. It is true with the written language as well. 

I am a Charlotte Mason homeschooler. Charlotte's philosophy on homeschooling came from years of experience educating children in a classroom and at home. She came up with a system for teaching language arts to children without using rote instruction. 

• Literature- Exposure to great literary works rather than text books and "twaddle." Even preschool age children should be exposed to nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and fables not just beginning reader type of books. Many of the reasoning behind the structure of the English language can be gleaned from reading well-written pieces of literature. 
• Narration- The retelling of a story in the child's own words instead of filling out worksheets with fill-in-the-blank questions. Children can start giving oral narrations in preschool. Once they are able to write fairly well, they can start writing their narrations down. 
• Copywork- Copying well-written literature for handwriting practice also teaches grammar, spelling, structure and character. 
• Dictation- Writing down a phrase, sentence, paragraph, and eventually a full paper as it is read using proper spelling and grammar. 

This time last year I had already thrown out our Rod and Staff English book and pulled out my copy of Simply Grammar instead. It was so refreshing. It was so easy that I wondered if it could really be teaching them everything they needed to know. The only problem with Simply Grammar is that it is too short. It needs to be supplemented to even make it a full year much less through several years of education. Many Charlotte Mason homeschoolers use copywork alone as their daily grammar. Copywork is wonderful but I feel they need more instruction on writing; outlining, editing, creating a research paper, etc., if I want them to be successful in college. 

Then I found Queen Homeschool Supply's Language Lessons. These lessons are like an expanded form of Simply Grammar. They incorporate all of the key elements of Charlotte Mason language instruction and also teach the things that children need to know to be successful in college. Each book builds on itself. In fact they are not listed by grade level but rather by skill level. This way you know where to begin for each child. There are 180 lessons in each book, a full year's worth. We do one lesson per day. They are short and sweet. My kids LOVE them. I love them too. 

We are coming to the end of our school year. Soon the tax return will be coming in and I will be ready to order next year's curriculum. It is time to evaluate what has worked and what has not worked for us this year. Without a doubt we will be keeping our Language Lessons. In fact I think they are already in my cart waiting to be purchased. 

Copywork for Math

I realized recently that the boys were taking longer and longer to do their math lessons. I would catch them adding up multiplication problems using their fingers, toes, and noses. Yes, I said noses. Their scrap papers that they worked out their problems on where full of tally marks. Many times they got a problem wrong because they were off by one digit. They had simply miscounted. It is time for them to memorize their multiplication facts. 

I remember trying so hard to do this as a child. I did flash cards all the time but I am not a visual learner. I am a kinesthetic learner. That does not mean that I have to act out the lesson or bounce on a ball. I am a note taker. There is something about writing it down that just writes it into my memory. Typing it out does not work. I have to write it with my hands and then it is permanently engraved on my brain. Some days I write out my grocery list and forget it at home but as long as it was hand written, I can remember what was on the list. 

This is why copywork is so awesome. Copywork does not have to be for language lessons alone. Copywork is a great way for children to memorize their math facts. I created worksheets for my kids to copy and memorize their math facts. 

My worksheets give the student 3 tools for recalling their multiplication facts. 

1. repetition- They are copying the facts over and over for the first 2 days. 
2. skip counting - If they can remember how to skip count to 12 in each number, they don't have to add up. 
3. commutative property- They see that numbers can be multiplied in either order. So if they forget what 4x3 is but they remember 3x4, they know their answer. 

These worksheets are NOT a full math curriculum. They are for when you need to take a pause in your math lessons and focus on the facts so that you can go forward more easily. Teaching Textbooks does a great job teaching the multiplication facts. And there are many games and apps out there too that practice the math facts. But if your child is a kinesthetic learner like I am, you might want to try some copywork. 

Here are the worksheets that I made for my boys. Feel free to download and print them yourself. 

• Multiplication Facts of 3
• Multiplication facts of 4

First Day of SCHOOL

Public school does not start for one more week here but I decided to start early so that we can take frequent breaks as needed without getting too far behind like we did last year. 

We started off our morning with pancakes for breakfast. That is the boys favorite. 

After breakfast I asked them to pull out their binders so we could go over how to use them. Even Hershey had his binder. 

We started off with Language lessons. 

Skittles lesson was to write a narration about a picture in the book. There were questions to answer orally but I had him write the answers out in full sentences using proper grammar. It is still less work than he was used to doing last year using Rod and Staff English and I want him to practice those rules daily if possible. 

Twizzler just gave me an oral narration for his picture. He was so excited when he answered his 4 questions and I said, "Okay you are done." 

Hershey colored a letter A for apple. I helped him trace the A, "down, down, across." Then I let him color it. I have a plan for this page at the end of the week.

Twizzler was the first one done with his Language lessons so I sent him off to do his math. Right away he got the first two problems wrong. Then the next problem was 36x7. He claimed that he forgot how to multiply. DEEP BREATH. I tried to work with him through the problem but he forgot all of his math facts. So I had him copy all the multiples of 6.

Skittles math did not go well today. I had to call in for reinforcements. Gpa came over to help him. I wish I had the patience to do it with him but I just don't. It never ends well. Math... I hate math. That is all I am going to say about it since this is a happy blog.

Hershey played with a shapes puzzle. I was very impressed that he was able to complete it very quickly with no help. 

Then we did history together. We read about the first days of creation. Then the boys did a page in their journal. I asked them what the expanse between the 2 waters were. Skittles said, "The atmosphere and the clouds."

Twizzler called it the sky. 

I am working with Hershey to memorize his first bible verse, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." He colored a picture with the verse.

After history, I introduced them to our new spelling program. I bought the Queen spelling books but I am using them a little bit different than the author recommends. Instead of just letting them copy the words, I wrote them on the white board. I have them read the word, spell the word and then read it again. Then I erase the word and they have to write it from memory.

After they write all of the new words, I let them see the book page and check their work. If they misspelled any word, they write that word correctly 3 times. Then I lead them to read and memorize the first sentence in the book. Then I read it to them aloud while they dictate it. If they forget how to spell one of the words, the list is on the same paper so they can look at it for help. The idea is for them to be able to recall the word from memory. This was Twizzlers first time doing dictation. He did wonderfully.

For science we read the first chapter in All Nature Sings. I let the boys take turns reading aloud. I think it helps Twizzler to read more fluidly when he follows along while Skittles reads. 

After reading, they each did their own journal page. Here is Skittles page.

And Twizzler's journal page.

Finally they began their new writing books. Skittles wrote his first sentence. 

Twizzler began cursive today!!!! He did sooo well. I was afraid that he was not ready but he made some beautiful A's. 

We did not do any reading today because we had to read for science and history. I felt like in the past we were reading too much during the day. I want them to want to read. Sure enough when we were done with school for the day, Twizzler asked if he could read a book.