Here was my daughter’s schedule for 2005 (approx age of grade 7)
** She was a reader!
BIBLE/DEVOTIONAL
Prayer is an Adventure by Patricia St. John.
Young Person?s Guide to Knowing God
MATHS
Saxon 65
Champions of Mathematics
Mathematician’s are People, Too
ENGLISH
Continue with Copywork from your Bible, Arthur Mee?s or other sources
Wordly Wise 6
Written narrations, letters, reports. Journals entries.
Selected units from Write with the Best.
Memorisation and Recitation
Poetry (according to our schedule)
Henrietta Marshall’s English Literature
SCIENCE
History of Medicine
The Astronomy Book
It just Couldn’t Happen
The Ocean Book
The Weather Book
CHURCH HISTORY
Mr. Pipes & the Hymns of the Reformation.
Selected chapters from Trial & Triumph and the One Year Book of Christian History and 100 Most Important Events in Christian History.
BIOGRAPHIES
Jane Austen
Florence Nightingale
Thomas Edison
Michael Faraday
For Those Who Dare (Tiner)
*Cross curricula with History
William Carey
John Paton
Hudson Taylor
Amy Carmichael
Charles Spurgeon
George Whitefield
Jonathon Edwards
John Calin
William Tyndale
Most of Sonlight 5
Australian SOSE
Australian Society & Environment Book 6.
Biography summary sheet of 1 per week.
Listen to Folk Songs.
Australian literature: My Story series (as interested)
Project on Matthew Flinders.
See associated literature
We did a unit on Money and Economics using library books
GEOGRAPHY
Exploring Planet Earth
Exploring the World Around Us
Legends & Leagues
Elements of Danger by Eve Pownall
TYPING & TECHNOLOGY
Mavis Beacon and Compositions
Construct basic website.
PERSONAL Development
Beautiful Girlhood
Fallacy Detective
SHAKESPEARE
Using Edith Nesbit, Charles Lamb, and Leon Garfield. Read play in Arthur Mee?s Shakespeare. Watch play or video.
FINE ARTS
Art and Music Appreciation
LIFE SKILLS
Cooking- continue skills
Learn CPR and first aid (This will also be documented for Health.) (St. John?s course)
Learn to balance fortnightly pays.
Learn to read a map
Start basic road rules
Learn to garden and/or yard care
Put air in tyres.
Show improvement in general housecleaning and jobs.
Instruct boys in use of Art Pacs.
HEALTH / NUTRITION
Abeka-Safety, Health & Manners,
Cooking.
E-Food (workbook-selected chapters)
Schedule regular exercise of some sort EVERY day.
LITERATURE
It Couldn’t Just Happen
The Case for Christ (Youth Edition)
Coils, Magnets & Rings-Michael Faraday
Rose & the Ring
Rose Round
Promise of Zion Series
The Prince and the Pauper
Across Five Aprils
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Cricket on the Hearth
The Whipping Boy
The Cay
Trim
Little Black Princess
Born Free
Call of the Wild
Wrinkle in Time
Bridge to Terabitha
The Giver
Hitty-her first hundred years.
Catherine, Called Birdy
Witch of Blackbird Pond.
When We Were Kids-Aust.
A Lantern In Her Hand.
Any by George MacDonald
Any by G. K. Chesterton
Any titles available in the My Story series.
Now I must say that my dd was a voracious reader and so she read even more books than this. It isn’t about the amount of books one can read through though…it’s about quality. Narration is critical, in my opinion.
I was asked about why we chose a textbook to do Australian studies when we obviously use many living books and have a delight-directed approach. Here was my response:
We chose to use this text as it suits my daughter’s learning style and it allows her to achieve the work which breeds a sense or feeling of accomplishment in her, which breeds success.
I think that success breeds success…so I want my children to succeed. To give them that taste of success I have to set situations in play that allow them to taste success. I can only set these things up by observing them; their interests and their gifts.
So even though my daughter read a lot of books *she* didn’t feel like she was accomplishing much…so rather than throw the ‘workbook baby’ out with the bathwater, I thought it best to create a situation whereby my child can taste and achieve success.
How did we work through it? I don’t know. I simply gave it to her and told her to work her way through it…and she did! She likes seeing pages completed and finishing a book- she feels like she has achieved so I didn’t have to motivate her. Rather, I found out how she is naturally motivated and set things in place so that she could achieve.
She worked on it about 3-4 times a week and she naturally continued to read good living books.
I also plan to use the same series with my boys but will be using it slightly differently. They are not motivated by the same things as my daughter was so I plan to do his WITH them, teaching them how to use workbooks and how to research and write as we go through the book. We’ll possibly do 2-3 lessons per week…also incorporating good living books into our day.
In finding a balance I’ve found it helpful to look at who and why is doing the choosing of the textbook (age appropriate of course) If the textbook is wanting…pleading to be used by YOU, then it’s important to recognise this…if they’re screaming to be used BY THE CHILD then it’s equally important to acknowledge it. This does not mean that it becomes child directed. Rather that by recognising WHO is the driving force behind the use of them, we can more aptly figure out a plan for HOW to use them.
