Ancient Paths Schoolhouse

First Grade Curriculum

2008-07-29T20:57:00.000-04:00

Bible, Literature (Tales, Fables, etc), Phonics/Reading,
German, World History, American History, Arithmetic, Singing (Hymns, Folk Songs, German), Character Stories, Habit Training, Geography and Mapwork, Handwriting, Picture Study/Art Appreciation, Science/Nature Stories, Poetry, Recitation, Scripture Memory, Read Alouds (Children's Novels), Sol-fa/Music, Timeline Notebook, Nature Study/Journal, Handicrafts (Clay Modeling, Doll Making, Sew/Knit, Woodwork), Art Lessons, Hero Admiration /Saint Stories, Life Skills (Chores, Home Economics),
Ballet, Drawing, Music Instrument Lessons (Piano, Recorder), Drill/Exercise, Composer Study/Music Appreciation.

How do we fit all these subjects into our year? Short lessons (10-20 minutes for most lessons) and we school around the whole year.

Why have I planned so many areas of learning for my scholar? Read Charlotte's own words:

"Because the relationships a child is born to are very various, the knowledge we offer him must be various too...it is a mistake to suppose that the greater the number of 'subjects' the greater the scholar's labor; the contrary is the case as the variety in itself affords refreshment...not the number of subjects but the hours of work bring fatigue to the scholar; and bearing this in mind, we have short hours. (V 6, p 157-8)

We wish to place before the child open doors to many avenues of instruction and delight...he is eclectic; he may choose this or that; our business is to supply him with due abundance and variety and his to take what he needs...we never know just where a child's talents lie, until we give him a variety of opportunities and a wide curriculum...we owe it to them to initiate an immense number of interests. The question is not,-how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education-but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? and, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?" (Charlotte Mason)

Charlotte advocated short lessons for younger children: fifteen or twenty minutes at the most. These short lessons are part of training children in the habit of attention. Children can get a lot accomplished in fifteen minutes of complete attention (so can adults). Along with the short lessons should come a large variety of subjects, alternating the quieter, concentration-intense subjects with the louder, less-concentration-intense subjects and those that allow for physical movement and exercise. (SCM Website)

"A Formidable List of Attainments for a Child of Six"

2008-07-29T18:48:00.000-04:00

A reprint of a curriculum outline from a CM school in the 1890's.

1. To recite, beautifully, 6 easy poems and hymns
2. to recite, perfectly and beautifully, a parable and a psalm
3. to add and subtract numbers up to 10, with dominoes or counters
4. to read--what and how much, will depend on what we are told of the child
5. to copy in print-hand from a book
6. to know the points of the compass with relation to their own home, where the sun rises and sets, and the way the wind blows
7. to describe the boundaries of their own home
8. to describe any lake, river, pond, island etc. within easy reach 9. to tell quite accurately (however shortly) 3 stories from Bible history, 3 from early English, and 3 from early Roman history
10. to be able to describe 3 walks and 3 views
11. to mount in a scrap book a dozen common wildflowers, with leaves; to name these, describe them in their own words, and say where they found them.
12. to do the same with leaves and flowers of 6 forest trees
13. to know 6 birds by song, color and shape
14. to send in certain handiwork, as directed
15. to tell three stories about their own "pets"--rabbit, dog or cat.
16. to name 20 common objects in French, and say a dozen little sentences
17. to sing one hymn, one French song, and one English song
18. to keep a caterpillar and tell the life-story of a butterfly from his own observations.

*We are learning German instead of French

Who Was Charlotte Mason?

2008-07-09T16:59:00.007-04:00

"The homeschool movement is gaining momentum all over the world, and many home educators are looking back to the ideas of Charlotte Mason as a compass for teaching their own children. Charlotte Mason was an educator who lived in England from 1841-1923. She established schools to train governesses and parents how to teach their children at home. Her ideas were at the time quite revolutionary. She considered children to be people who were capable of studying advanced topics in science, math, literature, art, and music, even at very young ages. She also had a passion for nature and beauty which is evident in her writings." (CM Headquaters)

"The many people who personally knew Charlotte Mason loved her deeply and were able to describe her in vivid detail...Young and old alike found her to be inspirational, humorous and humble...From the royal family on down, the entire country felt her influence. Sir Michael Sadler wrote, “She threw ‘a shaft of light across the land.’”
Her love of children was so evident that it could not be ignored and was often viewed as her most profound attribute. This love formed into a deep concern that children would develop a lifetime love of learning. She based her philosophy on the Latin word for education, ‘educare’ which means ‘to feed and nourish.’ (Catherine Levison)

“Her face was full of light, of wide sympathy and understanding, of delicate humor and gentleness and love...It is not yet the time to measure up her whole achievement. The full harvest is not yet. But there is enough to justify the confidence that posterity will see in her a great reformer, who led the children of the nation out of a barren wilderness into a rich inheritance . . . the children of many generations will thank God for Charlotte Mason and her work.” (The Story of Charlotte Mason)

“In loving memory of Charlotte Maria Shaw Mason, Born Jan 1 1842, died Jan 16 1923, Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty. Founder of the Parents National Educational Union, The Parents Union School and The House of Education. She devoted her life to the work of education, believing that children are dear to our heavenly Father, and that they are a precious national possession. Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life. I am, I can, I ought, I will. For the children’s sake.”

~Written on Charlotte's gravestone