Year Two Curriculum

I have hesitated from posting this because in many ways choosing the curriculum is easy whereas making it interesting and relevant is the challenge. That challenge generally involves using the curriculum plus other resources. This post is like presenting the bare bones of our education without the muscles and skin.

My youngest is six and so would be in year 2 next year. Hmm, I can't quite believe this. Anyway:

Bible
We are currently reading through the Catherine Vos Children's Story Bible and plan to continue this. Alongside this, Youngest Son is working on Bible memory work and we sing a hymn from Our own hymnbook or Psalms and Hymns of Reformed Worship each morning. Youngest Son would like to sing How pleased and blest was I every day but in order to achieve family harmony, this doesn't happen.

English

Reading:Youngest Son is currently using Dancing Bears.

We plan to continue with this although it doesn't always cause the greatest enthusiasm. We hope to supplement this with some other books.

I almost forgot to write about our reading aloud but this is a vital part of our day. I read aloud several times a day including some older picture books, poetry and chapter books. I list the chapter books and some of the longer picture books in the Books Read section of my blog. 

Grammar and Spelling: Jolly Grammar 2 Pupil Workbook.

We find that grammar is best learned when accompanied by action games!

Handwriting: Schofield and Sims workbooks and some practice in sand/playdough etc.

Writing: This is a bit of a mixture: some ideas from Writestart, others from Pie Corbett's books and the daily emails from Bravewriter. The plan is to do a mix of fiction and non-fiction with much of the writing sparked from books that we have read together.

Maths

This year, we started using the Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching materials. These have worked well and we plan to continue to use these. We buy the workbooks rather than printing off sheets (less for me to lose). I do wish that the lesson plans could be put on my Kindle.

Science
I'm working on my own resources for science, following the themes from the year 3 National Curriculum but with a Christian worldview. I teach science to both of the younger children together hence the choice of year 3 themes. We have started using this over the last term but it needs more work and refining.

History

Youngest Son watches some of the Veritas Self-Paced with his sister. The history song and the games tend to be popular but some of the detail of the Council of Chalcedon was rather difficult! Youngest Son is just below the recommended age for Veritas. We use the Veritas at the end of the morning and after maths and English so sometimes, Younger Son plays at this point. 

He usually joins in with listening to the read alouds. We have also been using the Story of the World Middle Ages and its accompanying activity book to re-enforce what the children have learned about with Veritas. Youngest Son enjoys this and we plan to continue using this. 
Viking bread was particularly popular. Apparently, it tastes best with tomato ketchup. 

Geography

Our home education group is doing a world project, focusing on a different continent each term. We hope to build on this at home.

Languages

I would love to introduce Younger Son to some foreign language, probably Spanish. I recently reviewed a book that should help to provide a Spanish culture but still need to choose something else to go alongside this. 

Music

We sing each morning and I hope to introduce Younger Song to the basics of the keyboard and reading music in the coming year. I hope to add a composer of the term and use the resources on Classics for Kids and Classic FM.

Art

We plan to continue to have regular art sessions at home and will probably use some of the Usborne resources. 

Sport
The greatest component of this is almost daily cycling but also includes swimming and football.


Please let me know which resources you have used for this age and particularly, what you have found sparks an interest in reading independently.

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Home Educating in Different Circumstances

We all have different challenges and joys in our lives, whether we are home educators or not. For people who home educate, those circumstances give a different flavour to the way they go about their children's education. 

Through July and the beginning of August, I am hoping to have a series of posts from some guest bloggers who home educate in different circumstances. The aim is to encourage those thinking about home education and those who are already home educators as well as to give some practical suggestions.

The areas that we are covering are 

• when both parents share home educating-Kondwani at an Abundant Adventure

• home education in a minster's family- Lizzy at Peaches@Home 

•  home educating while caring for an older relative-Sarah (me) at Delivering Grace 

• home educating the larger than average family-Caroline at the Joyful Keeper 

• home educating a child with special needs-Beth at As He leads is Joy 

I hope that you will be able to join us.

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The Challenge of Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was a well known evangelical hymn writer who lived in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. His well known hymns include

•  When I survey the wondrous Cross
•  Joy to the world and 
• Sweet is the work, my God, my King. 

What is less well known is his education and his own role as an educator.

Watts' parents were not members of the Church of England, at a time when not worshiping in the local parish church was an offence. Watts' father was imprisoned for his non-conformist convictions. Isaac was 14 when the Act of Toleration was passed which gave freedom to worship to non-conformists (Protestants who were not part of the Church of England). What this Act did not give was the freedom to have a university education.

Young Isaac was a bright lad and wanted to be a minister. A wealthy friend offered to pay for his university education which at that time would be at Cambridge or Oxford. This would have meant joining the Established Church but Watts turned down the offer as he wished to stay loyal to his convictions.

Instead, Isaac went off to the Non-Conformist Academy in Stoke Newington.

Watts wasn't called to a church straight after his education but became a tutor. He wrote some books around education, including The Art of Reading and Writing English, and poems for children. His book on logic became the standard text at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Yale for many years. Yet, even though this was an important work, it pales into insignificance compared to the effect of his hymns.

Watts was faithful to his convictions and God blessed him.  That must be a lesson to us. Of course, most of us aren't educating children quite like Isaac Watts but his education is a challenge for us: that non-mainstream education was sufficiently high quality to prepare a young man to write a major text as well as to make a major contribution to hymnody. 

So for me as a home educator, the challenge from Watts' life is to

• be faithful to the Lord even if that means being counter-cultural.
• provide a high standard academic education so that children are able to use their God given abilities
• remember that the spiritual outlasts, and outweighs, the academic.

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52 Weeks of Family Spanish

We are an English speaking family and learning other languages has often been difficult. Rather to my surprise, Older Daughter is doing a language degree, in Russian, but I think that having Russian as the second language in the house would be rather challenging! The younger children do need to learn another language and we need, some how, to create a culture of speaking in another language. Spanish seemed a reasonable choice as it has reasonable simple phonics; I studied it in school and the children know Spanish speakers from church. 

When I asked a question about creating a family culture of speaking a second language on a home education forum, someone recommended 52 Weeks of Family Spanish by Eileen McAree. 

This is a simple book around introducing elementary Spanish to the family with ideas about how to practice phrases at meal times and in the car along with simple games. I like the idea that it also introduces a different Spanish speaking country in each section with ideas for making meals or having celebrations.

52 Weeks of Family Spanish isn't going to have you speaking at a high level but in terms of children learning simple phrases, colours, body parts, items in the home and names of rooms this seems helpful. I haven't used the book yet but plan to implement the ideas alongside more formal Spanish learning, in the next academic year. 

The book ends with a list of resources including websites, apps and podcasts which are free which is again useful, in my quest to introduce another language into our family culture.

I purchased 52 Weeks of Family Spanish as a kindle download for £3.24 although it is also available as a paperback.

Other books in this series are 52 Weeks of Family German and 52 Weeks of Family French.

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Curriculum for Year 4

Younger Daughter will be year 4 age (grade 3) in the autumn. As home educators, we aren't tied to a particular level nor to the National Curriculum. 

This outline is really just a skeleton and doubtless, trips and other extras will be added.

Bible
We are currently reading through the Catherine Vos Children's Story Bible and plan to continue this. We have only just reached the Children of Israel in the wilderness so there is a fair way to read. Alongside this, Younger Daughter is working on the memory work from the Trinitarian Bible Society Sabbath School Scripture learning prize and we sing a hymn from Our own hymnbook or Psalms and Hymns of Reformed Worship each morning.

English
Reading: The plan for the initial part of the year is to continue working on Toe by Toe. Finishing this is likely to take into the New Year. Just using Toe by Toe for reading is dry and we also have individual reading time and time for reading to me, as well, as plenty of time for me to read aloud to the children. 

Spelling: I would like to re-start All about Spelling which took a backseat when we started Toe by Toe. There is a limit to the number of phonics programmes it is possibly to use per day! Once, Toe by Toe is finished, we plan to give more attention to spelling with All about Spelling. In the interim, we plan to use the spelling exercises in Galore Park Junior English Book 2.

Writing/Grammar/Comprehension: Galore Park Junior English book 2.

Handwriting: Morrells Handwriting book 3.

Typing: BBC Dance Mat Typing

Maths
After some thought, and using a practice printout, we plan to use CIMT year 4. Younger Daughter has liked the format when she has seen her younger brother use CIMT and so hopefully,it will work well for her.

Science
I'm working on my own resources for science, following the themes from the year 3 National Curriculum but with a Christian worldview. Yes, Younger Daughter will be in year 4 but her brother will be in year 2 and I plan to teach them both together. We have started using this over the last term but it needs more work and refining.

History
Veritas Self-Paced has been a winner here. We have just started the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation course. The children are making scrapbooks to go with this. Younger Daughter is very enthusiastic about hers and has had several ideas to add. We also hope to visit some sites relevant to the course and to add to the literature with some books of our own.

Geography
Our home education group is doing a world project, focusing on a different continent each term. We hope to build on this at home.

Languages
Younger Daughter did a little Spanish but this has taken a back seat, this year, to concentrate on reading. She has started doing some British Sign Language, with a friend, and has loved this. We hope to continue with the BSL but to do a little Spanish. I have been reading a resource to go with this, review soon!

Music
We plan to continue the piano lessons that Younger Daughter started this year. Music has, otherwise, felt a bit "thin", this year. We have sung most days and plan to continue this but also to add a composer per term. Classics for Kids and Classic FM both have helpful resources on their sites. 

Art
Younger Daughter has some art lessons which we plan to continue. She loves art so we tend to keep a reasonable supply of materials for her to use for her own projects. In addition, I am vacillating between using Artistic Pursuits and the Usborne Complete book of Art Ideas.

Sport
Currently, this includes swimming and cycling and the plan is to continue.

Please let me know about any resources that are particularly useful and anything I have missed!



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Gentle Ben

This coming academic year, I'm hoping to facilitate a book club at our home education group. The  theme is continents of the world. This, of course, is an excellent excuse to spend time reading different children's books over the summer! Please feel free to suggest books which may be suitable for this book club.

A friend pointed me in the direction of  Gentle Ben, thank you! 

Gentle Ben, by Walt Morey, is set in a salmon fishing community in Alaska. Mark is a lonely child, after the death of his brother from tuberculosis. Nearby, a fishing pirate keeps a tame brown bear in poor conditions. Mark makes friend with the bear, to the consternation of his father and later, the rest of the community. 

The story follows of how the tame bear is excluded by the townsfolk and remarkably, saved from hunters. In the process, Mark's life is also saved. 

Yes, an improbable story but fascinating and full of detail, new to me, about salmon fishing. 

Recommended for children aged 8+ by the publishers. I suspect this is about right. I did read that game wardens do not like this book as it has lead to accidents from people not being sufficiently cautious around brown bears. This may well be an issue but probably isn't enough of a concern to make this book a risk to London children. We probably will discuss the how likely a bear is to be tame! This book is ideal for teaching children about a culture very different from theirs in a city in England.

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Veritas Self-Paced: One Year on

I meant to post this earlier but life has been busy. Having someone come home from hospital takes time and life takes precedence over blogging!

Anyway, writing about Veritas Self-Paced: One Year on is a must.

Veritas Self-Paced history is an on-line 32 week course. There are five different courses:

• Old Testament and Ancient Eygpt
• New Testament, Greece and Rome
• Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation
• Explorers to 1815
• 1815 to present

Last year, I had the opportunity to review New Testament, Greece and Rome  though the Schoolhouse Review Crew. We carried on using this and finished in early May.

By this time, we were quite sure that we wanted to carry on with another Self-Paced history course so I purchased Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation in a sale which allowed me to set the start date up to the end of August. I selected the beginning of June. Well, we missed our Self-Paced history slot and happily restarted this month.

How we use the course. Our mornings tend to run in much the same way: Bible, English (reading, phonics, writing, handwriting, grammar) and maths with a short break between English and maths. At the end of maths, the younger two children and I sit down to watch the Veritas Self-Paced. It is a bit of a reward, both for them and me. The lessons usually last between 30 and 50 minutes. Each week has a different historical theme, for example, the Minoans or the Barbarians and the Vikings. There are four lessons on each theme and the fifth lesson is a test. 

Some lessons have optional literature set, at two different levels: grades 2-3 (years 3-4) and grades 4-6 (years 5-7). We read some of the literature for the New Testament, Greece and Rome course and found that it is a helpful adjunct so have collected rather more of the literature for the latest course. This week, we have been reading Margaret Hodge's adaptation of St George and the Dragon.

It is really necessary to use the course, most days as the on-line access only lasts a year and there are 160 lessons. It is quite easy to do the test and an ordinary lesson in a day so using Self-Paced history four days a week would also work well. We often did this, particularly, if we had a trip out in the week.

Beyond buying the course and the history cards that go with it, the actual course takes virtually no parent time. Of course, if the literature is done as a read aloud that will take time but is optional. I love having something that I don't have to prepare.

The course can be watched by more than one child but only one child can take the tests and has their scores recorded. The youngest age recommended is second grade (year 3).

Pros:

• High quality Christian course.
• The children love the course.
• We have all learned so much.
• Multi-sensory.
• Includes historical geography.
  
• Supporting literature.

Cons:

• The spelling can be difficult. Younger Daughter finds spelling difficult so we have an agreement that I will help her with the spelling. If your child can spell plebeian or cornucopia then they will manage fine but a struggling speller may need support.
• The history cards for New Testament, Greece and Rome contained three with pictures of the Lord Jesus. The history song also shows these cards. 

We have decided to add some extras to this year's programme with some visits, a scrapbook and some art and music. It has been lovely to see how the courses have fired the children's imaginations and love for history. Recommended.

Disclaimer: I was provided with New Testament,Greece and Rome for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review nor to provide a second review after a year. I purchased Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation for the use of my family. The opinions are mine and those of my children.

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Apologia: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day: One Year On

Last year, we used the Apologia Elementary book: Human anatomy and physiology and previously, we have used the astronomy book. 

The Apologia books are Christian and written from a clear six day Creation perspective. They are described as being suitable for children from six to thirteen. Each chapter includes a written section, questions for narration, experiments and projects. As the books are designed for home educators, they tend to use items which are readily available. The author of these books is Jeannie Fulbright. 

This year, we decided to use the Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day which covers birds, insects, flying reptiles and bats. We had purchased this book when we first started home educating but didn't complete the book as it was such a different style to school science. We changed to the more familiar feeling Singapore Science but then reverted to the Apologia Astronomy book when Middle Son requested something in more depth. 

Pros

• Christian curriculum
• Clearly laid out activities
• Notebooking journal also available
• Covers aspects of flight as well as the creatures.
• The depth of these books is quite impressive. When we used the Human anatomy and physiology book, we realised that parts of this were in greater depth than the IGCSE curriculum although obviously, it isn't an IGCSE text and doesn't cover exactly the same areas.

Cons

• The book was really too difficult for my six year old. I realised that I had added in activities for the human body books so that it was accessible to him. I found this more difficult to do for the flying creatures book.
• We found the US origin of the book made it difficult for us to use. The children are used to bird watching here and know a fair few of the common UK birds but the US birds used as examples were not familiar to them. I tried to substitute names where possible but found that I was limited by my knowledge of birds. For example, the cowbird is described as a bird which lays eggs in other birds' nests. I substituted cuckoo but then it was unsure about whether cuckoos behave in the same way as cowbirds when meeting up with other cuckoos which rather ruined the rest of the example. Similarly, references to the robin were confusing, particularly, when it was used for sizing as the American robin is larger than the European robin.

Sadly, due to these problems we haven't completed the book. Currently, I am using the UK National curriculum themes to write my own programme for the children. This is more work and I think, it needs a fair amount of improvement but does mean that I can design something at the correct level of difficulty and that is culturally correct.

In many ways, I would like Apologia to produce a British edition of this book using British examples or being clear where they are not British. I have heard of British home educators who have used the book successfully but sadly, it just proved too difficult for us to adapt it to our needs.

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June Inspiration

June and we are looking forward to summer. 

The picture is wishful thinking, from last year. Today, in London was cold, windy and rainy. The children and I went to a sports day and we should have taken warm coats!

Feed a Family Oxford is about a challenge to feed a family on £100 per month. Actually, the family concerned has two adults and a young child but still this is a major achievement. At this sort of level, my family of five adults (yes, my two eldest are adults now!), a younger teenager and two children would eat on about £300 per month. We spend, including the cats, double this so this blog does make fascinating reading. What interests me is that much of the food is based around vegetable boxes which I had counted as too expensive unless on special offer. There are plenty of frugal recipes here too.

Gwen at an Island Family by grace has written an honest article about when she had major difficulties in her marriage, with some principles for managing When the wheels fall off on your life.

One of my children loves history and particularly, Tudor history so we read this post from Claire, at Angellicscalliwags, together. An Elizabethan unit study might be popular here too.

Since I wrote my updated post about UK Christian home education blogs, I have found more.

Grace to Abide is completely new to me although a well established blog. Catherine home educated in Russia and is now back in the UK and has written a recent series about home education here, comparing it with home education in Russia.

Ordinary Clare is another London based home educator. I loved her post about taking children on a day trip. 

Lizzy, a real life, as opposed to virtual, friend has just started a blog, Peaches@Home. Her post about God's Word in bringing up our children was an encouragement and a challenge.


Home Education Novice has moved to a new blog, An Abundant Adventure. Kondwani has written a post seven years after the death of her daughter called Grief 7 years later, a "wish list". Something, we all should read.

I do hope to update the post on UK Christian Home Education Blogs in the near future.


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You might also enjoy these posts:

UK Home Education Resources

and 14 ways to save money on Home Education Resources